“Theo!” Luca turns on the freshman. “You’re on the ballot. Theme?”
Theo half-sits up from his stretch. “Uh — toga party?”
The entire room groans.
“Toga party was my first thought,” Luca says. “Let’s go withelevatedtoga.”
“That’s every toga party,” Mason says.
“No. Every toga party is togas, but drunk. I am talkingemperors, with grapes and laurel wreaths.”
“Where are you getting laurel wreaths inVermont?” I say.
“Rowan, that’s a logistics question,” Luca says, sighing. “We are in thedreamingphase.”
“It’s not long until Saturday,” I say.
“It’s Monday. Plenty of time.” He pivots. “Seb. Back me up.”
Seb, mid-set, does not look up. “No.”
Luca flags me down with both hands. “Rowan. Deciding vote. Ironwood, Saturday, Roman emperors, but hot. Think low lights, my playlist, and a regrettable number of freshman girls ready to get drunk and have wardrobe malfunctions. You with me?”
“I’m with you.” I shrug.
“He’s with me!” Luca pumps his fist in the air.
“He’s with you,” Niko says, “because it is not worth arguing.”
I grin and return to the weights, getting through another set before I notice Gavin isn’t lifting. He’s lying on a bench, AirPods in and eyes closed. I walk over, sit next to him, and wait. He must know I’m there, but he takes his time opening his eyes.
He slides one earbud out. “What’s up?”
“Theo’s thinking about the portal,” I say. “Someone needs to talk to him.”
“Mm.”
“He’s barely started in the program, Gav,” I prompt.
“I heard you.”
“Do you want to talk to him?”
He puts the earbud back in. “You talk to him. You’re better at it.”
His eyes close again, so I shake my head and scoff, then go back to my workout. The guys keep going with the shit-talking, but I’m focused on the next job, the next thing to solve, and exactly when to do it.
I catch Theo at the dumbbell rack as the session’s winding down, putting the forty-pounders back on the wrong hooks. I put them on the right hooks without making it a thing, and he notices anyway.
“Sorry, man,” he says.
“All good.” I smile. “Settled in at Ironwood alright?”
“Yeah.” He hesitates, as if weighing up how much to say. “I’m — you know. First week.”
“Yeah.”
“I’m probably just in my head,” he says.
