?Go home and eat out your girlfriend, dyke!? Brown shouted, struggling to break free from the arms holding her.
Dylan flew over the railing dividing the stands from the court, the sounds of her boot heels slamming on the varnished wood heard even above the yelling of the crowd.
?Grab your things and go, Keisha!? the ref snarled, grabbing the young woman by the front of her jersey. ?You?re outta here!?
?You can?t kick me out! You can?t fuckin kick me out!!?
Two of the staff grabbed the young woman?s arms and began leading her off of the court.
?Wait!? Hodge said, yanking herself free of her own set of restraining hands.
The referee looked at her.
?It?s alright. Things just got a little heated, but it?s okay.? She paused, looking toward Dylan, who slowed to a stop some feet away. ?Please. Let her stay.?
?We can?t do that, Cat,? the referee said, not unkindly. ?She broke the rules. She needs to go.?
?Please,? Hodge said softly, still looking at Dylan. ?Give her a second chance.?
Dylan stared into Hodge?s eyes for a very long moment. The gymnasium was silent.
Finally, Dylan looked over to the ref, and gave a slight nod. The referee sighed. ?Fine. Go to the showers and cool off, Keisha. You can come back tomorrow, but you?re done for today.?
Hodge smiled. ?Thank you,? she mouthed to Dylan, who gave her a short nod before turning and leaving the court.
Hodge stepped out of the shower and into the empty locker room, gingerly toweling her hair. There was a lump the size of an egg on the back of her head and it throbbed like a rotting tooth. As she passed by a mirror, she stopped and looked at herself. A large bruise was forming between her breasts. She winced.
?Way to go, Cat,? she whispered to her reflection. ?One day in front of the important folks, and you look like you?ve been through a war. But hey! At least you didn?t break anything vital.? She hissed as her towel touched the knot in her head. ?I hope.?
Chuckling to herself, she toweled dry as best she could, and pulled on her street clothes. Stuffing her uniform into her duffel, she slung it over her shoulder and headed for the darkened gymnasium.
She felt another?s presence before she saw it, and stiffened when Keisha Brown came into view. Brown moved forward until there was less than a foot separating them.
?Don?t think this squares things between us, bitch,? Brown hissed. ?You?re just takin? longer to dig your own grave, that?s all. I?ll get drafted first whether I get kicked out of here or not. Remember that.?
?Why are you doing this?? Hodge asked, careful not to show her discomfort.
?Because I?m the best. You get that? The best, and no two bit wannabe player is gonna take that away from me.?
Hodge held in a groan of pain as Brown pushed a hand against her bruised chest.
?I can take you down anytime I want to, Kitty Cat. Anytime I want to.?
?Think you can take me down??
Both women started at the deep, smooth voice that floated in from the shadows.
Brown spun, and she gasped as she stared up into the flickering blue eyes of a woman who topped her by over eight inches. ?C-Coach Lambert!?
?You didn?t answer my question, Keisha. You wanna take me down?? A smile curled Dylan?s lips.
The kind that made all the spit in Brown?s mouth dry up. ?I-we-we wuz just talkin?, that?s all.?
?Is that so.?
?Yeah,? Brown replied, laughing weakly. ?Honest.?
Dylan stepped fully into the meager light cast by the locker room, causing Brown to shrink back in fear. ?A liar and a bully. Nice. I?m sure some team is gonna consider themselves real lucky to get such a prize.?
?But??
?Get outta here, Brown. Now.?
As Keisha scampered away, Dylan looked Hodge carefully over. ?You alright??
?Yes,? Hodge replied. ?Just wasn?t meant to be my lucky day, I guess.?
The corner of Dylan?s mouth turned up. ?Oh, I don?t know about that. You managed to set a record in the shoot around, won all your three-on-three games, and talked me into breaking the rules and letting that little thug stay on. All in all, not a bad showing.?
Hodge laughed, then stopped abruptly, one hand going to her head while the other covered her chest. ?Ow.?
Dylan looked down at her, concerned. ?Are you sure you?re alright??
?Yeah. The trainer looked me over. I?m just a little bruised. I think I?ll live, though.?
?Alright. Are you headed back to the hotel??
?Yes.?
?I?ll walk you to your car then. C?mon.?
Dylan shortened her strides so that her smaller companion could keep up with her as they walked through the gym and into the chilly Minneapolis night. Hodge stumbled as they stepped from the sidewalk onto the paved parking lot, but quickly righted herself. Her head spun from the effort.
?Dizzy??
Hodge nodded. ?Just a little, when I tripped. It?s okay now, though.?
?Let?s not take any chances. I?ll drive you back to the hotel, alright??
?No, no,? Hodge demurred. ?I?m fine. Really.?
?And I?m driving you to the hotel. You can get a ride back with one of the players in the morning.?
Hodge really couldn?t do anything at that point but give in. ?Ok,? she said simply, allowing Dylan to lead her to the rental parked close by.
The ride to the hotel was made in silence. Dylan, by nature, wasn?t much of a conversationalist. And Hodge, who was, found that the close presence of the woman she idolized managed to wither away every single thought in her head.
Unable to speak, Hodge contented herself with catching glimpses of Dylan?s chiseled profile as the car moved in and out of bars of light created by the passing streetlamps. Hodge had always thought her incredibly beautiful?who wouldn?t??but in person this was even more true. Dylan had a charisma that cameras captured well, but cameras couldn?t hold a candle to seeing her in real life. She had a physical presence that went far beyond her unusual height or her looks. It rolled off of her in waves, and Hodge was quite happy to be caught in the undertow.
Dylan was quite aware of the scrutiny. It had been a part of her life for so many years, she all but forgot what it was like not to be seen as if from under a microscope?s lens. She?d learned very early that to have any type of privacy at all, she would have to hide within the glass bubble of her own popularity. It was a lesson she learned well.
The hotel came quickly into view, and Dylan found a parking space very near the front. Shutting down the engine, she exited the rental and popped the trunk, withdrawing Hodge?s duffle and handing it to her. Together, the two women walked into the nearly empty lobby.
The doors to the elevators opened as if by magic, and they entered, pressing the buttons for their respective floors. When the doors opened on five, Hodge turned to Dylan. ?Well, this is where I get off. Thanks?for helping me out back there. And for making sure I was alright.?
Dylan smiled at the slight blush that colored Hodge?s cheeks. ?You?re welcome.?
?Well?I guess I?ll see you tomorrow then.?
?You will. Be sure to ice yourself down, or those bruises will get worse.?
?Don?t worry. I will.? There was an awkward pause. ?Well?goodnight, Coach Lambert.?
?Goodnight, Catherine. Sleep well.?
Dylan walked into her room to see Mac lounging in her living area, in his skivvies, his feet propped up on the table and a bottle of beer in his hand. The television was tuned to a decades old pro game on ESPN Classic, and the door that connected their adjoining suites was wide open.
He saluted her with his beer as she passed.
?How nice of you to make yourself at home, Mac.?
Mac chuckled. ?Reception?s better in here.?
Snorting at the lie, Dylan removed her coat and draped it over the ottoman before stepping into the bathroom to change.
?Everything alright with the kid??
?She?s twenty two, Mac. Hardly a ?kid?.?
?You know what I mean. Is she alright??