Page 80 of The Game

“I’ll take it,” Adam says, stepping forward and taking Belle’s phone out of her hand, then smiling and nodding and directing people into position, his long fingers gripping the edges of her phone. He ends up taking photographs for everyone, and Kevin keeps saying he can’t believe he now has a picture of Anna Talanova on his phone, making me laugh. Then Kevin beavers around sorting all the drinks, and I turn to Amanda and Belle.

“Tell me about the dogs.”

Amanda claps her hands. “Well, I don’t know about you, Anna, but I’m a woman of action. How about we go andseesome dogs instead? We thought you might like a trip to the benching area where all the competitors are groomed and prepped. Belle and I can take you through some of the breeds and features, and you can talk to some owners.”

Belle narrows her eyes. “And maybe see some Papillons, too?”

“I would die on a hill for that,” I say, laughing.

My eyes meet Adam’s, and he’s looking at me with such warmth that my heart stutters in my chest.

“Pepper, isn’t it?” Belle says, and I nod, delight spreading through me. “Ifollow her Instagram. I’ve been enjoying the dog toys recently.” She gestures at Adam, and he raises his eyebrows as my lips curl up.

When we head into the grooming tent, it’s stacked high with crates and crammed with tables. Dog owners brushing, trimming, and spraying in preparation for their turn in the show. It’s a hive of activity and what appears to be some very bored dogs.

Adam leans into me. “I’m sure there’s a Gary Larson cartoon in here somewhere.”

“When dogs primp, you mean,” I say.

My stomach wobbles when he grins down at me. Goddamn him, he needs to stop being so fucking charming all the time.

32

ADAM

Anna visibly relaxes as we wander around the benching area and meet the dog owners, and despite Fabian’s ‘manipulate her’ advice, the tight bubbling feeling I’ve been sitting on for days morphs into warm water flowing through my veins. I’ve given her this, and they’ve been kind enough to accommodate her. Maybe that makes me an idiot after she unceremoniously dumped me.She didn’t dump you, Adam, remember!You were friends. Hopefully, you’re still friends.

She signs autographs and poses for selfies and answers questions about tennis, before subtly moving the conversation on to dogs. These people can talk about their dogs forever once they’ve started: the history, the breed, the coat conditioners. It’s a masterclass. Anna grins from ear to ear.She is a nerd. A smile curves over my lips.

But the more I watch, the more annoyed I get on her behalf. Arty Maroz unleashed the worst aspects of the media and made her nervous, whereas her real fans are so nice, so genuinely excited to see her. She doesn’t deserve to be hounded; she works so damn hard. Why isn’t she angry about all the intrusion and disruption to her life? Perhaps she is and is trying to keep a lid on it. Lord knows, I can identify with that.Maybe she was also helping you,Adam?Shame burns through me.

“It’s lovely not to have the press around,” I say. “No drama.”

Perhaps if today is relaxed and easy, over time she might recognize that we could have a different relationship that didn’t eat into her concentration. If Arty Maroz stopped hounding her and dropped his stupid court case about Pepper, this whole thing could be manageable. I’m a patient guy. I’ve hung on to my business for ten years, after all.

When I called the Kennel Club earlier in the week and said Anna Talanova wanted to visit, I was expecting all sorts of conditions. But dog people aren’t like that, seemingly. They were excited and said they’d never been asked for something like this before. Seriously? There are no celebrities with pets who want to hang around backstage at a dog show? They don’t know what they’re missing. It’s a blast. The dogs are as cute as hell and happy to be fussed over, although Anna and I learn quickly not to touch them if they’re about to go out into the ring and be judged.

As we’re talking to a lady about her Schnauzer, two small boys appear at my elbow.

“You’re that guy!” one of them says as the other one holds up one of my kit dogs.

“The Electronic Man!” the second boy says, waving the kit around. They must be what, ten, eleven years old?

I squat down, grinning. Is this how Anna feels when she’s accosted by kids? “Did you like making it?”

He nods, then kneels down and places the kit on the floor. And of course it’s the Beagle Bot, Susie’s favorite.

“Don’t start that running in here!” A woman suddenly looms over his shoulder, looking flustered. “You’ll set all the dogs off!” Her eyes catch mine, and they widen.

“Oh, you’re that man!” She pats her hair absently. “On the videos.”

“I am indeed,” I say, standing up and holding out a hand. “Adam Miller.”

“It’s so lovely to meet you! We just love all your silly jokes on camera, and we adore your kits in our house. The boys spend so much time making thedogs and then ages playing with them after. It’s a godsend if I’m honest.”

“That’s nice to hear.”

“Can I have your autograph?” the first boy says, and it makes me laugh.

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