Page 46 of Mutual Discord

I thought Alex and I would watch the game from one of the team boxes, so I was confused when he led me to a pair of seats right behind the Scorpions bench.

“We’re sitting here?” I asked, my voice sounding as confused as I’m sure I looked.

A frown erased Alex’s dimple. “Did you not want to sit down here? I usually sit by the bench at games, but we can move if you’re uncomfortable.”

“Oh, I’m not uncomfortable,” I rushed to explain. “I just assumed because of your position, you would sit up in some fancy box.”

Alex scoffed, rubbing the back of his neck. “Sofia, you should know me well enough by now to know I’m not bougie. Plus, sitting with the fans is more exciting. The atmosphere is electric down here, and it often sparks my creativity.”

Slowly sinking into one of the seats, I shook my head. “What do you mean?”

Alex sat beside me, his dark trousers stretching across his thighs and daring me to admire them a second longer than was polite. But it was his cologne, which was never too cloying, that flooded my senses and almost made me hum aloud.

“What I mean is that being a part of the crowd like this guarantees I’ll know what the fans are talking about when they’re talking about it. My team has been able to use that insight to craft timely social media content. Do you remember the ‘Sting ’Em’ chant that started earlier this year?”

I nodded. It had been included in almost every bit of Scorpions news coverage and appeared in most of the print and media campaigns I’d seen.

“Well, that chant was started by two kids, no more than eight years old, who were chanting it at a home game back in July. It was simple and catchy, so I sent a text up to the guys who operate the video boards.” Alex gestured with a tilt of his head to the two scoreboards hanging from the arena ceiling. “And the guys put the chant up, and soon the whole arena was screaming it so loud I swear the building shook. It was amazing to experience.”

“And that chant has become a rallying cry.” I stared at him, a bit astounded. “Wow, Alex, you just got here, and already you’ve helped the Scorpions tap into Phoenix’s hometown pride.”

He held my gaze as he pretended to dust dirt off his shoulder. “And that’s why they pay me the big bucks.”

Laughing, I pushed his arm, but he barely budged. Alex opened his mouth to respond when one of the players, who had been warming up on the court, stopped by the empty bench and propped a hand on her hip. “Hey, Castillo, you didn’t tell us you had a date tonight.”

Alex turned five different shades of red as he glanced from the player, who was smiling impishly at him, to me. Then he winced. “We’re not on a date,” he explained. “This is my friend Sofia.”

The player, a tall woman with blond hair who I recognized as a guard on the team, looked Alex up and down and snorted. “You usually wear a T-shirt and jeans to games, and now you’re in this outfit and expect me to believe this isn’t a date?”

A bark of laughter burst from my mouth, and I slapped a hand to my face to stifle it as Alex scowled at the player and then at me. But if she was right and Alex usually dressed casually for the games, I was not going to complain about his dark trousers and gunmetal-gray collared shirt with the Scorpions logo, the sleeves rolled up to reveal his corded forearms. Still, Alex appeared so adorably disgruntled, I felt compelled to explain the real situation between us.

“Alex is right, though,” I said, a laugh in my voice. “He’s actually d—”

“Oh my God, you’re that chick from TikTok! The one that does the Matildas series.”

Rearing back, I blinked, somewhat dumbstruck by a second player, who came to a jump stop next to the blond guard, her dark eyes wide. I think I nodded, but I was so surprised I couldn’t be sure. Thankfully, Alex recognized how muddled I was and tugged me up by the arm.

“It is you,” the second player exclaimed, clapping her hands together. “I fucking love your videos. There are so many badass women I never would have heard of if it wasn’t for you.”

“What videos are you talking about?” the blond guard asked, and I flashed a quick Help me look at Alex.

“Megan, Natasha, this is Sofia.” Alex pressed a hand to the small of my back, and I stepped forward with a tremulous smile. “You may know her from TikTok.”

Something about the “You may know her from TikTok” made me cringe so violently, I was surprised none of them commented on it. Yet my reaction seemed valid because Megan and Natasha were professional athletes and I was just Sofia. Making silly little videos on a silly little social media app. They were entertaining millions of people with their phenomenal athleticism, and I was fending off porn bots in my comment sections.

A quick glance at Alex, though, made my breath catch in my throat. Because he was regarding me with what could only be described as pride in his eyes.

Swallowing down my nerves, I moved to extend my hand first to Natasha and then to Megan. “It’s lovely to meet you both.”

“No, I’m stoked to meet you.” Natasha squealed a laugh. “I’ve been following your series almost since the beginning. I follow a lot of history creators—” She shrugged when Megan snorted. “What? It’s not my fault the only history you know is Sabrina Carpenter’s discography.”

Megan snatched the basketball from Natasha’s hands and bumped her on the arm with it. “Hey, I know more than that.” Her expression turned sheepish. “But not much more.”

“Then you should watch Sofia’s videos. She did one on Senda Berenson Abbott, who started women’s basketball back in the 1800s.” Natasha grabbed the ball back from her teammate and propped it on her opposite hip. “Start with that one.”

“I was actually inspired to do that video because of Alex.” I hooked my thumb at him. “I’m not sure if I would have known about her if it wasn’t for him.”

Both players turned their gazes to him, matching affectionate, if exasperated, smirks on their faces. “Castillo’s one of the good ones.”