Page 7 of Game Point
I closed the gap between us. ‘You didn’t say goodbye.’
‘I did wave.’
‘That’s no way to say goodbye.’ I knew I was grasping at any old excuse now. ‘You were my wingperson after all.’
‘I’ll remind you my duties are completed. You looked like you were closing in there.’
‘He was boring. All he spoke about was tennis.’
‘All anyone in that damn room speaks about is tennis!’ His lips curled into a grin. ‘Still as picky as ever.’
‘I’m definitely proving hard to please.’ I realized I couldn’t exactly argue with his point anymore. ‘Are you going home?’
‘I have a hotel.’
‘Which one?’
His expression changed then, and with a slight twist of horror, I realized my mistake.
I raised my hands, ‘I promise I’m not making any moves here. You are totally one hundred per cent safe.’
‘You can’t blame me; youaretrying to find out where I’m sleeping.’ There was a relief in his voice, and for a second, I wasn’t sure if I should be offended.
‘You’re really making me sound more like a stalker,’ I joked. ‘I was wondering if you wanted to get a drink.’
‘A drink?’ His apprehension reappeared, and I wondered if I was pushing too hard. I had just met him, but tonight was a bust and the only time I’d felt marginally better was when I’d spoken to him. Something about him, the friendliness he seemed to radiate, it felt familiar and comforting.
‘One tiny, totally innocent, completely friendly drink,’ I continued. ‘I realized … I might need a friend, instead of somebody I can’t stand talking to, and as we figured out, Inés is pretty busy. Plus, you might understand,’ I reached out, my fist connecting playfully with his shoulder. ‘Second-place buddy.’
‘Second place isn’t bad, you know.’
I stuffed down the urge to scream. ‘Come for a drink, and you can try to convince me of that.’
There was barely a moment for him to consider my proposition before a voice shouted from inside the car, the driver clearly impatient to get on his way. ‘Are you wanting this ride or not?’
Oliver pulled open the back door and motioned for me to climb inside. ‘After you, stalker.’
‘Why thank you, victim.’
He followed me inside the car, saying a quick ‘thank you’ to the driver as he pulled away, rejoining the traffic.
‘I’m a little across town, at the Belmont Regency.’ Oliver said.
‘Same hotel as me,’ I grinned. ‘This is all very convenient for the murder plans I have.’
He turned to look out the window at the passing buildings, Manhattan speeding by. ‘I’ll start to worry if you’re on the same floor. I mean, chasing me up the street.’
‘I’m mostly harmless, I swear.’ I held my hand up, thumb holding down my pinky. ‘Scout’s honour.’
‘There’s no way you were a scout. None of us had time for that.’ He narrowed his eyes. ‘Besides, I’ve heard the opposite.’
‘Oh, so you’ve heard of me.’ Talking with him felt like filling up a balloon, my ego inflating with every word.
‘The wrath of Dylan Bailey is pretty well known.’
My cheeks burned hot as the balloon burst. A thousand different incidents played on my mind. I knew who I was, knew how badly I had reacted to things in the past. Even this summer, when I thought Scottie, another tennis player, had cheated, I’d gone behind her back to her father. I’d … I’d reacted, and while I hadn’t known the truth of the situation, I’d ended up making a bigger mess in my rage. Now, I felt exhausted and burnt out by the constant let-down of second place, the spiral down only a step away.
The rest of the car journey was quieter, the radio playing some pop song in the background. I kept looking over at Oliver, kept wondering what insanity had drivenme literally running from a sure thing and down the street shouting his name. I must’ve looked so desperate. When the car pulled up outside the hotel, I was beginning to rethink the entire thing.
