CHAPTER 22

“Hey,” Selma greeted when she saw her walk through the doors.

All the athletes in the boardercross competition were staying in the same hotel, but she hadn’t exactly told Drew that she’d wait for her in the lobby since Drew would arrive later than her. She’d been up in her room for over an hour, anxiously waiting for Drew to text that she’d landed, then again, when Drew had gotten her luggage, and a third time, when the woman was pulling up to the hotel. Selma hadn’t been able to wait any longer, so she’d gone down in the elevator and had sat on one of the lobby’s uncomfortable loveseats until she’d seen Drew walk through the first set of sliding glass doors. Selma had stood up and couldn’t stop her smile at seeing Drew walk through the second set of doors.

“Hey,” Drew replied with a matching wide smile on her face. “One second.”

Selma wasn’t sure what she meant, but then, Drew’s backpack was set on the floor, and Drew let go of her roller bag and placed her board bag against the wall next to them. Next, Drew walked over to her and pulled her into a hug. The only other time they’d hugged before had been that awkward goodbye at the airport when Selma had left Drew’s, but this one was far less awkward. It felt more like it was needed. She needed to hug Drew and didn’t want to let go, but someone said Drew’s name, and Drew turned to smile at whomever it was, essentially ending their embrace, so Selma pulled out of the hug as well.

“Do you need to go?” she asked.

“What? No, that’s just Ben. He’s on the team.” Drew waved. “Hey, man.”

“Hey. We’re having drinks later, if you want to join.”

Selma turned to see Ben Masters, one of the US half-pipe boarders, approach them. She waited for Drew to accept his offer and decided it had probably been stupid of her to come downstairs to meet the woman when Drew could’ve just texted when she was in her room and settled.

“I can’t, but thanks. Have a good time. Just don’t stay out too late. You’re competing tomorrow,” Drew reminded.

“No problem. Have a good night,” he said and turned to Selma. “Canada, right?”

“Yes, I am from Canada,” Selma replied.

“I meant that you’re a boarder from Canada. I’ve seen you race a few times. You’re good.”

“Thank you,” Selma said.

“Do you want to have drinks with us? It’s not a team thing. We’ve got a bunch of people going from everywhere, I think. No big deal; just some beers and food.”

Selma looked at Drew, who didn’t seem too happy that Ben had just invited her to join them.

“Super chill. I’ll buy your first round, if you want,” he added.

“I have plans. But thanks.”

“Another time. I’ll see you two around,” he said and walked off.

“You have plans?” Drew asked.

“Yeah, with you,” she said and returned her attention to the person she actually cared about.

“Oh. We have plans?”

“Are we not hanging out?”

“No, I just meant that I didn’t, like, plan anything.”

“Me neither. We can get you settled in first and figure it out, though. Dinner, maybe? There’s a pizza place next door, if you want something easy and fast.”

“You don’t have anything to do for the team?”

“Nope. I’m free.”

“Okay. Let me get checked in,” Drew said. “Can you watch my stuff?”

“I think if you’ve watched my kid, I could at least watch your suitcase.”

“I care about my board probably almost as much as you care about your kid.”

Selma chuckled and watched Drew walk to the front desk, where she checked in. Drew looked good. She had on skinny jeans and black boots the jeans disappeared into, and that jacket Selma had seen on her. It was freezing outside, though, so she was surprised Drew was wearing only that and some gray vintage band T-shirt under it, but damn, it really worked for her. When Drew turned around to look for Selma again, she ran her hand through her hair and licked her lips, and if Selma hadn’t already known that she was bisexual, that move alone would have done it for her right there.

“So, I’m in room seven-twenty-one.”

“I’m just down the hall from you,” Selma replied, surprised.

“I know. They had me on the third floor, but I asked if they could move me closer to you. You’re seven-twenty-four.”

“How did you–”

“You texted me on the way here, Selma.” Drew laughed softly. “Told me to find you in your room when I was ready, if I wanted.”

“Oh. Right. Well, let me help you with your bags.” She grabbed Drew’s roller bag, and Drew grabbed her board and backpack.

The elevator ride was longer than the one at the lodge, and while they stood there silently, it wasn’t awkward this time, which surprised Selma a little. When they arrived at the seventh floor, she got off before Drew and held the doors for her since Drew had her board with her. They headed down the hall on the right, where both of their rooms were located, and Drew’s was first, so Selma stood there while Drew unlocked the door and carried her board inside. Selma wasn’t sure if she should walk in after her. They hadn’t talked about it. But Drew turned around and looked at her like she was being weird.

“Are you coming in?”

“I didn’t know if you’d want some time alone to get settled in first.”

“What? No. Come in.”

Selma walked in with Drew’s bag and closed the door behind her. Drew took it from her and set it on the luggage rack but made no move to open it.

“So, pizza?”

“Yeah, we can go, if you’re hungry.”

“Starving,” Drew stated. “I didn’t eat lunch, so expect me to eat a whole pizza by myself.”

“Just let me get my coat from my room. I’ll be right back,” Selma told her and smiled as Drew pulled the door open again and held it for her.

Then, as quickly as they’d gone upstairs, they made it back down and outside on the sidewalk.

“You’re not cold?” Selma asked her.

“I’m okay. It’s next door, so no big deal.”

“Do you normally fly wearing all that? I’m usually in the most comfortable things I own.”

“Uh… Not normally, no,” Drew replied, sounding strange.

“Why today, then?”

“Just felt like it,” Drew replied and pulled open the door to the restaurant. “After you.”

Selma had been hoping for a quiet meal with Drew over a small table with maybe one of those little tealights in a red holder and paper placemats or something equally cheesy, but when they walked in, she knew she was about to get anything but that. The place was packed, and not just with regular customers. It was packed with snowboarders and skiers. She’d made a big mistake taking Drew to the restaurant next to their hotel.

“How many?” the hostess asked.

“Um… Two,” Selma replied.

“I can seat you at the bar right now, or it’ll be about forty-five minutes.”

“They can just join us.”

Selma turned her head to see three of Drew’s teammates in their team jackets sitting at a big round table.

“We’ve got room,” Andy Weinman said.

“Oh, hey,” Drew greeted and walked over toward the table.

“I guess we’re sitting over there,” Selma said to the hostess, who didn’t seem to care.

“Hey, Selma,” Andy greeted when Selma sat down on Andy’s other side.

At the table, there were six seats, and just as they’d been about to sit down, someone had come back from the bathroom and had taken the one free seat that wasn’t next to Andy, so Drew had sat on Andy’s one side, and Selma had been forced to sit on the other.

“Hey. How have you been?”

“Good. You?”

“Good, yeah,” Selma replied.

“So, you and Drew are no longer throwing eye daggers at each other, huh?” Andy asked but turned to Drew for the answer.

“We never did that,” Drew replied.

“Sure, you didn’t,” Andy said.

Selma sat quietly as the waiter walked around the room and took everyone’s order.

“Um… Andy, can I maybe switch seats with you?” Drew requested. “Selma and I were going to share a pizza. Easier to do that if we’re next to each other.”

“Yeah, okay.”

Andy stood up, and Selma smiled internally as Drew sat down next to her.

“Sorry about this,” Drew whispered in Selma’s ear as she leaned over. “We can go somewhere else if you want.”

“No, it’s okay. We’re already here,” she replied, even though she very much wanted to go someplace else. “And I thought you wanted a whole pizza to yourself.”

“Oh, I’m getting a large.” She winked at Selma. “But you can share it with me.”

“It better not have pineapple on it, Drew,” Selma said.

“Extra pineapple. Got it.”

Selma laughed, and when the waiter approached them, she let Drew order the pizza for them because she really wasn’t all that picky. They both got iced tea for their drinks, and the waiter took off, putting in their order soon after. Selma definitely caught Andy paying attention to the two of them more than the rest of the people at the table, but the woman didn’t say or do anything like Selma worried she might. Maybe it was because nothing was technically going on between Selma and Drew, and Andy knew Drew well, so she knew that already. Selma didn’t know.

After they’d finished their pizza, when the check was delivered, Drew took the one check for both of them and slid her credit card inside. It was like she hadn’t even thought about it, and after she handed the padfolio over to the waiter, her arm went over the back of Selma’s chair as she leaned over a little to talk to the person on Selma’s left. Selma couldn’t help but smile, not even thinking, before she looked up and saw Andy staring at her. She’d obviously seen it.

“You ready?” Drew asked.

“You’re not going to Ben’s thing?” Andy asked her.

“No, we’re hanging out tonight,” Drew replied. “You’re going to that?”

“Why not?”

“Ben’s just going to try to get into your pants, like he does with everyone,” Drew noted.

“He knows I’m gay, Drew,” Andy said.

“Didn’t stop him with me, like, a year ago.”

“Ben Masters tried to sleep with you?” Selma asked in a higher-pitched voice that she didn’t recognize as her own.

“He tries to sleep with every woman at these things. It’s just his deal,” Drew said.

“Even the gay ladies like us,” Andy added. “He has one too many drinks, slings an arm over your shoulders, and suggests you go back to his room. We all know how he is. He’s good in bed, though.”

“How would you know?” Drew asked with a little laugh.

“Tristan told me. They’ve hooked up a few times. She seems to know how he is and doesn’t care. Anyway, I’m just going to have a drink and hang out.”

“Well, have fun. We’re going to head out now,” Drew said.

“Have a good night,” Andy replied.

Drew stood up, and Selma followed. The restaurant was still packed, and the crowd seemed to have grown even bigger. Selma felt Drew’s hand in her own, so she looked down, but Drew just entwined their fingers and led them out of the pizza place until they hit the sidewalk.

“Jesus, that place is busy! Glad we got there when we did,” she exclaimed without dropping Selma’s hand as they started walking.

“Yeah,” Selma agreed as she stared down at their still joined hands.

They’d look like a couple to anyone walking past, and something about that had Selma smiling.

“What do you want to do now?” Drew asked her. “I’d suggest a drink at the hotel bar, but it’s going to be packed, too. We could get something and take it up to a room or something, or go somewhere else, if you want.”

“Upstairs is fine,” she replied.

“Wine? Beer? Cocktail?” Drew asked once they were back inside the hotel.

“Whatever you’re having.”

“Well, I’m having whatever you’re having, so…”

“You’re a pain in the ass,” Selma told her with a laugh as they walked up to the packed bar.

Drew had to let go of her hand to move between two people who were waiting for their drinks, but she reached behind her back for Selma, who moved in close behind her and took the hand to let Drew know that she was there. Eventually, she also put her chin on Drew’s shoulder, not caring how that might look to anyone else.

“He’s coming over. What do you want?”

“Red wine. A merlot,” she said softly into Drew’s ear.

“Two merlots, please. Put it on room seven-twenty-one,” Drew said to the bartender, who nodded.

It hadn’t escaped Selma’s notice that Drew had paid for everything so far tonight, and Selma wanted to pay for something for them at some point on this trip, too, but she liked that Drew was trying to take care of her at the same time. Drew signed the receipt, and when she needed to step back, Selma pulled away. Drew handed her a wineglass and took her own. They walked out of the bar and headed to the elevator bank. When they got there, though, Selma missed their connection and wanted to somehow convey that to Drew, so she slipped her hand into Drew’s jacket pocket. She watched Drew look down at that and smile before they got into the elevator together.

“Come here,” Drew said once the doors closed behind them, leaving them blissfully alone in the elevator.

Selma moved into Drew’s side, and Drew wrapped her arm around Selma’s shoulders. Selma then placed her head on Drew’s, and they just stood there, not talking and not drinking their wine, but maybe silently agreeing that this was, perhaps, the first step to it being more than friendship between them. Selma had almost forgotten that tomorrow, she and Drew both had races and should be focusing on their purpose for being there, and not having wine together in someone’s room.

“My room or yours?” Drew asked.

Selma swallowed and said, “Um… Yours.”

“Want to help me with my night-before-a-race ritual?”

Selma’s eyes went big because she knew of some of Drew’s rituals, but not all of them. She also knew that some athletes got themselves off before a big game or a race to help with the tension, so this was an interesting question to be presented with.

“Which one?”

“Going over the course in my mind. I have a video and pictures. We’ll have practice tomorrow morning before the afternoon heats, but I don’t like to wait.”

“Oh, right. You want my help with that?”

“We could go over it together.”

“Okay. Yeah.” Selma smiled as the doors opened.