The Recruiting Trip (The University of Gatica #1) Read Free

painted a bright, poppy red.
    Aileen smiled. It was awesome!
    The campus was built out of the same stone as the plaque at the front. Maybe limestone or something like that. The buildings each had vintage character to them but with a twist of the twenty-first century. She imagined walking around the campus in fall would be amazing. Even the light layer of snow covering the ground now added to the picturesque seen.
    They drove by the outdoor track stadium. Someone had shovelled the two inside lanes and the mondo red track stood out bright against the snow. Behind the track was a building that looked like something that held airplanes. It had to be the indoor track – Wavertree Fieldhouse.
    Aileen zipped up her coat and took a deep breath as the van pulled around and stopped in front of the building.
    Here we go .

Chapter 2
     
    A cold wind picked up and whipped Aileen’s pony to the side, slapping it against her cheek. She shut her eyes so the ends of her hair wouldn’t poke her eyes. Blinking, she refocused as she pulled her pony and then threw her hood on to stop it from swinging.
    The driver set her suitcase beside her. “Can you sign this so they know I dropped you off in the right spot?” He handed her his clip board and a pen.
    The pen didn’t want to write. She shook it and finally got the ink to flow so she could sign her name.
    “Have a good trip.” He jumped in his SUV and drove away, leaving Aileen standing in the cold in front of the building.
    A girl wearing a bright red coat came out of the building and jogged down the steps. She paused by Aileen as she put her knit cap on.
    “Hi.” Aileen stood staring at the girl, the least she could do was say hello.
    “Hey.” She smiled. Her dark brown hair disappeared inside her hat. Her smiled reached her pretty brown eyes. “Are you the hurdler?”
    “I think so.”
    “You here on a recruiting trip?”
    “Yup.” Aileen felt silly holding the handle of her suitcase and shaking because of the cold. Ohio was cold, but this was freezing!
    “Come on. I’ll take you to Coach Anderson.” She turned and jogged up the large cement steps to the door she had just come out of. She held the door open for Aileen. “I’m Jani, by the way.”
    “I’m Aileen.”
    “Cool. Where are you from?”
    “Bucyrus, Ohio.” She set her suitcase down and pulled the handle out again to drag it by its wheels. “Where are you from?”
    “Canada. B.C. West Coast. Mountain country.” She laughed when Aileen nodded, as if it made sense why she didn’t seem to have issue with the cold weather. “I may be from Canada, but it doesn’t get this bloomin’ cold where I live. I had to go and buy another tuque last night. I keep leaving mine at track or where ever and people are nipping them.”
    “Tuque?”
    Jani pointed to her hat. “Tuque. Canadian hat.” She laughed. She had a contagious kind of laugh that made Aileen smile. “I keep telling Coach he needs to slap a Red Coat on the front and sell them for money for the program.”
    “It sounds like a good idea.” Aileen walked beside Jani, noticing how short she was compared to the friendly, chatty girl. “Do you play volleyball?” The girl was tall and Aileen vaguely remembered that the chauffeur had mentioned the volleyball team trained there as well.
    “I’m a high jumper.” She elbowed Aileen and leaned in. “Not saying I haven’t chatted up the cute volleyball assistant coach. He’s working on his master’s degree and coaching part time. Super-hot.”
    Aileen nodded, not sure how to respond. Maybe a little too much information?
    Jani giggled again. “The volleyball offices are just down the hall from the track office. Wavertree is back there.” She pointed behind them. “You go left where we came in. It’ll take you to the indoor track.”
    They passed a trophy case with old track and field equipment inside it, along with black and white photos.
    Jani tapped the case. “These things are all over the