Sam took a breath. “Finn and I are trying to … we’re …”
“Oh my God! Are you two finally dating?” Maya clapped her hands.
Sam’s mouth dropped open. “Wait—what?! No! We’rejust pretending. Or at least that’s what we’re going to do from now on.”
“Oh.” Maya stopped clapping. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what’s happening here.”
“Listen,” Sam started, her heart hammering as Maya’s eyes grew more and more round as she laid out her and Finn’s plan. “We figured that the best way for us to get noticed by a brand is if we are a brand as well—me and Finn—pretending to be a couple. It’s like you said, everyone is loving the idea, and it’s getting a lot of attention. We just want to play the game and win for once, you know?” she finished up as Maya pressed her lips together. “I suppose what I’m asking is that if you do get any DMs from Montalier or Salvaro, will you tell me first? I’d like to know before my dad does—that is, if anything happens.”
“Sure,” Maya said. “But, Sam, are you sure about this—it’s kind of a dangerous game to play. Pretending to be a fake couple …”
“What do you mean?” Sam said, ignoring the way her pulse jumped in her veins. “We’re best friends; we want the same thing. We’ve agreed to do this.”
“Okay,” Maya said. “As long as you’re sure you can handle it, I’ll do my best to get you guys all the attention you need.” She shrugged and giggled. “It’s a great idea, by the way.”
“I know, right!” Sam smiled. She jerked her head toward the door. “I can’t listen to this any longer. Becky should be getting ready for the qualie this evening, not getting banged like it’s going out of fashion. Leo should know that. Come on, let’s go—leave them at it.” She pulled on her boots.
“And are you ready for this evening?” Maya grabbed her coat and followed Sam out of the room and down the hallway.
“As ready as I can be.” Sam stepped into the elevator. “Seeing as Leo is here invading my space, making it more uncomfortable than it already is, I’m going over to Finn’s. Coming?”
“Oh God, yes!” Maya grinned as they stepped out into the lobby. “I’ve been dying for a nose around the place. I’m going to take so many pictures, and it sounds like the perfect location to catch a few shots of the world’s new favorite couple!”
Sam opened her bag, looking into it briefly to make sure she had everything she needed. Then she followed Maya out into the snow, hoping that her dad wasn’t at Finn’s hotel right now. She really didn’t need to have him in her ear before the qualie, barking advice and telling her to hydrate, to mentally plan how she was going to take the jumps, asking if she had seen the weather forecast … as if she didn’t already think about all of those things. There was nothing else she thought about these days.
The streets were busy, the town crammed full of competitors, families and tourists. It was a nice distraction after the morning she’d had, although her dad would tell her to not get distracted, to concentrate on mantras, positive thinking and warming up. She hated that aspect of the sport. Snowboarding was fun—that’s what made it mean something to her. If she couldn’t have fun, then what was the point? Her best scores had always been when she’d gone out there relaxed and ready to enjoy herself. It wassomething her dad never seemed to understand. It wasn’t the same as skiing, she supposed. Maybe that’s where the difference between them lay, but she highly doubted it. The difference was that she’d never leave her family, and he had. Even though he coached her, paid for her school, never left them without, he’d left them at one of their most vulnerable moments. Black memories swarmed against her as she pushed her way through the crowd. Maya was a step too far ahead for her liking. Struggling to catch up Sam turned a corner, bumping into a tall stranger. Her bag slipped from her shoulder and fell to the ground, her things scattering across the snow.
“I’m so sorry!” Falling to her knees she began frantically grabbing her things and shoving them back into her bag, while apologizing to the stranger. “I didn’t see you.”
“It’s fine, don’t worry.” A deep voice made her look up. “Ah, it’s you.”
“Gabriel?” Sam didn’t notice the cold snow melting into the knees of her jeans.
“The one and only.” Gabriel offered Sam his hand.
“Of all the gin joints in all the world,” Sam said with a laugh, taking his hand up. “What has brought you here? I thought you’d retired from skiing.”
“I did, after Japan, at the grand old age of twenty-seven. It feels so weird to say that. I’m here for the Games, of course,” Gabriel said, brushing snow from her jacket with an easy smile. “I got a new gig—I’m doing some commentary—easier on the knees, harder on the ego.”
“You’re going to smash it.” Sam grinned. “I’ve no doubt you will.” Gabriel shrugged, and Sam caught sight of Mayaover his shoulder. She was grinning—her eyes wide and trained on Gabriel’s broad shoulders. She’d had a thing for him since Sam had introduced them in Japan last month. Maya was fanning herself dramatically in the background now. Smothering a grin, Sam pulled her gaze back to Gabriel. He stood by the lodge she’d just hurried around, casually smiling that signature, heart-stopping smile that Sam was sure looked great on TV—it was probably one of the reasons he’d gotten the commentating job. She mentally chastised herself for that thought—it was wrong and unfair, and exactly the kind of comment she was actively trying to eradicate in her sport. It wasn’t Gabriel’s fault that he was easy on the eye.
“I hope so. My nerves are far worse than they ever were when competing. The public can really tear into you if you mess up.” Gabriel ran a hand through his dark hair. “Hey, I caught your interview withVertical Droplast month—the one about prize money disparities.”
Sam winced. “Yeah, that one got me a few strongly worded emails.”
“I’m sure.” Gabriel pressed his lips together. “But it also made headlines. Good ones. You said what needed to be said—that took guts.”
“Tell that to my dad.” Sam squinted up at him. She bit her lip against anything else she might say. Gabriel was easy to talk to, but he was a commentator now—who knows what he might say that could land her in trouble one day. Was he an ally? She wasn’t sure.
Out of the corner of her eye she caught someone taking a photo of her and Gabriel. It wouldn’t do to have a photo ofher and Gabe together, not when she and Finn were trying to win some sponsorship by pretending to be a couple.
Taking a step back away from him she closed her bag. “It’s good to see you, Gabe. I’d better get going though, I need to prepare—”
“I know,” Gabriel said. “I’m commentating.”
“Oh!”
“Don’t worry—I’ll be nothing but generous.” He crossed his heart and smiled. “I promise—and Sam, if you need anything, someone to lead with a good question at a press conference, you can rely on me.”
