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“No. Thank you. I’m busy today.”
“Then when?”
“I’m always busy.”
I dodged around him, and the cameraman chased after me. Irritation made my lips thin. My heart pounded too hard. I’d never liked being in the spotlight. I held a hand up to shield myself. “Can you get that thing out of my face, please?”
A guy in a ball cap and leather jacket stepped forward and shoved the microphone too close to my mouth. “What do you think of Gabe?”
I said the first thing that popped into my head. “I think he’s a bit of a prick.”
The guy in the ball cap frowned. “Cut!”
Gabe’s dark chuckle chased me across the muddy field. “I’d say that went well.”
Ice water stole my breath. Every muscle in my body screamed with pain. Gritting my teeth, I submerged myself deeper into the freezing tub. I took a deep breath, steeling myself not to make a sound. None of us wanted to do the ice baths; they were terrible. But we needed to keep injuries to a minimum if we were all going to get through this season in one piece. Phoebe dipped a toe in the other end of the bath and plunged in with a sharp cry. I drew my knees close to my chest to make room for both of us. She took deep breaths before she spoke, teeth chattering.
“What the hell was all that outside? Was that a camera crew? Verity said that Gabe Rivers is out there.TheGabe Rivers.”
“He is. I called him a prick on TV.”
She burst out laughing. “Why?”
I shrugged, annoyed with myself. “I don’t know. There were cameras … It was all so surreal … and it slipped out.”
Phoebe’s grin was infectious. I couldn’t help but chuckle along with her.
Shivering, I rested my chin on my knees. “He’s the new director of Calverdale. He wants me for the team.”
The laughter died on Phoebe’s lips. “You’re kidding?”
“I told him no, obviously.”
Phoebe’s gaze fixed on the row of lockers behind me. She wore a wounded, faraway expression. “You’re not even going to think about it? This is your career. It’s an incredible opportunity.”
“It’s a sham. He had a camera crew with him. I’m not getting involved in a circus like that. Besides, everything that happened with Jerry … It’s the principle of it.”
Phoebe’s face dropped and I regretted even mentioning his name. She’d had it worse than me. Jerry worked as a talent scout for Calverdale United and had spent time with us when we were juniors in the Academy. He was a filthy old pervert, but he’d taken a special interest in Phoebe. She’d been so young—too young and inexperienced to recognize the manipulations of an older man. I wouldn’t go anywhere near Jerry Reynolds—or a club that turned a blind eye to his behavior—even if it meant sabotaging my career.
Phoebe shuddered with the cold and transferred her gaze back to me. “Talk to them, at least. They must be serious if they sent bloody Gabe Rivers down here. I can’t believe it.”
“No.” I grabbed her hand and squeezed it. “They can send Cristiano Renaldo down here with a loofah to scrub my back in the shower and it’s still a no.”
Phoebe shot me a thoughtful look. “What was he like? The word on the street is that he inherited more than just his father’s wealth if you know what I mean.” She raised a suggestive eyebrow.
“No. I don’t know what you mean.”
“Micky Rivers starred in all those dirty movies before he started making them. He was famous for his enormous—”
“Stop.” I held up my hand. “I don’t want to hear it.”
Phoebe gripped the edge of the tub, raising herself up and taking deep shuddering breaths. “Have you heard anything from Jed?”
My chest tightened. From enormous dicks to enormous dickheads. “It’s over. We want different things. He wants to shag around behind my back, and I want a boyfriend that isn’t a total bastard.”
She flashed me a sympathetic smile. “His loss.”
I sighed. I didn’t want to talk about Jed. Ice water sloshed everywhere as I lifted out of the bath in one fluid motion. Pins and needles raced over my body at the sudden change in temperature. I dressed quickly and stuffed my dirty kit into my duffle bag. If I hurried, I’d still get the most out of visiting hours. I charged out of the changing rooms and straight into something solid.
