Page 9 of Just Say (Hell) No
Maybe he should have paid attention to his mum’s message this morning.
The Chariot.
Exciting times ahead. The contest begins. It’s time to be strong and in control, to focus all your efforts on the task at hand. You can win this one. You know how. But it’ll take all your power and self-control to do it, and you can’t afford to take your eye off the ball.
I don’t think this is about rugby, baby. Good luck.
Nyree walked through the door behind Iona and just about walked back through it again.
Koti James. Fine. She could have predicted Koti James. She could havedealtwith Koti James. Easily. The man couldn’t take a bad photo. But nobody had said anything about Marko.
Iona said, “This is, uh…” She waved her hand in a vague manner. “Matt, ah, Sender. And his friend Koti. Koti’s here to look at the dogs,” she informed Nyree.
Did Marko have the grace to look as discomfited as Nyree felt? He did not. A tiny twitch at the corner of his mouth was the only indication of his amusement. “Marko Sendoa,” he said. “How ya goin’. Reckon this means we’re destined.” He told the others, “I met this lady on Sunday under completely different circumstances. And they sayDunedin’sa small town.”
Koti put his hand out and said, “Koti James. I didn’t get your name.”
“Nyree Morgan,” she said, shaking his hand.
“Ah,” he said with satisfaction.Hissmile wasn’t a twitch. It was more like a blinding flash. “Kia ora, Nyree.”
“Nau mai, haere mai,” she answered automatically.Settle down. A nice Maori boy with a bit too much personality, and a caveman, rugby-style. You are twenty-seven years old and have a new life. Photos. Campaign. Go.“Welcome, both of you. Come on back.”
Iona said in a too-chirpy voice, “Would you like me to take you to see the puppies, Koti? You could look at them with me until your friend is finished. I’ll stay with you.”
Nyree thought,What?Who did Iona think Koti was? He was famously sharp. Was it just that he was a rugby player?
Koti didn’t seem to notice, fortunately. He just said, “Thanks, but I’ve decided to stick with Marko for a bit longer. Maybe Nyree has some puppies for me to look at. Although I do enjoy cuddling a kitten. I hope Marko doesn’t get all the kittens.”
Koti James was a major tease, was what he was, and apparently he’d decided to tease Marko. Suddenly, Nyree felt more cheerful. Two on one was always better. “We’ll get into it straight away, then,” she said, “since I’m sure you boys don’t have time to waste. Come with me.”
Marko said, “Nice to meet you, Iona,” but other than that, he just stood there looking dark, fierce, and unenthusiastic.
Nyree led him and Koti down the corridor and into a small, bare, windowless room with two chairs in a corner, where she’d already set up a camera on a tripod. A pet-meeting room, but the bright light and gray walls were tailor-made as a photography studio.
Koti wasn’t saying anything himself, but the expectant look on his face reminded her of some mischievous god. Loki, maybe, sticking to his more serious brother Thor like a burr in his side.
She had to saysomething,since neither of the men was helping. “Sorry about the mix-up with your name,” she told Marko, doing some more fiddling with her camera that it didn’t strictly need. “Iona’s been reaching out for PR opportunities, and somebody suggested the Blues. I doubt she follows rugby.”
“Somehow, I got that,” Marko said. He still looked… not tense, because he wasn’t that. Intense, more like. He was all here, every bit of him, standing in the middle of the room, his oversized feet planted and his thick forearms crossed, a midweek scruff of black beard adding a touch of the outlaw to his already tough-as-nails face.
It was more than his size, she decided from behind the camera. She’d have sworn it was his energy field that was sucking up all the air in the little room. Dark? No, not dark. Not exactly.
Koti shone silver, everything about him bright and wide-awake. Marko radiated something entirely different. The first time she’d met him, all those years ago, he’d been a brilliant red. He was still red, but his hue was deeper now. Stronger, but more grounded.
If she’d been painting him, she’d have painted him in his uniform. But that uniform needed to be black, so she’d have painted the background with his red, layering into it every bit of complexity she could coax out of the paints. She’d have painted him confident. Physical. Sexual. The energy—and him—all but pulsing out of the black uniform and off the canvas.
Whoa. No.Red and black were Crusaders colors. He wouldn’t thank her for that. Besides, she didn’t do portraits. Not of people.
He was still talking. She needed to focus on that. “Never mind,” he said. He wasn’t looking at Koti. He was looking at her. “I said I’d do it, and I’m doing it. Though if you want to use Koti instead, I’m quite happy to watch.”
Koti said, “Nah, mate. The public’s getting to know you, that’s the idea. They already know me. Other than Iona, of course. Besides, you’ve got the contrast thing going for you, doesn’t he, Nyree?”
“He does,” she said, deciding she liked Koti. “Big, hard man, cute little baby animals.” Sounded breezy. Casual. She added, “But both of you have contrast going for you, actually. With each other, I mean. So as you’re here anyway, and we’ve got the room…” She looked Marko over again. “You know what would be brilliant? You’re both more photogenic than I was expecting, so if you could sort of, ah, hold the babies against your chests, that would be perfect.”
“Let me guess,” Marko said. “Ourbarechests.”
“Well, yes,” she said, and tried a smile. Professional.That was what this occasion required. It was about getting animals adopted, not about wanting to see anybody’s bare chest. “I’ll bring in the puppies and show you. I don’t think you’ll be able to resist.”
