The Race

Chapter 6

Chapter 6

“You know, I still can’t believe that your main weapon is a crossbow,” I said, crossing my arms over my chest as I watched Kier shoot at a target across the room again.

We’d been in training for three hours and were about to take a break for lunch.  Kier wanted to warm up before weapons training began right after, so I was watching him while my dad was setting up everything for after. 

We were in the room that mine and Kier’s press conference was in the previous day.  It was totally changed.  There were practice mats everywhere for the physical fight training and they’d even set up a soundproof shooting range so that we could practice our aim with our guns and knives, both of which we were going to be doing after lunch.  We’d basically just warmed up in the three hours that we had been here.   

But since Kier’s main choice of weapon barely made a sound until it hit the target, he didn’t need a soundproof shooting range. 

“Your dad let me choose the first day he trained me which weapon I wanted to work with.  I chose this,” he said, looking back at after he hit the target right in the center…for the tenth time in a row.  “And you can see that I’m fairly good with it.”

“You can say that again,” I said, rolling my eyes. 

Kier reached behind him into the sheath of arrows he had strapped across his back and pulled one out.  He placed it in the crossbow and took aim, his stance sure.  And again, he made a perfect shot, knocking the other arrow out of the target and taking its place. 

He looked back at me with his crooked grin in place.  “I think I’ve had enough warming up,” he said.

Dad walked toward us where he was setting up everything for our training later.  “You two can go ahead and go get some lunch,” he said.  “I’ll be here for another fifteen minutes and then I’ve got to go talk with Dirkx about tomorrow.”

“Okay,” I said.  I looked over at Kier.  “Do you want to go to the restaurant here in the hotel?”

He shrugged.  “I guess,” he said.

“Good,” Dad said, nodding.  “That way there won’t be any cameras there because after yesterday, they’d be all over you two.”

I looked over at Kier as he looked at me and we both started laughing. 

Dad rolled his eyes.  “Okay, you two.  Go on and leave.  I’ll see you back here in a half an hour.”

Kier handed over his crossbow and sheath to my dad and we headed toward the door. 

I didn’t care that I was still in my tank top and shorts as we headed toward the lobby of the hotel where the front doors of the restaurant were.  Kier had on a tight white t-shirt and shorts.  And even though we were both still a little sweaty from training, he still looked…too good for a guy who’d been working out for the past three hours. 

The strains of hair that were hanging around my face were taking back their natural curl.  I tried to tuck them back into my ponytail.  They didn’t want to stay so I just tucked them behind my ear. 

Kier held open the doors and we both stepped inside.  The lunch crowd was there, some waiting for tables.  But when the hostess saw us – skimming her eyes over Kier and giving him an approving gaze – she grabbed two menus. 

“Mr. Portner, Miss Gordon, I’ve got you a table in the back,” she said.

As we followed her and I looked around at all of the people staring at me and Kier, I was wondering if maybe we should have at least changed into jeans or something.  Most people were dressed casually, not in training clothes like the two of us.