Gayle snorted. “He’ll be thrilled until he finds out we’re all lesbians.”
Shelly smiled, looking away from Gayle. “Yeah, that’s kind of my point. But be nice to him, okay? He loves watching me play, but keeps making excuses when I ask him about refereeing or helping out in any way. I think getting into derby would do him some good.”
“Oh, great,” April said. “I’m not the only one here who isn’t a derby girl, am I?”
“Don’t worry,” Shelly assured her, patting her on the shoulder. “Mia and a couple others from college are supposed to come. But you’ll like the derby girls.”
April grinned. “I’m sure I will.”
Another knock came, and Shelly went to answer it, shrieking again when she opened it to Kristine and Mindy. She hugged them both. Gayle grunted, and Megan turned, giving her a questioning look.
“I was the first one here, and she didn’t hug me,” Gayle muttered, quiet enough that no one else could hear her under the sounds of Shelly welcoming Kristine and Mindy.
Megan frowned. “Maybe she was just surprised. She had to get her energy up to hug everyone.”
Gayle shrugged. “Maybe.”
She looked as unconvinced as Megan felt, though. Shelly was always very physically demonstrative, giving everyone hugs and kisses on the cheek or forehead. It was a good attitude in a team captain, even if it had freaked Megan out a little when she’d first joined the team—Cari had never liked it when someone else touched her, even Shelly.
So Shelly skipping a hug with Gayle was weird. Did she not like Gayle? If not, why had she been invited to the party?
“Okay, guys, there’s drinks and chips out on the dining room table. Beers in the fridge. Megan, you want to come help me with the veggie tray?”
“Sure,” Megan said, following her through the dining room and into the kitchen. Shelly ducked into the fridge and came out with a plastic-covered tray of crudités in one hand and two beers in the other. Megan took one of the beers and twisted off the cap.
“You didn’t need any help with the veggies,” she said as Shelly tore the plastic off the top and flicked some of the small pieces of broccoli and cauliflower back into their own compartments. There was a delicious smell emanating from the oven, but Shelly didn’t seem to be in any hurry to open it.
Shelly grinned at her. “I just wanted to make sure you noticed April. She’s recently single, too, and in need of some no-strings-attached fun just as much as you are, if not more so. She’s hot, right?”
“Oh.” Megan had noticed how pretty April was, but hadn’t thought beyond that. No wonder Shelly had winked at her. “Yeah, she is.”
She heard another knock at the door, and Shelly pushed the tray toward her. “Here, find a spot for this at the table.” She rushed out of the room.
Megan took a swig of her beer before carrying the tray out. It had never occurred to her to look for a potential date at Shelly’s party, even though she knew Shelly knew lots of queer girls. Of course, Shelly didn’t know she was dating Gianna.
But she and Gianna didn’t have any kind of exclusivity agreement. They weren’t girlfriends. She could see where things went with April, couldn’t she? From the way April had been grinning at her earlier, there was no lack of interest on that end.
She went back out to the table and pushed some of the drinks aside to make space for the veggies, then took a carrot stick and crunched on it so she wouldn’t have to talk to anyone.
Shelly’s brother had arrived, and she was introducing him around. His name was David. His smile seemed to twitch upward when he was introduced to Megan, and she grinned back at him, almost laughing. Did he really not know that none of Shelly’s friends were straight?
Shortly afterward, Tara arrived, and then two other girls who seemed to know April. They were the last of the guests.
Megan eyed the party. “You know, if we had skates, and decided to let the boy in, we could have a decent jam right now.”
Shelly snorted. “Don’t you ever think about anything other than roller derby?”
“Sure I do. When I’m at work, and can’t play. You have some extra skates, don’t you?”
“Yeah, but none that would fit David. And anyway, you’re not skating on my floor.”
“We could—”
“You’re not tearing up my backyard, either. And anyway, it’s too small.” Shelly grinned at Megan’s disappointment. “Maybe if we had ten girls, so I could persuade David to ref, I’d consider a little scrimmage. But not everyone plays. I invited Leya, but she gave some excuse.”
Megan nodded. She wasn’t surprised. None of them knew Leya Out’s real name—well, maybe Shelly did, but she was respecting Leya’s privacy. She was a very good player, but she was quiet and didn’t talk about herself. Megan would have liked to get to know her better, but she would never pry.
April was walking toward them, a drink in her hand. Shelly nudged Megan’s arm. “Go talk to her.”
Megan didn’t have to go to her. April stopped right in front of her, smiling. She was curvy, but not as lush as Gianna; her asymmetrical bob didn’t flatter her face. “So you’re one of Shelly’s roller derby friends, right?”
Megan nodded. “I’m a jammer. I—have you seen any games?”
April shook her head. “I’m usually busy on Saturday nights. Shelly has sworn to drag me to a game one of these days, though.”
“Well, I try to get past the blockers—people like Gayle. Shelly usually plays blocker, too.”
April nodded, her mouth twitching. “Yeah, I know how the game works. I’ve heard a lot about it.”
“Oh.” Megan didn’t know what to say next. She’d thought explaining the game of roller derby to April would be a good conversation topic.
Or maybe she really just didn’t know how to talk about anything other than derby.
No, that wasn’t true. She talked with Gianna about all kinds of things—work, books, family. And she’d barely mentioned derby to Joe and Karen. The only times they cared about her after-work activities was when they were trying to persuade her to work late.
“So what do you do for a living?” April asked, as though she were reading Megan’s mind—or as though she was fishing around for a conversation topic. Shelly had probably pushed her to talk to Megan, too.
“Oh, I work as a receptionist. At a trampoline park.”
April’s eyes lit up. “That’s so cool! Do you get to bounce around after hours for free?”
Megan laughed. “No, I wish. My bosses would never stand for that. Anyway, it’s open late and I only work during the day. I’d have to come back again to bounce after hours, and who wants to go back to work in the middle of the night?”
“I would if I worked in a trampoline park.”
“What do you do?”
“Oh, I’m studying to be an architect.”
Megan nodded and half-listened as April described her graduate school drama. April was quite attractive, and Megan enjoyed talking to her. Once they’d gotten over the initial awkwardness, conversation flowed easily. Megan thought she would enjoy hanging out with April for a long while.
But she didn’t feel any spark like she did with Gianna. And she knew why. She wasn’t arguing with April. There was no friction between them like with Gianna. It might not be healthy, but it seemed like that was what she craved in a relationship.
Was it a relationship with Gianna? It was some kind of relationship, that was for sure. But Megan didn’t want to define it. She wasn’t ready for another girlfriend, and “hate sex,” while accurate, wasn’t a complete picture of their relationship.
“What do you think?” April asked, blinking her long-lashed eyes at Megan, and Megan realized that she’d gotten so distracted that she had no idea what April’s question was about.
“Uh, I don’t really have an opinion,” she hazarded. “I mostly think about roller derby.”
April looked slightly puzzled, but didn’t argue. However, she didn’t continue the conversation, either.
Megan swigged her beer and realized that it was now empty. She needed another drink; maybe that would help her have an appropriate level of interest in April. After all, Shelly was probably right—she needed to go fast and loose for a while. She obviously wasn’t psychologically over Cari, and someone she didn’t have friction with would be healthy for her.
“Can I grab you another drink?” she asked April. “What were you drinking?”
April’s mouth turned back up into a smile and she batted her eyelashes again. She did have pretty lips and lovely eyes. “Sure. I had a mojito. That girl over there is making drinks.” She nodded toward the buffet table, where indeed, what looked like a full bar was laid out and Gayle was pouring things into a shaker.
Megan walked over just as Gayle was pouring out a bright pink drink and handing it over to one of April’s friends. “You don’t have to make drinks for everybody,” she said.
“I like making drinks,” Gayle said, and indeed, she was grinning, her cheeks a little flushed. “I asked Shelly if she minded, and she said that’s why she got everything out. Can I make something for you?”
“Uh, I was going to get another mojito for April.”
“Absolutely!” Gayle ducked under the buffet for a glass and picked some mint leaves off a plant on the windowsill to add to the bottom. “How are things going with her?”
“Okay, I guess. What, did Shelly put you on spying?”
“No, I just noticed the way she was looking at you. Which means things are going well, by the way.”
“Huh.” Megan looked around. Her eyes fell on Shelly first. She winked, but Megan wasn’t sure she’d been looking at her. When she did find April, she was looking away.
“Here.” Gayle handed the very pretty mojito over to Megan. “Can I make something for you?”
Megan smiled. “No, thanks. I’m just going to grab another beer.”
“Oh, come on. There must be something you like as much as beer.”
Megan’s mind flashed back to that first date with Gianna—the surprisingly rich wine, and then the taste of Gianna’s lips, flushed with the dinner and drinks…
“No hard liquor you don’t hate?”
Megan coughed, coming back to the present day. “Rum is okay.”
“I’ll make you a dark and stormy, how’s that sound?”
“Good. I better eat something if you’re going to be boozing me up, though.”
“You better eat something anyway.”
Megan watched as Gayle deftly poured ice from a scoop, not spilling a single chip. She really did seem to be enjoying herself. “Why aren’t you a bartender if you like it so much?” She wasn’t entirely sure she remembered what Gayle did for a living, but she was pretty sure it was some kind of office job—Megan would have remembered if Gayle was a bartender.
Gayle shook her head. “I hate people.”
Megan snorted. “That explains the roller derby. Aren’t people easier if you get them drunk?”
“No, they’re so much worse. I bartended for a while in college, but I couldn’t stand the people. I mean, you know, right? You’re a receptionist or something. You probably need roller derby every day just to deal with the customers.”
“No, I love the customers. They’re the best part of the job.”
“Really?” Gayle stared at her for a moment, then held out her drink. “I don’t get you, Splatwood, but I like you anyway.”
Megan took the drink and grinned. “Cheers, Blocksalot.” She took a sip of her drink. “This is good.”
“Thank you. Eat something.”
Megan obediently walked toward the table, set down her drink, and started shoving chips into her face. It wasn’t until she absentmindedly lifted her glass to her face, had her nose tickled by the mint garnish, and discovered that she was about to drink the wrong thing, that she remembered she’d originally walked over to Gayle in order to get a drink for April.
She looked around for April and found her chatting with Shelly, but her arms were crossed. Shit. Lost that chance for sure.
But she didn’t feel bad about it. In fact, other than the guilt over literally forgetting about April, she felt all right. She grabbed a few veggies and walked over to April and Shelly.
“Here’s your mojito,” she said, holding it out. “I’m sorry—I was an idiot just now.” As soon as April took the drink, Megan shoved a piece of broccoli into her mouth so she wouldn’t be tempted to talk more and explain herself.
“Yeah, thanks,” April said, sipping the mojito and then turning away. Her two friends were in the living room, and she went to join them.
Shelly raised her eyebrows at Megan. “What was that about? I thought you’d like her.”
Megan shook her head and shrugged, trying to communicate her innocence while still chewing her broccoli. When she had swallowed, she said, “I do like her, but not enough, I guess. I didn’t mean to ditch her. I just totally forgot I was talking to her.”
“You call that liking someone?”
Megan shrugged again, helplessly. “I can’t explain my brain, Shell. You put me on skates or behind a reception desk and I’m great. Otherwise, I don’t know how to deal with people.”
“You seemed to deal with Mountain Bruise just fine a couple of weeks ago.”
Megan looked down at her drink, her stomach twisting with anxiety. “That was… different. We barely talked. Anyway, she started it.”
“The way you are on the track, I’m surprised you let anyone else start anything.”
Megan swallowed, not knowing what to say. She didn’t know how to explain to Shelly that she was a different person on the track and off it. Shelly herself seemed to be the same either way, but Megan knew she wasn’t the only one with this split—Leya was practically silent off the track, but she was just as aggressive as any of them on it.
She darted her eyes around the room, seeking a topic to change the conversation to, and spied Gayle holding up a glass as she carefully poured liquor into it. “You seem to have found the right way to keep Gayle entertained.”
Shelly immediately turned to Gayle, her eyes lighting up and a smile tugging at her lips. “She does seem to be having a good time, doesn’t she? I’m glad I thought to put together a full bar.”
“Not your usual setup?” Megan watched Shelly curiously. She hadn’t thought changing the subject would go over well at all, but Shelly seemed to be enthralled.
“No, you know me, I’d normally be fine with a couple of six-packs. Maybe more for a party this size. But I think you’re the only one who’s even had a beer.”
“Yeah, Gayle wouldn’t let me get away without making me a fancy drink.”
“Oh, you’re going to blame her for letting April down?”
And there it was. Shelly had turned toward her again and was smirking. “Go tell her about how awkward you are. Maybe you can salvage it.”
Megan shook her head firmly. “I blew it with April and I’m okay with that. I don’t need anything from her. If we start talking naturally again, that’s fine.” She heard a snippet of conversation—Tara was talking to someone about derby. That was a conversation she wanted to join in.
As she turned, she said to Shelly, “If you have any more hot friends you want to introduce me to, I’m all for it.”
But somehow she didn’t think she would be.
Chapter 8
A week—and a lot of roller derby—gave Megan enough time to mull over how she felt about April and where she was going to take Gianna for their date.
She decided that there were two things at play with April. One, she obviously was way more into a girl she could fight with. If Gianna hadn’t been around, she would have been more interested in April, but her libido was disappointed at the lack of tension. Two, even though consciously she knew that she didn’t have any kind of exclusivity with Gianna, her subconscious wasn’t convinced. She’d never really dated casually before; when she was in college she’d pursued one girl at a time until she got rej
ected, and when she started dating Cari they were joined at the hip. Megan was more wired to be a serial monogamist, and that was fine with her.
The only question that remained was whether she should talk to Gianna about exclusivity. She hadn’t been able to decide, and figured they would talk about it if it came up. She didn’t know if Gianna had been dating other girls, and didn’t really want to know. Mostly because Gianna had said she was a slut and if she was sleeping with anyone else, Megan did not want confirmation.
The date was the easy part. She knew Gianna well enough now to know where they could go that they would both enjoy. A certain museum was close to Megan’s heart, and to her dark sense of humor, which Gianna had made it clear she appreciated.
Accordingly, that morning she picked out a dress printed with skulls, roses, and—not obviously distinct from the roses until you looked closely—anatomical hearts. Pulling it out of her closet and holding it up gave her an unexpected blow; she’d bought the dress after a fight with Cari and hadn’t worn it since the breakup. For a moment she wondered if she should throw it away.
But she loved the subtle goriness of the print, and she thought Gianna would like it, too. Besides, it was perfect for the Mütter Museum. So she wore it, with a red cardigan over it so her bosses and the customers wouldn’t be able to look too closely at the print.
The day flew by—probably because she was nervous—and Gianna arrived to pick her up right on time. This time the parking lot was crowded, since there was a party that evening, but Megan picked out Gianna’s little red convertible immediately and hurried her steps to meet it.
“So where are we going?” Gianna asked when Megan got in, folding her cardigan over her lap.
Megan didn’t answer immediately; she was distracted by the scarlet dress Gianna was wearing, the satiny fabric hugging every curve. “Uh, you didn’t have to dress up.”
Gianna grinned. “Would you believe this is just what I wore to work today?”
“Absolutely not. You’d give the parents heart attacks.”
“I like to shock. But no, I just dressed up for you. Come on, am I going north or south?”
Crash Into You Page 8
