Page 76 of Campus Heat

“It’s good to meet you.”

Crawford took a slow sip of his drink, keeping eye contact the entire time. “I’ve been following the season.” He paused for emphasis, but Harris didn’t respond. “You guys got off to an interesting start.”

Jenna and I exchanged concerned glances. That was a very strange way to refer to their losing streak. Again, Harris didn’t respond. Crawford tilted his head slightly, seemingly amused by the situation.

“You know, I heard something curious the other day,” he continued. “That before this… you were actually a basketball coach.”

“Yes,” Harris said calmly.

Crawford laughed sarcastically. “And here you are leading a football team.”

And there it was. My shoulders tensed, but amazingly Harris stayed composed.

“The university needed someone who was willing to step in.”

Crawford’s smile widened slightly.

“Step in… Yes. But I imagine football alumni might feel more comfortable knowing the program is led by someone… experienced in the sport.”

Harris’s gaze sharpened ever so slightly.

“These boys need leadership,” Harris grated. “Not resumes.”

Crawford chuckled. “With all due respect, Coach, results matter.”

“Of course they do.” Harris rolled his eyes.

“And so far your results haven’t been impressive,” Crawford said matter-of-factly.

Harris was seething; I could see it in his eyes and the way his fist clenched behind his back, but he didn’t take the bait.

“This team is young,” he said. “We’re building something from scratch, and that takes time.”

“Time,” Crawford repeated thoughtfully. “You’ll forgive the donors if they wonder how much of it they should invest.”

My grip on my glass tightened, but Harris’s voice remained steady.

“I’ve coached long enough to know that progress doesn’t always show up on the scoreboard first.”

Crawford studied him curiously, but he didn’t give his thought process away. “And you’re confident these boys will eventually prove that?”

Harris didn’t hesitate at all. He spat out his response immediately. “I’m confident they’re worth fighting for.”

His words landed with quiet conviction, and Crawford considered that for a moment before giving a small nod.

“Well,” he said, sounding rather defeated. “I suppose we’ll all be watching.”

As he walked away, Jenna leaned toward me. “Wow. If that wasn’t a polite interrogation, I don’t know what is.”

I nodded slowly. It was exactly like Ethan mentioned the other day, but what stuck with me wasn’t the challenge. It was the way Harris answered. He said that the team was worth fighting for, and I believed him.

I spotted Ethan standing alone at the far end of the balcony and excused myself. I wove through the clusters of guests and finally reached him. He stood at the railing, looking out over the dark campus.

“Hey,” I said softly.

A faint smile flickered across his face. “You clean up nicely.”

“You’re not exactly suffering in that suit either.” I nudged his arm lightly.