"Have a one-night stand?" She took the ball back, bouncing it around me as we moved down the sidewalk. Her skills were incredible. It almost seemed like a waste to not watch her go into the WNBA, and yet her shoulders were giving her far too many issues to push her body to perform the way she would have to. She wasn't over the devastation of turning down the offer, nor did I think she would ever be.
"A one-night stand sounds fun, but I'm usually horrible with those." I shrugged and glanced over my shoulder. "Let's cross the street."
"I think a one-night stand would be perfectly acceptable. It's much better than falling for some guy that's headed to Maine after college and you having to stay here."
"This is true, but I'm not worried about any of it. Guys are the least of my worries, right now."
"Oh, yeah? What's your top worry?"
"How I'm going to hold my tongue when I whoop the Arizona State girls’ basketball captain at her own sport." I ran by her and stole the ball, laughing as she raced after me.
She might be on the team, but she was right about one thing: I could have been, too.
Chapter Six
Cora
Dedra let me get a few good shots in the night before, but once I got within 10 points of her score, that was it. She pulled out the stops and stomped me to the ground without much effort on her part. Where I should have been upset, I wasn't at all. Seeing her come alive was well worth the massive loss on my part.
Dinner was outstanding, but with Cindy in the kitchen, it was expected. Her dream of opening her own restaurant seemed like a high possib
ility in the next 10 years. She batted off our comments like she always did, and we settled down in front of a movie with our bottle of wine. I passed out before getting past the credits.
I woke the next morning from a dreamless night to the sound of someone pounding on my bedroom door.
"Come on, sleepyhead. We're making cinnamon rolls from scratch, and if you think you're missing out on this, you're wrong." Cindy poked her head into the room and gave me a big smile. Her red hair was a mess, leaving her looking beyond cute. Some guy was going to finally realize what a steal she was and treat her right. I could only pray he would show up before too many more of them used her and threw her away. How she had the strength to keep moving forward and give anyone a chance was beyond me.
"Alright. Give me five minutes to brush my teeth and wake up." I sat up and ran my fingers through my hair, stretching and letting out a yawn. The boy from the day before still played along the edge of my mind. That he was blond and a total dick should have sent me scurrying away from even the thought of him, but it would seem my hormones had a mind of their own.
"Let's go." Emily opened the door and gave me a look. "Your only job today is to help Cindy understand that we're not having an alarm clock this summer. Do I look happy?"
Emily's black hair framed her face and accentuated the blue of her eyes, making her almost look like a Goth princess.
"You do look happy now that I'm really looking." I tilted my head to the side and smiled. "Alright. I'll figure out a nice way to tell her."
"You're up to bat first, but if she keeps this Betty Crocker shit up, I'm going to hurt her feelings."
Dedra moved up beside Emily at the door of my room. "It's been a long two weeks."
I laughed and got up, tugging at my tank top to pull it back in place. "Alright. I get it. She's just excited, and I'd take a homemade cinnamon roll over a cold bowl of cereal any day. Both of you would, too."
I pushed past them and yawned again before making a beeline to one of the two bathrooms in the house. After brushing my hair and teeth, I put on my bikini, a tank top and some shorts. I made my way to the kitchen to find Cindy humming something.
"Coffee's ready." She glanced over her shoulder and smiled. "Will you braid my hair after we eat breakfast? I want to go out on the boat today, and it gets in my face like crazy."
"Absolutely." I got a cup and poured the dark liquid into it before walking to the front door. "I'll be right back."
"Five minutes and we're making these cinnamon rolls!" She called after me in a perky tone.
"I wouldn't miss it." I closed the door behind me as I inhaled deeply. I didn't mind Cindy's excitement. It was almost refreshing, and getting up early wasn't too bad, either.
The soft sounds of birds chirping in the trees above me caused my heart to flutter in my chest. I didn't have to be anything or anyone but myself for the next six to eight weeks.
"Incredible." I leaned against the railing at the front of the house and watched the sun play across the lake. The house was nestled against the street that ran right in front of the large blue lake, and our boat bobbed up and down with the waves at the edge of our pier, tempting me to sneak away for a few hours.
The door behind me opened, and Emily walked out with a cup of coffee. "You owe Dedra a ‘thank you.’"
"Why is that?" I took a sip of my coffee.