Page 40 of In the Long Run
Gen sighs and shakes her head.The admonishment is wasted because Brand’s already pulled his phone out and started tappingaway at the screen.He’s so dismissive.That’s what shits me the most about him.His penchant for turtlenecks is a close second, because even though I haven’t given this a lot of thought, they’re clearly at the top of the list of pretentious garments.I bet he thinks they make him look sophisticated, but instead he just looks like a poor man’s version of a Bond villain.
‘You may as well give up now,’ he continues.‘Try to get a good price for the building.I’m willing to negotiate – to a point.’
We’re starting to attract looks.‘I think you should …’
Walk into the ocean and not look back.
Pick a fight with an apex predator.
Find a way to disappear off the face of the Earth.
Gen slides her arm around my waist and presses her body into my side.I’m instantly calmer.
‘I don’t know,’ she murmurs, her voice low and husky and far too close to how I’ve imagined it late at night when the shadows make it easier to lie to myself.When I can almost convince myself that I’m fine with pretending.Or that Gen would still like me if she knew what I’d done.‘It’s already working.Probably a good idea to start looking for another site for yourlittleagency.C’mon, baby, let’s go help Celeste.’
She tugs me away from Brand, her hand never leaving mine.I pull her into the little office, needing a minute to recover.
‘Baby?’I’ve been called that before, but never by anyone who’s known me for more than a few hours.I’m still processing my reaction when Gen giggles quietly and pokes me in the side.I want to capture her hand, hold it against my skin.Stay like this for as long as she’ll let us.
‘I panicked.Besides, it’s better than “Coffeebean”,’ she teases.
‘Coffeebean is unique.’
‘Coffeebean is terrible.They get ground up.’
I wouldn’t mind grinding on Gen.
‘If we really want to sell the idea that run clubs are the new online dating,’ she says, ‘we’re going to have to up our game.’
A braver man would tell her that nothing about this feels like a game.
But like always, my fear of not being enough keeps me quiet.
16
KNOX
‘I feel like a piece of meat,’ I complain to Celeste two weeks later, even though she won’t care.
‘Just take it off, would you?’She doesn’t even look up from her phone.I shrug out of my running jacket and wrap it around my waist.I specifically chose the fleecier one to try to avoid something like this happening.It’s also cold as balls out here.
‘It looks like a potato sack.That’s not the vibe we’re going for.Be grateful I’m letting you keep your shirt on.No one needs to see your blue nipples, Knoxy.’
Gen hides the blush I’m already addicted to by rubbing her gloved hands together in front of her face.She’s been laughing at Celeste and me bickering over the ridiculous things we’re supposed to be doing.Our last few TikToks haven’t performed as well as the first viral one, so Celeste is keen to get back to a flirtier vibe for our content.
‘He looks good, doesn’t he, Gen?’
Talk about a textbook definition of a leading question.Celeste might be skilled at creating pretty, delicate pastries, but she’s as subtle as a sledgehammer.
Gen’s gaze dips from my face to my chest before sliding lower and heating up my insides.She rolls her bottom lip into her mouth, and I wish I could lean over and tug it free with my thumb.When Celeste sniggers, Gen’s eyes snap back to mine.
‘Yeah,’ she says, voice all scratchy and secretive.My nipples aren’t the only thing in danger of turning blue.
The silence stretches a beat too long and I open my mouth but the words I need don’t come.Why is it so hard to say, ‘Go away, Celeste, I just want to hang out with Gen’?
‘Oh my God, it’s so cold,’ Gen blurts.
She’s right.The sun’s up but it’s doing fuck-all in terms of adding any warmth to the morning.Last night’s frost clings to the grass around us and the wind’s icy fingers claw at my face.
