Page 13 of Game Changer

“What do you think? Think I could cut it as a dancer?” He smiles throwing her a wink.

“You do know Channing Tatum was a stripper before he was an actor? Sorry honey but not everyone is cut out to be a dancer.”

“Oh you're brutal.” He shakes his head and puts on a mock pout.

“Just telling it like it is pretty boy. Maybe Zara could teach you to pole dance.” Blair gives me a sly smile and Buckie raises his eyebrows at me.

“Oh really? You never told me you could do that Zar. Wouldn’t mind getting myself a private show.”

Blair sniggers beside me. “Now that’s a challenge if ever I heard one. We better leave these two lovebirds alone Suzie.”

I give her a sideways look and a slight shake of my head, and she smiles at me.

“Sorry honey, I’m only kidding. Nice to meet you.” She nods to Buckie.

“I’d like to say the same, but I’m going to go and lick my wounds now.” He winks at her and flashes that oh so sexy Hollywood smile.

Unaffected by his charms, Blair smiles at me. “I need to speak to you later about upping the classes. I’ve filled every class this week again and I’m having to turn people away now.”

“Wow. I didn’t expect this to be as big a hit as it has been. That’s fantastic Blair. I’ll make the time to sit down with you after one of the sessions at some point this week. I’m pretty sure we can do something to accommodate more classes.”

“Brilliant. See you later.”

They both head out and I turn to look back at Buckie, who is staring at me with a smug smile on his face.

“What?” I ask, narrowing my eyes at him.

He jumps down off the stage and stalks towards me — a prowling lion look about him.

“Even your staff think we should be together.”

He takes a lock of my long blonde hair and twirls it in his fingers. I put my hand over his and stop him.

“Buckie, we’ve been through this already. We can’t go back to what we used to have. We don’t live those lives anymore. I mean you’re—”

“I’m what? I’m still me. I haven’t changed.”

“Really? Do you remember what you said to me when you left for London five years ago?”

He frowns at me.

“You don’t do you? Let me remind you. You’ll always be my best friend, no matter what. Remember now?”

He nods.

“How long does it take to send an email or make a call? You did well for the first six months you were gone Buckie, but then it was as if you forgot about me. I’m not stupid, I know you’ve been busy and it’s amazing that you’ve done well for yourself. But things change. People change. I’m not the same person you left at that train station. I’ve come to realise we can’t be anything more than friends and I don’t want to go back down that road again. It took a long time to give you up.”

“What do you mean give me up?”

I’ve said too much, and I don’t want to be fighting with him. I don’t know how long he’ll be here and when I’ll see him again after he goes this time, so I need to get us back on track.

“I missed you. I was gutted when you left. Believe it or not, it actually took me a long time to get over the fact that you weren’t coming back. I mean you didn’t even tell me. I kind of realised after about two years. I got fed up with little to no answers to my emails.”

He stands right in front of me and takes my hands. “I’m so sorry. If I’m honest I can’t believe I’ve been gone for five years. When you’re always working and going from set to set with little downtime it’s hard to keep up with your old life. I’ve been the worst friend Zar, and I regret that. I’ve missed all your achievements, stuff a best friend should have been here for. And if not in person, at least at the end of a phone call. I promise I’ll stop saying we should get together. Can we pick up our friendship where we left off?”

I smile at him. “Of course we can. Let's start now. What did you come for?”

“Ah yes.” He lets my hands go. “My dad has had a little project on the go for a while. I went to visit yesterday and as soon as I saw what he’d been up to, I knew I had to show you.”

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