All the tension that had left Rhetta’s body came flooding back tenfold. So much had built up to that interview. She hadn’t just had to overcome her own demons, but Caroline’s too. Without it, she didn’t know where they stood. She had promised that she would never hide being married to Caroline, but that was exactly what Gillian was asking her to do.
“I can’t!” Rhetta said firmly. “I won’t.”
“I’m not asking you not to come out, I’m advising that right now might not be the best time to tell the world that you’re a couple. Not officially anyway. Let them get used to the idea of you being out, then we can talk about an official announcement about your relationship.”
“No!” Rhetta fumed, getting to her feet so forcefully that her chair clattered to the floor behind her. “I won’t hide who I am, and who I am is Caroline’s fiancée. Soon I’ll be her wife. That’s something that I can’t and won’t hide. If that’s what the federation wants me to do, then I don’t want anything more to do with them or their team.”
Caroline watched, stunned as Rhetta turned on her heel and left the room, making sure that Gillian knew just how serious she was. She stood and watching as the door Rhetta had just disappeared out of swing on its hinges. For a moment, Caroline considered apologising for Rhetta. She considered telling Gillian that Rhetta didn’t mean it, that she was just upset. But that would cross a line that Caroline wasn’t willing to cross. Rhetta had a right to be upset and Caroline knew more than anyone else that when Rhetta said something, she usually meant. So instead of apologising, Caroline turned away from her coach and silently followed her fiancée.
* * *
Caroline found Rhetta curled up on their bed, sobbing into her pillow. Her heart clenched. Rhetta wasn’t the kind of person to hold her tears in, but Caroline had seldom seen her like this. Rhetta cried, even sobbed, but never like this. Not unless something was seriously wrong. Not since she had found out that she hadn’t made the Olympic roster.
That was all it took, a single second of seeing Rhetta in distress and Caroline dropped her bag, kicked off her shoes, climbed onto the bed and pulled Rhetta into her arms.
As soon as Rhetta felt Caroline’s arms close around her, she turned and buried her head in Caroline’s chest.
“They can’t do this, Caro, they can’t!” she sobbed, fisting Caroline’s t-shirt in her hands.
“It’s going to be okay,” Caroline promised, pressing a kiss to the top of Rhetta’s head and holding her lips there.
“How?!” Rhetta cried, her voice high and ragged with desperation. “I told them I was going to quit!”
Rhetta’s words made Caroline flinch. Rhetta felt it and pulled back, looking up at Caroline as if she had betrayed her.
“No, you didn’t,” Caroline said firmly. “What you told Gillian was that if the federation makes us hide, then you don’t want to be a part of their team. That’s not the same thing. Do you really think that Gillian wants you off her team? Do you really think she wants us to keep us a secret?”
Defeated, Rhetta sank back into Caroline’s side. The scent of home filled her nostrils and she found herself starting to relax. “No.”
“Then it’s not going to happen, Princess. I won’t let it.” Caroline’s voice was soft and fierce, and Rhetta found strength in the thought that Caroline would always be on her side. No matter what.
“I love you so much, Caro,” Rhetta breathed, tugging down the neck of Caroline’s t-shirt with her tear-damp hand and dropping a kiss to Caroline’s breastbone. “As long as I’ve got you, nothing else matters.”
Caroline chuckled and hugged Rhetta tighter. “I love you too, R.”
“And besides,” Rhetta continued, drawing patterns now on Caroline’s flushed skin, “if I do get cut from the team, it just means that we can start working on our family a little sooner.”
Rhetta’s teasing, tempting tone thrummed through Caroline’s body.
“Yeah?” Caroline asked, rolling a pliant Rhetta onto her back and hovering above her. “How about we start working on that right now?”
Rhetta’s eyes darkened with want and a smile twitched on her lips. “I wish. But you and I both know that if you could get me pregnant, we would already have a houseful.”
Caroline laughed and kissed Rhetta’s answering smile.
“I am going to get you pregnant one day, I promise R,” Caroline swore. She had never given Rhetta an answer when she had brought up carrying Caroline’s baby. It had been hard letting go of the idea of cradling a baby that looked just like Rhetta. Harder still to come to terms with the idea of passing on her family’s imperfections to a child. But Rhetta wanted it so much, and Caroline would never be able to deny her anything. Especially when the thought of Rhetta pregnant with her child made her whole body tingle. “As soon as all of this is over, we’ll start our family. Even if it means me getting jabbed with needles and taking a trip to the doctor’s office.”
Tears formed in Rhetta’s eyes and she reached up to tug Caroline closer. “Yeah?”
Caroline smiled and leant down to kiss Rhetta’s nose. “There’s nothing I want more.”
* * *
At dinner, everyone was buzzing. It was their first night in London and they didn’t have training until the next afternoon. The coaching staff had given them the go-ahead to go out and the kids on the team were excited for their first taste of English nightlife. Fenton had taken the lead in organising their night. It wasn’t her first time in London and she had just the thing planned to get all of their minds off their loss in France.
Caroline was sure that Rhetta wouldn’t want to go. After her run in with Gillian, Rhetta had been quiet, avoiding conversation at dinner and barely touching her food. Caroline was planning in her head for a nice, quiet night in. She would order them a bottle of wine, hook up her laptop to the hotel room TV and let Rhetta whatever she wanted on Netflix. Even a chickflick.
It seemed that Rhetta had other ideas.
“I’m in,” Rhetta chimed in when Fenton asked the table who was up for night on the town.
Caroline sat back, surprised. From what she had seen, Rhetta wasn’t in the mood for dancing. And the fact that she was so eager to go out had Caroline worried.
“Me too!” R agreed excitedly. “I love London and we didn’t get nearly enough time off last time we were here.”
Natalie quickly agreed and Janine nodded that she would, unsurprisingly, tag along with what Charlie and Natalie wanted to do.
“I’ll pass,” Caroline sighed. She was tired and besides, if Rhetta was going out, she could use the time to do a little wedding planning. It wouldn’t do for it to get to the end of summer and her to be without a suit.
Rhetta frowned but she wouldn’t push Caroline to come out with them. Sometimes Caroline needed quiet time and Rhetta didn’t want to keep her from that.
“I’ll give it a miss too.”
Rhetta looked up in time to see Caroline and Farah share a smile. She felt a little better knowing that Caroline wouldn’t be alone. Maybe Caroline needed ‘best friend time’ as much as she needed to lose herself on the dancefloor. Each to their own poison.
* * *
“Damn, princess,” Caroline whistled when Rhetta came out of the bathroom in her favourite navy and white striped dress. “Why’ve you gotta tease me like that, huh?”
Rhetta smirked and did a twirl, letting the bottom of her dress flare out to give Caroline a better view of her thighs.
“Maybe, if you’re lucky, I’ll let you take it off me when you get home,” Rhetta teased with a wink.
Caroline smirked and leant back on her hands. “Oh don’t worry, I’ll be waiting up to show you what you’ve missed whilst you were out painting the town red.”
Rhetta walked over to where Caroline was sat on the edge of the bed and stood between Caroline’s splayed legs. “I’m glad that you and Whit are going to have a film night. I didn’t like the idea of you here alone.”
“And I’m glad that y
ou finally get to have a girls night out without me cramping your style,” Caroline said semi-teasingly.
“You don’t cramp my style,” Rhetta insisted as she let Caroline pull her onto her lap. “I like having you out with me. Especially when I get to dance with you.”
Caroline chuckled and pressed their bodies together in a kiss. “I’m sure you’ll find someone to dance with.”
“No one who falls in to rhythm with me anywhere near as well as you do,” Rhetta pouted. It was true. They had always worked well together on the dance floor. Caroline could be goofy when she was dancing by herself, but as soon as she had Rhetta in her arms, she was as smooth as they came. She could read Rhetta’s body like a book and seemed to anticipate Rhetta’s every move on the dancefloor just as well as she did in bed.
“Damn right,” Caroline joked, nipping the soft skin of Rhetta’s neck.
“Eww Caroline, gross!” Rhetta complained, pulling back and rubbing the quickly reddening spot.
Caroline winked. “Just marking my territory.”
Rhetta rolled her eyes and held up her hand between them, bringing Caroline’s attention to her ring. “I thought you already did that.”
Caroline smirked and shrugged. “I may have left a little reminder on the inside of your thigh last night too. You know, just to be safe.”
“I knew it!” Rhetta gasped, slapping playfully at Caroline’s shoulder.
“What can I say, princess? I’m a territorial kind of woman.”
Rhetta laughed and wrapped her arms loosely around Caroline’s neck. “Don’t I know it.”
“You love it.”
Rhetta couldn’t deny it. “I sure do, stud.”
* * *
Rhetta would be the first to admit that she had had a little too much to drink. She didn’t often get to drink enough to get drunk, and she wouldn’t usually risk drinking so much on camp. But she was still pissed about the situation with the federation and her judgement was a little clouded.
Still, she wasn’t so drunk that she needed to be taken back to the hotel. She still had it in her to have a good time.
“I’m heading back to the table!” Vanessa yelled above the music.
“You tired already!?” Rhetta giggled. “First he kids bail out and now you? Come on Nessa, don’t let me down! I want to daaaance.”
Vanessa laughed and nodded at someone over Rhetta’s shoulder. “That guy over there has been eyeing you up ever since we got here. I’m sure he wouldn’t mind being your dance partner!”
Rhetta rolled her eyes and took a quick glance over her shoulder. A guy in his early twenties with jet black hair and bright blue eyes threw her a wink and a smile. He was cute, but she was very much taken.
“Have you forgotten that I’m getting married?!” Rhetta said, giggling again.
Vanessa rolled her eyes. “Not yet. And you don’t need to sleep with him. Just dance a little. A little fun.”
Rhetta looked back to their table where Natalie was pouting at her phone, then scanned the room to see Charlie chatting with a cute guy at the bar and Janine entertaining mixed group with an animated story. When she met Vanessa’s eyes again, she smirked.
“I guess one little dance couldn’t hurt.”
CHAPTER NINETEEN
After two hours of dejected sigh after dejected sigh, Farah had had enough.
“Well clearly you haven’t caught Rhetta’s internet shopping bug,” she deadpanned as she shut the lid on Caroline’s laptop, putting an end to the endless list of rejected wedding outfits.
Caroline sighed dramatically and fell backwards onto the bed. She stared up at the ceiling and tried to work out what was wrong with her. No matter how many different styles and cuts she looked at, no matter how many sites she browsed, she just couldn’t find anything that sparked her interest. Not even the tiniest little bit. Nothing was good enough. Nothing felt right.
For a moment, Farah felt bad for putting an end to their internet shopping session, but she knew that if she had let her best friend look at any more suits, she would have ended up throwing the laptop across the room. Or at least unplugging it and letting it run down its battery out of spite like she had when she found out that she couldn’t stream shark week in Germany.
“Why don’t you and Rhetta go shopping for your outfits together?” Farah suggested. A smirk rose to her lips when she thought of the pre-Rhetta Caroline and all her many college fashion faux pas. “We both know that she’s done wonders for your fashion sense.”
Caroline bolted upright. “Hey! And no!”
Farah held up her hands in placation, chuckling at Caroline’s childlike reaction. “Alright, my bad.”
Caroline flopped back down onto her back. “This wedding has to be perfect, Whit. I want to have that moment when she’s walking down the aisle and we both see each other for the first time. I want it to be…” Caroline searched for the word, finally settling on the only one that fit. “…magical.”
Farah chuckled and laid down beside Caroline.
“I think someone wants a fairy tale,” she teased, elbowing Caroline gently in the ribs and poking her in the shin with her toe.
Caroline grinned, blushing. “So what if I do.”
They laid in silence for a moment, both lost in their own thoughts. Until finally Caroline asked the question that she had wanted to ask all night. “Whit, will you be my maid of honour?”
Farah couldn’t help but grin megawatt bright. “Really?”
“Yeah, really. Do you really think I’d want anyone else giving me a pep talk when I freak out on the morning of my wedding?” Caroline asked. “You always know exactly what to say to make me feel better. No one gets me like you do, Whit.”
Farah smiled knowingly. “Except for Rhetta.”
Caroline grinned. “Except for Rhetta.”
Farah rolled her eyes at the lovedrunk look on Caroline’s face. “So, who am I going to have to compete with to be best looking bridesmaid?”
“I was thinking of asking Charlie.”
“Charlie?! Charlie Freaking Sondheim?!” Farah groaned, rolled over and buried her face in the bedsheets. Her voice came out muffled as she asked, “Why do you hate me, Williams?”
Caroline laughed and slapped Farah on the back. “I could always get Nikki to wear a dress too if it’ll make you feel better?”
Whitey raised her head and narrowed her eyes at Caroline. “I was going to offer to help you go suit shopping, but now I think I’ve changed my mind.”
Caroline shrugged. “Don’t worry, I’m sure Charlie would be happy to help.”
The pillow hit her face with a resounding thwack.
* * *
Across the city, the music in the club thrummed through Rhetta’s body, pounding in her chest like an elephantine heart.
The guy that Vanessa had pointed out in the crowd had slowly been making his way closer to her, song by song. For the last two he had been dancing pretty close, pulling out his best moves to make sure that he had Rhetta’s attention. He made her laugh a few times, making her feel more at ease about the fact that she was essentially dancing alone. Though the alcohol and years of Caroline’s endless complements had already taken away most of her self-consciousness.
“Hey! Let me buy you a drink,” the dancing guy shouted excitedly over the music.
Rhetta giggled and shook her head no.
“Come on, it’s just a drink!”
When Rhetta just smiled and shook her head again, he changed his tack. “Please! My friends have all copped off and I can’t face them seeing me dancing alone for the rest of the night.”
“I’m engaged!” Rhetta protested, wanting to make sure that this guy knew that she was firmly off the market.
“So? I just want someone to chat to, I promise. Let me buy you a drink and pretend that I’m not hopeless and alone for a few minutes.” He grinned and Rhetta couldn’t help but return it.
Looking around the club, Rhetta saw that the spot where Charlie had been in by
the bar was now taken by a group of banker types. She spotted Charlie across the dance floor with Denise, laughing at every silly move that their sometimes-captain made and letting Denise spin her around and around. Natalie and Vanessa were sat at their table, their heads tilted close together as they talked and laughed. After a few moments of searching for the rest of the girls, she spotted Janine and Perinnel at the bar. She knew that if she needed an out from her ‘chat’, that they would have her back. Janine was pretty laid back, but she was always there for a friend in need. And Perinnel… Well, Rhetta hadn’t quite worked Perinnel out yet, but despite the fact that she was sometimes a little quiet, she was always protective of the other girls on the team.
Looking back at the guy, who met her with a hopeful look, Rhetta nodded. Why not? She was a people person, after all. Talking to strangers was something that she loved. She and Caroline did it all the time when they were out. Why not do the same now?
“Just a drink,” she reminded him firmly.
“Just a drink,” he confirmed.
“Okay then, sure. Why not?” Rhetta laughed nervously. “As long as you let me buy the next one.”
He grinned. “Can’t argue with that.”
When they got to the bar, Janine caught her eye and gave her an ‘is everything cool here’ look. Rhetta smiled and nodded, and the guy she was with turned to look at who she was interacting with.
“A couple of my friends,” Rhetta said by way of explanation. “There’s quite a few of us dotted around the place, but I can only spot six or so.”
“Just six, huh?” The guy raised his hand and waved at Janine. Janine gave him a slow nod in return and Perinnel turned around and made a face at the guy. It made Rhetta grin at the protectiveness of her teammates.
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