Disclaimer – This a work of fiction based on characters owned by Showtime. No copyright infringement is intended.
Dana slammed her locker shut. The headache she’d been trying to rid herself of all morning was catching up with her again. She could see on the scoreboard in the locker room that the mixed doubles final was winding down. She settled into her pre-match preparation as well as she could. In her locker was some approved medicine to ease her stress headache. She reached for it.
“Hey Dana.” Another player, sweaty from the practice courts, dumped her bag on the bench behind her.
“Christa, hi.”
“You’re up next?” She noted the strapping on Dana’s ankles and wrists. “Any problems?”
“Nothing out of the ordinary. Just precautionary.”
“Your first Indian Wells final...” Christa smiled and stripped off her sweaty shirt. “I heard you got the Subaru deal too. Congratulations.”
Dana nodded. “Thanks. It’s not really official yet though. But it was a relief.”
“I’ll bet. I felt the same way when my Adidas contract came through. Kinda takes some of the pressure off.”
“Miss Fairbanks?” A voice called from the other end of the room. It was one of the aides from the tennis club administration.
“Yes?”
The aide wandered down, dancing her way past players and their overflowing equipment bags and open lockers. She was carrying a small bouquet of flowers.
When she reached Dana she handed over the flowers with a flourish. “These just came for you. Your coach said I should just bring them in here.”
“Thanks very much.”
With her task finished the aide simply nodded and fought her way out again, leaving Dana to stare at the bouquet. White orchids. Simple and stunning. So very Lara.
“There’s a card.” Christa prodded her.
Dana flushed. “Oh, I know who they’re from. I’m just… I’m not used to this.”
“Not used to flowers?”
“Not used to the person who is sending me flowers.” Dana replied, still holding the bouquet as if it were the most priceless thing anyone had ever given her.
“New love, eh? I remember that, in my long ago, far away past.” Christa winked. “Are you going to read the card or not?”
Dana plucked the small piece of cardboard from amongst the orchids.
Dana,
Wish I could be there to see you. Then again, I wish I was always with you. Good luck. I believe in you.
All my love,
Lara
“It’s beautiful.” Dana whispered.
Christa sat down next to her, lowering her voice. “Who is she?”
Dana flushed. “Am I that obvious?”
“Guys don’t send white orchids with messages that make you look like that.” Christa replied, chuckling. “I should know. Derek’s my guy and I love him dearly, but he’s not up to that level of romance.” Dana handed over the card. Christa raised an eyebrow before taking it. “You sure? I don’t want to intrude.”
“No, go ahead.” Dana said.
Christa read the brief message and smiled. “See, now, you should hold on to that one.”
“I’m going to try.” Dana replied. She picked herself up off the seat. “I have to head to warm up. This is the last thing I should be thinking about now.”
“Or maybe it’s the one thing you should be thinking about.” Christa said. “How long have you known?”
“About me, or about Lara?”
“About you.”
“All my life.”
“And how many people around here know?”
Dana hesitated. “Sometimes I think anyone with a brain would know. But I think I’ve been better at hiding it than even I thought I had. It’s not like I’m the only one. I don’t know why I should be so scared.”
“You’re scared?” Christa scowled. “Don’t be. The WTA gets scared and embarrassed enough for us all. And some of us are straight.”
Dana took another look at the scoreboard-in-progress. Her pre-match adrenalin was rising. She leaned over and took the offered card back from Christa with a shy smile “I think I’ll tuck this in my equipment bag, somewhere safe.”
“Be happy, Dana. And good luck out there.”
Dana hefted her equipment bag and nodded, heading out to the warm-up area, her stomach knotted.
***
“Will you hurry up? Dana’s on.” Alice yelled.
“Hold your panties, I’m coming.” Shane shouted back from the kitchen. Seconds later she emerged, arms laden Dr Pepper, Doritos and a huge bowl of popcorn. “Where the hell is Lara?”
“She said she’d be here as fast as she could. Someone swapped her a half shift at the country club.” Bette replied, sinking into the overstuffed couch. She settled a half-eaten bowl of chips in her lap. “I can’t believe it’s the final already”
“It’s so totally screwed.” Alice objected, plopping herself down. “This has been her only televised game so far. All the way through Indian Wells and only once on TV. I bet Subaru is pissed. Nobody thought she’d get this far.”
Behind them they heard a brief knock on the door.
“Come in!” Tina yelled. “You know, she’s the only one of you that knocks.”
“She obviously hasn’t known you long enough to know better.” Shane replied.
Tina threw her an evil look. “Yeah well, one day you’re going to walk in something you never wanted to see.”
“You’re married. What could I walk in on?” Shane joked and got Bette’s stony glare in response. “Ouch! Do you practice that in front of a mirror?”
“I do actually. Intimidation helps in my line of work..” Bette quipped.
The door opened a crack and Lara slipped in, still wearing the bottom half of her chef’s uniform with an old t-shirt roughly thrown on. “Did I miss anything?” She sounded breathless, as if she’d just run half a block instead of just up the driveway. “The traffic was hideous.”
“Warm-ups are on.” Tina replied.
“Oh, that’s my favourite part, when she still looks all nervous. See, she shakes her head a little bit after each shot, trying to limber up her neck…” Lara lingered behind the couch and watched, not wanting to miss anything but also not wanting to crash on the floor in her dirty uniform. Finally she cursed and headed for the bathroom. “I need to go change.”
“You’ve got like, thirty seconds.” Alice warned.
Lara bolted for the bathroom. Alice turned to Shane. “Limbering up her neck?”
“So fucking cute.” Shane laughed.
Alice scowled. “You always say that.”
“Because it is.” Tina said, throwing a piece of popcorn at Alice. “Killjoy.”
“Remember when we were at Dana’s tournament in Santa Barbara last year and that cute physiotherapist offered to give us all massages if we could introduce her to Dana?” Bette asked. “Maybe she noticed Dana’s twitching neck muscles too. What was her name?”
“Linda.” Shane replied.
Alice snorted. “Yeah, and as I recall, Shane was the only one who got a massage.”
“Well, that’s what you get for saying ‘you go first’.” Shane shrugged. “She was hot.”
Bette snickered. “You missed the whole tournament.”
“It was worth it. I’ve never felt so relaxed in my life.” Shane said, lying back on some pillows. Alice threw a cushion and hit Shane squarely in the face. “Jealous much?” Shane replied, still grinning.
“Sssh, it’s starting.” Tina said. Alice threw Shane a last lingering scowl as Lara came running from the bathroom, tucking her workpants roughly into a backpack as she went. She plopped down on the floor in shorts, t-shirt and bare feet, her face freshly scrubbed and her hair still up in its work ponytail.
As everyone stared at the screen, Alice gave Lara a sidewards glance. She knew perfectly well what Dana saw in Lara. Great personality, confident… she had a great body too and, from what Dana said, she was totally awesome and uninhibited in bed. She was everything Dana could want. Everything Dana needed.
Alice’s stomach knotted just a little bit. It was the same feeling she got every time Dana got interested in someone. But this time it wasn’t just Dana crushing on some unapproachable girl from afar. Lara was here, the real deal, eating from the same bowl of popcorn and lusting after her best friend every bit as much as Dana lusted after her. They spent their days wrapped around each other, physically and emotionally, totally uninterested in anyone or anything else.
Alice knew enough about Dana to know that when she got involved in something it took up her entire being. Despite her sarcastic and “who cares?” attitude, when she really cared about something she never did anything half way. She watched Dana run back and forth on the court; total focus, total commitment. It was how Dana survived her own doubts and fears.
Alice and Lara sat side by side and watched the game, each wrapped up in the woman on the screen, each for their own reasons.
Alice remembered.
Wanna come to my place?
Oh please. I am not that desperate.
Fuck you, Alice, neither am I.
Dana, I'm just —
What?
I'm just, I don't wanna be one of those people who sleeps with her friends.
Neither do I!
Right, okay! Let's not have sex!
No, never!
Okay!
Never!
“Never.” Alice whispered.
Lara looked up. “What? Did you say something?”
“I’ve never seen her do a better backhand that that.” Alice fumbled, reaching for more popcorn.
“I know! Wasn’t it amazing? Just clipping the line. She’ll be thrilled. I know she’s been working on that topspin.”
Onscreen, Dana wiped her face with a towel between games. It was impossible to read her face while she was playing, even if you’d known her for as long as Alice had.
Lara seemed to sense what she was thinking. “Isn’t it weird, how she can sit there with that expression on her face and you don’t have a clue what she’s thinking? In every other situation she’s like an open book, all kinds of wild expressions, you always know what’s going on in her head. But not here.”
“Her first love.” Alice mumbled. She looked over at Lara and mentally kicked herself. “Shit, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean…”
“Oh, don’t worry, you’re absolutely right. It’s the way it should be.” Lara replied, breezily. “She spends so much of her time worrying about what other people think, I think she’d go insane if there wasn’t something in her life she could put first, where she really believes in herself.”
Alice sat back, impressed in spite of herself.
After an hour it was obvious Dana had the match well in hand. Her opponent was beginning to make stupid errors, while Dana still looked fresh and relaxed. The group started to unwind from the stress and yelled encouragement at the screen. Lara began joking with Shane about the best way to welcome home the conquering hero.
“She has a pretty good hot tub in her house. That could be useful.” Lara drawled happily.
Shane nodded. “I approve. But what will she find waiting for her there?”
Lara’s eyebrows shot up. “Are you after dirty details, or do you just want to give my plans the Shane seal of approval?”
“She is the expert.” Bette reasoned
“Ok, I’ll give you that.” Lara smiled. “I was thinking just dim the lights, have some fresh chocolate-covered strawberries and truffles, lady finger shortbread, pink champagne, and just a whiff of fruity fragrant oils in the bathwater to whet the appetite for something sweet.”
“No candlelight?” Tina asked.
Bette nodded. “No candles. Candles can be smelly and messy. Plus, if water starts splashing around…”
Lara nodded. “Exactly.”
Shane whistled her approval.
Alice sighed. “Tell me again why I’m not dating a chef?”
“You said it was because last time you did that you gained fifteen pounds.” Shane answered.
“Oh yeah. But he was a pastry cook. There are other types of chef.”
“This is it, guys.” Shane pointed their attention back to the TV screen. Dana served an ace to serve out the championship and dropped to her knees, pumping her fists in the air.
Bette raised her glass of soda. “To Dana.”
“To Dana.” The others repeated, reaching for their glasses. Lara felt tears coming to her eyes as she watched Dana jog over and shake the hands of first her opponent across the net and then the umpire. She raised a hand and waved to the cheering crowd.
“It’s surreal.” Lara whispered. “When she’s like this I can barely believe I even know her, let alone…”
Shane patted her on the back. “Yeah, I hear ya.”
“I’m so proud.” One tear, then another made their way slowly down her cheeks. She couldn’t stop smiling.
“Wait about ten minutes after she heads through the arch down to the dressing room and the phone will ring.” Tina said.
Lara’s head jerked up. “Really?”
“It’s kind of a tradition, when she knows we’re watching.” Alice said. “It might be for just a few minutes, but she always calls.”
Lara watched the screen numbly as the camera followed Dana around, first as she acknowledged the crowd, then as the presentation ceremony went on and on. Finally Dana stood on the podium, the trophy held over her head. A representative of the sponsor put a microphone under her nose. Dana’s giggle echoed out over the entire stadium.
“She looks beautiful.” Lara whispered.
“Doesn’t she?” Bette agreed. “Dana in her element is a thing to behold.”
Dana grappled nervously with the microphone. “I just want to say thank you to the tournament sponsors, we obviously can’t do this without your help and generosity. The tournament organisers. My coach. My agent. My wonderful friends and family watching back at home, I know you’re there and I wish you were here.” Dana looked directly at the camera and said pointedly. “I always wish you were here with me.”
Lara felt her breath catch in her chest.
Dana started shaking hands again with everyone on the stage, smiling hugely but trying to make her way now from the stands and out of the arena. The media made space for her as she went, carrying her equipment bag on one shoulder and trying to sign autographs with her spare hand as she went.
Finally she disappeared from the court and the television coverage switched back to the studio. Sports commentators began to dissect the match. Lara only half-listened to their banter as she watched the clock wind down slowly.
“Drinks anyone?” Bette asked on her way to the kitchen.
Lara cleared her throat. “Do you have any drink drinks? I feel kind of in need of something strong.”
Bette nodded. “Sure, check the bar in the corner for whatever you want.” She pointed to a wooden cabinet off to the side.
Lara swung open the cabinet door which and revealed a treasure trove of alcohol. “Sweet Jesus, I’m saved.” She whispered.
“Yeah, these things kinda wrack my nerves too.” Alice said from behind her shoulder.
“You want?” Lara offered.
“Vodka. Definitely.”
“I’m a Tequila girl myself. But I don’t think I want to shot anything right now.” She pulled the vodka from the shelf and headed towards the kitchen to find some juice.
As they were fixing drinks the phone rang. Lara had to physically stop herself from diving for the receiver. She busied herself chopping lemon instead – she’d desperately needed something to do with her hands and the chef in her couldn’t help decorating the glasses with tricky lemon spirals. She knew Bette was watching her work with interest.
Tina let it ring three times and then answered. “Hello? Dana! Hi, yeah we’re watching. Congratulations! Yes, we’re all here… oh except Kit and Marina, they couldn’t make it. That was an awesome game. Listen, I won’t hog your time, here’s Alice.”
Alice practically snatched the phone from Tina’s hands. “Hello miss big stuff! I saw that backhand. Swiiiiish….It was awesome. Uh huh.Yeah. Listen, get your bony ass back here so we can congratulate you in person. Drinks are on us. Here’s Shane.”
“Hello Ms Dayyynaaaa.”
Alice looked at Lara. “Shane’s the only person I know who can swagger on the telephone.”
Lara rolled her eyes and chuckled. She handed Alice her screwdriver and downed half of the one she’d made for herself in one gulp. Suddenly Shane was there waving the phone receiver in her face.
“Hello, Dana?”
“Baby, hi!”
“Oh my God, there’s so much noise there behind you! Congratulations!”
“Thanks. Oh God, I’m so pumped. I… I wanna kiss you so bad.”
“God, me too.”
“Did you see the presentation?”
“I did. I got the message. You got my flowers then?”
“I did, just before the game. Thank you so much. Listen, I have to go. The tournament director is waving at me and I still have to talk to Bette.”
“OK, I’ll put her on…”
“Wait! Listen, I just wanted to say… I love you.”
“You..? I..? When did you realise that?”
“About halfway through the second set.”
Lara laughed. “You want me to say it too? Now? Because I will.”
“No. Save it for when I get there. I miss you so much.”
“I miss you too, babe. Bye.”
Lara trembled as she handed the phone over to Bette. She didn’t hear a word of their brief conversation, her head was spinning so much she felt like she had to sit down before gravity made the decision for her and dumped her on the floor.
“Does it ever get any less intense than this?” Lara asked, settling herself on the arm of the sofa.
Alice raised a glass and they clinked. “Well, I don’t know exactly how it is for you, but I still get pretty excited about it. I don’t think that’ll ever go away.”
“I don’t want it to.” Lara said and downed the rest of her drink. “I don’t want this feeling to ever go away.”
***
Dana dumped her suitcase and equipment bag in front hall of her apartment. Sticking out the top of her bag was the top of a gleaming trophy. Indian Wells champion, and I still carry my own suitcases inside from the taxi, she thought wryly.
She kept saying that little sentence over and over in her mind. Indian Wells champion. Indian Wells champion. It wasn’t a slam, but it was a tier one tournament. Nothing to ever sneeze at. With her other victories that season it could catapult her into the top ten in the world.
She heard footsteps in the hall ahead and looked up, knowing exactly who it was she would find. Dana blinked. The person standing there she’d been expecting. Only, she’d been expecting Lara to be wearing more than a long white chef’s apron, and nothing else.
“I had to make sure you had no one else with you.” Lara said, slinking her way down the hall towards Dana. In her hand was a long wooden spoon.
“You’re actually cooking like that?” Dana asked.
“Uh, huh. I like cooking naked. It makes me feel sexy.” Lara held out the spoon for Dana to lick some of the smooth, rich chocolate from the tip.
“It makes you look sexy.” Dana admired before giving in and licking the spoon. “Mmmm. Is this my post-victory treat?”
“This is just because I’m incredibly proud of you.” Lara said and moved in to claim Dana’s lips.
As Lara tried to move away Dana wrapped strong arms around her shoulders and pulled her back. “Uh, uh, no going away. I’ve missed you.” She crushed her lips against Lara’s, her hands feeling her way around her girlfriend’s gorgeous body. “Two weeks away and I almost forgot what you feel like.”
“Now, I know that’s not true.” Lara whispered, teasing Dana’s lips with her tongue. They kissed deeply again, exploring each other’s mouths intensely, stopping only for a long, gasping breath. “God, I have so many plans for this evening, but I need to have sex with you right now.”
Dana leered at Lara’s naked butt happily. She reached under the apron with an exploratory hand. “I was so hoping you would say that.”
***
They languished on silk sheets, sated for now, but still prowling each other’s bodies. Lara had switched off the stove on their way upstairs and had long since shed her chef’s apron. Dana’s clothes were strewn on the stairwell between the second and third levels of her townhouse.
Lara captured Dana’s eyes in a long, intense stare. She didn’t speak, just allowed their eyes to lock. Mr Piddles had jumped up on the bed once they had stopped moving so much and was now stomping around on Dana’s pillow, looking for a warm spot where he’d be unlikely to be interrupted. Dana broke eye contact to watch Mr Piddles contentedly.
“Maybe we should get another cat. Someone for Mr Piddles to adore, like I adore you.” Lara said.
“He adores me. Don’t you Mr Piddles?” Dana smiled. “As for you…adore me? Nothing more?”
Lara ran a teasing finger up Dana’s leg. “Worship? I worship the body of Dana Fairbanks.”
Dana sucked in a breath. It tickled. “That’s an improvement. Nothing else?”
“I crave you. Like chocolate. Only you’re good for me.”
“Hmm? And?”
“Desire?”
“Close. Still not right.”
“Love?”
Even though she’d been fishing for it, Dana’s face grew suddenly serious. “Do you? Really?”
“Yes, Dana. Of course I love you.” Lara said. She moved up to wrap both arms around Dana and hold her close. “And only you. And now that I’ve had you, nothing else in the world will ever make me feel this amazing ever again.”
“How do you know?”
Lara thought about that for a second. “Because I feel so free with you. Because you make me laugh. Because not being with you makes my whole body ache. God, because you make me come so fucking hard…” Lara trembled for a moment, just with the memory of that feeling. She squeezed Dana even harder. “And because of who you are, Dana. You’re everything I want.”
Dana squirmed. “Except, you probably want someone who can hold hands with you in the street.”
“Maybe we will, one day.” Lara reassured her. “I know you said you need time.” Lara didn’t want to dwell on that particular topic. “So…how are you feeling now?”
Dana didn’t hesitate. “I’m hungry.”
“Good answer.” Lara pulled Dana up off the bed slowly and led her naked downstairs towards the second level bathroom. “I’ve even had my plan of how to feed you approved by all of your friends.”
Dana coughed. “You what?”
“Well, Shane asked me how I planned to reward you when you got home…”
“And you told her?”
“I sketched out some basic ideas.” Lara teased. “They were jealous that you have your own private chef. Now, I want you, to take these…” She handed Dana two champagne flutes “…into the bathroom and go and run the hot tub.”
Dana sighed in anticipation. “No wonder they approved.”
“Do you remember where I put my apron?” Lara asked.
Dana scooped up the apron from the floor beside the bookshelf and helped Lara tie it back on. Her hand lingered over the small of Lara’s back as she walked away, touching the skin, feather-light. Lara shivered.
Ten minutes later Dana lay soaking in the hot tub, bubbles swirling up around her, massaging the soreness from her body. Lara emerged into the bathroom, without the apron, carrying a tray of food and an open bottle of champagne.
Dana felt almost like crying. “You are so spoiling me.”
“And you deserve to be spoiled.” Lara laid the tray down on a small table she’d placed near the edge of the tub and climbed in. Dana held out glasses to be filled. As she drank the bubbly liquid hit her throat with a sensual tingle. She shivered.
Lara watched Dana and sipped from her own glass. Then she took a chocolate-covered strawberry from the tray and fed it to Dana, watching closely as Dana devoured it, mapping each movement of her lover’s lips as she ate.
Dana moaned. “I’m in food heaven.” She leaned over and took a piece from the tray, guiding it towards Lara’s mouth. Lara took it between her teeth and chewed. Dana sighed contentedly.
Lara fed Dana a bit more, then began to ignore the tray and concentrated on nibbling at the base of Dana’s neck. She put down the champagne and explored with both hands, finally reaching down and inserting two fingers into Dana, thrusting upwards until Dana came throbbing and crying in her arms, her hair spilling forwards and body spasming. She held Dana as the intensity of the orgasm faded.
“I should win more often…” Dana whispered, voice shaky. They kissed softly.
Lara breathed out slowly. “This has nothing to do with winning.” She held Dana close, feeling her heart beating rapidly and then gradually slowing as Dana relaxed again in her arms.
“Don’t ever go away…” Dana murmured into Lara’s shoulder.
“Don’t ever send me away.” Lara replied.
Dana snuggled closer, like skin against skin was still an impossible distance apart. Then she sighed. “Why would I do that?”
THE END