Harper
Shit. That was a crash and burn.
I was this close to getting him, but I didn’t want to reveal my hand so soon. I thought if I could get him to coffee, then I’d spring it on him there that I’m a sports reporter. But it didn’t go as planned.
Since I’m standing outside Jade’s gym getting rained on, a very physical manifestation of my soul crushing defeat, I decide to go inside and cry on her shoulder and tell her how I couldn’t close the deal.
I push open the front door and am immediately greeted by a beautiful girl with a dark bob with streaks of purple, wearing skimpy gym shorts and top with the Seattle Circuit logo on her ample chest.
“Good morning and welcome to Seattle Circuit. Are you looking for a new membership?”
I smile at the perky young thing. “No, I’m actually here to see Jade.”
Just then, Jade comes around the corner, carrying a basket of freshly washed towels. She looks up and sees me standing there, and her smile grows wide.
“How’d it go?” She hands the stack of towels to the girl and nods for her to take them in the back. Jade gives me a once over and then snatches a towel from the top and hands it to me. “Come over here and tell me all about it.”
Jade pats the stool beside her, but I decide to stand, wiping off my wet face and blotting my damp hair.
“It went like shit…because I didn’t get around to asking him.” I smack my forehead down on the counter, banging it several times until Jade stops me with a hand on top of my wet head. I’m sure I look as miserable as I feel.
“Come on, it’s not that bad. You can course correct. He’ll be in again tomorrow morning, and so will you.” She pokes me in the fleshy part of my arm as I lift my chin and plop it in my fist with a groan.
“Early twice in two days? There goes the idea of me finishing off that bottle of wine on your kitchen counter before you get home tonight.”
“Don’t you dare drink.” She waggles her finger at me and lowers her voice in that don’t-you-make-me-whoop-your-ass tone. “A few glasses and that’s your limit. You save the rest for me. But you do deserve to have a drink tonight before you get back on the horse tomorrow. You had a tough loss today, but you’re a scrappy girl and will pull out the stops to win. Remember that game we played against Western?”
Even in my self-loathing fog, I remember the basketball game she’s referring to as though it happened yesterday.
Our team, the Spokane U Spartans, was down by ten at the half. I’d just rolled my ankle going up for a reverse layup when I landed on my feet but got tangled with one of the opposing team’s players.
I hobbled off the court and returned to our locker room, icing it up to reduce the swelling and praying like hell it wasn’t serious. The team physician wrapped it up good and tight, and I went back out on the court during the final minutes of the second half and hit two three-pointers, got fouled and made both baskets, and then Jade finished it off with two final baskets. We won the game and went on to the Final Four that year.
“Yeah, yeah, I remember. That was a team victory. This is a different game entirely. But I did leave him something to remember me by and he gave me his card.”
“What do you mean? You didn’t lick him, did you?”
I give her a look of disgust. “No, you idiot! I did NOT lick him. Where do you come up with these things?”
She shrugs. “Look around you. I’m surrounded by lickables all day, every day. I have fantasies, girl. So many fantasies.”
Wow. I’m learning more about my friend than I never knew before.
She motions in the air with her hand. “Anyway…enough about that. What did you leave him?”
“Well, you know that I purposely ran into him and when he was distracted and not looking, I slipped my card in the breast pocket of his suit. Which, by the way, lordy, that man dresses so nice! And he did smell very lickable…is that a thing?”
Jade bumps my fist with hers. “That’s some next level, mission impossible shit right there. You get it, girl. I am impressed.”
“We’ll see…even if he doesn’t find it or does and doesn’t call, I still have his contact number. And I’ll damn sure be calling.” I flip the card from my jacket pocket and wiggle it in the air.
“Or you can just move things right along tomorrow morning. You’ll be licking him…oh, I mean, interviewing him in no time.”
I tap the card on the counter again and then look around at the gym. “Will it look too suspicious if I suddenly end up working out here tomorrow morning?”
“It would if he knows how much of a morning person you arenot. But otherwise, it’s a free country. Free gym. Just promise not to drool or sweat on him, okay?”
“I promise nothing.”