Page 48 of Power Moves
I beam at him. ‘Perfect.’ I shift back on the bench and offer my hand.
He shakes it once, looking at me in a way that makes me feel both irrationally embarrassedandfoolhardy.
‘And one more rule,’ I say, lifting my chin as I smile. ‘No one finds out about this.’
Archie chuckles, tugging me back to him. ‘Who would I tell?’
CHAPTER 21
On Saturday Archie texts me a gif of Ryan Gosling in his Mickey Mouse Club era performing some impressive aerobics-style dance moves. He adds the caption:The New Friends Game.
On Sunday afternoon I text back,Ha.
Two minutes later he texts back,Playing hard to get?
Immediately I respond,I AM hard to get.
He texts back,You say potato.
I send him the potato emoji and gun emoji, in memory of our Lilac Beach bat dilemma.
Immediately, Archie texts back the bat, poo and crazy-face emojis.
I can’t help but laugh. I knew he’d get it.
On Monday I realise how many opportunities there are for imperceptible skin-on-skin contact during a media call. Handing him the printouts of the media release: his thumb grazes my wrist. Waiting in line for coffee: his knee presses myleg. Standing at the back of the press pack: he slides his pinky finger along my forearm, winks, then walks off as if it never happened. Each time, I’m dead.
On Tuesday, I resolve to Do Better. I make the executive decision to forgo my usual pencil skirt and instead wear my red dress with the thigh-high split. It would possibly be inappropriate in some workplaces, but I know for a fact that Boss is okay with it because he once told me it made me look like the dancing woman emoji. Boss and I both use that emoji a lot now.
The air is crisp today and the wind tickles my legs. As Boss and I walk down the colonnaded steps of Parliament House, like we’re the prom king and queen greeting our lowly, microphone-wielding subjects, I notice the muscle in Archie’s jaw flex. My overwhelming emotion is:Ha!
After the press conference, I head to Fatima’s for lunch. Before I’ve even twisted the lid off my green juice, Archie drops into the chair opposite me.
‘Millsy.’
‘Archibald.’
I am so ready for part two of this New Friends Game. My red dress has given me the upper hand. We stare at each other, a smile playing on both of our lips.
‘I like your outfit,’ Archie says finally.
‘I like your face,’ I retort.
Archie smiles. ‘I like your body.’
‘I like yours more.’
Archie grins. ‘Which part?’
I mime zipping my lips shut.
Archie moves his hand to my mouth and pretends to unzip it. For a tiny moment, he rests his thumb on my lower lip and I can’t move. I feel my nipples pinch, my breath hitches and I’m pretty sure I’m drooling. Damn Archie and his sneaky seductor moves.
‘Archie,’ I hiss, finally regaining consciousness and whipping my head back. ‘Not in public.’
‘Fine,’ says Archie. Under the table though, his knee bumps between mine. A blush creeps up my neck and I’m embarrassed but unable to stop my legs parting for him. The heat,the heat! It’s firing all over my body.
‘No sex!’ I blurt.
