Page 11 of Red Light, Green Light
Merry growled loudly over the bass of the music, making the bartender flinch as if he had been struck. Felicity’s mouth set into a thin line as the rest of her went still. A possessive scent filled my nostrils, and my caribou-deer shook her mane to fluff it out proudly.What an adorable idiot, shooting his shot when I’m surrounded by my mates.
I smiled gently at him. “I don’t need any of that, thank you. But I will take apeppermint espresso martini.”
The male bartender nodded and scurried away without looking back at us. My girls instantly simmered down upon hisdeparture, and I chuckled. “Does that ever get easier or more normal? Everyone knowing who you are all the time?”
“You learn to roll with it after a bit.” Merry shrugged.
“I would say it depends,” Felicity added. “That’s part of the reason why the scoring in Poise exists. The Nine interact with the public quite a bit. We do different events with children, the elderly, and those in need. We are the ambassadors for Santa and his Elves, acting as the face of his team among supernaturals who know of our existence. I’m sure you know this already, but interacting with people also means dealing with those who are disgusting pigs. Poise means we are not only great at talking to people but also capable of being diplomatic when we really want to impale someone on our antlers.”
“Delightful.”
A different bartender—a woman—brought my martini with a smile. It wassogood. As I sipped it, I pondered other questions I could ask the girls. I refused to ask any of the common things, like what’s your favorite part of being a member of the Nine or what made you want to join Santa’s Team. I had already seen every interview, every moment on the press tours, every social media post from them. I wasn’t a stalker, I swear, but I knew these two better than I knew any other member of the Nine.
Or, at least, I knew what they put on for the Press.
I finished my martini and nodded at the female bartender for another one. Then, I decided to convert the delicious cocktail into some liquid courage. “As much as I love the idea of this being a normal date, it won’t ever be. I already know so much about you guys. Not to be creepy, but I have studied you both for years, even before the Tryouts—”
“Oh, did you, now?”
I pushed past Merry’s teasing to stay focused. “I’ve seen everything you both have done. So, how close to the truth is your portrayal in media?”
Felicity raised her eyebrow. “That depends. How do you see us based on what you have seen?”
I swirled my refreshed drink around in thought. “Well. The disingenuous side of the media would call Merrilee arrogant, unable to take anything seriously, and a smartass. But I see Merry as confident, a goofball, and witty. She’s sincere and strong, literally the most perfect Prancer the Nine could have.”
“Aww, you hear that, Red? She gets me.” Merry kissed my cheek.
“Well, you are the biggest open book ever seen. You are kind of easy to understand.”
She laughed. “I never did score well when it came to keeping things close to my chest. But FeFe’s a little different.”
“Well, I have to be,” Felicity said, crossing her legs as she turned to me. “Where I come from, everyone has assumptions and expectations about who you’re supposed to be and what you’re supposed to do. Who I am and what I want have never fit into those boxes, and I have never felt comfortable trying to please those who do not care about my happiness. For the sake of my survival, I had to temper myself. I had to do what I could to learn when to stand out and when to hide in the shadows. I have a media persona I use. I don’t have a choice because I can’t let too many people get close and use personal things against me.”
“You are in luck, Bambi. It took ages for me to wear FeFe down so she could admit this.”
“The emphasis should be on thewearing down.” Felicity rolled her eyes. “My point is that as much as I hide behind a mask, everything I say to the Press is the truth. I would never lie, even to those who don’t deserve the truth.”
I nodded. I always admired how Felicity held her emotions close to her chest. It was a direct contrast to how I wore my heart on my sleeve. Some analysts said that Felicity’s stern nature andResting Bitch Face made her hard to read. Even if that was ever the case—which, it really fucking wasn’t and those pundits were so wrong it was a wonder they even had jobs—that could only ever apply on the ground. In the sky, Felicity was incredibly easy to follow. She led by example, and you could anticipate what to do based on her flying. It’s why she scored a nearly perfect score in Leadership in her first Reindeer Games, an unheard-of feat for any Hopeful in any category.
“What about you, little doe?” Felicity asked, caressing my arm lazily, like she didn’t realize she was doing it. “How would you like to be portrayed?”
“I don’t know,” I shrugged. “I haven’t really thought about it. I don’t focus on the media a lot because you can really lose yourself in the constant critique and public perception, you know? I want to be true to myself, and I like putting my PR Team to work. Being a female athlete of color, the media also isn’t exactlyfriendly. The narrative rarely goes our way.”
“Preaching to the choir there, baby,” Merry said, raising her glass before taking a sip.
“I wish I could say it gets easier with time, but the media is relentless.”
“So, I have to ask, since I know you both have seen all of my stuff—”
“I wouldn’t say thebothof us. Felicity has definitely watched more—Ouch!” Merry said, before Felicity pinched her hand.
“Continue with your question, Bambi,” Felicity said.
“Well, how have you guys seen me portrayed in my interviews?”
Merry smiled, slowly and mischievously. “I see someone who’s as confident as me, but knows her shit. I see a goddess among men, a badass who kills it every single time and who is destined for greatness.”
“It’s not just that, which Moose put oh so eloquently,” Felicity continued. “That’s who you are, but it also isn’t. You have an incredibly sweet side that people may or may not get to see because they are too busy seeing the girl who breaks records. They don’t see the strength in your softness. The public only sees the woman who gets what she wants, not the woman going after it.”
