She returns a devilish grin. And deprive you of a chance to be alone with Roy Matsumoto? Never.
I groan.
You might want to put a top on, Jinx suggests. Unless ratty bra with a safety pin fastening is the look you’re going for.
Woolly selects a pale blue shirt and hands it to me.
Thanks for your help, everyone. I button up the shirt and wonder what else can go wrong tonight.
At first, there’s no conversation on our drive up to the Schultz home because I’m determined not to talk to Mats, and he’s naturally quiet. But after ten minutes of silence, I can’t take it anymore.
This is a big fucking deal, right? Maybe we should have some kind of game plan, I say.
Like what? he asks.
Typical. I’m making all the effort here, and he just lobs the conversational ball back.
Shit. I don’t know. We have to charm her somehow.
Maybe less profanity? Mats suggests, because he’s a rule-following priss.
For fuck’s sake, I’m not going to swear in front of an old lady. But you’re a hockey player, you can handle it. Then another idea occurs to me. Maybe you can do your thing?
He raises a dark eyebrow. My thing? I’d ask you to be less specific, but I don’t think that’s possible.
Oh, fuck your sarcasm. The only thing that’s not possible is me hating him more than I do right now. You know, your charm thing. The way you win over all the women.
His jaw is clenched as he replies, I’m not aware that I do anything specific. But it’s clearly not working on you.
And it never will. God, I wish my roommates could see you now. You’ve got them duped into thinking that you’re so fucking wonderful. But I know what you’re really like.
Based on what, exactly? The ninety minutes we’ve spent together in our entire lives—when you’ve mostly ignored me?
I didn’t know you were keeping score. But you know exactly why I hate you, I hiss back.
He turns to scowl at me. I have no clue. Why don’t you enlighten me?
God, he’s so fucking pompous. And how can he not know? Well, I wouldn’t be betraying any secrets that Mats doesn’t already know.
You’re responsible for getting my little brother kicked off the Mustangs and ruining his future in hockey! I blurt.
He reacts with a puzzled frown. Apparently, he’s ruined so many hockey careers, he can’t even keep track. After a long pause, he asks, Jordan Nelson is your brother?
Fucking duh.
He stares at me like I’m some specimen in a zoo. Oh. Did not know that.
But of course, there’s no regret in his tone, only that polite coldness. Robots have more emotional range than Mats. How could he not know that Jordan and I were related?
We turn onto a dark side road, which takes us even farther from civilization. I shiver. I’m not afraid of Mats, but I wish I was anywhere else, with anyone else.
He clears his throat. Fine, here’s the game plan. Tonight is important for the hockey program as well as the college, so we have to rise above our personal issues. His tone implies that all those issues are mine. I’m sure if Barb had any idea of our… history… she wouldn’t have chosen the two of us to attend. Perhaps you can bury the hatchet for a couple of hours? And let’s avoid controversial subjects like, uh, politics.
Without waiting for my agreement, he turns onto a long, winding driveway that leads up to an actual fucking mansion. It’s a huge stone house that’s lit up by coloured spotlights. While snow covers the grounds now, I’d bet a hundred bucks that this place has a manicured garden with statues in the summer. Well, if I had an extra hundo lying around, which I do not.
My stomach clenches. Not only is this woman even richer than I expected, but now things are worse between Mats and me. Before, he was puzzled, but now it feels like he hates me back. While that makes perfect sense, I’m not enjoying it.
We get out of the car and walk up the wide stone steps. The massive front door is actually two doors of polished oak.
