Page 42 of Never Been Shipped

Tatiana was already standing at their end of the court, and John offered a handshake as he approached, introducing himself. OnNightshifters, you could always tell what season you were watching by how curly Tatiana wore her hair, and now it was flat-ironed to season one levels. It was surreal how exactly the same she looked as she did on TV, from her wide smile to the distinctive mole on the tan skin of her cheek.

“I caught your show last night,” she said. “You were very good.”

“Thank you,” he said. “I caught all seven seasons of your show, andyouwere very good.”

“Except season six?” she said, her brow arched, but her eyes were sparkling.

“Even season six,” he said gallantly.

After that, they had to focus as the game started. Ryder went first, using his stick to push one of their yellow discs out onto the court. It didn’t pass over the middle line, which meant John had to walk up and remove it from game play.

“It’s all good,” he said to Ryder, which he meant sincerely but realized only after it came out that it was the worst possible thing he could’ve said. Ryder was fuming.

“Bit of a hothead, that one,” Tatiana said to him once he’d taken his place back next to her.

“You have no idea.”

Her teammate took his turn, and she clapped supportively, although afterward she leaned into John and said, “He is so drunk right now, I don’t know how he’s standing up.”

That made John laugh. It was weird, how easy it was to talk to Tatiana—arguably the biggest star on the ship. Maybe it was because he didn’t want anything from her, not validation that they were on the same level the way that Ryder did, not even an autograph or picture the way that Steve did.

He glanced over at Micah, but she was examining her nails, probably daydreaming about chewing on them and trying to remind herself not to. Every once in a while she interacted with someone in the crowd, leaned back to be in a selfie, or signed a CD case someone held out to her. Gratifying, that people still had CD cases, that they’d brought them all this way. Frustrating, that Micah wouldn’t even look at him.

Ryder sent another disc skimming down the court, lightly tapping Tatiana’s team’s black disc. John could already tell that Ryder’s main strategy was going to behit the other team’s discs, whether that was the best move or not, and he had to remind himself that he didn’t actually care who won this game.

When they tallied up their points at the end of that round, they were tied up at eight apiece, and Ryder gestured toward Micah.

“Why don’t you update the chalkboard?” he said. “You’re good at keeping score.”

The cruise director started to interrupt to say that wasn’t how it was done, but Micah grabbed a piece of chalk. “I always thought that wasyourstrength,” she said. “But I’m happy to.”

“Ooof,” Tatiana said. “They used to date?”

John wondered if she brought it up because she already knew, or solely based off the animosity between them now. “Yeah,” he said. “Back in theNightshiftersdays.”

“And what about you?”

John glanced at her. “We’re just friends.”

“Hmmm.”

He wondered whatthatmeant, but he had to take his turn. He surveyed the yellow discs, trying to figure out what the strategy for an opening shot even was here. For the first time, he was very conscious of the crowd that had all gathered to watch, circling the court, up on the mezzanine of the deck above, a section of contest-winners seated on chairs to one side.

“Don’t hold your stick like a sword,” the cruise director called from the other side of the court.

Just what he needed to be told in front of everyone.

“Loosen up, think of it as an extension of your hand. Your thumb should be up here, like this.”

John adjusted his grip, trying to follow what the director was saying. When he glanced up, he caught Micah watching him. She didn’t smile, but she didn’t look away. And suddenly he knew, as clearly as if she’d whispered it in his ear—he’d be goddamned if she was anylesshorny than she’d been earlier. He might not know where they stood, friendshipwise; he might not know how she felt about him beyond that. But she’d liked what they’d done earlier, and she was just as desperate as he was to do it again.

Maybe there was no strategy at this point. He took a couple steps toward the disc, sending it sliding down the court.

He was supposed to look at Ryder for confirmation of where it landed, but he found himself looking over Ryder’s shoulder toMicah instead.Nice shot, she mouthed, and he grinned back at her.

“Just friends,” Tatiana said, lining up her own disc. “Okay.”

“I’m in love with her,” John said, and Tatiana’s stick ended up going crooked, sending her disc flying toward the crowd. They gasped and moved back a few inches as if in a wave, picking up their feet to avoid getting hit.

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