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Forty-Nine
BROOKE
“The new you?” I asked, feigning innocence. “Don’t you mean theimprovedyou?”
Melissa’s smile faded at the corners, but only for a fraction of a second. It was just enough, though. A tiny crack in the impenetrable armor of her seemingly indestructible ego.
“Oh Ilikeher,” she said, folding her arms glibly. “Do you boys like her?”
Just behind the badass bitch, Devin, Hayden and Reese looked miserably nervous. Like they were being forced to participate in something they totally didn’t want to.
“Yeah,” Melissa continued. “She’s definitely a keeper. The network won’t tell us anything about your little season of course, except who we’re racing against right now. But I can totally see how you got this far.”
Shewaspretty, I’d give her that. Up until now I’d only seen her from afar during the race, plus all the footage from our previous season. Her body was curvy like mine but a little longer and more intimidating. It was also firm, built for strength and speed.
Melissa twisted at the hips, then reached behind her to interlace her fingers and loudly crack her knuckles. The move thrust her torso forward in Reese’s direction, tits and all.
“You get the benefit of these three,” she said, bouncing a finger over the boys in a semi-circle, “while I’m stuck with your old crew. Doesn’t seem fair. As good as the brunette is at puzzles and as tall as the Swede might be, I guarantee neither of them will be able to keep up with me.” She primped her hair without touching it. “Not endurance-wise, anyway. And we all know the final is about endurance.”
“Sounds like you’re screwed then,” I said smugly.
“Screwed…” Melissa’s smile took on a very unsavory appearance. “Screwed. Odd choice of words, wouldn’t you say?”
She glanced back at the guys, who said absolutely nothing. But even their lack of words was telling.
“Makes me wonder just how much of a replacement you’ve actually been,” Melissa teased, looking me up and down. “I mean, the team we formed last year was close.Reallyclose. So close in fact, that—”
“Alright, Melissa. Enough.”
Devin’s voice boomed sternly through the restaurant, now empty of everything except busboys and waitresses and the camera crew assigned to film this dramatic little reunion. I wasn’t sure how far it would go, or how much footage they could actually use, but Melissa was speaking freely and without reservation. Almost like she was daring them to push the envelope.
And the camera crews were eating it up.
“Wow, I didn’t know you were that protective over your new partner,” she all but snapped at Devin.
“You can’t rattle her,” Reese jumped in. “She’s too tough.”
“Tougher than me?” Melissa actually cackled. “Please.”
“Tough enough that I won’t be the one having a meltdown in the back of a taxi cab,” I challenged immediately. “When I could be winning a million dollars.”
My last sentence really hit home. I could see her eyes flare wide, those brown irises turning all copper-colored and alive. Her normally-pretty mouth curled downward. The freckles on her face twitched with movement.
“And have they told you exactly whathappenedin that cab?” the badass bitch asked.
The guys stiffened at that, and so did I. The silence was uncomfortable. With every second that ticked by, Melissa’s smile widened.
“Didn’t think so,” she laughed, and whirled away. With that she stormed from the room, flipping us off over her shoulder as she left. And of course the cameras followed her every move.
“Might wanna ask them,” she laughed from the hallway.
