was no playing around, no staying up late. No sneaking into friends’ rooms. No laughing. We were perfect little soldiers ready for war.
The team huddled around Kova and Madeline in the hallway near our room. I snuck a look at Kova, who stood across from me. He was busy writing something on the clipboard in his hands. As if he could sense me staring, his eyes shot up and connected with mine. My cheeks heated and I quickly glanced away in embarrassment. I was afraid he’d know what I’d just done in the bathroom.
"All right, ladies." Madeline was cheerful this morning, it was the start of meet season. She took a sip of her coffee, then flipped over one of the stapled papers she had in her arm and read out loud.
"Since you guys aren't competing until about six-ish this evening, we're going to warm up in the back in the warm-up gym. It's large and we'll share it with the other competitors. We just want you guys to run through the motions and get you familiar with everything. For now, we'll have a light breakfast"—she raised her eyes above her glasses without tipping her head up—"and then head over. Kova rented an SUV so we'll drive together. I suggest texting your parents now and letting them know what time the meet starts and what the plans are, then silencing your phones and putting them away. We don't want any distractions. If they have any questions, tell them to contact me or Kova."
Within the hour, we were pulling into the gymnastics center. We parked and I took in the size of the building. It was massive. World Cup was large, but it had nothing on Parkettes. I released a sigh of longing. I couldn't wait to see how the inside faired. Teams of all levels, both male and female, made their way inside. Uniformly dressed, and ready to compete, they were picturesque mannequins.
The Parkettes Invitational was one of the oldest and most prestigious meets. They had one of the top elite programs in the world, the best elites would be competing here today. I was curious to see who I would be up against in the next few months.
"Pay close attention to those around you. Listen and watch," Kova said only for my ears. I looked toward him, but he picked up the pace and walked ahead of me. My eyes traveled the length of his backside. His tailored black dress pants fit like a glove. Too perfect, really. The slate gray polo shirt with World Cup's emblem on the front lapel was a nice contrast to his dark hair and features. He topped it off with an expensive sports coat, and I bit the side of my lip. While I loved the athletic look he typically sported at the gym, seeing him dressed up caused a thrill inside my belly.
I had a serious love-hate relationship with this guy.
I walked inside and stuffed my hands into my pockets as I observed everything around me. At first the sights and sounds overwhelmed my senses. The overabundance of colorful scrunchies holding back snug, gelled buns; giggles; praises and criticisms from coaches; applause in the distance; and classical floor music were too much. My eyes and ears were on overload. But then I focused on every sound, every detail, and it was an exhilarating rush. I smiled to myself. I couldn’t get enough. Gymnasts were everywhere.
"Hey, Madeline?" She turned and looked at me. "Should I go and sit in the stands since I'm not warming up?"
"I'm not really sure, you'd have to ask Kova."
I nodded and looked for him. It didn't take long to find him—he was already looking at me. I walked toward him, around a cluster of people. He didn’t take his eyes off me until I reached him.
I rocked back and forth on my toes, a stupid grin displayed on my face. "Where do you want me?"
Kova looked at me like the answer was obvious and I should know it. "With me, of course."
I was confused. "Just standing here? Doing nothing?"
He gave me a firm nod. "Yes." An impatient breath blew from his lips. "Did I not tell you what to do? Listen and watch. You are at an elite meet, Adrianna. You have a ton of knowledge of the sport, use it to your advantage. These are the girls you will be competing against soon."
"What should I be looking for?"
Kova stepped closer and invaded my space. His gaze bore