Page 75 of Crashing into Love

It hadn’t escaped Selma’s notice that Drew had paid for everything so far tonight, and Selma wanted to pay for something for them at some point on this trip, too, but she liked that Drew was trying to take care of her at the same time. Drew signed the receipt, and when she needed to step back, Selma pulled away. Drew handed her a wineglass and took her own. They walked out of the bar and headed to the elevator bank. When they got there, though, Selma missed their connection and wanted to somehow convey that to Drew, so she slipped her hand into Drew’s jacket pocket. She watched Drew look down at that and smile before they got into the elevator together.

“Come here,” Drew said once the doors closed behind them, leaving them blissfully alone in the elevator.

Selma moved into Drew’s side, and Drew wrapped her arm around Selma’s shoulders. Selma then placed her head on Drew’s, and they just stood there, not talking and not drinking their wine, but maybe silently agreeing that this was, perhaps, the first step to it being more than friendship between them. Selma had almost forgotten that tomorrow, she and Drew both had races and should be focusing on their purpose for being there, and not having wine together in someone’s room.

“My room or yours?” Drew asked.

Selma swallowed and said, “Um… Yours.”

“Want to help me with my night-before-a-race ritual?”

Selma’s eyes went big because she knew of some of Drew’s rituals, but not all of them. She also knew that some athletes got themselves off before a big game or a race to help with the tension, so this was an interesting question to be presented with.

“Which one?”

“Going over the course in my mind. I have a video and pictures. We’ll have practice tomorrow morning before the afternoon heats, but I don’t like to wait.”

“Oh, right. You want my help with that?”

“We could go over it together.”

“Okay. Yeah.” Selma smiled as the doors opened.

CHAPTER 23

Drew stood at the finish line after her semifinal heat, watching Andy, who was in the second semifinal. She didn’t usually stay down here after a race to watch the next one, but with Andy up after her, them having a pretty decent time at dinner the other night, and Andy specifically asking her to hang out and wait, Drew decided she could do it this time. With Selma standing next to her, though, the wait was made all the better.

Selma had, unfortunately, been taken out in her second preliminary heat by an Italian boarder who had almost landed on top of her out of an ill-timed jump. Drew had been watching on the screen down at the bottom, waiting for Selma, hoping to hug her after a win, but that was not to be. Instead, Drew had almost ran up the side of the course to check on Selma, who had been down for a few seconds too long for Drew’s liking. Selma had sat up, though. Drew had watched that happen on the screen and seen the woman shake her head and get back up on her board. Drew had breathed a sigh of relief then, and Selma had come down the mountain slowly, no longer needing to race anyone. When she’d gotten there, her coach had checked on her first. Drew had been right behind him, though.

“Are you okay?” she’d asked and cupped Selma’s helmet because she couldn’t really get to her cheeks.

Selma had removed her goggles, resting them on that helmet, and Drew had been able to see her face then.

“I’m pissed, but I’m fine. They want to check me out anyway, though.”

“You should go, then. She really knocked you down. Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Nothing hurt on the rest of the way down, but I was kind of hoping to be racing against you in a semifinal heat, and now, that’s over, so just… I’m going to the tent to get looked at.”

“Can I come with you?”

“Into the med tent?”

“Yeah. Can I?” she’d asked and dropped her hands.

“Think I’m going to lie to you about what they say or something?”

“No.” Drew had shaken her head. “I just want to be there for you.”

Selma had given her a small smile, and they’d gone into the tent together. The trainers had cleared Selma, but Drew had been extra cautious, and later, when they’d gotten back to Selma’s room, she’d brought her ice and had her put some on both knees and ankles to be safe. Selma had complied, though not happily, so Drew had moved one ice pack to Selma’s hip for fun. Selma had yelped in surprise, which had made both of them laugh. Later, Drew had started a hot bath for Selma for after all that ice, and she’d given her some privacy for the rest of the night, but she hadn’t wanted to. Drew had wanted to stay the night, hold Selma, watch her sleep, and wake up next to her.

Now, she was standing at the bottom of the course, waiting for her ex-girlfriend, who, for the first time ever, had asked Drew to wait for her, while Selma stood next to her, doing the same.

“So, why are you waiting for Andy, exactly?” Selma asked as Andy, who was in second place, made it to the final jump.

“I told you; she asked me to.”

“And she’s never done that before?”

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