A few seconds later, the water turns on, and I glance around the room. Where should I sit? The couch is the most obvious choice, but there are several jackets and what might be a pair of ski pants draped over it. The loveseat is covered with more winter gear, including a few pairs of long underwear made from some sort of moisture-wicking material, two sets of ski goggles, one with a shiny black lens and one with a mirrored dark blue and purple ombre lens, and a couple pairs of those insulated pants that people wear when doing winter sports.
My only other options for sitting are his desk chair or his bed, and I make a beeline for his desk. His bed is definitelynotan option right now.
I’m just grabbing the back of his chair when the arms bump into his desk, causing the entire thing to shake gently.
The move wakes up his laptop, and the screen flashes to life. On it is what looks like an editing program, and there’s a video loaded into it.
Curiously, I bend down and inspect the frozen image.
It was taken on a mountain of some sort, the pristine snow bright and mostly untouched, but what really stands out are the two figures on snowboards frozen in a twisting jump, their bodies contorted dozens of feet above the ground, and another figure snowboarding under them.
Why would that be on his computer? Does Anthony edit videos as a hobby? Or maybe as a job? It’s highly unusual for people to work while attending Silvercrest, but it’s not unheard of.
Damon has a secret job as a DJ, and Liam used to work with a team that businesses would hire to see if they could hack into their systems and expose their weaknesses. Anthony doingvideo editing as a side gig isn’t completely out of the realm of possibility.
I glance back at the gear spread out over his sitting area. Does he ski or snowboard? Is one of the guys in the video him?
I’m so distracted that I don’t notice the water has turned off until the bathroom door swings open, and Anthony steps into his room.
“Sorry!” I instinctively blurt and jump away from his desk, my hands raised like I’m being held up.
Instead of raging at me for snooping on his laptop and accusing me of messing with his stuff, Anthony bursts out laughing.
I just gape at him. He’s not mad at me?
“Oh my god,” he says, still laughing his ass off. “You should see your face right now. I’ve never seen anyone look so innocent, and so guilty at the same time.”
“You scared me,” I say, my mouth going dry as I quickly look him up and down. He’s wearing the same low-slung sweats and slides as before, and he looks even more gorgeous with his wet hair and damp skin catching the light every time he moves.
“My bad,” he says, a big grin still on his face. “I’ll be sure to announce myself better when I enter my own bedroom.”
“I wasn’t snooping,” I say quickly.
“I didn’t think you were.”
“I just wasn’t sure where to sit, and I accidentally woke up your laptop and?—”
“You're fine,” he says with a dismissive wave as he goes to the couch and gathers up his gear. “I wouldn’t have left the program running if I was trying to hide it from you.”
“Do you do video editing, or something like that?”
He tosses the pile of jackets and ski pants he’s holding onto the loveseat. “I like to tinker now and then.”
“Do you ski?” I ask, glancing at the pile of gear. “Or snowboard?”
“Both.” He motions for me to sit on the couch. “Do you?”
I snort-laugh and cross over to the sitting area. “Hell no. I went skiing once and almost died on my first run down the bunny hill.”
“How did you almost die on the bunny hill?” he asks, his eyes sparkling with amusement.
I sit on one end of the couch. “Skis don’t have brakes.”
He sits on the other side of it. “No, they don’t,” he agrees, his voice light with humor.
“I didn’t realize that would be a problem until I was barreling down the bunny hill at a million miles an hour and screaming for everyone to get out of my way.” I shake my head at the memories. “The five-minute lesson my date gave me on how to slow down and stop was pretty useless while my life was flashing in front of my eyes. I was legit terrified, like so scared I almost pissed myself,” I say before I can tell my mouth to shut up.
He laughs again, and my gaze quickly drops to his bare chest, and more specifically, his pecs.
