CHAPTER 2 #3
Jette didn’t know anything about roller derby except that it was popular in the seventies and a million questions came to mind.
Reese talked animatedly with her hands as she explained the rules.
Even in the dark hallway, under the faint red light glowing from the ‘Exit’ sign, Reese’s face lit up as she spoke rapidly, her lips moving a mile a minute.
Jette smiled and felt her stomach tense uncharacteristically as Reese met her gaze.
Reese prattled on, seemingly unphased by the sudden closeness between them in the dark space.
Jette always loved hearing people talk about their passions.
It was like gaining a quick glimpse into Reese’s life and Jette was curious to hear everything she had to say, though she found herself struggling to keep the butterflies in her stomach under control.
“And my teammates are the best. I mean, they piss me off like no other, but I know they always have my back,” Reese continued.
“Do you all have, you know, the funny names?” Jette asked. “I don’t know much about derby, but don’t skaters usually pick a tough name or something pun-related?”
“Oh yeah definitely,” Reese laughed. “I mean, just on my team there’s Helen Wheels, Anita Nap, Eden Snacks…
” Sincerely caught off-guard, Jette laughed out loud, water threatening to come out her nose.
A toothy grin broke across Reese’s face as she watched Jette try to regain her composure.
“Get it? Like ‘eating snacks’? I came up with that one,” she said, a pleased look settling on her face.
Jette nodded with another chuckle, “So your name’s Eden Snacks, then?”
Reese shook her head. “No, I just came up with it. I actually wanted it to be ‘Eden Pussy’—”
This time, water shot out of Jette’s nose like a fountain and she frantically covered her face as her nose and cheeks burned.
“Jesus christ,” she exclaimed, still sputtering as she struggled to hide her embarrassment.
She expected Reese to be looking at her in disgust but instead found her doubled over in laughter.
Jette lifted the hem of her tee to wipe her face which only made Reese laugh harder, her green eyes hovering over the exposed skin of Jette’s abdomen for a moment.
Jette fought off a smirk as she clocked Reese’s brief stare.
She knew the effect she had on women, though she was surprised to see it reflected on Reese’s face.
A gentle warmth settled in her chest as she watched Reese’s green eyes scan her body.
“I don’t know what I thought you were gonna say, but that was definitely not it,” Jette managed to say between laughs.
Reese’s cheeks were flushed as she finally caught her breath.
The wild look in her eyes sparkled under the dim lights and Jette shook her head in disbelief.
There was something about Reese that was so unexpected.
Just when Jette thought she understood something about her, Reese would do or say something that left her momentarily speechless.
She was beyond charming and yet Reese seemed completely oblivious to the fact that it was working on Jette.
“Well damn, I should’ve kept that for my name…my wife and I came up with Reese Lightning,” Reese grinned.
Wife? “Reese Lightning? Damn, that’s good.” Wife? Jette took a careful sip of water this time and nodded politely, her mind racing.
In the prolonged silence, Reese must’ve realized her unconventional word choice. “I meant wife as in my derby wife. Not my actual wife, obviously,” she laughed nervously. “It’s just what we call our best friends on the team.”
“Oh,” Jette let out a silent breath she didn’t even realize she had been holding, “Okay, now I get it.”
“My wife’s derby name is ‘Just Lida’…which doesn’t sound that funny unless you know the story behind it.
But when she first started skating, our captain, Wolf, asked her what her derby name was and she couldn’t think of one so she said ‘Lida’.
Wolf wasn’t sure if she was kidding or not, so she asked, ‘Just Lida?’ and then Li said ‘Yeah, Just Lida’,” Reese rambled nervously.
Jette felt as though she was talking with an old friend even though they were essentially strangers as of a few hours ago.
Something deep in her chest felt at ease as they shared funny stories and the back of her neck felt increasingly warm when Reese’s hands would playfully touch her arm or hands.
She couldn’t help but wonder if Reese noticed the way Jette’s pulse spiked every time.
She struggled to control the flush in her cheeks.
By the time their conversation had come to a natural lull, Jette wondered if they should exchange numbers.
Just for the sake of friendship, she thought.
But before she could open her mouth, Reese reached for the phone in her pocket.
“Hello?” she asked hesitantly. ‘It’s Kiran’ she mouthed to Jette. What timing.
Jette fidgeted with the bottle in her hands as she waited for Reese to finish her call. Should she leave to give her privacy? Or should she stay and wait to keep talking? Her fingers silently shredded the paper label on the bottle as she debated stepping away.
“Okay, yeah. No, no, I’m good, thanks,” Reese said as she cupped her hand over the receiver. “Sounds good. Okay, have fun. I love you,” she added quickly before hanging up.
“Everything okay?” Jette asked and simultaneously kicked herself internally, unsure if she was supposed to pretend like she hadn’t heard the conversation.
“Oh yeah, everything’s fine. He’s going with Garrett to grab a bite at the corner store and then they’re heading back to Garrett’s place to play video games with some of the guys,” Reese shrugged her shoulders.
Jette’s eyebrows came together, “They’re ditching the party?”
Reese looked slightly closed off as she replied, “Guess so.” She tucked her hands into her pockets and glanced down at her sneakers. “I should probably go home, actually. I’m still in my work clothes,” she said, gesturing down.
“These are work clothes?” Jette teased as she appraised Reese’s very casual look. She playfully touched the hem of Reese’s denim jacket, rubbing the frayed fabric between her fingers.
Reese rolled her eyes. “Okay, okay, I’ll admit it was Casual Friday.” She swatted Jette’s hand away mischievously. Her cheeks flushed an adorable shade of pink as her delicate fingers brushed over Jette’s, bringing the butterflies in Jette’s stomach back to life.
Jette cheekily grinned and raised her hands in a sign of submission. “Got it. I think I’ll head home too actually…Carlos can lock up at the end of the night,” she said as she fumbled for her keys.
“Cool,” Reese said as she tucked her hair behind an ear and started back towards the party.
They walked through a much smaller crowd of people, a decent portion of the party had cleared out already.
But Jette still reached out and held the back of Reese’s jacket as they maneuvered through.
Reese pushed open the door and inhaled sharply as she stepped into the crisp fall air.
Jette began zipping up her leather jacket.
“Did you drive?” she asked as Reese descended the stairs ahead of her.
“No, I walked…I’m only a few streets over,” she said as she buttoned her jean jacket and unrolled the sleeves to preserve warmth.
“Do you want a ride? It’s a little cold,” Jette offered, hoping her tone came across as casual. She unbuckled a glossy black helmet from the motorcycle on the sidewalk.
Reese looked at the motorcycle and back to Jette before asking, “You drive a motorcycle?”
“Yeah, why?” Jette knew it was an impressive bike, but she played it off casually.
Reese huffed in awe. “Of course you do,” she said under her breath. Curls of steam hovered around her pink lips and Jette’s eyebrow crooked. The words came out so quietly that Jette wasn’t sure if she was meant to hear them at all.
“Of course I do?” Jette repeated.
Reese’s eyes flashed as she let out a small chuckle. “I mean,” Reese gestured to Jette’s outfit with one hand while her other arm tightly wrapped around her torso. “Look at you. Of course you would drive a motorcycle,” she clarified.
Jette’s lips curled into a smirk. “Now I feel like you’re the one mocking me,” her lilting voice trailed off at the end.
“Not mocking,” Reese corrected her. “It totally makes sense…you’ve got this whole cool girl vibe going.
So like, of course you’d have a sexy motorcycle.
It suits you.” Jette bit the corner of her lip as Reese’s face flushed an even deeper shade of magenta.
“Not that I think you’re sexy,” she backtracked and Jette let out a small laugh.
God, she’s cute. “Not that I—ugh—you know what I mean,” she said sheepishly.
Jette hoped it was dark enough to hide the flush blossoming across her own cheeks.
She held out the helmet to Reese as a silent invitation and Jette could just tell she almost considered accepting the offer.
She looked the bike over and then looked back to Jette as she replied, “I think I’m okay to walk. It’s only a few minutes away.”
Jette nodded and proceeded to buckle her helmet. “I guess I’ll see you around?” she asked.
“Yeah definitely. We should do this again,” Reese replied and awkwardly hesitated before she added, “Okay bye,” and turned to walk home.
Jette watched her walk away for a moment and then zipped her jacket the rest of the way up as she threw a leg over the bike.
“Who’s the girl, Jette?” a deep voice called out from next to the steps when Reese was sufficiently out of earshot.
She turned around and saw Carlos smoking in the shadows by the front door. The cigarette looked tiny in his large tattooed hands.
“Garrett’s friend’s girl,” she said dismissively. “He left early so I got stuck with her,” she said, hoping she sounded nonchalant. Carlos hummed thoughtfully as he took a drag. “You’ll lock up tonight?” she asked loudly over the sounds of the motorcycle roaring to life.
Carlos nodded noncommittally and tossed his cigarette to the ground before stomping it out.
But Jette barely waited for his reply before pulling off the sidewalk and steering the motorcycle onto the street.
She let out a tiny sigh of relief that Reese didn’t take her up on the offer to drive her home.
Even though she was completely sober by now, the thought of Reese’s limbs wrapped around her gave her butterflies.
Which she definitely shouldn’t have. Because Reese definitely had a boyfriend.
And Jette definitely didn’t want to get in the middle of that.