The Last Defender, page 5
“You have like four hickeys, Tessa,” she told her, gesturing towards Tessa’s chest with her coffee cup.
“Watch the road,” Tessa called, pulling the top down with a furious blush.
“I can multi-task!” August complained, but her eyes shifted back to the road. “Was she good?” she asked after a tense moment of silence. Tessa scowled and crossed her arms.
“I’m not answering that,” she muttered.
“She was bad?”
“August!”
“Well, I’m sorry,” August said, changing lanes and pressing down on the gas, “I just had no idea Callahan was into girls.”
“We were drunk,” Tessa replied, looking out of the window as they sped past the few other cars on the road.
“Wait, you think she’s straight?” August asked, narrowing her eyes at the back of Tessa’s head. Tessa sighed.
“We didn’t have a long conversation about sexual orientations, August.”
“But I want to know!” August whined.
“You’re going to have to live in mystery, unless you feel like going up to her with a fucking clipboard,” Tessa snapped, still looking outside.
“Oh, that’s a good idea!” Tessa looked around so quickly that she nearly gave herself whiplash to glare at August.
“August!”
“I was kidding.” Tessa huffed under her breath, a clear indicator that she didn’t believe August. “I’m just miffed because my gaydar is so good,” August continued, ignoring Tessa’s mood. Tessa sighed loudly.
“Just because you knew Willow was gay doesn’t make your gaydar good, August,” Tessa groaned, yanking the small button next to her seat what controlled her seat’s vertical position. She pushed the seat back so she was well below eye-level for August. She closed her eyes, signaling just how much she wanted this conversation to end. August didn’t take the hint.
“So you think you were just an experiment to her?”
“August, please, can I sleep?”
“Well, we’re almost home, so you can sleep there. Though we have practice at 11.”
“That’s too early.”
“Are you gonna skip?”
“Of course not! Just - let me sleep.”
“Fine. But I want details later.”
“I won’t give them to you.”
“At least tell me whether or not she made you come.”
“August!”
“You’re blushing! Tessa you’re blushing!”
“Watch the road August!”
“Did she go down on you?”
“August, I flatly refused to talk to you anymore.” August sighed loudly, and sipped on her coffee, and then, to Tessa’s surprise, flicked on the radio. It was a strange acceptance of Tessa’s silence, August’s small way of admitting that Tessa could have the space she wanted.
When they got to August’s house, August just silently indicated her couch, and Tessa groaned internally. August wasn’t very good at giving the silent treatment; she caved quickly and talked again, but it annoyed Tessa that August felt the need to give her the silent treatment to make a point.
“August,” Tessa sighed, sitting down on the sofa heavily. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to be mean in the car. I’m just...tired.” August looked up at the ceiling pointedly, as if trying to find some dust in the corners of her spotless house.
“It’s okay,” she told the ceiling. “It’s fine. Don’t worry.”
“August -” Tessa began. August deflated.
“I just don’t understand why you don’t want to tell me things,” she complained. Tessa sighed.
“August, I love you, but not giving you the gruesome details of my sex life is not excluding you.”
“I’d tell you about Luca if you asked,” August muttered.
“I don’t ask,” Tessa pointed out. “Because I respect your privacy.”
“Well, I mean -”
"Please August?"
"Fine." August huffed and crossed her arms, leaning against her kitchen counter with a sigh. Tessa collapsed to lie down on the sofa, and immediately fell asleep until August shook her awake for practice.
It helped that practice was full of equally tired and hungover people, though Valerie was annoyingly chipper as they were forced to do grueling high intensity interval training.
"I ran 5k this morning!" Valerie told Tessa, and Tessa wanted to murder her, instead resorting to a quiet grunt, while August immediately explained to Valerie how August would have run 7k, had she not picked Tessa up.
Tessa stilled in that moment; she panicked, thinking Valerie would ask, 'from where?' forcing Tessa to explain.
Explain what exactly? Worse things had happened that two members of the team hooking up; Amanda and Lis were basically in a relationship! And Tina was constantly sleeping with people. That one time she slept with the massage therapist! The other times it was the social media girl that they all liked so much. This shouldn't be such a big deal. Tessa closed her eyes, and tried to lose herself in the middle repetition of squats. The whistle blew.
Tessa switched to wall ball, loudly ignoring August as she counted next to her. There was nothing wrong with sleeping with Callahan. I mean, yes, the sex had been that good. It had been leisurely and fun and unforgettable, but that was it! Two people, when they were attractive, could try it, and have a good time, and move on, right? Tessa bit her lip.
What if Callahan expected more from her? What if Callahan's teammates figured it out? People would want to know. What if Callahan told Valerie!? Tessa sighed loudly, and August gave her a strange look as the whistle blew again, and it was their turn on box jumps.
"Are you okay?" she asked.
"Fine," Tessa muttered as she wiped the sweat out of her eyes. She needed to call Cheryl. She would get out of here, call Cheryl, prepare a script, and then catch Callahan before the Lightnings left. They wouldn't leave before the evening, right? Give their players a nice late day? Tessa had no idea! She hadn't asked Belinda anything useful!
The whistle blew again, this time a longer one, indicating their last water break before they did one more round. "I'm dying," August complained. Valerie laughed and pulled off her top, dumping it on the ground so she was standing there in her sports bra.
"Fucking hate it," she agreed, spraying water on her face.
"Guys, if you stand in front of the fan you want to die a little less," Kiara called out, excited. Tessa snorted, and sat down heavily. Demetria sat down next to her, and offered Tessa some of her Gatorade. Tessa accepted it.
“Are you okay, Tessa?”
“August told you, didn’t she?” Demetria nodded silently. Tessa sighed. August sat down on the other side of her. She knew it was how August showed affection; asking Demetria’s advice. Both of them were silent though. They weren’t the right people to consult.
"I think I need to call Cheryl," she told both of them. "Talk about last night with her."
"You think she'll have some insights?" August asked softly.
"She always does." Tessa sighed.
"That's true." Tessa gave August an odd look. August never admitted how wonderful Cheryl was.
"Can I tell Cheryl you said that?” Tessa asked when August didn’t retract her statement. “You never compliment her." August smirked.
"No, I want her to continue thinking I'm an aloof bitch," she said. Tessa snorted and rolled her eyes.
"She doesn't think that," Tessa corrected. August rolled her eyes.
"I want everyone to think that."
"Ten seconds left!" Came the loud call from the fitness trainer, and with a collective groan, everyone went back to their first station.
After they had finished, Tessa raced to be the first out of the locker room. She wanted to call Cheryl as soon as possible, so they could figure out together what she would need to say to Callahan to make this okay. Make this not awkward. The idea of screwing up the dynamic she and Callahan could potentially bring to the National Team was nagging at her too badly; they could be so good, and just because Tessa couldn't keep her pants zipped she could lose that? No thanks.
Of course, Tessa did not expect Callahan to be literally standing in the lobby of Providence Park, chatting to the receptionist happily. "Oh. hey, Tessa!" She said as Tessa tumbled out. "I was waiting for you."
While the receptionist, a lovely woman named Leslie, called to Tessa that Tessa should give Belinda a tour of the exercise rooms, because they’re “really so fun!”, Tessa dragged Belinda the opposite direction. Once they were standing on the balcony overlooking the soccer pitch, Tessa let go of Belinda’s elbow.
Belinda was wearing sweatpants and an exercise top, but it was strategically zipped up to the neck, hiding any telltale marks. Her hair was tucked up neatly, and Tessa noticed she had put on makeup. Tessa brushed her hair out her face, suddenly hyper aware that she hadn’t showered yet.
“Sorry, Leslie is really nosy,” she explained, shifting her weight on her feet. “I just didn’t want her - being weird -”
“It’s okay,” Belinda replied, glancing back through the glass doors at the receptionist. Tessa shifted her weight again, and then stared out onto the pitch.
“How are you?” She asked, awkwardly. Belinda laughed.
“Kind of stressed,” she admitted, wringing her hands.
“Because of me?” Tessa asked, shifting her gaze to Belinda’s hands. Belinda dropped them to her sides, lamely.
“Yeah,” she admitted. “But like, not because of you.” Tessa titled her head, and waited for Belinda to continue talking. Belinda took a long breath and then turned so she was leaning against the railing, looking over the soccer pitch. “It’s more like -” she took another breath - “I’m in a transition phase right now! So nothing makes sense. I hate leaving and I had to leave Sweden and now I’m in Chicago and it’s so big! There’s so much happening! And all the girls - they’re all so wonderful - but no one knows me, and then like, last night, we had so much fun - before all that - i mean, you know what I mean?” A small smile pulled at Tessa’s lips.
“No,” she admitted. Belinda side eyed her, and sighed in exasperation.
“I think I’m trying to say, when I was talking with you, I was like, wow, I have a friend. And then -”
“We didn’t mess anything up,” Tessa interrupted her.
“What?” Tessa smiled gently.
“We can still be friends,” she murmured.
“You’ve seen me naked,” Belinda hissed. Tessa raised an eyebrow.
“You of all people should know how many players we’ve seen in different states of undress.”
“Wouldn’t it be awkward?” Belinda demanded. Tessa shrugged.
“It could be.” Belinda stared at Tessa, open mouthed.
“How are you so nonchalant?” She demanded. Tessa laughed and turned to Belinda.
“I’m not!” she promised. “I was about to go call Cheryl!”
“Cheryl?”
“Lexa. She’s like - like my person. And she was going to tell me what to do.” Belinda’s brow furrowed.
“I thought August was your best friend.”
“August is. She made me put her in my phone as ‘best friend August’.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. She gets worried sometimes that I’ll replace her. But like - August is my best friend. Cheryl is my person. She just has all the answers.” Belinda tilted her head, and then nodded.
“That makes sense,” she decided. Tessa smiled and looked out at the pitch again.
“Well,” she said, glancing back at Belinda, “you caught me before I could call her, so I can’t give you anything more than I really want to be your friend.” A small smile pulled at Belinda’s lips.
“Really?” She asked.
“Yeah! Like, you’re fucking awesome on the field Callahan. And I want to play you some balls, maybe practice some more, and we could be unstoppable.” The smile grew larger.
“We’re currently on opposite teams,” she pointed out. Tessa shrugged again.
“Well, then I could cover you and make sure you don’t get any balls your way.” Belinda tilted her head.
“Is that how friendship works?” she asked.
“Most definitely.” Belinda’s grin was all relief, and Tessa felt it pull at something in her chest. She pushed back her hair awkwardly.
“If I wasn’t sweaty right now, I’d hug you.”
“I just showered, and I’m about to get on a plane, so I’m going to politely decline.”
“Do you need a drive to the airport?” Belinda raised an eyebrow.
“Do you have a car?” She asked skeptically. Tessa smirked.
“No,” she admitted, “but August could drive you.”
“No, it’s okay, I’ll call a cab.”
“Are you sure?”
“August scares me.” Tessa chuckled and opened up the door so she could call towards the receptionist.
“Leslie, can you call a cab?”
“Sure honey!” Tessa turned back towards Belinda and smiled tightly.
“August can be kind of...intimidating sometimes,” she admitted, letting the door shut again and walking back towards the railing. Belinda bit her lip again.
“She once told me I wasn’t as pretty as her.”
“She was drunk! You can’t hold that against her.”
“I can’t?”
“Well, fine, you totally can, and should, because she’s insane, but also, amazing. Like, once you get past all that other stuff.”
“You sell her so well.”
“Whatever. I’m frazzled because I still haven’t called Cheryl.”
“What are you going to talk to her about?”
“Whether or not I said all the right things. Expect a text with some additions later.”
“Additions?”
“Cheryl will probably wish I had said some more things.”
“Oh! But I don’t have your phone number.”
“You don’t?”
“Why would I?”
“I don’t know, I always just expect everyone to know where to find me.” Belinda rolled her eyes. Tessa handed her her phone. Belinda quickly entered her phone number, triple checked it for typos, and then handed back the phone. Leslie poked her head through the door.
“What are you two twittering about?” she asked, eyes immediately falling to Tessa’s phone.
“I was giving Belinda my number in case you kidnapped her,” Tessa explained with a smirk.
“Why would I kidnap someone as kind as Belinda?” Leslie looked perplexed. Tessa grinned and gave Leslie a gentle one sided hug.
“You’re unpredictable, Leslie.”
“Well then,” Leslie decided in mock affront, “I suppose I won’t tell you that Belinda’s cab is five minutes away then!”
“Thank you so much, Leslie,” Belinda gushed.
“You don’t have a bag?” Tessa asked, glancing around the lobby.
“No, I made Wanda take it to the airport for me.”
“Oh, smart.” Tessa opened the door for Belinda and gestured they should exit the lobby area.
“Yeah, I told the team I wanted to check out the competition,” Belinda explained as they walked out of the complex.
“Really?” Tessa asked, surprised. Belinda shook her head.
“No, I didn’t actually tell them anything. I just asked Wanda to take my bag and left.”
“Mysterious,” Tessa commented with a small smirk. Belinda played with hair and frowned.
“I was worried they’d think I was weird,” she admitted.
“You’re definitely not weird.”
“Really?”
“Well, you’re the most normal person on the National Team.”
“That you know.”
“I know everyone!” Belinda smiled and she looked down at the pavement as several Lakes players came out of the building. Tessa stiffened, but no one spared them a second glance. She relaxed slightly.
“We’re okay now?” Belinda asked quietly after a minute of silence.
“We’re super okay,” Tessa promised, squeezing her elbow affectionately. Belinda looked up with a small smile.
“We should have dinner when you come to Chicago,” she decided.
“You could show me your favorite deep dish pizza restaurant!” Tessa agreed, grinning.
“I don’t think… yeah I don’t have one yet. I’ve barely left my apartment.” Tessa’s grin grew larger.
“We could make Kat show us her favorite restaurant.”
“That sounds like a good plan,” Belinda agreed, smiling in relief.
“We need to make plans before Valerie, so we don’t have any more drinking.”
“I know,” Belinda said, wrinkling her nose. “I took like four painkillers this morning.” Tessa laughed, and caught sight of the taxi. She waved, and the car pulled over.
“Go, catch your flight. Tell your team you were checking out all the yoga bars in Portland,” she told Belinda, walking up to the curb with her.
“Yoga bars?”
“Yoga studios? I don’t know. You’re the yogi!” Belinda paused on the street corner, turning around to frown at Tessa.
“Thanks,” she murmured, lightly tapping Tessa’s arm. “Thanks for being so cool.” Tessa smiled.
“See you next week Belinda,” she replied, and opened the cab door for Belinda. Belinda slipped in, and Tessa slammed the door.
“Was that Belinda?” Tessa had long gotten used to August’s annoying habit of appearing at Tessa’s shoulder. She turned around. Demetria was with her, holding out the gym bag Tessa had dropped in the lobby. Demetria had clearly noticed it and brought it to her. Tessa smiled at Demetria.
“No,” she lied. August smirked.
“Well Leslie said you and Belinda Callahan were talking out on the balcony for an awfully long time. She said you two were holding hands.” Tessa glanced back at the building and narrowed her eyes.
“We weren’t,” she argued. August shrugged.
“Well, I’m just passing on what Leslie said.” Tessa rolled her eyes.
“She’s just teasing,” Demetria promised. They started walking towards August’s car.
“What did Bells want?” August asked. Tessa sighed.
“She wanted us to be friends.”
“But not best friends, right?”
