Kulti, Mariana Zapata

Description

“Trust me, I’ve wanted to punch you in the face a time or five.” When the man you worshipped as a kid becomes your coach, it’s supposed to be the greatest thing in the world. Keywords: supposed to. It didn’t take a week for twenty-seven-year-old Sal Casillas to wonder what she’d seen in the international soccer icon—why she’d ever had his posters on her wall, or ever envisioned marrying him and having super-playing soccer babies. Sal had long ago gotten over the worst non-break-up in the history of imaginary relationships with a man that hadn’t known she’d existed. So she isn’t prepared for this version of Reiner Kulti who shows up to her team’s season: a quiet, reclusive shadow of the explosive, passionate man he’d once been. Nothing could have prepared her for the man she got to know. Or the murderous urges he brought out in her. This was going to be the longest season of her life.

“Do you have father issues?”
“What? No. My dad’s great, jeez.”
“You like old men.”…
“Quit it. Everyone has a type. I’m sure you do.”
Kulti blinked. “I’m not attracted to senior citizens”

“Don’t ever do that to me again. I’m too young to die of a heart attack.” (…)
“I would say claiming you’re too young is a bit debatable, don’t you think?”
The German tilted his head up and cursed something low and long in German. “You were brought to this planet to give me an ulcer, weren’t you?”