Page 47 of Total Creative Control

Lewis glared at him. “Why would I do that?”

Aaron was quiet for long moments. Then he said, his tone hollow, “So… that’s a ‘no’ then?”

“No! In fact,fuck no! Why would I?”

Aaron didn’t reply, but his gaze was heavy. At last, he shrugged and looked away, but his expression stayed worried and frowning. Lewis didn’t ask him why. He didn’t even try to work it out. Instead, he focused on selecting a mat and laying it on the floor, ignoring his pounding heart.

After a moment, Aaron sighed. “I’ll grab us some water.”

Chapter Twelve

Lewis

When Aaron returned, he was barefoot. He had nice feet, Lewis noticed. High arches.

“Where did you put your sliders?” he asked, accepting the water bottle Aaron proffered.

“Over there.” Aaron pointed at a small pile of shoes in the corner.

“I suppose I’d better take mine off too,” Lewis said reluctantly. He felt oddly self-conscious about the idea of being barefoot.

“Yeah.” Aaron’s expression was watchful, wary. Lewis felt his face heat; he had the horrible feeling he was behaving strangely.

Striding over to the corner, he quickly untied his trainers and toed them off, then walked back. He felt weirdly naked, vulnerable even, and when he reached the mat, he didn’t look at Aaron, instead grabbing his water and sipping at it till Hippolyta—who no one had gone to speak to—returned to their end of the long gallery.

She halted some distance from the three mats, an upright figure with her pale, severe face, watching them.

For a while she was silent, and everyone—except Charlie—shifted uncomfortably. Then, finally, she said, “Welcome.”

Everyone watched her, unsure what to do. She made an extravagant beckoning gesture with both of her arms, a gesture that commanded them all.

“Welcome,” she said again, and her voice was all serious and dramatic. Honestly, it just felt so bloodysillyto Lewis. He glanced at Aaron, who shrugged. They both glanced at Charlie and Milly, who were already walking away from their mat towards Hippolyta. Moments later, Geoff and Toni followed, Geoff doing a rather embarrassing little sideslip to situate himself next to his oblivious wife. Lewis and Aaron brought up the rear. The six of them—choreographed by silent hand signals from Hippolyta—shuffled into a semicircle formation facing her.

“Welcome,” she said yet again, in that grave, actorly voice. Lewis barely suppressed a snort.

Hippolyta pressed her hands against her heart hard, closing her eyes. She stayed like that for several moments before opening her eyes and stretching out her arms to Charlie on her left.

“Welcome, Charlie,” she said, meeting his gaze.

Charlie nodded gravely and pressed his hands to his own heart as though capturing something there. Lewis wanted to retch.

Then it was Milly’s turn.

“Welcome, Milly.”

Milly copied Charlie to the letter, though her movements were more graceful, like a dancer.

And oh, fuck, Hippolyta was going to go round them all, wasn’t she?

Geoff was next. He looked panicked, his cheeks faintly flushed, but after a moment, he gave his chest a sort of pat without meeting her eyes and quickly dropped his hand. Toni, who could bullshit for England, took it in her stride, smiling easily and insincerely, while crossing her palms briefly over her heart. Somehow, she managed to make it look like no big deal.

Aaron was next—he just nodded curtly.

Hippolyta canted her head to one side, considering him for a few moments in silence. Then she gravely nodded back and turned to Lewis.

Lewis’s stomach hurt, and his heart was racing, but when she stretched her arms out to him, he grinned like a lunatic and gave her a fancy bow, with one hand making circles in the air like a storybook cavalier holding his feathered hat.

She… laughed.