Chapter 13 #2
“My mom said they’d make it to my match tomorrow, but … we’ll see. Cancelling dinner plans and missing my games is nothing new for them.” And even though she was used to it, even though she was a full-grown adult … it still stung.
Vivienne nodded thoughtfully and swirled her glass some more.
“Do you see your family much?” Jess asked. “Where do they live?”
“Not much. They’re still in New York, mostly. But my mom is actually from LA, so her family is here, and my sister, Scarlett, ended up moving out here, too.”
“Is Veronica Doyle your mom’s sister?”
“Yup, older.”
Maybe it was the wine, but Jess had to poke. “It seems like you and Veronica Doyle are pretty close.”
Vivienne cranked her eyebrow. “Okay, first of all, please just call her Veronica.”
Jess flushed. “Right. Sorry.”
Vivienne sipped her wine. “I’ve always felt a connection to her. She dedicated one of her books to me.”
“She did?” Jess’s eyes bulged. “No way! Which one?”
“Uh…” Vivienne bit her lip. “It’s one of her early ones.…”
“Constellation Prize?”
Vivienne nodded, impressed. “Yes, that was it.”
Rebekkah’s shrill laugh reached them again. They turned to look. Rebekkah rubbed Chrissy’s arm, and the man’s hand had vanished under the table.
“Oh, fuck.” Vivienne laughed her low, breathy laugh, then tossed back the rest of her wine. “I think an extraction is required.”
Jess nodded and polished off her wine, too. “I’ll get the bill, you get Chrissy.”
Vivienne blew out a breath. “No problem.” She swayed over, hips turned up to full power. Jess turned to find their server, confident that whatever Vivienne set her mind to, she would do.
Sure enough, by the time Jess was signing for her parents’ card, Vivienne was steering Chrissy toward the door.
“Thanks,” Chrissy said. “I didn’t know how to get out of there! I didn’t think she’d be quite so … friendly.”
Vivienne patted Chrissy’s arm. “I got you. You’re too adorable for your own good.”
Something twinged in Jess’s chest. Something like … jealousy? That was weird.… Was she jealous of Chrissy, too? Fortunately, the feeling eased when Vivienne let go of Chrissy’s arm.
Wait … what?
“Jess?” Vivienne’s voice intruded.
Jess startled out of her thoughts. “Sorry?”
“I said, anytime your parents bail on you for dinner, I’m there.”
“Right. Yeah, for sure.”
Vivienne bumped her with her hip. “I guess we should get to bed? When is your first match tomorrow, Chrissy?”
They chatted about the tournament and potential competition for the short walk back to the hotel. The air had cooled more than they were used to, but it was still a pleasant July evening for strolling along a bustling sidewalk under twinkling city lights.
Back at the hotel, Chrissy hugged them both in the elevator. Her floor was first. “Thank you again so much, Jess! Good night!” she cried, waving at them as the doors closed.
Jess’s floor was next. “Drink some water,” Vivienne said, “and get some good sleep.”
The idea of a hug flitted through Jess’s brain—Chrissy had hugged them both, after all, although Chrissy was a certified hugger—but in the time it took to consider the idea, it was too late.
The doors would close again in a second.
Jess locked her gaze onto Vivienne’s. Her stomach jumped. “I will. You too.”
Vivienne fluttered her fingers as the doors slid shut, lips curled in a soft smile.
The hallway spun around Jess for a brief moment as she stared at the closed elevator. What the fuck.
Too much wine.
Jess dug out her key and tiptoed into her room, careful not to disturb Tania’s sleeping form as she got ready for bed. She chugged the rest of her water, then filled up her bottle again before she slid under her covers.
Images from the evening replayed behind her eyes. Vivienne’s long, graceful arm reaching for the wine. The tilt of Vivienne’s head sending her shining hair sliding over her collarbones. Her mouth closing over her fork …
Despite Tania’s long, even breaths, Jess couldn’t sleep. She grabbed her phone and searched for Vivienne’s dedication in Constellation Prize. It read, To my beautiful Vivienne—Never be afraid of the dark. Your truth is in the stars.
The tournament was at Spanish Banks, a long, sandy beach on English Bay, the North Shore Mountains still doing their majestic thing in the background.
Match play didn’t start until Friday afternoon, giving teams a chance to travel that morning. Chrissy and Shay had the first game at one, so the rest of the Sunside teams gathered to watch. The atmosphere was relaxed, with lots of good-natured ribbing and catcalling as they warmed up.
Chrissy and Shay made quick work of a local team, then the crew stayed to watch the match after, cheering on a Northern California team against one from Texas.
When the first set was over, Jess hopped up and brushed the sand off her shorts. “I’m heading to the concession. Anyone want anything?”
“A Gatorade?” Tania asked. “And … see if they have a fruit cup or something?”
“You got it.” Jess fell into step with Vivienne, who appeared to also be heading to the concession.
“Have a good sleep?” Jess asked. “Or did you hear all those sirens at two AM?”
“Ugh,” Vivienne groaned. “Yeah, it was brutal. I could not fall back asleep. Although that might also have had something to do with the eight pounds of steak I ate.”
Jess laughed. “Might have.” They got in line at one of the concession trucks offering smoothies. Jess ordered a pineapple mango protein smoothie for herself, and a fruit cup and Gatorade for Tania.
Vivienne ordered blueberry banana. “Don’t mix our drinks up,” she said as they shuffled over to the pickup counter. “I’m allergic to pineapple.”
“You are? I didn’t know that.”
“How would you?” Vivienne said. There was an odd note to her voice.
Jess glanced at her but Vivienne was still studying the menu board through her big sunglasses. “Right. Well, I’ll be careful.”
Vivienne and Lee played next. When it was their turn to warm up, Vivienne peeled off her tank dress and tossed it onto her bag.
Jess’s stomach twisted. Goddamn. The word “goddess” came to mind.
Strong limbs, glowing skin, confident stance, laughing at something Lee said as she pulled her hair back into a perfect ponytail.
Jess imagined every person on the beach stopping to admire her, and Vivienne knowing it was happening and soaking in every last drop of the attention.
Jess looked away, slurping the last of her smoothie, cheeks hot in the sunshine. Yes, Vivienne was objectively beautiful, no question about that. It was only natural Jess would admire her.
But the pull Jess was feeling … the way her chest tightened a little when Vivienne looked at her, the humming in Jess’s veins when Vivienne was near.… That was something else entirely. Something she wasn’t quite ready to think about yet.