Page 56 of Ice Block

“A wall of pillows in the bed?”

I decide to take this one. “Of course there are pillows on the bed.”

He sits back in his chair, crossing his arms as the little hamster spins around on a wheel in his head.

He hums, arching a brow high as he continues to study us. “What did you two do in your room this morning?”

Vladi keeps his straight face. “We woke up after a late night celebrating the bride and groom, received your text messages, and got ready for breakfast.”

“Did you shower?”

I wet my lips with my tongue.The fuck is this kid doing?I’ll give him credit, he’s good. But we won’t crack. And yet…where is he going with this line of questioning? “Of course we showered, Bougie. We’re not heathens.”

“Who showered first?”

Dammit.We had this all planned out. Came up with answers for everything we thought they’d ask. All the mundane bullshit we knew they’d be curious about. Only, there was one tiny detail we forgot to discuss.

“I did,” we say in unison.

Shit.I look to Vladi, finding him staring back at me, both of us trying to calm one another despite our panic.

“He did?—”

“She did?—”

We each correct ourselves, our voices overlapping each other again.

Dammit times two.

A wicked grin pulls Bougie’s face like he’s the Grinch and hejust figured out how to ruin Christmas for everyone. Or rather, giving everyone at the table the greatest gift of all: figuring out what happened last night. “Wait. I’m confused. Who showered first?”

This time, Vladi and I both sit silent. Both of us scared to say the wrong thing.Shit.

Bougie stands, placing his hands on the table and leaning toward us. I’m waiting for him to flip the overhead light to shine it in our eyes. I cross my arms in defiance, noticing Vladi out of the corner of my eye has done the same.

“Vladi, you said you were in the shower first,” he says to the stony man beside me. “But Maggie, you also showered first?”Dammit, he’s figured out I’m the weaker of the two of us. Fuck.

“Let me ask you a question, Maggie,” he says as he starts to walk around the table. “How many times this week have you been the first one to shower?”

I roll my eyes, finally starting to see why Vladi finds him so annoying. “Every day. Vladi is a gentleman and always insists I shower first.”

“Interesting. Did you wash your hair?”

“Yes, I washed my hair.”

He walks behind me. “Funny thing is, Miss James,” he quickly bends down, popping his head between Vladi and me, “your hair still seems to be a bit…damp.”

“I’m on vacation, Bougie, did you consider that I’m letting my hair air dry this week?”

He straightens, continuing to walk around the table back toward his seat. The rest of the group leans forward staring at him like they are watching an episode of a courtroom drama.

“You know, Maggie, I thought about that. Yet, I find it funny how every other day this week your hair was styled to perfection.”He leans across the back of his seat, resting his face on his hands as he addresses the group, presenting his case like they’re a goddamn jury. “As someone with older sisters, I have extensive knowledge about the nuances of female haircare routines.” He darts his gaze back to me. “So, tell me Maggie, why is it that your hair isstilldamp when it hasn’t been any other day this week?”

My pulse races, and I need to dig my nails into my leg to prevent myself from biting the inside of my cheek. I stare at the glass of water in front of me, watching the surface bounce every time he takes another step around the table. I give Vladi a quick side eye to see what he’s doing, which is the same thing: staring at our water glasses like our lives depend on it.

“Wouldn’t someone who has taken, let’s say, four showers first this week, have plenty of time to dry their hair while Vladi was in the shower?”

“One would assume.”

---