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“Whatever happened to just being coworkers? I am here to drive, not make friends.” said Alejandro in a huffy tone.
“Ok, Tyra Banks,” replied Jason. I choked down a laugh. Did he really just make a Top Model comment? “But Kat says we gotta, so I reckon we do. Maybe we can say we started hanging out because we were both friends with you, Kat? Like you were the glue that brought us together?”
Must not picture. Must not picture.
“Yes,” said Alejandro. “I mean we are always with you now, anyway. You can be the friend who makes us realize we want to be friends, too. But only in public.” That was tacked on quickly at the end. With this he turned to Jason. “Don’t get any ideas.”
“Of course not,” said Jason, taking a swig of his beer. “I would expect nothing less.”
I wished I wasn’t getting ideas. Ideas that involved both of them, less clothing, and a lot of athletic positions. “That could work.” I said, trying my best to remain professional. I let the idea roll around in my mind and found myself surprised at how good it was. “You can tell people that when we started prepping for the season, I did basically what we are going now and forced you two to hang out enough that before you knew it, you didn’t hate each other anymore.”
I knew it would only be a pretence, but if it helped end the constant macho posturing I was all for it.
“Now that this is settled,” said Alejandro, “I assume I am not allowed to go out tonight, so I will be in my room until morning.” He got up and left, taking his food with him. I wanted to argue that I wasn’t some evil governess. Besides. . . was it wrong that, as we’d just come to a truce, I didn’t want him to go? As someone who’d put their career first since freshman year, my nights had been, for the most part, spent solo.
Until now, that was. In just a short span of time with these two cantankerous men, however? The prospect of being by myself was less appealing. When the hell had that happened?
“You don’t have to go,” I said quickly, hoping none of my new revelation made it into my voice. “We could watch a movie, or—”
“Or what?” Alejandro’s shoulders pulled up, stiff. He shook his head, and I couldn’t help but think he was trying to shake off the taint of Jason and me. “No, Kat. I do not think so. This thing is only for the fans.”
It was cool and impersonal. Helpless, I glanced to Jason. I wasn’t sure what I was hoping for, but it wasn’t the shuttered face I found.
“Yeah, I think I’ll turn in too,” said Jason, every inch as stiff as his rival. “We’ve got practice tomorrow. You know I’m going to need rest if I am not going to gloat to everyone when I’m faster than the old man.”
I held my breath, waiting for the fiery retort. Alejandro’s mask didn’t budge. He turned his back to us. Alejandro’s door slammed and I dropped my head into my hand as Jason left the room as well. They were only a door away from me, yet I found myself feeling more alone than I ever had. Alone, and scared. For a moment, it had felt as if they’d figured it out. The pitch had even been their idea.
For one feeble moment, I’d thought things were going to be fine.
They are fine. You got them to agree to what you need from them. You’re getting paid to make them look good, not make friends.
It was fine. I was fine. And tomorrow?
Yeah, everything was going to go just great.
Chapter Six
