Page 35 of The Goat in the Bedroom
“It is, and that's maybe part of the problem,” I said during the brief rest period between flows. “A problem I think you two might be able to help us with.”
“Do tell.” Sean said it in that gimme-the-tea kind of way.
Everyone in our friend group is either coupled up or actively dating. Gryff and I are the only ones who aren't... pursuing anything romantic.”
“And how do you feel about that?” Sloane called out from behind the cameras, clearly intrigued by this conversational direction.
“Maybe it's time to start thinking about dating.”
Gryff's warrior pose wobbled slightly. “Is it?”
“Why not? We've been in LA for a while now. We're both doing well with our training. We've had enough time to get over our respective breakup disasters.”
“What breakup disasters?” Sean asked, immediately invested.
“We both swore off dating after some particularly spectacular relationship implosions,” I explained. “I gave up women, he gave up men. But maybe it's time to get back out there.”
“Ah, yes. This is a problem that Sean will be thrilled to help you with,” Ren said, speaking up for the first time since we'd started.
Now that it was on camera, Gryff would have to go along with it. But just for a little extra oomph I poked where I knew he needed it. “Sweet. Clearly we're both terrible at picking partnersfor ourselves. I was thinking maybe we could pick for each other. There's no one I trust more than my very best friend in the whole wide world to help me find the right person who will treat me like a queen.”
“This is fascinating,” Sloane said, clearly delighted with the direction our conversation was taking. “So you'd essentially be each other's matchmakers?”
Sean was abuzz with excitement, his eyes lighting up. “Oh, this is brilliant. We know tons of people in the city.”
Ren made a noncommittal sound that could have been agreement or mild panic.
“You'd really be up for that?” I asked Sean. “Playing matchmaker for us?”
“Are you kidding? I live for this kind of thing. Finding the perfect person for someone is like... it's an art form.”
“What kind of people are you looking for?” Sloane asked, and I could practically see her mentally planning future episodes around our dating adventures.
I thought about it seriously. “Someone who can handle that I'm an athlete, who isn't intimidated by my size or strength. Someone who sees my ambition as attractive, not threatening.”
“And you, Gryff?”
Gryff was quiet for a long moment, and when he spoke, his voice was carefully measured. “Someone who's interested in me as a person, not as a football player or a celebrity.”
“Those seem like very reasonable requirements,” Sean said. “Definitely workable.”
“So we're really doing this?” I asked, looking around our little circle. “The mutual matchmaking project?”
“If you're serious about it,” Sean replied. “I think it could be fun. And very good for the show,” he added with a grin toward the camera crew. Sloane had definitely coached him.
Gryff nodded, though there was something in his expression I couldn't quite read. Something that looked almost... reluctant. “Yeah. Let's do it.”
After class Gryff waited until the camera crew packed up and we'd said goodbye to Sean and Ren before he swatted me with his rolled up yoga mat. “I know what you're doing, Artemis Ingvar Fraser.”
Uh-oh. “Who me?”
“You can't fool me. This is the perfect distraction from avoiding the decision about Team GB, isn't it?”
The question caught me off guard, and I felt heat rise in my cheeks. “You’re a distraction.”
“Nice try. You've been talking about everything except your dad's offer lately. And now you want to focus on finding relationships in LA. It seems like maybe you're looking for reasons to stay.”
I opened my mouth to deny it, then closed it again. Because he wasn't wrong. The thought of making that decision, choosing between my father and the life I was building here, felt overwhelming in a way I wasn't ready to deal with.
