Page 8 of Half-Court Heat
We continued, the familiar rhythm of the treadmill’s motor and the whir of Eva’s rower, settling into a comfortable silence. It was strange, watching people catch her image out of the corner of their eye, their gazes lighting up in slow recognition. I could tell the exact moment they realized they’d seen her before—on their TV screens or in a magazine.
As for myself, I was elated to evade the scrutiny. I hadn’t become a professional athlete for the attention—I just loved the game of basketball and wanted to compete at the highest level for as long as I was able. I wasn’t in it for the money, either. Money made the world go ‘round, I wasn’t naive to that, but I also wasn’t rushing into every endorsement thrown my way.
I glanced sideways from the treadmill, keeping my pace steady as I watched Eva pull through another set on the rowing machine. The muscles in her back flexed with each stroke, her focus locked in. People were still staring, trying to pretend they weren’t. I didn’t blame them—she looked good. Like, billboard good.
“I don’t know how you do it,” I said, a little breathless. “Being watched all the time.”
Eva didn’t pause her steady rhythm on the rower. “You mean like here, now? Or in general?”
“Both.”
She gave a soft exhale. “I’ve been stared at my whole life. This is nothing new. I was already taller than most of my teachers by eighth grade. Add that I was the only Black girl at my school? People didn’t know what todowith me.”
I slowed my pace slightly, listening. I still didn’t know much about Eva’s childhood—just bits and pieces, mostly sports-related.
“Private school,” Eva added. “Lots of money. Lots of tennis skirts and legacy admissions. I didn’t exactly blend in.”
The image made me ache. Young Eva, already towering over her classmates, navigating a world that never made her feel like she belonged.
She gave a short, almost amused huff. “I thought college in the South would be different. I figured—okay, I’ll be around more Black folks; I’ll be less of a unicorn. But then I started winning, and I just got more famous. Started breaking records. People stared harder.”
I chewed on that for a second. “And now?”
Eva’s mouth curved slightly. “Now I lean in.”
“Yeah?”
She nodded. “I figured if people are going to stare anyway, I might as well give them something to look at.”
I smirked. “Mission accomplished.”
Eva finally looked over. “Don’t let me out-work you while giving a TED Talk.”
I laughed and kicked up my pace again. “You’re so full of yourself.”
Eva snorted. “You love it.”
A single bead of sweat trickled down her neck. Its journey was diverted by the slice of Eva’s collarbone. I didn’t mean to objectify her, but no one had any business looking so good after an intense workout.
Eva glanced over and caught me staring. “Careful,” she said, her voice low and amused. “Keep looking at me like that and we’re skipping leg day.”
We wrappedup at the gym and slipped back to our room, where the private plunge pool waited just outside the sliding glass doors. The cool water called to us—a quiet refuge away from the watchful eyes of the rest of the resort.
The sky had begun to fade to a dusky blue by the time we wandered back inside, skin damp and kissed by the sun. I pulled the sliding glass door shut behind us, sealing out the sound of the distant resort and sealing us into something quieter—something more private.
Eva stretched her arms over her head and yawned. I watched the rise of her ribcage, the way the fading light painted soft shadows along the lines of her body.
“I’m covered in chlorine and SPF 50,” she said. “Shower with me?”
It wasn’t really a question.
She disappeared into the bathroom, hips swaying just enough to make me follow without thinking. I peeled off my swimsuit as steam began to fill the air, clinging to the double vanity mirrors and curling around the travertine tile. The shower was huge, glass and dark stone with a rainfall spout overhead and a detachable wand at the side. It felt decadent—like everything on this trip.
Eva stepped in first. The water hit her skin in a gentle cascade, and she tilted her face up into the stream with a sigh.I joined her, the warmth of the water instantly soothing the tightness in my shoulders.
She turned her head, her eyes on mine, and handed me the body wash.
“Might as well make yourself useful,” she quipped.
