“Besides, I’m sure you’ll lose interest in the meantime.”
“What makes you think that?”
“Because that’s how it works for you. Right now, you only want this,” I say, gesturing to the two of us, “because you know you can’t have it. You’ll get bored as soon as you find something better.”
I stand there in silence. Her words have cut deep.
“See you later, Coach Kerry,” she says, before turning on her heels and leaving me alone in the school gym.
Jordan’s right: I am exactly as she described me. Apparently this woman knows everything about me. I chase after things I can’t have, and as soon as I have them, I totally lose interest. That’s what happened with Mary Hannigan, and with Skylar’s mother, and pretty much every woman I’ve ever been with. I saw them as challenges, people who didn’t want anything to do with me. I had to convince them otherwise, and when I did, I moved onto the next one, in search of something more exciting. But Jordanisexciting – in all senses of the word – and I don’t think I’ll ever tire of this game. Maybe because I haven’t got everything I want just yet. I wanted her to fall to my feet, to give me just one more night. I wanted her to ask me to stay. But she didn’t. She got rid of me as soon as she could, and it threw off my balance. I have to set everything straight before the rest of me disappears.
Three more weeks of training before the tournament: a tournament I’m going to win. Then Jordan will be mine – whether she believes it or not.
“I need you to take me somewhere.” My daughter says as I’m opening the fridge in search of something to drink.
“Where?”
“Somewhere that sells paint.”
“Are you repainting your room?”
“This weekend.”
“Okay.”
“But I don’t know where to go. I don’t know the city.”
“Sure, I’ll take you. Can we go tomorrow after school?”
“Done.”
“And maybe…” I clear my throat. “Maybe we could, I don’t know, go and get something to eat somewhere?”
Skylar stiffens right away, already throwing her guard up.
“School finishes at four. The place we need to go is out of town. There’s another shop there, too, that sells furniture and stuff. They have nice desks and bookshelves – maybe you want to have a look there, too?”
“Are you trying to buy my affection, Kerry?”
“Why, is it working?”
“Maybe if I were five years old, and you were offering to buy me a pony.”
I consider this. “A pony, eh?”
“Don’t even think about buying me a pony.”
I lift my hands in surrender. “I just want to help you feel at home.”
“This isn’t my home.”
“I know. That’s why I want you to feel like your bedroom isyours.”
She studies my expression for a moment.
“Besides, we can be back in time for dinner. I just thought it might be nice to stop off somewhere.”
“You and me?”
