Affinity

August 12th, 2023

"So, how's work?" Pat huffed as she led our team on the three mile run we do every other Sunday during the summer season. Pat was an incredibly hands-on coach, and found it really important to do the hard things with us so that we didn't despise her for making us do it alone. Which I definitely appreciated. She was the first coach I had ever had that was like this, and honestly, it was such a breath of fresh air. Not only was she really involved in our practices, but she was really involved with us. She knew everything about all of us, and was like a mom to the team. I had been with coaches before that would just show up to coach and go home, not a care in the world about the people they were putting out onto the field. Pat was different, she cared, and it made a world of a difference when we stepped out onto the pitch.

"Um, honestly it's going really well. We have a really fun department, and it's like a dream position, so I can't complain much," I told her, embarrassingly out of breath for only having said a couple of words. She looked at me quickly and smiled, clearly happy that things were going in my favor. "The people are great too. It's just, yeah, it's going well," I added, using my shirt sleeve to wipe the sweat off of my forehead.

"Yeah! And she's in love with her boss so that probably helps!" Dakota shouted up to us with a cheeky grin on her face. My eyes immediately beamed back at her- my mouth almost dragging on the ground behind me.

"You did not just say that!" I shot back at her, still at a loss for words. We were all pretty open with Pat, and she had learned of some things that I've done that I really wish she wouldn't have known, but this was just so out of left field.

"Woah woah! Who's this she speaks about?" Pat asked curiously looking around her, checking her watch to see how far we've gone. I looked down at mine quickly and realized that we only had a half-mile left to go. Maybe I could wait out this conversation until we were done and then she'd forget.

"Her name's Lindsey!" Kit said, running a little faster to catch up with me and Pat.

"And she's your boss?" Pat asked, looking skeptical and almost concerned about this misinformation. Yes, tell our coach, who's also a cop, mind you, about Lindsey!

"No, she's definitely not my boss! She's higher up than me, but really doesn't have any power over me. Don't anybody go worrying," I tried to explain to them. I was going to kill Kit and Dakota for this.

"Why don't you invite her to a game! We're playing here next weekend. Everyone loves a chick in a rugby kit!" Pat told me confidently. I couldn't help but laugh at her. It was comical because we might look good before the game in our kits, but look like actual trash during and after the game. Like, it might be one of the most unattractive looks you could find.

I shook my head, trying to hide my grin that crept onto my face everytime someone started talking about her. "Okay, okay, that's enough! I think you all are getting a little too ahead of yourselves. I just started actually getting to know her outside of work. Let's not make it weird."

Kit shrugged in agreement. They both knew that I was right. "Yeah, I guess that's true. And also she's married, so that's a thing," she said, looking at me, knowing that she was about to get it.

When I tell you, I had never heard Pat laugh as loudly as she did after hearing what kit said. She immediately shot me a look to try and confirm if what Kit had said was true. I looked at her, completely guilty. Her eyes widened. "Tell me it's at least to a woman?" When I didn't answer her for a second time, I knew that I had it made. "Oh, honey. You'll learn someday," she sighed, looking again at her watch. As if she almost knew, right as she lifted her watch, it chimed, alerting her to the fact that we had completed the three miles. She started clapping as she slowed down, and the rest of the team that was behind us started making their way to where we were. We walked another quarter of a mile back to the field before we started with our practice.