12. Nadia

Nadia

I woke up with a terrible headache. I couldn't say if it was the wine or the way that I'd gone to bed hot and bothered and unable to get any relief. If I'd had my own room I would have slid my hands between my legs and taken the edge off after that impromptu make out session, but with the source of my sexual frustration only a few feet away, I couldn't do that.

Unless she joined in of course. I'd been tempted to suggest it.

"Good morning," I called across the small space between our beds.

Anna was awake and dressed in sweats, an iPad in her hands.

"Morning," she said, not looking up from her screen.

She didn't look angry or anything, so I risked a question.

"Whatcha doing?"

Anna set her device down and shifted to look at me. "Watching film."

We often watched recordings of ourselves taken in practice or competition, looking for small errors or analyzing how we could increase our points for each exercise.

"Do you want to get some breakfast?" I asked. "And maybe take a walk after?"

"Sounds good."

It was weird having no workouts scheduled. I knew we needed to let our bodies rest so we'd be fully rested when we started team competition tomorrow, but it almost felt wrong.

"I'm surprised it's so crowded right now," I said to Anna as we waited in line at the crowded cafeteria. "It's almost ten."

We'd both slept way later than usual.

When we got to the front of the line and debated our food options. If I'd been at home I'd probably grab a heap of bacon and pancakes to help get rid of my hangover, but this was France, and I was in training. I couldn't afford to eat anything too heavy today.

Anna and I both got yogurt and muesli with fruit, as well as breakfast plate that included hard boiled eggs, cheese, and something called at tartine, a baguette slathered with butter and jam. It all looked delicious.

Grabbing a carafe of coffee and two bottles of water, we headed to a small two person table underneath a window. As I looked around, I laughed.

"What?" Anna asked, following my gaze.

"Remember in The Parent Trap the girls sat alone at a tiny table while everyone else was at long benches eating together?" I nodded to the main dining room. "We're totally doing that today."

She didn't respond, but I saw her smirk of amusement as she took a drink of her coffee.

We were both quiet for a few minutes as we started on our breakfast. With the entire day ahead of us, we didn't need to hurry.

"What do you usually do on mandatory rest days?" I asked Anna finally.

To my surprise, her cheeks turned a little pink.

I leaned closer. "Is it something dirty?" I asked in fascination. "Or just embarrassing?"

She rolled her eyes, then leaned closer. "I watch Disney movies. Cartoons."

"Cartoons?" I asked in confusion. That did not sound like something Anna would ever be into.

"Yeah, I'll watch Lady and the Tramp. Pocahontas. Finding Nemo." Her face got the slightest bit pinker. "And The Little Mermaid. Movies like that."

I rolled my lips in so I wouldn't laugh, completely delighted by this revelation.

"I can't believe the Bad Girl of Gymnastics is a secret softy."

"I'm not a softy," she protested, leaning back and taking a bite of her tartine, her eyes closing in pleasure as she chewed.

I was immediately assailed with a host of dirty thoughts, but resolutely pushed them away.

"What do you do on rest days?" she asked.

"My parents always encouraged me to read, watch film, and play the piano."

She faked a yawn. "God, you're boring. Don't tell me that you still live with your parents."

"No," I said indignantly. "I'm almost twenty-five years old. I live in the pool house."

Anna laughed so loudly everyone near us turned around to see what was happening.

"Where do you live?" I asked hotly.

"I have an apartment with three roommates," she said, naming three gymnasts whose names I recognized. They were all competent, but none of them were good enough to qualify for the International Games. "We live close to the practice facility."

I realized that I didn't really know anything about Anna, even though we'd been moving in the same circles for years. Then again, she'd rebuffed all of my efforts to talk to her until we were stuck together here.

Maybe it was fate, because despite all of our differences, I was starting to fall for her. The thought was so startling I gasped.

"What?" Anna asked.

"Nothing." I shook my head. "I just remembered something I have to take care of. An…email I need to send."

I was pretty sure she knew I was lying, but thankfully she didn't push it. She gave me a long look, then took a deep breath.

"After we take our walk, do you want to watch cartoons with me, Princess?"

I gave her a huge smile. "I'd love to."