Coffee & Commentary

Plays and Plans

May 1991

My grip on his strong shoulders tightened when he gasped into my ear. The feeling of his breath on my neck made my thighs go weak. I felt his hand tremble as it rose to tangle itself into my long, copper -toned curls. He held me close to his chest while he caught his breath. Pulling away from the intensity of his kiss was misery.

His hair was warm from the sunshine above us and the familiar scent of his hairspray combined with the sweet smell of the grassy pitch far below. I wanted to soak in everything about this moment as I knew too well that it could be the last time we would sneak into the commentary box for to steal a private moment together. I held him closer as the thought of being without him next year quickly clouded our blissful moment.

"Blimey, KC. That thing you did... with your hips... what would happen if you made the same maneuver... on your broom?" he looked like he was concocting a brilliant idea. My eyes widened. "You were devising a strategy just then?" I elbowed him playfully in his ribs.

I rolled my eyes but pondered his question. "Well, I suppose it might create a swooping and diving effect... like the bank of a roller coaster?" I nodded, though I was still not sure how to process how he was able to picture a Ravenclaw beater divebombing an unsuspecting seeker at a moment like this.

He reached into his bag and scratched a couple of notes in his playbook. He looked up and smiled at me. "You are just as brilliant in the booth as you are on the pitch, my love." He pulled me nearer to him and kissed me deeply. My hands couldn't resist running through his perfect hair as we kissed.

We broke apart at the sound of Skye and Orion's bickering. I stood up and walked to the edge of the box to make sure they knew they were not alone. Orion saw us from a distance and flew into the box with Skye close behind. Murphy straightened his wrinkled collar and adjusted his hair. "Are we... interrupting anything?" Skye probed as her eyes moved to his loosened tie. I smiled as I held up the playbook. "Just one last tactile session in the box to close out the season." I sighed. Murphy squinted his eyes and blushed at my all too honest verbal faux pas. "You mean, tactical, dear?" he grinned. A giggle escaped me. "I don't think she does", Orion quipped. I handed him the playbook.

"We wrote an offensive maneuver." I puffed in pride as I put my arm around Murphy. "That checks out. I'm offended by most of your ... maneuvers." Skye laughed and pretended to gag. Murphy and I smiled at each other as our friends continued to roast us. They were no strangers to commentary box rendezvous, themselves.

As the three of them were getting closer and closer to leaving school, the time we spent in the box together became less and less. Next week, we would all be packing up for the summer. I would be the only one returning in the fall. I sighed as they chattered. I stared at each of them a little too long, desperately trying to preserve the moment.

Orion looked at me and his eyes softened. He knew exactly what I was thinking. "Hey now, Captain. You're going to be fantastic next year. You are an amazing leader and I know you will have this team under control when I'm gone." He pulled me over for a half-hug. I gripped him tightly. "And you? What comes next? Where will you be for the summer? And after?" I was worried about my self-proclaimed "twin brother". We didn't look alike or even have a similar personality, but he was my star twin and I was the only family he had. He smiled and put his hands in his pockets. "I am going to work for the only wizard I have ever wanted to work for. I leave for France the day after we are out for the summer and I will spend the next year learning more in depth herbology from across the world. Once my year is up, I plan on opening my own business. Plants rarely let me down, KC" he smiled. Nobody had known anything about his plans until now. He looked so secure in himself. He had always needed to rely on his own instinct and now we knew it was taking him exactly where he wanted to go. My heart swelled with pride in him.