Chapter 24 #3
“Well, I didn’t say anything at first, because it’s sort of embarrassing … but…”
Jess had to smile at Vivienne wringing her fingers together, topless and tangled in the blankets, hair a mess. “But?”
“Veronica based Cleo off of me. Cleo is me. I just wanted to tell you because I didn’t want it to be weird and—”
Vivienne was cut off by Jess’s lips on hers.
Later, when Vivienne’s stomach was really growling, Jess got back to the eggs. Fleming trundled up his ramp and snuggled into the warm spot Jess had just vacated.
“Wow, if I’d known how much you’d like hearing about Cleo, I would have told you a lot earlier.
” Viv scratched Fleming’s head, all smug, and picked up her phone.
Then she lurched up, sending the pup back to his feet.
He glared at her. “Oh my God. Jess. We got an email from California Volleyball.” Vivienne grabbed a pillow and clutched it to her chest. “Jess! I can’t read it. ”
Jess snatched her own phone from the counter and opened her email. There it was. California Volleyball. She clicked on it, heart in her throat.
“‘Dear Jessica,’” she read aloud. “‘We are pleased to offer you and your partner Vivienne Morris entry into the Pacific Professional Beach Volleyball League—’”
Vivienne screamed and flew out of the bed wearing only her underwear. They jumped up and down together in the kitchen, hugging and laughing while Fleming barked.
“Wait, wait.” Vivienne gasped, wiping her eyes. “Wait … read the rest. Does it say anything about Lee?”
Jess scanned the rest of the email, then picked out a sentence to read. “‘Given the circumstances, we would also like to extend an invitation to Lee—’”
Vivienne’s phone rang, interrupting her renewed screeching.
“It’s Lee!” She answered it. “Lee! Hi!… Yes, we just got the email too, I … I know … Congratulations to you, too. But first, how is baby Vivienne doing?” Vivienne found one of Jess’s zippered hoodies on the floor and shimmied into it while she listened.
Jess went back to chopping peppers and onions, clutching the knife, dizzy from the major life moments coming at her … and considering who would be Vivienne’s partner on the court. Jess would have to step aside and let Lee take her spot back, both the right and painful thing to do.
“Aw, that’s so great,” Vivienne continued.
“So not too much longer until you’re home then?
… Awesome. I can’t wait to see all three of you.
” She laughed. “I know … Oh, she’s just making me breakfast. Or lunch?
What time is it?” She laughed again. “So … the invites … Can you believe— Oh. Oh, sure.” She put her phone down.
“Lee wants to talk to both of us.” She tapped the button. “Okay, you’re on speaker. What’s up?”
“Hey, Jess,” Lee said, her normally loud voice thin through the phone. “I just wanted to let both of you know … I’ve decided that I’m not going to be joining the circuit.”
“What?” Vivienne said, sharing a look with Jess.
Jess’s heart lifted.
“It’s not something I ever really wanted, you know?” Lee continued. “It was never my dream. I’m happy in Sunside playing in the VL. And especially now that I have a baby. This is the place for me.”
“Oh, Lee.” Vivienne took Jess’s hand. “Are you sure?”
“One hundred percent. But I’m so happy for you two. You make an amazing team, and you’re going to have so much fun touring together.”
Vivienne nodded, eyes misty. She squeezed Jess’s hand, then they chatted a bit more while Jess finished making the omelets, mind spinning with visions of her and Viv together in a stadium full of fans, partners both off and on the court.
When Viv hung up, she came over to wrap herself around Jess, head tucking right under Jess’s chin, like she was always meant to fit there.
“You did it, Jess,” Vivienne whispered. “I’m so proud of you.”
Jess hugged her harder, taking a deep breath of vanilla. “We did it together.”
Vivienne nodded and sniffled.
Jess leaned back to get a look at Viv’s face. “Hey … are you okay?”
“Yeah. Yeah, I’m great.” She wiped a tear. “I’m super excited for you … for us. It’s just … it’s a little weird to think that I’ll never play with Lee again. But…” She scrunched her nose in that adorable way she had. “I can’t wait to play more with you.”
Jess tilted her head down to kiss her. “I feel the same way about Tania. It’ll be strange, but we’ll figure it out together.”
Once they finished their omelets, they walked Fleming, shared a soapy shower, then snuggled up in Jess’s bed again to watch a movie on her laptop.
“We really need to get groceries tomorrow, though,” Jess murmured as the title card appeared.
Vivienne suddenly reached to click pause and sat up. “Jess … now that we’re going to be partners, officially, I need to be honest with you.”
Oh God. Jess’s heart skipped a beat, then started to thump. She braced herself for bad news.
Vivienne took a deep breath. “When I kissed you…”
Jess held her breath.… I don’t know what I was thinking.… I made a mistake.
“I wasn’t just trying to hook up. It wasn’t only that I wanted to kiss you.”
Jess forced herself to breathe. “You weren’t? What were you trying to do?”
Vivienne laughed, although it was more of a wheezing exhale. “Jess … I … like you. A lot. And the last couple days … Well, it’s clear to me that I have some pretty big feelings for you.”
“You … do?”
Vivienne covered her eyes. “And I wasn’t going to push anything, ever, because you clearly hated me for so long.”
Vivienne … had big feelings for her? “I didn’t always hate you.”
Vivienne snorted. “Yes, you did.”
“Well, you hated me, too.”
“Never.”
Jess sorted through her memories, the cutting remarks, the haughty looks, all the hair tossing. “What about the time you—”
Vivienne held up her hand and interrupted.
“I promise you … anytime I said something bitchy or rude, I was literally just trying to flirt or be funny and failed miserably. Whenever I was around you, nothing came out right. I didn’t think I would ever win you over.
But then … I don’t know. Things started to change a little …
and you kissed me back after the party, and here we are now and… ”
Another memory floated up for Jess. “That time I got to the locker room and you were practically naked…”
Vivienne batted her eyelashes.
Jess gasped. “Were you trying to entice me with your nakedness?”
“Don’t be dense, of course I was. Did it work?”
“Work? It nearly killed me.”
Vivienne snickered. “Excellent.”
Jess took Vivienne’s hand and kissed her fingers. “I have big feelings too, Vivienne. And if I ‘hated’ you, it was only masking the fact that I was obsessed with you.” Her lips moved up Vivienne’s arm.
“So you definitely don’t hate me now?” Vivienne asked, as Jess kissed her shoulder.
“Mm-mm,” Jess mumbled into her skin. Then her lips reached Vivienne’s neck.
“Jess,” Vivienne moaned, turning every bone in Jess’s body to liquid.
Jess kissed her, soft and slow—showed Vivienne how much she didn’t hate her, how much she had never hated her. How much she wanted her … for always.