Page 41 of The Game

“You’re talking to the wrong person about wild nights. My whole life has been about tennis performance. I don’t really drink.”

“You don’t? But you’ve had champagne at some of the events, a bit of wine …”

“I might hold a glass, but I have a few sips at best.”

I step up beside him at the countertop as he frowns as if he’s trying to remember, strong fingers whipping the whisk around the bowl.

“Suffice to say, I must be the most boring woman alive,” I add.

He turns his head and his eyes twinkle at me. “I prefer thinking about it as being fun in a different way.”

I grin at him. “Well, let me know when you work out what that way is.”

“Maybe in a comic book and dog show way?”

I laugh, and he gestures at me to move back as he shifts toward where the griddle is warming on the stovetop, so I step around the island, sliding onto one of the bar stools.

“I’m sorry about last night. You didn’t need that.” I bite my lip, trying to gauge his expression.

He pours the mixture into perfect circles on the pan in front of him and chuckles. “I wasn’t expecting how goddamn strong a downhill skier would be, that’s for sure.”

Does nothing faze him? “God, Adam, we have to stop going to events like this. This must be way more trouble than you ever anticipated. I’m sure you don’t want to …”

His head snaps up, eyes narrowed, and he puts the bowl down on the countertop and gestures between us. “We’re friends, right? Things just got difficult for you. I’m not leaving you to fend off that scumbag on your own.”

I press my hand to my chest. “I’ve no idea how much of a threat he really is. He’s probably doing this for the publicity. That’s his modus operandi. Up until his injury, he’d been losing, and brands pay for his bad-boy image. A fight is perfect for getting the media attention he’s after.” I sweep my hand out, and itcatches on some Saturday newspapers on the counter.

“You went out?”

He laughs. “Pepper came to find me, so I took her to relieve herself and decided that pancakes should be the order of the day. Then I saw some of the headlines in the papers, so I bought them all.” He tips his head toward where my hand is now resting on the papers.

I drag them over to study them. In one of the photos, Arty’s face is in full fury, inches away from Adam’s. In another, the photographer has caught me just as I heard the commotion behind me and turned around, mouth open and staring.

I scan down the first article inThe Post,then push the paper away.

“My lawyer is pressing ahead with a restraining order. He says we can get a temporary order of protection in place today. I’ve had messages from Arty trying to intimidate me, and he thinks he won’t go away unless we escalate.” I sigh. “But I just … I don’t want to give more oxygen to that asshole, and this is going to generate a whole other round of speculation in the press focused on him. But I guess I’ve got to roll with it.”

“He’s texted you?” His voice is sharp, and when I look at him, his eyebrows are drawn together in a hard slash. “I can get rid of him for you if you like,” he says suddenly, and my eyes bug out.

“What, like, bump him off?” My voice wobbles.

He laughs. “Hell, no. I’m not a closet member of the mafia. My friend from college, Fabian, can hack into almost anywhere. He’d be able to dig up some dirt on Arty that you could use to deter him from interfering in your life ever again.”

Whoa, really? That sounds amazing. But then my stomach plummets—if he could find stuff on Arty, what could he find out about me?

“Arty’s been blowing up my phone since 7 a.m. I can’t bring myself to read any of the messages.”

Adam straightens, the expression on his face no less intense. “Are you serious? Why haven’t you blocked him?”

I sigh. “My lawyers thought it was a sensible idea not to, because it’s likelyhe’ll incriminate himself, or at the very least it will be evidence of harassment and intimidation.”

“Fuck. I hate that you have to do that. I loathe this guy.”

“You and me both.”

“Let me know if you want me to find something that’ll keep him at bay.”

“I don’t want to do anything illegal.”

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