Brazen Tricks - Ali Dean Page 0,20
little skateboard session in around here in the morning before brunch. If I can’t though, it’s not the end of the world. It used to be that I didn’t feel complete without my skateboarding fix. I’d get itchy and kind of cranky. But now, even though I’m pretty sure I’m as obsessed with mastering a new trick as I’ve ever been, as consumed by skateboarding as I’ve ever been in my life, I’ve got other good things going on that matter to me too. These girls and their friendship are more important to me than landing a 720 or beating Sarah Kase, and while that scares me a little, it also feels damn good.
Chapter Eight
Beck
“How’d it go?” Griff’s coming up the stairs from the basement when I walk in the door after my meeting with Vienna.
“You just finish working out? I could use some time in the gym.”
“Right now?”
I’m usually a morning gym person but right now I’ve got some negative energy to burn off. I don’t know if skateboarding is different from other sports this way, but skating through anger just doesn’t work for me. Lifting weights and pounding on some equipment, on the other hand, that helps me clear my head.
“Yeah, I don’t know what to do about Vienna. Meet me in the gym in five?”
Griff’s already back down there after I’ve changed. He’s on the bike and I take the treadmill beside him to warm up.
“So is she dating your dad or what?” he asks.
“She was, I guess. She was his patient, they got to talking, probably about me, but she says it wasn’t serious.”
“Why’d she invite him to the opening? She didn’t even give you a heads up.”
“She said she didn’t know he wasn’t invited. He made it sound like he was, and that they’d just be going together. She didn’t suspect anything until they got to the front door. It was Zora who let them in and she’s never met my dad but he didn’t introduce himself, just acted like Vienna’s plus one. Then she saw my reaction to seeing him and knew he’d played her.”
“Oh come on, she should know better. She might not be your confidant in all things, but Vienna’s aware it’s not all smooth with you and your dad. Plus she knows about the wedding photo situation.”
“She was trying to get in touch with me beforehand to give me a heads up they’d be coming together, but I never got around to calling her back.”
Griff doesn’t say anything right away and I glance over at him.
“She’s not his usual type,” he comments.
“I don’t know if it was really going anywhere. Didn’t pry about it either. But she said there’s nothing happening now.”
“I hope not. She must have realized he was using her to reconcile with you.”
“I’m surprised he’s even trying. And to go out of his way to date someone who doesn’t need his money or status? It’s weird.”
“You’re his son. He might not have the best intentions but he doesn’t want you out of his life.”
“So you think I should just keep putting up with him to avoid surprise encounters like the other night?”
“No, you can’t go on like that with him for the rest of your lives. I mean you could but it’d suck.”
“What am I supposed to do then? And what do I do about Vienna?”
“You thinking of cutting her loose over this?” He sounds surprised. Vienna was his agent too while he was a pro and she’s been with me for years, nearly a decade at this point.
“Thought about it. I won’t ever look at her the same or trust her the same, but not sure I really want to cut ties and try to build a new relationship with another agent at this point.”
“Have you talked to Jordan? What’s she think?”
I check my phone, remembering the other reason I’m not in a great mood. Usually after these three days without seeing her I’m counting the minutes until she gets here. The last text I got from her was earlier this afternoon, letting me know she’d try to catch a ride with Taylor. He can manage to do more remote work than I can, and gets to go up to Summerside and work from there mid-week.
“I haven’t talked to her much about it, and this is the first time I’ve heard Vienna’s side of things. You heard from Taylor? He coming back tonight?”
“Told him he didn’t need to come in until Monday. You know he can do