Page 32 of Stalked By the Assistant Coach
“You’re in love,” he commented like it was fact. “Who is it? Please don’t tell me it’s another cheerleader like Goodwin.”
“Montoya,” I warned.
“I’m just saying, the school can only hide away so many scandals.” He put his arms up like he was innocent.
“For a guy working for a pro team, you’re here a fucking lot,” I gritted through my teeth. “Now, I’m not going to ask again. What can I do for you?”
“Is it a cheerleader?” He leaned in closer. “Or maybe one of the trainers?”
“No,” I clipped. “You don’t know her.” My jaw clenched. The smartest move would have been to deny any of his suspicions. But denying my ladybug felt wrong.
“Please tell me she’s legal aged.”
“Jesus, what the hell is your problem, Andres?”
“Me?”
“Yes, you! And no, she’s not a student. She’s my age. Jesus.”
“Well, I bet the Dean will love that.” He laughed, and my body went taut.
“Now that we’re done gossiping, maybe we can save the hair braiding for next time, and you tell me what the hell you want,” I sternly demanded. “I have shit to do, and the clock is running.” I had to go watch the cameras in Kait’s place but it wasn’t like I was going to tell him that.
“I like your linebacker. My team is looking for someone?—"
“No.” I shook my head. “You cannot talk to Dominguez.”
“Well, I mean I could talk to him but?—"
“Dominguez is pre-med, Montoya,” I shared, not that I didn’t think there was any way in hell he didn’t know that. I had a feeling it was exactly why he was here sniffing around Crank Dominguez. My linebacker was a good kid with a great head on his shoulders. He loved football, and from what I could tell when we talked, he loved medicine, too.
“I know. It’s why I would like for our team to talk to him.”
“Montoya,” I started to warn, but he raised a hand.
“I’m not the monster you think I am.” His dark eyes never wavered from mine. “I can see why you would think that. I do. With the whole thing between my sister and me. I’m not proud of how I let Betty down. I really am not.”
“That’s none of my business.” I shrugged, even though I thought he was a dick for leaving the girl in the lurch. Cutting her off only because she’d wanted to change her major.
“It’s not, yet you’re judging me by it. Now, don’t get me wrong. I get it. I came here like a fucking wrecking ball trying to grab players, and the way I behaved with Hemi wasn’t cool.”
“Trying to blackmail, you mean?” I didn’t like to beat around the bush and called a spade a spade.
“Whatever. I regret that. I’m trying to change. For my sister and my relationship with her.” I stared at him for a moment. I had always considered myself a good judge of character, and as much as I didn’t want to believe it, I could tell Andres was being honest.
“Crank Dominguez would be great in the NFL.”
“He will be,” I agreed and kinda felt like a dick when I dimmed the light out of Montoya’s dark eyes. “When he’s done with school.”
“He just decided to double major,” Montoya shared, and even though he tried to hide it, I saw the way his eye twitched. “That means he’s just added another year of college.”
“And?”
“And I would appreciate your help to talk to him. Look, Red, I like you. Believe it or not, I respect you. I know your story, like you know mine.” I nodded. He’d been in a similar position as I had been when he’d played college ball.
But where my knee gave out, his story was a little more tragic.
His parents died unexpectedly, and he’d been in charge of having to help raise his little sister, Betty. It was why he had started to coach at the university and slowly moved his way up the ladder until he became head coach. His little sister had been attending the school, and he’d left to recruit for the pros.