Chapter 21 #3
But even once she took her spot behind the ring toss counter, questions and scenarios and doubts still crowded her head. Vivienne and Lee … trophies and hospitals—
“You look like someone deep in thought.”
She startled out of her thought hurricane and found Troy watching her. “Oh hey, Troy. Yeah, I guess you could say that.”
He leaned against the counter, arms crossed. “This is a fantastic opportunity for you, Jess.”
“I guess, but…” Jess tucked her hair behind her ear. “I don’t think Vivienne wants to play with me.”
“What makes you say that?”
“I sort of reached out and she shut me down.”
“You ‘sort of reached out’?”
“I asked if she wanted to talk. She said there was nothing to talk about.”
Troy frowned and scratched his chin. “I think she’s grieving a little. For Lee. For their partnership. For their dreams and plans.”
“Oh.”
“Nothing to do with you, Jess, or what you can offer her. She’ll get there; she might just need some time to adjust.”
“Right…”
Troy put his money on the counter, ten bucks instead of five this time. “I’m feeling lucky today.”
He racked up forty points with a sure and steady hand.
Jess wrote up his points and handed the ticket over, but instead of tucking it into his pocket like normal, he pulled out a wad of tickets. He added the new one to the stack and set them on the counter. “I believe I have enough.”
Jess gasped. “You do?” She flipped through the slips, giving a cursory count. “You do.”
They both stared up at the giant toasted-marshmallow teddy. He looked ready to be adopted.
Jess grabbed her giant hook and reached up to haul the big guy down. “Here you go,” she said, plopping him on the counter in front of his new owner.
Troy beamed. “Thank you, Jess. Sunny is going to love this.” He stroked the bear’s big head, then hoisted it into his arms. “Good things take time, Jess. Give her time.”
Jess knocked on Vivienne’s door the next morning holding two iced coffees.
She’d texted the night before asking if she could stop by in the morning and drop something off.
Vivienne had finally replied late—Jess was still awake because her racing brain wouldn’t let her sleep—with her address and a terse Sure.
Vivienne’s bungalow was small, but clean and modern with a metal roof, white board-and-batten siding, and low-maintenance landscaping, with all rock and native plants.
She opened her door.
Jess had never seen her look so … vulnerable. In a tank top and sweatpants, hair up in a messy bun, no makeup … lost, and beautiful. Jess wanted to pull her into her arms and comfort her. “Hey.” Jess cleared her throat and held out a cup instead. “I brought you a coffee.”
Vivienne studied her and shifted her weight.
Jess waited.
“Thanks,” Vivienne finally said. She took the drink.
Jess stared awkwardly, not sure what to do next.
Vivienne rolled her eyes, but a smile cracked the corner of her mouth at the same time. “Come in.” She held the screen door open.
Jess blew out a breath. “Phew. I let my Uber driver leave.” She followed Vivienne inside.
It was nothing like Jess had been expecting …
something a little sleeker, maybe, mostly gray and white.
But this was art and texture, nature and interior design, all mashed up into one exceptionally lovely home.
She tried not to gawk too obviously as she took it in.
The walls were moss green, some covered in matching wallpaper with gold embossing.
A lighter green button-tufted couch sat on one side of the open space.
A row of wooden stools lined the kitchen peninsula.
But what really grabbed her eye—what made her stop and stare, in fact—was the back wall of the house, mostly glass doors, that looked out at a rich green backyard—palm trees, vines, a small rock-lined pond. … Her own private jungle-garden oasis.
Jess’s jaw dropped. “Wow. Wow. This is … gorgeous.”
Then she noticed the three mugs and two glasses on the coffee table. Socks crumpled on the floor by the couch, a sweater and a bra thrown over the back of it. A stack of bowls by the sink.
Jess suddenly realized it was very quiet. Vivienne was sipping her coffee and watching Jess stare. Jess flinched and put her hand on her face. “Oh, God. Sorry. I was just … taking it all in. Really, your place is stunning.”
“Mm-hmm.” Vivienne stuffed the bra behind a cushion, kicked the socks under the couch, and slid the collection of cups to one side of the coffee table. “It’s been a rough couple of days.” She sat on her couch, tucking a bare foot underneath her, and gestured for Jess to join her.
Jess sat next to her and took a sip herself. “So … how are Toni and baby doing?”
“They’re okay. Toni’s blood pressure spiked and they’re keeping a close eye on the baby. They might need to induce in the next few days.”
“And … how’s Lee feeling about … this?”
Vivienne looked at her hands. “I mean, she’s mostly just concerned with Toni and her baby … but I know part of her is pretty devastated that she’s missing the final.”
Jess nodded and bit her lip. “I’m sure she is.”
“It’s not fair,” Vivienne said quietly.
“I know, it’s not.” Jess resisted the urge to touch Vivienne’s arm. “You guys worked so hard. It was such an amazing season.”
“Yeah.”
“I’m sorry.”
Vivienne looked up, straight into Jess’s eyes. “It’s okay. We just need a healthy mom and baby, right?”
“Right.” Jess clutched her cup, even though it was freezing her fingers. “Do you … I don’t … Fuck. I’m sorry. Vivienne … do you want to play with me?”
Vivienne scrunched her nose, like the question was silly. “Of course I do.”
“You do?”
“Yeah, Jess. I have a state championship to win. And … I think we’ll be great together.”
“Oh.” Jess’s heart fluttered, relief sweeping over her. “I think so, too.”
Vivienne smiled—still a little sad—and sipped her drink. “But we’ll need to work hard, get into the same rhythm. We only have a couple days. Are you free now?”
“Now?”
Vivienne blinked her big eyes at her. “Now.”
“Yeah, I’m free now.”
Vivienne went to change into practice clothes while Jess snooped her bookshelves—quite an impressive astronomy section. She imagined pulling Carl Sagan off the shelf and curling up in the jungle garden next to the burbling pond.
“What does Lee think about us playing together?” Jess asked as they were getting into Vivienne’s car.
“She’d rather it be her, of course, but she thinks we’ll be a great pair.”
Jess nodded, a weight lifting from her shoulders. “I’ll let Winston know that I’m in.”
Vivienne started the car, then pushed back a chunk of hair that had fallen over her eye. A waft of vanilla hit Jess’s nose. “You didn’t tell him yet?”
Again, the urge to touch Vivienne’s hand overwhelmed her. “I wanted to make sure you were okay with it first.”
Vivienne smiled, a big one this time, igniting a sparkle deep in her eyes. “I’m okay with it.”