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“Absolutely. It absolutely was,” he said firmly. “I couldn’t be more happy that you’re my wife.”
“Really?”
He nodded and reached across the big seat to hold my hand. “Really. Yeah, it’s a big change, but it’s a very, very good one.”
I started to agree, but then just yawned. It felt like this day had lasted for a week or so, even if it had been wonderful. “I think we should go to bed.”
“You know what I’m going to say about that kind of statement.”
“It did sound dirty,” I agreed, but paused. “I may use Bowman. I’m not sure, but I’m thinking that I might.”
He tugged my arm a little so that he could hold my knuckles to his lips to kiss them, and then he kept my hand against his cheek.
∞
Back at it, Bowie had said. The next day, we’d be right back at it, and here I was outside of the dance studio at Woodsmen Stadium. The only thing I had to do was make my hand open the door and then make my feet walk inside. I’d taken off the engagement ring and left it in its box at Bowie’s apartment, but I still had the wedding band around my finger. I twisted it a few times in a circle, thinking about how it, and I, were going to be received by the rest of the Wonderwomen.
I was also thinking more about the night before, our wedding night. We’d been at the beautiful hotel to celebrate but it was just like normal, the two of us talking and enjoying being together and no stress about bed activities. We’d even watched as “The Last Dancer” contestants had tried to perform tap numbers. It had been dreadful but fun to see, and it had been so nice to be with him, just the two of us. I started to imagine how it might be tonight and in my mind, Bowie was shirtless.
“What are you waiting for? Do you need a written invitation?” Coach Sam snapped and I came back to reality, out of the daydream where Bowie and I were snuggling and not just holding hands on the couch. His pants were also off.
I turned. “Hi,” I offered, and saw his eyes go to my finger.
“Well, then. Congratulations, I guess.” He frowned.
“I know you’re mad at me about all of this. I know everyone is.”
“Nobody likes the secrecy,” he said, and I completely understood that.
“I didn’t, either. I lived with a lot of secrecy for a long time and it’s not the right way to do things. I’m sorry that I kept it from you but I was afraid of being kicked off the team.”
“You would have been, if I’d been allowed to act like a coach,” Sam told me. “You broke our rules and you shouldn’t be wearing the halter top anymore.”
“I know.” I swallowed. “I know, and I can’t imagine how awful it was when we sprang everything on you in that meeting.”
“I got the feeling that maybe it was sprung on you, too,” he said, but I’d never admit to that.
“It wasn’t fair to you and Rylah,” I went on. “You guys have tried to help and support me. I’m sorry that you didn’t get to fire me and I’m sorry that I hid things, but I’m not sorry about Bowie. I’m not sorry that I met him and that we became friends.”
“Friends,” Sam scoffed.
“We are,” I said. He was my best friend. “I’ve always followed the rules, but if I had this time, I wouldn’t have him in my life and I don’t know what I’d do without him.” I’d be here, probably, and going through the motions of someone living, but I would have been miserable. I had been for a lot of years and I wasn’t sorry that it had changed.
We looked at each other. “We better get going,” he said gruffly, but then he stopped with his hand on the door. “Remember how I used to be Hank the Hunter?”
Yes, of course I remembered that he had been one of the Woodsmen mascots. He’d dressed in a costume and chased around a woman dressed as chipmunk as entertainment during the games, before the team had done away with Hank and Nutty and he’d moved over to coaching the Wonderwomen.
“I fell for one of the cheerleaders,” he said. “I was with someone else, too, living with her. I didn’t tell a soul about what was going on almost to the moment that Rinna had our baby.”
“Are you talking about Corinna, your wife?” I asked. They’d been married for a while and had two kids who were very cute and also complete hellions. When they came to the studio, we Wonderwomen basically took cover.
Sam nodded at me. “My former girlfriend wanted to kill me. She really did, and she got arrested.”
“Oh. Good Lord.”
“And I got called a horse’s ass—butt and I was, but falling for Rinna was the best thing that ever happened to me. I guess sometimes we can all act like horse’s ass—butts when we’re in love.” He strode into the studio but I gave myself another minute before I followed him. I guessed that he was right about that.
A few of the girls said congratulations but the atmosphere among the other Wonderwomen was even chillier than it had been before my wedding. I understood their attitude because I would have felt the same way if I thought that someone was undermining our squad with her actions, but it still hurt. All I could do was work my hardest, which I always did, and also try not to call more attention to myself.
