San Francisco, CA
One day till Game Day
"Cains and Wilson! Move your ass!" Coach Ballard yelled to the last two remaining players on the offense who was moving as slow as possible to the bus. A chuckle was exchanged between the two of them as they slightly quickened their pace walking to the bus.
"What you gone do, Coach? Fire us?" Cains questioned making his coach shake his head already annoyed.
"You better chill before he put Parker in on your ass," Wilson told his best friend only causing him to wave him off in response.
"Let him and watch we lose. His ass can't catch a ball to save his life."
The two finally made their way onto the bus getting glares from the coaches but not caring as they made their way to back of the bus, placing their duffle bags in the overhead compartment of their seats. The coach stood up and did a head count making sure he had all 25 players plus 10 staff members on the offensive line on the bus not forgetting about the one player out for an injury.
"Coach, how many times I gotta tell you to put Cains out when he fucks up and me in?" Parker better known as Dallas Parker also Fumble Parker as the team likes to say - trying to tease Cains in the back.
"If you got us a damn touchdown, sure." Coach Ballard gave a sarcastic smile making Dallas suck his teeth.
"Come on, Parker. You can't possibly think after 6 fumbles in the conference game last year that you would actually be put back in the game," Cains spoke while leaning over his seat hovering above Parker.
"When y'all gone drop it?" Dallas answered frustratedly causing the rest of the team to look his way.
"We lost our chance to the Superbowl because of you." Harrison Wilson, the quarterback of the team and the one person everybody turned to for advice, scoffed clearly annoyed.
The San Diego Spartans was 13-4 last year almost securing their spot at the Superbowl only for them to lose against Miami with 34 - 3.
Some say they had voodoo done on them.
Some say they just plain sucked.
And some say they had a chance to get back there if they had a new wide receiver come in.
Enter Elias Cains.
Best wide receiver in the league anybody would say. He knew how to run and run fast. He knew how to catch the ball and make it to the end zone. He was good.
Also the main reason the team was 6-0 right now as they entered week 7 of the season.
Elias was drafted 40th pick in the first round and went to ATL for his rookie career making his mark as a starting wide receiver but thanks to the help his best friend Harrison being the quarterback and the only other person the Coach's listened to, he was able to get his best friend to San Diego.
"I scored three touchdowns and earned 260 yards last game. Trust...they ain't putting my ass on no bench." Elias smirked. "Plus who else gone be the eye candy for the team besides my ass?"
"Here we go." Torrance, a tight end, mumbled from a seat in front of them causing Harrison to chuckle.
"Y'all so jealous."
"We all know you pretty, Cains!" The Coach yelled from the front of the bus causing everyone to laugh making Elias smirk.
Elias was a pretty boy as well. Which was why he was labeled as a fuckboy.
A new girl on his arm every other week.
Except before game day.
He knew the rules.
"Why we still sitting here?" Harrison questioned from his seat in the back across from Elias who was busy taking his phone out his pocket and connecting it to his headphones.
A sigh left his mouth as he stood up and grabbed his back from the overhead compartment, taking his headphones charger out that he forgot about before packing up for their flight and taking his seat again.
"We're waiting for someone, apparently. The other bus is too crowded they said," The offensive coordinator answered making some players groan.
"We ain't even got enough room." Parker complained as the Coach stood up shaking his head. The bus doors opened and a person walked on - much different from the rest of the people on the bus.
All the players looked up with eyes almost bulging out their heads at the person. It's very unusual for a girl to come onto the bus with them. Usually staff sit with staff.
"You must be Trinity, right?" The coach asked and she nodded her head a bit shy at the fact that she was on a bus full of men.
Attractive men at that.
Who mostly weren't married or lockdown.
Trinity smiled politely at the Coach as he scanned the bus to see where an open seat was since almost every seat was filled in with 6'0+ bodies who could probably lift her with a finger. All eyes were on her as if they never seen a girl before.
All eyes except one.
Elias had his head in his phone scrolling through his Spotify playlist trying to figure out which one could set his mood for the moment.
"Wilson, is there a seat back there for her?" Harrison sighed and looked next to him where their indeed was an open seat but also one across from him next to Elias and a smirk raised on his face, thinking about the perfect plan.
"Yes, Coach." He smirked while Coach Ballard pointed to the back allowing Trinity to adjust the bookbag on her back and her book in her hand as she made her way to the back of the bus. Harrison smiled at her as she reached them and pointed to the seat across from him, causing the smile Trinity had on her face to fall once she seen where he was pointing to.
She rather ride on top of the roof instead of sit next to him.
Trinity was a football girl. Loved everything about the sport. Basketball was a second favorite but football just held a strong feeling in her heart. She could name every QB on every team and every team player on every team. She knew the recent coaches and all. A trait she happily took on from her dad.
So she knew every player on the San Diego Spartans including the new one that just got traded to them a year ago.
And she knew his reputation. Knew his status in not just sports but the real world. Knew what school he came from and all.
Against her will though.
Having a degree in Communications focusing on Sports Journalism, she had no choice.
She just wish everything went accordingly to plan but being able to start off as a water girl was just the beginning she felt.
Trinity huffed and sat down in the seat causing Elias to turn his head slowly looking at her. Feeling the eyes on her face, she side eyed him giving him a face.
"Can I help you?" She asked getting smart making him jerk his head back at the sudden aggression.
"Yeah, you can start by telling me what the hell you doing next to me,"
"Coach put her back here because the other bus was filled apparently." Torrance gave them a smile while inserting himself into the conversation.
"So why she gotta sit next to me? It's a whole open seat right there." Elias pointed at the seat next to Harrison that was open. Harrison scrunched his face up and shook his head.
"Nah, I'd share but I need to stretch my legs and rewatch last weeks highlights. Plus y'all know how I feel about having a random girl next to me,"
"Your ass get nervous having a girl yawn next to you. We all know you not cheating on Madison," Dallas butted in causing most of the back of the bus to hear making them laugh.
"Alright but still. I still don't feel comfortable with random girls by me."
"This random girl has a name, you know, and it's Trinity." Trinity spoke up smartly. Torrance turned his head to look at her as the bus started moving out of the airport parking lot towards the main roads so that the team could go to their hotels for check in.
"So, Trinity. What you doing here and in our merchandise?" He pointed to the sweatshirt she was wearing with their logo on it making her sigh and lean back further in hef seat. Harrison, Torrance, Dallas, and Elias all had their eyes on her considering she was sitting closest to them anyways.
"A water girl. I just got hired a few days ago so this is my first game with you guys,"
"You excited?" Harrison asked her putting his eyes back on his computer screen as the screen displayed last weeks game from Sunday Night football that she did in fact watch.
"For?"
"To be on the road with us every week? We a good crew," Harrison looked back at her smiling and she shrugged not really thinking anything big of it.
"I'm neutral. I love to travel so this is a plus for me with the job but I also love football so to watch a free game while also getting paid for it is fun as well." She shrugged looking at them except from the one sitting next to her that couldn't keep his eyes off her.
Elias gets intrigued easily when it comes to someone he finds remotely attractive. And he wasn't going to sit and deny that she wasn't attractive.
"Now you see how we feel." Dallas joked making the three and Trinity snicker.
It grew quiet between the five of them as everyone went back to doing whatever as they enjoyed the quiet bus ride to the hotel.
Elas cleared his throat causing Trinity to side eye him quickly before looking back at her phone as she scrolled through Twitter checking her timeline. It was filled of people she knew from college and highschool, some celebrities, and sports updates.
A video from last week's game of them versus Chicago popped up and she smirked slightly rewatching a moment in the game when Harrison threw a hail mary into the air with only 15 seconds left in the game and the ball fell perfectly in between Elias hands while in the end zone causing the team to win.
"I ain't think I was finna make that shit." Elias spoke up as she looked at him, her eyebrow raised wondering what he was talking about until he pointed at her phone making her chuckle once she realized.
"Well, it's a good thing you did. You guys won the game before it was able to go to OT. Chicago surprised me though with their plays...I was shocked they even caught up to y'all."
"Yeah, defense need to get it together but hey. A win a win."
Trinity didn't respond and continued to scroll through her feed before exiting the app and locking her phone, replacing it with her book. She was a reader especially when she traveled, it was her preferred method when it came to passing time. She loved having a good book in hand, some music, and uninterrupted-
"This your first time working with the NFL?" Elias asked her without looking at her causing her to sigh and pause her reading.
"Yes. I've always wanted to in a different way but this is a good start as well, I guess." She answered hoping he'd leave her alone again.
"What's the other way?" A huff left her lips getting annoyed.
"Nothing but if you don't mind," She held up her book and he caught the memo chuckling finally leaving her alone in the quiet.
She didn't realize it yet.
But this was the last bit of quiet she was going to get for long time coming.
Trinity
The Westin Hotel,
San Francisco
A smile laid on my face as I checked into the hotel room the team had picked out for me waiting for the front desk person to hand me my key card. I guess this was the perks of traveling with an NFL team. Already paid for hotel rooms, plane tickets, and everything. Only thing I needed to spend money on was food and stuff.
I had did an interview with the team and general manager of the team about two weeks and was almost positive I wasn't going to get a call back until last Sunday after the game when I got an email saying I was hired and to be ready to head to Northern California for the next game.
I couldn't say I wasn't excited though. It's football which I love so being able to see the action front and center every game while also getting paid $50 an hour every week or every other week for the next 14 weeks was going to be great.
It's just the fact that this wasn't something I actually wanted to do. I mean sure it was one step in the door of sports but my main goal was to become a sports journalist for ESPN and report football not asking players if they were thirsty or not for a water.
The eye candy was a plus though so...a win's a win in some cases.
"Okay, Ms. Sutton. Room 510 elevator to your right, fifth floor." The hotel receptionist, who's name tag read Danielle, on it said and I thanked her while grabbing my key and going to the elevator walking past the group of football players I had rode with as their Coach explained the rules and by the look on their faces, they heard this a million times.
"No drinking. I don't need you guys showing for the game tomorrow complaining about headaches. No smoking. I need you on your feet and present not floating off to lala land wishing you had a hot dog and some cheese fries because you got the munchies." The players laughed including myself lightly as I pressed the up button for the elevator waiting for it to hit the lobby. "And most importantly, no girls....Cains."
Coach Ballard who's real name I found out was Mitch short for Mitchell scolded Elias causing him to scoff and wave him off.
Elias Cains wasn't anybody special in my eyes.
He was popular for the way he played in ATL with them and his right hand man was some Isaiah guy, who's dad was also a former football player so you could say Elias had some practice with an old legend. I'm not surprised though. He was a good player. He knew how to catch a ball, keep the ball, and bring the ball to the end zone for a touchdown.
I'll give him that.
But being a future j, I also had the unfortunate pleasure of catching up on him and seeing his personal life but it wasn't like it was a secret. He was in the blogs and celebrity news every two to three business days.
He was a hot head.
Always with a new model or something. Causing fights on the field. I can't even count on my hand how many penalties this guy gets a game.
Only good thing he had going for him was his drive for the game and his look.
He was fine.
That's all I'll say.
The elevator dinged and it opened, revealing a empty elevator which I thanked God for before stepping in and pressing the fifth floor. The doors started closing slowly and right before they had the chance to completely shut, an arm cut in between making me curse under my breath.
Elias, Harrison, Torrance, and Dallas. The same group I met on the bus entered the elevator. Harrison looked at the key pad before seeing the fifth floor was already pressed and shrugged pressing the button to close the elevator doors.
I sighed as I bit my lip, taking in the scene around me. Harrison, Dallas, and Torrance stood in front of me while Elias was the only one next to me, head in his phone.
To my knowledge, this was the fab four on the team as everyone likes to call them. Dallas Parker might not be on the field too much but when he's out, he's good. His problem was just getting to the end zone with the ball whereas he was good for helping them get there.
The elevator doors open and a ding rang throughout once we reached the top floor and somehow all of his went the same way. My eyes scanned the number on the rooms until I reached my own but I couldn't help to notice where everyone else was sleeping too.
Harrison was the door next to me on my left. Dallas was next to me on my right. Torrance a few doors down. And Elias directly across from me.
Yay.
"Ooh, we right next door to water girl. Aye, you gone bring us some water tonight if we call right?" Dallas joked and I gave him a sarcastic smile while mocking his laugh hearing snickering from behind me.
"Akikiki. My job doesn't start until tomorrow night but I'm sure you're capably fine with catching some for yourself - but oh, wait. You can't," I teased.
I heard laughter from behind me while Dallas only rolled his eyes and entered his room. Placing my key card on the door, it unlocked as I let out a breath walking in my room.
Placing my bag down on the chair and never the bed because that's just nasty. Immediately, I took off my shoes and sighed sitting down at the end of the bed. The room was decent but what else is there to expect from an average hotel room. I can say it feels good to know it's not coming out of my pockets.
Grabbing my phone, I unlocked it on seeing a message from my best friend, Ryan, back down in LA. We met in college as roommates and been inseparable since. Luckily for her though, she managed to secure the bag as a fiancee and end up with the quarterback for the LA team. My good sis was living her life while mine was just barely getting started but I guess it's my fault to say the least.
LA had a football game come next week and she invited me down to watch the game with her in which I happily accepted. San Diego might be my favorite team but I do indeed love a few good others.
Plus hopefully I can meet a player and don't actually have to continue working water girl.
Thanks to Ryan though, she hooked me with this job so can't necessarily complain.
Standing up, I walked over to the nightstand and grabbed the hotel menu before noticing there was a restaurant and bar here. It was Sunday so I'm sure there were a few games still playing and I was pretty hungry per my stomach growling.
Might as well shower, change, then head downstairs for some food.
Hopefully all the players was already inside doing God knows what so I didn't have to deal with them.
Hopefully.
Omniscient
The Westin,
San Francisco
The sound of light chatter and dishes clinging together led Trinity to the in hotel Restaurant. It was more like a sports bar and wasn't too crowded tonight.
She had changed from the team's merchandise to just a matching sweatshirt and sweatpants with nike slides. Her freshly straightened hair in a low bun with no makeup on her face compared to the little bit she had on earlier.
Her eyes scanned the restaurant seeing a business man in a suit at the bar, a woman with her eyes trained on the TV displaying the Miami vs. Philly game, a group of girls who looked to be in college, and the Fab Four.
Trinity's eyebrows furrowed as she made her to the bar and took a seat not wanting to draw attention to herself to the crew she had met earlier. Her eyes laided on the menu as she decided on just getting chicken tenders and fries with a Coke on the side.
"What can I do for you?" The bartender behind the bar stood in front of her causing her to look up at him, seeing him smiling at her.
"I'll take the tenders and fries meal."
"Sauce?"
"Honey mustard," She smiled at him kindly.
"You got it." He nodded his head, writing the order down on the notepad before sending it back to the kitchen.
Trinity looked up at the TV screen directly in front of her and sighed seeing the score take place on the game.
"Come on, Philly." She mumbled to herself as Philadelphia had the football and the quarterback had just threw the ball to a open wide receiver who caught the ball only for it to fumble. Trinity groaned quietly but wasn't too upset at it since it was the end of third quarter and the score was 30-12.
"Being a Philly fan is crazy," A voice spoke next to making her roll her eyes and look to her left seeing low and behold, Dallas Parker.
"I'm not a Philly fan. I just know someone on Miami and... I want them to lose." She shrugged.
"Know? You got family on there or something?"
"So what you bothering me for? I sat here in hopes you and your crew wouldn't see me and bother me." She spoke annoyed and switching the subject making him chuckle.
"I wanted a refill," He gestured to his empty glass. "So I came here but then I seen you so two for the price of one."
"Y'all not even supposed to be drinking before the game."
"We not." Dallas laughed. "We over there sipping on fucking Apple Juice and Pepsi imagining it was a beer." He said making her snicker. "Come chill with us,"
Trinity shook her head quickly, "I'm cool."
"Nah, come hang. It'll be dope to get to know the new girl who finna ask us if we thirsty every thirty minutes on game days." She chuckled and sighed before standing up, telling the bartender to wrap her chicken tenders up for her, and walking with him over to his table where Harrison looked up and seen her followed the other two.
"Look who I found sitting at the bar," Dallas smiled cheekily as Trinity rolled her eyes playfully and took a seat next Torrance in the booth, who nudged her shoulder making her look at him.
"What's up, water girl? We was just discussing you,"
She frowned looking at them.
"Why?"
"We just wanted to know what happened to our last water girl, Breanna. She was with us two games ago and didn't show again." Harrison reassured her.
Dallas walked back over with his drink and took a seat next to Trinity.
She was slightly smaller compared to them.
Which made sense she was only 5'8 and weighed 155 meanwhile they were 6'1 and weighed probably over 210 and that's because of muscle.
"Oh well... I'm here now so,"
So...tell us about yourself, Trinity." Harrison spoke and a small smile lit up her face seeing that he remembered her name. "Where you from? What you do? Why you decided to work with us?"
"Didn't know this was an interview," She chuckled while Dallas waved her off.
"We always become best friends with the staff. It's just to show we appreciate y'all and what y'all do for us," Dallas said and she nodded her head.
"Well... I'm from California. I grew up in Inglewood actually. I work for you guys even though I indeed had other career plans for myself which I started last year but shit happens and here I am. And for your last question, I'm only here because my best friend managed to pull some strings and get me this job thankfully," She said after explaining herself.
"So you from Inglewood? You must be a LA fan then, no?" Torrance asked her and she shook her head.
"You guys are my favorite, actually." She said and the four of them looked at each other surprised before back at her.
"Word?" Harrison smiled and Trinity nodded.
"Yeah... I've been one since I was younger from my...dad so." She said and they smiled, well all except one. "But what about all y'all? They call y'all the fab four, how did this friendship come about?"
"Elias and Harrison been best friends since high school," Dallas spoke up as Harrison nodded. Elias didn't say anything and just sat there. "And Harrison and I been friends since college so that's how I met Eli."
"Eli?" Trinity repeated looking at Elias who had an eyebrow raised.
"A nickname only a few people get to call me so, don't repeat it again." Elias said speaking for the first time since she's sat down. Trinity scrunched her face up at the attitude causing Torrance to snicker.
"Yo, relax." He said before looking at Trinity. "Don't worry about him. His grumpy ass don't like getting in his personal bubble and his nickname one of them. But back to your question, they all knew each other and then I came when I got drafted same year Harrison was booted up from backup to starter and yeah. We all been inseparable since."
"Nothing but touchdowns since, baby." Dallas smiled.
"Yeah from everyone else but you." Elias spoke causing everyone including Trinity to laugh out loud. Dallas sucked his teeth and stood up shaking his head.
"Man, fuck all y'all. I'm going back to my room." He said exiting.
"Let me slide out with you," Harrison said joining him.
"He only doing that so he could call up Madison and kiss his phone." Torrance said once Harrison was gone.
"He in love, it's cute." Trinity smiled and Torrance smiled.
"I guess. It's rare you'll find a loyal football player as a partner so kudos to her for keeping him in check."
"Well, what about you? I heard around that you got something going on." Trinity asked Torrance bluntly. He locked eyes with Elias who both held in a laugh, smirks on their faces. "What's so funny?"
"I ain't got nobody. Elias don't have anyone. In fact, we the only two people on the offense not in a relationship but we still have our fun if you catch my drift." Torrance explained making Trinity shake her head.
'So in other words, he's just like Elias. A hoe.' She thought.
Torrance Wallace was a lowkey playboy. He wasn't in the blogs as much as Elias and he liked to keep his acquaintances on the low which was why a lot of people on the outside of the club thought he was taken.
He gave off family man energy.
Elias didn't.
"Understood."
"I should head up too... Coach gone be mad if we don't wake up on time and oversleep." Torrance said while standing up patting Trinity's shoulder, before walking out the restaurant leaving her alone with Elias.
It grew awkward as she thought about what to say to fill in the silence between. If she would've thought, Elias was quieter than she thought. All the videos she seen of him, he was very vibrant and loud but since she's met him, he's been the quietest one out the four of them.
"Are you... excited for the game?" She asked him causing his eyes to go from the game to her.
"It's just work."
"Okay, but you have millions of people watching and cheering you on. It's not exciting?"
"What's exciting is knowing we make the playoffs, the conference, and the Superbowl. That's exciting,"
"Okay but-"
"We gotta be up at 10 AM so..." He interrupted her and stood up, walking out the place leaving her alone.
Trinity rolled her eyes and stood up with her to go food and walked out as well seeing Elias enter the elevator, the doors almost closed so she hurried up as fast as possible and caught just before it completely shut making Elias let out a deep breath.
She rolled her eyes annoyed because he didn't know her and was being an asshole to her already.
The elevator dinged and opened up causing Trinity to quickly exit it and head towards her room as she sped walked a bit in front of Elias. Feeling eyes on her as she reached her door and taking her key card out, she turned her seeing his eyes already on her.
"Can I help you?" She asked smartly making him chuckle as he reached his door right across from her.
Trinity scoffed and opened door getting ready to close it but paused hearing the voice from across the hall.
"Goodnight, water girl."