I Dare You

I re-read the lines for the fifth or sixth time. This dare was definitely the most, uhm, daring of the bunch so far. There were no italics, because everything was laid out clearly. I just didn't see how or when I could get away with doing all of these during practice, especially since this was a gym-only session. The bump on the rump maybe, the grip on the hip easy enough, but the rest? How? My brain was in overdrive mode trying to picture a scenario in which I could nip another player's lip while lifting weights or on the elliptical. No, no way.

"Did you guys tell Jess?"

I raised my head and stared with wide-open eyes. Six smiling faces were looking back at me. I tried not to openly stare below their heads, but I could see Bree was still completely naked; her perky nipples were standing out on top of her tiny tits and a neat landing strip guiding to her hidden folds. Lauren was still naked from the waist up, but was standing with almost all of her back to me, so all I could enjoy was part of the rounded outline of her chest. The other four had at least a bra and panties on, but were still showing some delicious abs and thighs. If some guy had walked in on this scene, it would've taken less than 2 seconds for his excitement to be noticeable. I hoped my reaction wasn't as obvious.

"Tell me what?"

"We're going out for drinks tonight. You should join us, if you don't have any other plans. Get to know the team." Valeria, number 9, said excitedly.

"I..." I glanced down at the red paper in my hand and a word jumped at me: tonight. "...Yeah, definitely will." This was her plan all along.

"Great!" a few of them answered back. If only they knew I was planning on getting to know the team very, very intimately.

I found myself subconsciously measuring the smiles and naughtiness in each of their faces. Whether she was among the six players in front of me or she had already left the locker room but made sure someone asked me to join, I couldn't know. But this was some elaborate planning. She had clearly picked up the pace and was playing in another league altogether now.

"Do you have a car?" The question came from Diamond, number 20.

"Yes."

"Can I come along? Mine is having its yearly maintenance and I've heard you say you live near the mayor's office. I live closeby too."

"Sure."

"Aw, you're an angel. Unlike these five who will be jam-packed in one car. No one thought to ask me or leave me a spot." She grimaced at them while turning her back and began jogging toward the gym. They shrugged and we all chuckled, though I thought to myself I wouldn't mind being jam-packed with them, especially if they stayed just like that... or perhaps everyone took off all their clothing.

What a difference a couple of weeks and sentences make. A month ago, I would have told you without hesitation that I was straight. Today? I was daydreaming about licking Bree's landing strip. A shower "session" was essential before we headed out after practice, otherwise I might internally combust at night.

So I didn't have to worry about any dares during gym time, but I apprehended what the evening would bring. If the letter mentioned bumping and thrusting, that surely meant dancing. And I had to pretend to be be loose enough or find someone(s) drunk enough to attempt all my five dares with. All in public, while making sure the others saw, so that she could see.

There was also the chance that I'd pick her as my subject... would I? Would she betray herself then? Or maybe if I didn't, she'd be jealous and do her best to veer me toward her. Would she reveal herself if I was naughty enough with someone else?

The possibilities were endless, but one thing was certain. By the end of the night, I'd have transformed my budding lesbian fantasies into something concrete for the first time. And that thought alone was enough to fuel me throughout the gym session and wire me up, head to toes.

Two hours later, after I was done with my shower and its collateral, I found Diamond waiting for me in the locker room. She looked me up and down and whistled. "Girl, you clean up good!"

"I was planning on going out to dinner with friends so I had these already."

"Oh did we mess up your plans?" She handed me the hairdryer and pointed at my wet hair.

"Nah, it's nothing important. I'll catch up with them another day. I'd rather go out with you guys tonight." Besides, I thought to myself as the sound of the dryer stopped any further conversation, I wouldn't be nipping and gripping with my friends, would I? The prospect of a fully naughty evening was much more appealing than sitting around a table discussing the latest cases and the hottest gossip around the firm.

"Alright, let's go!" She bounced off the bench when I was done and we headed to the parking lot. With the bar's address entered in the GPS system, we were off.

Finding someone from the team in my car was awkward, especially given the circumstances. Was she the one? Maybe. If I had to trust my gut, I'd say she didn't have the subtlety to carry out something like that. She was impulsive, always in a frenzy, and had no filter. Whatever Diamond thought, Diamond said. But, if by any chance she was the one, I wouldn't mind. Her perky attitude would definitely be a great plus, her infectious laugh too, and her delicious caramel skin. I glanced at her arms and hands and felt my insides tighten. Kissing those, or being trapped by those wouldn't be so bad. Maybe I'd pick her, tonight...

No. No, I couldn't. I was driving her home afterward and if anything started between us at the bar and we got in the car together, there'd be no stopping. I didn't want my naughty instigator to think that, or even doubt it. No, what happens at the bar has to very clearly be a temporary affair.

But heaven knows I was wired enough and ready for my first lesbian dabbles. I had reached a point where I needed something to happen. Argh... I had to stop overthinking everything. This entire situation and obscure investigation was driving me crazy and I couldn't stop my brain from defaulting to it every time it had a moment of silence.

"So what's the plan tonight?" I asked Diamond to try and interrupt my constant ruminations.

She chuckled. "You're such a lawyer. And a dork. We're going to a bar. There is no plan." She drew quotation marks in the air to emphasize the last word.

"Ok, ok, it's just that it's my first time going out with the team, so I don't know what to expect. What's the vibe usually?"

"The vibe is good. We're going for drinks. You can get not drunk, a little drunk, somewhat drunk, very drunk, or drop-down-dead drunk. No expectations. You pick a level you're comfortable with. We can always Uber after."

I smiled. "I think I'll drive us home, so I will get something light."

"Alright. Expect some dancing too. Oh and we're going to a lesbian bar. Because guys in bars are assholes in general and the chicks over there know to keep a respectful distance. Brooke and Val are friends with the owner too, so we get treated really well." I nodded.

"Great."

"One last thing. Don't be surprised if you see Kiara and Oksana going at it."

"What?!"

She sighed. "It happens all the time. These two, every single time they get drunk, they jump each other's bones and then pretend it never happened and that they don't want to be together." She stopped talking and looked at me. "Oh my god, you didn't notice!"

I hadn't, but I didn't want to seem stupid. "I'm new and..."

"And blind. You didn't see how they look at each other or tease each other?"

"I thought they had a defender/attacker kind of vibe." I shrugged.

"Yeah, bedroom vibe. They're so obvious."

After a second or two of silence where I processed that new piece of information, I found myself with more questions than answers. Starting with the most obvious: "So why don't they get together?"

"Because they're commitment-phobes and would rather have one night of super mega steamy hawt sex - their words, not mine," she was quick to point out, "than go through the ups and downs of a real relationship."

"That does sound more fun." The words escaped my lips before I even knew.

"Yeah... I mean, for a bit. But it's just getting tiresome now. Everyone wants them to own up to it already."

She reached out to the navigation console and fast-forwarded through a few songs until she hit a latin bop. Two seconds later, she was taken by the music and the previous topic wasn't brought up again. It was still in my rearview mirror though, and I couldn't shake the image of Kiara and Oksana kissing and, well, doing naughtier things from my mind.

Two seconds after we entered the bar, I realized I had underestimated what going out with the team really meant.

On the football field, you see skin, hands, legs. You squeeze between two players, go shoulder to shoulder with someone, tumble on top of each other. There's some nudity and contact, but also a lot of adrenaline. Everything moves so fast and your mind is focused on something else, so much so that you barely notice if you find your head buried in another player's chest when piling up on top of each other to celebrate a goal.

But in a bar, everything is so languid and relaxed. The world moves at a different pace and your body and brain have time to stop, notice, and process. Notice the killer legs of Oksana, the delicious booty of Catalina, or the impressive chest of Valeria. The sweet dimples on Lauren's cheeks, the perfectly manicured fingers Bree hid under her goalie gloves, the strong upper arms of Chelsea, or the drop dead perfect body of Brooke.

And you have time to feel the other players squeezed next to you, shoulder to shoulder, knee to knee. Time to look at their faces and see their eyes as if for the first time, or focus on their mouths while they talked. Time to hear everything they were saying and deduce everything they weren't. Like the way Kiara glanced at Oksana at least three times every minute. Or the way Oksana pretended not to notice but was even worse at concealing her own attraction.

And instead of dusting yourself off and rushing to get positioned for the next play, you have time to fantasize about every possible scenario in the current circumstances. Like squeezing the leg of the player next to you under the table, having her reciprocate and touch you even more intimately. Grinding against someone on the dance-floor and gripping her ass so tight she'd want to take you right then and there. Or glancing furtively at a player, then stumbling into her in the bathroom, pushing her into a stall and having your way with her until she screamed your name.

You have all the time to see, feel, imagine, dwell... and my brain ran rampant, overlaying reality and fantasy at every opportunity. Keeping up with the conversation while all those images danced in my mind was nearly impossible though. I was going crazy and needed to take a break away from them.

When it was time for the next round, I volunteered to fetch the drinks and Layla came to help me. At the bar, I found myself squeezed next to her and could barely remember half the orders. An image of her naked body floated in front of my eyes, and I recalled every time she had paraded in the locker room, especially that one time she dropped her toiletry bag in front of me and had to bend and pick it up, giving me a perfect view of her flawless taut ass. I remembered my hand itching to smack it and my tongue going dry wanting to lick the smooth skin. And now, she was next to me, shoulder to shoulder, hip to hip, and my right hand could easily brush her ass if I brought it up.

"Your mind is elsewhere," she laughed after she told the bartender every order I missed.

"Yeah..." She was looking at me intently and I felt I had to give her an explanation. "I have a case..." I started saying, but the look in her eyes told me she didn't believe a word of it. "I don't know, I guess I'm overwhelmed."

"It's normal. We're a loud, crazy, tight,... and sexy bunch. Maybe a little different from the people you interact with everyday."

"Ah yes," I nearly sighed. I was afraid that sentence would go elsewhere.

"We're quite overprotective of each other though, so be good to us and we'll be good to you." I nodded. "I'm not saying we can't have fun with each other from time to time," she winked, "but as long as things are clear and no hearts are broken."

Oh shit... So I was that obvious. I opened my mouth, trying to say something, but she was quick to cover it with her hand. I was tempted to suck on her finger but stopped my tongue before it betrayed me further.

"I'd be happy to be your first. I'm told I'm a great introduction to the sapphic world." She wiggled her eyebrows and I nearly collapsed from embarrassment.

Thankfully, the bartender came with our two full trays and all I could do was grab mine and rush back to our tables. I found a spot between Valeria and Brooke and squeezed in.

"She comes on a little strong," Val said in a low voice. I gulped.

"It's all in good faith though," Brooke joined in from the other side. "With that face and that bod, she can get away with anything, and she knows it too well."

"Yeah, but she knows her limit, she isn't persistent or annoying. Just be yourself and don't worry about her."

All I could do was spin my head from one side to the other, petrified. Then a sentence Diamond said in the car rang in my ears and I put two and two together. Gosh, my gaydar needed massive fine-tuning.

"Thanks. It was a little weird."

Brooke laughed. "She does it with every newbie. Sometimes with resounding success," she winked, "and sometimes leading to a few awkward weeks."

"Can't blame her for trying. The odds are stacked in her favor in our sport at our age." Val raised her eyebrows naughtily and I felt her piercing gaze on me. Why was everyone suddenly able to read me so easily? "Of course, there's nothing stopping you from accepting her offer, if you want. You wouldn't be disappointed... I wasn't." A naughty smile grazed her lips.

I found myself blushing and reaching for my glass for the third time in the few minutes that that conversation had lasted. It was nearly empty.

Brooke did so too and clinked hers to mine. "To awkward discussions and even more awkward explanations!" She laughed and I found it infectious. Val joined in while giving me a quick hip squeeze. I didn't dare look in her eyes so soon, for fear of betraying my dark thoughts. If she was my naughty instigator, I'd spend half the time terrified of her reading my mind. And those eyes... if she wanted to, she could make me cum with nothing but a stare.

Half an hour later, having regained my wits and forced myself to participate in all kinds of discussions, from our upcoming league matches to European football clubs, some unavoidable local politics, and some work and personal topics, all while mentally undressing every single one of my teammates, I excused myself to the bathroom. Part of me, the one that had seen too many movies, couldn't shake the thought that my naughty instigator would follow me and wouldn't be able to control herself, but nothing happened.

I came back to find the girls had dumped our tables and were dancing together. I sat back down, not feeling like barging in uninvited, and couldn't keep my eyes off Kiara and Oksana, who had slowly gravitated toward each other and were getting a little too hot together. Then Kiara suddenly broke it off and came back to the table.

She grabbed the first glass she saw, which I'm pretty sure wasn't hers, and gulped the rest of it in one go. "You don't dance?"

"I do. Didn't want to interrupt though."

"Well, there's nothing special for you to interrupt."

I raised my eyebrows questioningly and she looked down at her glass. I had underestimated the degree of closeness and understanding we shared. Our few weeks of defending together seemed to have made it possible for me to read her thoughts from a simple glance. She raised her head again and I could see all the longing and sadness in her eyes.

"You and Oks..." I begun.

"It's nothing." She interrupted and shrugged.

"Really?"

"We have fun every now and then. Nothing important."

"Really?" She wasn't fooling anyone.

"Yes really. Why do you keep asking?" She grew defensive and was starting to retreat in her zone. Battling her on those grounds wasn't going to be easy.

"Because I feel there's something more to it." I hoped my accent sounded more compassionate than accusatory.

She grabbed another glass and drank it in one go. Putting it down on the table, she seemed to realize she now had two empty glasses, at least one of which wasn't hers.

"Look, she doesn't want anything serious and neither do I. We just get together sometimes and that's all there is to it. She can fuck whoever she wants, I can do whatever I want. It's easier like this." That bad, huh.

"So you wouldn't mind if I hit on her tonight?" I... What the... Where did that come from? The question was asked before I even knew it.

"Oh please!" She laughed, a little too forcibly.

"What?"

"You're straight." Oh well, at least one player didn't suspect I was fantasizing about getting off with the entire team.

"Says who?" Seriously though, who said I was straight? I had chosen the default option when I was growing up, mostly because I never wondered about the other possibilities, but that didn't mean I couldn't be gay, or bi, or whatever.

"Your face!" She chuckled a little and pointed at me. I didn't need to feign it — I was a little offended. "Look, I didn't mean it like that, but you're just... You don't look at us that way."

"Well, you're wrong. I'm definitely interested in women," there it goes, the truth out loud for the first time, "and I kinda like Oksana." Another truth, but this one with more layers to it. Would I dare follow through with the mischievous idea that just started prancing in my head? Hah... dare. Yes, I had no choice but to dare. "I think I'll try my luck with her tonight."

"You and Oksana? Be my guest." Kiara's answer was both dismissive and passive-aggressive. I was playing with fire there, but I had a plan.

I stood up and walked toward our group, not daring to glance back and see what Kiara's reaction was. Layla spotted me instantly and winked, but I quickly looked away and my eyes caught Oksana's. Some invisible force was governing my moves now and I felt as if I was watching myself approach her, hold out my hand to her, and start swaying to the music.

She looked a little surprised but quickly accepted my offer. "I had my suspicions that you played for our team," Oksana smiled, too proud of her double-entendre, and got close to me.

"I'm only interested in a one-on-one though." The latin rhythm playing was perfect for a little raunchiness, so I quickly moved to the side and rammed our hips together to emphasize my request. Bump on the rump: check.

Her eyes grew wide and she blushed a little. Was I actually flirting with a half-goddess and succeeding? For a first try at this whole lesbian thing, I hadn't chosen an easy challenge.

"Beware what you ask for, newbie." She winked and got even closer. Her hands were suddenly on my sides and mine instantly rose to her hips in response. Grip on the hip: check.

"Wouldn't be the first time we find ourselves head to head, and I think my track record proves I can handle it just fine." I grinned and tilted my head toward her.

She grabbed me tighter, pushing our chests together, and took the lead with our dancing. Thrust to the bust: check.

"That's probably because I haven't whipped out my best offensive moves yet." The smile on her face made my knees wobble. Remember why you're here, I chastised myself. This wouldn't work if I got carried away.