Page 83 of Stroked by (Stroked)
“Why are you putting the water in a Fiji bottle? You know she only likes Fiji water.”
“Yup.” I nod some more and shrug. “They didn’t have any.”
“I knew it!” Pocket cheers, obviously loving that she “caught” me. “You’re being deceitful. I’m going to make sure Bellini knows about this.”
She starts to walk away when I call out to her. “No. You can’t.”
In the matter of seconds, Pocket is in my face poking her finger into my shoulder and talking in a menacing tone. “Ever since you’ve started this stupid job you’ve been stepping on my toes. I was supposed to be her assistant but instead, she denied me the pleasure and had someone hire you. I’m just waiting for the moment where you screw up so I can take your place. This will throw her over the edge.”
Pocket is someone I need on my side, pronto. That’s if I ever want to work in this industry again.
“I’m so sorry,” I apologize, pulling her into a hug, catching us both off guard. “I didn’t know you were up for the position, if I did, I never would have taken it.” I pull away and grip her shoulders. “You are her best friend. I can’t imagine it being easy to work with your best friend. Your relationship would probably shift, I wonder if that’s why she didn’t hire you.”
She ponders my reasoning. “Do you really think so?”
“I do. It’s evident from how she’s reacting in the stands now.”
“Why? What’s going on?” Pocket asks, seeming less likely to call me out, and more interested in how Bellini is feeling.
“I think she’s pretty distraught over not having you by her side, but she’s too proud to admit it. You know how she is, super guarded, always protecting herself. I think she knows what she did to you was wrong and is now regretting it.”
“I can see that.”
“Before I left, she was really looking to Pope Francis for strength.”
Pocket agrees full force. “That dog is the reason she’s able to wake up in the morning and willing to help others.”
There is a heavy sensation to roll my eyes but I hold back. “That’s why when I saw that they didn’t have Fiji water, I bought a regular one to refill the bottle I already have for her. I didn’t want to upset her any more than she already is. You can understand that, can’t you?”
Pocket’s face twists in understanding and the once-nasty purse of her lips turns into a bright smile. “You know, you might be better for her than I thought. That’s some quick thinking.”
“Thank you. It was a tough decision but if anything, I want to preserve the relationship between you and Bellini. I don’t ever want that to put that in jeopardy, that’s why I didn’t want to make the situation worse.”
“Wow.” Pocket fans her eyes with both hands, shifting on her feet. From the TV monitor above, the next race is starting. I still have some time, but not a lot. “That is so sweet of you, Mauve.”
Mauve . . . All right, so I guess we are calling each other by our demeaning names. Noted.
“Well, it’s a bond that’s so pure, I can’t imagine it ever being ruined. It’s a relationship for the ages, kind of like . . .” What’s a famous relationship? Thelma and Louise? Ben Affleck and Matt Damon? Justin Timberlake and Jimmy Fallon? Taylor swift and Selena Gomez?
“Like Pope Francis and his beige, diamond-encrusted cassock?” Poppet asks.
I raise a quizzical eyebrow. “Does Pope Francis have a good relationship with his beige cassock?” I ask, perplexed from the correlation.
“Very much so. It’s his favorite outfit, probably because it’s the first outfit Bellini made him. I think if he were to have a bro-mance, it would be with that cassock.”
With my lips thinned in awhat the hell?kind of way, I nod in agreement. “Sure then, like Pope Francis and his beige, diamond-encrusted cassock.”
Pocket jumps up and down in glee. “Oh, what an honor to be compared to such a friendship. I think you’re right. Bellini and I are really two peas in a pod.”
“You’re a lucky girl,” I say, hoping my sarcasm isn’t evident. Lifting the bottle up to her, I add, “Well I better get back to the stands. But just know, when I’m up there with her, she’s thinking about you the whole time.”
“Thank you, Mauve. And don’t worry, we found you the perfect lesbian.” With that she pats me on the shoulder and heads out of the bathroom.
They found me what?
***
As there are many races in the same distance, Reese doesn’t pop out of the locker room until the end of the meet. It’s three days of racing but today’s race sets the bar for the rest of the meet for him.
