I drained the mug and stood. “Want to come, Teagan?” Although she pissed me off, I didn’t want her to feel excluded.
She shook her head. “I’m calling my friend from home while we’ve got our phones.”
“Cool,” Alba said. “Let’s go, Kaia.”
Outside, a good chunk of the irritation slid off me once we left Teagan’s earshot.
“Don’t let her words get to you,” Alba said, waiting for the light to cross the street. “She doesn’t know your story or your relationship. People hand out opinions when no one asked for them.”
I forced a smile. “Thanks. I wonder what she’d say if she knew Asher’s mother and my father are dating.”
“She’d probably say she’d never do that. Then she’d say the same about anything fun. It’s your life—fuck what everyone else thinks.”
Her lack of judgment steadied me. After the coffee shop scene, that felt like a small lifeline.
In the store, my mood snapped back. I ran my fingers through racks, feeling fabric, looking. A pink strapless top caught my eye. I held it to my chest, weighing it.
“It’ll look great with jeans,” Alba said. “Get it.”
Money was tight now that I didn’t have a job. But I liked buying things for myself instead of asking Dad. I grabbed the top and wandered to the lingerie wall. A pale-pink set winked at me from the shelf—thong and sheer lace bra, my size. I took it and held it to my chest.
“Lucky boyfriend,” Alba said, waggling her brows.
A girl stepped from a changing cubicle. I nodded at the empty stall. “I’m going to try it on, and I’ll need a favor.”
Alba studied me. “Sure. What?”
“You’ll take a picture when I call.” I handed her my phone. “It’s for Asher.”
I slipped into the changing room, heart pounding, shed my uniform shirt and bra, and pulled the new bra on.
“Ready.” I opened the curtain just enough for Alba to slip inside. She pulled it closed behind her, raised the camera, and asked, “How much do you want him to see?”
“Enough to get him more excited for the weekend.” After a beat, I added, “But not so excited he’d crash in training today.”
***
I sat on the windowsill in the yoga room, holding my breath as my phone lit up. It had been off all day; now I’d finally see Asher’s reaction to Alba’s pics. The call hit my ear almost at once.
“If you wanted to kill me, peque, mission almost accomplished.” His voice warmed my chest.
“You liked it?”
“Loved it.” He lowered his voice. “But I have two questions.”
“Go on.”
“First: who the hell took thosephotos?”
“Who do you think?” I tried to sound innocent. “A random guy at the store.”
He exhaled. “Okay. I’ll pretend you’re joking.”
“Good. You’ll sleep better not knowing. What’s the second?”
He chuckled, tired. “Do you know what I was supposed to be doing on track today?”
“Getting ready to win on Saturday?”
