It turns out I really liked Yvonne Volkova.We’d spent the time getting to know each other, watching game film, going to team workouts, playing hockey, and attending the opening ceremonies and other events with the team.We’d both been very careful to avoid any physical touch, at least until now, although that kiss was never far from my mind.
Yvonne continued to be a little hot and cold with me.It was like she’d realize that we were having fun together and something would make her pull back.It felt like two steps forward and one step back with her, but at least we were on a forward trajectory.I wasn’t sure what had happened in Yvonne’s past to make her so guarded and fearful, but despite my reputation to the contrary, I was generally a patient person.I was willing to wait for her to process whatever she needed to process.
The truth was I was kind of freaked out too.Sure, I’d known I was attracted to her.I’d known that for a long time.We were as opposite as could be, but somehow I’d always known we’d fit.Still, that kiss had shaken me to the core.It hadn’t felt like two people exploring an attraction, it had felt like two souls finding each other after a long absence.It felt a lot like love, and I wasn’t sure I was ready for that any more than she was.
When we got back to the table, I called the server over, requesting water in one of the few Italian phrases I’d memorized for this trip.I pressed a bottle into Yvonne’s hand.
“Drink,” I ordered.
“I love it when you’re bossy, it’s so sexy,” she replied dreamily, resting her head on my shoulder.
My arm went around her before my brain knew what was happening.
“Yvonne?”
It took her a few seconds to answer.
“Yeah?”
“You don’t drink very often, do you?”I asked, nudging the hand holding the water bottle towards her face in a silent order to drink.
“I never drink,” she sighed.“But I’ve been missing out.Drinking is awesome.”
Yvonne
Drinkingwasnotawesome.
I woke up in the bottom bunk with a pounding headache, crusty eyes, a full bladder, and a mouth that tasted like a sewer.
“Arrgh.”
I made a sound that was somewhere between a groan and a wail and suddenly a head popped down from the top bunk.My bunk.Wait, what?
“Good morning,” Toni said cheerfully.
“I hate you,” I grumbled, closing my eyes and pressing my fingers to my temples.
“That wasn’t what you were saying when you kissed me last night.”
I groaned again, and she popped down from the upper bunk, her usual sunny self despite our late night last night.
“Why are you in my bed?”I asked crankily.
She pointed to the garbage can next to me on the floor.“I was afraid you were gonna puke again.”
A memory pushed through, Toni rubbing my back while I kneeled in front of the toilet, throwing up.No wonder my breath tasted so awful.I hoped the kiss happened before the vomiting.
“Thank you for taking care of me.”I gingerly sat up.“I need to pee.”
“We don’t have anything scheduled until our workout this afternoon.Why don’t you take a shower and then we’ll go get you some food and coffee.”
My stomach roiled and I winced.
“Trust me,” she said.“Hangover food will help immensely.”
A couple of hours later I had to admit that Toni’s recovery advice was spot on.
After a cursory look around the cafeteria to make sure there were no coaches in sight, she plied me with a fried egg and bacon biscuit sandwich, hash browns, an orange juice, and coffee.
