Late Saturday afternoon, Kirsten was rummaging through her clothes, trying to find an appropriate yet sexy outfit to wear to her night out with Jordan. She was unsure where they would be having dinner, and even though they had agreed to be friends, she couldn’t help feeling like this was a date, and she wanted Jordan to feel the same.
After a thorough search, she decided on a new pair of black jeans, a sleeveless, light blue button-down blouse, and black boots with two-inch heels. She returned to the bathroom to apply a small amount of makeup and brush out her hair. Her excitement was building in anticipation of spending the evening with Jordan. As she was putting the finishing touches on her outfit, the phone rang. She answered on the third ring, thinking it was Jordan.
“Hello?”
“Hi, baby. I haven’t heard from you in a while, so I thought I’d call and see how you were. Have you given any thought to me coming home?”
Kirsten was taken off guard at hearing John’s voice. “Honestly, John, I haven’t. I’m sorry, but I’ve had a lot going on recently.”
“Are you all right? Is it anything I can help with?”
She was surprised by his question. “Uh, no, nothing for you to do. I’m busy with, uh, work.”
She felt awful lying to him, but she wasn’t sure what else she should say. She couldn’t exactly tell him that she was attracted to her new friend, who just happened to be a woman. No, she was sure he wouldn’t understand. Thinking back, she realized that she’d felt more excited at the prospect of seeing Jordan that evening than she had at seeing John at any point during the few years they had been married.
“Listen, John, I’m late meeting a friend, so I need to go.”
“Oh, really? Who are you meeting? Anyone I know?”
“No, you’ve never met her. It’s my friend, Jordan. She was my physical therapist when I injured my knee. We’re having dinner tonight.”
“Huh. I didn’t realize you’d become friends. How about I call you tomorrow?”
“That sounds good. Thanks for calling.”
Kirsten hung up the phone. She felt bad for cutting the conversation short, but the thought of seeing Jordan soon banished any guilt she might have been experiencing. She didn’t want to think of anything other than watching Jordan play basketball, then spending some quiet time with her alone over a delicious meal. Kirsten checked herself in the mirror once more. Satisfied with her appearance, she headed over to Jordan’s house.
Kirsten pulled her car into the driveway next to Jordan’s Traverse and turned off the ignition. She checked her face once more in the rearview mirror, then walked to the front door of Jordan’s condo.
Jordan answered the door looking spectacularly athletic, and Kirsten took a few moments to observe her. Jordan had her hair in a French braid and was wearing an oversized, worn gray T-shirt, baggy basketball shorts, and sandals. Kirsten had never seen anyone look so sexy wearing loose-fitting, threadbare clothes. She had also never seen anyone smile so brightly. To her appreciative eyes, Jordan was simply stunning.
“Hi.”
Jordan opened her arms, and she willingly stepped into them, wrapping her arms around Jordan’s waist. At that moment, all the stress she’d felt following her conversation with John dissipated, and nothing else mattered except being in Jordan’s arms.
Jordan stepped back, took a long look at her, and shook her head. “You look great. Welcome to my home. We have a few minutes before we have to leave, so let me give you the nickel tour.”
Jordan led her through the foyer and into the living room. There was a beige microfiber couch with a cherrywood coffee table placed in front. Across the room was an entertainment center that held a forty-inch flat screen television, a cable box, a DVD player, and a Wii video game console.
Just to the right of the couch was a well-used brown leather recliner next to a TV tray. Kirsten had a strong suspicion this was where Jordan spent her evenings after a long day at work. She could easily imagine Jordan sitting there eating her dinner and watching a game on television, trying to unwind.
Jordan shrugged. “It’s not much, but it bears the creature comforts. This recliner used to be my grandfather’s. I remember sitting in his lap when I was young, in this very chair, and he would read the sports page to me from the local newspaper. He would always tell me that no matter what, I should always start my newspaper reading with the sports page.”
The wistful look on Jordan’s face made her heart swell. She grabbed Jordan’s hand and squeezed gently.
Jordan retained her hold on Kirsten’s hand and led her into the kitchen. It was a small galley type that didn’t have much counter space, but it had the necessary stove, oven, microwave, and refrigerator. There wasn’t room for more than two people to be in this tiny space at a time, but Kirsten figured that when Jordan had friends over, they likely congregated around the small dining table in the area next to the kitchen. There was a sliding glass door behind the table that led to a small patio and yard area. The patio had a wrought-iron bistro table with two chairs and a small barbecue grill.
Jordan took her down the hallway, which displayed numerous family photos in collage frames hanging on the walls. She made a mental note to ask Jordan about the pictures when they had more time.
The left side of the hallway had two doors, the first of which, Jordan explained, led to a guest bath with a shower stall. Just past that was the guest bedroom furnished with a queen-sized bed, a desk, and a small chair. A laptop computer was sitting closed on the desk. Next to the desk was a small, two-drawer filing cabinet with a stack of mail piled neatly on top.
Across the hall from the guest bedroom was another door that led to Jordan’s master suite. Inside, there was a large, Mission-style king-sized bed and two nightstands. There were tasteful, black-and-white framed posters on the walls of two women entangled in bed. Out of nowhere, Kirsten saw herself and Jordan locked in those exact poses, and her stomach fluttered. Jordan pointed out the walk-in closet and bathroom behind the two doors inside the bedroom, and she was relieved to have her attention drawn away from the erotic pictures.
“Well, I guess we should get going,” Jordan said once she was finished highlighting the features of her home. “Would you like a bottle of water to take with you?”
Feeling like her mouth had become the Sahara Desert, she nodded and followed Jordan back to the kitchen, where she watched her retrieve a bottle of water and a large bottle of Gatorade, which she shoved into her gym bag. “So, what do you think?”
Kirsten smiled. “You have a lovely home. I feel very comfortable here, and it’s perfect for you.”
Jordan blushed. “Yeah, it doesn’t have a pool in the backyard like your house has, but I like it here.”
“Well, you’re welcome to come over anytime and continue to find your meaning of life.”
Jordan smiled. She grabbed her gym bag, slung it over her shoulder, and walked Kirsten to her car. She held open the passenger door for her to get in, closed the door once she was settled, and got in behind the wheel after tossing her bag into the backseat.
Jordan turned to her and said, “Let me impress you with my playing tonight.”
She patted Jordan’s hand and returned her smile. “You impress me more than you know, Jordan.”
*
They arrived at the gym just five minutes before the game was scheduled to start. Kirsten found an empty seat behind Jordan’s bench and settled in to watch her play.
Jordan hustled to lace up her high-tops and did a few quick stretches before going onto the gym floor to take a couple of warm-up shots. The buzzer sounded, letting the teams know the game was about to start. The players gathered in a huddle to discuss their strategy, then took to the court.
Jordan won the opening tip, and her team scored the first basket. She made it a point to look into the stands at Kirsten after she scored, almost as if to see if she approved. Kirsten clapped wildly and yelled her name, and she thought her heart would burst to see Kirsten’s pride. It made her want to run faster, jump higher, and be the best player she could be.
Late in the second half, Jordan stole the ball and was dribbling the length of the court. She elevated to score a lay-up, but as she landed, she stepped on her defender’s foot and a white-hot lance of pain blazed in her ankle. She crumpled to the ground and let out a scream, grabbing the injured appendage.
Her team rushed to her side. Jordan’s ankle throbbed, and the pain seared through her entire foot. This had been one of her best games, and she was disappointed it had come to an end with this injury. She also was upset that she wouldn’t be able to go out to dinner with Kirsten. She needed to get home to ice and elevate her ankle. After a few minutes on the floor, Jordan rose with the aide of two of her teammates and was helped back to the bench.
Once she was seated, Kirsten clambered down the bleachers and grabbed her shoulders. “Oh, my God. Jordan, are you okay?”
Her face was hot, and she grimaced with pain. “I didn’t hear a pop or a bone break, but my ankle hurts like hell. Shit.” She slammed her fist into the empty chair next to her. Not only was she in pain, she was upset that she couldn’t finish the game.
Kirsten grabbed a towel and the bottle of Gatorade out of her bag and handed it to her. “Let me take you to the hospital so you can get checked out.”
Jordan shook her head. “Are you crazy? On a Saturday night? I wouldn’t get home until tomorrow morning. I can just ice it when I get home.”
“But what if your ankle is broken? You should get x-rays.”
“No, it’s not broken. I’ve had a broken ankle before, and the pain isn’t nearly as bad as when I broke it.”
Kirsten looked at her in obvious disbelief.
“Kirsten, I’m a physical therapist and a former collegiate basketball player. I know what I’m talking about. I just need to ice it and take it easy tomorrow. I’ll be good in a couple of days.”
Kirsten playfully wrapped her hands around her neck and pretended to choke her. “Jordan Roberts, what am I going to do with you?”
She could only shrug and give Kirsten a smile. “You aren’t the first person to ask that question.” She thought for a moment. “Um, I don’t think I’ll be able to take you to dinner tonight. Can I get a rain check?”
“How about we order a pizza when we get back to your place? That way we’ll still be able to have dinner.”
Jordan placed her hand on Kirsten’s arm and let it linger. “Have I told you that pizza is my favorite food?”