Girls Can't Play

Temptation On Legs

“I’m so sorry Miss Parker, but we do not have a girl’s football team currently. In future, maybe. Perhaps you can be our very first player then.” A polite smile from Midburn High's principal meant to comfort Jamie only dampened all her excitement and saw her kissing her football career goodbye. This move had already seen her mother spend a small fortune and knowing Kerry Parker’s financial situation, there was no way in hell they could turn around now and begin another search for a new home.

“Surely, there is something that can be done.” Her mother suddenly chipped in. “You see, we just moved to Midburn and she was so looking forward to this. Well, school too, but football is– she’s good at it– it’s her life, her everything. You sure there is nothing that can be done?”

“I’m afraid we can’t just change our rules for a single student, no matter how excellent. No offence, dear." The principal shot her an apologetic look. "I’m sure you can have a look at the various extra curricular activities that Midburn High offers. Cheer leading maybe? It's quite athletic too.” Jamie only cringed at the offer. She couldn't even picture herself in those ridiculous outfits. Or book clubs or any other thing that was not football.

Her throat tightened at her situation. "I–"

“Or she could just play for the boys team until a girl’s team is available. I mean, that’s if she doesn’t mind or is able to keep up with the boys.” Someone made the ridiculous offer that with each passing second lost its ridiculousness and relaxed the tightness in Jamie's throat.

"Hi, I'm Nadine. Principal Hill’s secretary. We met earlier." The woman still wore that welcoming smile Jamie had thought was weird for a principal's secretary. Many she'd come across always had stern expressions that made her hate being called to the principal's office.

“Nice to meet you, but–The Cougar Devils? Is that even possible?” Jamie had played with boys before, but playing with this successful team would definitely be a challenge. For her dream, however, she would do anything. And the near relief on her mother’s face at the possibility of them staying in midburn was a plus.

“That would be up to coach Warren and the boys.” Principal Hill said reluctantly.

“I can talk to Warren–” Nadine said as she took the remaining empty seat facing the principal.

“Are you not tired of picking fights with the man, Nadine?” The principle sighed, making Jamie shift gazes between the two.

“Who said anything about fighting, sir? Come to think of it, perhaps this is the time for Warren to practice what he’s been preaching.” Nadine shot up from her seat, a mischievious grin on her lips. “Come.” She dragged Jamie to her feet and out of the principal's office before the man could say anymore.

“Are you sure this is fine?” Jamie asked as she practically ran after Nadine, while her backpack bounced off of her back. The woman’s strides were unbelievable in her high heeled peep toes.

“Oh, it absolutely is. The man owes me one.” Jamie couldn’t help but ask why the woman would want to call in a favour on her account.

“Not to sound ungrateful, but, aren’t you like wasting this…favour on me?”

“You do want to play don’t you?” Nadine did not stop, but rounded a corner quickly as if she couldn’t get to where they were headed fast enough.

“Yeah, but–”

“That’s enough for me.” The secretary waved Jamie away. “Besides, you just got here. I’m guessing making another change will be a lot harder than simply packing up your bags, right?”

“Yeah.” Kerry Parker’s expression had said it all. Even if she cared about her daughter’s dreams, moving away or back was simply not an option for her mother. “I owe you one then. You can call it in anytime.” Jamie didn't even know what she was offering, but did anyway.

“Just nail this try out. I’m sure seeing Warren stomach drafting you into his team will be more than satisfying.”

“Okay…” Jamie drawled out, wondering if this was a kind of payback situation between Nadine and Coach Warren. Either way, it was nice to find someone this welcoming in a new place. Midburn it seemed, had a couple of those. A bunch of friendly faces had practically been waiting at their apartment’s door once they arrived, ready to help them move in. She just hoped her luck of meeting good people would extend to her classes too so that she wouldn’t have to make herself invisible.

“No absolutely not!” The coach, a suprisingly not so old man protested, making her think her luck with good had already run out. His athletic build told Jamie that he was a hands on coach and that team work outs would be more than intense. Her kind of coach. If only he could change his mind.

“Oh come on. It’s not like you have to draft her into the team or anything. It’s only until the girl’s team is ready. Which by the way, you have been promising to help set up for ages.” Nadine pointed out.

“I am not baby sitting h–”

“I don’t need to be baby sat.” Jamie blurted out, earning herself arched brows from her would be coach. “I can prove it to you if you let me try out.”

“There. She is even willing to prove herself. What do you have to lose?” A string of curses escaped the coach’s mouth at that. “Come on. What is that you’ve been singing about? Girls are just as good as boys? And besides, if she’s terrible at it, you’ll have your excuse to drop her.” Nadine smirked while Warren huffed.

“Fine. But if I do this, you owe me dinner.” The man finally conceeded.

“This doesn’t make up for anything because it’s your job. You’ll have to do better than that. I’ll tell your mum where to find you, dear. Best of luck!" Nadine winked before walking away without so much as a thanks or goodbye to Warren.

“Impossible woman!” The coach watched as Nadine walked away and whatever their story was, Jamie was only glad she was getting this chance to prove herself and keep her dreams alive. “So…Jamie huh?”

“Yes–”

“Yes what?!” The man suddenly roared and it took Jamie just a second to fall in line.

“Yes coach!”

“Hmmm…” Warren eyed her skeptically and Jamie, wanting to appear capable straightened up. “What position do you play?”

“The first position. Coach.”

“First position? Aren’t you too tiny to be in the goal?”

“Never stopped me before.” Jamie stated proudly even when unbelief crossed Warren’s well defined face. She was used to this kind of reaction, but it didn’t bother her one bit as it only made her capabilities shine that much brighter once the unbeliever’s got to see her play.

“Uh huh. I can see why Nadine would take a liking to you.”

“Coach?” Jamie hadn’t thought that Nadine’s kindness was because she actually liked her.

“Walk with me.” She followed as Coach Warren headed for the pitch that had players littered all over it. “I have a feeling that you and her will get along just fine.” Warren said, but Jamie was no longer paying attention, her mind taken by the familiar sight of her preferred kingdom.

“It’s huge.” She gasped. “Well, for a small town’s high school, I mean.” This was not just open space where a school football pitch sat. It was a freaking stadium.

“Being good at what you do means you get a lot of funding to do all the crazy stuff you desire.”

And scouts. Jamie had no doubt Midburn High got a descent number of those too. Just her kind of place!

“Hey, Griffin, we have a try out for a handler here.” Coach Warren called to a group of semi naked guys on the pitch as he and Jamie approached. The sight would have been uncomfortable, but Jamie was kind of used to it as the game had exposed her to a lot of such.

“But coach, we don’t need anyone else in the goal–” Griffin turned and never meeting her grocery store jerk ‘ever’ turned out to be a mere few hours for Jamie. What were the odds? And what was that she'd thought about being used to seeing semi naked guys? Could she even call him that? A guy? Because 'god' seemed more appropriate. “Shorty?”

Jamie blinked in surprise at the annoying name. He remembered her? It hadn’t been that long since the grocery incident, but somehow she had expected someone swoon worthy like him to have forgotten someone plain like her with a blink of an eye. “What are you doing here?” Her entitled stranger whom she now knew as Griffin stared at her with wide ocean blue eyes. They still held their charm even with surprise in them and Jamie’s belly fluttered, too aware of his burning gaze. And because she still hated what he’d called her and because she couldn’t help it, she nodded in response.

“Kong…”

“Wait, what?” The guy gave a confused laugh and damn him for having insinuated that he’d have wanted to kiss her. Because all his laugh did was draw her attention to his sensual mouth. So not her and she hoped to God he hadn’t noticed.

“It’s only fair that you get a name too for calling me that.” Jamie sassed when she finally managed to convince her eyes to look away from the sinful temptation on legs.

“Woah, you two know each other?”

“No!” They both turned to Coach Warren who only stared back waiting for an explanation.

“We sort of bumped into each other at Stella’s–”

“Sort of bumped?” Jamie scoffed. “Is that what you call stealing from someone in Midburn?”

“Wait, steal–”

“I did not steal anything.” Teeth gritted, Griffin tried to explain to his coach “It was a misunderstanding over who got to a bottle of water first–”

“Which was me and you–”

“Woah, she’s the crazy customer?” Some shirtless guy bumped into Griffin who clearly did not appreciate the action. “Dude, you seem to have left out the part that she was fine!”

He'd talked about her? Jamie couldn’t get over that fact even if he’d called her crazy.

“She’s a girl.” He finally spoke with distaste that got Jamie arching her brows.

“Why? Do you have anything against girls?”

“On my team? Yes.” His sneer took away with it all the charm that had enchanted her and only left her with a view of some entitled spoiled brat. And what did he mean his team? Jamie turned to Coach Warren and the man only shrugged.

“If you intend to be a part of this team, I suggest you make it a point to get along with your captain and the Cougar Devil’s top benefactor.”

Holy cow! He was what?!