Page 9 of The Linebacker

“Do you want me to follow you there, or do you want to meet me somewhere?”

“Just come with me,” she said. “I’ll bring you back here when we’re done. I’m assuming you want to be within a reasonable distance to the practice facility, since you’ll be here five days a week during the season.”

“Yeah, makes sense. Thanks.”

He followed her out to her vehicle, a cherry red electric Equinox. “I’m forever carting team merch from one promotional event to another,” she explained. Made sense. Cherry red and navy blue were the Mountain Lions’ colors.

As she drove, he asked her about her job. She explained that she handled social media and community events for the team, and then she told him about this Make-A-Wish kid who had wanted to sit front row at a game and meet Dante. Diana had turned that wish into a halftime show that still collected views online two years later.

“And the best part,” she said with enthusiasm, “is that little Austin is in remission!”

“That’s great,” Amil said. He was happy for the kid, but really, he just enjoyed listening to Diana talk. Sharing bits and pieces about her life. Even if all she’d shared so far was work-related information.

She lived in a condo downtown, near Portland State University. Her living quarters couldn’t be more than five hundred square feet in total. As Diana pointed out, she traveled with the team during the season, so it wasn’t like she was here often enough to get sick of the tiny space.

“Besides, it’s mine,” she said as she greeted a slim black cat who wound his way around her ankles and eyed Amil, withholding judgment. “Well, it will be in about fifteen years,” she added with a chuckle.

She scooped the cat into her arms, turning him onto his back so he lay there like an infant. He purred so loudly, it practically vibrated the entire condo.

“This is Lazlo,” she said proudly.

Amil scratched the cat’s ear, and it immediately leaned into his touch, stretching its neck for more after Amil pulled away.

“He likes you,” she said, letting the cat jump out of her arms. Then she opened the pantry door and pulled out a can of cat food.

Maybe he did, but the minute Diana popped the lid on that can, Lazlo abandoned Amil like, well, like a one-night stand.

While the cat ate, Diana gave Amil a tour of her condo. The kitchen opened into a dining nook large enough for a small table and two chairs and pretty much nothing else. That area spilled into a living room with huge windows overlooking downtown. Around the corner, at the other end of the living room, was her bedroom.

She did not show him that room.

“Okay,” she said, cuddling the cat again, who was done eating. “The stadium and practice facility are southwest of here, on this same side of the Willamette River. Most of the players on the team live either downtown or in a neighborhood called Hillside, which is west of here. It’s very hilly, hence the name, and there are lots of parks and greenspaces. Also plenty of cool restaurants, many of which cater to you famous footballers.”

“What does that mean, exactly?”

“It means you can go out for a quiet dinner without being mobbed by fans or the staff fawning over you in an uncomfortable manner.”

“Ah. Good to know. Who all lives there?”

“Pedro and Jillian. Broderick and Kate. Morgan and Royce. Sounds like she’s also keeping her house in LA so she has a home base when she’s filming movies,” Diana added.

“Filming movies?”

Diana laughed. “You didn’t know Royce is engaged to Morgan Gentry? Famous actress Morgan Gentry?”

“The only guy’s personal life I remotely paid attention to until now was Jalen’s.” Which hadn’t even been real. Just a bunch of smack talk.

Diana smoothly ignored his comment. “Dante and his fiancée, Allison, also live there, although they are currently looking for a place south of the city so she can be closer to work. She works at a winery down in the valley.”

She paused. “Actually, this could be a perfect scenario, now that I think about it. I should take you over to Dante’s house. If you like it, maybe you can buy it from him. Could save you the hassle of house hunting. Unless you like that sort of thing.”

He shook his head. “I do not. I actually bought my home in Santa Clara sight unseen.”

She chuckled. “I did the same. I wanted to be in downtown, but obviously my pay scale is much smaller than yours, so I went online, entered how much I could spend, and like five places came up. I liked this one best, so I bought it.”

He liked that they had this small thing in common.

“I’m going to change into something more comfortable, and then I’ll take you for a little driving tour. We’ll call Allison from the car. If they’re home, we can swing by.”