Chapter 10: Tiffany, Part 1

The pop of a comb on my head jars me awake.

"Ow!" I cry. "What'd you do that for?"

"You keep falling asleep in my chair," Quincy quips. "Makes it impossible to get this color done right if your head keeps bobbing."

"Sorry. I don't know what my problem is," I admit. "I can't seem to get enough sleep lately."

"It's all those late-night romps with your lover," Geni sing-songs.

"Geni! You have a client!" Quincy admonishes.

"So?" She holds up her first finger for us to give her a minute. "John," she says to the client sitting in her chair. "Are you even listening to what I say?"

"Nope." He doesn't look up from his phone. "I've got three daughters and a wife. I know how to tune you guys out."

Geni makes an "I told you so" gesture. "Anyway, like I was saying. You'll probably feel better once you get out of this newlywed phase."

"Please," I argue. "I've been so sick lately, there has been no newlywed phase."

"You're gonna try to convince me you aren't having sex at least once every night."

I playfully pretend to avoid the question, looking around the room until she huffs, and I give. "Okay fine. I won't try to convince you of that."

"I knew it!" Geni says, as she brushes the cut hairs off John's shoulders. "I knew you had bags under your eyes for a reason. Come on, John, let's get you checked out."

John takes a minute to look at his hair in the mirror before following her to the front desk, untraumatized by our conversation.

"Sorry about her," Quincy says quietly.

"Quincy, don't be sorry. Geni and I get along just fine. Who would have thunk, right?"

"You guys have come a long way." She folds another foil on my head. "How are you feeling anyway?"

"Better, I guess. This stomach bug is the worst, but I have to go back to work today. I've been off for too long."

"Hmm."

I know better than to think her response doesn't have more substance behind it than she's letting on. "What? What is that hmm for?"

"Oh nothing."

"Quincy…"

"I just…" She hems and haws around the conversation for a few minutes until she finally can't hold it in anymore. "Okay, I'm just gonna say it. Are you pregnant?"

"What? No." I shake my head vehemently.

"Tiffany, you can't stay awake. You've had the stomach bug for a week now. When was your last period?"

"It was…" I pause, because I honestly don't remember. She quirks an eyebrow at me. "Don't look at me like that. I think it was the week of Thanksgiving."

"You think?"

"I think because I know I was supposed to have it while Steve was out of town and I took over for him. But I have no recollection because I didn't take many bathroom breaks while he was gone. I was too busy, so I don't remember. But I don't remember not having it either."

"That means you think you had it?"

"Of course. I have no reason to question it. I had Rowen buy what he calls lady Band-Aids the other day because I had run out."

She giggles. "Daniel hates it when I send him to buy tampons."

I smile conspiratorially. "It's fun, though, isn't it?"

"What's fun?" Geni asks, as she plops down in her chair.

"Making the guys buy maxi pads."

"Erik flat out refuses." She grabs a magazine off her counter and flips through it. "We actually had our first fight over it. I had to stuff the undies with toilet paper and go buy them myself."

"Are you serious?" Quincy crinkles her nose in disgust. "I would kill Daniel if he did that to me!"

Geni shrugs. "I was pissed when it happened. But Erik's quirky. We all know that. The next night he took me out for a steak dinner to make up for it."

We chat a little more about the guys and baby Chance and the latest team gossip. It's weird to think that a year or so ago, Quincy and I had a rocky relationship, and Geni and I couldn't stand each other. I wouldn't call us besties now or anything. But it's kind of nice having some female friends that I see outside of soccer. It's a bonus that they ended up being "couple" friends.

Quincy clears her throat. "So… I have news."

Geni slams the magazine shut and leans forward. "Do tell. I love it when you have news."

Quincy shoots her an annoyed look. "Why are you acting like I'm announcing the next Oscar nominees?"

"Because you are making an announcement. You don't ever clear your throat and say, ‘I have news' unless it's really exciting and gossipy. Spill."

Quincy rolls her eyes and turns to look at me in the mirror. "It's being announced to the team today. In fact, it probably already was."

"What was? What was?" Geni bounces in her seat.

"You are a little too excited about this," I judge.

"Oh, you just wait," Geni says. "I have known this one for a very long time. I can tell when it's going to be juicy." She waves towards Quincy. "Continue."

"I need to rethink this friendship," Quincy mumbles, taking another swipe of the brush in the color and bringing it to my head. "Okay, it's being announced today, but… Nate Funderling's been traded."