“Hello,” says the student working the front desk.
“Hi, do you know where the volleyball games are happening?” I ask. I’ve never been to the Athletics Center before; my apartment has a gym and that’s where I do most of my workouts.
“Yes, you want to go straight, then take a left. At the end of the hall, take another left, then a right. Go past the locker rooms. If you see the vending machines, you’ve gone too far. So you’ll want to turn around, and take the hallway opposite the weights room. You’ll see a set of double doors and that’s where intramurals volleyball is happening.”
“Thanks,” I say slowly, my confusion likely visible on my face. I start down toward the door, repeating the directions in my head, hoping to God I don’t get lost. When I finally get to the gym, I see two nets set up on each side of the room; the bleachers and the basketball hoops have been tucked away. I scan the room, looking for my team.
“Over here!” Barrett yells, waving his hands. There are five other people around him, passing the volleyball among themselves. I drop my bag along with my soaked jacket against the wall, then take a moment to collect myself. Taking a deep breath, I approach Barrett and my new teammates.
“Hey,” I say, waving awkwardly and standing next to Barrett.
“Hey guys, this is Gracelynn. She’s the new addition to our team.”
“Hi, Gracelynn; I’m Edith,” says a short girl wearing knee-pads with high socks and shorts.
“I’m Leah,” says a taller blonde girl.
“I’m Evan,” one guy says. I look up, up, up to meet his eyes, giving him a small smile.
“Mike,” another guy says.
“Jake,” says the fourth male member of the team.
“Nice to meet you all. Thanks for letting me join.”
“No problem. Glad to have you. Barrett said you played in undergrad.”
Oh, here we go.
“I did. It doesn’t mean I’m great though,” I warn before they think I’m a kick-ass volleyball player. I mostly want to play for fun. Though I do like winning.
We start hitting the ball back and forth to warm up. We practice some serves, spikes, and sets and figure out a team dynamic.
“You finally decided to join us,” Barrett says to someone behind me, and I glance over my shoulder to see who he’s talking to. I blink slowly, my mind trying to process all six feet of the dark-haired, muscular god walking toward us. Jesus, it should be illegal to look that damn good. His gaze locks onto me, and I try not to shift from foot to foot, to show any outward signs of discomfort…or blatant attraction. Fuck. Does shit like this actually happen outside of the movies?
Smiling, he drops his bag next to mine.
“Incoming,” someone yells in warning. I turn back just in time to get a ball to the face.
“Oh, shit! I’m so sorry. Are you okay?” Leah—or maybe Edith—says to me.
Clutching my nose, I say, “No worries. It didn’t hurt. I should have been paying attention.” To the ball and not to the hot guy that just entered the room.
“You guys miss me?” Hot Guy says and the sound of his voice makes me pause. Shit, is he…?
“You know we need you, Ethan,” Barrett says.
“Eh, we were going to kick ass without you anyway,” Jake says.
“Sure you were,” Ethan says with a chuckle.
Fuck! It’s him!
“Ethan, that’s Gracelynn. She’s the new addition to the team,” Barrett says.
I look up at him slowly, praying he doesn’t recognize me. Judging by the smug smile on his face, he unfortunately does.
“Hey,” I say.
“It’s nice to meet you. Again,” he replies.
“Oh, you two know each other?” Barrett says, looking back and forth between us. I can feel the heat rise up my neck, coloring my cheeks.
Ethan jumps on that question. “Yeah. We met on Thursday night.”
“Oh,” is all Barrett says, turning back to the rest of the team, leaving me alone with Ethan.
I clear my throat, finally meeting his eyes. Christ, who has eyes like that? Are they even real?
“—Gracelynn?”
I blink. “Sorry. What?”
He flashes me another one of those megawatt smiles, both smug and amused at the same time. “I asked what position you enjoyed.”
With him, I suspect I’d enjoy every position. “Umm…”
He laughs. “To play. In volleyball,” he clarifies, and I want the ground to swallow me whole.
“Ah, I don’t really have a specific one. Back row is my area of comfort though. Sometimes libero.”
“It sounds like you know what you’re doing.”
I shrug, feeling my embarrassment start to slide away. “I’ve played before.”
He studies my face for a few long seconds, and uncharacteristically, I stare right back, daring him to say something else.
Eventually he smiles. “We’d better warm up.”
We join the others and five minutes later, the refs blow the whistle to indicate we should find our places. Ethan touches my shoulder, and I’m stunned by the surge of heat that chases through my body. “Ready?” he asks with a small smile.
“Sure,” I answer, following the others to the court and separating from Ethan as quickly as possible. He makes my body react in ways it shouldn’t, making me feel things I can’t.
Instead, I focus all my attention on the opponents in front of me.
“Got it!” I scream as I watch the ball come over to our side of the net.
Each team has won one game and this ball right here is game point. It comes toward me and I prepare myself for the hit…
I’m shoved to the side by some immovable force, and I crash to the floor so hard my teeth rattle. From my position on the ground, I see Ethan bump the ball over to Leah. She sets it right in front of him, and he spikes it over to the other side, the ball hitting the floor so hard, the sound of the impact echoes around the gym.
He gets us the point that wins the game, but that doesn’t matter now. It was my ball.
“Yes!” Barrett screams, high-fiving Jake.
“Here,” Ethan says, appearing in front of me, extending his hand.
“I got it,” I snap, lifting myself up from the floor, my knees aching in protest.
“You sure? Sorry about that, by the way,” Ethan says, but the smile on his face says otherwise.
“Great job, guys! The next game is on Sunday at 8pm!” Barrett says. He’s still hyped from the win, and I would be too if it weren’t for Ethan. Dusting myself off, I try to keep a smile on my face, sharing the excitement of the win as I head over to my bag. The moment I’m alone, the smile slides from my lips. I pick up my jacket, sliding it on and zipping it up; after checking to make sure my keys are within easy reach in my bag, I sling that over my shoulder too.
“You’re good,” Ethan says from behind me, nearly making me jump out of my skin.
“So are you.” I hate the fact that I’m stroking his ego, but I can’t deny he’s got skill.
“Thanks,” he says as he bends down to pick up his jacket. I stand there for another minute, waiting to see if he’ll apologize for stealing my ball, but he doesn’t say anything.
“Okay, see you next time,” I say.
“I’ll walk out with you.”
“It’s okay, I can find my way out.”
“I have to find the same way out,” he says, and I hate that there’s only one exit. We walk side by side, following the same maze that led us here.
“Where do you live?” Ethan asks, breaking the silence.
“Wilson Hall.”
“Me too. Guess we’re going to the same place,” he says and internally, I cringe. I should’ve told him I lived elsewhere. I should tell him I have to go to the library or some shit.
“Great,” I say, not at all excited.
“Don’t sound so happy about it.”
“Sorry.” I force the word out of my mouth. I just started playing
for this team, and he’s clearly their best player, so I don’t really want to pick a fight with him. I’m sure the team would vote me out if they had to choose.
“So, how do you like law school so far?”
“Like might be the wrong word.”
“I’m with you. You’re surviving though, right?”
“Barely.”
He shrugs his backpack further onto his back. “Well, that’s something. Where are you from?”
“Maine. You?”
“Washington.”
“Wow. I complain about my seven-hour drive, but you’ve got a longer one.”
He shrugs. “So, what do you think of NYC?”
“It’s small and confined and the rats are gigantic. The cockroaches, too.”
“They are well-fed here. Last time I saw a cockroach, I jumped.”
I laugh at the image of this six-foot-something gorgeous guy jumping at the sight of an insect.
“It’s not funny. Have you seen those things? They could eat me alive,” he adds.
“I’ve seen them. I’ve killed them. But I’m still grossed out by their sheer size.”
“You’re a braver person than I am.”
When we arrive at our building, Ethan opens the door. “After you.”
I hold back a snort at his attempt at chivalry. “Thanks.”
“Going up or down?” he says, pushing the button on the wall a few times.
“Hitting it repeatedly doesn’t make it come any faster,” I tell him.
His eyes darken as they dart down to my mouth. “Maybe not the elevator, but it certainly works on some other things.”
Fuck. Oh, fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck! I shift on my feet, then clear my throat. “I’m going to take the stairs.”
He’s grinning wickedly at me when he says, “Okay, well I hope to see you around.”
Lifting my chin a little, I say, “You will; we play on the same team.”
“I know we do, but I mean outside of that. We do live in the same building and go to the same law school.”
“Yeah, maybe,” I answer, trying to be amicable. I have no interest in seeing him outside of when I have to.
“And Gracelynn,” he says, getting inside the elevator. “It was my ball,” he adds with a cocky smile as the doors shut.
What an asshole.
“Gracelynn, please tell me you’re coming to the party tonight,” Sasha says, catching me as I head into my last class for the day.
“The Halloween party?” I ask. She nods enthusiastically. “Then no.”
Sasha’s face falls. “Oh, come on! It’ll be fun.”
“What’s fun about a Halloween party? Aren’t we a little too old for that?”
“You’ve never been to one sponsored by the school. It is literally unlimited drinks and everyone really puts a lot of effort into their costumes.”
“I have class and I don’t have a costume,” I say by way of excuse. The truth is I’d rather just head back to my apartment and watch some TV for the rest of the night.
“It’s a bar review night and instead we have this party. You have to come!”
I look down at my phone to see I’ve only got five minutes before class starts. “Did you hear me? I don’t have a costume.”
“That’s not a problem. There’s a costume store two streets over, and they’re even having a sale. We can stop by there after class.”
“You’re not going to let it go, are you?” I ask, already knowing the answer. Sasha is going to make a kick ass lawyer. She’ll get you to agree to anything with her tenacity alone.
“You know I’m not.”
“I’ll think about it,” I concede. “If I find a good costume, then we’ll go.”
Sasha’s smile is huge. “We’ll find a good costume. How long is your class?”
“Two hours,” I tell her.
“I’ll meet you here.” Waggling her finger in my face, she adds, “Don’t ditch me. We’re going to the store for your costume, and then we’ll get ready at my place.”
“Why can’t I just meet you somewhere after I’m ready?”
“Because I won’t give you a chance to bail.”
Internally, I curse her and her forward thinking. “Fine,” I tell her, only agreeing because my class will be starting in two minutes. “I’ll see you in a couple of hours.”
Sasha is so excited she’s practically levitating. Shaking my head, I walk through the double doors to my auditorium-style classroom.
***
I still can’t believe I’m actually on the subway wearing a Cinderella costume. I mean, seriously? There were no pirates left, no astronauts, not even a Luigi and a Mario. But there were plenty of princess costumes, though, so of course I got stuck with one. Mask and all.
“Stop pouting,” Sasha—who is dressed as fucking Wonder Woman—says from next to me.
“I’m not pouting.”
“Are so.”
“I don’t want to go to this thing.”
“You do, otherwise you would’ve stood your ground,” Sasha says knowingly. I guess in a way I could have said no, but saying yes to some things is just easier.
“You look wonderful.”
“Oh yeah, I’m sure I do. Need me to get down and clean the floor? Is there a prince lying around waiting to rescue me?” The princess shit is played out and sexist. I don’t need someone coming to my rescue, and wearing this costume feels like I’m setting the Women’s Rights Movement back a couple of years—or a couple of decades.
“Next stop,” Sasha says ignoring my outrage over my costume. Easy for her, since she’s the first female superhero in a Marvel film that kicked ass. A little sexualized, but it’s a step in the right direction, whereas I’m going the complete opposite way.
Getting off the train, I hold my cardigan close to my body, attempting to cover the stupid gigantic ball gown I’m wearing. And failing miserably, because this cardigan does nothing to hide it. We walk for about five minutes until we’ve reached the location the school has rented for this event.
Stepping inside, I’m surprised to see we’ve entered on the mezzanine. With one floor above us and one below, I can see that the whole downstairs level is a huge dance floor. Looking around the gigantic night club, I immediately spot five other Wonder Women. I don’t point them out to Sasha though, because she’s likely to pass out if she finds someone else wearing the same costume.
Tough luck, Sasha, tough luck. Wonder Woman is probably the most sold costume this year.
As I look around, I’m amazed to see how many people are dressed up. I see the sold-out Mario and Luigi costumes being worn by at least four couples. There’s also someone walking around with a gum wrapper costume that looks mighty odd—definitely homemade.
The music is blasting some techno mixes, and I can feel my body start to sway. Getting closer to the balcony, I spot the semi-empty dance floor.
“Let’s go downstairs, grab some drinks, and get to dancing before this place gets so packed we can’t even move,” Sasha says, taking my arm and pulling me in the direction of the stairs.
Five drinks in, Sasha leans close, yelling into my ear, “Oh hey, I forgot to tell you.”
I jerk back to look at her. “What?” I ask, my eyes narrowing on her face.
“Matt is coming by later. He said he’d meet me here.”
“You didn’t think to mention your boyfriend would be joining us?”
She shrugs. “Not really. It didn’t seem important.”
Really? Mentioning I’ll be a third wheel tonight didn’t seem important? “You made me think you were coming by yourself if I didn’t come along!”
“I would have been here by myself if you hadn’t come with me.”
“When he shows up, I’m leaving,” I tell her.
“Oh, come on, Grace. You can stay. Have fun.”
“What costume is he wearing?” I ask, already knowing the answer but seeking confirmation.
“Batman.”
Of course, I think.
“You suck.”
Sasha smiles at me sweetly. “Come on, let’s dance,” she says, our conversation forgotten. Drowned by the loud bass pumping through the speakers, I chug down my drink in one gulp and join Sasha on the dance floor. I can enjoy this while it lasts. As soon as Matt gets here though, I’m out.
***
“Hey, I didn’t expect to see you here,” I hear someone say behind me. I whirl around to find Barrett there, smiling at me.
“Hi, Barrett.” I inspect his interesting choice of costume. “Game of Thrones?”
He looks down at himself, grinning. “I love that shit.”
I laugh, my body still swaying slightly with the music thumping around us. Barrett seems to notice and steps a little closer, his own body mimicking mine. Slowly, we begin a tentative dance, not quite touching but close.
He leans in until his mouth brushes my ear. “I didn’t know you were coming.”
“I wasn’t going to.” My gaze goes to Sasha before I add, “I was dragged here by a friend.”
He gives her a cursory once-over. If he recognizes her, he certainly doesn’t show it.
“Hey, Barrett!”
I look over his shoulder to find some of the girls from the volleyball team joining us, wearing Thing 1 and Thing 2 costumes. Very creative—though I guess if I’m going to be Cinderella, I shouldn’t be talking. I don’t think they remember my name, which is fine with me, because right now with the alcohol in my system and the music booming, I don’t remember theirs, either.
“Nice to see you!” the shorter one tells me with a genuine smile on her face.
“I got drinks,” says yet another voice, causing me to react in a completely different way than I did to Barrett. I turn back to see Ethan wearing a Ninja Turtle costume.
“Hey, Princess,” he says, greeting me with a glint of humor in his blue eyes.
“Not a princess,” I say between gritted teeth.
“You look like one tonight,” he says close to my ear as he passes the drinks to Thing 1, Thing 2, and Barrett. I guess they came here as a team.