Page 33 of The One That Got Away

‘What?’ I almost choked on my own saliva. ‘Sorry, I… didn’t mean… There’s nothing wrong with that. It’s just not what I was expecting.’

‘Well, I couldn’t play football any more, so y’know.’ His gaze dropped to the floor. ‘Why? What did you expect?’

‘Um.’ I felt bad for raising the question. I knew career choices was a bad topic of discussion for him given what happened. And although I shouldn’t care about his feelings considering he never gave a shit about mine, I still didn’t want to upset him.

‘It’s okay,’ he shrugged. ‘Don’t feel bad.’

The way he could still read my mind was scary.

‘Oh. Right. Okay. Well, I kind of thought you were still in the sports industry somehow. Like maybe a personal trainer.’

‘What made you think that?’

‘Just… y’know.’ I gestured to his arms.

‘No, I don’t.’ The corner of his mouth twitched.

‘Now you’re just fishing for compliments.’ I rolled my eyes.

‘Why? Were you about to give me one?’

‘Of course not!’ I became flustered.

‘Then tell me. What made you think I was a personal trainer?’

‘The… y’know.’ Oh, God. Now I had to try and answer that without sounding like I’d been ogling him. ‘Your big… muscles!’ I sighed loudly.

‘Right,’ he smirked. ‘I just like staying healthy, that’s all.’

‘Well, I know a lot of people who like to be healthy, but they don’t have arms likethat.’

My insides shrivelled like a prune when I realised what I’d just said. Now he was going to think I liked him.

Giving Max the silent treatment was a much better idea than this making conversation nonsense.

‘Sounds like you’ve studied my arms alot.’

‘No!’ I protested. ‘No more than anyone else’s here. I mean, they’re hard to miss. And you’ve always got them out.’

‘Got them out?’ He laughed. ‘You make it sound like I walk around flashing my balls! We’re in Spain – y’know? Where it’s hot. What do you suggest I wear? A woolly jumper? And just because I have a vest on, doesn’t mean you have to look. Does that mean if you wear a low-cut top, I should stare at your tits?’

‘That’s different!’

‘Why?’

‘Because…’ I stuttered, struggling to think of an acceptable defence. ‘Because breasts are more sexual than arms.’

‘Really?’ He cocked his head to one side. ‘That’s funny because I’m pretty sure I remember women swooning over men’s muscles, including arms, in those romance novels you liked to read. Am I right?’

‘That doesn’t matter,’ I said, knowing I was losing this battle. He was right, but there was no way I was telling him that. ‘That’s fiction.’

‘If you say so. But anyway, thanks for the compliment. It’s nice to know there’s at least one thing you like about me.’

‘I didn’t say I…’

‘Lovelies!’ Jasmine’s voice boomed around the coach. ‘We’ve arrived at our destination!’

‘Oh, shit!’ a guy in front of us who sounded like he was from the US called out. ‘We’re going to the Caminito del Rey! That’s fucking sick!’

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