"Uh-uh. Coach says it'll be at least a week before they can get it fixed. I swear we got the only building here that's older than the Imperial Palace and the air conditioner is almost as old." With a final yank, Amy's corner sheet came free and she stumbled back into Ca.s.s. "Sorry."

Ca.s.s shook out her hair and began combing through it. "So, what's the deal? Are you going to sleep on the beach?" She grinned at the thought, figuring Amy would have several offers of sleeping companion if she wished, and pictured her s.p.u.n.ky roommate telling her would-be suitors where to get off.

"Ha, not likely. No, Coach suggested we all move to the common room. The air still works in there...mostly and it'll be cooler."

"Yeah, until we all get in there." With a shrug, Ca.s.s threw on a tank top and her oldest cotton shorts, fondly rubbing the fading ink of Bucky Badger as he strutted across her thigh. "We're taking the mattresses, right?"

"Yeah, we'll come back for them after we stake out our s.p.a.ce. I'm leaving my clothes and uniforms in here, just to change and stuff."

"I'll meet you out there." Ca.s.s began pulling her own bedding off, a more difficult task with her upper bunk. Laura's voice startled her from the doorway.

"Hey. I see you both got the 'evac' notice." Laura watched Ca.s.s struggle with her sheets before reaching over her to pull the bedcovers free. "Better?"

"Yeah. Thanks." Aware that she had nothing on under her shirt or her shorts, Ca.s.s was suddenly grateful for the increasing warmth in the room...and the fact that she'd opted for a dark tank top and not the white she'd been about to grab.

In the days since their "do-over" in the elevator, Laura had made a noticeable effort to be friendlier and Ca.s.s was enjoying Laura's emerging sense of humor and personality. Really enjoying it. She knew herself well enough to know that she was attracted to Laura, a fact she'd admitted to herself and to Amy late last night. Amy had been delighted and had surprised Ca.s.s by not teasing her, as she'd expected, but offering what information she felt she could share about their teammate.

A crush was one thing, but waltzing around in front of the object of her affection in almost nothing was another. I'm gonna poke out enough in this shirt and with her standing so close all I need is cold air to make the effect complete! Crossing her arms somewhat defensively over her chest, she asked, "Are, uh, you all settled out there?"

"Just about." Laura scratched her head, shifting her weight from one foot to another. "Um, I've snagged some room near one of the windows with screens on them..." Laura hesitated, then took a deep breath and added. "There's probably enough room for you to toss your mattress there, if you'd like. That way if the A/C in the main room dies too, we'll at least catch a breeze."

Raising her eyes to meet Laura's, Ca.s.s studied her face, noting the dark ring around the green of Laura's eyes and enjoying the deeper color in the softly lit room.

"You're really taking this 'being nicer' plan to heart."

"Yeah, well, turning over a new leaf and all."

"I appreciate it. And the window s.p.a.ce, if you have the room."

Laura simply smiled and nudged Ca.s.s out of the way, reaching for the mattress on the upper bunk. "I'll get this while you get your bedding."

"Lead the way." Ca.s.s smiled at Amy as the c.o.x came back into the room for her second load.

Amy looked from Ca.s.s to Laura and back again, tossing a wink Ca.s.s's way. "Hey! How'd you rate the manual laborer?"

Ca.s.s grinned back. "Just lucky, I guess."

Chapter Twenty.

"Mind if I join you?"

Laura's soft voice startled Ca.s.s out of her reverie. Ca.s.s had come into the rec center in the residential area of the Olympic Village to check her e-mail and to simply relax. Despite Amy's claims to the contrary, the dorms, like the rest of the village, were brand new. Whatever was affecting the air conditioning was also disrupting the Internet service in the dorms. It didn't seem to be affecting the other areas, however, and the main recreational area for the athletes was state-of-the-art. The Internet cafe sported docking stations, desktop units and offered wireless for those who could access it. The cafe was crowded, but not overly so and Ca.s.s had quickly found an overstuffed chair with her name on it. She'd come here directly after the morning's training sessions, looking for a chance to catch up on her mail. And...maybe to lose herself in the larger crowd for a while.

The other night, as she'd sat on the dock, Ca.s.s had felt very alone, despite the welcome from her teammates. Now, with the entire team packed into one common room, "loneliness," at least in the traditional sense, was unheard of. For someone who was used to her quiet time, the sudden enforced closeness was grating on her nerves. So she'd used her rare free time to hunt up one of the more commercial s.p.a.ces in the village. It was quite possible to be alone in a busy Starbucks if you wanted to be. Her little correspondence had not taken much time to answer and Ca.s.s had simply lost herself in idly watching the ebb and flow of the crowd.

As more teams transitioned to Beijing from their temporary training facilities in j.a.pan or other locations, the population of the Olympic Village was growing. Eventually nearly eighteen thousand athletes and team officials would fill the residential section, located on the western side of the enormous, nearly two-hundred-acre facility the Chinese had named the Olympic Green. Adjoining the village was the even larger Forest Park, a nineteen-hundred-acre mix of lakes, pathways and manicured lawns designed to "soothe the eyes and ease the soul" according to the brochure she'd read. Ca.s.s had not yet made it to the main park, and she was beginning to feel the strain of being among so many people in one concentrated area. Laura's interruption made her realize she had been in the cafe longer than she'd intended.

"What time is it?" Ca.s.s asked.

"Close to three."

"Oh man. Really? Have I missed anything?" Ca.s.s flipped her laptop closed and began tossing her things into her backpack.

"Relax. No, nothing. Remember? Coach gave us the afternoon off. Furlough for 'good behavior' I think she called it." She c.o.c.ked her head slightly to one side. "I hear John Sullivan's looking for you."

They both laughed at that. Sarah's father had taken to calling Ca.s.s his "other girl" when introducing the double scull team around. Ca.s.s wasn't entirely certain how she felt about it, though it was clear that John meant it in a fun, family way.

Laura unknowingly echoed Ca.s.s's thoughts. "I wouldn't worry about it. Big John sort of adopts all of the team's orphans."

"Oh, right." Ca.s.s continued to pack her backpack, deciding she'd spent enough time inside today. Maybe she'd check out the larger Forest Park.

"So, what were you up to?"

"Just checking e-mail, nothing much."

"Keeping the family up to date?"

"Ahh." Ca.s.s shifted uncomfortably. "No."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry."

"It's okay, you're not prying. There's just no family to keep updated." Ca.s.s stood up and considered her companion for a moment. At Laura's look, she waved a hand toward the door. "It's getting crowded in here, want to take a walk? Or were you just looking for the chair?"

"Sure. I figured I'd roust you out and scope out the room." Laura quirked a small smile at Ca.s.s. "But, seeing as all the interesting people are leaving, I guess a walk sounds good."

Leaving the crowded shop behind, the two women headed away from the village center. Because they were still in the residential area of the Olympic Village, most of those around them were athletes, coaches and support staff. It made for an intense group of people, and Ca.s.s decided she needed a break-from all things Olympic. Just for a short while. She glanced over at Laura then hesitated while she considered the last few days.

True to her word, Laura had indeed reserved a spot for her near the windows in their common room, but then she had withdrawn again. While Ca.s.s had hoped that the enforced proximity would give them a chance to talk more, the more she attempted to get to know her, the more Laura closed up. Ca.s.s could see that Laura was trying, but whatever held her back was winning. In the week since the move to the common room, they'd had hardly a minute together that didn't directly involve rowing. Ca.s.s wanted to spend some time getting to know this intriguing woman, but spending her off-time with Ca.s.s didn't seem high on Laura's list of priorities. Well, except for today. On the other hand- "You look like a guppy."

"Sorry?"

"You keep opening and closing your mouth, but nothing's coming out. Are you having trouble breathing or are you practicing your fish impressions?"

Ca.s.s chuckled, her indecisiveness gone. She pulled Laura off the crowded sidewalk.

"I found this neat little park, just outside of the residential area, want to go?"

"Sounds great, if you don't mind the company."

"No, it's fine. You're fine, I mean. It's not as big, or so I hear, as that huge Forest Park, but it's a pretty neat place. I guess all of this was just dirt and rubble until January or so, from what I've read. The park, though, I think it's been here a while. It's a bit of a walk."

Laura shrugged. "I'm game if you are, we've got the rest of the day free."

Fifteen minutes later, Ca.s.s waved Laura through a small rusted gate on the edge of the official Olympic property. Tucked into an aged stone wall, the entrance nearly blended into the shadows. The gate creaked softly as Laura pushed it closed behind them, the latch making a m.u.f.fled clang. Inside the garden the afternoon sun's rays filtered through the leaves, dotting the ground and stone statues with dancing waves of light and dark. Fifty or so yards from the entrance, the ground rose abruptly-a steep hillside covered with trees, brush and brilliant flowers.

Laura took a deep breath. The rich scents of flowers and mulch, along with the silence of the enclosed yard, was heady. "This is so cool, how did you find it?"

"I was out running about two weeks ago, trying to get used to the heavy air and smog and I just kind of stumbled on it."

They shared a grimace as they crossed the spongy gra.s.s. The legendary dirty air of China had lived up to its reputation, despite a.s.surances from the various Olympic officials. The smog was one of the reasons the U.S. team had chosen to train in j.a.pan until transitioning to Beijing just a week before Ca.s.s joined them.

Ca.s.s led them to a small stone bench that looked as if it had grown up under the ancient tree that shaded it. Dappled in grays, greens and blacks, the carvings on the bench were worn with time, nearly invisible to the eye and barely discernible to searching fingers.

Laura sat and leaned back, resting against the gnarled tree trunk, and Ca.s.s watched her close her eyes in apparent appreciation. In here, the noise and bustle of the busy city outside seemed far away. Even the ever-present smog seemed less dense. The damp smell of the gra.s.s, combined with the musty smell of whatever the caretakers used to mulch the flower beds, and the flowers themselves, hung in the air, but was not oppressive. It was wonderful.

"What is this place? Are we in somebody's garden?" Laura opened her eyes and looked up at Ca.s.s.

"Miu, over in the gym? She said it's a park and really, I've checked all around. That's the only entrance. It's called 'Xiangshan.' Miu says it means 'fragrant hills.' I think she's right, it smells incredible in here, doesn't it?"

Ca.s.s sat on the ground, resting her back against the bench, one shoulder just brushing Laura's leg. She leaned her head back and studied the steep hillside that climbed away toward the sky. She pointed out what she knew of the park. "Miu called the trees with the fan-shaped leaves ginkgo and the others are called smoke trees. She says they turn amazing shades of orange and gold in the autumn."

"You and Miu seem to be chatting a lot."

"She's been great. She helped me get settled and made sure the other equipment guys knew where to put my stuff."

"Yeah, she did the same for the team when we got here."

They sat together in silence, Ca.s.s enjoying the opportunity to simply relax and be. The gentle perfume of the blooming trees and flowers bathed them in sweet, aromatic waves as the breeze filtered through the little park. In the comfortable silence, Ca.s.s was acutely aware of where her shoulder rested against Laura's knee, of the warmth she felt through the thin material of her polo shirt. She liked the connection and was careful not to move too much as she settled her back more comfortably against the bench. She hadn't been looking for company today, had, in fact, been trying to avoid it. But now she was glad that company had found her. That it had been Laura who'd found her.

"Hey Ca.s.s?"

"Mmm?" Ca.s.s's voice was sleepy as Laura's soft voice pulled her from her thoughts.

"This is perfect, thanks for sharing it with me."

"My pleasure."

"Mind if I ask you something?"

"Mmm. Nope, but I get a question in exchange."

Ca.s.s felt Laura's knee move against her shoulder, and she looked up to see Laura's green eyes sparkling down at her. You hate personal discussions, dummy, and you just opened yourself up for one. But, surprisingly, in this case she didn't seem to mind. As long as it was Laura doing the asking.

"Fair enough, I guess." Laura hesitated for a long moment before speaking. "What's the deal with your family? I mean, I guess I expected that you'd have lots of family here, or at least at home, cheering you on."

"Wow, ask an easy question, why don't you?" Taking a chance, Ca.s.s shifted her back away from the bench leg and rested it fully against Laura's softer legs. She crossed her legs and idly began shredding a fallen leaf.

"Um. Sorry. Bad subject. Never mind."

Ca.s.s twisted and caught the look of embarra.s.sment on Laura's face. She felt bad for shutting her down. It was the first time Laura had initiated any real conversation and she'd blown it. Suck it up, Ca.s.s. She took a deep breath and allowed herself to enjoy the warmth of Laura's legs against her back before speaking. "It's okay I guess. I don't have a dad. Well, I suppose I did, but I mean I don't know who he is. My mom..."

Ca.s.s's voice caught and Laura lifted her head from where it lay resting against the tree behind them. She reached out and rested her hand on Ca.s.s's hair, and Ca.s.s leaned into the touch. The pain she felt warred with the peace of the garden and Ca.s.s resented the intrusion.

"I'm sorry, Ca.s.s. You don't have to talk about it."

"Um-" Ca.s.s cleared her throat. She spoke in short, brief sentences. It was easier to say it in shorter bursts. "No. It's fine. My mom. She's an alcoholic. I haven't seen her since I was eight. She left me in our apartment one night and just...disappeared. Social services came. I think a neighbor complained of the smell or something. Anyway, they shipped me off to my uncle and his wife."

Saying nothing, Laura sat, her fingers gently playing with the curl that had tumbled across her knuckle. Ca.s.s let her head fall backward, silently encouraging Laura's touch, sighing slightly as she continued.

"They had two kids, my uncle and aunt. Have two kids I mean. Carl, he's forty-something now. I haven't heard from him in ages. He used to...well, let's say he made it his mission in life to know I was unwanted in his house. I guess he's married with kids of his own by now, G.o.d help them." Ca.s.s swallowed and leaned into Laura's gentle ma.s.sage. "Nancy was the other kid. She was closer to my age, a year older. She was nice at first, but after Carl got to her a few times...well, it wasn't pleasant. She e-mails me now, sometimes. We sort of got back in touch after my accident. I'm surprised she even knew about it, to be honest. And, to complete the picture, there's my uncle, Marty, and his wife, Lisa. They were not at all pleased to have another mouth to feed, let alone the 'no-good kid of that loser, waste of a sister' of his. Toss in the last d.a.m.ning feature, me being gay." Ca.s.s shrugged slightly. "I think me being a lesbian sort of vindicated them in some way: 'Blood will out' as my uncle says." Ca.s.s was silent for a few minutes, then cleared her throat and lifted her head. She turned and caught Laura's eye. "So, there you have it." She shrugged, her expression saying it all.

"I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault."

"Yeah, I know. But I'm sorry anyway." Laura swallowed, clearly angry. "How does someone throw away the gift of a beautiful child?" She shook her head. Her fingers clenched before she blew out a deep breath, her hands relaxing as she breathed out. As her hand stretched, her fingers tangled again in the ends of Ca.s.s's hair. "I am sorry if talking about it made you upset."

"It doesn't, not any more. It was a long time ago." Ca.s.s knew that the tension in her voice belied her words, but really, it was the thing to say, wasn't it?

"Still. I am sorry." Laura smiled down at her, her expression more open than any other time Ca.s.s had seen it. There was no pity there, only...concern. Concern for her, Ca.s.s, and that simple look helped. After a moment, Laura asked, "Um, how...well, how did you end up..."

"Here? Rowing? I worked my a.s.s off. Actually, I left my uncle's when I was sixteen. I talked my way into a job at Camp Randall, the football stadium near the University of Wisconsin. After a few months of going back and forth from the farm to town, I talked a friend of mine from school-she was two years older-into getting an apartment. We shared expenses. I went to school and worked like crazy. Pretty soon I was working in the sports medicine office and I loved it. The PTs were great and the team trainers hung out there." Ca.s.s shrugged. "I worked hard, some of the trainers wrote me nice letters and I got a scholarship to the UW."

"You rowed as an undergrad? How come we never met? Cal always thinks of Wisco as 'little sisters.'"

"Well, I didn't really row till grad school, that was eight years after my degree. And," Ca.s.s stopped, doing the math, "I'm a few years older than you are, I think, so..."

"How old are you?"

"I'll be thirty-one in a few weeks."

"Hmm. Happy birthday, early."

"Thanks."

"You're not that much older, I'm only three behind you. Guess it was enough, though."

Ca.s.s shifted again, pulling her knees up and wrapping her arms around them. She turned herself and resettled her shoulder against Laura's knees, accidentally dislodging Laura's hand from her head in the process, and immediately missing the contact. She took a deep breath and blew it out slowly, focusing on the sounds of the garden around them. A small animal rustled the bushes nearby and a slight breeze moved the leaves above them, changing the shadows dancing below. Laura moved her leg slightly and Ca.s.s looked back at her. "I get one now, you know."

"One what?"

"One question." Ca.s.s twisted and rested her arm across the bench seat. She rested her chin against her fingers and raised an eyebrow in challenge. "Fair's fair."

Laura's eyes caught Ca.s.s's and a slow smile spread across her face, and the effect was immediate. Ca.s.s's heart sped up. The low afternoon sun lit the leaves around them, and the color brought out the intense green of Laura's eyes. Oh, man. I need to back up here. I could get really, really lost in those eyes. She took a steadying breath and returned the smile, wondering at the almost hesitant expression on Laura's face. Laura shrugged and gave a faint wink.

"Sure. Bring it."

Ca.s.s studied her, searching Laura's expression. Laura returned her gaze evenly, her expression curious, and just a tiny bit wary. She jumped when Ca.s.s suddenly stood and held out her hand. Automatically Laura reached out and let her companion tug her to her feet.

"Hungry?"