But she just set her shoulders back and cleared her face. It wasn’t her usual Little Miss Sunshine face, but it wasn’t annoyed either. It was sort of…nothing.
Something about her expression reminded me of my mother, and it freaked meout.
“I don’t think arguing and insulting each other will help, either.” She stepped back on the ice. “Maybe if we can try and not bite each other’s heads off, we’ll stand a chance at winning.”
She was right, of course. Butwhywasn’t she snapping back? I couldn’t figure out if she was hiding her feelings or if she honestly didn’t care. Either way, something about it bothered me. My lips parted, perhaps to offer an apology, when she continued.
“Shall we try the sequence again, then? If we can get it right five times in a row, we can call it a day?” She skated backward on the ice as if nothing had happened. The other pair had cleared the rink since they’d gotten what they wanted from Matilda.
“Everyone’s going to the bar after practice. Do you want to join?” she offered as we skated to our starting positions.
I looked at her blankly.
“Let me know if you change your mind,” she said as we took our places.
I couldn’t think of anything worse than going to a bar with Matilda, the skaters, and other celebrities. You couldn’t have paid me togo.
Three hours laterI found myself walking into a bar filled with my competitors, and Matilda.Fucking Jack.
“It will be fine, buddy.” He’d patted my shoulder as we arrived at the on-site bar. He’d conveniently turned up ten minutes before the end of practice, asking if we were going out for drinks. He must have heard it from one of the other agents.
“I would rather gouge my eyes out than make small talk.”
“We need to do everything within our power to get you this part, Luca—and if that includes sucking up a bit, then so be it. This is for you, so stop your moping.”
“I’m not moping. I’m just saying I don’t think it’s necessary.”
“Well, I do, and I’m your agent, so I get the last say. And I want a pint.”Brits and their alcohol.He paused as we approached the bar doors. “And there might be some lovely ladies who need to wind down from all the skating they’ve been doing recently.”
I shook my head.
“You can give me that look all you want, but I think getting laid would loosen you up a bit.” He nudged my stomach with his elbow.
“Sex doesn’t solve everything, Jack.”
“If you tell yourself anything enough, it becomes true…” He trailed off. “Do you think Matilda’s single?” he asked, his tone dripping with faux innocence, a small smile playing at the corners of his lips.
“Don’t know, and don’t care.” I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of engaging in that conversation.
“Not for you, idiot. For me.” My head spun toward him before I had time to check myself.
“Really?” I didn’t bother to hide the disdainful curl of mylip.
“What? She’s smoking hot, fun, intelligent and…she’s flexible, too, if you get my drift.” He nudged me, and I fought the urge to knock his head off his shoulders. Lovingly.
The thought of Jack pursuing Matilda left a bitter taste in my mouth.
“Don’t sleep with her. I don’t need to deal with the fallout when you find another flavor of the week.”
“Oh, don’t be like that! I’m upfront with them from the start, and you know it.” True. Jack might sleep around, but he was conscious never to lead the girlson.
“She doesn’t exactly strike me as someone who enjoys casual hook-ups.”
“You never know; it’s always the innocent ones that are—”
“Can we stop this conversation?” I cut him off, trying—and failing—not to think about Matilda’s tastes in the bedroom. Jack was only trying to get under my skin, but it was working. “Thinking about you having sex is making me nauseous, and I know you’re not going to sleep with her and risk any drama. So whatever you think you’re doing, you’re not.”
His laugh announced our entrance to the entire bar. “OK, OK. Let’s get you a beer.”
