Making It Count, page 27
“Yeah, I heard.”
“So, they’ll have to adjust to losing a starter, too. We have a chance, Shay.”
“I know,” Shay replied on a sigh, and her eyes met Layne’s on the screen. “I know we do. I can’t believe we’ve made it this far. And I know some people will later comment that this was a COVID year, so some lesser-known teams made it further due to that. Just like if we win tomorrow, someone’s going to say it’s because they lost that guard and we had our usual starters, but I don’t care. In every game, there are injuries. A starter is out of a game with an ankle injury, knee, shoulder, a cold, or anything else. That’s sports, you know? All that matters is the team that gets the win gets to move on.”
“Agreed,” Layne replied. “But you’re biting your bottom lip right now, so I can tell you’re still worried.”
“I keep thinking about Shane Ames.”
“The person they mixed your test up with? How did they even do that?”
“Shane Ames is on Maryland’s team. She’s a freshman, which is why we didn’t know the name: she hasn’t played. And Maryland isn’t on our side of the bracket. They lost their Sweet Sixteen game, so they’re out now, but I just keep thinking about how close it was.”
“You being sick, or out of the tournament?”
“Both, but mostly being out.”
“And?”
“And I didn’t want it. I want to play, and I want to win the whole thing, but I remember thinking that I was more worried that I might have given it to you. We’d been talking in the open doorways, and it felt like we were far enough apart, and we had our masks on, but I worried that I could have given it to you again.”
“You’ve never given it to me, Shay.”
“You know what I mean.”
“I know. But we’re good. You don’t have it. I don’t, either. And we’re not doing that anymore; we’re in our beds right now and on our phones.”
“I know,” Shay said. “But before, when I was thinking about you more than anything else, it scared me into ending things. This time, it didn’t. The only thing that scared me was the thought of you getting sick again, and I knew I’d be in your room this time.”
“Uh… No, you wouldn’t,” Layne replied.
“Uh… Yeah, I would,” Shay argued.
“Shay, it’s a hotel room. The door is locked, and you don’t have the key. I wouldn’t let you risk it.”
“I’d talk to the people at the front desk and convince them to give me a key.”
“How would you do that?” Layne laughed.
“Tell them I’m your girlfriend.”
“And they were just going to believe you?”
“It’s true.”
“Yes, but I don’t think they just go around handing room keys to people claiming to be dating someone.”
“Maybe not. I’ll get Coach to get it, then.”
“Coach is not going to get you a key to my room if I’m sick at this point in the season,” Layne said with another laugh. “She’d walk around everyone on the team with a thing of Lysol, spraying every surface and making you all wear hazmat suits or something.”
Shay chuckled then and sobered.
“You get it, though, don’t you?”
“Get what?”
“That I would. I’d put you over basketball.”
Layne stopped laughing and said, “I get it. And I know that’s big for you.”
“Yes, it is.” Shay nodded and then added, “Layne, I can’t keep doing just video chats with you. It’s been a year of texts, and calls, and video. I want to be alone with you; really alone, baby.”
“I know. Me too. We have, at most, three games left.”
“It feels like forever… And I know we need to be careful even after the season, but I want to lock myself in your dorm room and not leave until we’re both moving out. I want… I want to be with you over and over and only stop to eat or sleep.”
Layne swallowed and felt Shay’s words everywhere.
“When we are done with this tournament, I’m coming into your room and we are finally going to do that, babe.”
“Yeah?”
“Yes. If we lose tomorrow night, I’m in your room. I don’t care.”
“You might still be a player next year. You don’t want to piss Coach off now.” Shay smirked at her.
“How are you so beautiful?” Layne asked wistfully. “And I don’t know about that year of eligibility, but if I told Coach that we’ve been together for over a year and haven’t even kissed since before lockdown, I think she’d maybe give me this one.”
“God, I’d hope so.” Shay sighed.
“Do you…” Layne began. “I mean…”
Shay giggled and asked, “Are you asking me if I want to hang up this video call and text you, perhaps?”
“Should we? We play tomorrow night.”
“I think we can handle an orgasm when it’s just our own hands and still play well tomorrow night. Maybe we’ll even play better. It’s not like we’re having rounds and rounds of hot, sweaty sex and getting no sleep after because we can’t keep our hands off each other.”
Layne licked her lips and said, “Hang up.”
“Huh?”
“Hang up, Shay,” Layne repeated.
“Yeah?”
“Yes,” Layne said.
“Fuck. You’re so hot when you look like that. Your eyes just got really dark, babe.”
“Hang up, Shay,” she said again, pressed the red icon on her screen, and quickly opened her message app.
◆◆◆
Layne was starting her first NCAA tournament game, and it was in the Elite Eight, against the number two seed in their bracket. She had no idea if they’d win this one. She knew they had a chance to stay with them, at least, but a twelve seed hadn’t ever made the Final Four. Prior to this, no twelve seed had made the Elite Eight, either, though, and here they were, standing on a court with a two seed, who everyone expected to easily make it to the Final Four. Dunbar stood in their way, and Layne was determined to make it the hardest win they’d ever earn if Dunbar couldn’t steal the game from them.
It didn’t go well at first. Shay was off, for some reason, missing three shots in a row, which wasn’t like her. Layne made a jump shot, and Hilton made a couple of baskets to keep them in it, but Shay wasn’t her usual self. Layne didn’t know what was wrong, but she also didn’t want to ask on the court, further fueling the other team, who were already seeing themselves in the Final Four with how Dunbar was playing. At the first TV time-out, Dunbar was down by ten, and it felt like their dream of a miraculous Final Four appearance was about to slip away.
“Shay, have a seat. Layne, take over at point,” Coach ordered when they got to the sideline.
Layne looked over at Shay, who didn’t appear to be angry or even disappointed. Her expression told Layne that she understood. Before they made their way back on the court, Layne leaned over.
“You okay?” she whispered.
“Nerves. It’s getting to me.”
Layne put a hand on her forearm and softly said, “You are Shay Amos. You are the best guard on this court right now.”
“No, I–”
“I know the stats, Shay. I’m right. You remember that when Coach puts you back in.”
Shay gave her a shy smile, nodded a small nod, and Layne went back on the court to try to hold things together until Shay found her confidence again. Shay sat until midway through the second quarter, while Layne had scored seven by that point, gotten a few rebounds, and had three assists. Layne didn’t care about any of that unless Dunbar won, though, so when Shay came back out on the court and had the expression on her face that Layne recognized well, she handed Shay the ball to run the point.
“Let’s just fucking do this,” Shay told her.
Layne laughed, gave her a confident nod in response, and then they were back. Shay brought the ball back up the court. She passed it to Layne and ran, taking the pick that Hilton set for her. Layne hit her with the ball, and Shay took a three. She made it.
“Hell, yeah!” Hilton exclaimed.
Layne smiled at Shay, and they went back on defense. The other team ran their play to get their center open, but Hilton was there, ready to smack the ball with her hand without fouling. Ledger got it off the court and tossed it out to Layne, who looked up just in time to see Shay running in a full sprint down toward their basket. Layne threw it. Shay let it hit the court and picked it up off the bounce. She took the layup, and just as the defender caught up with her, the ball went in. The defender caught Shay’s back with two hands, though, pushing her away and down out of bounds.
“Hey!” Layne yelled and ran.
She wasn’t exactly sure what she was going to do, but that was completely unnecessary and could’ve injured Shay. She hurried down the court and beat Hilton there, which was a good thing because Hilton was pissed, too. Layne put her arm out to prevent Hilton from getting into the player’s face, still thinking about doing that herself, though. Then, she realized that Shay remained on the ground, and nothing else mattered.
“Don’t,” she ordered Hilton and knelt down next to Shay. “Are you okay?”
“I’m good,” Shay replied. “Wind got knocked out of me, but I’m okay.”
Layne pulled her up and looked over to see that the refs were reviewing the play.
“What was that about?” Layne asked the player who had shoved Shay as she still held Shay’s hand to her chest and had an arm around her waist.
“What? It was a good foul,” the player argued.
“No, it wasn’t,” Shay replied. “Layne…”
Shay’s hand moved to where Layne’s was at her side, and, at first, Layne thought Shay was worried people would think she was holding on a little too tightly for a player, and they’d figure out that they were more than that, but when Shay went to pull her hand away, Layne realized it had been in a tight fist the whole time.
“I’m okay,” Shay added just for her.
Layne let go of her, but she didn’t want to. When the refs came back after the review, they found that it had been a flagrant foul, which would earn Shay free throws, and Dunbar would get possession.
The tide had turned. Dunbar went in at the half up by one point, and they never relinquished the lead again. Shay ended the game with twenty-five points, ten assists, and eight rebounds. She had two steals on top of that, and she’d just played the best statistical game of her career. Layne had actually played the best game of her own career, scoring nineteen, getting six rebounds, and having six assists, along with a steal.
Dunbar was the first twelve seed in tournament history to make it to the Final Four, and they’d knocked off a five seed, a four seed, a nine seed, and a two seed to do it. Now, they’d have to face another number two seed from a different part of the bracket. It wouldn’t get any easier from here on out, but they’d done it. They’d done so many things no one had ever expected them to be able to do, and Layne was happy, but she was mostly happy because her girlfriend was on cloud nine, and Layne loved her.
CHAPTER 35
Layne: I want you.
Shay: I want you, too.
Layne: Now.
Shay grunted as she stroked herself. She wished she’d thought ahead and had brought a vibrator, but she hadn’t planned on being here that long, and she hadn’t known that she and Layne would be back together, doing this again, either. Shay wanted her girlfriend, and she constantly wondered how anyone went this long without being able to touch the people they loved. Some people had long-distance relationships, and others waited for marriage, but Shay didn’t have a long-distance relationship, and she sure as hell wasn’t waiting for marriage.
Her phone dinged as she came hard, and she bit on her lower lip to stifle her scream because she was in a hotel room with thin walls, and Hilton was on one side of her while her coach was on the other. Her girlfriend was across the hall, doing the same thing that Shay was doing right now.
Layne: Did you?
Shay smiled and pressed the phone icon on her screen.
“Did you?” Layne repeated, sounding short of breath.
“I did. I’m guessing you did, too?”
“You telling me you had your mouth between my legs pushed me over the edge.”
“Fuck,” Shay said and rolled onto her side. “Can I see you?”
“I’m naked.”
“I know.”
“Shay…”
“No, I mean just your face.”
“Did you actually take everything off when we said we were, or was I the only one?”
“No, I’m naked, too. I’m over the blanket, naked, and I wish you were here with me.”
“God,” Layne let out. “Okay. Video. But faces only, because I am so close to getting to see you naked in person for the first time.”
Shay laughed, and they switched to video. Layne held the camera aimed at her face, but it was far enough away that Shay could see her sexy collarbones. She wanted to ask Layne to lower it just enough to be able to finally see her own girlfriend’s boobs, but she resisted.
“You look hot,” Shay told her instead, taking in the flushed skin she could see.
“So do you. How was it?”
“My hand? Fine, I guess. I came. But I’m ready to not use my own hand, Layne.”
“Me too,” Layne replied and smiled at her. “You’re beautiful. I want to see all of you.”
“Now?”
“No.” Layne laughed. “I mean, yeah; all the time. But I just meant that I can’t wait.”
“Are you worried at all?”
“About what?”
“Well, we’ve waited for a long time. What if it…”
“Isn’t good?” Layne finished.
“I guess that’s what I’m asking, yeah.”
“Are you worried about that?” Layne asked.
“I don’t know. Maybe.”
“Are you worried that I won’t be good? I know I have less experience than you.”
Shay laughed and said, “No, you don’t.”
“Yes, I do.”
“No, you don’t.”
“Shay, I–”
“If we talk about the number of times we’ve both had sex and we don’t just look at the number of people, I’m sure you have me beat.”
“You were with Eliza for, like, a year,” Layne argued.
“Yes, but I was in season for a lot of that time and traveling. Then, she’d be mad at me for said traveling and putting basketball first. So, yeah, we had sex, but probably not as many times as you might think. You had a girlfriend in high school.”
“Yes.”
“And you two…”
“Yeah.”
“Was it, I don’t know, often?”
“You really want to talk about this?” Layne asked.
“No.” Shay let out a sigh. “I hate the idea of someone else touching you. That’s especially true because I still haven’t.”
“We were in high school and didn’t know what we were doing.”
“How long until you figured it out?”
“Shay, babe… come on.”
“Okay. Fine. I guess I don’t need to know the details. I’d only end up picturing some nameless, faceless girl going down on you in the twin bed of your childhood bedroom.”
“Shay!” Layne laughed.
“What? Act like you haven’t pictured Eliza and me and hated it. I’ve had to think about Sabrina Stephenson going down on you, too. I hate that.”
“She didn’t,” Layne said.
“What?” Shay asked, surprised.
“Sabrina and I didn’t do that.”
“You didn’t? Like, neither of you?”
“Nope.”
“Why not?”
“Really?”
“I’m curious.” Shay shrugged a shoulder.
“She didn’t want to.” Layne shrugged a shoulder right back. “She said it wasn’t her thing.”
“To give or receive?”
“Either,” Layne replied. “I didn’t pressure her, and it was over before it mattered, I guess.”
“Mattered?”
“Well, I did want it.”
“From her?”
“In general, Shay. I… like that. And I like doing that.”
Shay smiled at her and said, “We will not have that problem.”
“No?”
Shay shook her head and replied, “Nope. I want that now.”
“You do, huh?”
She nodded and said, “I can’t wait to taste you.”
“Oh, fuck,” Layne said softly.
“And I can’t wait for your mouth to be on me.”
“Okay… We have to go back to texting if you’re going to talk like that.”
Shay smirked and asked, “Why? Is it making you want another one?”
“Yes, obviously.” Layne rolled onto her back and kept holding the phone out, which gave Shay more skin to take in.
“God, you’re so fucking gorgeous,” Shay let out. “We need to go to sleep right now because it’s late, and we have the most important game of our lives tomorrow, but you and me – we’re not doing this sexting thing much longer, babe. I can’t. I need to touch you.”
“I know. I need it, too. Soon,” Layne replied.
◆◆◆
Shay stood on the court, ready to play, and Layne was out there next to her, earning her second start in the tournament. This was the Final Four, and during a normal year, it would’ve been even more intense. This year, though, as much as possible had been done virtually, including interviews with the press, which Shay hated but had no choice but to participate in. Layne had given some interviews, too. It had been awkward for both of them, but as the only number twelve to ever make it this far, they were the Cinderella story of the year. Shay didn’t want to be a Cinderella story, though. She wanted to be the team that people expected to win.
She brought the ball up the court with one minute left in the third quarter. They were down by six, but they’d keep themselves close enough the whole game so as not to get blown out. Shay saw a gap and went for it, running by the defense and to the basket, where she put up her shot, was fouled, and fell down. She landed awkwardly and rolled her ankle.
