Page 78 of Couple Goals

Maeve unstraddles Kira a little clumsily, and then they sit, panting, and then look at each other, and laugh.

‘Let’s pick that up again later, please,’ Kira grins, and Maeve laughs.

‘In a bed. When we won’t be disturbed and have time.’

‘Plenty of time,’ agrees Kira. ‘Which I intend to take.’

Kira grips Maeve’s hand, and Maeve’s crotch throbs and for a moment she really struggles to bring herself back. They kiss, gently, coming back to earth.

Then they both sigh, more serious now.

‘To business,’ Maeve tries to focus. ‘Adriana.’

‘Adriana,’ Kira repeats. ‘Serena told me about it too. Said she knew it was unconventional but asked if I knew what was going on, as it felt like it was coming from a personal rather than professional place.’

Maeve’s expression crumples,but she feels ever more grateful for Kira’s hand in hers, keeping her grounded, not losing herself to guilt instead trying to focus on finding a way through.

‘Adriana and I have drifted apart recently. I let her down, I’ve been so caught up in myself, I wasn’t there to see she was struggling. I can see looking back there were these signs I should have picked up on. I should have helped her earlier. But the least I can do is try to help her now. The Tigresses need her, but I think she needs the Tigresses too. Whether she wants to be captain or not is her choice, butIthink she’d be brilliant.’

‘Me too. I was actually someone Coach ran the idea by,’ Kira admits, rubbing the back of her neck.

‘That was really nice of you to back her,’ Maeve smiles.

‘Well, Serena said how she felt the team had fallen apart and said that to bring it together she thought the best appointment for captain would be Adriana, which I could totally see because she’s so selfless in always putting the team first. Apparently the only reason Hoffman didn’t offer it to Adriana before that match was because Jacob Astor had some hesitation?’

Maeve frowns. ‘Jacob Astor?’

‘Yeah, apparently he’d been like, concerned that she hadn’t volunteered herself for the position, and that it should have been her choice. Whereas, well, you know Serena, she acts fast and can be single-minded in her way,’ Kira laughs, self-deprecatingly pointing to herself. ‘Like someone else I know. Serena was sure Adriana would be honoured, so just ploughed straight in. Now she’s regretting it,obviously, in case it was the extra stress that made Adriana unwell.’

Their hands are tightly clasped in each other’s. Maeve can only hope that this is the start of a more positive dynamic between them. But that’s not what they need to be focusing on right now.

‘I think I have a plan,’ Maeve tells her. ‘But I need your help.’

Chapter 27Adriana

‘But do you notwantto be Captain, darling?’ her mum asks.

Adriana has heard back from Coach Hoffman, an email inviting her to meet for a conversation to address her concerns whenever it suits her, but also saying that she should take all the time she needs away from training to recover. Adriana had shown her family the emails, and is now regretting it.

‘It doesn’t matter what I want,’ Adriana says simply, like it’s obvious – it is to her.

Her family exchange a look.

‘Uhh,’ says Felix. ‘Yes it does, you weirdo?’

She just shakes her head. Her family know and love Maeve – how can they not understand it’s like she’s stealing from her? And then there is the whole gross possibility of Jacob getting the position for her, which she is too ashamed to tell them about. Her paranoia of being proven to be unworthy of the promotion has taken all the joy of playing away from her. If she thinks about it too long, the breathlessness in her chest starts to return.

She knows her family means well, but she can’t bear how nice they’re being to her at the moment and it’s only making her feel worse for not telling everything that’s been going on for her.

‘I think it’s time for me to go back to my own flat,’ she says.

After trying to persuade her to stay for a while longer, they insist on at least calling her a taxi rather than her getting public transport back to her flat.

‘If you change your mind, we’ll drive over and bring you right back to ours if you ever want,’ her mum offers, when the taxi arrives. ‘Any second, we’ll be there, okay?’

‘Make sure you eat,’ says her dad, tapping the pile of tupperware food they’ve packed for her, all the family favourites they’ve been trying to coax her with: generous rectangles of lasagne, way too spicy chilli, the ginger noodle soup that Adriana’s dad always makes when she’s sick.

Adriana mumbles more thank yous and feels guilty they’re having to run around after her like this.

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