Page 88 of Power Moves
‘You win at everything, Archie. You’re always the best sportsman on the field, you always get the girl you’re after, and then by some twist of fate, it turns out you’re really smart too. You’ve got everything you’ve ever wanted, and all I’m asking is for you to recognise your privilege, and maybe one day be scared, or vulnerable, or somewhat human.’
I take a breath because I don’t think I’ve taken one in a while. Archie’s knuckles are turning white on his racquet.
‘Even with us,’ I continue. ‘We … we …’ My voice is suddenly shaking, and my hands are gripping the tennis ball so tight it might burst. ‘We sleep together’—I’m almost crying now—‘and I don’t do things like that Archie, youknowme, but you screwed me in your tent, and then you screwed me at work, just because youcan. Because there are no consequences for you! You always get what you want.’
‘Millsy …’ Archie is walking around the net towards me.
‘Go back to your side!’
‘Millsy, I want to talk about this.’
‘No! I don’t want to talk about this. I want you to realise it’s not okay.’
‘I know it’s not okay.’
‘Then why are you not more upset? Like me! Why are you still smiling?!’
‘Because … I don’t know, Millsy.’ Archie is running his hands through his hair. ‘It’s what we do. It’s us.’
‘There is nous! We don’t have a relationship beyond my emailing you Boss’s media itinerary.’
‘Millsy, I’m so sorry about the Nancy interview—I kept trying to tell you but you’ve blocked my number and you won’t speak to me at work unless it’s about logistical stuff. I’m sorry and I’ll keep saying it until you believe me. It all happened so fast that I didn’t have time to step back and think about it properly.’ He sighs and runs his hand through his hair again. ‘Millsy, I don’t want work to keep ruining our relationship.’
‘Stop talking about our non-existent relationship!’ I turn my face to the sky to blink away the tears that are forming in the corners of my eyes. I want to sob at the memory of what happened in the tent; a part of me really wishes Archie was as decent as he seemed that day.
‘Millsy, you can try to pretend we don’t have a relationship but that’s bullshit. We’re pretty much best friends, and I really care about you, and it’s frankly disingenuous to pretend like it would be weird if we ended up together.’
‘What?!’
He’s managed to use a word like ‘disingenuous’ in the peak of battle and I’m not even sure I properly understood what he said. I feel as though I’m trying to solve a Magic Eye puzzle,like if only I could adjust my eyes to the correct aperture, I’d be able to see what’s right in front of me. But I can’t—all I can see is a writhing mass of jelly snakes, too kaleidoscopic and confusing to make any sense of.
‘You seriously thought we were going to end up together?!’
‘Well …’ Archie shifts uncomfortably on the balls of his feet. ‘… yes?’
My skin is like lightning. Thepresumptuousnessof this man! I take a deep breath from the base of my diaphragm. ‘Allow me to enlighten you, Archibald Cohen: that isnevergoing to happen.’
I start bouncing the tennis ball at my feet. I’m surprised sparks of rage aren’t emitting from my fingertips.
‘You need to be anobodyfor once,’ I say, catching the ball in my hand and pointing it at his chest. ‘You need to find someone who has no idea you played for the Roosters or that your face is on the side of buses promoting your latest prime-time news gig. You need to try dating someone who has no idea who you are and see how that goes. You might realise how hard life is for normal people like me.’
On the other side of the court, Archie’s expression is indecipherable.
‘Norwegian Kristina!’ I cry, pointing at him. ‘Tyler’s cousin. From the engagement party. Date her. Try to impressher, and see how that goes.’
Archie raises both hands in disbelief, the racquet elongating his already towering form.
‘You’re telling me to date Kristina?!’
‘Yes,’ I glare back, my hands on my hips.
‘Just serve the ball,’ he snaps, shaking his head. ‘No, wait.’ He raises a hand to halt me. ‘You’re here dishing out all this dating advice, but what about you, Millsy? I haven’t seen you going on many dates lately, even though Bryan won’t stop texting you.’
‘Bryan only texts me because he’snice!’
Archie looks like he’s about to scream. ‘He’s in love with you and you know it! And I don’t know what’s going on in your head. Is it that you don’t care about him, or that you’re waiting for someone else to sweep you off your feet?’
Like a psychosomatic response, all I can remember is Archie’s arms around my waist, pulling me off the shoulders of that drugged-up dude at the festival.
