Only Friends

Chapter 5 - Dutch Dinner

I woke up and headed to training. Jill messaged me earlier that morning asking if she could have a ride, so I went by her house and got her. We arrived at the training center with plenty of time to spare, as I hate being late. We walked into the common room and saw Daan and Beth huddled together watching Tiktoks and Leah and Jordan were sitting close together, on their separate phones. 

"Well hello, sociable people!" Jill said loudly, as not one of them lifted their heads out of their phones. After Jill's comment, they all lifted their heads up. 

"Hey girls," Jordan said, while Leah, Daan, and Beth waved. Jill and I went to sit at the end of the couch and put our earbuds in to listen to some music - one air pod in her ear, the other in mine. We put our feet up on the couch and started lip-syncing and jamming to the playlist. Jill banged her head on the wall behind her, making us both laugh hysterically. I leaned into her and her leg wrapped around mine, and we couldn't stop ourselves from laughing. The other girls looked at us, questioning what we were doing, but we didn't care. We were caught up in the moment. 

Viv walked in the door with Lisa and said, "Those girls really are trouble." The rest of the girls nodded, and we just broke out laughing again.

On the pitch, we practiced transitions. The biggest difference between the US and England, and what we do at training, is the transitions. The emphasis placed on them is at a whole new level compared to the USA. I don't mind it, as being a defensive player, transitions just rely on my ability to pass the ball over the crowd to my number nine (either Beth, Viv, and Caitlin) which, honestly, is mostly fun for me.

After training, Jill and I walk back to the common room, chatting about training. 

"Can you please come with me tonight to this dinner with the girls?" She asks.

"What dinner?" I replied, not wanting to sound too curious, but I was. 

"Viv, Daan, and I planned this 'Dutch' dinner," she said, using hand quotations, "But they are bringing Lisa and Beth, so I don't want to be alone." She said it so solemnly, that I felt bad for her.

"Yeah of course. Don't need to be shy asking me," I said, teasing her. She gave me a friendly nudge, and I wrapped my arm around her waist, and she wrapped hers around my shoulders.
Jill is very tall. Most Dutch people are. One thing I learned when I moved to Europe is that the Dutch are the tallest people in the world. Viv is tall as well. Daan, although she is Dutch, is an exception. She is very tiny compared to Jill and Viv.

Later that evening, we arrived at Viv and Lisa's apartment for the 'Dutch Dinner' as the girls are calling it. Viv, who is a very good cook, created traditional Dutch meals, which I had never heard of and wouldn't be able to pronounce even if I tried.

When Jill and I walked through the door, the girls did know I was coming, however, Beth teased me.

"What's the Aussie doing here?" She shouted from the couch. 

"Well, I didn't wanna be stuck in a room full of love..." She stopped trying to think of the phrase. Jill sometimes has a hard time finishing English sayings.

"Birds," I whispered in her ear, trying to make sure the girls didn't hear me finishing her sentence. 

"Birds!" she pronounced loudly and gave me a smile. 

It was a great dinner. I was able to get to know Beth and Daan more, as they are quite reserved and not as outgoing as Lisa. Viv isn't outgoing but Lisa definitely pushes her. Lisa brought her vlogging camera and filmed us eating. It is quite fun having the camera there as we have a sort of time capsule and memories that will always be there. Lisa starts talking into the camera, while the rest of us are on the couch in front of the television watching the soccer, tired after eating the fabulous cheesecake Lisa and Viv made. 

"Now, we have eaten a lot. Haven't we girls?" Lisa asked, pointing the camera toward us. We are sprawled on the couch, Daan and Beth next to each other, and Jill and I are stretched out on the long part of the couch. We had a blanket over our legs, so the camera wouldn't see the tangle that was beneath. 

"We are stuffed," I moaned back to Lisa and the camera. 

"That we definitely are," Lisa continued. "We have our first away game in Manchester against United, so hopefully, this little dinner has helped us prepare for that," she went on, cheekily.
Beth kept looking at Jill and me, probably questioning our relationship - are we friends? Are we together? At this point, if she asked me, I wouldn't know what to say. Everything is so free and easygoing with Jill, and we have only known each other for a month. 

I help Lisa and Beth wash up, while the other girls catch up on all things Dutch. 

"Inds, what's up with you and Jill?" Lisa asked me, so confidently it caught me off guard. 

"Oh my gosh." I started to say, chucking under my breath. 

"You guys are quite close," Beth said while drying the plates. 

"We are," I started to say, "we are friends.". As I said that, Jill came over to put her glass in the dishwasher. She heard what I said. Shit. She looked me in the eyes, not wanting Beth and Lisa to know that she had heard me, and turned away back to Daan and Viv.
"Well," Lisa continued, unknown to her that Jill heard, "just be careful. Jill has been through a lot." The conversation ended there, thankfully, and we stayed late, drinking and chatting. Jill and I sat beside each other, but not as close as before. I can tell there are some new tensions that have formed after the comment I made. 

We made our way to leave as Daan and Beth did also. I thanked Viv and Lisa for a lovely dinner and walked down to my car. I didn't drink much, and knowing I would be under the limit, I was okay to drive. 

Jill was silent in the car, not looking at me. 

"Jilly," I said, 10 minutes into the car trip, "Are you going to talk to me?" I pleaded. 

I could see, from the corner of my eye, a single tear streaming down her face. I pulled the car over, on the side of the road, and turned the ignition off. 

"Jill," I said again, grabbing her hand and turning her head towards mine. 

"I thought we were more." She said, solemnly. Her abrupt truth caught me off, guard. My eyes grew wider and I bit my lip. 

"I don't know what we are," I replied to her, "I don't know anything." She pulled her hand away from mine and wiped the tear from her face. 

"I don't want to put myself through something if I have been making everything up in my head." 

"No," I started, "You haven't been making it all up in your head, I promise." 

"Then what?" She asked, looking into my eyes this time. I don't say anything. Instead, I place my hand on her cheek and lean across the console and place my lips on hers. It was soft and delicate, and our lips fit like Cinderella's shoes. I pulled away, hoping she would say or do something. I turned my body to look forward again, placing both hands on the steering wheel, so nervous about what she was going to do after I had made the first move.

Unexpectedly, she leaned over to me, turning my head towards her, and kissed me, this time harder and stronger. I felt the passion and drive, and the longingness that came with the kiss. We pulled away simultaneously, and I put the car back into drive and got back onto the road.
We sat in silence for the rest of the trip, but her hand was entangled in mine, on my leg, as the other steered the car. I could feel her eyes on me a lot, looking at me.
As we approached her apartment, I pulled the car over. 

"You're so beautiful," she said, as she got out of the car, letting go of my hand, "Want to come in?" She asked. I thought about it for a while, and although I desperately wanted to go in, and be with her, I knew that I shouldn't. 

"Jill," I started, "Let's not rush." I could see her eyes falter, only slightly, but she nodded, knowing that it was the right thing to do. "I'll pick you up for training tomorrow, okay?" She nodded, but not before she leaned in and kissed me again, her salty lips tingling mine. I drove off, content with myself. I just kissed Jill Roord.