Kellie and Brad Ch. 04

Kellie smiled. "That's exactly what I was thinking. I'm so happy and proud of you that you're so understanding."

"Thanks, Kellie. To me it's not really that big a deal, or at least it shouldn't be. I know Heather and Jen are great friends of yours, and I really like them too. I hope everyone else accepts them for who they are, but unfortunately, some people probably won't."

Kellie sighed and concurred. Brad was right; as far as society had come in accepting homosexual lifestyles, there were still plenty of ignorant and, worse, intolerant people out there. She sincerely hoped Heather and Jennifer would not encounter any of them, knowing that was likely impossible.

She then had a funny little thought and decided to share it. "Just curious, Brad, what would you do if a gay man told you he thought you were hot?"

Brad did a double-take. "Uh... well Kellie I can't lie, I would feel pretty awkward about it. In the end I hope I would be mature enough to just let him down gently and tell him no. But one thing is for sure. You're the only person, man or woman, for me."

Kellie blushed as Brad sealed his words with a gentlemanly kiss to her hand. "One more question, mister suave-and-debonair. What would you think if a lovely young woman hit on me?"

Brad broke out into a wolfish grin and wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, which caused Kellie to roll her eyes. "Two words, buster. Hell and no!! Not that there's anything wrong with that, of course, but you know I'm not that way. Ugh, Bradley Galenchuk, you have one dirty mind!" she yelled, trying to sound angry but not quite succeeding.

He couldn't help but laugh at her display. "Oh Kellie, I love it when you get all riled up! I was just teasing. I would just hope and pray you turned down that lovely young woman because I couldn't share you with anyone else."

"Well, even though you are a typical man," Kellie said in a teasing voice before getting serious, "you won't have to share because I would just tell that young woman no. You're the only one for me."

The couple kissed and cuddled; content to quietly express their love for each other.

*******

He watched her in action.

And, yes, her form was perfect.

But not on the curling ice. At least, not this time. That would start tomorrow, Saturday.

Today, Friday, was media day. And it was a grueling enough day in its own right.

Each team and player subjected themselves to rounds of interviews with various members of print and electronic media, and the host broadcaster also recorded in-depth interviews and conversations with the players, segments of which were used during telecasts as deemed timely and appropriate.

In addition, as part of the efforts of the officials to make the tournament as fan-friendly as possible, each team was designated a time where they would host an autograph session and a special question-and-answer session for the fans. As luck would have it Kellie and her team were scheduled to take part in their sitting that evening.

As tiring as the day had been so far Kellie, Jennifer, Sandra, Amber and Heather were happy to take part in this initiative. They knew without the fans none of what they had in curling would be possible and they were proud to give back to them.

Brad had offered to leave and do his own thing while Kellie made her media rounds, thinking he would be little more than a distraction. However she insisted that he stay around, as she valued his company, wanted his moral support and also wanted him to see more of this side of big-time curling. He was more than happy to do so. He tried to enjoy the experience as much as possible, though it was difficult at times because it seemed Kellie and the others were being put through the wringer with the non-stop barrage of questions. He imagined it had to be similar for the other teams but not as intense as for Kellie and her team; they were the defending champions after all.

He admired Kellie's skill and professionalism in answering the various questions thrown her away. He shared secret laughs and eye rolls from her when she received a question she had answered several times already. He found it difficult not to get choked up when, during the extended interview with the host broadcaster, she praised him for the positive impact he had on her life.

Now, in the break for dinner they had until the autograph and fan Q & A session, he could see the fatigue on her face. He could certainly understand it; heck he was tired just from watching her being under the microscope all day.

"How are you holding up?" he asked.

"Ugh," Kellie groaned. "Brad, I think I'm going to see microphones in my nightmares tonight."

Brad laughed, even as Kellie rolled her eyes. She then sighed and said, "Oh it's not that bad, really. It's just tiring and intense, answering so many questions, being careful to say the right things all the time. It makes for a long day."

"And you still have the autograph and fan Q & A to go tonight."

Kellie smiled and seemed to get a jolt of energy as Brad mentioned the upcoming session. "Yeah but that's fun! It's so much less stressful. It's off the record for one thing, not that I would say anything on purpose that might get me in trouble. And it's going to be filled with people who support us and have no agendas, other than to hear us talk curling. How cool is that?"

"Very cool," Brad agreed.

He took a seat towards the back of lounge just as the autograph signings were about to take place. He gave the ladies a wave and they all waved back, pens and Sharpies in hand. The line-up snaked through the room and well out the door. 'Hope they don't get writer's cramp too bad,' Brad whispered aloud to no one in particular.

The evening was going without a hitch. The fans waiting for autographs were patient and orderly, and looked only too happy once they finally met Kellie and her team face to face. Brad could see the women were relaxed and enjoying themselves as well. He saw many grins and laughs coming from Kellie, and it made him smile.

Soon everyone was seated for the question and answer session. It, too, was progressing rather smoothly. For the most part, the fans were lobbing softball questions, mostly about how they got started in curling, who their heroes were, what advice they had for young people, and so on, but that was perfectly OK with everyone. The fans appreciated the honest answers in such an intimate setting, and Kellie and her teammates were happy to please their fans in a stress-free environment.

It wasn't until the last few questions when things got really interesting.

A middle-aged man approached the microphone and asked, "I believe everyone here is well aware that your team and the Anita Morriss rink have developed quite the rivalry over the last couple years. It looks like it's very heated, which leads me to wonder if there are any personal animosities, or anything that has happened off the ice that's led to this appearance of bad blood. Care to comment?"

The crowd seemingly leaned in as one to listen, the mood having changed from laid back to something more expectant, knowing they might possibly become privy to some very delicious gossip-y info. Kellie thought about how she should answer this question for a long time before finally speaking.

"Wow. I had expected to get a question or two about the competition, but I didn't think I'd get one so... direct. OK, here's the story. Defeating Anita's team at provincials last year really has made this a true rivalry, and having Heather move from her team to ours brings an extra dimension to the whole thing, as I'm sure you'll agree. To be honest, Anita doesn't like me and I don't like her. I suppose that much is obvious. There isn't much love lost either between the rest of her team and my friends and teammates you see here next to me. There have been incidents off the ice that have led to the level of dislike being so high. But I don't think it is right to disclose the details of these incidents, not even in this kind of setting. I have too much respect for myself, my teammates and my sport to talk about that kind of stuff, and I'd rather concentrate on the positives that are all around me. I hope you understand and respect my decision."

The man who asked the question stood up to respond. "I admit, part of me did want to hear all of the juicy details, whatever they were. But I certainly respect your decision, and I appreciate the grace and class with which you answered my question. All of you have a big fan in me, and when you do play the Morriss team this week I hope you beat them."

The whole crowd cheered at his words. When the cheering died down Kellie replied, "Thank you everyone, I think I can speak for the team when I say we appreciate your support. We look forward to that challenge."

A teenage girl was the next to ask a question. "This is for all of you, if you don't mind me asking. Of the male curlers out there, who do you think is the sexiest?"

Gentle laughter rolled through the audience. Amber, Sandra and Kellie smirked at the audacity of the girl for asking the question and thought of how they could best answer the question in a fun way. But Jennifer and Heather were taken aback by the question. This wasn't the sort of question a lesbian could answer convincingly, and only having just come out to the rest of their teammates (and for Jennifer, her sister), they weren't ready to announce it to the whole world just yet. Amber noticed the predicament her sister and lover were both in and leaned in to whisper something in their ears. It was genius, really; to the crowd it would look like they were just comparing thoughts, but Jennifer promised herself she'd thank her little sis later for offering what for her and Heather would be a believable answer and so helping them out of a tight spot.

"That's a good question," said Jennifer. "I honestly haven't given this a lot of thought, though, and I'm not sure I can come up with one off the top of my head right now."

She shrugged and passed the microphone to Heather, who added, "I'm afraid I'm in the same boat as Jen is. I can't really give you a good answer. I'm sorry our answers so far are so boring!"

Amber smiled brightly. "I'll give you a good answer! Kevin Mann!" she exclaimed, referring to the world champion skip and the leader of the team that faced Kellie's a few weeks earlier at the Skins Game. "I know that, technically, he's old enough to be my dad, but he's still way hot!" The crowd smiled and laughed kindly as they were caught up in the young woman's enthusiasm.

Sandra was next to answer. "Marc Cornish," she said simply. There were several audible sighs of approval from the women in the crowd. Marc was the second on Kevin's team who had legions of female fans, which was no surprise considering he was such a strong, fit, personable and very handsome young man.

Kellie now took hold of the microphone. She scanned the crowd until she found Brad. She gave him a wink that she hoped he noticed. Just as she was about to answer, he took her by surprise when he stood up and approached the mike in the crowd.

"Young lady," Brad said, addressing the teenaged girl who asked the original question, "before Kellie answers your question, I have one of my own I'd like to ask her teammates. Is it OK if I do that?"

The girl quietly said yes, handing Brad the mike.

"Thank you," he said, nodding his acknowledgement at her before turning to the stage. "Jennifer, Sandra, Amber and Heather, please pardon my interruption, but I'd like to ask you if it's ever been an issue for you to know that your skip is the most beautiful woman in the world!"

The crowd was not sure how to react at first, but they soon relaxed when they saw Kellie smiling despite her cheeks turning bright red from blushing, and her teammates who were applauding Brad and laughing so hard they were crying.

Kellie finally recovered enough composure to speak. "As some of you may know, I was married last week." Her speech was interrupted by applause, which she received graciously.

"This man, who for some reason has decided to thoroughly embarrass me, and will pay for that later if I have anything to say about that," she continued as she tried hard to stifle her own laughter, "is my wonderful husband, Brad. He works at the curling club in our hometown."

Kellie turned her attention to the teenaged girl. "So, young lady... what is your name?"

Brad held the mike for her to speak. She cleared her throat and answered, "Claire."

"Well, Claire, my answer to your question of who is the sexiest man in curling, is my husband!"

Claire looked at Brad before speaking again, in a very shy, nervous voice. "Kellie, I hope you don't mind me saying this, but your husband is pretty yummy-looking!"

It was Brad's turn to blush. Kellie and her teammates all broke into laughter as Claire returned to her seat with a small yet confident and satisfied grin on her pretty face. The crowd joined them in loud, long applause, having thoroughly enjoyed the candid exchanges of the last few minutes.

It seemed a fitting end to the night's proceedings.

*******

It was possibly the most anticipated such tournament in its history.

The field in this year's Canadian women's curling championship was very strong, and Kellie, Jennifer, Sandra, Amber and Heather knew they could not take any team lightly.

But the rest of the curling world saw things differently. The vast majority of both the media covering the event and the curling fans focused most if not all their attention on the teams skipped by Kellie and Anita. Not just because they were the consensus two best women's curling teams in the country, but even more so because of the mutual enmity and intriguing backstory. How results had been one-sided for Anita before the stunning turnaround from Kellie's team last year, how Heather had left Anita's team for Kellie's a few short months ago, how both sides, while holding a grudging respect for their talent, openly admitted their dislike for each other, a rarity in such a sportsmanlike game. All of this added up to very compelling drama. The curling world at large did not know the whole story behind these basic facts, and they never would; everyone on both teams had learned the media game well enough to know what to say and more importantly what not to say. The in-depth media coverage of both teams did allow fans to learn enough about Kellie, Anita and each of their teams to know that there was a real rivalry between them. That combined with their extraordinary skill levels made it a must-see matchup.

The intense spotlight on these teams also had the effect of making them targets for all the other squads. No true competitor likes to be disrespected, and the ten other teams who qualified for this championship felt slighted by the lack of attention paid to them. They had no animosity towards Kellie's team; in fact those who knew Kellie and their teammates genuinely liked them and considered them friends and mentors. However the combination of their own competitive pride and sporting goals, their desire to prove everyone wrong and earn the respect they thought they were due, and the fact that defeating the defending champs would be a feather in the cap of any team meant they would all give Kellie's team their best game and go all-out for victory. It would be a similar story for these teams against Anita, except she was a past champion and not defending the title... with the added factor that they couldn't stand her!

For their part everyone on both Kellie and Anita's teams did the best they could to take the intense attention, distractions and the bulls-eyes the other teams put on their backs in stride. But that would prove to be far from easy.

*******

They didn't take the loss well at all.

The matchup between Kellie's and Anita's teams took place during the prime time television viewing hours on Tuesday night. Never let it be said that the tournament organizers didn't understand how to cater to the fans watching on TV, Kellie thought to herself when she reviewed the schedule.

Both Kellie's and Anita's teams had a record of four wins and two losses at that time. Both teams had felt the nerves and the pressure of all eyes being on them, which helped explain why both had a couple of stumbles along the way in the early part of the schedule. Most fans and media members thought it represented nothing more than a blip in the proceedings, but it did send an extra spark of interest, as it added some unpredictability to what had so far been a competitive and very well played tournament.

The fans certainly got their money's worth that night. It was a well-played game by both sides, with lots of rocks in play, lots of scoring, plenty of decisions that people could debate and second-guess (one of the aspects of curling fans of the sport love most) and more than a hint of the frigidness between the two teams.

It came down to the final shot. Kellie was trailing by one point, but Amber, Sandra and Jennifer had made their shots perfectly, so she was in position to score two and give their team a hard-earned victory.

Unfortunately, halfway down the ice, Kellie's rock picked, running over a small piece of debris that sent it spinning off track. Sandra and Amber brushed the ice in front of the stone hard to try and save it, but it just wasn't possible. The shot missed the mark by a few inches, allowing Anita's team to steal the victory.

During the final handshakes, Anita whispered something in Kellie's ear, being careful to keep her voice low so the TV microphones wouldn't pick it up. Kellie shrugged it off and made a beeline for the interview room to fulfill her media obligations.

The rest of her team trudged off to their locker room. Jennifer was the first to enter. Her frustration over the late turn of events got the better of her, and she angrily fired her brush into a corner, the sound of it clattering against the wall echoing throughout the room. Sandra, Amber and Heather followed in soon behind, too stunned to react to Jennifer's outburst.

After an uncomfortable few moments of silence, Sandra said, "I still can't believe that rock picked."

"Maybe it wouldn't have picked if someone had done their job properly," Jennifer hissed in an almost malevolent whisper.

Sandra whipped her head around towards Jennifer. "What did you say?!"

"You heard me," Jennifer replied huffily.

"Hey, come on Jen, that's not fair!" Amber piped up.

"Oh Amber, stop it, this is not a good time for you to butt in!"

"Please stop fighting everyone, this isn't helping," said Heather, concerned with the direction this conversation was going.

"Shut up Heather, this doesn't concern you!" Sandra barked.

Things further degenerated from there, until all four were yelling and pointing fingers at each other. It took several minutes before they realized Kellie was in the room with them, banging on the metal door, softly at first, then louder and louder until she was banging on it with all their might.

After the four women quieted down, Kellie said in a quiet yet strong voice, "Now that I finally have your attention. All this petty arguing and yelling at each other, it stops right now. Do I make myself clear?"

Kellie's teammates bowed their heads in embarrassment. They apologized to Kellie and each other. The scene vaguely resembled a school headmistress trying to discipline an unruly group of fifth-graders.

"Thanks girls, that's better," Kellie said. "I understand your frustration, even if I don't agree with how you handled it. It looked like we had the game won, then luck turned against us. That's the way this game goes, it happens sometimes. Forget about the outcome for a moment. Think back to the game as a whole. What do you remember?"

Everyone sat in deep thought for a while until Sandra spoke. "I think we all played really well today. Every one of us."