Page 1 of Five Things I See in You

Chapter 1

Jordan

At six thirty in the morning, the pool is empty and the ocean behind it hasn’t quite settled on a color yet. In two or three hours it’ll hit ninety degrees, but right now the temperature is perfect.

Last night, when Drummond mentioned in her speech that “an English player everyone’s going to be talking about” was coming, I glanced around the table without meaning to. Iris clapped and then whistled. Mireya smiled and squeezed Hades’ hand. She’s coming in to take Mireya’s spot on the wing. We all know it, even though nobody said anything.

I’m always sad to leave preseason in Florida. It marks the start of what life will be like for the rest of the year. Here, mistakes are allowed. As soon as the league starts, mistakes cost you, the players’ stress piles up, and so does my work.

“Man, witch, don’t judge me, okay?” Iris says by way of greeting as she sits down in the empty chair next to me.

She’s been out partying with Tina, sunglasses on even though the sun isn’t fully up yet and her hair twisted into a messy bun. She drinks my coffee without asking.

“Ugh, what is this? Why did you put so much milk in it? I need black coffee or I won’t survive the flight back to Seattle.”

“It’s soy milk,” I explain.

“See? You’re making it worse,” she protests, pushing her sunglasses up into her hair. “Last night was historic, I swear. I like Florida more and more; I think I’m going to end up living here. If Hades asks, you didn’t see me come in, okay? Anyway.”

I hand her the glass of water I ordered with the coffee, and she drinks it in one gulp, watching me over the rim.

“See? You’re part witch. You always know what I need,” she says before heading to her room.

***

Alex Drummond asks to see me at ten, before we leave for the airport.

“We can’t screw this up with the English player,” she blurts out when I haven’t even sat down across from her yet. “We’ll announce the signing next week. A league record, and that’s going to bring a lot of attention. I need this to work, Jordan. The new-player transition program you designed last year is no longer just a proposal. It’s mandatory. I want her to have a session with Valeria within the first week, I want you to run another session for the whole squad, and I want follow-up if the player needs it, but only at her request, never on our own initiative.”

“Understood.”

I prefer not to explain to her that the program isn’t designed to protect investments, but to protect people, and that it makes no difference to me whether she’s the most expensive player on the team or a girl on her first professional contract.

When I’m at the door, Drummond stops me, coffee in hand.

“Have a good season, Hayes,” she says before I leave.

***

Iris ambushes me in the middle of the hallway, and I’d swear she was waiting for me. At least she’s had time to shower, and she looks better than she did a while ago.

“Hey,” she whispers, leaning against the wall with her arms crossed. “About the Brit coming to the team. She’s going to show up completely alone. No preseason, not knowing anyone. It’s her first time playing professionally abroad, not like when Natalia came last year. When I got signed, the team was already one big family, and the first month felt endless because you know I’m really shy and—”

“Iris, stop talking crap and get to the point.”

“Okay, so, we already have a party organized for when she gets here. There’s no training the next day, don’t look at me like that,” she explains. “So that’s the first thing—I’m organizing it, you don’t have to worry about that.”

“We’re implementing the program,” I explain.

“No, no, I’m not talking about the program,” she says, lowering her voice even more. “You do those things you know how to do, even if it’s from a distance; keep an eye on her, because this is going to be hard for her.”

“Those things I know how to do?”

“Yeah, those things you do outside of therapy sessions. Asking how she’s doing, the little chats that aren’t official but almost are. They help a lot, I see everything,” she adds, shrugging and pushing off the wall. “Anyway, take care of her and we’re cool.”

She heads down the hallway without waiting for an answer, like she almost always does, and halfway down she’s already shouting an answer back to someone calling her from the stairs.

Chapter 2