Page 52 of Bottle Rocket
“It’s the roller derby. Brings out the best in her. She and Robin both do it.”
“When did that start?”
“A few months ago.” Sasha turned to Rosie abruptly. “Oh my god, you’d be so good at that.”
“At what?”
“At roller derby! Wren, Rosie wants to join your roller derby team!”
“Excuse me?” Rosie said.
Wren dropped her bag and rushed over. “That would be amazing. We suck, but it’s so fun.” She grabbed Rosie’s hand and tugged her away from the game.
“Hey, we were winning.”
Wren waved that off. “We’ll come up with an awesome derby name for you. You need to get out all that repressed aggression. This will be great. Robin!”
Robin was holding court on her large back patio. Her house was beautiful, a true testament to her hard work and empire. It was modern and extravagant, built on the bluff edge above the river.
Today, Robin was wearing a black leather bustier top and a red tulip skirt. Her hair was down and wild with waves. She looked like a supermodel, beautiful and unapproachable.
Wren had no such qualms. She wiggled down next to Robin on the lounge chair and pulled Rosie directly in front of them.
“Rosie wants to join the Slammin’ Sirens,” Wren said.
Robin reached out and delicately caught Rosie’s index finger with her own. “Does she really?”
A weird mix of emotions swirled through Rosie, most too convoluted to understand, but one stood out. Excitement.
“I don’t know,” she said. It was safer to hold things close.
“It would be fun,” Robin said.
Rosie didn’t doubt that. She had missed Robin and Wren. They were more Sasha’s friends than hers, and now Benji was folded into that group via his connection to William. It would be nice to have something that was hers. A way to connect with these people who had always been there for her.
“What are your derby names?” Rosie asked.
“Oh, I’m Stitch Bitch and Robin is Madame Ballcrusher,” Wren said.
A laugh choked Rosie. Those names were perfect.
“I’ll think about it,” Rosie said.
She felt someone at her back. Then strong arms. Leo kissed the side of her neck.
“What are you talking about?” he asked. He smelled like flash powder from the firecrackers he’d been shooting off. It made her a little dizzy.
“Roller derby,” Wren said. “Rosie’s going to join our team. Can’t you just imagine Ms. Prim and Proper here taking her wrath out on the track?”
“Definitely,” Leo said.
Pride swelled in Rosie’s chest. It soundedfun. She would need somefunwhen Leo left.
“You okay?” Leo whispered in her ear.
She nodded, even though she wasn’t.
“Come help me set off firecrackers. I have those variety packs to get through.”
