June turned her nose up at us. “I’m fine.”
There was a clear line in the sand—the four of us vs. June—even though it made no sense. Besides Rosie and Lexi, none of us had trained at the same gym. We had all seen each other at competitions and had made an effort to get to know each other during the Olympic trials. June was wholeheartedly uninterested and mildly annoyed with our presence, as if we were warts she couldn’t quite rid herself of. She probably viewed us as her competition and was scared to get too close. Does she think we’ll poison her cereal or something?
“So what does the room sitch look like upstairs?” Lexi asked.
“I’ve got my own room,” June said, butting in just as Molly opened her mouth to speak. “It’s just easier that way. I like order and routine.”
“Right-o,” Lexi said, tilting her head toward me. “I’m assuming you and Molly are bunking together?”
I nodded. “Which leaves the last room for you and Rosie.”
Rosie smiled. “That’ll be fun, Lex. I’m a really quiet sleeper and I’m very clean.”
“Fine. I dumped my boyfriend before I left anyway, so it’s not like I’ll need much privacy.”
“Privacy for what?” Rosie said, genuinely curious.
“Phone sex.”
June nearly gagged on her tongue and Rosie’s cheeks turned dark scarlet.
I couldn’t help but laugh as Lexi assessed us. “What? Am I supposed to dance around the subject with you guys? Do I need to give anyone the talk?”
I laughed and held up my hands to show I was in no need of “the talk”, but I couldn’t speak for the rest of my teammates.
“So you’re single now?” I asked, trying to change the subject for Rosie and June’s sake.
“Yup, and just in time for the games. What about you guys? Boyfriends, girlfriends?”
June and Rosie shook their heads, but Molly did a teeter-totter thing with her hands. “It’s not serious or anything, but the host family I’ve been staying with has a son.”
A son?!
Too many questions flooded her at once.
“Is he hot?” I asked.
“How’s the sex?” Lexi chimed in.
“Does he like to read?” Rosie asked.
June sat quiet in the corner like a sack of potatoes.
Molly sighed dreamily. “I don’t know about the sex part. We haven’t gotten that far.”
Lexi groaned, but I laughed and nudged Molly, offering up a gentle smile.
“Who cares?” I said, trying to deflect. I wasn’t trying to virgin shame anyone, just like I wasn’t judging Lexi for having phone sex. We’d all come from different backgrounds.
Lexi glanced at me. “You’re not still a virgin are you?”
I shrugged. “No, but it’s been a while since I’ve dated anyone.”
I stared up at the ceiling and avoided eye contact with Lexi. My sex life was dotted with awkward encounters and short-lived romances. I hadn’t had much time for dating in the last few years; I found it easier to keep most guys at arm’s length. It was more comfortable that way; I could focus on training and didn’t have to worry about messy breakups.
“But you’re so pretty,” Rosie said with a smile.
Lexi nodded. “Yeah, you look like Natalie Portman or something. You’ve gotta be some guy’s type.”
“Well actually—” Molly began to speak, but I reached over and pinched her thigh hard enough to make her stop. “Hey! I was just going to agree that you were pretty.”
I blushed. “Oh.”
“What’d you think she was going to say?” Lexi asked.
“Nothing.”
Molly chuckled. “She thought I was going to mention Erikwejroweriyertheoirhtioehrt.”
My hand covered her mouth, turning the second half of her sentence into gibberish. “It’s nothing. Molly thinks I look like this girl Erik—”
“Coach Winter!” June interjected.
“—slept with last night.”
Lexi’s brow arched. “Innnnnteresting.”
It wasn’t interesting.
“Do you think he’s cute too, Brie?” Rosie asked.
I pretended like my toe nail polish was smudged and bent down to fix it.
“She’s avoiding the question,” Molly said with a laugh.
“He’s our coach. We shouldn’t be discussing whether or not he’s cute,” June chided.
I ignored her. “Objectively, there’s nothing not to like about him, but he’s just sort of…” I couldn’t put my finger on it. “Frustrating.” I nodded. “He’s definitely not my type.”
Lexi nodded. “So then what is your type exactly?”
A knock sounded on the front door of the guesthouse and June hopped up to answer it.
“Speak of the devil,” Molly said, elbowing me in the side.
A slow-spreading blush crept up my cheeks as June whipped open the door and Erik walked inside. I avoided glancing up at him as June started to suck up, thanking him for our wonderful accommodations and for his generosity. He gave us a hot plate, June. Cool your jets.
“Good afternoon,” he said, addressing the group as he came to stand at the front of the living room. He was a few feet away from us and I swore I could smell his body wash. Unless Molly uses mountain fresh scent too.
The team offered up greetings, but I kept my gaze locked on the coffee table in front of him. Until my blush subsided, I didn’t want to chance meeting his eyes.