Page 6 of Love In The Air

Not exactly. They also had to spend hours together practicing and performing. They had to learn to trust each other not to fuck up their routine. A fuck up in aerials could result in broken bones, or worse. And they would have to spend a lot of time in close contact, their bodies intertwined around the hoop. Depending on the routine Jen and Meg set for them, he and Iz were about to get real up close and personal with the physical contact.

Shit!

Maybe he hadn’t thought this through entirely.

Too late to turn back now. They were doing this. Sink or swim, this fake friendship was a go and if he wanted to keep his promise to his brother, he needed to focus on playing nice with Iz for a change.

“Time for conditioning, everyone,” Meg called out from the center of the room. “Grab an apparatus and let’s start with straddle ups.”

Iz smiled at him, a challenge lighting her eyes. “Bet I can do more than you.”

Without waiting for his answer, she ran to a hoop on the far side of the room and started calling out her count as she gripped the hoop, straddling her legs and lifting them into the air as she inverted underneath the hoop, toes pointed to perfection. A small chuckle escaped his lips. The hammer had been thrown. He supposed friends could engage in a healthy dose of competition.

“I’m ahead by three, O’Brien,” she called to him as he took the hoop across from her. “Better hurry or you’ll never catch up.”

“Just giving you the head start you need, Grant.”

Her eyes narrowed as she stared at him from her upside-down position, peach hair dangling beneath her.

“In your dreams, buddy.”

He snorted as he started his set. Oh yeah, this plan of theirs was starting off with a bang. He wondered how long until it blew up in their faces.

3

“Please tell me that delicious smell coming from your bag is your famous chocolate protein bites.”

Iz smiled at Tori as her friend arched her neck, trying to peek into Iz’s tote. “It is.”

Reaching deep into her bag past her back warmer, extra leggings, water bottle, and a host of other items necessary for rehearsal, Iz grabbed the plastic container filled with the tasty treat she’d made this afternoon.

“Gimme!” Tori reached for the bin.

Iz lifted it, which was ridiculous because her friend towered over her. Everyone towered over her. Still. “No grabby hands. I made these for everyone. I even used the gluten-free ingredients in case anyone has celiac.”

“Trying to make a good impression?” Tori asked with a smile.

Of course she was. These people would basically be her family for the next year. They’d be traveling together, stuck for long periods of time with each other. Some of them she already knew from past shows and studios, but it never hurt to sweeten the pot. Besides, she enjoyed making food for people. The joy in their eyes when the flavors exploded on their tongue, the moans of delight as they bit into whatever treat she made. She loved that she could make people happy with her baked goods.

If she hadn’t gone into graphic design, Iz might have even tried her hand at becoming a baker. Unfortunately, the hours required to be a baker never would have worked. The beauty of her current job was she could do it freelance, on her own time and, with the internet, she could work from anywhere. Which meant she could still get some work in on this tour. A good thing, since the show didn’t exactly pay handsomely. At least all the travel and lodging cost were covered.

“Full stomachs make friends,” she repeated her mother’s oft saying. “It’s how we became friends.”

Tori snorted. “No, we went on a terrible first date and decided we would be a horrible couple, but the very best of buddies.”

Oh, right.

“I still say I won you over to the friendship side with my strawberry tarts.”

“Oh God.” Tori moaned. “Those things are so good. When are you making them for me again?”

“Your birthday.” It was tradition.

Tori groaned. “But that’s five months away!”

“Anticipation makes them taste better.”

“No, I’m pretty sure it’s the brandy you add.”

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