Was that…?
It was.
My good mood evaporated like a puddle in the sun. A strange ringing filled my ears.
Now I knew why Asher hadn’t been there to greet me. He had a guest over. A very blond, very leggy guest in an outfit that probably cost more than my monthly rent-and they were kissing.
ASHER
The kiss came out of nowhere.
One minute, I was trying to get Polina out of the house as quickly and politely as possible. The next, she’d tossed her arms around my neck and crushed her mouth on mine.
“Jesus!” I pushed her off and wiped my mouth with my forearm. “What the fuck, Pol?”
“What?” She blinked at me with those baby doe eyes that’d turned her into one of the biggest supermodels in the world. “It’s just a kiss. We’ve done so much more than that.”
“Not since last year.”
There’d been a time when the kiss would’ve led us straight into the bedroom, hot tub, or any nearby place with a semblance of privacy. That time had long passed because Current Me didn’t feel a single twinge of pleasure or arousal.
“We should remedy that.” Polina propped a hip against the couch. “I miss you. You never call anymore.”
“Because we’re not together anymore.” My patience frayed with each passing second.
We went on a few dates last spring. It took one date for the shine to wear off, two dates for me to realize we had nothing in common, and three dates for me to officially call it quits.
I didn’t hate her. She was nice enough (surprise kisses aside). She just wasn’t for me, and we’d ended things amicably. At the time, there’d been a filthy-rich oil magnate courting her on the side, so she hadn’t exactly been heartbroken.
Things with the oil magnate must’ve gone south, because after a year of radio silence, she’d shown up at my door half an hour ago claiming she wanted to “catch up.”
“But we could be.” Polina sounded unfazed by the reminder.
“No, we can’t.” I snuck a peek at the clock.
Shit. I was late for training, so I needed to get Polina out of here fast.
I hadn’t talked to Scarlett since her thank-you text, and I wanted…I didn’t know. I wanted to see her, I guess.
That sounded pathetic even in my thoughts.
Good thing no one can hear them.
“Listen, Pol?-“
“Why not?” She tilted her head. “Are you dating someone?”
“No. I’m not dating anyone right now.”
Liar, a voice whispered.
I ignored it.
“As much as I’ve enjoyed our catch-up, I have training right now,” I said. “I’m already late, so?-“
“Training, schmaining.” Polina rolled her eyes. “You’re always so concerned about training, but fine, I’ll go. Before I do, I have a favor to ask.”
“What is it?” I asked warily.
“Vuk Markovic is hosting a fashion gala at the end of the summer. I was hoping you could be my date.”
My eyebrows popped up. Vuk Markovic owned the Blackcastle football club and our home grounds, aptly named Markovic Stadium. The Serbian American billionaire was a notorious recluse, and the idea of him hosting any sort of gala was absurd to the point of laughable.
However, Polina’s sources when it came to single, powerful men were enough to make MI6 weep. If she said Vuk was hosting a gala, he was hosting a gala.
A sudden burst of clarity hit me.
“Let me guess,” I said. “You want me to come and make him jealous.”
Polina had gravitated toward me because I was young, famous, and good-looking, but her real goal was to snag a billionaire. Everyone in our circles knew that.
She shrugged, not bothering to deny it. “Yes, but we can have fun before then, no? We were so good together.”
“I’d love to help, but I can’t. Too busy with training.” I ushered her out of the living room and toward the door. “However, I’m sure you can find someone much better than me. You’re too beautiful not to,” I added to soften the sting of rejection.
It worked.
Polina’s pout transformed into a preen. “Of course, you are right. I thought you would be the perfect date since you play for Blackcastle, but maybe…hmm. I wonder if Xavier Castillo is available.”
Why did that name sound so familiar?
Right. He was also Sloane’s client. I was pretty sure he annoyed her more than I did, which was a commendable feat.
“You should call him and check.” I all but shoved Polina out the door. “Good luck!”
Thankfully, she left without further protest.
Once she was gone, Earl stopped buffing his car and raised an eyebrow at me.
“Don’t look at me like that,” I said. “I didn’t know she-you know what? I don’t have to explain myself to you. Where’s Scarlett?”
“Inside.” He resumed his task. “We arrived a while ago.”
I left him and his unwarranted judgment in the driveway and sprinted to the studio.
This was the one time I cursed the size of my house. Why did it take so bloody long to get from one end to the other?
When I arrived at the studio, Scarlett had already set up our cross-training equipment and was scrolling on her phone.
“Hey. Sorry I’m late,” I said breathlessly. “A, uh, friend dropped by, and our conversation ran over.”
“It’s fine.”
I frowned at her distant tone. She hadn’t been this standoffish since our first few sessions, and the chilliness seemed especially incongruous given our movie bonding time on Friday night.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.