She got back in line and waited patiently as first an elderly customer couldn?t find her credit card and then a mother of three, tried to keep her children from grabbing their purchases so the clerk could ring them up.

Three good reasons NEVER to have children.

After her errands were run she returned home. Hamlet sniffed her quite thoroughly just to make sure it was her and then jumped up on the couch, where he knew good and well he shouldn?t be.

“Get off there you slobber monster.” She shook her finger and he dropped to the floor. “Good boy.”

She settled down on the couch to look over the instructions for her phone. She felt it creeping up and looked desperately for a box of Kleenex, which she realized too late, she didn?t have. The sneeze was so loud and forceful it scared Hamlet.

“Great,” Cat grumped to herself as she ran into the bathroom for toilet paper. “Just what I need. We?re going up against the best team in the league and I?m blowing snot all over the place.”

The next evening, after practice, Cat began her habitual shooting drills, expecting that Dylan would join her at any time. Her belly fluttered pleasantly, causing her to miss her first seven shots in a row.

“Great,” she grumped, tearing after the errant ball yet again. “At this rate, I?ll still be here when practice starts again tomorrow.”

Grabbing the ball, she set herself up just behind the foul line. “Focus, Cat. Focus.”

She threw a brick as the image of Dylan kissing her on that very line ambushed her the second she released her shot.

“Shit!!!”

Her curse reverberated through the empty, cavernous arena.

“Alright,” she said, finally defeated. “I?ve had enough. I feel like shit, I?m playing like shit, and Dylan?s nowhere to be found.” She sighed. “This just bites.”

Walking dejectedly across the court, she tossed the ball toward the rack, and missed that shot as well. Grumbling under her breath, she made for the locker room, and then hit the shower, washing the sweat of a fruitless day from her body.

Even dragging on her clothes seemed a gargantuan task. The cold she still wouldn?t admit to was taking a lot out of her, and her reserves, always spare to begin with, weren?t kicking in as they should.

If someone had held a gun up to her head, however, she?d readily admit that what made her feel the lousiest was that Dylan and been scarce all day.

“She probably thinks I?m an idiot,” she muttered to herself, standing and slinging her gym bag over one shoulder. “God, a brand new rookie coming onto her coach. How clich� can you get?”

Trudging back through the locker room and out into the arena, mired deep in her own thoughts, Cat completely missed the silent figure standing in the shadows of the large exit doors.

“You?re through early,” a liquid voice sounded to her left.

Cat gasped, then spun, only then seeing Dylan as she emerged from the shadows. She was looking sleek in what Cat privately termed her “PR clothes”; black slacks and blazer over a silken blue shirt.

“You scared me!”

“Sorry about that. I thought you?d see me when you walked across the court.”

Cat?s cheeks pinked. “Sorry. My head was somewhere else, I think.” Then she sneezed.

Dylan?s expression became one of concern. “You alright?”

“Allergies,” Cat lied.

Dylan smiled a little. “Sounds more like a cold to me.”

Cat scowled. “I don?t get colds.”

“Mm.”

“Well I don?t!” And that was the truth?sort of. She hadn?t had a full out cold since junior high school.

Dylan nodded, relenting for the moment. “Well, if you feel well enough, would you like to get some coffee with me?”

Amazing how a few words, strung together to make a simple sentence, could do more to cure the common cold than all the years of civilized medicine put together. Thoughts of depression and exhaustion slipped away, and Cat grinned. “That?s the best offer I?ve had all day.”

“I should have known,” Cat laughed as she walked through the door Dylan held open for her. “Leave it to The Goddess to find the only organic coffee shop in the entire world. I didn?t even know they made organic coffee.”

“See the new things you?re learning?” Dylan teased as she led Cat up to the counter.

Chuckling, Cat stood at the counter, eyeing the selections. In a way, she was glad that the cold she didn?t have would probably blunt her taste buds some, as she wasn?t very sure she wanted to know that organic coffee tasted like. Still, she felt it was a small price to pay for the pleasure of Dylan?s company, and pay it she would.

A young, boyish looking woman smiled at them both from behind the counter. “What?ll you have?”

“A soy Chai Latte,” Dylan responded before turning to Cat.

“Um?I?ll try a Vanilla Latte, half caf, extra vanilla.”

“Comin? right up.”

As they waited, Cat took the opportunity to look around the shop. It was comfortable and homey, with pastel fabrics and soft music playing from tastefully hidden speakers. It really wasn?t all that much different from the other coffee shops she?d been to, save for the “organic everything”, including hemp bars instead of chocolate covered coffee beans.

Within moments, they had received their drinks and moved off to a quiet corner of the shop, easing down into two upholstered chairs that faced in toward a small, round table. After blowing on her coffee to cool it a bit, Cat took a tentative sip, prepared for anything. Her eyes widened as she realized that, dulled taste buds or no, it was just what the doctor ordered.

“This is good!” she exclaimed.

“Told ya,” Dylan teased, smirking. “It?s good to broaden your horizons.”

Cat gave a mock smile. “I?m all for that, but just remember, no matter how broad my horizons, Coach, you?ll never sway me from my carnivorous ways.” She took another sip. “So there.”

“Perish the thought.”

They sat in comfortable silence for a time, listening to the music and soft hive drone of the customers, and sipping their drinks.

After a long moment, Cat steadied herself with a deep breath, turned slightly, and placed her cup on the table. “Coach?”

“Yes?”

“I?um?wanted to tell you that I was?sorry?for last night. Not for the way I felt?feel?.” she hastened to add, “but because of the situation I put you in. I crossed a line and I?m sorry.”

Dylan smiled. “It?s alright,” she commented softly.

But Cat was on a roll. “No, no it isn?t. I know what my contract says about fraternization. I?ve read it over a few times.” She blushed lightly, aware of what information she was giving away. “And I can only imagine what yours says on the subject. It?s probably a lot harsher than mine. I mean, you?re my boss, and that just?.”

“It?s alright,” Dylan repeated, leaning over and laying a warm hand atop the one Cat had balled into a fist on the table.

Cat blushed again, and looked away. “Coach,” she said in a very low, quiet tone, “people get hauled into court for sexual harassment for things like this. It blows up in the media, especially with celebrities. It could ruin your career.”

Dylan squeezed Cat?s hand. “I don?t think you?d do anything like that, would you?”

Cat looked back at Dylan, eyes wide. “Never! I would never?”

“Then there?s nothing to worry about.”

“But?.”

“Cat, I said it was okay, and I mean it. Yes, what happened surprised me a bit, but?.” Dylan?s voice trailed off as she gathered her thoughts. “I?d be lying if I said that it in any way made me uncomfortable.”

“Really?” Cat asked softly.

“Really,” Dylan replied, before releasing Cat?s hand and straightening in her chair. “The fact is?.” she paused, then plunged ahead, “? I find you very attractive, Catherine. What happened between us, what we shared, well?it wasn?t at all unwelcome.”

For one of the first times in her life, Cat was struck speechless. She looked at Dylan, barely blinking, her eyes shining as if lit from within.

Smiling, Dylan reached out and gently tapped Cat?s chin. “Gonna catch flies.”

The sound of Dylan?s voice brought Cat out of her daze, and she flushed, then cleared her throat. “Organic ones,” she replied, voice slightly hoarse.

Dylan laughed aloud, shaking her head at Cat?s joke. Then she sobered. “Whatever happens between us, we?ll need to take it slowly.”

Cat nodded. “Slow is good. I can work with slow.”

Dylan?s smile reappeared. “Good. So can I.”

“Coach?”

“Dylan.”

“Excuse me?”

“My name. Dylan. I think since we?ve traded bodily fluids, so to speak, you can call me by my name, don?t you?”

Cat?s face lit up again as a broad smile wrinkled her nose. “Okay, Dylan.” It sounded weird to her ears, but she thought she could live with it.

“And your question?” Dylan teased.

“Question? Oh! I?um?.thanks.”

“For?”

“Just?thanks.”

“You?re welcome.” Dylan looked up at the clock over the counter and frowned. “It?s getting late. We should probably think about heading back. Early practice tomorrow.”

“Don?t remind me,” Cat groaned. “Let?s just hope I can shoot better than I did tonight.”

Dylan shrugged, unconcerned. “You had stuff on your mind.”

“And thanks to you, I?ve still got stuff, but it?s a lot more pleasant stuff.”

Shaking her head, Dylan rose to her feet, followed by Cat. “Shall we?”

The two walked through the store, and around to the back where their cars waited. The lot was dark and shadowed, but Dylan didn?t get any sense of danger from it. It was empty save for their cars.

Cat let go a mighty yawn, then belatedly covered her mouth. “Oops!”

“Don?t let your coach see that,” Dylan replied, smirking.