The Circle of Friends

XI - Swimming Championship-2

Rapidly drying herself, Lori once again looked at the crowd and finally caught sight of Jason. James wanted another picture, but Lori held up her hand and asked him to wait. She moved eagerly toward the bleachers as Jason came down front to meet her. He flashed a big smile before wrapping his arms around Lori.

“You are terrific!” he cried, giving her a quick kiss. “And you’re a pretty good swimmer, too.”

Lori just grinned at his teasing. “I’m glad you made it!”

“I’d be here every time if I could,” he said, giving her one more kiss. “I’ll see you afterwards, okay?”

Lori returned to her teammates and prepared to watch the boys swim their last race. James approached and snapped another photo before she could object.

“Is that your boyfriend?” he anxiously asked.

“No,” said Lori shyly. “He’s my fiancé.”

James nodded and moved away to take more pictures. Lori waited until the race ended before retreating to the locker. She quickly dressed and Cindy teased Lori about her hasty departure.

“I don’t want to keep him waiting!” Lori called as she all but ran for the exit.

There were many people loitering at the exit. James was talking with one of the other swimmers, and at least twenty supporters awaited the athletes as well. Lori spied Jason waiting off to one side and she eagerly joined him. He grabbed the bag from her hands and put his arm around her shoulders.

“Hi!” he said, giving her a kiss.

“Hi there!” she replied. “I need to run by my room before we go back to the hotel.”

“No problem,” he said, taking her by the hand. “We’ll just get room service tonight!”

As they stepped outside, Lori heard someone call her name. She noticed James not far behind and moving in their direction. He came to an abrupt halt in front of them, his gaze falling on Jason. James was about Lori’s height, which placed him several inches shorter than Jason, and he had to tilt his chin to look up at the young quarterback. Swallowing nervously, James held up his notebook.

“I thought since your fiancé was here, I could get some information on him, too,” he offered.

“James writes for the school paper,” said Lori by way of explanation. “What do you need to know?”

“Well,” began James, his eyes darting from one to the other. “I’d like to put a name to your fiancé in my story.”

“You’re gonna print that she’s engaged?” exclaimed Jason, his smile growing. “Good! Keep my competition down.”

Lori laughed at his response, amused her fiancé would be jealous of any other man. James wrote down his name as well as Jason’s college and football status.

“Do you have a date set yet?” James asked.

Jason smiled and allowed Lori to answer that question. “May Fourteenth,” she said modestly, leaning closer to Jason. He pulled her hand to his lips and she smiled graciously.

“Well, congratulations,” said James, extending his hand to Jason. “Thanks. You guys have a good night.”

“Oh, it’ll be a great night!” said Jason, putting his arm around Lori and grinning mischievously.

She opened her mouth to protest his candidness, but he silenced her with a kiss. Suddenly Jason scooped her up into his arms and Lori uttered a cry of delight. She waved goodbye to James as Jason walked across the parking lot.

“What are you doing?” she asked, holding on tightly to Jason’s neck. He obviously had no trouble carrying her light frame, but people were watching them.

“Just carrying my things to the car,” he told her smugly. “It’ll be great to have your unavailability printed in the paper. That should keep the wolves at bay.”

He carried her to his BMW and set her down by the passenger door. He held open the door and Lori swung happily into her seat. Jason climbed in on his side, tossing her bag in the back seat. Giving her one more kiss, he started the car.

“It is going to be a great night,” he told her, the desire in his eyes unmistakable.

Two weeks later, Lori visited Jason and Maria. Living away from her parents had been very good for Maria and Lori found her a much bolder young lady. She only casually dated, still unsure of herself around the opposite s*x, but Maria had made tremendous progress. Lori praised the glowing changes in her friend, pleased she was finally enjoying life a little.

She spent Saturday night with Jason. The frat house certainly brought out the animal in the football players, although no one acted disrespectful toward Lori. Regardless, Jason held on to her even tighter than usual. The only person he appeared to trust was John. The linesman was to be a groomsmen in their wedding and privately Lori wondered if they would find a tuxedo big enough for John.

Valentine’s Day fell at the beginning of the week this year. Since they could not be together, Jason had a dozen roses sent to her dorm. He promised to see her the following weekend at the South Eastern Conference swimming finals. She would not be competing until the last two days, so he planned to fly in late Thursday night and watch her swim on Friday and Saturday. Lori insisted he not go to so much trouble, especially since she had been unable to attend his bowl game.

“Yes, but I didn’t even play!” he exclaimed. “You’ll definitely be swimming and I want to be there.”

Lori’s father also planned to attend the finals and she promised to perform her very best. The NCAA finals were the latter part of March, and Lori would be competing at that time as well. She was already coming in under the qualifying times for the event. Hopefully Jason and her father would see her place first in both competitions.

The event lasted four days, but Lori’s races weren’t until Friday and Saturday. Jason called Thursday night before boarding the plane, giving her all the love and encouragement possible. Lori worried she would be unable to locate him in the crowd, but he promised she would see him and her father cheering. They were to meet that night at the hotel and ride over together in the morning.

Friday morning, Lori went through her normal mental and physical preparations for competition. The 200-freestyle would be the first race that morning, which suited Lori. It was just the preliminary, as the final race would not take place until later that day, but it would get her in the water early. Lori did not feel nervous, but she was ready to compete.

There were many heats for the women’s 200. The top eight scores would advance and Lori felt confident she would be one of those swimmers. She had already beaten most of these girls at one meet or another. There were only two swimmers whose regular season times were on par with Lori’s. This did not concern her too much, as it only gave her more incentive to win.

Lori easily outdistanced the other girls in her heat and her time ultimately placed her second. She felt sure she could beat the top girl. Her time was less than Lori’s best that year, and if she really poured it on, she could beat her own time today.

There were many spectators and Lori had to refrain from searching the crowd for Jason and her father. They would understand why she did not actively seek their presence. She prayed once again she would not disappoint them.

Cindy did not advance, but she had beaten her own time and seemed pleased with that accomplishment. Lori gave her a pat on the shoulder and a smile. Her friend returned the smile, but did not engage Lori in conversation. Cindy knew not to distract her, especially with so much at stake for the final race.

By the time she stepped up to the block, Lori had envisioned winning the race a dozen times in her head. When the gun went off, she flew into the water faster than anyone else. Lori kept her rhythm even, saving her burst for the end. She had already seen several girls come out too fast and lose speed at the end of the race. Lori felt grateful her early trainers had schooled her away from such a waste of energy.

After 150 meters, her strokes began to increase as Lori stepped up the pace by several notches. She did not cease her efforts until she felt the wall beneath her fingertips. With a gasp, she came up for air and looked toward the clock. A time of 1:44.10 flashed on the screen and Lori sighed with relief. Not a record, but it was half a second faster than anyone else. She had won the race.

She swam to the side of the pool and climbed out of the water. Her coach immediately congratulated her and handed Lori a towel. She pulled off her cap as her teammates surrounded her. They were aware that Lori was the team’s best chance for a win at the NCAA finals and eager to congratulate their champion.

Feeling overwhelmed by the attention from her teammates and the many photographers, Lori stepped away from the pool and scanned the crowd. She heard her name being called and located Jason and her father down near the front. They were cheering and her father held a sign with her name in big, bold letters. Lori managed to get close to them and Jason grabbed her hand.

“You did it!” he cried, leaning over the railings to reach Lori.

She smiled, her fingers tightly grasping his hand. The excitement in Jason’s voice matched the elation in his eyes and she was thankful once again for the terrible moment that had brought them together.

Her father reached out to touch her as well. “Way to go, Hon!” he cried. “Never a doubt in my mind!”

“Thanks!” she cried. “Call me later?” she asked Jason.

“You bet!” he answered, reluctantly letting go of her hand.

Lori rejoined her teammates, thankful today’s competition had ended. Tomorrow was the big day. The 100 meters was her best event and Lori intended to beat the SEC record for that race. Her best time was only four-tenths from the record, which was held by a junior. Lori knew she could do better.

The team was doing well in points. They could have placed higher in the relays had Lori been involved, but she never swam the relay. Before accepting her scholarship and attending the University of Florida, Lori had made it clear what races she would swim. The guilt she might have felt for not contributing was balanced by the thought that some girl who might not have otherwise had a chance would get to compete. She preferred to give that opportunity to someone else.

Jason gave her a call early in the evening. She was elated to hear his voice and wished she could see him in person.

“Spring break, you’ll have me for the whole week,” he promised. “Besides, I’m not about to be a distraction. Tomorrow’s race is important!”

“You’ve never been a distraction!” Lori told him.

“And let’s keep it that way,” Jason said firmly. “After seeing you swim today, I can’t wait to watch tomorrow’s race. I still can’t believe how fast you are!”

“I plan on breaking the record tomorrow.”

“If anyone can do it, I know you will, Baby!” he told her proudly.

Lori laughed. “Remember what you asked me when we first met? You wanted to know if I was any good.”

“And you’re not,” said Jason. “You’re completely amazing in everything you do. Now, you rest up. We’ll be there early tomorrow to get front row seats.”

“Thanks for coming to the finals. I promise I won’t disappoint you tomorrow,” she told him enthusiastically.

“I know you won’t. Love you!”

“I love you. Goodnight,” Lori quietly answered.

She turned off her phone and set it on the nightstand. Cindy was stretched out on the bed beside Lori and she grinned at her friend.

“You two are so cute!” she said. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen two people so in love!”

Lori smiled, pleased with that assessment. Their devotion to one other carried her through each day, and tomorrow she would definitely require its strength!

Saturday’s prelims went very well. Lori swam an even race, not over exerting herself, and still came in ahead of the other girls. She was confident she could shave off a half second and beat the SEC’s record of 48.40. With Jason and her father present, Lori felt all the more determined to succeed.

The final race for the women’s 100 freestyle was announced and Lori took her position. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and lowered her head. With resolution, she stepped on the block, her eyes focused on the pool. Every moment she had ever spent in the water led to this moment. The hours upon hours of practice had been for this race. Lori did not think about the Olympics or even the NCAA finals. This was the race that mattered right now.

At the sound of the gun, Lori sprang into action. She pushed herself harder than ever for this race, slicing through the water like a sharp knife through butter. The only sounds in her ears were the splash of water as her arms moved forward and her own breath. The noise of the crowd was a roar so distant as to be inaudible. Every ounce of her being was focused on the water.

Up in the stands, Jason and Phil were yelling, cheering on her quick lead. Jason always found her meets quite exhausting. Football plays lasted but a brief moment. Lori’s races stretched out for an eternity. By the time they ended, he felt as if he had swum right along with her. Today’s race was no different.

When Lori finally touched the wall, her heart was about to explode. She had to catch her breath before looking for her time. The voice on the loudspeaker said her name and she finally focused on the clock. She sighed and gave a quick smile. Her time tied the SEC record.

The sound of the crowd reached Lori’s ears and brought her back to reality. By the time she climbed out of the pool, the entire team had surrounded her. Lori buried her disappointment of not breaking the record and smiled in appreciation of their enthusiasm. It was still a major accomplishment.

Lori began to search for Jason. True to his word, he and her father had acquired front row seats and were waving wildly. Lori noticed flowers in Jason’s hands and his thoughtfulness eased some of her frustration. She moved slowly toward the stands and he leaned over far enough to give her a quick kiss and a hug. Grinning broadly, he placed the roses in Lori’s arms.

“You were awesome, Baby!” he cried. “You tied the record!”

“Thanks,” she said humbly, her fingers still grasping his hand.

“Don’t you dare be down,” warned Jason, squeezing her hand tightly. “You tied! Your name goes in the record books.”

Lori smiled and nodded. She looked to her father, who grinned from ear to ear.

“Proud of you, Pumpkin” he said, reaching down to pat her on the shoulder. “We’ll catch up with you outside the locker room, okay?”

“Yeah, just like a couple of groupies!” said Jason with a wink.

Taking her flowers, she returned to her teammates. They were still ecstatic about her time and crowded eagerly around Lori. Cindy even gave her a big kiss on the cheek. By the time Lori reached the locker room, her spirits had risen. She had tied the record today. Next month, she would shatter it.

Slipping discretely out of the locker room, Lori found Jason and her father waiting. They beamed with pride as she approached, the flowers from Jason still in her arms. She gave her father a hug first before embracing Jason completely.

“I am so proud of you!” exclaimed Jason, giving her a kiss. “Do you realize how fast you’ll be in two years? You are gonna win the Gold for sure!”

“And break the Olympic record!” added her father with total confidence.

“Next is the NCAA Finals,” said Lori, still hanging on tightly to Jason.

“And we’ll be there,” said Jason, pulling aside her hair and kissing Lori on the forehead.

“Yes,” her father said sternly, “and I’m going to get your mother there one way or another.”

“I know she’s busy with work,” she said with a shrug. Her mother had not seen Lori compete in a very long time.

Phil placed a hand on her shoulder. “She’s not so busy that she can’t come watch her daughter fulfill her dream!”

They continued to talk for a few more minutes. Lori simply enjoyed the loving praise the men in her life were lavishing on her. She felt incredibly blessed to have such great supporters.

“I’ll call you tomorrow,” Jason promised. He kissed her firmly, not afraid to express himself in front of her father. “You are amazing,” he whispered before releasing Lori.

“Great job, Pumpkin,” said her father as she hugged him goodbye. “I’ll see you in a couple weeks when you’re home for spring break.”

She thanked them again for attending the finals. Today’s race had been a major achievement and their presence had made it all the more special.