Page 84 of Crashing into Love

“Yeah. Hey, thanks for picking us up.”

She closed the door.

“No problem. It looks like about ten minutes.”

“Thanks.”

“So polite,” Selma teased.

“Shut up.” Drew chuckled and reached for Selma’s hand. “Is this okay?” She moved it to her lap and entwined their fingers.

Selma nodded and rested her head on Drew’s shoulder.

“So… A crush, huh?”

“You’re not going to let this go, are you? I shouldn’t have said anything.” Selma laughed one of her soft laughs that Drew loved so much.

“Nope. So, how long, exactly?”

“Does the video count?”

“What video? Wait… The video where you saw me board for the first time?”

“That’s the one.”

“You did not have a crush on me then.”

“Yeah, I did. You are the reason I…” Selma lifted up her head and whispered, “Realized I liked women, too.”

“Me?”

“I had ideas about it leading up to that, maybe, but then I definitively knew that I’d be up for that, yes.”

“But why me? I don’t get it.”

“There was just something about you in that race. You were all covered up with your helmet and your goggles and everything, but you were confident and so good. Then, you took the goggles and everything else off for an interview, and your hair was the same as it is now, and I was just a goner.”

“A goner? Really?”

“Yeah, really.”

Drew nodded a few times before she leaned over and kissed Selma on the temple.

“It took me a little longer, but I’m here now. Is that okay?” she asked softly so that their driver couldn’t hear.

“I wasn’t ready before now, anyway.”

“That works out well, then.”

A few minutes later, they were at the restaurant, and Drew was pulling Selma in and out of the cold because it had somehow gotten even colder outside, even though it had only been ten minutes and they hadn’t gone that far. Selma laughed when they got inside, and Drew cupped her hands to her mouth and blew warm air over them.

“You should’ve at least put on a warmer coat,” Selma suggested.

“I would have looked all puffy.”

“I look all puffy right now.”

“No, you look cute. Adorable, even.”

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