Besides, if the tabloids were to be believed, he was dating Madison. Which, of course he was.
“Team seven!” Julian called. “Your rooms are on the third floor, labeled with your names. Change into your workout clothes and then meet me in the small gym on this level.” He pointed to the back of the complex. “It’s that way.”
I climbed the stairs, glancing around as we walked. Julian had said earlier that the complex had been a popular spot for boxing and martial arts before it closed a few years ago. I glimpsed several rooms with mats and other equipment as we walked inside and down the hallway.
My name was on a door around the corner, the last one in the hallway. I’d glimpsed rooms with at least twenty cots, but there were only six names on the door. All the girls of team seven:
Clara Pratt
Priya Mehta
Madison St. John
Zoe Hughes
Dani Russell
Laila Williams
I opened the door to find a small room with six cots, a pillow and blanket on each one. I dropped my backpack on the cot closest to the wall.
Priya walked into the room and dragged her huge roller bag to the cot across from mine. She looked from her bag to my backpack.
“Teach me your ways,” she said.
I laughed. “Did you pack your entire wardrobe?”
“I thought I narrowed it down, but apparently not.”
The other girls filed into the room, and I glanced around as I dug through my bag. Madison had the cot next to me, and she was scrolling through her phone instead of getting dressed. Zoe was stripping down. Dani ducked out of the room, clothes pressed to her chest so she could change elsewhere. Priya dug through her suitcase, clothes scattered all over her cot. Laila was already changed, and she laughed with Priya as she held up one of several dresses hanging out of Priya’s suitcase.
My chest tightened, and it took me a moment to identify the emotion. I missed my room, even if it had only been a tiny step above a prison. It was a private prison, at least. I’d never slept in the same space with anyone, and I’d always liked that I could retreat to my bedroom when I wanted to be alone. The bathroom was probably my only option for privacy here. I changed as fast as possible.
“Are you putting on makeup?” Laila asked. I glanced over to see she was talking to Zoe, who was now perched on the edge of her cot, squinting into a compact.
“I sure am,” Zoe said, swiping mascara on her lashes. “Our team leader is super hot, and I look like death after that flight.”
She did not look at all like death. Her eyeliner was still impressively perfect, actually.
“Are we allowed to date team leaders?” Zoe asked, reaching into her makeup bag. “Because Julian is the hottest guy on the team, for sure.”
“Uh, isn’t Julian already taken?” Priya asked, her eyes sliding to Madison.
Madison tossed her phone aside and stood. “No.”
I tried to ignore the way my heart leapt.
“We’ve never been a couple. Officially,” she added.
The word officially made my heart sink right back down. Zoe’s expression soured as well. Madison pretended not to notice. She pulled off her shirt, revealing a flat stomach and a lacy bra that would not adequately hold my boobs up at all.
“And no, you are not allowed to date team leaders,” Madison continued. “Grayson was very clear about that. All his team leaders are dudes, and he doesn’t want any of the girls feeling uncomfortable.”
Zoe squinted like she was trying to find the loophole. I tried to ignore my growing sense of disappointment.
“I think it’s Edan, personally,” Priya said quickly, clearly sensing the awkwardness.
“What’s Edan?” Madison asked.
“The hottest guy on the team.”
I wrinkled my nose.
“What is that look?” Zoe asked. “You don’t think Edan’s hot?”
“No, he is,” I said. “But he seems like the kind of guy who’d sneak out of your bedroom in the morning and later you discover a twenty missing from your wallet.”
Priya tilted her head back dramatically. “Stop it. You’re just making me want him more.”
“That’s what does it for you?” Laila asked. “A guy who robs you?”
“I like the bad boys. Those tattoos! And the eyes. And the hair. And the everything.”
I finished lacing up my sneakers and stood, glancing at Madison. She was now wearing a bright pink tank top and black pants and little to no makeup. She was just as pretty without it.
She caught me watching her, and I quickly looked away. I edged closer to Priya and Laila. “Are we ready?”
We walked back downstairs. All the doors had been labeled, and we passed TRAINING ROOM 1, CAFETERIA, and BIG GYM until we found SMALL GYM. Blue mats were laid out across the floor, and boxes of gloves and headgear were pushed against the wall. One of the French-speaking Canadian teams was already there, using half of the room.
Some of the guys on team seven were waiting. Patrick waved. Archer didn’t appear to notice that we’d arrived. Noah stood with Andrew—no, Dorsey, he’d told us to call him by his last name—and held his phone up to record something as they laughed.
“That was great,” Noah said, lowering the phone. “Thanks.”
“I don’t know about great,” Dorsey said, ruffling his hair. “Maybe we should do it again.”
“Nah, I edit them a little so you all look good.” He jerked his thumb at Archer, who was watching the Canadian team practice. “I’m going to need to do his intro again, though. No salvaging that one.”
It took Archer a moment to respond, like he hadn’t realized Noah was talking about him. He blinked. “I said hello.”
“And literally nothing else.”
Archer just stared at him. Patrick made a sound like he was trying to cover up a laugh.
Noah slid his phone into his pocket as Madison bounced to a stop in front of
