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Jamie collects his bag from beside the racing machines.
‘I’m heading off,’ Jamie says. ‘I’ve got training to get to. I’ve got a big semi this weekend.’
He smiles at me.
‘Thanks for coming,’ I reply.
‘You say that like I had a choice,’ he jokes.
He looks over at Eddy, who is messing with one of the machines. Then Jamie turns back to me.
‘I’ll message you about Saturday.’
‘Okay,’ I reply.
‘Don’t forget.’
‘I won’t,’ I say with a laugh.
He steps closer. Before I realise what he is doing, he’s leaning forwards, kissing me on the cheek.
It is brief, light, and probably completely meaningless, but it sends a message. And of course Eddy is looking this way – I wonder if Jamie was banking on it?
Jamie pulls back with a smile.
‘See you, Brooke.’
I stare at him. He knows exactly what he has done.
‘Bye, Jamie.’
‘Hood,’ he calls over, as if to say goodbye.
Eddy looks over. Jamie gives him a small salute before walking towards the exit.
‘I’m pretty sure he only did that to annoy you,’ I tell Eddy, now it’s just the two of us.
‘Why would that annoy me?’ Eddy says quickly.
I hesitate.
‘Because I’m supposed to be your girlfriend, I guess, and he seems like he’d compete with you at anything,’ I point out.
‘Oh, yeah, right,’ Eddy replies.
He is not annoyed though; in fact, he’s never seemed more neutral.
I pick up the stuffed Pikachu that Eddy won and tuck it under my arm.
‘You were both great today,’ I tell him.
‘He doesn’t know when to shut up, does he?’ Eddy replies.
‘I guess it’s good for interviews,’ I say.
‘You asked a lot of questions…’
‘That’s generally how interviews work,’ I quip.