Rowan stood up, too. “You need to reapply the sunshine sparkle first, else everyone will know something’s gone down somewhere.”
I looked down at my feet. “It was my sister.”
“Sisters can be hard work.”
“Is yours?”
“Yeah, but probably in different ways than yours.”
I shrugged. “You ever get that feeling like a tap’s running and you don’t know where it is to be able to turn it off? You just know you’re going to end up swimming really hard.”
“Every time I get called into the manager’s office.”
I laughed. “Is that a lot?”
He grumbled words that really were unintelligible. “Depends.” The wicked look he’d kept hidden under the guise of being serious returned. “I bet you’d like to be called into my manager’s office.”
I picked up a cushion from the sofa and launched it at him, hitting my target with a fair bit of force.
Rowan laughed, and rather than being cross, I laughed too.
CHAPTER9
Rowan
“So today’s challenge– and it’s going to be very fucking challenging for those of you who ran that bar bill up last night – is threefold.”
I let the smirk that had creeped on my face stay there. I hadn’t drunk last night, keeping away from the beers and whiskies that had done the rounds while some of my teammates had knocked them back. They’d also figured there was one member of the bar staff who was too awed by them to question which room they were billing the drinks to, and several of my teammates had taken full advantage of this.
Coach Jordan now had a four figure penalty for leaving the bar early, and for once, he couldn’t blame me.
“This will test your fitness, strength and endurance, which all of you need going into the pre-season. Challenge number one: climb Ben Lomond. Points given to the fastest team, second fastest,et Cetera. Maps are provided. It’s a moderate walk and should take four hours, six if you’re slow and unfit – Danny Mason, I’m looking at you.”
Catcalls and jeers filled the room. A couple of insults were shouted at Danny, who definitely looked like he’d enjoyed the season break.
“Number two: you have a rowing challenge using kayaks. It’s a timed course. Points again awarded. This is about teamwork as much as strength. Nicky Price-Jones, I have a definition of teamwork here for you.”
More shouting. Nicky was a winger and liked to go for glory rather than pass. Unfortunately, he had a sweet right foot that usually made it work. He gave a dramatic bow at Coach’s comments, which provoked only more insults.
“Number three: fitness test. Old school. As in the bleep test you did in school. Those of you who had a good night at my expense today will be seeing that whisky again as it comes out of your pores, or you vomit.” He grinned like the psychopathic idiot he was.
I glanced around the conference room where we were, looking at both teams’ members. Some were bright eyed and raring to go, including Dee. Ryan had gone to bed early, spending as little time as he could with the rest of us before heading back. My housemate was a mystery, and I wasn’t sure whether I had the patience to figure out why.
I had my own shit to deal with.
Coach went through more details, mainly explaining the health and safety points in explicit detail, because some of my teammates, at least, would be doing all sorts of stupid stuff, especially Lennox and Leo, two of the kids who had come through the youth team. It would be too fucking easy to see the search and rescue team heading out to find them.
I didn’t notice it at first, but my gaze had fallen on Dee. I was watching her smile, listening far more to Coach than I ever had, nudging Izzy and one of her other teammates, then issuing a battle warning to someone else.
Dee was competitive. I’d learned that last week, but it wasn’t just a streak to irritate me or prove a point that she was better than any blokes, it was a genuine, don’t-want-any-one-else-to-win blatant competitive edge.
I liked it.
As irritating as she was, she was likeable. And not perfect. Something had been going on with her family last night that had flipped her smile. Today, she was shining again, or at least that was how it looked. I didn’t think it was the truth though; that smile covered what she was feeling.
I folded my arms and didn’t bother trying to look away. If she caught me staring, she’d just think I was planning something to wind her up.
Which was probably what I should do. That would take her mind off whatever was bothering her.
