No, Leesa didn’t fidget, she just died inside.
‘It’s a… special team you’ve built,’ she managed.
Grabbing my phone from the holder on my bike, I opened up my DMs, hoping she still had the app installed. I knew she followed me – or she had done, when she’d still been on the team. I remembered the moment a few years ago when I’d received the notification that she’d followed me back.
Are you going to show ME the approach you want to take? Or am I just the muse?
When she frowned and fished in her pocket for her personal phone, I sighed with relief. She glanced warily at me as she read the message.
You’re the talent, not a muse. I’ll show you everything anyway.
‘Everything’ sounded pretty good, especially when she briefly met my gaze. I started typing a response, but she beat me to it.
I mean all the content and the strategy and everything. Don’t get any ideas.
Too late for that. Despite numerous sets of eyes on me – including my father’s – I chuckled at her message. I wanted to respond just to rile her up, to make her feel something, but I knew I was toeing her lines already. And bib shorts were definitely not sexting attire.
My biggest idea is seeing you enjoying yourself on a bike again.
You have strange fantasies.
I couldn’t quite stifle my smile as I responded:You don’t know the half of it.
I was about to clip my phone back into the holder, but Dad clapped his hands to get us moving and I snatched it up again, thumbing one last quick message.
I’m sorry about Dad bringing everything up again.
Her lips thinned, creating little dimples at the corners of her mouth and I shouldn’t have been staring at her, but I was. Such an expressive face.
She replied:Don’t be. I can’t get upset about every little mention of my career. Stay safe on the descent.
I caught her eye and exaggerated a ‘pfft’.
Chapter 10
Colin
She was deep in conversation with Wil when I walked into the dining room the next morning. I didn’t know if I would actually have sat with her, but not having the option turned me into a grumpy little boy again and then Dad saw me and I was in for it.
I swerved for the buffet, taking my time to work out my portions with the nutritionist and clap the chef on the shoulder for making the banana waffles that he knew were my favourite. But Dad was cool as a cucumber – a sure sign that something was up – and I wasn’t surprised when he waved me over as soon as my plate was ready. As I shuffled to his table, I glanced longingly in the direction of Derek and Nelson, who were watching stupid videos – probably of cats, knowing Nellie – and guffawing.
Actually, these days they could have been videos of Nellie’s newborn son Rupert. He’d made me watch a few and I didn’t get the appeal. Rupert was this little wrinkly thing that jerked his limbs around and looked so much like an alien I wouldn’t have been surprised to hear he’d burst out of his mother’s stomach from the front. Except I wouldn’t wish that on Nellie’s wife.
Urgh, thinking about birth made me shudder. I knew my mum had had two terrible pregnancies with Lori and me and I didn’t like to ask for details. Plus, it would have been better for everyone if Nellie had watched his swimmers a little better and had the baby in the off-season.
‘Did I miss something between you and Leesa when she was on the team?’
I dropped my fork with a clatter. Dad had barely stopped chewing his muesli to drop that bomb.
‘I’m not running a farking dating agency,’ he muttered with his mouth full.
‘You seemed pretty happy when Lori got together with Seb last year.’ Not that Leesa and I were anything like my sister and Seb. Lori might have been ready to move in with someone when she’d been 26, but I was 25 going on 19 – coincidentally, the age I’d been when I’d first met Leesa.
‘I wasn’t happy. I wasworried– until Seb proved he only wanted what was best for her,’ Dad continued gruffly.
‘You mean for her to win races.’
‘Of course!’ More chewing. ‘So, are you together? Or is it just casual?’
