Chapter 19 #2
Tania passed it, and, noticing Vivienne creeping forward in anticipation of a short shot, lobbed her hit deep.
Vivienne turned and went after it. Jess held her breath.
The ball was maybe heading out, and Vivienne was maybe not going to make it.
Vivienne dove, but, midair, decided it was out and let it hit the sand.
The ball landed so, so close to the line. The rope didn’t obviously bounce, and Jess couldn’t even tell if it was in or out. Every eye was on the line judge. She paused, then dramatically swung her flag downward to call it in.
Jess and Tania hollered and jumped into each other’s arms. Tied at thirteen.
Vivienne and Lee took their time getting set for the next serve, throwing a few muttered words at each other in between hand slaps.
Jess’s serve … maybe the biggest serve of her life.
She shook out her limbs, took a breath, and smacked the logo.
Nerves jittering again, her toss was a little low, but the ball made it over, spinning toward Vivienne.
Jess ran to the net to block her, tired quads aching in protest. Vivienne tried to roll the ball short crosscourt, but Tania was all over it, popping it up nice and high.
Jess bump set her, breath held as Tania approached.
Tania swung hard line, with a sharp hiss of pain.
Vivienne got her fist on it but wasn’t able to control the ball, and it continued flying out the back of the court in a graceful arc.
Lee chased it, but her desperate swing sent the ball soaring off into the stands.
Up 14–13. Match point.
“Yes!” Tania cried. She hugged Jess. “Fuck, yes. One more serve, Jess.” She held Jess’s shoulders. “Deep breath. You’ve got this.”
Jess blew out the rest of her breath at the service line. A hush fell over the stands. She tossed the ball in the air and sent her serve over to Vivienne.
Vivienne passed it to Lee, cool as ice, then swung at Lee’s set. It clipped the top of Jess’s block, enough to slow it down for Tania to bump set her.
Jess took a quick look at the court. Vivienne was too far back. The short shot was there.
Jess jumped, swung big, then pulled up and popped it short and sharp, away from Lee’s block.
Vivienne was after it, feet digging into the sand as she pushed off. She was so fast, always so fast. Vivienne ran, ponytail swinging. Three steps, four, she dove … and she couldn’t get there. The ball hit the ground.
They won.
Tania jumped onto her, screaming. Or maybe Jess was the one screaming. It was hard to tell.
Vivienne stood up slowly, brushing the sand off her body. She looked down at her feet … but not before Jess saw a tiny curve of a smile.
Tania squeezed Jess hard enough to crack a rib and picked her up. “Yes! Yes, yes, yes! Jess, we did it!”
Jess’s legs shook with exhaustion and elation when Tania set her down again. “Yeah, we fucking did!”
Tania threw her head back and hollered, “Playoffs, baby!”
They laughed, they cried, they hugged. Jess was so fucking proud of herself and Tania.
But Vivienne’s little smile haunted her.
Maggie’s was packed that night as the whole league celebrated the end of the regular season, with some getting a little silly if they’d qualified for playoffs … or if they hadn’t.
Vivienne and Lee sat at one end of the table amidst their court of admirers.
The number of wins they’d racked up this season was truly something to marvel at.
Vivienne wore a simple white sundress that did insane things for her skin and legs and delicate clavicles.
… Jess tried not to stare at her down the table but had had enough drinks for that to be a real challenge.
At one point, when she was not even aware she was staring, Vivienne suddenly looked over and made eye contact.
Jess’s heart jumped at being caught. But she couldn’t look away.
Vivienne’s hair spilled over her shoulders like she was the damsel on the cover of a romance novel.
They held eyes for a moment, then Vivienne picked up her drink and came over.
Jess’s brain told her to panic. Sweat beaded on her hairline. Her mouth dried out. But why? Why am I panicking? she tried to ask her brain. Her brain did nothing but crank up her heart rate.
Vivienne tapped their glasses together as she sat, a vision in white. “Cheers. Congrats on a hell of a finish.”
Jess’s heart pounded harder. “Congrats on a hell of a season.”
Vivienne took a sip of her margarita. “You guys played great today.”
The thrill of the victory washed over Jess again, the sense of what she and Tania had accomplished … but … Vivienne’s little smile … “Thanks. You did, too.”
Vivienne shrugged and looked at her hands. “You beat us, though.”
Jess snorted. “You finished first in the league by a mile, and broke a record for the most wins in a season. ‘Amazing’ barely covers it.”
“Yeah, well…” Vivienne took another sip, gaze distant. “Not everyone would agree.”
“Those people are assholes.” Then Jess remembered what she had in her bag. She pulled out a foil bundle and handed it to Vivienne.
Vivienne shook herself and blinked, then let out a little laugh. “Banana bread! What’s this for?”
Jess lifted a shoulder. “I thought it would be fitting if you beat us today, but … you deserve it anyway.”
A grin took over Vivienne’s face. “Thanks, Jess. That’s really sweet of you.
And my freezer stash was starting to get a little low.
…” The opening notes of a Shania Twain song blasted through the air.
Vivienne tucked the loaf into her bag, downed the rest of her drink, and stood. “Dance?” She held out her hand.
Jess froze. Dance? With … Vivienne?
Vivienne nodded her head at the dance floor. “Come on. Everyone’s out there.”
Jess stole a glance. Indeed, Chrissy, Shay, Billi, and a bunch of others were attempting to get a line dance going, laughing and pointing and tripping over each other.
Jess finished her beer and took Vivienne’s hand.
Vivienne laced their fingers together, but only for a second, until they reached the crowd and had to find their place in the wobbly line, then she let go.
But even when they weren’t touching, Jess was very aware of where Vivienne was. A current of electricity connected them, tingled when Vivienne came closer, and sparked when they made eye contact.
Vivienne danced like she played, smooth, strong, and confident, and Jess could not take her eyes off of her. They stepped and turned, grapevined and twirled.
And the current hummed.
It crackled under her skin like an itch, even when she got home, even still in the dark in her bed.
She thought of Vivienne’s dress hugging her body.
She thought of Vivienne’s bronze-colored nipple, and her bare breasts.
She thought of touching her, running her hands over every alluring curve, pressing her lips to Vivienne’s lovely skin, until Jess moaned, her back arching, sparks turning her vision white in the dark.