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Out of Your League

Page 57

by Portia MacIntosh

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.