Page 44 of Let the Games Begin
They were glamorous and out of place in the apartment stairwell. Valentina looked gorgeous in a red dress that hugged her hips and curls that tumbled down her back. Haruki looked expensive in a fitted vest and impeccably tailored light-blue blazer. And Zeke? Olivia had never seen anyone dressed so simply look that hot. He was wearing a plain white shirt, but the way it was fitted to accentuate the muscular contours of his chest triggered something so uninhibited and carnal in her that she had to look away.
Olivia tried her best to be as loud as possible as she walked into the apartment. Aditi was expecting two big bags of Greekfood to fulfill their late-night cravings, not three athletes dressed for a night out. Olivia had sent a rushed text message warning her that she was bringing people home. But she didn’t know if Aditi had read her message yet. And she knew her best friend had a tendency to fall asleep in the middle of the living room in her pajamas with a face mask on. So, Olivia jangled her keys in the door longer than she needed to and talked extra loudly as she came in. But she shouldn’t have worried, because if there was one lesson Aditi had taken to heart in all the years they’d spent going to Girl Guides together, it was toalwaysbe prepared.
“Welcome to our humble abode,” said Aditi as soon as they stepped through the door. “Snacks?” Somehow in the five minutes since she’d received Olivia’s text, Aditi had managed to clean the flat and make a whole table’s worth of food. She had been trying to convince Olivia to throw a party in their apartment ever since they’d arrived in Athens, and from the looks of it, she’d decided that tonight was the night.
“Oh, that looks incredible. Can I have a taste?” Valentina asked. Aditi passed her the plate of warm pita andtaramasalata. Valentina gratefully dipped the bread and took a bite. “Do you know how long it’s been since I ate something this good? I’ve been on such a strict diet all year for this competition. But now I can eatwhateverI want.” Valentina was ecstatic.
“Well, I have enough souvlaki to feed a small country,” said Olivia, enjoying the genuine joy on Valentina’s face.
“I could kill for some souvlaki,” said Haruki, “and swimmers have to eat a lot.”
“I don’treallythink that’s how it works,” Valentina said, easy in the way you are with siblings.
As Aditi walked past Olivia, she shot her a wide-eyed look and whispered, “He’s even better in person.” Olivia’s mind immediately landed on Zeke, but then she saw Aditi’s eyes glance over to Haruki and she smiled. Of course, Aditi fancied Haruki, that was the reason why Olivia had said she would bring her along to Movie Night. But, instead, they were meeting in the apartment, with Zeke and Valentina. Olivia felt like she was having an out-of-body experience.
She’d tried her best to play it cool when she’d noticed that THE Valentina Ross-Rodriguez was standing in the alleyway with Zeke and Haruki. But, like anybody else who’d ever watched one of Valentina’s majestic, gold-medal-winning performances, Olivia was in awe of her.
If it wasn’t for the fact that Valentina also just happened to be Zeke’s very high-profile ex-girlfriend, Olivia probably would have sat across from her and enthusiastically showered her with compliments. But ValentinawasZeke’s ex-girlfriend.
As she watched the way they interacted in the living room, she saw just how comfortable they were with each other. They had a shorthand that Olivia had only ever had with guys she’d dated and friends she’d known for years.
But Zeke didn’t look like he had anything to hide, and he wouldn’t have come up to her apartment with his ex-girlfriend if she was currently more than just his ex-girlfriend, would he?
And he’d kissed Olivia. Twice. That meant something, right?
Or maybe it felt special to her, but to him it was just another kiss while he waited to get back together with Valentina. Olivia was a girl he’d met a few days ago; Valentina was someone he’d been in a relationship with for years. Those feelings didn’t just goaway. Even if they were definitely broken up, Zeke couldn’t be completely over her, could he?
As she watched them chatting to Haruki and Aditi, she felt an unfamiliar sense of self-consciousness mixed with unease. It wasn’t jealousy, it was something closer to fear. She hadn’t realized just how much she liked Zeke until she was faced with the possibility of his ex-girlfriend still being in the picture. It was unsettling; she couldn’t watch them anymore. So, she walked to the kitchen to fetch some plates.
“I’ll help,” said Zeke. She didn’t even notice he was following her. “Glasses?”
“In the cupboard just next to the window,” she said. From the kitchen, they could hear snippets of the conversation that Aditi was having with Valentina and Haruki.
It was strange having Zeke in her space. When she was in the Village she always felt like a visitor, like she was working in an alternate universe that really belonged to the athletes. They were almost all pretty friendly, and the atmosphere was welcoming, but when she was there, she was a guest in their world. Here in the apartment, she felt the reverse—like she was the one welcoming them into her space. In the apartment, she could just be herself. It was a bit like the way she felt when she was around Zeke.
Back outside in the alleyway, she’d felt her demeanor change. Noticed the way she’d immediately softened when she’d seen Haruki and Valentina. How she’d smiled a little bit longer and stepped into the friendliest, most easygoing version of herself. But in the kitchen with Zeke, she didn’t feel like she needed to be anybody but herself.
She heard Valentina laugh at something Aditi had said andsaw Zeke look up to catch a glimpse through the door. She studied his face for a moment to see if it would confirm or deny her suspicions. But she couldn’t draw a conclusive answer.
She averted her eyes and went back to the cupboard, stacking plates on top of each other. She could feel her walls slowly going back up. Maybe she’d read too much into those lingering looks, Zeke’s continual presence at the Hub, and those two all-consuming kisses. She wanted an answer. When she looked over, he was staring at her.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” she asked.
“I was just thinking,” he said.
“What were you thinking about?” There it was again, that flutter, that thrill.
“That I think you have a crush on me,” he said, taking a sip from the icy glass of water in his hands.
“You think really highly of yourself, don’t you?” Olivia said, trying her best not to fixate on the curve of his lips.
“I do think pretty highly of myself,” Zeke said, “and I know you think pretty highly of yourself too.”
“Wouldn’t you?” she said, not missing a beat.
They were on opposite sides of the kitchen, but it felt like they were standing right next to each other.
“I do. I like you, Olivia,” he said without an ounce of self-consciousness. Like he was stating a fact rather than making a confession. A part of her already knew he liked her, but that didn’t stop the butterflies in her stomach from fluttering at hearing it out loud. Nor did it quiet her self-consciousness enough to let her say it back.
