Thanks for reading, commenting, favoriting and following :)
I went through the previous chapters fixing the typos/mistakes I found and added a few (hundred..) words here and there. :D Nothing that major I think. Also corrected how I wrote down the scores in the previous chapter. Here in Finland the score of the home team is stated first, but not like I put it in a sentence.. all weird. I don't know what I was thinking - probably nothing :D Thanks to Ozmett for pointing it out so I could fix it :)
xoxo
It had been a week since the hand holding incident as Holly called it. Gail had been friendly and sought Holly out on numerous occasions during and after training to chat with her under the cover of bringing the keeper Gatorade, water or a towel. She'd asked about Holly's family, friends and school and preferences on movies and music. It almost seemed like the blond was going through a questionnaire, but Holly quite enjoyed talking to Gail about normal things like friends.
People on the team had also noticed Gail's out of character behavior and were slightly baffled. Andy suspected, but didn't know for sure, that Gail had fallen for their new recruit. Traci knew the truth and so did Chloe. But even Chloe had been slack-jawed witnessing Gail's chatterbox tendencies. The blond was really making an effort and Chloe could see Holly struggling to not fall for Gail.
Holly's walls and determination to keep the blond at an arm's length were starting to crumble with Gail's unwavering endeavors to connect with her. And then finally the striker had nervously fidgeting asked Holly for a night out. 'We'll go out to the batting cages and dinner. What do you say?' Gail had sputtered out, while digging the dirt by the field with her foot. Holly had said 'yes', before she had even thought it through.
And now here they were – at the local batting cages cracking away. Well, at least Holly had gotten some hits with a loud crack earlier. Now it was the blond's turn and the balls kept swooshing past her, while Gail growled and grumbled unhappily to herself.
"I hate this game." Gail snarled after a yet another miss. "I hate it. I hate it. I hate it!" She hissed as she swung the bat in vain again. Not even coming close to hitting the balls flying towards her from the machine ahead.
"Why did we come here then?" Holly inserted carefully. She wasn't sure, if the blond was gonna blow a gasket or not. "This was your idea." She pointed out.
"Oh I know." Gail did a one-eighty stepping off the plate and smiled brightly at the brunette on the other side of the safety shield. "I promised to embarrass myself didn't I?"
"You did." Holly nodded her eyebrow arched.
"I am doing just that as you can see. And Chloe told me you liked to hit balls. And.." Gail rolled her eyes a little at how that sounded. "Um.. And I like you. I wanted to spend some time with you.. So, here we are." She finished giving Holly a cautious look as if she thought she might have said too much.
"I'm having fun." Holly smiled assuringly, before smirking. "You're insane. You know that right?"
"Uh huh. I know." Gail admitted with a wry grin and stepped back up ready to swing. "I'm gonna hit one of these bastards sooner or later."
"Let me help you." Holly said putting on her helmet and stepped into the cage.
"Help away." Gail conceded waving her bat around expecting the brunette to give her some pointers on her stance, timing or something.
"So.. You need to.. bent your knees more and.." Holly pressed against Gail's back making the blond jump. "..hold the bat like this." She instructed as she wound her arms around Gail and put her hands over the striker's that were gripping the bat.
"Um.. Ah.. Okay." Gail croaked. I'm not gonna hit anything now for sure. Holly's distracting me. Big time. Gail fretted inwardly, while her body tingled. "So, uh.. like this?" She wiggled a little trying to clear her head. Bad move, she realized when she felt Holly's frame glide against her back so deliciously. Gail bit her lip trying not to groan out loud at the feeling.
"Yeah." Holly swallowed, but didn't let go. "Like that." She husked.
Gail heard Holly's breath hitch as the brunette breathed on her ear making the blond's arousal spike. Shit. I think I might die from this. Keel over here, right now, the striker realized. Friends. Friends, friends, she chanted. For now.
"You got the hang of it?" Holly exhaled clearing her throat and extracted her body off Gail's. "Try." She added putting more distance between them, before taking a deep shuddering breath.
Gail swung the bat and hit the ball with a satisfying loud crack. "I guess I did! Yay!" She celebrated quickly, until swiftly stepping off the plate smiling widely.
"What now?" Holly asked. "Where are you going?" She added, when Gail returned her helmet and bat on the shelf.
"I hit the ball. Game over." Gail stated as obvious. "Let's go eat?"
"Sure." Holly shrugged. "You're happy just hitting once?"
"Ecstatic." Gail grinned. "It was perfect. And now I don't have to do it again."
"Oh. Okay. I have to come by myself next time." Holly said sounding somewhat disappointed in Gail's ears.
"No-no. I can come with." Gail quickly volunteered and took Holly's hand in hers as she tugged the woman out the door. "I like watching you... Swing the bat. Um, in a totally un-creepy way?" She finished glancing at Holly.
"Okay." Holly pecked Gail on the cheek, before she could stop herself. That was just a friendly little kiss. On the cheek. Just a little friendly kiss, she decided blushing.
"Great.. Next up dinner." Gail was sure her face would split into two the way she was smiling.
.
On Friday Holly was nervously tidying up her apartment even though not much was out of place. Both she and Chloe were moderately neat. Chloe had gone out for dinner with their teammates Naomi and Dana, while Holly was expecting Gail to come any moment now. On a whim Holly had blurted out asking, if Gail would like to come over for a movie night.
So here she was agonizing over the fact that she'd be alone with Gail. On the couch. In the dimly lit living room watching 'Young Frankenstein.' A movie night.. just the two of them! Alone! Bad idea! I learned nothing, nothing, from the batting cages, Holly groaned. Friends, friends, friends, she repeated over and over, while setting some snacks on the coffee table. There was a knock on the door, which made Holly jump.
"Shit.. Here we go." Holly breathed as she flexed her neck from side to side, before grabbing the door handle.
"Hey." Holly greeted opening the door and seeing Gail hover on the other side with a blue rose in her hand.
"Um.. Hey." Gail smiled nervously. She'd been fretting for hours and driving Traci to the brink of madness with her ponderings, if this was a date or not.
"Come in." Holly gestured with her hand.
"Here." Gail thrust the flower at Holly.
Oh my God! Calm down. At least try to be smooth. Try for God's sake, Gail moaned inwardly. Can't be having another meltdown today.. Already had one in the flower shop! Different colored roses mean different things, the shopkeeper had told her. The older woman had gone through a variety of colors, before finally reaching blue and saying that the blue is extraordinary and some say it expresses 'You are extraordinarily wonderful'. I'll take it! Blue! Gail had practically shouted. Different colors.. Who knew, Gail sighed lifting her eyes back on Holly.
"It's beautiful. Thank you." Holly gave a gorgeous lop-sided smile, that made Gail swoon. "Here's the living room. Please sit and make yourself comfortable." Holly motioned.
"Thanks. Nice place." Gail said plopping down on the couch. "What a load of.. healthy snacks?" She grimaced a little seeing the spread on the table. Fruit slices, grapes, crackers, nuts.. Where were the cheese puffs?!
"I'll get us something to drink." Holly smirked before disappearing to the kitchen.
"So um.. I've been meaning to ask you about.." Gail called after Holly, but soon trailed off. "Actually forget it. It's none of my business."
"What?" Holly prompted. She walked back to the living room with a pitcher of Pepsi, two glasses and a bag of cheese puffs.
"Thank God!" Gail squealed once she saw the cheesy goodness and grabbed the bag dangling from Holly's fingers.
"You like?"
"I love!" Gail grinned meeting Holly's twinkling eyes. "How did you know?"
"You told me." Holly said in mock offence. "Repeatedly."
"Yeah. I did, didn't I?" Gail smirked happily.
"Uh huh. So what were you going to ask me?" Holly set the Pepsi down on the table.
"Stacy. You two are.. close?" Gail blurted fiddling with the bag of cheese puffs. The redhead had troubled her thoughts ever since the game. She was curious and.. jealous too. That woman had touched Holly so intimately and caused all kinds of unpleasant feelings swirl inside the blond.
"We're friends." Holly started as she sat next to Gail on the couch. She reached for the remote. "Stacy and I, we dated for a while."
"Oh. Okay." Gail nodded. Dated? Stacy obviously still held feelings for Holly. Did they end it just because Stacy transferred, Gail mused gloomily.
"We're friends now." Holly said taking Gail's hand in hers.
"Okay." Gail repeated smiling as she met Holly's eyes. "Press play."
"Have you seen this?" Holly asked, when the opening credits started to roll.
"I have, but it was ages ago." Gail said keeping her fingers intertwined with Holly's. "I remember I liked it."
The movie started, but the cheese puffs stayed untouched, because Gail didn't want to release her hold on Holly's hand to open the bag. She gently caressed the back of the brunette's hand with the pad of her thumb.
"Hey Holls! You home?" Chloe called out coming in.
"We're here."
"We?" Chloe asked cheekily as she made her way to the living room. "Gail? Hey."
"Hey." Gail answered unhappily. Holly had pulled her hand away and Gail put both of her hands slightly awkwardly around the bag of cheese puffs. "What are you doing here?" She asked with some acid in her voice.
"I live here." Chloe countered with a sly grin. "You?"
"I invited her. For a movie night." Holly intervened with narrowed eyes locked on her friend. "Just like I told you."
"Oh right. I remember. Now." Chloe shrugged. "A friendly movie night." She arched her eyebrow teasingly as she squeezed to sit between Holly and Gail. "What are we watching? Oo, Young Frankenstein. I love this movie."
"Really?" Gail huffed irritated, while moving further away from the smaller brunette, who had almost crawled in her lap.
"Huffing at me Peck?" Chloe asked innocently, while reaching for the grapes in the bowl on the sofa table.
"Why did you have to come and sit there. Touching me." Gail spat with a disgusted shiver at Chloe, aggravated that the woman had squeezed her ass between her and Holly. And interrupted their hand holding! "There's room on the floor."
"I like rubbing against Holly." Chloe said nonchalantly plugging a grape in her mouth. "She's hot."
"What?" Gail snarled flitting her blazing eyes between the women, while Holly snorted.
"Sorry, that came out wrong." Chloe smirked gleefully knowing full well what Gail had thought.
"You came out wrong." Gail growled popping open the cheese puffs.
"Good one." Chloe let out a laugh. "Holly's warm. That's what I meant. I'm always freezing so it's.."
"Shut up. And watch the movie." Gail snapped.
"I'm Holly's bestie. You should be nicer to me, you know. I could stir up trouble." Chloe smirked evilly. She wouldn't, but Gail didn't need to know that.
"She won't." Holly said with a pointed look at Chloe, until moving her eyes to Gail's.
"Right.." Gail sighed as she met Holly's eyes. "Please, shut up and watch the movie." She said to Chloe.
"Much better." Chloe praised.
.
After the movie ended Gail had left giving Holly a slightly awkward, but nice and warm hug under the watchful eye of Chloe, who was hovering right next to them. The unplanned hug with Chloe had been both a terrible surprise and horrendously awkward. For Gail. The smaller brunette had sort of launched herself at the striker, who had gulped at the contact and stood there rigidly for the durance of the way too long embrace.
"Why did you barge in?" Holly scolded Chloe once Gail was out the door. "I told you Gail would be here."
"We went to Burger King so it didn't take too long." Chloe shrugged. "Don't tell the coach."
"And you came home in less than an hour because?"
"I just wanted to make sure you'd be alright and.. to ruffle Gail's feathers a bit. As a best friend test of sorts." Chloe confessed with a flourish of her hand.
"Still.. You should have left the rose alone. I love it." Holly snapped rolling her eyes, until stomping to clear the coffee table in the living room.
"I just told her that blue meant unattainable and to have caution." Chloe smirked following her friend. "I thought she'd have an aneurysm." She snickered gleefully remembering Gail's horrified face.
"That was mean." Holly berated again. "I would have corrected you, that it also means.."
"Gail beat you to it." Chloe snorted gesturing wildly with her hands. "Holly no! It means you're wonderful and.. and… extraordinary and everything!" She imitated Gail's earlier outburst. "The flower lady said so!" Chloe fell into a fit of giggles.
"Oh shut up." Holly huffed, but couldn't help letting out a little laugh. "Gail was cute. I love the rose."
"Peck passed my test, you know." Chloe grinned with a wink.
"Passed?" Holly scoffed chuckling. "She called you a dimwitted amoeba. Twice."
"I was one tonight, but still she kept her cool. Mostly anyway." Chloe smirked. "For you. She likes you. I think I like her."
"I think I like her too." Holly murmured softly.
.
Gail fell face first with a heavy groan into her couch once she'd ventured inside her flat. Soon her phone started to ring in her pocket. She fished it out and tapped the green icon with a sigh.
"What?" She answered.
"So how was the movie night?"
"This is why you're calling me in the middle of the night Traci?" Gail huffed settling on her back propped up against the pillows.
"It's 11pm. Hardly middle of the night." Traci scoffed chuckling. "So? Was it a date?"
"It seemed like it at first." Gail exhaled disappointed.
"At first?" Traci echoed.
"Until.. Chloe showed up." Gail snarled. "Unexpectedly."
"Oh. You got the best friend approval test." Traci noted nonchalantly.
"It was a test?!" Gail screeched pouncing off the couch. "A test?!"
"Maybe. But you were civil and nice?" Traci said. "Right?"
"Right.." Gail sighed rubbing her face with her palm. "I might have called Price an amoeba a few times.. And flung a couple of grapes at her head.."
"Ah." Traci snorted. "There's a chance you've failed the test then."
"No shit." Gail breathed pacing around the room.
"You can re-take it." Traci comforted. "So did you ask more questions from your little notebook?"
"No. We just hung out and besides.. Chloe was there. Sitting between us. Blabbing the whole time!"
"Well, that must have been painful."
"It was." Gail spat. "And utterly annoying, but at least I got to spend time with Holly too."
"Sweet. Did you have fun with Holly?"
"I did. We held hands and I got a hug." Gail smiled.
"That's good. Hug is good. She's warming up to you."
"I hope so. I really like her Traci."
"I know." Traci said softly.
.
A few days later after the Rockets' evening practice was over coach Oliver came into the locker room clearing his throat.
"We'll be flying to Calgary tomorrow. As you all know we'll be travelling for the rest of the week." Oliver paused to look at his players. "Three games in only four days. Plus the travelling. It's going to be tough, but we'll get through it."
"Our whole staff is coming with, so you'll have all the aftercare you will need between games. Massage, nourishment and everything." Dov inserted.
"Right. First we'll fly to Calgary, then to Edmonton and from there to Winnipeg and then back home. You'll all get an travel itinerary. After this tight tour we'll have four home games in a row in three weeks." Oliver continued. "Oh and before I forget.. Gail?" Oliver met his striker's eyes.
"Coach?" Gail questioned surprised being suddenly singled-out.
"You'll be sharing a room on this trip." Oliver informed and watched Gail's face darken, a deep scowl appearing.
"That's not.." Gail began to snarl.
"The hotel rooms have been booked solid and you'll be bunking with Holly." Oliver said in a commanding tone expecting Peck to throw a hissy fit.
"Oh?" Gail quickly glanced at flabbergasted Holly. "I'm okay with it." A wide smile spread on Gail's face even when she desperately tried to tone it down. She was excited. She needed to write down some more questions and conversation topics in her little notebook.
"Really? Good." Oliver looked totally baffled. He had been ready to fight Gail on this. The last time he had tried to put someone in Gail's room the result had been an epic meltdown.
"What?" Holly gasped looking horrified at the prospect of being Gail's roommate for the durance of their trip. That would be a whole lot of awkward and stressful right there. Trying to stay in the safety of the friendzone, while sleeping in the same room. They were already tiptoeing on the line! Impossible! "But I thought I'd be.."
"You'll be sharing a room with Peck." Oliver nodded encouragingly at Holly with a small smile. He had noticed that Gail seemed to get along with Holly, so the goalkeeper was an obvious choice for the closed-off striker's roommate. Anybody else would get the full force of Peck's disdain. "You two get along right?"
"Yes! Right." Gail answered perkily and nodded excitedly eliciting a gleeful snort from Andy. "I.. Shut up." She narrowed her eyes at Andy, before turning to gaze at Holly.
"They'll get along very nicely." Andy chuckled wickedly. "Aww, look at that smile." Andy gave a nod towards Gail. "Peck's all perky and sweet, when she's with.."
"Shut up." Gail snarled at grinning McNally. "Like I was saying.. I don't mind sharing with Holly." She said giving a pointed glare at Andy.
"It's settled then." The coach clapped his hands a few times.
"Great." Holly sighed quietly hanging her head in defeat, before lifting her head back up and meeting Gail's happy bright eyes shining across the room. "Great." She repeated with a small smile, while Gail beamed back at her.
.
Thanks for reading :)
A/N Chapter 7 up next week.
A/N Edited a bit.