Page 9 of Full Court Crush

The new arrivals sat down, and the noise in the restaurant got disproportionately louder. Lucy tended to have that effect on a room. All but the empty seat next to Amelia were filled. Coach Grant checked her watch, then glanced at Amelia; she shrugged. When Coach Grant cleared her throat, the table fell quiet.

“Right, everyone. Here’s to the start of our first professional season. In celebration of that…” Coach Grant said, her eyes drifting around the table. “Tonight is on me!” The team erupted in cheers. “Food and soft drinks only!” Coach Grant shouted over the din, before grumbling good-naturedly, “I’m not paying for you lot to get sloshed just before the season starts.”

“Thanks, Coach!”

“Yeah, you’re the best.”

A few minutes later, a waiter approached their table and started taking their drink orders. He had almost finished when the restaurant door swung open again, and Keira shuffled inside. Amelia sat up a little straighter. She was wearing jeans, a t-shirt, and a loose overshirt, and resembled a rabbit caught in headlights.

Amelia waved her over with what she hoped was a welcoming smile, but it may have come across as a grimace, since her stomach suddenly reacted like she’d eaten a bowl full of popping candy.

What the hell.

She tried to shove the feeling down.

Keira walked over and gave a half-hearted wave back to Amelia, who still had her arm in the air like a fool. Immediately, she dropped it to her side. Keira skulked to the empty chair.

“Sorry, I had to…sort something out at home,” she apologised in general, glancing around to everyone at the table as she lowered into the seat.

“We’re just glad you’re here,” Amelia said encouragingly. Evie leant back in her seat, looking around Keira, and raised an eyebrow at Amelia. Amelia ignored her.

The waiter, having taken everyone’s drink orders, disappeared again, and Lucy handed out menus. Everyone discussed the various options, debating them like they were working on a peace treaty. Amelia handed Keira a menu. When Keira took it, her fingertips brushed the back of Amelia’s hand, and heat radiated across her skin.

She quickly buried her nose in the menu, very aware of Keira’s proximity.

This is silly.

She gave herself a mental shake. Thankfully, the thought of food was distracting enough; her appetite tried to convince her to order one of everything. She turned to ask Keira what she was going to order, only to see her checking her phone under the table, her forehead creased.

“Is everything all right?” she asked quietly. Keira furtively whipped her phone out of sight.

“Yeah, all good.” Keira smiled, but it looked fixed, so Amelia didn’t press her further.

“What’re you thinking of ordering?” she asked instead.

“Oh, I, er, I’m not really hungry. I had a big lunch.”

“That’s a shame. Coach Grant is paying and I’m planning on taking full advantage.” Amelia joked and turned back to the list of options. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Keira re-open her menu.

The waiter returned with their drinks and took their food order; Amelia ordered a chicken and ribs combo with a side of onion rings, and Keira asked for a chicken burger and chips.

A few different conversations broke out around the table. Lucy was the centre of the largest group, regaling them with her latest attempt to use a dating app.

“So I turn up, and she’s sat there, like twenty years older than she said she was.”

“Yikes,” Asha said, sucking her breath through her teeth. “Though age isn’t everything, I guess?”

“Yeah, you’re right.” Lucy sighed dramatically. “And I would have been game to still have the date — if there wasn’t also a ten-year-old boy sat next to her.”

Poor Asha nearly spat out her drink.

“What?” Sofia asked from the other end of the table. Sofia, being one of the longest standing members of the team, was well-versed in Lucy’s chaotic dating life. But this, apparently, was a new one, even for her.

“Yep.” Lucy paused, building suspense as she played with her cutlery. “Apparently, they were going to the theatre after our coffee. Even asked if I wanted to join them.”

“What did you do?!” Sienna asked.

“Drank my coffee way faster than I should have done, and noped it the heck out of there!” Lucy said, gesticulating with her arm to indicate the speed at which she left.