Susanne Novan - Driven

dollars she had ended up spending on ‘extras’ nearly caused her heart to stop, but she chalked it up to a need and realized she could write it off on her taxes.

Climbing in her truck, she dug around in the sack until the found the adapter for the cigarette lighter. She fumbled with it for a moment then plugged it in, attaching her phone to let it charge.

"God, I’m pitiful." She mumbled aloud as she started the truck and pulled out into traffic. "I wonder what my friend would say if they knew I didn’t own a computer either."

She drove to a bookstore, where she picked up a copy of the newest murder mystery by her father’s favorite author, a new cookbook for her mother and gift cards for her brothers. She was waiting in line when she looked over at a rack of biographies a few feet away and she saw Dylan’s face.

"Now how did I miss that?" She stepped out of line and plucked the book from the rack and thumbed through it. She decided that with the up coming road trip it would be something to read. Of course, she’d have to put a shopping bag cover on it, so no one would tease her about it.

She got back in line and waited patiently as first an elderly customer couldn’t find her credit card and then a mother of three, tried to keep her children from grabbing their purchases so the clerk could ring them up.

Three good reasons NEVER to have children.

After her errands were run she returned home. Hamlet sniffed her quite thoroughly just to make sure it was her and then jumped up on the couch, where he

knew good and well he shouldn’t be.

"Get off there you slobber monster." She shook her finger and he dropped to the floor. "Good boy."

She settled down on the couch to look over the instructions for her phone. She felt it creeping up and looked desperately for a box of Kleenex, which she realized too late, she didn’t have. The sneeze was so loud and forceful it scared Hamlet.

"Great," Cat grumped to herself as she ran into the bathroom for toilet paper. "Just what I need. We’re going up against the best team in the league and I’m blowing snot all over the place."

*****

The next evening, after practice, Cat began her habitual shooting drills, expecting that Dylan would join her at any time. Her belly fluttered pleasantly,

causing her to miss her first seven shots in a row.

"Great," she grumped, tearing after the errant ball yet again. "At this rate, I’ll still be here when practice starts again tomorrow."

Grabbing the ball, she set herself up just behind the foul line. "Focus, Cat. Focus."

She threw a brick as the image of Dylan kissing her on that very line ambushed her the second she released her shot.

"Shit!!!"

Her curse reverberated through the empty, cavernous arena.

"Alright," she said, finally defeated. "I’ve had enough. I feel like shit, I’m playing like shit, and Dylan’s nowhere to be found." She sighed. "This just bites."

Walking dejectedly across the court, she tossed the ball toward the rack, and missed that shot as well. Grumbling under her breath, she made for the

locker room, and then hit the shower, washing the sweat of a fruitless day from her body.

Even dragging on her clothes seemed a gargantuan task. The cold she still wouldn’t admit to was taking a lot out of her, and her reserves, always spare to begin with, weren’t kicking in as they should.

If someone had held a gun up to her head, however, she’d readily admit that what made her feel the lousiest was that Dylan and been scarce all day.

"She probably thinks I’m an idiot," she muttered to herself, standing and slinging her gym bag over one shoulder. "God, a brand new rookie coming onto her coach. How cliché can you get?"

Trudging back through the locker room and out into the arena, mired deep in her own thoughts, Cat completely missed the silent figure standing in the

shadows of the large exit doors.

"You’re through early," a liquid voice sounded to her left.

Cat gasped, then spun, only then seeing Dylan as she emerged from the shadows. She was looking sleek in what Cat privately termed her "PR clothes"; black slacks and blazer over a silken blue shirt.

"You scared me!"

"Sorry about that. I thought you’d see me when you walked across the court."

Cat’s cheeks pinked. "Sorry. My head was somewhere else, I think." Then she sneezed.

Dylan’s expression became one of concern. "You alright?"

"Allergies," Cat lied.

Dylan smiled a little. "Sounds more like a cold to me."

Cat scowled. "I don’t get colds."

"Mm."

"Well I don’t!" And that was the truth—sort of. She hadn’t had a full out cold since junior high school.

Dylan nodded, relenting for the moment. "Well, if you feel well enough, would you like to get some coffee with me?"

Amazing how a few words, strung together to make a simple sentence, could do more to cure the common cold than all the years of civilized medicine put

together. Thoughts of depression and exhaustion slipped away, and Cat grinned. "That’s the best offer I’ve had all day."

******

"I should have known," Cat laughed as she walked through the door Dylan held open for her. "Leave it to The Goddess to find the only organic coffee shop in the entire world. I didn’t even know they

made

organic coffee."

"See the new things you’re learning?" Dylan teased as she led Cat up to the counter.

Chuckling, Cat stood at the counter, eyeing the selections. In a way, she was glad that the cold she didn’t have would probably blunt her taste buds some, as she wasn’t very sure she wanted to know that organic coffee tasted like. Still, she felt it was a small price to pay for the pleasure of Dylan’s company, and pay it she would.

A young, boyish looking woman smiled at them both from behind the counter. "What’ll you have?"

"A soy Chai Latte," Dylan responded before turning to Cat.

"Um…I’ll try a Vanilla Latte, half caf, extra vanilla."

"Comin’ right up."

As they waited, Cat took the opportunity to look around the shop. It was comfortable and homey, with pastel fabrics and soft music playing from tastefully hidden speakers. It really wasn’t all that much different from the other coffee shops she’d been to, save for the "organic everything", including hemp bars instead of chocolate covered coffee beans.

Within moments, they had received their drinks and moved off to a quiet corner of the shop, easing down into two upholstered chairs that faced in toward

a small, round table. After blowing on her coffee to cool it a bit, Cat took a tentative sip, prepared for anything. Her eyes widened as she realized that, dulled taste buds or no, it was just what the doctor ordered.

"This is good!" she exclaimed.

"Told ya," Dylan teased, smirking. "It’s good to broaden your horizons."

Cat gave a mock smile. "I’m all for that, but just remember, no matter how broad my horizons, Coach, you’ll never sway me from my carnivorous ways." She took another sip. "So there."

"Perish the thought."

They sat in comfortable silence for a time, listening to the music and soft hive drone of the customers, and sipping their drinks.

After a long moment, Cat steadied herself with a deep breath, turned slightly, and placed her cup on the table. "Coach?"

"Yes?"

"I…um…wanted to tell you that I was…sorry…for last night. Not for the way I felt…feel…." she hastened to add, "but because of the situation I put you in. I crossed a line and I’m sorry."

Dylan smiled. "It’s alright," she commented softly.

But Cat was on a roll. "No, no it isn’t. I know what my contract says about fraternization. I’ve read it over a few times." She blushed lightly, aware of what information she was giving away. "And I can only imagine what yours says on the subject. It’s probably a lot harsher than mine. I mean, you’re my boss, and that just…."