“She is a stunner, isn’t she?” Jack noted.
“She’s all right, I guess.”
“Oh, come on, admitting she’s attractive doesn’t mean you’re getting engaged.”
“I know it doesn’t.”
“So admitit.”
“No.” I honestly couldn’t remember when I’d last acknowledged a woman past a general greeting, besides my mother and Jack’s sister. It was easier that way—less damage control. If I wanted to have sex, it would be signed and sealed with an NDA and the promise that it would only be a one-time thing.
“Oh my god, does Luca have a crush—” he sing-songed, turning away from the ice to look atme.
“Fuck off. What is it with you and acting like you’re literally twelve years old today?”
“Luca and Matilda, sitting in the tree—”
“Jack.”
“Luca fancies Matil—”
“Fine, stop, stop, stop,” I relented, hoping it would make him quit. “I admit it. She’s attractive.”
“See, that wasn’t too hard, was it?” He smirked again. “Jokes aside, it will be fine. The PR team said that she has never been involved in any scandal, and everyone loves her, so if you’re nice to her, they’ll love you too.”
I opened my mouth, but he continued. “And before you say it, I said ‘be nice to her,’ not ‘ask for her hand in marriage.’ ”
I knew I was being an unreasonable dick, and the only reason that Jack wasn’t giving me such a hard time about it was because he knew why I was reluctant.
“Fine, I’ll be nice. But I swear, if she—”
“She won’t be a problem, I promise. I had the PR team check her background—media coverage and all that fun stuff. She’s clean as a whistle and has no history of being a crazed stalker or otherwise.”
I had to admit that she didn’t seem like the kind of person to cause any unnecessary drama, but you could never tell in show business. Everyone was performing, afterall.
“So, what’s the plan now? What happens next?” I asked, half distracted. She was a blur of movement that I couldn’t tear my gaze from as she carved a path around the rink. It looked effortless, the way her skates dug into the ice and spun through theair.
Jack’s lips curved up but he continued, motioning me to follow him. “The skaters had a meeting this morning to discuss pairings, so Matilda will be expecting you. We’ll go find your dressing room and check it’s all OK, maybe get a tour around the building. Then, this afternoon, we’ll meet Matilda. Practice doesn’t start until tomorrow, and that’s when you’ll ‘officially’ meet in front of the cameras, so hopefully it won’t feel awkward as you’ll have already met.”
I nodded and followed him down a corridor past a few dressingrooms. From a glance, they looked big and far away from each other to offer some privacy. I agreed with Jack that I needed to make some kind of effort with Matilda, but that didn’t mean I wanted to be friends with the other skaters, especially the celebrities.
“So, according to the producers, this should be your dressing room.” Jack glanced up from his phone, confirming we were at the right door.
My eyes were immediately assaulted by sparkles and pink. There was a rack of tiny dresses and an array of different pairs of ice skates lining one wall. A huge vanity against the back wall was filled with every beauty product you could imagine. Two large sofas sat in a corner of the room, with a few blankets thrown over them and a coffee table decorated with books.
The room was immaculate and orderly. Somehow, I knew everything was where it was supposed tobe.
“At least she’s tidy,” Jack noted, following me inside. The faint, sweet smell of coconut caught in my nose.
“Ahh, boys, you’ve found your dressing room.”Boys?
Jack turned with a practiced agent smile and stepped toward the guy in the doorway.
“Good to see you again, Mark. How are you?” He held out his hand, slipping into PR mode.
“Yeah, not bad, thanks. And yourself?” Mark answered.
“Not bad at all.”
