“Yeah,” I said.
The reporter nodded like I’d said something profound. “The weather’s supposed to clear up a bit tomorrow, but the forecast still calls for showers on and off. This would be the first wet race of your season, Travis. How do you feel about that?”
I cleared my throat. “Not bad.”
There was a beat of silence while they waited for me to elaborate. When I didn’t, Jacob raised a single eyebrow. That’s probably about the time he was thinking I was a dick.
The reporter, though, bless her, was not so easily beaten. Her cheeks were a little flushed from nerves, but she swallowed hard and changed tack.
“Tell you what,” she said, with newfound vigor. “We’ve got a few minutes to kill—why don’t we do a rapid-fire quiz?” Without giving us time to answer, she barreled on. “I’ll say two things, you pick one. No hesitating, just say the first answer that comes to mind. Got it?”
Jacob smiled encouragingly at her, a bright, confident smile that I felt deep in my stomach. “Go for it,” he said.
The reporter took a breath and launched in. “Early bird or night owl?”
“Night owl,” Jacob said, at the same time that I grunted, “Early.”
“Beach or mountains?”
“Mountains,” I answered, while Jacob said, “Beach.”
“Rap or techno?”
“Neither,” I said, at the same time that Jacob said, “Both.”
The reporter laughed. “It’s a good thing this isn’t the newlywed game, or you two would be headed for divorce!”
Jacob’s laugh was warm and infectious. One corner of my mouth turned up, entirely without my permission.
“Tea or coffee?” the reporter continued.
“Coffee,” we answered together, and I was rewarded with a flash of Jacob’s smile.
“Cat or dog?”
“Dog,” we both said.
The reporter chuckled. “Alright, maybe you’ll stave off divorce for a little while. Last one—rain or shine?”
“Rain,” I answered automatically, while Jacob said, “Shine.”
The reporter grinned. “We’ll call it a rocky relationship, then, shall we?”
“We have our ups and downs,” Jacob deadpanned, squeezing my shoulder. I felt the warmth of his fingertips through the thin cotton of my shirt, and for a moment I honestly couldn’t breathe.
“Thanks so much, boys,” the reporter said. “We’ll leave you to it.”
The camera turned off and she shook both of our hands and thanked us for playing along. “It’s my first week,” she admitted. “Sorry if I was rubbish.”
“No, you were great,” Jacob said, and a pleased flush spread up her neck. She thanked us again and then headed off with her cameraman in tow. Jacob and I were left alone in the narrow, white-walled hallway. He could’ve just walked off, but instead he crossed his arms and leaned back against the wall. His smile was sharp and confident, and his eyes danced as he looked me up and down.
“You’re really good at interviews,” he said.
Warmth crept up my neck. I reckon I was just as flushed as the reporter. I cleared my throat, my mind completely blank. Later, Iwould think of something to say, but I was never someone who could be clever in the moment.
“Right,” I managed.
I felt his laugh as a warm shiver down my spine. “It helps that you’ve got such a great smile,” he said. “Really puts people at ease.”
