‘You know how it goes – it’s a toss-up if I get the role or not.’
‘Mate,’ Declan said, flashing a smile in Oliver’s direction, ‘I doubt Eavie here understands rejection quite as well as you do. I mean, look at her.’ He gave Eavie a long look; Oliver felt a pang of unease. Declan was a bittoopleased with himself now.
‘That’s sweet,’ Eavie said, her cheeks reddening, ‘but of course I do. You can’t be a dancer and not have lost out on a gig before.’
Declan pressed on with a wide smile, eyes still locked on Eavie. ‘Bet you don’t lose out on the blokes, though. Not looking like that.’
Eavie shot a confused glance between Declan and Oliver, seemingly waiting for someone to explain to her what exactly was going on. Oliver turned to Imogen, hoping for support. Her eyebrow was raised, but she said nothing.
‘Could you not?’ Oliver asked tightly, hoping Declan would realise he had touched on a nerve and lay off.
Declan didn’t heed the warning. ‘Calm down. I’m just getting to know her,’ he said in that same grating tone, giving Oliver afriendly slap on the back. Oliver winced. They hadn’t touched since the night they had shared a bed, and he couldn’t think about that now. ‘It’s not calledSummer of Friends.’
Eavie frowned at Imogen, as if unsure of how to proceed without offending anyone at the table. Oliver couldn’t blame her; he was still holding out hope that Paige would interrupt at any moment. If this continued any longer, he didn’t know what he’d do.
‘Hear, hear!’ Imogen said, breaking the silence and moving her glass to clink with Declan’s abandoned one. She didn’t look put out by Declan’s attention shifting to Eavie, but rather wildly entertained by the unfolding events.
At the sound of the colliding champagne flutes, Declan seemed to recall that he hadn’t had his second drink. He poured himself another, gulping it down as the rest of them stared at him, then leaning towards Eavie. ‘You know, I’ve always fancied dancers. You lot have the mostincrediblebodies.’
Oliver felt a sinking loss of control, and that same sense of impending rejection that had accompanied his short-lived relationships with Maeve and Zoë. Here was Declan yet again messing with Oliver’s chances. Even though he had a perfectly solid option in Imogen, even though he was supposedly heartbroken over Zoë, even though he had nearly kissed Oliver, he wasstillpursuing Eavie. Oliver made to stand, and in the process, his knee touched Declan’s under the table. He nearly jumped out of his skin.
‘Mate, everything okay?’ Declan asked, grinning as though Oliver had told a particularly funny joke.
Oliver couldn’t keep it together, between the accidental touch and the discordant smile on Declan’s face. ‘What the fuck iswrongwith you?’ he yelled, standing fully now.
Declan’s grin, if anything, grew wider at the explosion, as though he had been hoping for it.
‘Language!’ Paige called, and the ringing in Oliver’s ears quieted a bit. ‘Let’s take ten,’ she said, and Oliver flinched away from a touch on his arm before realising it was Paige trying to steer him away from the table. He allowed her to pull him, not paying attention to where they were going.
He tried to take a deep breath, and found it stuck in his chest. They were inside the house now, in what looked like an abandoned dining room with a camera set-up. It was clear the producers had designated it as the interview room for the day.
Paige deposited him into a chair and kneeled in front of him. ‘Oliver, what’s going on?’
‘Why don’t you ask him?’ he asked, his voice coming out hollow. ‘He’s the one who was being a prick back there, but I’m the one who has to be talked to, is that right?’
‘Hey,’ Paige said soothingly, ‘I’m talking to you because you’re upset and I care about you.’
‘Oh, sure,’ he replied, anger flaring in his chest again. ‘But you’re the one who had the idea to put me and Declan on a double date right now, aren’t you?’ He found that he was standing again, though he didn’t remember making the decision to do so.
Paige looked into his eyes, but he couldn’t read her expression. ‘Youknowthe audience responds to you and Declan together. That’s all it was. And you’re going to come out of this situation looking fantastic, by the way. You should be thanking me.’
‘Right,’ Oliver said sarcastically.
‘Remember,’ Paige said, laying a calming hand on his shoulder, ‘youcareabout this opportunity. Remember what you care about, okay? And please,’ she said, her tone sharpening, ‘take into consideration thatI’mnot the one flirting with Eavie. If you’re angry, be angry with Declan, not me.’
‘Right,’ Oliver said again, not thinking about what she said. The only part that stuck in his mind wasremember what you care about.The rest was a bit fuzzy around the edges. ‘Okay.’
Paige gave him a long, concerned look. ‘Take a few minutes to collect yourself. You don’t need to be back right away. Bathroom’s down the hall.’ With one last encouraging smile, Paige left the room.
Oliver felt unnerved in the interview room, even with the camera off. The thought of being recorded immediately set him on edge. The bathroom would be better. He could splash some water on his face, put his cheek against the cold ceramic, look at himself in the mirror andthink.
The door to the bathroom creaked as Oliver swung it open. He saw the silver feet of a clawfoot bath, the green tile backsplash and an ornate light fixture shining down over a smudged mirror. He noticed all of those details before he noticed Declan standing in front of the mirror, an inscrutable expression on his face.
Declan had been looking into the drain of the sink, but as Oliver entered, he glanced up and their eyes met in the glass. His expression softened into something pitiable, between the apology in his eyes, the stubble on his cheeks and the downwards turn of his mouth. Oliver was not in the mood to pity him.
‘Come to yell at me?’ Declan asked hoarsely, turning to face him.
‘I haven’t decided,’ Oliver said, taking a step forwards and instinctively closing the door behind him. ‘I mean, what were you doing out there? It seems to me as though as soon as I’m with a girl, you have to have her. Like you can’t stand to let me have anything.’ His voice was getting louder.
