Taking a Shot at Love Read online

  After they said good-bye to Gerald, they made their way out of the grand room. Celeste didn’t see the attractive woman, but she did see Jackie watch her go and her eyes were shooting daggers at Celeste every step of the way.

  * * *

  Celeste and Olivia went to their favorite Mexican restaurant by the campus and were seated right away. Once the school year started, there was usually a wait to get a table. The restaurant had once been a church in its previous life, and the seats for the booths were the old pews. Some of the original stained-glass windows were still present, and the food was so good, it made the customer want to thank God. Their server dropped off a basket of chips and two bowls of salsa, the one food combination Celeste had trouble saying no to. Because of that, she’d decided she would order a salad with grilled chicken and light dressing on the side. The server took their drink order and left them to their chips.

  “So, what did Jackie have to say?”

  Celeste bitterly laughed. “Nothing important and nothing I wanted to hear.” Celeste had tried to put her confrontation out of her mind. In fact, at times like these, she wished she had short-term memory loss, but only of the time she and Jackie dated.

  Celeste scooped some salsa onto her chip and popped it in her mouth. Olivia stared at her until Celeste was done chewing. Olivia knew the whole story, from beginning to end, of the relationship between Celeste and Jackie, including the abuse Celeste had suffered at the words and hands of Jackie. It was only through Celeste’s pleading and tears that Olivia hadn’t said anything to Gerald.

  “Okay. She said I looked beautiful and wanted to know how my summer was, but when I turned to leave, she grabbed my arm and called me a bitch.”

  “Damn her! It’s not bad enough she spread lies about you but now she has to harass you? You might want to talk to Gerald about that if she continues. And if you don’t, I will.” The chip in Olivia’s hand broke from holding on a little too hard, and it crumbled into the salsa. “Well, shit.” Olivia took her spoon and dug out the broken pieces of chip.

  Celeste reached across the table and squeezed Olivia’s hand. “I love that you’re almost as upset as I am about Jackie, but trust me, she’s not worth your time or energy. I don’t want Gerald, or anyone else, to know what happened between us. I’m embarrassed enough as it is. Thank you for sticking with me last year when she was spreading those lies.”

  Olivia’s features softened, and Celeste felt a lump form in her throat. There were many reasons why Celeste was grateful that she took the teaching position at GU, but her friendship with Olivia topped the list. Jackie? Well, she didn’t make the list at all. In fact, she’d made a different list altogether.

  “You’re my best friend and one of the most respected and loved professors in the English department. Maybe on the entire campus.”

  “It’s not that big of a campus.” Celeste winked before putting another chip in her mouth.

  “You know, for the elegance and grace you show to the world, you sure are a smart-ass.”

  Celeste giggled and she felt good. It felt like it’d been forever since she felt this happy despite having a run-in with Jackie. She felt excited about the school year—not just with teaching, but she felt she was in store for something magical this year. She was coming up on her last year in her forties and she felt like she was finally starting to hit her groove.

  Chapter Two

  Lisa Tobias walked through the front door of the university-owned house she shared with her best friend and assistant coach, Athena Chang, who was sitting on the couch watching a WNBA game. Lisa threw her keys and wallet on the small wooden table near the door, said hi to Athena, then continued to her bedroom to get out of her clothes and into her basketball shorts and T-shirt.

  After she was more comfortable, she grabbed a beer from the refrigerator and joined Athena on the couch.

  “Who’s winning?”

  “Sparks. Parker is going off tonight.”

  “Mmm.” Lisa leaned forward and plucked a few cold fries from Athena’s discarded dinner.

  The game ended and Athena muted the television. “How did tonight go?”

  “Not bad. Good turnout. I talked to the athletic director about ordering new uniforms for the team. He said it was a good possibility for next year if we do well enough.” That definitely hadn’t been an issue at her last coaching position. She had coached at a large Division I university, and the school spared no expense for any of the athletic teams. New uniforms, new shoes, new practice gear, travel sweats and luggage, state-of-the-art facilities. Getting the coaching job at GU had definitely been an adjustment, even if she was glad just to have a coaching position at this point. The uniforms her team had were over five years old. It was like pulling teeth to get the team new travel sweats. Her argument was that her team was representing GU and they should look good doing it, even if they were boarding a budget airline.

  “I don’t think that will be a problem. We had a pretty decent recruiting class. And with the four juniors, two seniors, and three sophomores, we’ll have more than enough talent to bring the freshmen up to speed.”

  “That’s what I’m thinking too as long as all the players keep their grades up. We almost lost Emily Logan for the fall semester. Thankfully, she pulled up her GPA with her two summer school classes. She’s been put on academic probation though so we really need to stay on top of her. I just don’t understand it. She’s really smart and has the intelligence to get all As but something happened last spring to make her tank some of her grades. Did you ever find out what happened?”

  “No, she was tight-lipped, only saying she’d try harder.”

  “We’re going to have to talk to her about that or I may just threaten to bench her if she doesn’t work harder in class.”

  Athena nodded. “How else was tonight? I noticed you’re home early and couldn’t get out of those clothes fast enough.”

  Lisa laughed. “You know how it is. Fancy appetizers, fine wine, which I don’t drink, and all the scholarly people talking about their upcoming lectures that I have no interest in.”

  “So, you hung out with the coaches.” Athena knew Lisa too well, and it came out as a statement and not a question. Lisa had half a mind to send Athena in her place next year, if they were still at the school, just so she could understand the suffering a head coach had to endure for the greater good.

  “Yep. We were all bragging on our teams and putting together a friendly wager on which team would finish with the best conference standings. The baseball coach feels like he’s going to win the bet, and he just might. They had a great season last year. I feel we have a decent shot at finishing in the top three of our conference. This is only our second year here, but I felt we inherited a pretty good team. And with the players we were able to bring in, I’m hoping they all gel by the time conference starts. We start preseason conditioning in two weeks, but I want the ladies to start practicing on the court together. We can put the seniors in charge of that since we can’t have an ‘official’ practice until mid-October.”

  “I’m excited about this team and our season, Ice.”

  Lisa smiled at the nickname Athena gave her way back when they were college teammates. The team had been on the road, and they were in their hotel room after a game. Athena had sprained her ankle and needed ice, but the ice machine at the hotel only had cubed ice and Athena wanted it crushed. In an effort to shut her up, Lisa dropped the bag of ice on the floor and stomped on it a few times. She picked up the bag and handed it to Athena and said, “There’s your crushed fucking ice.” Athena and their trainer burst out in laughter, and that night Athena gave Lisa her nickname. She had to admit that she liked it better than her previous nickname of LT. So boring. “Ice” had a much funnier story associated with it. She had one other nickname, Tobi, short for her last name, but Athena was the only one who called her Ice.

  “We’ll give our conference a run for their money, that’s for sure.” Athena went to the kitchen and brought back tw
o more beers.

  “Thanks.” They tapped the glass bottle necks together and took a drink. “I saw a gorgeous woman at the party tonight. I don’t know her name or what she does, but she’s a real looker.” Lisa recalled the moment the woman walked into the room wearing a blouse that was one button away from exposing just enough cleavage, a skirt that fit her like a glove, and high heels that gave a delicious shape to her calves. Lisa noticed the string of pearls around the woman’s neck and thought that she looked like the type of woman who should wear pearls and diamonds. The way her hips moved with every step certainly got Lisa’s attention.

  “You didn’t talk to her?”

  “No. I made eye contact across the room, and she smiled back at me during the president’s speech. I was about to make my way over when another woman took her attention. I changed directions to go to the bar, but when I returned, she was gone. Just as well. I need to focus on this season and the team. I’m never going to get back to a Division I school if we don’t have a good record and do well in conference.”

  “I don’t know, Ice. I kind of like it here. I like the small campus and the old town feel. It just feels homey to me.”

  “Athena, as much as I love having you coach with me, if you have a better offer that presents itself, I’d expect you to take it. Same goes for me. If I can get back to a higher-ranking school to coach, I’m going to take it. If I get a better offer and I accept, and if you want to stay here, I’d totally give you my recommendation for the head coach position. I’d miss the hell out of you, but I’d be happy for you.”

  Athena took a gulp from her beer and stared at the television screen. “We don’t have to talk about that now.”

  Lisa could see she hit a nerve with Athena. The thought of not having Athena by her side on the bench made Lisa a little sick to her stomach, but she’d never hold her back or stop her from leaving if she wanted something different. They’d been best friends since their college days and Lisa knew Athena like the back of her hand. She only wanted the best for her.

  “Anyways, tell me more about this woman who caught your eye.”

  Lisa closed her eyes to conjure up the image of what had to be one of the most beautiful women she’d ever seen. “Do you know that actress on that lawyer show you like so much? She kind of looks like her.”

  “No shit? She’s hot.”

  “I know. She was a lot shorter than me but had all the right curves in all the right places. She wore these heels that would break my ankles, but they made her legs look shapely. She wore a skirt and a blouse and carried herself with an air of sophistication.”

  Athena burst out in laughter. “You’re such a dude. You have no sense of female fashion.”

  “And you do?” Lisa threw a fry at Athena and she fell over on the couch. “I don’t know what they call that style of skirt or heels. I’ve been wearing slacks and loafers too long.”

  “No, you’ve been wearing basketball sweats and high tops for too long.”

  “Whatever, Chang.” Lisa joined Athena in cracking up. “I’ve never seen her before so I have no idea what department she’s in. The woman who was talking to her after the speech though? She looks like she plays for our team so it gives me hope that the other one does too.”

  “What does it matter if you have plans on leaving here? And I thought you wanted to focus on the season. That means no outside distractions.”

  Lisa shrugged. “You never know, buddy. You never know.” It had been a while since Lisa had dated anyone, and at forty-six, she wasn’t getting any younger. She’d like to find a woman to spend her life with, but she would have to be understanding about Lisa’s schedule and travel. If she could find someone who looked like the woman she saw earlier who supported her coaching career, then she would definitely date her.

  Chapter Three

  Celeste met Olivia in the locker room on campus early Monday morning to get ready for a fitness program that was being started for students and faculty. It was to include exercise classes and nutritional information run by some of the athletic coaches and professors in the health department. That was one of the benefits of working for a small university—the development of programs such as this one to promote good health. It was only the second week of the semester, but it was very easy to get caught up in poor health habits. There would be lots of sitting or standing in one position, meals on the go, or forgetting to eat altogether.

  “I really appreciate you doing this program with me, Liv.”

  “Don’t mention it. I think this is a great program the university is putting on. Hopefully, it has a good turnout so it will be continued. It’s great that we’re doing this together so we can encourage each other and have fun.”

  Celeste wrapped her arms around her and agreed. “Come on. Let’s get into the gym and see who else is doing this.”

  They walked up the stairs and through the doors of the gym, surprised to find so many people gathered, a good mix of faculty and students. Suddenly self-conscious about working out in front of so many people, Celeste tugged the hem of her T-shirt over her black yoga pants in an effort to hide her butt. She felt like she was back in high school in PE class—the kid being picked last for teams, the one with no coordination or athletic ability.

  Olivia leaned in as she took Celeste’s arm to lead her farther into the gym. “I know what you’re thinking, but there’s no need to be embarrassed. You look like a warrior ready to work out and we’re all here for the same common goal.”

  Celeste smiled and waved to a couple of her former students and spoke quietly out of the corner of her mouth. “How do you always know what I’m thinking? Am I that transparent?”

  “No, but I’ve known you for a very long time, and I know the changes you’ve made to live a healthier lifestyle. You are awesome, my sweet friend, and we’re going to have a great time.”

  The shrill sound of a whistle made them jump and turn to the offending sound. Celeste quietly gasped when she saw the woman from the faculty mixer. She stepped to the side until she was behind another person, not wanting the woman to see her.

  “Good morning. Thank you for coming out to our first class. When I initially took this idea to President Prescott, I was thinking it was going to be a small gathering that would meet once a week to go for a walk, maybe do some light resistance exercises. But as I started to tell some of my colleagues, they volunteered to run some of the meetings. We’ll be doing various exercises and nutrition classes that hopefully will be fun and informative for all of you. I’m taken aback by the turnout we have for our first class, and I’m excited to get started. Remember, this is totally voluntary and you can choose what classes you want to attend, but I’m hoping that most of you will want to come out every week.

  “My name is Lisa Tobias and I’m the coach of the women’s basketball team. With me today is my assistant coach, Athena Chang, and we’re here to answer any and all questions. Does anyone have any questions?”

  Celeste saw an older woman raise her hand.

  “Yes, I have a hip replacement, and I want to make sure this is safe for me to do.”

  “Absolutely. These workouts can accommodate everyone, and we can always modify something if it’s too difficult.”

  Celeste was impressed that Coach Tobias had considered different levels of fitness. She felt herself start to relax and her muscles loosen. She wasn’t completely new to exercise, but her workouts consisted of a smaller, more intimate group. She had been worried that she wouldn’t be able to keep up or that everyone would be athletic and in shape. But she saw plenty of people who had a similar shape as her, all ages, shapes, and sizes. And as a bonus, she’d get to occasionally look at Coach Tobias.

  Lisa Tobias was very good-looking with wide-set eyes, strong angular jaw, and a straight nose. Her dark brown hair was pulled back in a ponytail, she had on sweat pants, a GU hoodie sweatshirt, and a whistle draped around her neck.

  “I’ll leave a stack of papers with the weekly schedule by the door so
you can grab one on your way out. For our first class, we’re just going to walk around the campus. It’s a good way to get familiar with the grounds for our new students and faculty if we have any in our group.”

  A few people raised their hands and Lisa clapped. “Excellent. Welcome to GU. Okay, people, let’s head outside and meet in front of the fountain.”

  The group started to make their way to the door like a herd of sheep. Celeste saw the coaches standing by the table that held the schedule and they were greeting everyone. Celeste felt her pulse increase and felt her face getting hot. Lisa was going to see her. In yoga pants. Granted, they were new but still. She looked around the crowd, looking for an escape route. Would Lisa even recognize her from the other night? Celeste guided Olivia in front of her and lowered her head, trying to hide behind her, but she caught Lisa’s eye and Lisa’s face lit up.

  “Hi. Thanks for coming.” The coach’s voice sounded like she was excited to see her, but she didn’t give any indication that she recognized her so Celeste tried to hide the tremor in her voice.

  “Hello.” Celeste said nothing else as she grabbed a copy of the schedule and increased her pace to catch up to Olivia. Whew. Dodged that bullet.

  * * *

  “That’s her. That’s the chick I was telling you about, the one I saw at the party.” Lisa nudged Athena sharply in the ribs. She thought she’d caught a glimpse of her when she was talking to the class, but she was standing behind an older man, and she couldn’t be sure it was her. Lisa was starting her second year on campus, and she’d never seen her before the faculty mixer more than a week ago. Now she’d seen her twice. Even though the woman had been in workout clothes this morning, Lisa thought she looked just as beautiful and sexy as she did dressed up at the mixer.