Page 20 of A Gold Medal in Love

“No, no, no. Just to go on her own. I think she saw me coming back and thought it was okay. But I just… You know how I get.” I put my face into my hands.

“She’s basically your crack at this point, right. Little damsel-in-distress, and she keeps needing you to white knight her. Your favorite fucking thing, with your accursed savior complex,” Charlie reads me.

“Exactly. It’s not my fault, Charlie! My will is being tested over here!” I defend myself.

“So what happened then?” Charlie questions.

“Then my dominant came out, I pushed her against the sink, and I almost had her kneeling at my feet on a dirty pub floor.” I pause and pull my head up, cocking it. “Which, you know, would have been incredibly hot. Mm, what a dirty, dirty girl.”

“Blake. Keep it together. I swear to God,” Charlie brings me back to Earth.

“Right, right. Anyway. I came back to my senses and stopped myself,” I finish.

“Good. Stop it there. Do not go there with the young, impressionable, and focused-on-gold figure skater,” Charlie warns me.

“But what if…” I start.

“Blake. No.”

“I don’t know. I thought about it during the game,” I begin again.

“Yeah, I caught that. Luckily, I’m the only one who knows your tells,” Charlie cautions me.

“And I think what could really go wrong if we just come at this like the adults we are? You know I start every dynamic with clear boundaries and communication. I would do that with Imani. She would have transparency, she would be able to refuse, and further, she would be able to safe out or discontinue at any point. So what’s the worst that could happen?” I finish.

“The worst that could happen is that you destroy a young girl’s dreams of Olympic gold before her frontal lobe is even developed,” Charlie says point-blank.

“She’s not that young,” I argue.

“There’s a 10-year age gap,” she returns.

I look off into the distance. “Hot.”

Charlie snaps her fingers in front of my face.

Coming back to her I ask, “What?”

She sighs. “I don’t even know why I try with you.”

“Wait a fuckin’ minute. What’s happening with that bitch Olive?” I ask excitedly.

Charlie’s face gets stormy. “Don’t call her a bitch.”

“I don’t mean it like that. Just… what’s happening with your crush?” I dance two fingers up Charlie’s uniformed arm.

“Do not turn this around on me right now,” she huffs.

“I’ll be nice about it. I won’t even lecture you.” I give her a Blake-certified smile.

“You can’t snow me. But fine. Shut up and listen, will you?” Charlie asks, nicer than her words would imply.

“Do I still get to gasp in all the right places?” I inquire.

“Can I stop you?” She throws her head back, not even waiting to see the answer that’s written on my face.

I laugh and prepare to listen to someone else’s girl problems. Good. Something should get my mind off the way that Imani’s legs look in those skimpy little leotards. Talk about things I’d liketo shotgun—I’d like to shotgun that pussy. I’d just devour her body, and keep going back for more.

But for now, before Team Canada goes on the ice, I’ll listen to my best girl.