“’Night,” Jamie called as they passed me. I waved and stared in through the window. Elena was left with Jax and Oliver. The sight did something unpleasant to my innards. Conflicting thoughts clashed inside my head. On the one hand, she might try to dig up dirt on me with my two closest friends on the grid. On the other, Jax might try to bed her. He did that a lot. And I couldn’t have that. A hissing snake reared up inside me at the thought. But Oli was there. My oldest friend. I trusted him with my life. We’d been team mates until three years ago when he made the move to Hawthorn. He’d look after her, make sure she got back to her hotel safely. Make sure Jax kept it in his pants.
I set off walking towards the Hyatt. I got about ten paces before my racing thoughts halted me in my tracks and made meturn around. I strode back to the bar, flung the door open and stormed to the table. The three of them looked up at me with puzzled expressions.
“I can’t find my phone,” I lied. I looked up and down the table in vain, knowing full well it was in my back pocket.
The guys immediately started looking under and around the tables. Elena sat perfectly still, her gaze locked on me. I made a brief show of looking before allowing my gaze to settle on her. Was that a smirk trying to break free?
“I can’t see it, mate,” Oliver said, emerging from under the table.
“Me neither. You sure it isn’t in the wrong pocket?” Jax said, rather too helpfully.
I patted my jacket pockets first, then the front of my jeans, before finally landing on the right one. I feigned an expression of surprised relief and tugged the phone free. I waved it before slipping it into my inside jacket pocket.
“Turns out three beers is enough to crack that shell of control,” Jax said with a lopsided grin. “You dumbass.”
“Don’t forget the vodka,” Elena said, her smirk breaking out now. “It was probably the vodka.”
The guys looked at her, Jax with his head tilted to one side, Oli just frowning.
“Vodka?” Oli asked.
“Funny. Funny journalist with your stories.” There was more bite in my voice than I’d intended. I hoped it would be brushed off as alcohol-induced, but regretted it all the same.
“I’m an honest one, remember?” She crossed her arms and cocked an eyebrow.
“OK, now then, kids,” Oliver said, getting to his feet. “That’ll do.”
Elena stood up too and tugged her coat on over her black shirt. The same shirt she’d been wearing when we kissed.
“I’m calling it a night. Thanks, guys. This was fun.” She moved around the table towards me.
“I’ll walk you to your hotel,” I said. A reflex. What was I thinking?
“What a gentleman,” she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
“Yeah, that’s not happening,” Oliver said, sliding into his jacket.
Jax got to his feet too and swept his blond hair back from his face. “You two clearly need a chaperone, or one of you might end up being mysteriously pushed into oncoming traffic.”
“Ha ha,” I replied, canting my head.
The four of us filed out of the bar and into the street. This wasn’t quite what I’d been aiming for.
“Where are you staying?” I asked, turning to Elena.
“The Holiday Inn,” she replied, pointing along the street. Me and the guys were further away in the Hyatt, but without question or objection, the three of us accompanied Elena back to her hotel in near silence.
Oliver had ended up between us but she fell back a touch and I fell into step beside her. I closed the gap and reached my fingers towards her. Our knuckles brushed clumsily against each other. I glanced sideways and our eyes met for a second. Our hands touched again, slower, cautious but intentional.
“…better than whatever shoebox you were in in Suzuka?” Jax asked, turning his head back to look at Elena. Our hands flew apart, hers grabbing the strap of her bag, mine sliding into my pocket.
“Yeah, much better, thanks. Not the Hyatt, but you know, fine.” Elena adjusted her pace, moving ahead to walk beside Jax. Oli dropped back beside me.
“Everything OK?” he asked quietly.
“Fine.”
“Your standard response. Default setting.” He chuckled, his hands sliding into his pockets. “But if you’re ever not fine, you can talk to me about it.”
