Annika flings her mop aside and it smacks the wall. “Really?”
They look to Cristiano and he nods.
“Give us a minute to change,” I tell him. “Or don’t. We’re happy to walk home.”
“No we aren’t!Elle!” Annika interrupts with a worried laughand a scolding glare privately aimed at me. “She means to saywe will change quickly and meet you near the side exit right away. We’re very grateful for the ride home, er,sir.” Then she tugs me in the direction of our locker room. “Don’t ruin this for me,” she says with a hiss under her breath. “I want to see the inside of his car!”
Simone nods. “Yes. Me too!”
I get it. I’m a little curious myself, and this is the least I can do for Simone and Annika after all they’ve done for me. I change out of my uniform and back into my tank top and shorts, then follow quietly after them once we leave the locker room. We find Cristiano waiting for us near the side exit with Hugo.
“—not welcome again,” Cristiano finishes saying with a firm shake of his head.
Hugo clears his throat, his gaze cutting to us, before he replies solemnly, “Understood.”
He steps back to let us pass. “You three staying out of trouble?”
His eyes land on me as he asks this, as ifI’mthe troublemaker out of the bunch.Hilarious.
“Not even a little bit!” Simone promises with a twinkling laugh before blowing him a kiss.
I roll my lips together to keep from smiling and hurry past with Cristiano on my heels. His car waits for us near the curb with a beefy security guard posted near the passenger door. It’s the gunmetal-gray SUV he stepped out of the first night I ever saw him. Up close, I have to admit it’s very cool, something Batman would drive on the weekend. It has matte paint, huge tires, sleek finishes—all the things boys go gaga over. Well, boys and Simone.
“These rims! Bloody hell. Annika, take my photo.”
She shoves her phone into Annika’s hand, then proceeds to drape herself beside Cristiano’s car while he and I stand shoulder to shoulder, watching. I look up at him as he glances down at me, and for a moment, we share a private smile.
“You want me to take your picture?” he teases.
I only barely resist punching his arm.
With an eye roll, I wave him forward. “C’mon. Let’s get this over with.”
I go to open the back door, but Cristiano steps up and opens the front door for me instead, ushering me toward it with one hand on my shoulder. “Up here. I’m not being a chauffeur for you and your friends.”
Of course. I don’t even bother trying to suggest Simone or Annika take the front seat instead of me. Besides, they’re happy enough in the back. As we get settled and Cristiano pulls away from the curb, my friends act like they’ve never been inside a car before. They press every button, turn every knob. Thank god the drive is so short, because they’re liable to break something. As it is, they’ve opened the sunroof, started a TV show on the built-in screens, and torn into some kind of snack they found in their cupholders.
“So this is what it’d be like to have kids,” I say to Cristiano with a laugh.
He glances at them in his rearview mirror. “Worse.”
“These are massage seats!” Annika exclaims.
“Oh my god, it’s pummeling my butt!” Simone says with chattering teeth. “Turn it off!”
Laughing, I try to explain, “I’d apologize, but you’re the one who insisted they come.”
“How do I turn up the air con?” Simone asks, poking her head up between the front seats.
Cristiano presses a button on the wide-screen display panel and the cool air immediately starts blasting. A moment later, he slows the car to a stop outside our apartment complex.
“No!Bugger, are we already here?” Simone moans.
“Yes, now thank the nice man and go!” Annika prods.
They slip out of the back seat, and I wait until they close the door before I work up the courage to look at Cristiano. He doesn’t seem like he’s in a hurry to kick me out even though it’s late and we’re both tired. Though I was a bit annoyed with him back in the club, I can’t help but want to linger in his presence just a little bit longer. It’s nice now in the quiet with no audience.Finallythere’s no one listening in on our conversation.
“Just so you know, Simone and Annika aren’t going to buy the work visa excuse I gave them about why you’re taking a special interest in me. They barely bought it the first time.”
