Page 77 of Eye of the Hurricane
“Ares told me you’re going for the PR job here in a few weeks?” he asks. Her eyes flick over her shoulder to mine and I pretend not to be looking. But I’ve been caught already, rendering it pointless.
“Yes. I actually just met with the current manager last week. I’m going to start shadowing with Mateo on Monday,” she tells him.
I don’t know if I have the right to feel this way, but it hurts my feelings that this is how I’m finding out. By overhearing a conversation she’s acting like I don’t exist during. I want to kiss her and tell her how fucking proud of her I am, but I can’t.
“Mateo is great. I think you’ll be better, though.”
“Oh, it’s a long shot. I’ll be surprised if I get the position. I just never would’ve forgiven myself I didn’t try. It’s so rare to get a position like this fresh after college.”
“I hear great things regarding your dedication,” he says, eyes landing on me for a portion of a second before bringing his focus back to her.
“Hm? And where would you be hearing that?” she asks, amusement in her voice.
“Oh no, you know what they say about snitches and bitches. I’m a lot of things, but a bitch isn’t one of them,” he says with a laugh. She joins him in laughter.
I take a glance around the room and find everyone in their own rhythm of normal. I’m the only one with my eyes glues to the interaction in front of me.
“Okay, goalie. Keep your secrets,” she says, poking a finger into his chest. It’s harmless, innocent. Platonic, even. Still, I want to pluck my eyes from my head and wash them in the sink.
Call me selfish, but I don’t want to see her touch another man.
“Come eat!” Roman yells out to all of us.
We all head for the kitchen table. Everyone takes their normal seats with the addition of me and Luna.
Dinner is no different from the rest of the last eight days. Katherine doesn’t say a word to me. It’s just glances and a couple of small smiles.
After dinner,I help Audra clear the table. Everyone else wanders out to the back deck where they start up the fire table.
“You should talk to her,” Audra says, handing me a plate to dry off.
“I’d love to. If I knew it was what she wanted,” I tell her. I wipe the plate dry and stick it back into the cupboard.
“Ares,” Audra says pointedly. She’s in the process of handing me another plate but this time, she doesn’t let go, forcing my attention. “Talk to her.”
I don’t quite know what she’s getting at. I do know better than to tell Audra no, though.
“I will when we’re done,” I tell her.
She yanks the dish from my hand.
“Now,” she says sternly.
“Right, okay.”
I step out of the kitchen and onto the deck where everyone else has migrated. The sun is low in the sky and there’s a golden hue cast over everything.
They’re all chattering and laughing. Some standing, some sitting, but all engaged.
I walk up behind Katherine, tapping her arm. “Walk with me?”
Her eyes quickly find mine and she nods. Rather thandraw attention by announcing our plan, we just sneak away from the group.
She follows me down the stairs to the pool deck and out to the boardwalk. When we reach the end of it, I hold my arm out for her to brace herself on.
“Lose the heels, we’re walking on the beach,” I tell her. She grabs ahold of me and unbuckles each heel, dropping them onto the sandy wood.
The sand is still warm from the setting sun when I step on to it. We don’t say a word until we’re the other side of the dunes.
