I headed for the fridge and pulled out one of the meals sitting up top. It was filled with asparagus instead of broccoli. What a culinary adventure!
“You okay?”
I nodded and dropped my meal on the kitchen counter. On second thought, maybe I need a chance to cool down. I put the meal back into the fridge and walked past them toward the stairs. “I’m going to shower.”
Not one of them said a word as I took the stairs two at a time and slammed my bedroom door. I stripped off my leotard and tossed it in the dirty clothes hamper. I turned the shower on to its hottest setting and let the water spill down over me, erasing my weird morning and my shitty practice and that tense car ride home. No amount of lavender-scented body wash could calm me down though; I was still fuming when I stepped out and wrapped myself in a towel.
I whipped the bathroom door open and leapt a mile in the air when I spotted Rosie, Lexi, and Molly sitting on the edge of my bottom bunk waiting for me.
“Can’t a girl get some privacy?” I asked, rifling through my clothes until I settled on the same pajama pants and tank top I’d been wearing earlier that morning. The cotton material of the tank top was worn and soft, and in that moment, that’s all I wanted: something familiar and comfortable.
“Oh please.” Lexi waved her hand. “I’ve seen boobs in my day; don’t act like yours are all that great.”
I glared at her as I pulled my underwear on beneath my towel. “At least I have them.”
She laughed. “She’s back! I was scared we’d lost you for a second.”
I shook my head as I pulled my tank top over my head and dropped my towel. “Sorry, Erik was just such an ass today and I swear he’s targeting me more than anyone else.”
The three of them nodded.
“Obviously,” Molly said.
“Maybe he’s just having a hard time adjusting to the five of us living here,” Rosie said with a shrug. “And I mean, you did break into his house this morning.”
Lexi snorted. “Rosie, you’re naive. Brie might be a criminal, but that’s not why Erik is worked up. He sees what we all see. Brie has this sexy, alluring thing about her.”
I waved my hand. “Hi, I’m right here. Remember?”
Molly laughed and pushed off the bed. “All right c’mon. Let’s go put on a movie and relax. No more thinking about practice for the rest of the night.”
We agreed, and I told them I’d meet them downstairs after I finished drying off. Once they were gone, I walked into the bathroom and stared at my reflection. Was Lexi right about me being sexy? I’d never in a million years thought of myself that way.
I leaned forward and stared at my features. I had light brown eyes that looked brighter in the sunlight. I had clear skin and a few freckles dotting the bridge of my nose. Sometimes if I angled my face just right and pouted my lips, I felt pretty. I did it then and after a moment, I realized what I was doing: I wanted to be sexy for Erik. I was trying to see what he saw when he looked at me. I shivered at the thought.
“Fuck him,” I muttered, reaching for my hairbrush and yanking it through my long brown strands. There was no point in blow drying it. I’d just toss it into a braid or ponytail for practice in the morning.
The girls had already picked a movie by the time I made it back downstairs. I plopped down in the middle of the couch between Molly and Lexi, and Molly passed me a giant bowl of popcorn. I ate it, stuffing giant handfuls into my mouth. I knew I’d eventually have to get up and make dinner, but until then, I’d fill my stomach with buttery goodness.
“Did you guys seriously pick a romance?”
“Yes,” Lexi said, stealing some popcorn. “Deal with it.”
I didn’t know what the movie was called, but it had Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling and there was no need to actually pay attention to the plot. Really, it was worth it just to see Ryan Gosling walk around in a fitted suit.
Sometime later—during a part of the movie that didn’t include Ryan on screen, thus wasn’t important—I heard a truck door slam and my heart leapt in my chest. It was early, which meant Erik’s date must have been terrible if he was already home. I pushed the popcorn bowl onto the coffee table and hopped off the couch.
“What are you doing?” Lexi asked, following after me.
“Spying,” I said, pulling the living room drape aside to see the gravel drive.
Erik was rounding the front of his truck to open the door on the passenger side. The seat I’d occupied two hours earlier had been stolen by a leggy blonde with a tight black dress and killer heels. He held the door open for her as she stepped out and I rolled my eyes. Who is he trying to fool with the gentleman act?
“Jesus Christ, is that a playboy bunny?” Lexi asked.
I glared at her. “She’s not that pretty.”
She snorted. “Yeah, hot is more like it.”
Whatever. So she had that beach babe thing about her—long blonde hair curled to hell and tan skin—big whoop. Everything was probably fake. I hope.
Erik pressed his hand to her lower back and guided her to the back door of his house.
“Is he seriously bringing a new girl back to his house?” Molly asked from over my shoulder. “He was with a brunette the other night.”
“So inappropriate,” I spat just as the two of them ducked inside. The kitchen light flipped on and I caught their shadows moving behind the drapes.
“I mean, it’s not that inappropriate. He’s single and young,” Lexi argued. “It’s not like he has to be celibate just ’cause he’s our coach. He’s not a priest.”