Page 34 of Red Flag
It was a good thing the camera couldn’t see his face, which was covered in an angry frown.
Timidly, she reached for his hand and Nix took it with more confidence.
“Great,” I said, already sending him the photo. “We can post it next week or something. We don’t want to go straight in there, overloading.”
Another grunt from Nix. “This circus over now?”
Clara grabbed the umbrella and started to walk through thepit lane towards the grid box. I halted Nix.
“Be nice to her but don’t lead her on,” I commanded. “Learn things about her. Her favourite meal, colour, stuff like that. Be her friend.” His shoulders tensed with a tight breath, but I continued. “Give her some affection in public. A hand around her waist, smiling up at her. Despite your arrogance, surely you realise this isn’t easy to do with you. Especially when you can be a dick.”
He blinked, turning to me with repulsion. “You’re right. This is your fault. Your idea. You should be the one punished. Punished by pretending to be with me.”
“We both know that’s not happening,” I said, hand on his chest, pushing him back.
The bell rang, but he didn’t move. “It should be you.”
My mouth was dry, and my hands sweaty when I rubbed them in my jeans. “It isn’t.”
A punishment, he had said. Though I might be into that kinky shit, that wasn’t what he meant.
He didn’t want tobewith me.
He kept his eyes on mine as he grabbed his helmet with force.
“It’s not too late.”
That blonde he had posted. He didn’t think that would stop our plans, did he? He didn’t think…
He didn’t think it would force my hand to be his fake girlfriend, right?
“It’s too late.”
When the next bell went, he breathed out deeply through his nose and walked out.
I’d almost forgottenLucaand the others were there.Lucacame to hug me, shoving my face into his leathers. “Damn,this is going to be fun, isn’t it?” He ruffled my hair and followed his teammate.
Before the screens,Crispatted the chair next to him. “I guess we shall see how this plan of yours works.”
He hadn’t been a fan of my idea.
“No one will believe it,” he said, shaking his head in disappointment. “I told you, no one will believe I’ll allow a relationship between twoCiclatiworkers.”
As Nix had said, nothing could hurtCiclati.
But he overestimated how many people knew his leadership values.
“Despite the silly shoes,” he continued, staring down at them with distaste, “the seat of importance is for you today,monétoile.Let’s see how he fucks this up.”
He said it with a laugh but it made me more uneasy.
The presenters spoke as the cameras panned in on the different riders, and there—in the background in second place—was a glimpse of Nix, grinning.
The same grin he often gave me. Affectionate, amused.
But he was looking up at her.
She held the umbrella in the beating sun, shielding him from the rays. She looked comfortable, smiling back down at him before shuffling closer. Then he did as I’d told him. He reached around to hold her, both hands on her hips, keeping her beside him.
