The Road to the Cup ~ Wattys 2015

I Want You to Be Happy

"Come in," I called, expecting one of the guys to come to get me so that we could go out and celebrate, as usual. The door opened and closed.

"Hello, Erin," Mike Johnston said.

"Oh, hey, Mike," I replied, surprised.

"Were you expecting someone else? I can come back-"

"No, it's fine. You surprised me, that's all. What's up?" I said, filing away my notes.

"I wanted to know if you'd like to come to grab a bite to eat with me. So we can, uh, discuss.... Plays," Mike said awkwardly.

"Sure, hang on. Let me grab my coat and my notes. Do you want me to meet you there?"

"Sure, I was going to go to the Mexican place two blocks over. Do you like Mexican food?"

"Yes, that sounds good. I'll be there in a few," I smiled. Why was he so nervous? We had won the game and we had been working together for months now; he was acting really strange. He left and I followed a few minutes later. I shut and locked my office door. I turned to find Robert leaning against the wall and I jumped. "Jesus, Robert, you scared me!"

"Sorry, Erin," he chuckled, "I didn't mean to do that."

"It's fine," I said, walking with him toward the parking lot.

"So what did Johnston want?"

"We're going to review plays or something at the Mexican restaurant a few blocks over," I replied.

"You aren't coming to celebrate with us?" Robert pouted.

"No, Robert. I have to do this, for work." He muttered something under his breath. "I'm sorry, Robert. I'd love to come, but I can't."

"Call me when you're done. We can do something then," Robert said.

"Okay," I replied, not sure if I'd follow through with that.

"See ya," Robert waved and headed to his car. I drove to the restaurant to meet Johnston.

"Hi," he said when I sat down at the table.

"Long time, no see," I replied, pulling out my playbook and notes.

"Oh, you don't need those," Johnston said.

"What?"

"You won't need those. This isn't really a business meeting."

"Umm, okay," I put my things back in my bag, puzzled. Why had he asked me to come here?

"I would've ordered you a drink, but I didn't know what you liked. I got a Canadian Blue," I knew that he knew that I was confused, but he wasn't answering my unspoken question.

"Blue sounds good," I replied.

"Good, good," he said, more to himself than to me, and scanned the menu. "Have you been here before, Erin?"

"No, I haven't."

"Their enchiladas are very good."

"Coach Joh-"

"Please, call me Mike."

"Mike, why am I, I mean, why are we here?"

"I realized that I don't know you as well as some of the boys do," he started and I must have paled at the implications in his words because he stopped to reassure me, "I'm not suggesting anything, Erin. I know you wouldn't do anything wrong." Oh Lord, how wrong he was. "I'm just saying that I don't know you very well, and we have to work at such close quarters, that I would like to get to know you better."