Jason, Alex, and Phil all sat around the dinner table.
"Well, what are we going to do with ourselves? I can't believe we get tomorrow off." Alex asked. She poked her fork into her bowl and looked around at her roommates.
"I know, right? All we do is train, I don't even know what there is to do in this city. I can't remember the last time I had more than ten minutes alone..." Phil replied.
Alex didn't know Phil as well as Jason, but he seemed to be kind: he worked closely with the infielders and was known to be helpful and fair. He hadn't been with the Titans as long as Jason but had a good reputation so far.
Jason said nothing and stared into his water glass. He idly flipped pages on his clipboard. Alex could see diagrams of exercises and handwritten notes flash by in the periphery of her vision.
"I don't know about you," she said, knowing very well that nobody had gone anywhere since arriving at training camp, "but I would love to go out drinking and blow off some steam."
Alex pulled her hair up into a loose bun and looked at her roommates. Jason was still staring at his glass but Phil was looking at her eagerly.
Alex wasn't sure if Jason hated her. He barely looked at her and only spoke to her about work matters, which usually meant someone was injured. Jason trusted her professionally, that much was clear, but it was rather uncomfortable living with someone who didn't seem to like her that much.
Walking in on him in the bathroom had only made matters worse. She'd turned around before she could see much, but she couldn't tell if she'd seen his penis or not. She'd tried not to think about it since, but living beside him made it nearly impossible. He was so handsome and competent and she couldn't get the image of him naked in the bathroom out of her mind. His ass was so perky, his muscles so firm. Thinking about it made her blush.
"I think I know a place," Jason eventually said. Alex and Phil both cheered.
-----
The bar was dark and noisy, full of local office workers and trainers from a nearby college team. It was late Friday night and the dance floor was practically full.
Alex sipped her drink and looked around. Jason was chugging glasses of water between tequila shots, and Phil was excitedly chatting with everyone who came near him.
Alex felt a tap on her shoulder. A woman about her age with dark brown hair was saying something she could barely hear.
"What?" Alex yelled.
The woman leaned in. "Are you Alex?" She asked.
Alex nodded. The woman continued.
"I'm Jessica! We're the only women at camp, I'm so glad I finally met you! I work in sports psych."
Alex had heard rumours about another woman at training camp and was thrilled to have found another friendly face.
"Oh my god, finally!" Alex hugged Jessica and they both laughed.
"Another round!" Jessica yelled at a bartender.
"So what brings you to camp?" Alex asked.
"I love working in baseball, and this team is the only one in the area with a psychologist on staff. I think it's made a big difference for the team! What about you?"
"I take contracts through a third-party company and they made a bit of a mistake. I normally work with soccer teams and I can't refuse a job once I've accepted."
Jessica squeezed Alex's arm. "Oh no. Bartender, make hers a double!" The drinks came and Jessica continued. "You're not from around here, are you? I can tell from your accent."
Alex took a long sip and shook her head. "No, I'm not. I normally take jobs closer to home but this was a bit of an impulsive decision."
"Say no more, hun. I hear you. That means you need to dance." Jessica grabbed Alex's hand and pulled her out to the dance floor.
People milled about in crowds, dancing close to one another. As the music got louder more people joined in. Alex realized this was her first night out since the breakup. She hadn't thought about her ex in days... the distance was helping, after all.
In her periphery, Alex could see Jason and Phil leaning against a wall, saying little and nodding to the music.
"I'm going to go get my roommates!" Alex yelled into Jessica's ear. Jessica gave a thumbs up.
Alex walked towards the men and gestured towards the dance floor. After a moment of resistance they followed her; they must have had more to drink while she was with Jessica. Jason would have never agreed otherwise.
Jessica greeted Phil and Jason warmly.
Alex leaned in towards Jessica. "Do you know them already?"
"A bit, yeah!" She replied in Alex's ear. "We've had some players in common over the last few seasons. Jason is actually the reason they hired me in the first place, he pushed for a mental health program here."
Everyone started to dance near each other, first timidly and then with slightly more enthusiasm. Alex watched Jessica eye Phil up and down, eventually she made her way towards him and touched him lightly on the chest. The two of them pulled away into the crowd, their hips angled towards each other.
Alex and Jason were alone. The music continued and they stayed a measured distance apart from each other. Jason was still barely looking at her and Alex was too drunk to care if he hated her anymore. She was at this camp whether she wanted to be or not and she would make the best of it.
