“I wouldn’t say athlete,” she said. “I play volleyball any chance I get, that’s it.”
She saw Ainsley’s eyes widen.
“I looooove volleyball!” the doctor declared. “Seriously, I play it all the time! Are you any good?”
Rachel shrugged again. Good? She supposed. She could hold her own in a game, if that’s what Ainsley meant. But she only ever played with some friends of hers from here in town, although lately, what with being so busy selling houses at her current clip, she hadn’t been able to participate much.
“I mean, I’m not going to the Olympics or anything,” she answered Ainsley.
Ainsley scoffed.
“Oh, please, I don’t think they’d even let me buy a ticket to the Olympics, let alone play in them! What position do you play? Wait! Let me guess…setter?”
Rachel cocked her eyebrow.
“What tipped you off?” she asked snidely. “The fact that I’m three feet tall compared to you?”
Ainsley laughed.
Rachel went on.
“Yes, I’m a setter but I’ll have you know I’m a pretty darn good libero too.”
“You should come join me and my friends sometime!” Ainsley insisted. “It’ll be fun and you’ll love them!”
“Is it a league?” Rachel asked. Goofing around on the volleyball court for fun here in town with some buddies was one thing. But she wasn’t certain she was willing to be bothered with the schedules and pressures involved with a league.
Ainsley laughed.
“A league? Yeah, a league of misfits. No, it’s just a bunch of friends who love the game. We just get together every Sunday—if our schedules allow—and play against each other for fun. Trust me, we suck. But it’s just casual and relaxed. Totally no pressure.”
“That sounds amazing!”
“It is! And you are going to join us!”
Rachel liked the idea. And, if she was being totally honest with herself, she liked that Ainsley was asking her to join. Well, Ainsley was playfully telling her to join and Rachel was finding that incredibly hot for some reason.
Fuck, I really need to sort this out!
Her phone chirped. Reading the notification, she gasped.
“They accepted your offer!” she announced. “The house is yours if you still want it!”
Ainsley smiled.
“Really? That’s amazing!”
As if he had heard the announcement also, their waiter arrived just then with their glasses of ouzo. Once he left, Rachel raised hers in a toast.
“Congratulations!” she said. “To finding a new home and starting your new life in Carlsbad.”
“I’m am soooooo excited!” Ainsley said, clinking her glass with Rachel’s.
However, once they drank their toast, Rachel knew she had to get down to business. The Havershams may have accepted Ainsley’s offer but that was only via text, which basically meant nothing. Neither Ainsley’s offer nor the Havershams’ acceptance of it were official until Rachel sent both parties a bunch of forms that they would then have to sign electronically. Until then, Ainsley was at risk of being outbid for the house.
She explained all this to her companion as she took her iMac out of her combination purse/computer bag.
“Sorry, I know we should totally be celebrating,” she said, placing the laptop on the table and starting it up. “But I don’t want you missing out on this!”