Out of Bounds (The Summer Games #2)(65)

“With the coaches,” he answered with a cool, even tone, never glancing away from the window.

“What about the men’s gymnastics team?” Lexi asked. “Will they be there?”

I shot her a curious glance. She wasn’t interested in the men’s gymnastics team; she was into soccer players.

He shrugged. “They should be.”

Lexi squealed and grabbed my arm. “Perfect, Brie. That means you’ll get to see Noah!”





Lexi was an evil genius, and she wouldn’t let me forget it.

“Did you see the way he reacted to the mention of Noah?!” she asked, falling back on my bed and letting her arms splay out wide. She was still reveling in her “well-placed jealousy bomb”, as she’d so humbly dubbed it.

“You mean the way he didn’t react?” I asked, pulling out another shirt and hanging it up in my closet. We’d just arrived to our five-room condo and I was unpacking. I’d managed to hang up two shirts in my small closet before Lexi let herself into my room so we could continue to discuss her favorite topic as of late: Erik. Though we each had our own bedroom in the large condo, Lexi and I were paired up to share a bathroom, which apparently meant she had free rein of my room as well.

“His jaw clenched so tight I thought it would break!” She laughed, pushing up to lean on her hands.

“Well I didn’t see that.”

She rolled to the side and propped her head on her hand. “Fine, new subject. So you and Noah are still friends?”

Noah. Easy, nice Noah.

I shrugged. “We were never really anything more than friends. We ended things pretty amicably. We went out for dinner while we were competing at Worlds, but like I said, he ended the night with a high five. By the time we returned to the States, there was too much distance between us. Besides, we both needed to focus on gymnastics.”

“And he didn’t make your heart race and your palms sweat the way Erik does.”

I swallowed. “And that.”

I seriously needed to stop confiding in Lexi.

“But maybe he’s a late bloomer and now he’s some confident sex-god. Are you excited to see him tonight?”

I hadn’t really thought about it. When I’d made the Olympic team, Noah had sent me a long text congratulating me. We’d gone back and forth a few times, agreeing to meet up in Rio if we had the chance.

“I’ll be happy to see a familiar face. He’s a nice guy.”

She squealed and pushed off the bed. “Perfect. He’s just the bait we need. Meet me in the bathroom in ten minutes.”

I finished hanging up my clothes and shot my mom a quick text to let her know I’d arrived in Rio, safe and sound—though sharing a bathroom with Lexi didn’t guarantee I’d stay that way.

“This is what you’re wearing to the mixer.”

Excuse me?

Lexi was standing in my doorway, holding up a silky black dress that looked super sexy and about a foot too short for a public outing.

I shook my head. “I can’t wear that.”

“Just try it on,” she insisted, handing it over before I could protest. The material was soft in my hand, and I decided I’d humor her. Once she saw how low-cut the top was on me, I’d tear it off and find something to wear that was more appropriate.

I slid into the dress, loving the feel of it against my skin. The triangle top cut across my breasts and showed off a bit of cleavage. The black silky material stretched tight across my stomach and then flared gently around my hips in an A-line cut that balanced the low-cut top.

In my life, I could count on one hand the number of times I’d felt truly sexy. Usually I was stuck in leotards, sweaty and tired after practice. My body was sculpted and beautiful, but I rarely noticed. The second I saw my reflection in that little black dress, I knew I wouldn’t take it off. I looked good. The dress showed off every inch of my petite frame and when Lexi dropped a pair of simple strappy nude heels in front of me, I didn’t even protest.

“Can I do your hair and makeup?” she asked with her hands squeezed together in a plea. “I think a tiny bit of eye shadow and mascara will make your eyes pop.”

Lexi’s makeup always looked good. In the last month, I’d learned that she spent more time watching makeup tutorials on YouTube than anyone else on earth. Even still, I called Molly in to supervise her just to be safe.

“Is she doing too much eye shadow?” I asked ten minutes later, trying to peek through my closed lids.

Molly stepped in front of me, blocking the mirror.

“Don’t look yet!” she said, holding out her hands. “You look so freaking good, just relax. Erik’s going to eat his tongue,” Molly said with a triumphant smile.

“Don’t we want him to eat something else?” Lexi asked.

My jaw dropped. “LEXI.”

“Oh please. Everyone was thinking it.”

A few minutes later, after Lexi had nearly burned me with the curling iron, poked my eye out with the mascara wand, and yanked my hair with a brush so hard I could have sworn I was bleeding from my scalp, she stepped back and waved her hands in front of me.

“Voila! Sexy by Lexi.”

I took a deep breath and glanced up, prepared for the worst.

“Holy…”