Page 25 of The Import Slot
I’m grateful that neither Vicky nor Johnny quiz me on the way back to my place.
Vicky waves as she pulls off, and my phone pings in my pocket. I pull it out and see that Ryan sent me that selfie he took earlier.
Ryan: Hope to see you again soon, babe. Goodnight.
Babe.
I go to bed, still buzzing, struggling to shut my brain off.
I’ve always told myself no hockey players, but right now I’m seriously considering breaking that rule.
Ryan
JohnnyandIheadto the gym in our building first thing. Despite last night’s game, we maintain our routine with plyometric and core workouts.
“You and Jen were looking close last night,” Johnny says with a knowing grin.
“Were we?”
I know full well that we were. That was my plan anyway. When Becca mentioned going to a bar, I was relieved that Jen wasn’t keen either, so I hung around myself, even though I’m feeling it this morning.
“Vicky thinks it’s cute,” he says as we walk to the squat rack. “She was thinking you’re gay.”
I brush off his comment, but use his reference to Vicky as leverage and ask him a question that’s been on my mind for a while.
“What’s the deal with Vicky and Liam?” I give him a casual look as he loads up a hex bar.
“Vicky and Liam?” he asks, as if both names are completely alien to him.
“Yeah, your sister and my brother,” I say.
Johnny scoffs. “What about them?”
I study him for a second. Vicky and Liam were in a relationship for all those years, and I’m only finding out now that Johnny didn’t know. How could he not? It was implicit. They were always sneaking off together, choosing to sit next to each other in the back of my mom’s car. All that sort of stuff. I guess Johnny didn’t want to see it, so he didn’t.
“Is there something you know?” he asks.
I’m in complete shock as I look at him. I also don’t think I should be the one to tell him that Vicky lost her virginity at my parents’ summerhouse.
Brushing it off, I step into position to start my set. “I’m just thinking about things, that’s all. Honestly, John, he begged and pleaded with me to come here instead. I just assumed that he and Vicky had fallen out over something.” I start my set, and Johnny counts, only responding when I set the bar back down.
“Let me see if I can find out anything. Though I’m hardly winning any ‘Brother of the Year’ awards,” he says as we swap places.
I wonder if I can wear Liam down instead, but he’s a stubborn bastard when he wants to be.
“What’s going on with you and Vicky?” I ask. Johnny starts his set and I count.
“Well, she’s not herself at the moment, and I don’t know what’s going on,” he says after putting the hex bar down.
There’s definitely something going on here, and all fingers point at Liam.
“All this because of a bet,” I snicker as we rotate.
“What bet?” he asks.
As I’m about to respond, Hutch walks in and greets us with a wave. “I’ll tell you later,” I say to Johnny.
Chapter 8
