"Does it still hurt?" Nina asked.
Liz fingered the purple-blue bruise above her cheekbone. She glanced back at Nina in the mirror and tried not to scoff at her new teammate's concern. This massive shiner was all her fault and she didn't even realise. Too wrapped up in the impossible glossiness of Nina's legs, Liz hadn't seen the ball coming. It was a powerful smash delivered by the opposing team's star player and, stupid as it may sound, Liz had forgotten to duck. She'd been so enthralled by the flexing muscles in Nina's calves that she'd ignored the most important reflex of any volleyball player: protect yourself.
"Kind of." Liz removed the useless make-up from her face. She remembered the days when half the team was made up of lesbians and they drove home after an away game, no matter how far. Nowadays, it seemed imperative that they book a cheap B&B so the youngsters could flirt all night with the male teams lingering about the cafeteria. Nearing twenty-nine, Liz knew she was on her way out and maybe it made her a tad bitter. Her lifetime volleyball companion Kate had to bow out of this game because of a knee injury―no doubt caused by too much wear and tear, they were the same age after all―leaving Liz to share a room with the new girl. Not that she minded that much. Her gaze followed Nina as she brushed her long unruly curls before tying them into a ponytail for bed. It was just a bit embarrassing at the moment.
"She was really gunning for you." Nina shook her head and her ponytail bopped from left to right. "What a bitch."
"It was my own fault. I was distracted." Still looking at Nina's reflection in the mirror, Liz pinned her eyes on her teammate's hazel ones and stared for a moment too long. Nina had slipped out of her summer dress and wore nothing but a flower-patterned pair of shorts and a skimpy tank top. Did she not realise they were sharing the bed? As soon as Liz had heard she'd be bunking with Nina she'd invested in a navy silk pair of pyjamas which covered most of her skin―mainly as a measure of self-protection. The thought of inadvertently touching Nina during the night had made her a bit too moist for comfort.
"Oh yeah. By what?" Nina had moved to the edge of the bed and was applying moisturiser to her legs. Liz tried not to stare at them but, just like during the game, she couldn't pull her gaze away.
"I don't know." Liz had to swallow before she could continue to speak. "Someone in the crowd, I guess."
"Someone special?" Nina shot her a sly smile.
"Hardly." Liz hadn't met someone to refer to as special in a while. "Excuse me." She grabbed her pyjamas, stepped into the tiny bathroom and closed the door behind her. Before splashing cold water in her face she examined herself in yet another mirror. Her cheek was swollen, narrowing her left eye. The bruise seemed to mock her and, admittedly, despite the dramatic purple-red edge of the contusion, it was her ego that was wounded most. She had no business lusting after someone who'd just graduated from university. Nina was barely twenty-one and even though they were only eight years apart in age, somehow, it felt more like eighteen―or eighty, now that she was feeling especially melodramatic about it.
Liz ran her fingers through her blond bob and sighed. She undressed and let the soft silk of the pyjama envelop her limbs. Her nipples perked up against the smooth fabric and Liz certainly hadn't counted on a pair of PJs making her frisky. Who was she kidding, anyway? She had plenty of silk garments and none had this effect on her. She relied on another deep breath to calm her down and headed back into the bedroom.
Nina lay on her side, her nose buried in an Ian Rankin thriller. She looked up as Liz entered the room. "Nice PJs." Nina gave her a once-over and curled her lips into an innocent smile.
"This old thing?" While scolding herself for behaving so pathetically, Liz switched off the overhead light, leaving Nina's face solely illuminated by a small reading lamp. At least the legs are covered, Liz noticed, torn between relief and disappointment. Either way, some miracle would have to happen for this not be a feverish sleepless night for her.
"Do you mind if I read?" Nina lifted her book up and presented it as a piece of evidence. "Never had time at uni to read a decent thriller. It was all Jane Austen here and Emily Brontë there."
"Could be worse." Liz found herself tongue-tied and unable to engage in intelligent conversation with this girl.
"I understand if you're tired, what with barely escaping a concussion." Nina pulled the covers away on Liz' side of the bed and Liz didn't know what to make of the gesture. It was so easy―so tempting―to see more in it than it was.
"That's all right. I don't mind the light." Liz slipped under the sheets and the pressure of the blanket reminded her of the stiffness of her nipples. Sheer fabric like silk was quite revealing and Liz was suddenly mortified. She pulled the sheets up to her chin and lay there with no idea of how to relax, let alone fall asleep. She listened to Nina's breathing and the rustling of the pages. The rate at which she turned them made Liz suspect the book was worth staying up late for and she made a mental note to buy it. At least they would have something to talk about next time they had to share a room. If there ever was a next time. Kate was not one to miss out on many games and it had only been the distance―and the fact that she had to put her knee up―that had kept her from joining this trip.
After twenty minutes Nina switched off her reading light and turned on her back. "Are you asleep?" she whispered as soon as it had gone dark.
"Mmm," Liz mumbled. She was wide awake and had spent the better part of the last ten minutes wondering if she should lie on her hands to prevent her from inadvertently touching herself. Nina's body heat seemed to multiply under the sheets and the thought of those legs mere inches away from hers made Liz' skin sizzle. It was a good thing she had on an extra layer to hide the goosebumps.
"How long have you been on the team?" Nina obviously took Liz' grumble as willingness to talk. As long as the subject was the team, Nina could handle it.
"Twelve years and barely missed a game." Inside, Liz swelled with pride. She'd given a lot for the team, but had gotten much more in return. Two girlfriends for instance, and a lot of pent up lust, it seemed now.
"And still the best player. Amazing." Nina hesitated for a split second. "I really look up to you."
