Page 64 of Game on, Love

A voice in my head reasoned, and I sighed. True. Ifthatdidn’t put me off, I really doubt anything else would.

By the time my eyes trailed back to his face, his eyes were already on me with an expression that told me that he wasn’t expecting me but instead hoping for me. A small smile on his lips, with concern in his eyes told me he’d noticed my disappearing act but still was happy to see me.

Ophelia didn’t bother greeting anyone, just small nods as she opened the door and walked into the studio.

I frowned at her retreating figure, which only deepened as the rest of them followed quietly, chatting in their own groups.

“Hey, stranger. Fancy seeing you here,” Oliver’s voice was low but soft, and a chill ran down my spine. “You left early today. I had a full plan on offering you a ride.”

Guilt gnawed at me as I met his eyes. “Sorry.”

He frowned. “You look tired.”

I shook my head, but a yawn escaped me, and amusement danced in his eyes.

“You were saying?”

“I came in to get a head start on the day,” I nudged him to walk, not wanting to be the only ones left outside. “And I’ve been in meetings pretty much since I got in, so blame them.”

Oliver opened the door for us but leaned down as I walked past him. “Good to know it wasn’t because you were avoiding me.”

I tried to keep my expression neutral, but his warm breath brushed my ear and made my brain short-circuit for half a second, almost tripping me.

“Woah, Gorgeous. Don’t go falling for me just yet.”

I blinked, focusing on the way his hands gently held me.

What the hell was wrong with me today?

“Give me a minute,” I exhaled, and he immediately took his hands back, making me miss the contact. I closed my eyes before pulling my shoulders back and mentally preparing myself for what was already a long day, and it was barely mid-day.

“You okay?” He asked once I looked at him.

“I am, but I need to focus today,” I glanced at the door next to us as it opened, and a group of girls walked in, all in the same lounge wear as I spotted earlier. As they walked in further, I spotted the ECB emblem on their sleeves. “How come you aren’t wearing your official gear?”

He shrugged, his eyes still trailing my face as though he was trying to memorise it. “I’m special.”

You are.

His brows raised slightly, making me realise I’d said that out loud, and I looked away.

I give up with today.

I sighed, defeated and walked away from him. However, I felt his gaze on me the entire time. When I turned around, the door opened again, and this time it was Rihaan who walked in. He was also dressed in his casual clothes, a green half-zipper pullover sweater paired with the trousers that matched Oliver’s.

He glanced around the room enough to spot Oliver and walked towards him, his posture instantly relaxing around him.

“Alright, that’s everyone,” Ophelia stated from somewhere in the corner, and I took a step further back, taking the chance to hide behind everything and observe.

It was exactly what I needed.

Two hours later, we were halfway through the shoot before they called for a break, and I hate to admit it, but it wasn’t as useless as I thought. I’d realised that Ophelia and the production team had a system. They all responded well to the straightforwardlet’s just focus on the jobattitude, but I couldn’t tell if that’s what they preferred. I saw the campaign and saw the sport, but to me, it felt like the human connection was missing.

So, I spent time making notes on each player, their personality or the persona they shared on the camera and who worked well with each other while also looking at them on socials to create their personas. It may seem like a small, tedious thing, but I knew that when it came to what my role would need to deliver, I would need these details right away to make sure I only worked with players who had the synergy for the content style.

However, the one person I was surprised with was Oliver. As soon as the spotlights went on him, confidence poured out of him as he plastered a cheeky grin and posed in front of thecameras, his charm evident in each shot. But even when he was without them, he got along with everyone, able to blend himself in big groups or make conversations with others easily. It wasn’t just his peers; the media and his fans all loved him equally. Knowing that he had looked me up made it much easier to look him up without any guilt, and the details made me grateful.

And more often than not, when my eyes searched for him, his were already on me though he never looked away first.