Chapter 6 #2
“Yes. Sorry. I’m ready.”
Tania gave her a “get your head in the game” look, which was fair.
They slapped hands and took to the court for perhaps the biggest game of Jess’s life, given what was riding on it.
At least she had made the bet when they were playing a beatable team—and it happened to be a team she especially enjoyed beating.
In Jess and Tania’s first game against them two years ago, they’d gotten a point Jess scored taken away by protesting to the ref.
That was their MO: always playing the victim, with muttered comments and complaints about the ref’s calls.
They wore red bottoms and yellow tops, and Jess amused herself by referring to them in her head as Tweedledee and Tweedledum.
Sure enough, two points into the game, tied at one, Tweedledee made a noise of protest at Tania’s set. It was a borderline carry, but not a blatant missed call.
Jess scored a point off the hit. “Nice set,” she said to Tania, loud enough for them to hear across the net.
Tania rolled her eyes. “Thanks, Button.”
Their opponents made sour faces. “Don’t worry about it,” Dum said to Dee at the same obvious volume. “Just play our game.”
“If your game is making passive-aggressive comments for the ref to hear,” Jess muttered to Tania, “then you’ve already nailed it.”
“What you’re going to do,” Tania said with a look, “is not let them get to you and stick to our game.”
“But they’re so—”
Tania made a “what-are-you-gonna-do?” gesture. “I know.”
A flash of Vivienne’s black hair from the stands caught Jess’s eye. She appeared to be watching their huddle. Jess nodded. “Let’s crush them.”
“Let’s.”
They high-fived and the battle was on.
They got a few points ahead with some tough serving, but then the Tweedles bitched about another call and slowed the game back down when the ref was forced to remove the whistle from his mouth and give them a warning.
Jess missed her serve after the pause and the Tweedles pulled even again, then ahead by two. Jess and Tania battled back and the game teeter-tottered that way until it was tied at nineteen. Jess tried not to stare at the score. All they had to do was get two points in a row. She took a deep breath.
Dum served to Jess. She passed to Tania, then waited for her set. It was a little tight to the net, which meant she didn’t have many attack options.
Jess jumped. All she could see in front of her was Tweedledee’s hands. She thought about rolling the ball to the deep corner, but then she got another idea. She turned and smashed it off of Dee’s outer hand for her own wipe off.
“Yes!” Jess cheered when the ball hit the ground.
Tania whooped and hugged her. “Sweet wipe!”
Jess went back to serve, heart racing. They were up 20–19.
Only one more point to win the first set.
She jump-served, aiming for a back corner, trying to make Dum move out of her comfort zone.
Dum scooted back but didn’t get far enough and made a bad pass.
Dee chased it down and tried to loft the second touch up into the air to give Dum a chance to attack, but it was too far behind her. She cranked it into the net.
Jess exhaled in a whoosh. A win. But only halfway to meeting Veronica Doyle.
Jess and Tania hugged. The Sunside girls cheered from the stands.
“Yes, Jess,” Tania said. “Beauty serve.”
“Thanks, T.” Jess couldn’t hide the smile on her face as they changed sides and took a breather in the shade.
“We’ve got this.” Tania nodded and sucked back some water. “I have a good feeling.”
Jess stretched her shoulders, searching for that same confidence inside. She wasn’t sure it was there. But, “Me, too,” she said, tossing her water bottle into their basket. “Let’s fucking go.”
The Tweedles continued to whine in the second set. Tied at eight, they were arguing with the ref about a net touch while Jess and Tania stood, hands on hips, waiting.
“This is ridiculous,” Tania muttered.
Jess nodded, attention wandering into the stands. Her gaze met Vivienne’s. Vivienne rolled her eyes in a “Can you believe this nonsense?” look. The corner of Jess’s mouth twitched involuntarily. “Yes, it is. Let’s fucking kill them.”
And they did. Jess felt invincible, with two stuff blocks, four kills, and two more aces. Each point fired her up even more for the next one.
They won 21–15. Jess fell to her knees after her winning hit, laughing.
“Yes, girl!” Tania cried, diving to her knees next to Jess for a hug.
She knew it was just one small win in the standings, but … she won her bet with Vivienne. She looked up into the bleachers to the cheering Sunside teams. Vivienne was clapping. She gave Jess a meaningful nod. Jess had to grin back. This was worth a thousand loaves of banana bread.
Tania stood and hauled Jess to her feet. “You played amazing.”
Jess’s veins buzzed. “Thanks. So did you.” She brushed the sand off and went to shake hands with the pouting Tweedles.
“Good game,” Jess said across the net to Dee.
“Good game,” Dee replied, squinting toward the ref. “You got some lucky calls.”
Jess had to laugh. “So did you. That’s how the game goes, right?”
Tania cut off Dee’s reply. “See you guys in Sunside next time.” She slung her arm around Jess and they headed off to the locker room.
Her shower was a pleasant affair, as she hummed to herself and breathed in the lavender shower gel aroma. Afterward, she changed into her standard uniform—jean shorts and a tank top—and spritzed herself with her favorite summery scent—pink dragonfruit and Brazilian jasmine.
Jess and Tania grabbed shrimp tacos from a food truck and climbed back into the stands to watch the rest of the seven o’clock match.
Chrissy stood to greet them. “Nice win, ladies!” She hugged Jess and Tania, careful not to jostle their tacos.
Jess realized she was waiting for Vivienne to congratulate them or acknowledge their bet in some way, but Vivienne was deep in conversation with Lee over red plastic cups and couldn’t spare a glance.
Jess shook off the twinge of disappointment—maybe after their ride today she was expecting Vivienne to be a little more friendly, but she wasn’t going to let it bring her down.
“Thanks,” Jess replied to Chrissy, grinning.
They ate and laughed and cheered—although the Sunside team was getting their asses handed to them by Horn Beach. One of the players from Horn Beach caught Jess’s eye—a supercute woman with bright eyes and medium-length blonde hair that was tip-dyed blue.
“What are you feeling tonight? Pub? Dancing?” Tania asked as the match wrapped up. “I think a bunch of the girls are going out to Bernie’s.”
Jess would usually say “pub,” but maybe it was the adrenaline of the win that spurred her to say, “Bar. I feel like dancing.”
“Bernie’s it is.”
Bernie’s Booty, a ridiculous name, was on the main strip, ostensibly pirate-themed, in the way that Hooters was owl-themed.
The servers—men, women, and others alike—all wore booty shorts with swashbuckler boots, striped shirts, and pirate hats.
Netting hung from the ceiling, an animatronic parrot squawked from its perch above the bar, and every time someone threw a tip into the treasure chest, the bartender rang a ship’s bell.
It seemed like every volleyball player was there—from Sunside and Horn Beach—along with half the town and its tourists.
Jess and Tania made their way through the crowd to the bar to get a drink.
Chrissy, Shay, and a few others were already on the dance floor.
Vivienne and Lee hovered by the edge, still talking intensely.
“Come dance!” Chrissy cried once she saw Jess and Tania pausing nearby with their drinks.
Jess allowed Chrissy to pull her onto the dance floor. A few songs later, sweaty and laughing, Jess couldn’t remember feeling this good in a long time.
Then she saw that cute woman with blue hair at the bar.
Her hair was down and parted on one side, strands teasing over her face in a carefree manner. Her short, floaty dress—if it was even long enough to qualify as a dress—left gorgeous legs available for admiration.
“Go talk to her,” Tania said.
Jess startled. “What? Who?”
“The hottie with the blue hair you checked out all through her game. I think her name is Skye.”
“I wasn’t checking her out,” Jess protested. “I was … admiring her form.”
“Uh-huh. Then go talk to the girl with the great form.”
Jess took a gulp of her beer, picturing it in her head. It didn’t end well. “Nah, I … I wouldn’t know what to say.”
“Okay—and I’m sorry if this is too obvious, but it’s hard to know with you—you could try ‘Hey, nice game today.’”
“And then what?”
“Y—” Tania paused, shaking her head. “You’re kidding, right?”
Jess grimaced. “Kind of.”
“Listen. You look hot tonight. Didn’t you say a cashier hit on you this morning?”
Jess stood a little taller, remembering her free lollipop. “Yeah.”
“And you just had an amazing game. You’re a total badass. Skye is lucky if you talk to her.”
Jess had to laugh. “Stop.”
“I mean it. Go.”
Jess took a deep breath. Okay. She could do this. She headed over.
Skye was leaning against the railing, waiting for the bartender.
“Hey,” Jess said, loud enough to be heard over the music.
Skye turned. Her face lit up. “Hey.”
Jess licked her lips. “I like your hair.”
“Oh, thanks.” Skye smiled and ran her hand through her blue streaks.
“I’m Jess.”
“I know.”
Jess’s eyebrows jumped up her forehead. “You know?”
“Yeah.” Skye’s smile turned shy. “I asked around.”
Something swirled through Jess’s gut. “Oh?”
“I’m Skye.”
Now it was Jess’s turn to be a little shy. “I know.”
Skye laughed. “Good to hear.”
The buzzing in Jess’s veins was back. “Can I buy you a drink, Skye?”