The beginning of Kerr/Mewis

4.

Over the next week, Sam and Kristie messaged. Sometimes at weird times that threw both of their sleep schedules off, and sometimes Sam just stayed up, knowing Kristie was at practice or sleeping, but the anxiety of the situation kept her wanting more. Sam didn't want to push it though - so far their conversations had been pretty PG and mostly casual. They talked about soccer - or football as Kristie would call it - and Olympic predictions but never about anything too specific. They couldn't talk about game plays or starters or even what their jerseys would look like. But there was plenty else to talk about. They never got into the nitty-gritty stuff, but Kristie was fun to talk to regardless. She was funny and smart and she could give banter back the same way she took it. Sam sent her stupid gifs and insisted they were pronounced with a "j" sound not a "g" - Kristie had a very strong opinion that this was very wrong. Sam put it down to the failings of the American public school system.

One morning Sam woke up from a message from Kristie...
Kristie: Morning
Sam: Morning
Kristie: I was thinking, or wondering actually, can we talk?
Sam: Are we not doing that right now?
Kristie: Yeah, but I mean talk talk - can we get the elephant out of the room?
Sam hesitated before replying. She looked at the screen and considered exiting the app and going for a run. She did neither, she was a sucker for a pretty blonde with an American accent - even if she was asking something that made Sam want to hide away and avoid every responsibility she's ever had.
Sam: Yeah. You're right, we should.
Kristie: Listen, I know you commented on my photos right after Nikki went public with her new girlfriend. Why? I'm not sure, but I wasn't mad about it. I've been noticing you in the football world, and I wanted to make something very clear because of that.
Sam: Yes?
Kristie: I'm not someone who will take you to their hotel room for a night and have fun and spread rumours just to get back at an ex. I'm not a rebound, or a Nikki-knock-off. I'm not going to go along with this, if that's all you're talking to me for.
Sam: I'm not, I promise.
Kristie: I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt only because you're Sam fucking Kerr
Sam: What a dirty mouth you have
Kristie: I'm serious
Sam: Sorry, so am I. I like talking to you and I'm not looking for a rebound, or much of anything right now, especially not someone to get back at Nikki. Okay?
Kristie: What are you looking for Sam?
Sam paused again. She liked the openness of Kristie and her questions and the way she wasn't one to fuck around with. But Sam was never big on talking about her feelings and the serious stuff. Right now, she didn't know what she wanted, but it wasn't to make this thing with Kristie - about Nikki. It could have started that way, but it wasn't what she was after. She wasn't the petty type.
Sam: A gold medal at the Olympics would be nice
Kristie: Sam...
Sam: Shit, Kristie, I don't know. I just like talking to you, and I only just learnt your favourite colour. Let's meet when we're in Tokyo and go from there?
Kristie: I can do that

Their other conversations were more casual, and she felt Kristie loosen up after their "talk." One night Sam was messaging her and she almost spat out her drink at the dining room table. Mac looked at her and tried to grab her phone unsuccessfully.

She stared at the message before her...
Kristie: Well it wouldn't help seeing as I have nothing on underneath

If heaven was a place, it was located under the tracksuit Kristie was wearing. Sam had just commented to take it off if she was sweating so much, apparently falling into the exact trap Kristie wanted her to, to deliver such a comment.

"Fucking lesbians." Mac yelled at her across the table, not seeing the message herself. She could probably work out the context.
Sam stared at her phone screen - for all Sam's flirty messages and 12-year-old sex jokes, Sam wasn't really one to message dirty. She was more interested in joking about it for a laugh, but now she was sweating. She needed to reply with something hot, something that wouldn't be too forward or dirty, but enough to make Kristie blush. Sam's own cheeks fired up at the thought of making Kristie blush. Jesus, she felt like a schoolgirl again. It was driving her mad.
Sam wrote back the only thing she could think of that would match that criteria. She hoped it was the right thing to say because she typed it so fast and sent it, she couldn't take it back now.