The Summer Games: Out of Bounds (20 page)

Chapter Twenty-Five

Brie

After convening for
an emergency training summit in Seattle, WA last month, the U.S. women’s gymnastics team and new coach Erik Winter claim they are fully prepared to take the world stage. The team is set to arrive in Rio de Janeiro today, and soon the world will see if these five Olympians can meet or exceed the lofty expectations set by a strong performance at this year’s Worlds.

After all the discussion of the eleventh hour coaching change, all eyes will likely now focus on Olympic Cinderella Brie Watson. The rookie Watson will expect to face fierce competition in pursuit of gold, but her performance at the upcoming qualifications will—

“Guys we need to go!” Rosie yelled up the stairs.

I tossed my phone on my bed like Rosie was standing right behind me, catching me red-handed. I didn’t read articles. I didn’t Google my name or stay up to date with what the media was writing. It was easier to stay free of distractions in a bubble of naiveté, but that morning, I couldn’t help myself. We were trending on Facebook and I’d hovered my finger over the hot link until finally, I’d clicked it. There was already enough pressure building up inside me, so reading sentences about how “all eyes will be on Olympic Cinderella Brie Watson” made my insides churn.

I wasn’t Cinderella, and just as no fairy godmother was going to magically plop me onto the podium, no prince was going fit me for designer pumps afterward. I was on my own.

“We have to be at the airport in thirty minutes!” Rosie yelled again, trying to catch our attention.

“Shit.”

I turned my attention back to my suitcase on the floor and bent down to try to yank the zipper closed. My stuff had fit in it a month ago, but now that we were leaving for Rio, my belongings had apparently doubled in size.

“Here,” Molly said, pressing her full weight on top of it so I could zip it quickly. I shot her a thankful smile and pushed to my feet.

“Do we have everything?” she asked, scanning the room.

“Did you pack your dildo collection?”

“Ha ha ha,
so
funny.”

“Electric nipple clamps?”

“Oh my god. You’re officially worse than Lexi.”

We checked over the room one last time, confirming we weren’t leaving anything behind. The room was small, but my bunk had been cozy, and when I flipped the light switch and walked out, I felt a pang of sadness hit my stomach, almost like I was going to miss the place.
Almost
.

Truthfully, I couldn’t wait to get out of Erik’s guesthouse. The last month had been difficult, not only for my head but also for my heart. I wanted to play tough for Erik. I wanted to show him I could be just as cool and indifferent as he was, but my armor was starting to chip.

It’d been nearly thirty-six hours since we’d fought in his truck on the way back from yoga—not that I was counting. The day before, he’d given us a break from training so we could pack and prepare for Rio. Instead, I’d done a mighty fine job of wallowing in my room, trying to make sense of my life.

I was about to go to Rio and compete in the Olympics. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and if I was smart, I’d keep my head down and focus on gymnastics—yet thoughts of Erik consumed me. I couldn’t stop replaying our night in the yoga studio. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw him hovering over me, lust smoldering behind his gaze. Every time I brushed my hand across my skin, I pretended it was his hand, claiming me as he had in front of Kira. I knew he’d been moved by the experience. His mouth had been everywhere, blazing across my skin with enough heat that even thirty-six hours later, I still felt burned.

I’d never done anything like that before—what we’d done with Kira—and just the thought of it heated my blood. Lying there with both of their attention on me, their hands, their mouths, their dark words aimed at me and my pleasure alone—it was enough to drive me insane. Though the night had ripped me from my comfort zone, I’d let myself enjoy it because I knew Erik was there, holding me through it. He’d known I would enjoy it, and I had. I’d felt safe with him there, and yet by the end of the night, the Hyde to his Jekyll had returned. The magic was lost the moment he started his truck, and I was back to being a doll for him to either play with or pack away when I no longer convenienced him.

“I already have
a few party invites nailed down,” Lexi said.

She’d snatched the window seat on the plane and I’d taken the seat beside her, across the aisle from Molly. Lexi was on her phone, scrolling through Facebook, accepting and declining event invitations. I was busy trying to see into first-class. Erik was up there and every time one of the flight attendants giggled, I tilted my head and tried to see past the curtain.

“HELLO. Are you listening?
Parties
.”

Molly laughed. “We have that gymnastics mixer tonight.”

Lexi gagged. “That’s an Olympic-sanctioned event. It’s like an ice cream social with chaperones.” She turned and leaned in toward both of us. “I’m talking about
real
parties, the kind where pants are optional.”

I stared down at my jean shorts and Lexi laughed.

“Why would Brie want to go to those?” Molly asked with a hushed tone. “Unless of course they allow coaches in as well?”

I glared at her. “Stop.”

“What?” she asked innocently. “The tension between you two has hit a new level. You won’t tell me what happened at yoga, so I can only assume the worst.”

She waggled her eyebrows and I shook my head. “
Nothing
happened.”

Lexi coughed. “Liar.”

Another giggle sounded from first class and I leaned forward to rifle through my backpack for my MP3 player. I wouldn’t survive the flight, not with Erik up there ignoring me and Lexi and Molly interrogating me. I stuffed my earbuds into my ears and closed my eyes, crossing my arms when Lexi tried to get my attention.

“Wake me up when we get there,” I said, squeezing my eyes closed harder.

“Fine,” she said, just before tugging one of my headphones out so I could hear the second part of her sentence. “But after the mixer tonight, we’re going out—
Olympic style.
”

It was a
short drive from the airport to the village, though that didn’t make it any better. All six of us were stuffed into the same shuttle. As we’d loaded up, Erik had stood back, letting us all climb in first. He didn’t make eye contact with me as I passed him, but his hand pressed to my lower back, guiding me toward the back seat. I’d shivered at his touch and I knew the bastard had felt it.

Once we were all inside, he’d hopped in and slid the large door closed behind him. For the twenty-minute drive, I stared at the back of his head, taking in the clean cut of his inky black hair and trying hard to read his thoughts; I wanted to get to the juicy stuff: the things that kept him up at night, what he really thought of me. I could smell his body wash from my perch behind him. It was a scent I’d come to associate with lust and longing. I hated it.

Lexi leaned in close and whispered, “You haven’t blinked in like five minutes. I think there’s dust collecting on your eyeballs.”

I elbowed her in the chest and she laughed, not the least bit deterred.

“Whoa! Look!” Rosie said, pointing out the window as our shuttle drove into the Olympic Village.

The place was everything I’d imagined: new and luxurious. It reminded me of an outdoor mall with shops lining a central road. There were coffee shops, salons, bookstores, pharmacies. Anything we needed was only a short walk away from the American athlete complex.

“Don’t be late this evening and don’t do anything stupid,” Erik said, keeping his attention out the window. “We have qualifications in two days, so no alcohol and no parties.”

“Gonna put a guard outside our door?” Lexi challenged.

I caught his subtle smirk. “If I have to.”

“Will you be there tonight?” I asked the back of his head. It was the first time I’d talked to him in two days and I regretted the question as soon as I’d asked it.

“With the coaches,” he answered with a cool, even tone, never glancing away from the window.

“What about the men’s gymnastics team?” Lexi asked. “Will they be there?”

I shot her a curious glance. She wasn’t interested in the men’s gymnastics team; she was into soccer players.

He shrugged. “They should be.”

Lexi squealed and grabbed my arm. “Perfect, Brie. That means you’ll get to see Noah!”

Lexi was an
evil genius, and she wouldn’t let me forget it.

“Did you see the way he reacted to the mention of Noah?!” she asked, falling back on my bed and letting her arms splay out wide. She was still reveling in her “well-placed jealousy bomb”, as she’d so humbly dubbed it.

“You mean the way he
didn’t
react?” I asked, pulling out another shirt and hanging it up in my closet. We’d just arrived to our five-room condo and I was unpacking. I’d managed to hang up two shirts in my small closet before Lexi let herself into my room so we could continue to discuss her favorite topic as of late: Erik. Though we each had our own bedroom in the large condo, Lexi and I were paired up to share a bathroom, which apparently meant she had free rein of my room as well.

“His jaw clenched so tight I thought it would break!” She laughed, pushing up to lean on her hands.

“Well I didn’t see that.”

She rolled to the side and propped her head on her hand. “Fine, new subject. So you and Noah are still friends?”

Noah. Easy, nice Noah.

I shrugged. “We were never really anything
more
than friends. We ended things pretty amicably. We went out for dinner while we were competing at Worlds, but like I said, he ended the night with a high five. By the time we returned to the States, there was too much distance between us. Besides, we both needed to focus on gymnastics.”

“
And
he didn’t make your heart race and your palms sweat the way Erik does.”

I swallowed. “And that.”

I seriously needed to stop confiding in Lexi.

“But maybe he’s a late bloomer and now he’s some confident sex-god. Are you excited to see him tonight?”

I hadn’t really thought about it. When I’d made the Olympic team, Noah had sent me a long text congratulating me. We’d gone back and forth a few times, agreeing to meet up in Rio if we had the chance.

“I’ll be happy to see a familiar face. He’s a nice guy.”

She squealed and pushed off the bed. “Perfect. He’s just the bait we need. Meet me in the bathroom in ten minutes.”

I finished hanging up my clothes and shot my mom a quick text to let her know I’d arrived in Rio, safe and sound—though sharing a bathroom with Lexi didn’t guarantee I’d stay that way.

“This is what you’re wearing to the mixer.”

Excuse me?

Lexi was standing in my doorway, holding up a silky black dress that looked super sexy and about a foot too short for a public outing.

I shook my head. “I can’t wear that.”

“Just try it on,” she insisted, handing it over before I could protest. The material was soft in my hand, and I decided I’d humor her. Once she saw how low-cut the top was on me, I’d tear it off and find something to wear that was more appropriate.

I slid into the dress, loving the feel of it against my skin. The triangle top cut across my breasts and showed off a bit of cleavage. The black silky material stretched tight across my stomach and then flared gently around my hips in an A-line cut that balanced the low-cut top.

In my life, I could count on one hand the number of times I’d felt truly sexy. Usually I was stuck in leotards, sweaty and tired after practice. My body was sculpted and beautiful, but I rarely noticed. The second I saw my reflection in that little black dress, I knew I wouldn’t take it off. I looked
good
. The dress showed off every inch of my petite frame and when Lexi dropped a pair of simple strappy nude heels in front of me, I didn’t even protest.

“Can I do your hair and makeup?” she asked with her hands squeezed together in a plea. “I think a tiny bit of eye shadow and mascara will make your eyes pop.”

Lexi’s makeup always looked good. In the last month, I’d learned that she spent more time watching makeup tutorials on YouTube than anyone else on earth. Even still, I called Molly in to supervise her just to be safe.

“Is she doing too much eye shadow?” I asked ten minutes later, trying to peek through my closed lids.

Molly stepped in front of me, blocking the mirror.

“Don’t look yet!” she said, holding out her hands. “You look so freaking good, just relax. Erik’s going to eat his tongue,” Molly said with a triumphant smile.