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the piss out of her.
    “Ah, you Brits and your stiff upper lip.” She touched my
arm. Only lightly but it felt as though someone had just run a thousand volts
through it. I didn’t speak. I couldn’t.
    “Well,” Nadia continued, seemingly unaware of my reaction to
her touch, “you know what? I’ll take it. I stand by what I said about Sasha
deserving to win but that doesn’t mean my ego isn’t bruised. It could do with a
massage.”
    God, I’d like to massage it. And the rest of you.
    I smiled tightly. “Well, I’ve done my bit. There’s not much
more I can add to what I already said. That’s my massage. Perhaps we can go and
get someone else to come and help?”
    “Don’t you dare,” she said, grabbing my arm as I pretended
to turn away and look for someone. “I’m not quite ready to talk to anyone else
yet. They might not be as complimentary as you’ve been. Stay with me until I’ve
had enough wine to make it so I don’t care?”
    Well, how could a girl refuse an offer like that? “Wow,” I
said before I could stop myself, “I’m glad I can entertain you in the
meantime.”
    She snatched her hand away as though she’d been burned.
“Hey, I didn’t mean it like that.” Her eyes were wide, her tone earnest. “I’m
not using you to hide behind. I’m just getting up enough courage to face
everyone else, and spending some time with someone I really like first. I see
you as a friend, you know, V—not just a colleague or someone I’ve taken under
my wing.”
    By the time she’d finished speaking, my heart was
threatening to burst right out of my chest. First with anger then going through
a multitude of other emotions before settling on happiness with a healthy
dollop of confusion. Part of me wanted to float away on her lovely words but
the other part of me couldn’t help questioning them. Did she really mean that?
That she saw me as a friend? And when she’d made the comment earlier about my
“fuck” being an offer, had that been just a silly joke, or flirtation? Come to
think of it, she’d been touching me too, and mirroring my body language…
    God, did she actually feel the same way I did?
    Before I lunged toward her and made a total fool of myself I
knocked my drink back in one, then spoke. “Thank you. I’m glad you see me as
more than just a colleague or whatever. I see you as more than that too.”
Christ, and that was a double entendre. I hadn’t meant it to be but if Nadia
spotted it…
    Well actually, would that be such a bad thing?
    “Another drink?” My voice was bright, saccharine, and it
sounded fake even to my ears. At this rate I wouldn’t even have to confess my
feelings. She was a smart woman and would no doubt suss them out in no time
from my strange behavior.
    “Um, sure. White wine, please.”
    I was gone before she could say anything else.
    Walking over to the bar, I berated myself. Get a fucking
grip, Virginia. Do you want her to know you like her, or not? It doesn’t matter
whether she works it out for herself or whether you spell it out, does it?
However it comes to light at least you’ll know if you’re in with a chance.
    One more, I told myself. One more drink and I’ll feel
braver.
    I reached the bar and the man behind it came right over.
“Hey, what can I get you?” His smile was wide and I noticed his gaze drop
briefly to my chest before shifting back up to my face.
    I grinned back, amused. Poor guy had no idea that he was
barking up the wrong tree. Though if I’d been straight I probably wouldn’t have
turned him down. Even I could see that he was cute, aesthetically pleasing. “A
vodka and Coke and a white wine, please.”
    “Comin’ right up.” He turned away to make the drinks but not
before tipping me a wink. Since he was no longer looking I rolled my eyes. Then
I glanced back over to where I’d been standing with Nadia. She’d shifted a
little closer to one of the huge pillars holding up the ceiling, clearly trying
to hide herself