Caller ID Ch. 08

The girls did well in the tournament on Saturday and managed to win both of their games and leaving them giddy and excited. They had two buses and Roberto rode in the second one so the ride down was uneventful with the girls singing songs and just being high school girls.

Maggie and the other coaches, and several parents who followed in their own cars, sat together in the restaurant when they stopped for breakfast. Roberto joined them and he maneuvered himself so he sat next to her at a large, round table for eight. She caught him staring at her and gave him a dirty look when he took her arm and tried to guide her to a seat next to him at the table. Several times she was forced to almost kick him to make him move his leg away from hers under the table.

She wore a denim skirt and blouse instead of her usual polo shirt and shorts and she was aware of the admiring looks she was getting from some of the male coaches and the husbands and boy friends of some of the female coaches and players. She found herself swishing her long ponytail back and forth over her shoulders reminiscent of her more flirty days in high school and college. Several of the other adult females commented that maybe they should start dressing up a little on their away trips to show an example for the girls.

Two of the girls were hurt in the second game and she spent the evening with Amber and her mother in the emergency room of the local hospital. The ankle was not broken but she suffered a severe sprain and her mother and a friend decided to drive her home that evening.

Laura's injury was not as severe and Maggie decided that all she needed to do was to keep it elevated and ice it down to keep it from swelling too much. The girls and the rest of the group had already eaten dinner by the time they returned from the hospital and she had gotten Amber and her mother started on their trip back home.

Laura insisted on going with Maggie to a late dinner at a restaurant across the street from the motel. Megan and Jessica helped her and the four of them were soon seated in the dining room where the girls talked about the game and the extent of the injuries but soon the talk turned to boys.

Maggie ate her dinner and read through the USA Today while sort of half listening to their chatter as they shared gossip and stories about school and boys until she heard Roberto's name mentioned. She perked up but pretended to read her paper while she listened.

Jessica gushed about Roberto and how sexy he looked. She kept her voice low thinking that her mother was ignoring her but Maggie could hear every word. She went on and on about how nice he was and how he paid attention to her and she even thought that he may have the hots for her.

Megan laughed at her for thinking that way.

"You're only 16, what makes you think he's interested in you?"

"I'm almost 17 and why can't he be interested in me?"

"Well don't get your panties in a knot. He's interested in anything that wears a skirt. Don't you see him looking at all the girls? He even looks at the coaches and the mothers, including our mother!"

"Megan! How can you say that? He's not interested in her, she's too old!"

Maggie was momentarily stung by the remark.

Folding the paper, she said, "Who's too old?"

Jessica tried to cover her remark, "Uh, nobody!"

"Too old for what?" Maggie pursued the subject.

"Uh, nothing," Jessica floundered.

"She thinks that you are too old for Roberto, that's what!" Megan interjected with a grin on her face at getting Jessica busted.

"Oh, mom! I was just kidding!" Jessica blushed.

"OK, OK. I understand," Maggie said and dug in her purse for money to leave a tip. "Let's go. We have to get up early tomorrow."

It was late by the time Maggie got everyone settled and gathered the bus and car drivers together to plan for their departure on Sunday morning. Some of the adults talked her into going into the motel lounge for a drink before going to bed and after an hour and two Margaritas, she excused herself and headed for her room.

She was supposed to share a room with Laura's mother but ended up alone when Laura got hurt and she and her mother left early for home. She was just dozing off when she heard a quiet knock on the door of her room.

"Damn those girls! What now?" she said and opening the door a crack she peeked out and saw Roberto standing there in bare feet.