Chapter 4
Teagan
We end up at a new trendy bar called The O, and we were lucky enough to snag a high-top table, seeing as it’s busy.
So far, this night has been exactly what I needed. We did our hair and makeup as we listened to music that we used to love back when we were teenagers. Food was delivered from a gourmet burger joint, ensuring we had our stomachs full before drinking tonight.
Clara did that once–drank on an empty stomach–and let’s just say she became very acquainted with a toilet bowl that night.
“It’s time for a shot,” Clara declares as she glances around for a waiter.
“What exactly are we celebrating?” Kaya asks.
Clara spins around to face us, sending her long strawberry-blonde locks over her shoulders. “We’re celebrating our friendship. I’m so thankful for my girls, and it feels great to finally be back together,” she explains.
Since I’m on a mission to let loose tonight, I go along with her.
“I’ll drink to that,” I say as I lift my rum and Coke in the air.
“Fair enough.” Kaya shrugs, tapping her whiskey neat to my drink just as the waiter arrives at our table.
We smile before taking our sips, while Clara talks animatedly with the server, her Guinness in hand.
I usually hated going out, especially on the weekend, when I preferred to rest since I trained so hard during the week. But I had to admit that seeing my friends after being apart for nearly four months felt so good.
We talk almost every day in the group chat and FaceTime when we can, but we’ve all been so busy in our day-to-day lives that we haven’t had the chance to see each other in person.
Clara is a professional soccer player, playing for Miami FC, a major league soccer team.
And Kaya plays for the USA’s national volleyball team, with their base being in California.
So, sadly neither of them lives close enough to warrant weekly hangouts.
And with their busy schedules for away games, playoffs, and everything their schedules entail, it makes it even harder.
“Are you excited for the new season?” I ask Kaya, while we wait for Clara to return with our shots, seeing as she couldn’t stop talking to the server and ended up following her back to the bar.
Kaya smiles proudly. “I am. Our team has been killing it in practice so far and I think we have a chance to win it all this year.”
Thinking about our busy schedules reminded me that Kaya’s set to start her new season soon, and I know how nervous she gets at the start every year.
“You’re going to be amazing,” I tell her, having witnessed whenever I can how much of a badass she is on the court.
“Thank you. Sometimes I need that reminder. I can get lost in my head so easily,” she admits, so I place my hand on her arm, giving it a reassuring squeeze.
“I’m here for you, whatever you need,” I tell her, and Kaya places her other hand on top of mine, squeezing back.
“Sorry.” Clara blows a breath as she returns to the table with a tray of shots. “Turns out she knows a family friend, so we talked for a bit.”
“You? Talk to strangers? Shocking.” My voice oozes sarcasm, making Kaya laugh as Clara’s mouth pops open.
“Rude,” she mocks offense, placing a hand on her chest. Then her lips tilt and she joins our laughter. “But true, I can make friends with anyone.”
“Don’t we know it,” Kaya mutters, making me laugh more. We’ve been friends for a long time, and there have been many instances where we’ve adopted strangers into our outings due to Clara’s overly-friendly personality.
“Yeah, yeah, take your shot,” Clara orders as she passes one to each of us.
I bring mine upward, inspecting the red liquid. “What is this?”
“It’s a white freezie. A shot that doesn’t actually taste like death,” she explains, holding her glass up in the air. “Cheers to the talented trio.”
“Talented trio?” Kaya’s brows rise in confusion.
“There are three of us… We’re all talented. Get it?” Clara enunciates slowly.
Kaya and I turn to each other and shrug as we can’t help but chuckle.
“To the talented trio!” the three of us say in unison, then down our shots, which are surprisingly good.
We spend the next few minutes chatting, when I notice a man behind Clara, sitting at the bar with his eyes on us.
The man notices that I caught him and approaches our table. Once he gets to us, he says, “Clara Connelly?”
“The one and only.” She beams with a bright smile. “Did you want me to sign something?”
“No, that’s okay. I just wanted to say that was a great goal you scored against Chicago last week,” the man says, looking starstruck.
“It couldn’t have happened without the assist from my teammate,” Clara replies, always making sure to credit her team.
“I’ll be watching your next game against New York. Keep up the good work,” he says before moving to head off. His eyes widen when his gaze moves to Kaya.
“Holy shit. Kaya Dalisay. I can’t believe you’re also here. This night just keeps getting better,” he exclaims. “I look forward to watching you and the other girls this season. Go Team USA.”
“Thank you for the support.” She smiles politely at him.
The man then turns his attention to me, and for some reason, my stomach sinks. With my abrupt retirement, who knows what he’ll say.
“Teagan, what a great career. I was shocked by the news. I thought you had more years left in you. But you got to do what’s best for you. Your competitors breathed a sigh of relief at the news, I bet.”
I do my best to control my emotions, not wanting him to see how pissed off I really am about it. So, instead, I put on a fake smile and say, “Thank you.”
“Enjoy your night, ladies, I won’t bug you longer. Great to meet you all,” he says in parting before leaving.
Kaya and Clara talk about how nice the man was, while I fixate on what he said. I knew I was the best talent in our country, and that validation felt sweeter than anything.
And yet, the validation wasn’t enough to overpower the sour taste in my mouth at his assumption that I quit in my prime.
I’m not an idiot. I’ve seen the news stories online and the comments swirling around on social media.
But to hear it up close and personal, it stings. People really think I’m done.
If anything, I’m now more motivated than ever to do well at my new job and get back to where I’m meant to be.
I don’t know how long I zone out for, lost in my thoughts when Clara and Kaya shout my name.
“Teagan!”
“What?” I ask absentmindedly as they stare at me with concern on their faces. I shake my head. “Sorry. I was in my head for a minute.”
“Is everything okay?” Kaya asks.
“Yes, everything’s perfect,” I say with a smile that I hope reaches my eyes, before quickly changing the subject.
I need a distraction from my brain tonight.
If there’s one thing that takes me out of my head, it’s focusing on my body, and there’s just a thing that will do the trick.
Whenever I’ve been stressed in the past, getting laid always helped me with that.
So, seeing as my life’s been more stressful than ever, I think it’s exactly what I need. “I want to get laid tonight.”
Both Kaya and Clara pause their drinks halfway to their mouths and burst into giggles.
“You sure everything’s all right?” Clara chuckles.
I’ve only had two, and with the shot in my system now, I feel looser than earlier, but not enough to be drunk.
“It’s been a long time and I start working on Monday. I want one night, no strings attached, and then I’m back to working and training hard,” I explain.
“I feel your pain. I haven’t since…” Kaya trails off.
“Hey, at least you two have been laid before,” Clara whisper-hisses.
“You’re waiting, and I think that’s sweet,” I tell her. Clara’s always been a romantic and wants to wait until she’s with someone she loves before sleeping with them.
I, on the other hand, prefer no strings attached. With gymnastics, I never had the time for a serious relationship, and I never cared for it either. Besides, why give someone else the chance to walk away from me?
“Thanks, Teagan.” She smiles shyly.
“So, who’s looking like a potential option?” Kaya asks, taking a sip from her drink.
“I think I need to take a walk to the bathroom, see the lay of the land,” I say with a wink, making them both laugh as I stand and make my way to the back of the bar where the bathrooms are.
When I get there, there’s a massive line. Seeing as I’m at the end of it, I pull out my phone while I wait. I hate small talk as I see no point in it. I already have the friends I need and don’t need any more.
I scroll, as I usually do, and click on a newly released article. The line moves along slowly as I read about the predictions for the USA Olympic Gymnastics team, when a large body collides with my side, sending me and my phone flying to the ground.
“What the fuck,” I grit out as I reach for my phone. I let out a relieved sigh when I notice it’s not broken, but as I look up at the man who’s hovering over me, I forget all about my phone.
His hazel eyes are full of panic as he frantically assesses me, and it doesn’t take my body long at all to react to his proximity once my brain registers how attractive he is.
The muscles in his biceps strain against his long sleeve shirt, his build large but not bulky. I think he could be an athlete of some sort, but it’s too hard to tell. And he’s got this slightly mussed dark hair that curls around the edges of his baseball cap.
Basically, the guy is a knockout—10/10 would bang.
But it doesn’t mean I’m not going to give him shit for knocking me over.
“Do you wanna tell me why you knocked me on my ass?” I say with a raised brow.
His full lips part when his eyes finally make contact with mine, sucking in a breath. “I’m sorry. My idiot teammate shoved me and I lost my balance. Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” I wave off the hand he sticks out to help me stand and stand on my own, wiping at my black skirt.
Gymnasts are short, and I’m no different at five-foot-three. But when he stands to his full height, he’s nearly a whole foot taller than me.
“Are you sure?” he asks, looking guilty.
“If anything, you should be the one concerned about your strength.” He raises a brow in confusion, so I continue, “How can your teammate toss you around like a sack of potatoes?”
“We just met and you’re worried about me?” He clucks his tongue. “That’s sweet, but sounds a bit clingy if you ask me.”
“Says the guy who pushed me over on purpose to get my attention.”
It was a bold thing to say, but I’ve never been good at holding back.
He laughs, the sound rich as it floats in the space between us.
“Can I buy you a drink?”
“I have one back at my table,” I tell him, pointing a finger behind me.
“That’s okay because what I really want is to talk to you.”
“And why should we do that?” I quip.
He smirks, taking a step closer to me. His woody scent draws me closer to him, my chest brushing against his. He tilts his head, his voice husky as he says, “So I can get to know you, ma belle.”
A shiver runs down my spine at the lilt in his voice. There’s nothing hotter than a man speaking in another language.
“What do you want to know?” I pose the question as I lean on one leg, hand on my hip.
His hazel eyes darken, then he leans his head toward my ear. “What I truly want to know is how good my name sounds when you’re moaning it.”
Desire thrums in my core, but despite my goal to get laid tonight, I can’t be that easy. I like when a man works for it.
I stand on my tiptoes and curl my fingers around his broad shoulder as I whisper back into his ear, “Hard to do when I don’t even know your name.”
Moving my hand from his shoulder, I pat his hard chest with a wink and walk to the restroom that miraculously has no line now.
His eyes burn a hole into me the entire time, so I wave him goodbye over my shoulder without looking back.
A deep chuckle over the noise of the bar makes me smirk.
As I fix my hair in the mirror of the bathroom, I notice a faint flush to my cheeks. It could be from the alcohol or him. Because not only is he hot, but he’s fun to flirt with and seems to be on the same page for what I want tonight.
And if there’s one thing about me, I always get what I want.