Be With Someone...

“Who’s up for the pool when we get back to the hotel?” Max asked that afternoon after the team had practiced in Tampa.

There was a sound of approval from all around the locker room and soon, Max turned to Janine.

“You in, Jeanie?”

She glanced up from looking at Ben Lovejoy’s hand. He’d been complaining about it at practice and Janine had offered to check it over while the team doctor was busy.

“Uh, I don’t know,” she shrugged. “I’m pretty tired.”

“That’s what the nighttime is for!” Jordan said loudly. “Come swimming with us!”

“I didn’t bring a suit,” Janine lied.

“Stop bullshitting us,” Max laughed. “What kind of girl doesn’t bring a bathing suit when she knows she’ll be in Florida?”

“Janine,” Sidney sighed. “Just agree. Our lives will all be easier.”

Janine stood up from where she’d been kneeling and looked at the team.

“Okay,” she shrugged. “I’ll go swimming.”

Janine just hoped she wouldn’t regret it.

*****

Back at the hotel, Janine stood in her hotel room looking at her still packed suitcase. The only bathing suit she had brought was a strapless, bandeau style top with string tie bottoms. It didn’t exactly cover as much as she would have preferred.

Sighing, Janine started changing anyway. The boys had been down at the pool for at least twenty minutes already and if she didn’t get down there soon, she had a feeling they might come after her.

As she left her room and walked towards the elevator, her phone buzzed. It was a text from Rory.

‘From Rory: How’s Tampa?’

‘To Rory: Humid and warm- the exact opposite of the ‘Burgh.’

‘From Rory: Haha. How are they boys?’

‘To Rory: Swimming. I’m supposed to go join them. Ttyl.’

Although, she would much rather have stayed in the elevator texting her cousin.

Wandering to the pool, Janine’s nose was greeted by the intense smell of chlorine. Having grown up with Rory, it was a smell she was used to, but it was overwhelming nonetheless.

“There she is!” Max yelled as she walked onto the pool deck. All the boys were in the outside portion of the pool.

Janine waved and set her bag down next a chaise. Kicking her flipflops off, she stuck her foot into the pool.

“How’s the water?” she asked.

“So good,” Tyler floated by. “Get in!”

“I think I’m going to check my email first,” Janine lied. She wouldn’t admit it out loud, but she was rather self-conscious.

“Come on, Jeanie!” Jordan persisted.

“You guys are like a bunch of fucking kids,” she sighed as she settled herself onto the lounge. “I’ll be in when I want to.”

Janine didn’t bother taking her cover-up off, because if she had it her way, she wouldn’t be getting wet. Slipping her sunglasses on over her eyes, she read through a few emails about the schedule for the next day.

She would have to be up and over at the rink early; the boys had an 8 a.m. skate. Then there was the team meal at 1 after which the players and team personnel would come back to the hotel for naps and such. Janine knew she probably wouldn’t sleep, though.

Coming to the last new email, Janine did a double take at the sender.

Mike.

Why would he be emailing her? What was there to talk about? They were over, done with, kaput. That was all there was to it.

Shaking her head, she put her phone back into her tote bag. She would deal with it later. Closing her eyes and leaning her head back, Janine let the sun wash over her.

*****

“Look at Janine,” Marc-Andre pointed quietly.

“Let’s get her,” Max smirked.

He, Jordan, and Flower climbed out of the pool and crept over to where Janine was resting.

Flower cleared a few chairs out of the path to the pool as Jordan and Max prepared to grab Janine.

She screamed as Max grabbed her wrists and Jordan took ahold of her ankles.

“Let me go!” she squirmed around. “Put me the fuck down!”

But it was too late. The boys tossed her in the pool-cover-up and all.

“I hate you,” Janine sputtered for air. “I hate you all.”

The whole team couldn’t help but laugh as she climbed out of the water and stomped past her assailants.

“Next time you get hurt, I’m not helping you,” she threatened.

As the boys returned to their pool antics, Janine tried to get herself into a comfortable position on her chair. After nearly five minutes, she saw it wasn’t happening. Her wet cover-up was too uncomfortable.

Sighing, Janine stood up and slid the wet fabric over her head. Leaving her sunglasses on, she slipped unnoticed into the pool.

*****

Eventually, she caught Kris’s eye.

She was floating around the opposite end of the pool with her eyes closed and her feet propelling her around. Soon, she pulled herself up onto the side of the pool and sat herself on the edge.

Kris couldn’t help but let his eyes go over her as she wrung out her hair. There was definitely a lot to look at. Janine was athletic, that much could surely be said. While her waist was small, her calves were toned. He had to be sure not to stare at her chest the whole time.

He saw her glance up and he instantly went to turn his head, but instead, Kris waved back to Janine. He had been caught.