“But I’m here to play rugby, not date half of the men’s team.”
Beck leans forward, her eyes glinting. “Why can’t you have both?”
“Yeah!” Sarah chimes. “Don’t turn down an opportunity that could be life-changing for you, especially in the bedroom.” She wiggles her eyebrows suggestively.
I roll my eyes, but can’t help laughing. “You make it sound like a plot from a porno or something.”
“Well, you’re the one acting like it’s an after-school special,” Beck teases.
“Come on, Dyl!” Sarah grabs my hand excitedly. “You’re living the dream! Three smoking hot roommates ready to cater to your every need?”
I know they mean well, but I came here to prove myself as an athlete after everything that happened on my old team. I can’t afford any distractions, no matter how tempting.
But maybe I am taking myself too seriously... after all, they’re right. My situation is pretty unique, and one that many women would just about kill for.
“Alright, alright!” I raise my hands in surrender, unable to hide my smile. “I’ll think about it, okay? Now can we talk about something other than my non-existent love life?”
Beck and Sarah exchange a knowing look, but they let me off the hook. For now, at least.
I sip my coffee, already dreading their interrogation at our next girls’ night...
I take a long sip of my coffee, savoring the rich aroma before setting it down with a sigh. “It’s not just about my love life, though,” I say, tracing my finger along the rim of the cup. “Or lack thereof.”
Beck tilts her head, studying me intently. “What do you mean?”
“It’s just...” I pause, trying to find the right words. “I want to be taken seriously here, you know? As an athlete. I feel like I’m finally getting a real shot to prove myself.”
Sarah nods in understanding. “After everything that happened on your old team.”
“Exactly.” I absently shred a napkin on the table. “I got screwed over because of politics and drama. All that behind-the-scenes BS. Nothing to do with my actual ability to play rugby. And I’m scared the same thing could happen again if I get distracted.”
“By three hot roommates,” Beck adds with a smirk.
I roll my eyes again but can’t help laughing. “Yeah, yeah. But truly—I just want to focus on rugby right now. I need to keep my eye on the ball, literally and figuratively.”
“We get it,” Sarah says gently. “We’re going through our own versions of the same challenges. Balancing everything is tough. But Dyl, you do also deserve to have a life outside of rugby, too.”
“I know, I know...” I trail off, staring into my coffee.
“And there are other balls that clearly wouldn’t mind having your eyes on them.”
Her words almost make me spit out my coffee, and for a moment I begin to choke.
Beck reaches over and squeezes my hand and passes me a glass of water. “Hey. Don’t be so hard on yourself. You’re allowed to have fun too. And sorry. I wasn’t trying to cut off oxygen to your brain.”
I greedily take a sip of water and my breathing returns to normal.
Sarah nods emphatically. “Absolutely! Listen, we know it’s a very real fight to be taken seriously as female athletes. Trust us, we’ve been there.”
“But that doesn’t mean you can’t also enjoy yourself along the way,” Beck adds with a wink.
I chew my lip thoughtfully as their words sink in. Maybe they’re right. I have been taking myself too seriously lately. I’m so focused on proving my worth that I’ve forgotten to come up for air.
“Alright,” I say finally. “You’ve convinced me. I’ll try to loosen up a bit.”
Beck and Sarah exchange a triumphant high-five.
“Atta girl!” Sarah grins. “You gotta get a little wet and wild in the process, too.”