Playing the Player(42)

So far the plan was a fail, because every time I looked at him my body flooded with adrenaline and my brain seized.

Desi had offered no help whatsoever. “I knew it,” she’d said when I visited her at Pretzel Logic yesterday. “You’re so not immune to him.” She’d gloated and smirked. “Just admit it already.”

“I admit nothing.”

She’d laughed at me. “Fine. But mark my words—you’ll be a complete goner by the end of the summer.”

Was it possible to turn off my emotions? I snuck a sniff of lavender oil from my wrist, but Max caught me.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

Busted by a five-year-old.

Then I had an idea. “Try it, Max,” I said, leaning down next to him. “It’s a special oil that calms you down. It might even make you brave enough to climb a wall.”

He blinked at me. “Is it magic?”

I paused. “Yes, I think it is. Whenever I get nervous or scared, I smell this and it totally calms me down.”

“Really?” He looked dubious.

I nodded and held my wrist toward him. “Try it.” It did kind of work, sometimes. Whatever. I needed all the help I could get, even if it was a placebo.

He hesitated, then sniffed. He looked up, surprised. “It smells good.”

I kissed the top of his forehead. “Magic always smells good. Are you ready to try something?”

He clutched my hand tightly and nodded. We moved tentatively toward the smallest rock wall, where Gillian had already scampered to the top. Slade cheered her on from the floor, his head thrown back, laughing and giving her a thumbs-up. Every girl in the vicinity was drooling.

“Come on,” I urged Max. One of the employees helped Max into a harness. His tiny face peeked up at me, terrified.

“You can do it,” I whispered, leaning in close.

He grabbed my wrist and inhaled deeply. “Okay,” he whispered. “I think I have enough magic now.”

“I know you do.”

“Come on, Max!” Gillian screamed down at him. “Come up here with me!”

Slade appeared next to us, boosting Max onto the lowest foot grips. “You can do it, buddy,” he said. “Just take it slow and you’ll do great.”

We stood so close that our arms brushed. The connection made me feel like I could power a small city.

“You can do it, Max!” I called. “You’ve got plenty of magic to get to the top.”

I felt Slade’s gaze on me and turned toward him.

“Magic?” he asked, amusement dancing in his eyes.

Stay cool, I told myself.

“Yes, magic,” I said. “It’s a private thing between Max and me. Don’t you worry your pretty head about it.” As soon as I’d tossed out that stupid phrase, the same one he’d used on me, I wanted to snatch it back.

He grinned at me, then tilted his head toward Max, who was halfway up the climbing wall. “Hey, whatever works, BB.”

I turned to Max and gasped. “He’s doing it!”

Slade’s grin deepened. “Of course he is. You gave him some of your fairy magic.”

“My what?” My cheeks burned. Fairy magic? Was he making fun of me?

“Slade!” Gillian screeched. “Watch me jump!”

We both turned, just in time to see her fling herself off the top of the rock wall, arms outstretched. Slade and one of the employees working the wall rushed forward to catch her, but Slade was faster. She landed in his arms, still attached to the harness, laughing hysterically.

I looked up at Max, now two-thirds of the way to the top, worry turning his face pale.

While Slade calmed down the freaked out employee and gently scolded Gillian, I moved closer to the wall. “You’re okay, kiddo,” I called up to him. “You’re almost to the top.”

“Do I have to jump to get down? Like Gilly did?”

“No, of course not. You just climb back down the same way you went up, nice and slow.”

His eyes locked onto mine. “Trina, I don’t think I have enough magic to make it. I’m just gonna stay here.” He looked ready to cry.

I bit my lip and looked around. Slade was deep in conversation with three employees now, one of them apparently a manager, based on the shiny gold nametag and blustering voice. Slade had a tight grip on Gillian’s hand, though she wriggled next to him, anxious for the next adventure.

All of the harnesses were occupied, and the employees were too busy arguing with Slade to notice me.

I took a deep breath and moved closer to the wall. It wasn’t that high, since it was for the youngest kids. And besides, if I fell, Slade would catch me, right? Like he’d joked in the car? I choked out a nervous laugh and reached out to grab a handhold. Keeping my eyes on Max, I climbed slowly.