Page 121 of Game Point
Dylan laughed, taking a long sip of her coffee. ‘If you think street food is the answer to that then you might want to think again.’
‘Sure,’ I said, eyeing up a stall selling steamed mussels in a coconut chilli sauce.Why did I have two courses at dinner?‘But at least it wouldn’t be our fault.’
‘You’ve got me there.’ Dylan smirked as she threw her cup in the trash and we continued through the crowds. We were sick of hiding out in the hotel, and had decided to explore the city around us a little more, wearing hats and sunglasses just to keep any unwanted attention from us.
As we walked, enjoying everything in the market, Dylan’s hand softly slipped into mine, our fingers interlacing likeit was the most normal thing in the world. I couldn’t fight the grin that broke out at the contact, enjoying how casually intimate she was with me.
I still remembered the weeks I’d spent torturing myself on the other side of a wall. Desperate for every inch of her I could gain. Every reluctant smile I could earn from her. Now with the contact offered up casually, I felt like the luckiest man alive.
Dylan turned to me with a grin. ‘I’m going to get some doughnuts.’ She nodded her head over to one of the stalls. Without any hesitation, she dragged me along with her, the van seeming unusually quiet considering the crowds of people pushing their way around. She was served, her hand slipping from mine so she could take a bite of the sugared and jam-filled doughnut.
The smell alone was enough to make my stomach rumble again, but the sight of Dylan, half a sugary treat hanging out of her mouth, her grin growing into a full-blown smile, had me searching for my phone.
‘Can I get a photo?’ I asked as we found a less crowded part of the market so she could eat as the sun set behind her, turning the city sky all shades of dusky tangerine.
Her eyebrows shot up, half of the doughnut hanging from her perfect mouth. ‘Oliver? Are you turning full tourist on me? Next you’ll want to visit the zoo.’
I mocked fake offence, a hand landing on my chest. ‘I’vealwayswanted to visit the zoo.’
Dylan laughed, almost choking on another bite. ‘If you want to see some real Aussie wildlife we could visit North Queensland but you could barely handle the spiders here.’
I had to fight a smile at the mention of a trip.Did that mean she could see a future?
‘Don’t remind me of that monster. I still have nightmares.’
She waved her free hand at me. ‘Such a tourist,’ but I didn’t point out that she was the one in the market eating a doughnut, sugar and jam smeared on the corner of her mouth. I couldn’t help but run my tongue along my lip, craving a taste of her, mixed with the sweetness.
I lifted my phone again. ‘Can I please get a photo?’
‘Why?’
I shrugged, honestly admitting, ‘Because I don’t have many of you.’ All this time in Australia, and I barely had any photos of her. I had all of our texts from when we were apart, some selfies she had sent, and some videos of training. But I wanted one for the lock screen.
‘Aw, you are going soft on me,’ she said, removing her glasses. ‘Make it quick.’
I quickly took some while she allowed, before pausing, humming to myself.
Stepping forward, I smirked, ‘You’ve just got a little …’ I trailed off, my hand stretching out to her mouth, wiping the sugar and jam away.
‘Do I look like a mess?’ she asked, her free hand going to her lips to wipe at the sugar. I shook my head, leaning in for a kiss.I was right, she tasted strawberry sweet.
‘You look perfect,’ I smiled, stepping away from her. Dylan’s eyes dazzled over at me, the pink blush on her cheeks my new favourite colour.
‘Take one of us both.’ She wrapped an arm around me, pulling my body against hers. We both took a moment to pose, not caring whether anyone around us saw orwhat they thought. Just two tourists, sharing a doughnut selfie.
‘You know, if you do want to see the animals, I can take you to a sanctuary,’ she offered, as we started walking again. ‘There’s one just outside the city.’
‘That would be nice,’ I said. I’d been here so many times and never really had the chance to explore properly. It felt like a waste, given how settled we were here, to not try and at least see more.
‘I just thought …’ Dylan said, trailing off as we battled the busy crowds. ‘You might be going soon, with the tournament wrapping up soon.’
‘Going? Going where?’ I questioned.
‘Home? On tour?’ She listened, a forced smile on her lips. Dylan’s gaze darted from mine, as she said, ‘I don’t think we’ve spoken about what happens after.’
‘After,’ I repeated, understanding what she was asking.What would happen with us?We hadn’t exactly discussed a lot of the logical stuff with us. We’d been together for so long now, both as friends and then … this, that we hadn’t had to. But with the end creeping up on us, maybe she was right to ask. I swallowed, questioning, ‘Are you staying here? What’s next for you?’
‘I’ve enjoyed the rest, and being home,’ she said, still looking worried.
