by Leesa Bow
Maddy had picked me up from Hunter’s and driven me home. When she’d started asking questions I told her point blank that nothing had happened. Knowing Maddy’s feelings towards her friends using her to get to Hunter, I’d made it clear I was not one of those friends. I could only imagine what she’d been thinking, and as my best friend she wouldn’t like to see me hurt by her womanising cousin.
I looked back at Maddy, deadpan, and changed the subject.
‘BJ thinks I should study education. It’s time I got my shit together.’
She waited a moment before answering and I sensed her scrutiny. ‘That’s great, but you don’t sound convinced.’
‘Maybe because I want to major in Physical Education and I’m not so sure my knee will handle the training.’
‘You can only try, Aubree. You’ll regret it otherwise.’
Regret, now part of my cellular structure, defined me. I could feel myself shying away, not wanting to chance failure. I nodded at Maddy. Lord knows I needed something positive to focus on, and something other than Hunter Stone to think about.
The following Saturday I intended to put my feet up and read a book after a busy week at work until Maddy suggested we go shopping along King William Road. She insisted I purchase a dress suitable for clubbing, as I couldn’t continue to squeeze into her clothes. But shopping was her favourite pastime, not mine.
After satisfying her boutique addiction, Maddy headed to the football to support Hunter and the Blackbirds. Exhausted from shopping, I snoozed on the lounge and woke at five in the afternoon, feeling out of sorts. Earlier in the week BJ had asked me to watch him play basketball and arranged to pick me up at six. Sapped of energy, I wanted to renege, but I’d promised to see a game before he headed back to the States.
We didn’t talk much in the car. BJ listened to his favourite pump-up music and I daydreamed about anything other than basketball. The moment I stepped out of the car BJ grabbed my hand and led me towards the entrance.
My tummy fluttered with a feeling of a hundred butterflies inside of me. No matter how much I tried to convince myself otherwise, walking into a basketball stadium and seeing people who had treated me like family scared the hell out of me.
After signing his name at the counter, BJ squeezed my hand. ‘Are you sure about this? I mean, I want you to watch me play, I thought it would help.’
I patted his arm in reassurance. ‘I want to watch you play. It’s just brought back memories.’
‘Filter and remember the good times.’
‘The ones that hurt the most,’ I murmured to myself.
Words from my favourite coach, Bob, echoed in my head. Come on, Taylor! You’re stronger than this.
If my team was losing, or if an opponent became set on kicking my arse, Bob would yell the same words at me. Reacting as though hypnotised, the words changed my behaviour, instilled a new energy within, and I’d play like my team depended solely on my efforts to win. Now, subconsciously, I’d hear his voice in the back of my mind to help overcome anxiety.
BJ led me past stands filled with people watching the women’s game. I didn’t need to peep to know heads turned as I walked by. Whispers rose over some half-hearted cheering, a distinct ‘Aubree Taylor’ echoing in my wake.
I sat with BJ and his teammates on the far side of the court. ‘She your new girl?’ one of the guys asked.
‘No, Josh. This is Aubree. She used to play. We’re friends.’
Josh eyed me for a second then his face changed with a light-bulb moment. ‘I remember you. You were hardcore, girl.’
‘Thanks,’ I said, not really knowing what else to say. Choosing not to think about my past, I turned my attention to the game and recognised a few of the female players.
‘Do you remember number four?’ BJ whispered close to my ear. ‘She was crap when you played, then she switched clubs, worked her arse off and now plays like a bloke. She reminds me of you.’
‘Emma Bond,’ I said. BJ nodded. My gaze fixed on Emma. Every time she attacked the basket I instinctively visualised what she should do—what I would do.
Dribble fake, go left, head fake then back-turn onto the right hand and pull up for a jumper. That move would beat the opponent every time. The trick was to have height in your jump shot, so the opponent couldn’t reject you.
‘She should’ve gone left,’ I said to myself, after Emma lost the ball on her right hand.
‘I agree.’ BJ looked down at me and grinned. ‘Have you thought any more about coaching?’
‘I try not to think when it comes to basketball.’
‘And look at you now. Ideas springing into your head on how to help other players.’
I sighed. ‘It’s not like that.’
‘No, but your coming here tonight’s a big step. A new start.’
My gaze wandered around the stadium. ‘I’m more afraid of when you leave me to go to the change room. Maddy said she’d be here by now.’
After the football Maddy had gone home to change. My underarms were damp and my heart hadn’t slowed since I’d walked in. I glanced towards the door; still no Maddy.
What in the world’s taking her so long?
‘Sorry, Aubs, I do have to go. You’ll be fine. Enjoy the game.’
‘Right,’ I said in a mocking tone. I didn’t share his confidence.
BJ patted my back, grabbed his bag and headed to the change rooms with the rest of the team. I took his advice and focused on the game. By the end of the third quarter frustration was eating at me. The skill level of players had dropped since I had played, and the girls competed without heart. What had happened to basketball in two years?
‘Hello, stranger.’
My concentration was pulled to a female voice behind me. I turned and faced Rachel Bond, Emma’s older sister and my most feared and toughest opponent. Why the hell wasn’t she playing?
‘Hey.’ I looked at the court and then back at her.
She studied my expression, and pushed up the red sleeves of her club windcheater. ‘Can I sit?’ I nodded and moved my rear along, making room for her. ‘Busted my shoulder last year,’ she said matter-of-factly, answering my unspoken question. She flicked her brown ponytail over her shoulder.
‘How bad?’ I asked.
‘Pretty bad, but with a lot of rehab I could probably play again.’ A shaft of jealousy lodged in my chest. ‘I thought about it and realised it wasn’t worth it. All the wear and tear on your body . . . what’re we going to be like when we’re old? And my boss was pissed off about me taking time off for injury. Women’s basketball doesn’t pay the bills.’
‘True,’ I said.
‘Besides, it all changed when you stopped playing.’
‘What?’ I looked into her brown eyes, the same eyes that had reminded me of a tiger when we’d competed.
‘You were stubborn and had the bitch in you. You hated losing and would fight until the siren sounded. Do you see that out there tonight?’ Her brow arched in question.
‘No, but I haven’t seen much ball lately.’
‘Trust me, it’s not the same. But I want to change that. I’ve started coaching juniors. I want to make sure the culture of how we played isn’t lost. You interested in helping me out?’
‘Have you spoken to BJ?’
‘No, why?’ She frowned at my question. She looked tough, like I remembered, yet after talking with her I realised I’d never really known Rachel. She’d been all about the game.
‘He said the same thing.’
She nodded. ‘Well I think someone’s trying to tell you something. Think about it. The new season starts in a few months.’
I smiled at her, although I was surprised by the proposal. ‘Thank you for thinking of me.’
Rachel slapped my knee and stood. ‘It’s good to see you, girl. I didn’t want to come tonight, but seeing you made it all worthwhile.’ She pulled out a wallet from her jeans back pocket and handed me her card before leaving. It was her junior coaching business card and
my spine tingled just thinking about having my name alongside hers.
Then my attention was dragged to something spanking the wooden floor—Maddy in six-inch heels clicking the floorboards. She wore a short black dress hardly appropriate for a basketball stadium. I’d received enough odd looks without her being dressed like we were going to a strip joint.
She tucked her clutch under her arm and held the hem of her dress as she lowered her rear onto the seat. I glanced down at a lot of leg. ‘Didn’t think to wear jeans?’
She waved her hand. ‘I’m not spending Saturday night in a basketball stadium, and neither are you. Was that Rachel Bond talking to you?’
‘Aha,’ I said, smiling, and handed her the card. ‘She basically asked me to help her out.’
‘Wow. And I thought you two hated each other.’
Seemed to be a common theme with me lately.
‘Heads we go into town, tails we stay at the party.’ Maddy held a gold coin in her hand.
BJ watched on eagerly. Tonight his team were victors and celebrated the win at one of the player’s homes. Since it was after midnight, the guys were debating whether to go home or head to a nightclub in the city.
‘I say we just go into town,’ Josh suggested. ‘This party’s done.’
‘In case you hadn’t noticed, I’m not dressed for a club.’ Regardless of the fact that I was wearing jeans and a leather jacket, I didn’t feel like going out. And after drinking vodka and dealing with the emotional build-up of watching basketball—the first time in two years—I wanted nothing other than my bed.
‘It’s what’s under your jacket that counts.’ Maddy threw the coin into the air and let it land at her feet. The coin spun and rolled before dropping on its side. Maddy, BJ and Josh hovered over it before Maddy raised her arms in the air. ‘Heads. Woo hoo!’
I groaned.
‘Come on, Aubs. It’ll be fun,’ BJ urged. ‘I’ll get us another round of drinks before we go.’ BJ left with Josh while Maddy insisted I visit the bathroom.
‘What do you have under your jacket?’
‘A white sleeveless top.’
Maddy unzipped my jacket with a quick examination. ‘White bra.’ She moaned.
‘What? You think I should’ve worn a black one?’
She rolled her eyes. ‘Yes, but it’ll pass, just freshen your makeup.’ She pulled a pallet of colours from her bag. ‘Close your eyes.’
‘Wouldn’t I look skanky?’ I gave her a sharp look and did as instructed.
I heard her breathe out. ‘No, Aubree. Available. There’s a difference.’
By the time Maddy finished, I emerged looking fresh-faced. Josh called out and pointed to a tray of shots on the table.
‘Bruce made us his special. He said it’d give us a kick.’ He drained the glass. ‘Phew, that sure has a bite to it.’
‘What is it?’ I asked cautiously.
‘Not sure. He said to give you girls those on the left as he didn’t make them as strong.’
‘Whatever. I’m going for strong.’ Maddy threw her head back and downed her drink.
After finishing the shots, we headed out to catch a taxi into the city. By the time it arrived I could hardly walk in a straight line. During the fifteen-minute ride I could have sworn I was in the Land of Oz. Streetlights formed crazy shapes and the music on the radio distorted as I hummed out of tune.
When we arrived at the Towers nightclub, my stomach churned and I didn’t want to move from the taxi seat. BJ helped me out of the car and held my arm as I walked. ‘I don’t feel so good.’
‘None of us do, Aubs, we’re wrecked. Come on, you can’t bail now.’ BJ tightened his hold on my arm and walked me towards the entrance. Security took one look at me and shook his head. Maddy started to argue. I turned to a girl, a bit plump with a pretty face. Immediately, I recognised her as an old school friend.
‘Hey, Belinda, how are you, mate?’ I said, trying to pronounce each word.
‘Aubree? What a surprise.’ Her eyes widened and I couldn’t make out if it was a surprise or shock at my drunkenness.
I waved at Maddy, BJ and Josh to go inside. ‘It’s fine. I’ll wait here a bit and get some fresh air. Meet you later.’ I found it difficult to get my tongue around the words. I looked at the security guy. ‘I’ll be okay in a minute.’ He nodded and my friends entered the club, leaving me to make small talk with Belinda.
‘You’ll never guess who I ran into the other day. Emily,’ I said without waiting for an answer. ‘You know, bitch Emily from school.’
Belinda rolled her eyes. ‘God I hated her. Has she married someone famous yet?’
‘Um, I think she was alone at the Shores club.’
‘Nooo,’ Belinda said, stretching out the word.
Thinking about Emily and school made my stomach turn. My self-esteem shrivelled up and I wanted to hide inside my shell. In the past I’d coped by grabbing my basketball, finding a court and shooting some hoops. As soon as I stepped over the white line I became fearless and believed I powered enough strength to take on the world. Now . . . I had nowhere to go.
The queue moved forward and it was Belinda’s turn to enter the club. I waved her on, explaining I needed to stay outside a while longer. I didn’t want noise, I wanted quiet and somewhere to gather myself. Conscious of the odd looks directed my way, I walked around the corner away from the crowd to catch my breath. When I was out of sight I turned and slid down the brick wall until I landed on my butt. Something felt wrong. I was sick beyond alcohol intoxication and could hear ringing in my ears or inside my head, I couldn’t tell. Black spots formed before my eyes, changing shape, and floated like I was trapped inside a lava lamp. The blobs slowly expanded and voices in the distance faded. A familiar voice called my name. I attempted to answer, but my throat tightened and I couldn’t make any sound. My body weighed a ton and I was incapable of raising my arms. I watched helplessly as the spots joined to complete darkness.
The background sound muffled . . . and then there was silence.
CHAPTER FOUR
The aroma of sizzling bacon hit my senses first.
A pain stabbed at my brow as though my brain was about to explode. I groaned, cupping my head with my hand. My eyes opened slowly, taking in several framed sporting prints on the wall.
Michael Jordan I recognised, but the gridiron player, baseball player and stark white walls of the room I did not. Air froze in my lungs. I scanned the room, searching for something familiar. Despite the drum pounding in my head, I pushed to sit up. Twisting, I noticed the poster on the wall behind. No sweat, no sacrifice. No strength, no success. Never give up. Great things take time.
With a quick mental checklist of friends, my stomached turned, confirming my feeling of dread. Only an avid sports lover would have this memorabilia on their wall. I glanced down to the king-sized bed and the black-and-white quilt—not at all girly.
Part of me hoped that BJ had taken care of me last night because this was not Maddy’s room. Grasping at straws, I hoped that his family had come into money and this was his bedroom. With only one way to find out I flew out of bed, just as the door opened. In reaction to comprehending BJ would have mentioned a windfall, I snared a frame from the desk and lunged, confident I wouldn’t miss my target thanks to years of throwing a basketball.
Hunter stepped around the door and stopped.
‘Jesus.’ He leaned back, putting the door between us.
My arm dropped to my side and the frame fell to the carpet. ‘Try knocking next time,’ I offered, and flopped back on the bed.
‘As a rule I don’t knock to enter my bedroom. So this is the thanks I get for saving your arse last night?’
‘What do you mean?’ I slipped back under the covers. Even though I was wearing the same clothes as last night it didn’t seem enough being in Hunter’s bedroom.
He strode to the frame, picked it up off the floor and positioned it on the desk. It was a photo of the Blackbirds football team. Besides cursing myse
lf for not recognising his team, I wanted to laugh at the way he placed it perfectly on the desk. My gaze flicked back to his long legs in tight jeans, the top button undone. My mind went into overdrive. I forced my gaze up to his white T-shirt stretched across his broad chest, and I had to bite the inside of my lip to stop myself from sighing.
His brow arched. ‘What do you remember?’
‘I have the headache from hell. Don’t play games with me, Hunter.’
He ran his fingers through his black hair, pushing his long fringe away from his eyes. Then he stepped closer and sat on the bed next to me. ‘So you don’t remember anything?’
‘Nope.’
‘I’m guessing you had too many shots and you’re not used to it? Maddy said it’s happened before.’
‘What?’ Not long after I’d had a knee reconstruction, I passed out at a party after drinking with Maddy. I blamed the fact that I’d mixed drugs with alcohol so soon after surgery. ‘She did? Is she here?’
‘No. Your friends are fine.’ He placed his hand on my leg as though he wanted to comfort me.
‘You’ve spoken to them?’ My brain searched for some memory of what had happened last night. Even in a drunken state I couldn’t imagine agreeing to come back here with Hunter.
‘I’ve spoken to Maddy.’
‘Oh. And I’m here because . . .’
‘I was at the right place at the right time,’ he said dryly.
I raised my eyebrows. ‘And that was . . .’
‘If I hadn’t come along and found you in the gutter . . .’ He puffed out a breath. ‘Do you know the sort of people that hang out in dark alleys?’
I groaned as a snippet of last night came back to me. ‘Thanks. But I’m sure I would’ve managed. I only needed a little time outside.’