INT. LAINEY'S OLYMPIC APARTMENT - NIGHT
Lainey sits on the couch scrolling through her phone. She comes up on video of the medal ceremony. She watches as the gold medal goes around Annika's neck.
Olivia shouts from the other room.
OLIVIA (O.C.)
We're on the first flight in the morning.
Lainey writes a note: Going out. Don't wait up. She slips out the front door.
EXT. VILLA PARTY - NIGHT
Lainey walks up to the door. Someone has a list.
DOOR PERSON
Name?
LAINEY
Lainey--
DOOR PERSON
Lainey? The American ice skater... How are you doing?
The Door Person checks the list.
Another athlete walks up. The Door Person smiles and opens the door for him.
DOOR PERSON
Hey John, great runs today. Congrats on the gold medal.
John looks at Lainey.
JOHN
Lainey, right? You coming inside? Everyone's talking about how you landed a quad today. That's incredible.
Lainey looks inside and sees Cory sitting amongst a group of female athletes and other members of the ski team. He's showing them a pair of skis giving some pointers. Everyone's enraptured.
She backs away, turns and leaves.
EXT. BONFIRE - NIGHT
Olympic athletes party hard in front of a huge bonfire. Lainey shows up and a drink is placed in her hand. She downs it. She grabs another one.
EXT. BONFIRE - LATER
Lainey sways and flirts as she talks with another MALE ATHLETE.
Cory walks up on his crutches.
CORY
Hey, I've been looking for you. John said he saw you at the house party. Why didn't you come in?
Lainey looks over at Cory. She smiles big.
LAINEY
Well if it isn't the three-time gold medal champion?
CORY
Is that supposed to be an insult?
LAINEY
Isn't that what you said when we met? I bet you got into all the parties tonight. Because you're an Olympic champion.
CORY
Why don't we head back to your place?
LAINEY
Why? The night's just started and I literally have nothing else to do with my life.
CORY
That's not true.
LAINEY (shouting)
Hey everyone! Look at the biggest screw up in history. Right here.
CORY
You just need to figure out how to move past this.
LAINEY
And you're the poster child for getting over your past mistakes?
Cory runs his hands through his hair.
Lainey walks past Cory. Cory reaches out and grabs Lainey's arm, gently. Lainey stops. She turns with tears in her eyes.
LAINEY (CONT'D)
You should get far away from me. I'm toxic. I don't know if I can recover from this.
Lainey runs off. Cory tries to run after her but he can't. He hits a log with his crutch out of frustration.
EXT. LAINEY'S OLYMPIC APARTMENT - NEXT MORNING
Lainey and her Mom leave. There's a note taped to the door with Lainey's name on it. She takes it and shoves it in her bag.
INT. AIRPLANE - NEXT DAY
Cory's seated. He checks his phone again and nothing new. He looks up and recognizes the flight attendant with whom he had sex on the flight to the Olympics two weeks ago. They lock eyes and she turns her back to Cory. He leans back and closes his eyes.
JOHN
Look who we have here.
Cory opens his eyes to see his Olympic teammates standing in front of him.
He sits up.
CORY
Hey! Great job proving you don't need me.
JOHN
Actually you forgot something.
CORY
I don't think so. My bag's up there.
He gestures to the overhead bin.
John unzips his jacket and removes his gold medal. He puts it around Cory's neck. Cory sits up even straighter, despite the pain that shoots through his leg.
CORY (CONT'D)
Whoa, whoa, whoa. What are you doing?
Cory looks uncomfortable. Two of his other teammates pull out their gold medals and put them around his neck as well. Cory shifts in his seat.
CORY (CONT'D)
Guys this is a nice gesture. But I didn't earn these. You did.
JOHN
You showed us how. Without you mentoring us all these years, we wouldn't have won.
Cory's coach Jeremy puts his hand on Cory's shoulder.
JEREMY
We'll take care of the mountain while you recover. We expect you back.
Cory grabs the gold medals and pulls them back over his head and hands them back to his teammates.
CORY
I'll come back and earn my own medals guys.
Cory's teammates roar in support and pat Cory's back as they take their own seats. He looks out the window and can't help but smile.
YOU ARE READING
Olympic Conquest
Romance"You already are the person I want you to be. I see so much more in you that you won't allow yourself to see." Lainey is on her way to her first and probably only Olympics. At twenty-two, she has finally made the U.S. Figure Skating Team after yea...
