from qualifications and I felt a little bad for tuning her out.
“When I get home, Mom, you should take some time off. We both deserve a vacation.”
“Oh Brie, don’t worry about that right now.”
Was she kidding? Making her life better was the only thing I cared about. And Erik. And alleyways. And Erik pushing me into alleyways…
“Promise me you’ll only worry about doing your best during team finals. Just go out there and have fun.”
I promised her I would and told her I loved her before I hung up, staring at my phone in my hands. My life back home in Texas was always there, lodged in the back of my mind…right beside Erik. I groaned, annoyed that my brain couldn’t filter the thoughts of him.
I had no clue what was going on between us. A normal relationship progressed rationally, with first dates and first kisses and first times staying the night. Erik and I had none of the above. We had whispered secrets and sweaty yoga studios and other memories that made my toes curl.
It was utter insanity, all of it. And yet, I wanted more.
Lexi wanted to celebrate the fact that we were finished with qualifications at a club downtown. I believe her exact words were, “LET ME DANCE, BITCH.” She swore it would be safe for us to go because the Brazilian soccer team had shut it down for the night, making it exclusive to Olympic athletes. Even still, we couldn’t convince the rest of the girls to tag along. They scampered off with lame excuses and I didn’t care to push them to come with us. If Molly wanted to giggle over the phone with Duncan, fine with me. I didn’t want to be held back. I wanted to get lost in the night, celebrate how well we’d done earlier that day, and forget about the stress that would greet me as soon as I woke up in the morning.
Lexi held my hand as we flashed our athlete badges and slipped into the bar. The place was called Sete Pecados Mortais and as we crossed the threshold, it looked like we were stepping right into the depths of hell. The decor was dark and plush, and the lights were dimmed, casting the room in red light. The place was completely packed and while we’d had to flash our badges to get in, it was clear athletes weren’t the only VIPs to gain entry. No, the woman in front of me who I vaguely recognized as a Victoria’s Secret Angel probably wasn’t going to be hurling a javelin the next day.
“Ladies, check in here first,” a bouncer called from the side of the foyer. He was standing behind a small counter with a clipboard in his hands.
“We already showed our badges,” Lexi protested.
He nodded. “This is where you check your cellphones.”
My eyes widened. “Cell phones?”
“There are two hundred people in here who would prefer their night stayed private. No Snapchat, no Twitter, no Instagram.”
It made sense—we all wanted a night out of the public eye—but I resisted giving mine up. To be honest, I liked the idea of having it nearby, just in case Erik wanted to check in…something he liked to do um, NEVER. But still… He’d been back in coaching mode during qualifications, treating me like the other gymnasts. I craved his touch and I knew he was probably growing restless too. It’d been four days since the alley and I was hungry for more.
“Brie?” Lexi called over her shoulder as she handed the bouncer her phone and retrieved a ticket she could use to claim it at the end of the night. I fought off the urge to text Erik and instead, I handed my phone over to the bouncer. It wasn’t like he would reply anyway.
Lexi giggled with excitement and strung her arm through mine, leading us farther into the club. I wished I could match her mood, but I couldn’t bring a smile to my face—not when I was thinking about Erik, wondering what he was doing with his free time. I was in the club to celebrate, but I wanted him to be there with me. I wanted us to disappear into the dim lighting together, and just the idea of being with him on the dance floor made my palms sweat.
Lexi pointed toward a small partitioned area to our left. “I think that sign on the wall says ‘gluttony’ in Portuguese.”
I nodded and took in the rest of the club.