“I’m so stoked we both have meets at the same school this weekend!” Alex exclaimed excitedly as she got on the bus Friday afternoon.
“Me too, babe,” Olivia said, walking up the steps behind her.
Alex rushed to the very back of the bus and chose a seat. “We should have plenty of privacy back here,” she whispered huskily as Olivia slid in beside her.
“I know. This ride should be very um…interesting,” Olivia said, waggling her eyebrows.
“I’ll say,” Alex replied, smiling sexily. She pulled Olivia to her for a passionate kiss, capturing her lips over and over again.
“Mmm…my lips are in heaven right now,” Olivia mumbled against Alex’s mouth.
“Just your lips?” Alex asked, slipping her tongue inside Olivia’s mouth.
They were pretty much lost in their own little world when an annoying voice cut into their thoughts. “Um hello, you two. We’re still in public.”
Clearly shocked, Alex and Olivia pulled back and glared at her. “Fuck off, Abbie,” Olivia warned.
“Save the freak show for later,” Abbie said nastily.
“We were just kissing, you cunt,” Olivia responded just as nastily.
“Ooh, cunt? Your expansive vocabulary amazes me, Olivia,” Abbie replied.
Alex rolled her eyes. “Mind your own, Abbie. We don’t interfere in your life, so stop trying to interfere in ours.”
“Whatever,” Abbie muttered, turning back around in her seat. “You guys are gross.”
“Just ignore her,” Alex said, kissing Olivia again.
Olivia grinned and played with a few locks of Alex’s hair. “How long do you think it’ll take us to get there?”
Alex shrugged. “Oh, I dunno. Less than an hour.”
“Good,” Olivia said, laying her head in Alex’s lap. “I wanna take a nap. Don’t push me on the floor.”
Alex giggled. “Don’t tempt me,” she teased.
Olivia closed her eyes and smiled happily. “You smell nice,” she mumbled.
Alex reached down and stroked her hair. She played with her earlobe and replied, “Thanks.”
“I like it when you play with my ears,” Olivia said.
Alex chuckled. “They’re so cute. I can’t resist.”
Serena turned around and threw some M&M’s down on Olivia. Olivia opened her eyes and threw a few back over the seat at her. She picked the others out of Alex’s lap and ate them. “Hey! You’re not supposed to eat ’em,” Serena teased.
Olivia grinned. “Shouldn’t have thrown ’em at me. You know how I love M&M’s.”
“What else do you have?” Alex asked Serena.
Serena looked in her bag. “Um…some Cheetos, Starburst, Whoppers, and water.”
“Ooh, can I have some Whoppers?” Alex asked.
“Sure,” Serena said, pouring a few of the chocolate-covered malt balls into Alex’s anxiously awaiting hands.
Olivia sat up and grabbed some from Alex’s hands. “Mmm…I love Whoppers!” she said, popping them in her mouth.
“Hey!” Alex protested. “You just had M&M’s!”
Olivia giggled. “And now I have Whoppers, too.”
“I wish this lame bus had TVs or something. We could at least watch movies,” Serena said.
“Oh, I know,” Alex agreed. “You guys wanna order pizza when we get to the hotel?”
“Sure,” Serena answered.
“That’s cool with me,” Olivia said, laying her head back in Alex’s lap.
After arriving at the hotel, Alex and Olivia got their room keys and got on the elevator to go up to their rooms. They went to Olivia’s room first. When Olivia slid the key card in to open her door, she saw that she was sharing a room with Lexie and two other girls on the swim team. She groaned and said, “Come on, let’s go to your room and see if we can get someone to switch with me.”
“Ok,” Alex agreed.
They were even more disappointed when they unlocked Alex’s door. “Shit!” Olivia exclaimed angrily when she saw who was putting her stuff on the other bed.
“Ooh, this should be fun,” Abbie taunted. “Who would’ve ever thought I’d get to sleep with Alex this soon?”
Olivia took a deep breath. Maybe if I’m nice to her, she’ll stop tormenting us, she thought. “Abbie…will you please switch beds with me?”
Abbie laughed cruelly and crossed her legs on the bed. “Not a snowball’s chance in hell.”
Olivia started grinding her teeth. “Abbie, I’m serious. Please just switch beds with me.”
“No. All gymnastics team members should be in their own rooms and all swim team members should be in theirs. No mixing. If you have trouble locating the rooms assigned to your team, I would be happy to escort you down the hall,” she responded, a condescending grin spreading across her face.
Olivia had to keep all her impulses in check to keep from punching Abbie in the nose. “Abbie, look. I’ve tried to ask you nicely. There’s no reason to be a bitch.”
Abbie grinned wickedly. “I’m sorry, Olivia. Come again? Since when does calling me a bitch constitute asking me nicely?”
“Abbie, please just trade with Olivia. Let’s just bury the hatchet right now, stop fighting with each other, and try to get along,” Alex pleaded.
Abbie ignored Alex’s plea for peace. “Hey, Alex. Do you remember when we’d lie in bed together at night and feel each other up? Man, those were good times.”
Olivia felt her blood boiling. Alex placed her hand comfortingly on Olivia’s back and responded, “Abbie, so what? Everything was above the belt so it didn’t matter anyway.”
“Oh, judging from your moans it mattered enough,” Abbie responded, grinning slyly.
“Stop trying to make me jealous,” Olivia demanded with a sneer.
Suddenly, Lexie Porter came into the room in a very risqué lace tank and boy shorts. “Hey, sweetie,” she said, walking over and sitting next to Abbie on the bed. She uncrossed Abbie’s legs and then straddled her waist. After leaning down to plant a kiss on Abbie’s lips, she swung her long dark hair over her shoulder and looked back at Alex. “Alex, do you mind switching rooms with me? Abbie and I kinda had um…plans.”
Alex smiled victoriously. “Why certainly, Lexie.” She picked up her stuff and happily followed Olivia out.
“I’m so glad we got rid of her. I was just about to go back and beg Lexie to switch beds with me,” Olivia said gratefully.
“Good, cuz I wasn’t too comfortable with you sleeping with Lexie either. You’d probably wake up and she’d be ‘accidentally’ naked beside you.”
Olivia chuckled. “In the end it all worked out.”
Once they were cuddled up in bed together, Olivia asked, “So did you and Abbie really fool around that much?”
“We touched each other, but it wasn’t as much as she made it seem. It’s not like we just had a big grope fest every night.”
“Did she ever see you naked?”
“No,” Alex responded. “We only dated a couple of weeks, Liv.”
“It’s just…the pokies get jealous easily,” Olivia said with a pout, pointing her index fingers at her chest.
Alex laughed. “Your nipples get jealous?”
“Hey now. They’re very sensitive.”
“I bet they are,” Alex said, lightly pinching one of Olivia’s nipples.
Olivia giggled. “Hey! You know they get excited easily.”
Alex laughed and shook her head. “Silly pokies. Are you nervous about tomorrow?” she asked.
“Nah,” Olivia said. “Thinking of you will just make me swim harder.”
“Not too hard, I hope,” Alex said, trailing a finger down her cheek. “I don’t want you wearing yourself out in the water.”
Olivia waggled her eyebrows. “No, I’ll just be wearing myself out other ways.”
Alex laughed. “Liv, we need all our energy for tomorrow’s meets.”
Colee Simmons and Natalie Watts, two of the other swim team members, were in the bed on the other side of the room. “You two are so cute together!” Colee exclaimed.
Alex and Olivia turned to them and grinned. “Why, thank you,” Olivia responded.
“How long have you two been dating?” Natalie asked.
“Since early last semester,” Alex answered.
“Aww,” Colee and Natalie cooed in unison.
“Yeah,” Olivia answered, smiling sheepishly.
“Are you guys in love?” Colee asked.
“Very much so,” Alex answered, looking at Olivia and lovingly rubbing her nose against hers.
“Aww,” Colee and Natalie cooed again.
Olivia grinned. “Yep. Alex makes my heart sing.”
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. “Come in!” Colee shouted.
The door opened and Serena peeked in. “Hey, girls.” She closed the door and ran over to Olivia and Alex’s bed. “What are you two lovebirds up to?” she asked, getting in.
“Just talking,” Alex answered.
Colee and Natalie got up and headed for the door. “Hey, we’ll be next door,” Natalie said. “You guys want anything while we’re out?”
Olivia shook her head. “No. We’re good.”
Serena picked up a pillow and hugged it to her chest. “I miss Casey,” she pouted.
Alex and Olivia looked at each other with knowing smiles. “I bet,” Olivia answered.
“What do you think she’s doing now?” Serena asked.
“Why don’t you call her and see?” Alex replied.
“She’s masturbating about you,” Olivia teased.
Alex hit her with the pillow. “Liv!”
Serena rolled her eyes. “Casey doesn’t masturbate.”
Olivia gave her a look. “Oh, come on. Everyone masturbates.”
Serena laughed. “Do you?” she asked.
“Well…now that I have Alex…” Olivia began.
Alex shot her a warning glare. “Liv…”
“Yeah, Liv. Stop while you’re ahead,” Serena told her.
Alex groaned. “Can we change the subject please?”
Olivia smirked. “Whatever you want, babe.”
“So when is Casey getting here?” Alex asked Serena.
“She’s driving up tomorrow morning. She’ll be here by breakfast,” Serena answered.
“Is she gonna give you a personal wakeup call?” Olivia teased.
Serena gave her a look. “Not the type you’re talking about.”
“Let’s just order pizza,” Alex said, wanting to change the subject.
Olivia smirked again. “Fine.” She reached for the phone book and the phone. “What kinda pizza do you guys want?”
“Meat Lovers,” Alex answered.
“Sounds good to me,” Serena added.
Olivia placed the order for a large Meat Lovers pizza, cheese sticks, and a 2 liter bottle of Dr. Pepper. “Ooh, Liv, can we also get some wings from Wingstreet?” Alex asked.
Olivia took the phone away from her ear. “What flavor? And bone-in or bone-out?
“Spicy barbecue. Bone-in,” Alex answered.
Olivia placed the order for the wings and then hung up the phone. “You’re not gonna eat all the wings are you?”
Alex threw a pillow at her. “No. I’ll leave you a couple,” she teased.
When their food arrived, Alex went straight for the cheese sticks and wings. “Well, I guess saying you’re hungry is an understatement,” Olivia said, grabbing a slice of pizza.
“Let’s put a DVD in,” Serena suggested. “I brought Simple Life.”
“Those girls are complete morons,” Olivia commented.
“Yeah, Liv. But that’s why they’re so funny!” Alex replied, cuddling up to her.
“Thank God not all rich girls are like that,” Olivia said.
“Yeah, tell me about it,” Serena agreed. She put in the DVD and then got back on the bed. Reaching for a cheese stick and some marinara sauce, she looked down at Alex’s clothes and noticed that she didn’t have on her Tweety pajamas. “What, Alex? No Tweety tonight?”
“Don’t encourage her,” Olivia teased, wrapping her arm around Alex’s shoulders.
Alex smirked. “For your information, I decided to leave my Tweety pajamas at home.”
“She still managed to bring the underwear,” Olivia said, grinning.
Alex slapped her on the arm. “Liv!”
Serena laughed. “Don’t worry, Alex. Your secret’s safe with me.”
“I’ll have you know that I only brought them for good luck,” Alex said in her defense.
“Right,” Serena and Olivia said in unison.
Alex shook her head and turned up the volume on the TV. “You two are just jealous you don’t have any tweeties.”
Olivia laughed. “If you say so, babe. If you say so.”
**************
In a few hours, Alex and Olivia were ready to fall asleep. Alex turned over in Olivia’s arms so that she was facing her.
“Mmm,” Olivia murmured.
“Liv, is your shirt off?” Alex whispered.
“Yeah, why?” Olivia asked, looking puzzled.
“There are other people in this room!”
Olivia rolled her eyes. “Oh come on. We’re under the covers.”
“Funny, this one isn’t,” Alex remarked, pulling the cover up over Olivia’s left breast which was exposed.
“Well, Alex, it was until you pulled the cover back to see if I was topless.”
Alex lowered her voice. “Liv, I just don’t want them seeing you naked.”
“I’m not naked, Alex. I have on pajama pants.”
“Well, I don’t want them seeing you topless either!”
Olivia sighed and reached for her wife beater. “Fine, Alex. I’ll put it back on. But it wasn’t like anyone was gonna see anything anyway.” After putting her top back on, she turned her back to Alex and held her pillow tighter.
Alex cuddled up to Olivia and rubbed her hand up and down her arm. “Liv, don’t be mad at me.”
“I’m not mad,” Olivia mumbled. “Just annoyed.”
Alex sighed. “Same thing.”
“Alex, let’s just get some sleep, ok?”
“No. I can’t go to sleep if you’re angry with me,” she said softly.
“Alex, the only reason I took my top off was because you’ve always liked cuddling with me that way when we’re sleeping.”
Alex pouted. “I know. I’m sorry, babe. I overreacted.” She shook her shoulder. “Come on. Turn back over. For me, pookie?” she asked, playing with her ear.
Smiling, Olivia turned back over and placed her hand on Alex’s stomach. “Your stomach’s nice and warm, sweetie.”
“Isn’t that how you like it?”
“You betcha.” She sighed deeply and pressed her hand tighter on Alex’s stomach. “Tell me a story.”
“What story?” Alex asked, amused.
“It doesn’t matter. I just wanna hear your voice. It’ll help me fall asleep.”
Alex rolled over so that she was lying flat on her back. She placed Olivia’s head on her chest and kept her hand pressed against her stomach. “How about I tell you the story of how I fell in love with this beautiful, brown-eyed brunette?”
Olivia grinned. “I think I’d like that very much.”
“Once upon a time…” Alex began.
**************
Olivia sat up with a jolt at the blaring of the alarm clock. “Shit!” she muttered, disappointed in not getting more hours of sleep. She slammed the snooze button and gently nudged Alex. “Baby. Baby, wake up.”
Alex rubbed her eyes sleepily and gazed up at Olivia with a look of confusion on her face. “What time is it?”
“5:45. We need to get the shower first.”
Alex frowned. “Liv, I’m sleepy.”
“Come on, sweetie,” Olivia said, scooping Alex up and taking her to the bathroom.
She placed Alex’s feet on the floor and patted her on the back. Alex leaned against her and mumbled, “Let’s just skip out on our meets.”
“Our coaches would kill us. They’re already pissed we missed a practice. We’re lucky they’re letting us participate at all.” She walked over and started the shower. Alex fumbled with the buttons on her pajama top. Olivia came back over and helped her quickly undo the rest.
“You may have to hold me up in the shower,” Alex joked.
Olivia picked her up and stepped into the shower. Alex was still leaning against her with her eyes closed, so Olivia reached forward and turned the water on cold.
Alex’s eyes shot open. “Liv! It’s cold!” She shivered and cuddled closer to Olivia, who turned the water back warm.
“That was to wake you up,” Olivia replied.
“I’m awake,” Alex said, stifling a yawn and turning around to get body wash. “Liv, will you wash my back?”
Olivia smiled. “Sure, sweetie.” After soaping up Alex’s back, she poured some shampoo into her hands and began massaging her scalp.
“That feels good, Liv,” Alex commented.
Olivia rinsed the shampoo out and then turned around for Alex to shampoo her hair and wash her back. “Ok, your turn.”
Alex began massaging Olivia’s strong shoulders. “Hopefully this will come in handy when you’re swimming.”
Olivia chuckled. “Ah, I’m sure it will.”
“Yeah. Need to get those muscles nice and loose.”
Olivia looked over her shoulder and smirked. “Nice and loose, huh? I thought you liked my muscles kinda tight.”
Alex shoved her shoulder. “Stop being dirty.”
“Who said I was?”
“I know you too well,” Alex replied.
A few minutes later they stepped out of the shower. Alex wrapped a towel around herself and started brushing her teeth. Olivia picked up the tube of toothpaste. “Alex, it’s almost gone!” she whined.
Alex spit out her toothpaste. “There’s still enough for you to use. Squeeze from the bottom.”
Olivia rolled her eyes. “Alex, I know how to work a container of toothpaste.” Olivia squeezed the bottom of the container and it came shooting out against the mirror.
Alex burst out laughing. “Yeah, Liv. You worked it all right!”
“Shutup, Alex!” Olivia snapped, turning red. She started squeezing again when Alex yanked her towel down.
“Oh yeah, that’s real mature, Alex!” Olivia shouted, picking up her towel and quickly rewrapping it around herself. “Just let me brush my teeth in peace!”
“Liv, you’re so sensitive. I was just joking,” Alex said. Olivia didn’t respond. She finished brushing her teeth and wiped her mouth. Alex sighed. “Liv…”
Olivia headed for the door. “Let’s just get dressed, ok?”
Alex grabbed her hand. “I’m sorry, sweetie. I was just messing around.” She gave her a soft kiss on the cheek. “You’re so cute when you’re cranky.” She lightly tickled her neck.
Olivia giggled softly. “I wanna stay cranky.”
“But I won’t let you,” Alex said, turning her around and kissing her tenderly.
Olivia gently nibbled Alex’s bottom lip and said, “Ok, you win. Now we really need to get dressed.”
Once they were back in the bedroom, Alex said, “Well, we have about an hour to spare before breakfast. What do ya wanna do?”
“Let’s watch cartoons! I used to always watch them on Saturday mornings as a kid,” Olivia exclaimed excitedly.
Alex giggled and started flipping through the channels. “You’re so cute, babe.” She kissed her hard on the cheek and lay back against the pillows.
“Are you gonna spend the night at my place tonight?” Olivia asked.
“Yes. That water bed is gonna feel sooooo good.”
Olivia laughed. “You’re starting to sound like me now.”
“I could really go for a cheeseburger right now,” Alex said lustfully.
Olivia grinned. “A cheeseburger? What happened to good old fashioned pancakes and sausage?”
“I could go for those, too,” Alex joked.
About 20 minutes later, there was a knock at the door. Alex got up to open it. Serena and Casey came in and climbed into bed. “Hey, girls,” Olivia greeted them.
“Hey,” Serena said.
“You girls ready?” Casey asked.
“Yep,” Alex answered, reclaiming her spot beside Olivia.
“Serena has been talking nonstop all morning. I threatened to run away if I heard the words ‘double twist’ or any combination of the two one more time,” Casey stated.
Serena pretended to pout. “You wouldn’t really miss my meet, would you, darling?”
“Of course not, babe,” Casey replied, leaning in for a quick kiss. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
Alex was happy that her meet was a few hours after Olivia’s. “We’ll get to watch each other. I’m so excited!” she exclaimed.
Olivia wrapped her arm around Alex’s waist and pulled her close. “Are you gonna be nervous that your hot swimmer girlfriend is going to be watching every little move?”
Alex laughed. “A little. I’d hate to mess up but to mess up in front of you would be double embarrassing.”
“What’s up first?” Olivia asked.
“Vault, actually,” Alex answered. “Then bars, then beam, then floor. But Donnelly’s not letting me vault because there were some key exercises she says I missed on Wednesday.”
“That’s bullshit,” Olivia muttered. “You’re the best on the team!”
Casey cleared her throat and placed an arm around Serena. “Oh, I beg to differ,” she said.
Olivia looked at Casey with a smug smile and brushed her hand through Alex’s hair. “We’ll see today.”
**************
“Where’s Liv?” Casey asked, sitting down with some nachos and cheese. Serena reached over and grabbed a chip.
“She’s right over there. Right in the middle,” Alex answered.
“She looks pumped,” Serena noted.
“Yeah, she’s totally gonna kick ass!” Alex replied. She always loved how strong and confident Olivia looked before she competed.
The referee blew his whistle and all the girls stepped up onto the starting block. The first event was the 50 meter freestyle. “Go, Liv!” Alex screamed.
The starter yelled, “Take your mark!” Olivia and all the other girls got into position.
At the sound of the buzzer, Olivia jumped off her block and glided smoothly into the water. She was already way ahead of the other girls. One of the girls from Westwood was quickly catching up to her, though. However, she still didn’t pass Olivia. Olivia finished the 50 freestyle with a time of 23.79 seconds. She got out of the water and lifted her goggles on top of her swim cap. Shaking the water off her, she looked up at Alex and smiled. Alex looked back down at her with a huge smile on her face, waving the banner she’d made for her and screaming happily.
Cragen came over and slapped Olivia on the back. “You did great, Olivia! You got the best time!”
Olivia grinned. “Yeah, I’m stoked about it.”
“Take a break. You need to save your energy for the 100 free,” he continued.
Olivia groaned. “I’m looking more forward to the 50 back.”
He chuckled. “Yeah, I can’t say I blame ya.”
After a short break, Olivia walked back over and prepared for the 100 freestyle. At the sound of the buzzer, she glided into the water again for the second time.
“I love how she does that little flip when she reaches the other end,” Alex commented.
“Sweetie, they all do that,” Serena informed her.
“Yeah, but Liv’s is the best!” Alex insisted. “Go Liv!” she yelled.
Olivia finished the 100 freestyle with a time of 53.15 seconds. She climbed out and shook the excess water from her body. “Aww, she’s like a little puppy!” Alex exclaimed.
Serena and Casey looked at each other. “Smitten,” Serena stated.
“Completely smitten,” Casey added.
Alex rolled her eyes and looked over at the scoreboard. She squealed when she saw her name and time; Olivia had scored first in her event again. “Isn’t she awesome?” she asked Serena and Casey.
“Liv is really fucking good,” Casey replied. “I couldn’t swim that fast if my life depended on it.”
“Yeah, tell me about it,” Alex responded. She started screaming for Olivia again. Olivia looked up at her and gave her a thumbs up. She also blew her a kiss. Alex blew one back while Serena and Casey waved.
Serena laughed. “Alex, your throat is gonna be raw by the time this meet is over.”
“Oh, it’ll be well worth it,” Alex replied with a huge grin, waving her banner.
Olivia’s final event was the 50 meter backstroke. Alex watched with pride as Olivia’s strong arms and legs propelled her through the water effortlessly. She finished with a time of 35.04 seconds, placing second.
Alex made her way through the crowd while Olivia talked to Cragen. When she finally was just a few feet away, she ran over to Olivia, who picked her up in her arms. Alex giggled. “Liv, you’re soaking me!”
Olivia put her down. “I guess I am pretty wet, huh?”
Alex rubbed her hands up and down Olivia’s arms. “And cold, too! Baby, you have goosebumps!” She grabbed a fresh towel and wrapped it around Olivia’s shoulders.
“I’ll be much warmer after my shower,” Olivia said, placing a kiss on Alex’s forehead.
“I bet,” Alex replied. She brushed a few of Olivia’s wet locks behind her ears. “So how does it feel to be the best swimmer here?”
Olivia laughed. “Well, I can’t say I’m the best. I didn’t come in first in back.”
“Aw, babe. That doesn’t matter. That chick just got lucky this time,” Alex said, draping her arms over her shoulders.
Casey and Serena came over to congratulate Olivia. “Well, well. You really kicked some ass out there!” Casey complimented her.
“Yeah, Liv. You were amazing,” Serena added.
Olivia grinned. “Thanks, girls. Well, I’m gonna go take a shower. We’ll meet up in a few, ok?”
“Ok,” Serena and Casey said in unison, walking off hand in hand.
Alex and Olivia started walking toward the locker room. “You looked so beautiful in the water, Liv.”
“Thanks. I’m still bummed I got second in back, though,” Olivia pouted.
“Sweetie, that’s ok! You got first in the others, though!” She pulled Olivia to the side and tweaked her nipples. “The pokies were very good little swimmers today.”
“They’re cold,” Olivia pouted.
“I can warm them up,” Alex whispered.
Olivia grinned. “Baby…”
“I love it when you call me that,” Alex said, consuming her mouth.
Olivia giggled. “Sweetie, we’re blocking the water fountain.”
“They can just go to concessions,” Alex mumbled against her mouth.
After a few minutes of making out, they finally made it back to the locker room. “I’ll be out in a few, ok?” Olivia promised.
“Ok,” Alex said, giving her another quick kiss.
About 7 minutes later, Olivia came back out and got dressed. “Did you call Casey and Serena?”
“Yeah. We’re all gonna get lunch at the mall.”
“Hungry, Alex?” Olivia asked, picking up her gym bag.
“Starved,” Alex responded.
“Need some extra fuel for your routines this afternoon?” Olivia asked her.
“You know it,” Alex replied. “I’m really in the mood for some Japanese.”
“Mmm. Sounds yummy,” Olivia said, linking her arm through Alex’s as they walked out.
**************
“Liv, I’m so nervous!” Alex exclaimed, jumping up and down a little.
Olivia placed her hands on Alex’s upper arms and stilled her movements. “Babe, you’re gonna do fine. Just calm down. Take a few deep breaths.”
“But what if I fall off the beam?” Alex asked, pouting.
“You won’t, sweetie. You’ll be perfect.”
“What if I fall off the bars?” Alex whined.
Olivia laughed. “Alikins, you’re gonna do great.”
“You really think so?” Alex asked, cuddling closer to Olivia.
“I know so,” Olivia replied, kissing her softly.
“Does my bun look ok?” Alex asked.
Olivia laughed again. “Sweetie, it’s perfect. Everything is.”
Casey came over to them. “Come on, Liv. Let’s get seats. Serena said Donnelly wants to have a last minute meeting.”
Alex rolled her eyes. “Figures,” she muttered. She kissed Olivia and said, “Wish me luck, ok?”
“You don’t need it. You’re the best out there. Break a leg, ok?”
Alex gave her a look. “Liv, that’s exactly what we don’t want to happen.”
Olivia chuckled. “Yeah. I forgot this is gymnastics, not acting.”
“If I fall and break something, it’s your fault.”
Olivia’s smile faded. “Baby, don’t joke about something like that. The stuff you do can be dangerous.”
Alex placed a finger at each corner of Olivia’s mouth and turned her lips into a smile again. “Sweetie, I’m not gonna get hurt. Don’t you worry at all, ok?”
Olivia pouted. “I’ll try not to. Promise me you won’t get hurt?” she asked, putting her hands on Alex’s waist and swaying her back and forth.
Alex rubbed her nose against Olivia’s and replied, “I promise. Now if I don’t get over there with the other girls Donnelly is gonna have my ass.”
Olivia giggled. “Hey, she better not! Your ass belongs to me!”
Alex laughed. “I’ll keep that in mind. I’ll see you after we’re done, ok?”
“Ok,” Olivia replied, giving her one more kiss before jogging out of the locker room.
Casey was waiting for her outside. “Geez, I thought you’d never come out!”
Olivia laughed. “I was just giving my little gymnast a last minute pep talk.”
“Right. Let’s go so we can get good seats.”
Once they were seated, Olivia opened a bag of Skittles and popped some in her mouth. She noticed Casey staring at her. “What?” she asked, her mouth full.
“Gonna share some?”
Olivia smirked. “I suppose.” She poured a few in Casey’s hand.
In a few minutes, the vaulting began. “Serena’s up next!” Casey said excitedly.
“I wish my baby was vaulting,” Olivia whined.
“Well, she would be if you two weren’t having a little post-Valentine’s love fest,” Casey teased.
Olivia rolled her eyes. “Oh, whatever. It was well worth it.”
After the girls had finished vaulting, Alex dipped her hands in the chalk and rubbed them together. She then rubbed some on the bottoms of her feet and waited patiently until it was her turn on the uneven bars.
Olivia leaned over to Casey and said, “I love the way she rubs the powder on her.”
Casey gave Olivia a weird look. “Um…if you’re getting turned on by that, you need help, sweetie.”
Olivia laughed. “Hey, I didn’t say it was a turn on! I just said I liked it.”
Casey smirked. “Righttttttttt.”
Alex walked over to the uneven bars and took several deep breaths before starting her routine. She began with a hecht mount, followed by a kip, cast to handstand, and Stalder to handstand. She then did a giant full turn into a Tkatchev.
“What if she falls?” Olivia asked Casey.
Casey rolled her eyes. “Liv, she won’t. Stop stressing over this. You’re gonna make me nervous about Serena.”
Alex finished with a full twisting double layout dismount. “She totally stuck it!” Olivia said excitedly. She stood up and clapped until her hands hurt.
“Wow! Alex is really good!” Casey commented.
When the judges’ scores were averaged, she scored 9.575. “She beat Serena,” Olivia said proudly.
“Yeah, Liv. By 1/100th of a point.”
Olivia grinned. “That’s good enough for me.”
Alex’s next event was the balance beam. Olivia knew that Alex had spent countless hours trying to perfect her routine because it was her weakest area. Olivia got butterflies in her stomach when Alex’s music began and she did a punch front mount on the beam. Alex’s routine was complicated and the last thing she wanted was for her to fall and get hurt.
Olivia watched as Alex did a split leap. “Ooh, look at how she spreads her legs, Casey! So graceful!”
Casey stifled a laugh but couldn’t resist teasing Olivia. “Oh, I’m sure you know very well, Liv.”
Olivia swatted Casey on the arm. “That’s not what I meant!”
Casey grinned. “Right.”
Alex did a standing Arabian, followed by a front aerial, which made Olivia especially nervous. “Whew! I’m so glad she didn’t hit her head!” Olivia said, letting out the breath she’d been holding.
Casey looked at her. “Liv, she’s practiced this hundreds of times. She’s not gonna get hurt, ok?”
Olivia smiled. “I know. It just makes me jumpy, is all.”
They watched the rest of Alex’s routine, which included a back handspring, layout step-out, and switch side leap. She dismounted with a triple twist and smiled triumphantly at the end.
“She was terrific!” Casey exclaimed.
“I know!” Olivia agreed, clapping loudly. “Way to go, Alex!” she yelled, frantically waving the banner she’d made for her.
On the balance beam, Alex scored a 9.625. After talking to Donnelly and a couple other teammates, she waved at Olivia and Casey.
“You were great, Alex!” Olivia shouted. She was ecstatic that Alex had scored so high on the balance beam.
Alex took a drink of water and grinned at Olivia. “Thanks!” she shouted back. She sat down and watched the rest of her teammates finish the balance beam.
“Look at Alex’s bun! It’s so cute! She spent like hours trying to get it right.”
Casey shook her head. “Seriously, Liv. You better not ever tease me about being in love with Serena again.”
Olivia turned crimson. “It’s not like I talk about Alex all day or anything…”
Casey laughed. “No, Liv. Just 23 hours and 59 seconds of a day.”
Floor exercises were the last event. Olivia was crossing her fingers because she knew floor was Alex’s best event.
“Alex’s ass looks really hot in that little leotard,” Olivia told Casey. “She has a great figure.”
Casey smirked. “I can see the wheels turning in your head already.”
Olivia grinned and let out a long, loud wolf whistle. Serena turned around to look up at her, along with a few other teammates. Casey slapped her on the arm and whispered, “Liv! You’re gonna mess up her concentration!”
When Alex’s music began, she opened with a pike full-in. She did a roundoff, back handspring series, tour jete, front handspring, front layout, front full, and front tuck. She then did a double Arabian, roundoff, back handspring, and double pike.
“She has really good form,” Casey commented.
“I know,” Olivia responded, grinning. “She had amazing height on those pikes!”
Casey grinned. “Well, look at you. You’ve got the terminology down and everything!”
Olivia laughed. “Alex has only drilled them in my head about a thousand times!”
Alex finished with a 2 ½ twisting dismount and received a score of 9.875. Olivia picked up her banner again and waved it proudly.
After being congratulated by Donnelly and her teammates, Alex ran over to meet Olivia, who had already made her way down the bleachers and was waiting excitedly for her. She jumped in her arms and threw her legs around her waist. “Whoa there, little gymnast!” Olivia said, laughing.
“I placed first!” Alex said excitedly.
Olivia grinned. “I know, Aly. I’m so proud of you!”
Alex’s smile temporarily faded. “But my All Around score sucks ass because that bitch wouldn’t let me vault.”
Olivia bounced Alex in her arms and said, “Sweetie, it’ll be ok. There will be other meets. We all know that you would’ve placed first overall if you’d vaulted.”
“Hey, I resent that!” Serena said jokingly, coming up behind them with Casey’s arm wrapped snugly around her waist.
Olivia turned around and Alex jumped down. “Well, if it isn’t the two little lovebirds,” Casey teased.
“We try,” Alex joked.
“You were really good too, Serena,” Olivia complimented her.
“Why, thank you,” Serena said, bowing.
They all talked for a few more minutes before Casey said, “Hey, Serena and I are gonna go get some candy. Call us after you shower and we’ll get dinner, ok?”
“Ok,” Alex said, taking Olivia’s hand and heading to the locker room.
“You know, the pokies were really proud of you,” Olivia teased when Alex got out of the shower. “They were cheering right along with me the whole time!”
Alex giggled and whispered in her ear, “So that’s why they look about ready to burst out of your shirt?”
Olivia laughed. “They just wanna properly congratulate you.”
Alex grinned. “I bet. I’m just glad these meets are over!”
“You said it,” Olivia replied. “Talk about a load lifted off our shoulders.”
“Oh, I know, right? But hey, everything turned out ok, didn’t it?”
“Yep,” Olivia responded, smiling and planting a kiss on her lips. “Come on, let’s get outta here.”
After putting their stuff in Casey’s trunk, Alex and Olivia got in the backseat. “Hey, you two. No funny stuff back there, ok?” Casey teased.
Alex laughed. “Ok, ok. I’ll tell Liv to behave.”
Olivia’s mouth dropped open and she pretended to be offended. “Me?”
“Yes, you. My little lovebug,” Alex responded. She poked Olivia in the stomach.
“Aww, lovebug! That’s so cute,” Serena gushed.
“Don’t get any ideas,” Casey said, looking over at Serena.
Serena grinned. “Oh come on, Case. Don’t pretend you don’t like my little pet names for you. My little snuggy-wuggy.”
Alex and Olivia fell all over each other in the backseat while Casey blushed several deep shades of red. “Snuggy-wuggy?” Olivia replied. “Oh, I’m never letting you live this one down.”
“Serena!” Casey exclaimed, completely mortified.
Serena reached over and pinched Casey’s cheek. “Case…come on, don’t be embarrassed.”
“Stop it, Serena! You’re distracting me!”
“I think this would be more of a distraction,” Serena replied, running her hand up and down Casey’s thigh and brushing her lips across her ear. Casey let out an involuntary moan before she could stop herself.
Olivia waggled her eyebrows at Alex. She unbuckled her seatbelt and scooted over right next to her.
“Liv…buckle your seatbelt back,” Alex ordered.
“Alex…I wanna play, too!” Olivia pouted.
“There will be no playing in my car!” Casey declared, still red. She looked at Serena. “Serena, stop encouraging them!”
“Just wait until I get you home,” Olivia whispered in Alex’s ear. “I’ll be your own personal balance beam.” She scooted back over to her side of the car and buckled her seatbelt again.
Alex shivered and licked her lips. “Liv…”
Serena crossed her legs and unbuttoned the first few buttons of her shirt. Casey’s mouth dropped open. “Serena!”
“What?” Serena asked, smiling slyly.
Casey looked in her rearview mirror at Alex. “What bad habits did you teach her?”
Alex laughed. “I didn’t teach her anything. I guess Serena is just naturally seductive…”
“You’re not helping the situation!” Casey shouted.
“Sweetie…I have to go to the bathroom,” Serena stated, swinging her leg back and forth.
Casey rolled her eyes. “Right now?”
“Well…I could go in your car.”
Casey groaned. “Fine. We’ll pull into a gas station.”
When they reached the nearest gas station, Casey unbuckled her seatbelt and asked, “Hey Alex, can you pump my gas for me while I go inside?”
Alex smirked. “And why do you need to go inside too, might I ask?”
Casey gave her a look. “I wanna buy some chips. Is that ok, Mom?”
“Fine by me,” Alex responded, laughing. Casey shook her head and gave Alex her credit card. Then she and Serena went inside.
Alex got out and filled Casey’s tank. She got back in beside Olivia and trailed a finger up and down her jawline. “So what were you saying earlier, babe about a balance beam?”
Olivia grinned. “You could practice on me.”
“How about I practice on your lips first?” Alex asked, pulling Olivia’s bottom lip gently with her teeth.
Olivia closed her eyes. “Mmm…that sounds terrific.”
They had only been making out a few minutes before the car doors opened again, shocking them out of their reverie. Serena shook her head and said, “Boy. And you call us bad.”
Olivia smirked. “Hey, Alex and I were just kissing. We can’t say the same for you two!”
Casey grinned. “I’m invoking my 5th amendment right not to incriminate myself.”
“Speaking of which, where are your chips?” Olivia asked.
Casey blushed again. “Shit…I forgot them. Ah well, I can do without them. Uh…where do you guys wanna get dinner?” she asked, trying to divert the topic.
“Let’s go to T.G.I. Friday’s,” Alex suggested. “It’s where Liv and I went on our first date.”
Olivia grinned. “Sounds good to me.” She reached over and brushed Alex’s cheek. “Baby, that night was so special to me. You have no idea.”
Alex grinned. “I think I do. ‘Cause it was special to me, too. I was on cloud nine for the next few days because of that night we shared.”
“Ok, guys, don’t make me tear up in my own car!” Casey joked.
After they arrived at the restaurant and were directed to their booth, Casey and Serena sat on one side and Alex and Olivia sat on the other. Alex laid her head on Olivia’s shoulder and said, “I wuv you so much.”
Olivia turned her head and kissed Alex on the top of her head. “And I wuv you, too.” She rubbed her back with one hand and looked at the menu with the other. “What appetizer do you wanna get, baby?”
Alex sat up to read the menu. “Hmm…how about some Sesame Jack Chicken Strips? We can all share them.”
“Ooh, I think I’ll get a half-order of loaded potato skins,” Casey pitched in. “They’re soooooo good!”
“Ooh, we should have a girlfriend showdown. See which of our girls can eat the most!” Olivia teased.
Serena jerked her thumb in Casey’s direction. “I don’t even think Casey could compete with Alex’s stomach.”
“Hey! I resent that!” Alex joked.
“I dunno, guys. I’m starvin’! I don’t even think Alex can compete tonight,” Olivia added.
Alex giggled. “Yeah, I knew I heard someone’s tummy growling and it wasn’t mine.”
“I love Jack Daniel’s sauce,” Serena pitched in. “Do the chicken strips come with it?”
“Yep,” Olivia answered.
“Mmm…Jack Daniel’s sauce. Lots of Jack Daniel’s sauce,” Alex said, almost drooling.
“I love their sauce, too!” Casey said with a grin.
After they’d placed their orders for drinks and appetizers, Serena reached across the table and grabbed Alex’s hand to admire her ring. “I can’t get over how beautiful you guys’ rings are!”
Olivia beamed proudly. “I’m just glad she’s wearing it.”
Alex turned to her and kissed her on the cheek. “Of course I’d wear it.”
Olivia blushed lightly. “Well…I know. I was just nervous, that’s all.”
“God, I love you!” Alex exclaimed, pressing her lips against hers.
Casey reached under the table and squeezed Serena’s hand. “They’re so fucking cute,” she said.
“Oh, I know!” Serena gushed.
“You know, you guys really give Serena and me strength,” Casey said.
“Really?” Olivia asked curiously.
“Yep,” Casey answered. “Seeing you two so out and happy and not giving a damn about what the world thinks allows us to be who we are without worrying about what anyone else might think.”
Alex beamed. “Aww guys, that really means a lot to us.”
Olivia smiled. “It’s really encouraging. You know, to know that we have a positive influence on another couple.”
“Yeah, at first thinking about kissing Casey or holding her hand in public scared me a little bit. But you two do it all the time like it’s no big deal, like you’re a normal couple. So I figured me and the Casester had the right to a normal, happy relationship, too,” Serena added.
“Aww, Casester,” Alex cooed.
“You guys are adorable,” Olivia complimented them.
“Thanks,” Casey and Serena said in unison.
“You know guys, we should all triple date with Elliot and Kath,” Olivia suggested.
“That would be a lot of fun,” Casey replied.
In a few minutes, their appetizers arrived. “Are you girls ready to order?” the waitress asked.
“We think so,” Alex answered. “I want the glazed ribs.”
“I’ll have those, too,” Olivia decided.
“I’ll have the Jack Daniel’s chicken,” Serena said.
“And I’d like the Island Grilled Mahi Mahi,” Casey ordered.
The waitress wrote down all their orders and then walked off again. Serena looked at Casey with a smirk and said, “Had to break the trend, didn’t ya?”
“You know it. If you’re a good girl, I’ll let you have some of my food,” Casey responded.
“Oh…I can almost taste the ribs,” Alex said.
“Me, too,” Olivia agreed, taking a sip of Alex’s drink.
Alex grinned. “Good, babe?”
“You betcha,” Olivia answered, taking another sip. Alex reached for Olivia’s drink and took a sip of hers in return.
In about 20 minutes, the waitress returned with their entrées. Olivia immediately dug into her ribs. Alex looked at her and laughed. “Wow, babe. You really are hungry, aren’t you?”
“Damn right,” Olivia said around her mouthful. “And I’m sure I’ll have plenty of room left for dessert.”
“Speaking of which, what do you guys wanna order?” Casey asked.
“That Cinnabon cheesecake looks really good,” Serena said.
“I wholeheartedly agree,” Alex responded, dipping a fry in some Jack Daniel’s sauce.
“Fine with me,” Olivia said.
Serena looked at Casey. “Are you gonna be the oddball again or do you want the cheesecake, too?”
Casey smirked and scooped up some more rice. “I guess I’ll have to follow the crowd this time.”
After they’d finished eating, they placed the order for their cheesecake and the waitress removed their dinner plates. When the waitress returned with their desserts, they all dug in.
“This is divine,” Alex said.
“Oh, I know,” Casey agreed. “My taste buds are in paradise.”
Olivia scooped up some cheesecake on her fork and fed some to Alex. A little of the cream cheese icing started to drip down Alex’s chin. Olivia reached out to catch it and sucked it off her finger while Alex fed her some of her cheesecake.
“Geez, guys. I hope you have better luck feeding each other wedding cake!” Casey joked.
Olivia waggled her eyebrows and took another bite of cheesecake while Alex said, “Hey, we all know practice makes perfect.”
After they finished dessert, Casey paid for her food and Serena’s while Olivia paid for hers and Alex’s. Then they put on their coats and walked out to Casey’s car again.
“So full,” Olivia groaned, falling over and laying her head in Alex’s lap.
“Me, too,” Serena agreed. “I’m not gonna be able to move anymore tonight.”
Casey laughed. “You just want an excuse for me to carry you around,” she teased.
“Damn! You’ve got me all figured out!” Serena replied.
“Don’t drop her, Casey,” Alex teased.
“I’d never drop my snookums,” Casey replied, leaning over and giving Serena a big kiss on the cheek. Serena blushed and giggled in response.
In a little over a half hour, they arrived at Olivia’s house. “You guys be good tonight, ok?” Serena said, smiling.
“We promise,” Alex said.
“Bye, girls. Dinner was a lot of fun,” Olivia added.
“I agree. We’ll have to do it again soon,” Casey said, rolling up her window and honking.
After Casey and Serena drove off, Olivia unlocked her door and pulled Alex inside. “And now we’re gonna have a lot more fun.”
Alex giggled and shut the door behind her. “I’m looking forward to that, Miss Benson.”