“Oh, hey. When did you get here?”
“Just now. What are you doing?”
Lisa quickly minimized the screen she’d been looking at for the past hour, since Celeste had sauntered out of her office, leaving Lisa a little mesmerized. Getting involved with anyone was not on her current to-do list, but Lisa wanted to know more about Celeste. The screen that was currently on display had the travel itinerary for a basketball tournament in Las Vegas that they’d be participating in in a couple of weeks. The screen she’d minimized was a Google search of Celeste. It mostly contained her academic life and LinkedIn page. Lisa had read everything she could find on Celeste. She was impressed by the student reviews she’d been given. All four and five stars. There were many comments talking about how fair she was with grading, that she could make the most boring subject interesting, and how available she was to her students. Lisa could see that given how helpful she’d been with Emily.
Lisa clicked on images of Celeste at school events, standing in front of the whiteboard in a classroom, and her faculty picture. One picture in particular caught Lisa’s attention. Celeste was in a black dress, her dark hair in an updo, and wearing subtle makeup, and she was on the arm of a butch woman wearing a black tux. They were both smiling, but the butch’s eyes weren’t kind like Celeste’s. In fact, they looked downright sinister. She looked familiar to Lisa, but she couldn’t place her and there wasn’t a name associated with the photo. She had an irrational need to punch that butch in the throat and wipe the smirk off her face that made her look like she owned Celeste and anyone who was interested in her could just fuck off. Lisa had never been a jealous person, but that woman made Lisa clench her teeth.
Lisa clicked on one picture that showed Celeste’s entire body that eased the hardness in her stomach from seeing Celeste with that other woman. This particular photo caused a hardening in a different body part below her stomach. Lisa wasn’t exactly sure what it was about Celeste that drove her crazy in more ways than she could mention. One moment, she wanted to strangle her. The next, she wanted to give up, and the next, she wanted to pin her up against the wall and kiss her breathless. If Lisa was able to help Celeste peel back the layers that made her so judgmental, she was sure it would be the pin her against the wall scenario that Lisa would go with.
“Lisa?”
“What? Oh. I was just checking our itinerary for the Vegas tournament.”
“I can’t wait. That’s going to be so much fun. I haven’t been to Vegas in forever.”
“Athena, we’re going there for basketball, not to party.”
“Come on, Ice. I know that. Basketball is fun, but when we’re not playing or having a team function, we can go have a little different type of fun.”
“We’ll see how it goes, but I really want us to make a good showing.”
“So you can get a job offer at a Division I school?”
Lisa sighed and removed her reading glasses she wore whenever she had to look at the computer or game tapes for a prolonged period of time. “Athena, I would love to go back to Division I, but my primary responsibility is to our team and Glassell University. I don’t appreciate you insinuating otherwise.”
Athena plopped down in her chair. “You’re right. I’m sorry, Lisa.”
“It’s okay, but you and I have been friends over half our lives and I’ve never been selfish when it comes to basketball.”
“I know. Again, I’m sorry.”
Lisa nodded, indicating that the conversation was over. They’d already had this conversation, and she didn’t feel the need to rehash it. Especially since it made Athena shut down and get quiet—the complete opposite of her normal demeanor.
“So, since we’re only a four-and-a-half-hour drive from Vegas, we’ll take three of the school’s vans. We’ll stay at a hotel casino near the arena where we’ll be playing.” Lisa told Athena what schools would be there and who they were scheduled to play. It was going to be a good test to see how well the team would do during the season. They would be playing schools they’d never played before. But first, they had four more non-conference games to play before the tournament. They’d won their first two games, but the team looked sloppy in those wins. Lisa had planned on the team working on making better passes and blocking out for rebounds in that afternoon’s practice.
Later in the day, Lisa and Athena met their two volunteer assistant coaches before practice. They were an integral part in helping Lisa and Athena see things they might not be paying attention to because their focus was elsewhere. They also kept statistics during the game which helped Lisa know which one of her players was in foul trouble or which opposing player needed tougher defense.
“Hey, guys. There are a few things we need to work on today. Chris, I want you to hit the boards hard. We’re going to work on boxing out. And, Joe, I’m going to have you try to steal passes during a passing drill. The girls will run sprints if they continue to be sloppy.”
Lisa and Athena had gone through that when they were players, having to run as punishment. It might seem barbaric to people who didn’t play sports, but honestly, there was no greater motivator. It was an age-old ploy that would continue for generations to come.
“All right. Let’s get this party started.”
The coaches walked into the gym to find their players shooting around. Athena gathered them in a circle at midcourt and led them through their five-minute meditation practice then through their warm-ups.
Lisa split the team into offense and defense to run through a few of their plays. A moment later, she blew her whistle. “Mac, you have to run your player into the screen so you can get free for your shot. Run it again.” They ran the play, and again, the defender got through the screen. Lisa blew her whistle to stop playing again. “Mac! Was I not speaking English? What part of having to run your player into the screen did you not understand?” A few of the players giggled, but Lisa shut them down with a glare. “Run it again and stop being sloppy.” The third time was the charm as Mac did what Lisa told her. She got free and made her jump shot, which brought cheers from the players on the sideline. Lisa threw her arms in the air. “Well, will you look at that. It actually worked.” Lisa grabbed Mac by the shoulders and playfully shook her.
Mac laughed and exaggerated her shake. “Got it, Coach.”
“Run it again.” Lisa blew her whistle and the players continued to run through the three offensive plays they used against different defenses. Right before practice was over, Lisa called the players and coaches into a circle, and everyone threw their arms over the shoulders of the person next to them.
“Decent practice tonight, ladies. We looked a little lazy at times and we need to work on that. Remember, however you play in practice is how you’ll play in the games. It’s important to stay focused and keep your head in the game even during practices. Does anyone have any comments or questions?” When everyone remained quiet, Lisa continued. “Okay, the vans leave tomorrow at four p.m. so I want you all here no later than three fifty p.m. See you tomorrow.”
Once the players were gone and they had the equipment put away, Lisa grabbed her wallet out of her desk drawer. “I’m going to grab a bite to eat at the café. You want to come?”
Athena shook her head. “I brought some food. I have a few calls to make before we start watching film.”
“Right. See you in about an hour then.”
Lisa stood waiting for her grilled chicken sandwich to be made. The campus café served some pretty good food. She glanced around the room and saw Celeste sitting by herself, eating a salad and checking her phone. Lisa contemplated pretending not to see Celeste and grab her food to go, but she decided to be a mature adult and say hi. She dressed her sandwich and carried the tray over to Celeste’s table. She stood there for a few seconds before Celeste finally looked up and startled.
Lisa fought back a small laugh. “Hi. Am I interrupting?” For a moment, Lisa felt like a schoolgirl trying to get a seat at the lunch table next to the head c
heerleader.
Celeste put her phone to sleep. “No, not at all. Would you like to have a seat?”
“Yes, thank you.” Lisa put her food and drink on the table, returned the tray, and sat down. She eyed Celeste’s salad that included a lot of different vegetables, sliced hardboiled egg, legumes, and grilled chicken. “Wow, that salad looks fantastic.”
Celeste looked it over as if studying the contents. “Yes, they have a wonderful salad bar here.”
Lisa watched Celeste spear some lettuce and a mushroom then dip it in a paper container filled with dressing before putting it in her mouth. Lisa had never seen that done before. “Can I ask you a question?”
“I don’t know. Can you?” Celeste smirked then winked at Lisa, letting her know she was teasing.
“Damn English professors,” Lisa muttered under her breath.
Celeste laughed and placed her hand on top of Lisa’s, causing a pleasant fluttering deep in her belly. “I’m just kidding.”
“May I ask you a question?” Lisa smiled good-naturedly. “Why dip your salad into the dressing? Wouldn’t it be faster just to pour it on?”
Celeste removed her hand and Lisa felt the loss immediately. “It’s a trick I learned in Weight Watchers. I just want the flavor from the dressing, but too much of it is pretty high in calories and fat.”
“Wow. I had no idea. I thought salad was healthy.”
“Technically, it is, but the dressing can make it fattening.”
They took a couple of bites of their food then continued their conversation.
“Are you done for the day or are you teaching tonight?”
Celeste wiped her mouth. “I have a class tonight from seven to ten. A creative writing class. How about you? Did you have practice already?”
“Yeah, we finished about a half hour ago. I’m just grabbing some dinner and fresh air before Athena and I go over game film tonight.”
“Game film?”
Celeste looked genuinely interested although Lisa found it incredibly boring. Maybe because she’d been doing it for more than half her adult life. It was a necessary evil though if she wanted to know what the other team was going to do. “We send someone to film a game of our next opponent so we can see their plays, how they play defense, that sort of thing to help us prepare for a game against them. We’ve already gone over it in practice, but Athena and I like to go through it one more time the night before the game to make sure we haven’t forgotten anything.”
Celeste scrunched her eyebrows together, and Lisa thought she’d lost her. “Isn’t that cheating?”
Lisa laughed. “Not really. All the teams do it. We’re just preparing to see how they play.”
“Are you playing here tomorrow night? I’d like to go.”
“No, we’re playing on the road. I can email you a copy of our schedule though if you’d like.”
“I would like, thank you. I really enjoyed it the last time I went.”
“Okay then.” Lisa sat back and studied Celeste. Celeste looked back at her, the connection between them electrifying and undeniable, and it took a power Lisa didn’t know she had to break that force. Lisa cleared her throat. “So, how’s Logan doing in your class?”
Celeste had an amused look on her face. “Logan?”
“Sorry, habit. I usually call my players by their last name or by a nickname. They know I’m upset with them when I call them by their first name.”
“Like when your mom calls you by your full name?”
Lisa laughed. “Exactly. Let’s try this again. How is Emily doing in your class?”
“Much better. She seems to be getting the hang of the assignments, and she’s getting better at coming to me if she has a question.”
“Good. I probably shouldn’t tell you this, but she told me in the beginning of the semester that she was afraid of you.”
“Afraid of me?” Celeste put her hand on her chest and was clearly surprised. “Why would she be afraid of me?”
“She thought you didn’t like her, that that was why she was getting bad grades.”
Celeste would never admit that she’d never had a soft spot for collegiate athletes, especially now that she’d gotten to know Emily and some of the other athletes in her classes. Just because she’d had a few bad experiences at her last job didn’t mean all student athletes were like that. She was ashamed at how she initially acted, that she never took the opportunity to get to know them, but she was proud of herself for overcoming that.
“I’ll admit that I didn’t know her, but now I’m learning more and I think she’s a nice young lady. We’ve had a couple of really nice talks outside of class. She’s a great kid. Hard worker too.”
“Yes, on and off the court. What other classes do you teach besides Creative Writing?”
“Well, I teach upper level Creative Writing. I also teach Critical Thinking that Emily is taking, and the other class is Techniques and Writing Fiction, which is also upper-level.”
Lisa waved her hand. “Oh, you’re not busy then.”
Celeste laughed. “No, not at all. I have so much free time I don’t know what to do with myself.” Celeste’s words were dripping with sarcasm. “What about you? Do you teach any classes?”
Lisa took a drink from her water bottle then replaced the cap. “I do. I teach women’s self-defense.”
Celeste raised her left eyebrow, impressed with Lisa’s answer. She thought if Lisa taught anything, it would be a basketball class. The fact that she taught self-defense for the women at the university in an effort to keep them safe was commendable and she said as much to Lisa.
“I took self-defense when I was in college, and I’ve been fortunate to not have had to use it, but that doesn’t mean I shouldn’t know. There are probably at least half a dozen guys on campus who probably feel entitled to help themselves to a woman if he buys her dinner or takes her on a date. If that’s not what the woman wants, I try to teach them how to defend themselves and get away so she can call campus safety or the police.”
“And then you started up the healthy classes too.”
“Yes, well, I only have to do that about once every four to six weeks, depending on what’s going on.”
“Yes, but you’re the one who organized it and got volunteers to run a class once a week. I’m just very impressed that you’ve brought so much good to our tiny school.”
Lisa laughed and Celeste had decided that it was a very thrilling sound and Lisa looked sexy when she was laughing or smiling. Celeste wouldn’t mind seeing more of that. Yet, Celeste wondered why Lisa had laughed.
“It’s only because I never expected to be at a ‘tiny school.’” Lisa used her fingers to air quote. “When I went to college, it was a large university, and my whole coaching career has been at large universities, so being here at GU is my first time being involved with a smaller school. I’m actually impressed with how progressive it is.”
Celeste agreed. “I started out teaching at a large school and I hated all of the politics that went on there. I’m so glad I’m here now. I’ll never go back to a large school.”
Lisa checked her watch and was noticeably quiet. “Well, I better get back to my office. Thanks for letting me sit with you.”
Celeste let Lisa’s silence go, especially since Lisa didn’t offer up any more.
“Yes, I had a nice time. I’ll see you soon.”
Lisa looked at Celeste, and that sexy smile returned. “Not if I see you first.” Then she walked away. And Celeste watched. Good Lord, she was hot. Her view of Lisa was ruined when Jackie Stone stepped in her way. Dammit. Her day had been going so well up till now. Celeste sighed and went back to finishing her meal, but suddenly felt sick to her stomach. Jackie didn’t even ask; she just sat in the chair that Lisa had just occupied.
Jackie picked a cherry tomato off Celeste’s salad and popped it in her mouth. “Who is that?” Jackie tossed her thumb over her shoulder.
“Lisa Tobias. She’s the coach of the women’s basketbal
l team.”
“You two dating?”
“That’s none of your business.”
“It is since I want us to be together again. She’s standing in the way.”
Celeste let out a harsh laugh, wondering what she ever saw in Jackie in the first place. Okay, to be fair, Jackie didn’t come off as the narcissist in the beginning that she truly was. When they first met, Jackie said all the pretty words and all the nice things to woo Celeste. Once she got Celeste in her bed, then Jackie’s behavior changed. The nice words changed to insults, Jackie stopped opening the door for Celeste or scooting her chair in when Celeste sat at a table. And because Jackie was so handsome and had paid a lot of attention to Celeste in the beginning, Celeste kept waiting for the first Jackie to reappear. And maybe because her relationship with Jackie had been her first relationship with anyone, she’d wanted it to work out, she didn’t want to give up. Celeste had finally come to her senses when, one night, she and Jackie were arguing and Jackie shoved her. She actually put her hands on Celeste and shoved her. It took only a moment for Celeste to overcome the shock of being physically abused before she grabbed her purse and left Jackie’s house for the last time.
“Jackie, you’re the one who got in the way of us being together. I learned my lesson and I won’t make that same mistake twice. Now, please leave.”
Jackie remained seated, looking intently at Celeste. Celeste let out a deep breath. She recognized the power play that Jackie was playing and Celeste didn’t want to participate, especially not in the café where students were eating and studying. Celeste gathered her tray and left the table, throwing away the remnants of her food that she now had no appetite for.
Chapter Ten
Lisa and Athena walked with the team through the casino to get to the hotel elevators. The clanging of the slot machines, the cheering from the gaming tables, and the music playing from the nearest lounge were overstimulating Lisa’s senses. The cigarette smoke was burning her eyes and lungs, and she was sure the smell would never come out of her clothes. She was now regretting telling the athletic department’s assistant to book them in the place cheapest and nearest to the arena they’d be playing their tournament. It would have been worth the extra money and miles to not have to deal with this chaos. However, it was a little worth it to see Athena in such awe of the noisy surroundings.
Taking a Shot at Love Page 7