The Lunchtime Special

Chapter 11 - Foul Ref!

"Hey." Ames greets me as she clambers into my car, dumping her bag over onto the back seat and sliding her water bottle into the cupholder.

"Hi. Got everything?"

"Yeah."

We chat spasmodically as I drive the twenty-five kilometres to Penrith but our silences are comfortable. Traffic is reasonably heavy, as I'd expected with winter sports starting up for the season. Our netball games are held at Jameson Park, usually very crowded, especially on opening day, but our game is at four in the afternoon and by now most of the crowd have disappeared. Kids and teens play in the morning time slots; adults in the afternoon. Those of our team who don't work Saturdays would have been here this morning for the opening ceremony and march past; it's a bore but we all support our small local club as much as possible.

Parking isn't an issue and as soon as we're out of the car Ames heads over to the physio clinic to get her ankles taped; I look at the board to see which court we're on then move in that direction. I haven't gotten very far when my phone rings; I dig it out of my bag and see it's Jake.

"Jake? Hi."

"Hi yourself. Where are you?"

"At netball."

"Are you wearing one of those slinky bodysuit things?"

I laugh as I look down at myself. "My slinky bodysuit thing is covered with warm tracksuit things at the moment; it's bloody cold here today."

"Hmm, I see. What colour?"

"What colour is my tracksuit?" I'm puzzled by his question.

"Yes."

"Ah...black."

"That's not helpful. Which court are you playing on?"

"What?" Now I'm beginning to doubt his sanity.

"Are you near the grandstand or over by the trees? Or even out towards the soccer fields?"

I stop walking, thinking furiously. How can he possibly know about the seating stand and trees and soccer...

"You're here?" I turn around, looking back towards the clubhouse and cafeteria area, anticipation and excitement building. "Where are you?"

"Two small caps," I hear a female voice say and my gaze immediately swivels to the mobile coffee cart, seeing him move just as I pick him out at the front of the queue. He's warmly dressed in a green jumper and jeans, leather jacket over the top, and is walking towards me with a smile that matches the sun shining on his dishevelled hair. I smile in return, walking a few steps forward and meeting him half way.

"Hi," I can't seem to stop smiling, but it doesn't worry me.

"Hi," he hands over one of the steaming hot cappuccinos and I take it gratefully. "I didn't know if you drink coffee before a game..."

"I do. Thank you."

"You're welcome."

For a while we stand there just looking at each other, sipping our coffees, and I feel terribly self-conscious. The question running around in my head is why he's here now so I decide to lead into it. "So, um, you do know it's not Sunday yet, right?" He nods, a light blush appearing on his cheeks that isn't put there by the cold and I feel a faint fluttering in my tummy. His next words take my breath away.

"I couldn't wait to see you." He takes a step closer and I smell the leather of his jacket and caffeine on his breath. "Is that okay?" he asks quietly, amber eyes searching mine.

"I...it's..." before I can complete my sentence Ames comes up to us.

"Court 15," she says to me then gives a small nod to Jake. "Hey."