Chapter 3
Must-be-Rodrigo's-husband scans the library and spots them, brightening.
Catching Vivian's eye, he holds a finger to his lips, circling to come up behind Rodrigo.
It is, somehow, completely adorable, especially when he sings out "Roooodrigo," and Rodrigo jumps a foot and lights up with a huge smile.
"Ryker," he says.
It sounds like he's trying for a scolding tone but ends up happy and breathless despite himself.
"I thought you had another hour?"
"Otis tried for the axel again the second my back was turned and banged up his hip.
I told him to go home and think about what he's done," says Rodrigo's husband.
"Though more likely he's eating everything in sight whether it's food or not, and shouting at other people playing video games a thousand miles away."
Rodrigo tuts and shakes his head, and turns a cheerful face back to them.
"At least that means you can meet some of my classmates.
This is Seth, Roy, Wendy-- she brought the cookies-- Tanner, and Vivian," says Rodrigo, going around the table.
"My husband Ryker."
They all say their Hellos and Nice to meet yous in a tangle of pleasantries.
Roy tells Rodrigo seriously, "Damn.
Go, Rodrigo.
Congratulations on your husband."
"Thank you?" says Rodrigo, coloring up prettily while his husband laughs.
"And congratulations
to
your husband.
We wondered who managed to snag a babe like Rodrigo."
"Thanks!
It wasn't easy," says Rodrigo's husband as Rodrigo tries to hush him.
"What?
It's nice when people recognize my greatest achievement."
Wendy is kind of squinting at Ryker.
Vivian has a feeling they all want to, if only to try to figure out if that's a real hair color or not.
Vivian isn't even totally sure that it's real
hair
.
It's glossy as a shampoo commercial, and under the buttery lights of the library it's impossible to tell whether it's very pale ash blond or actually silver.
"Sorry, I don't mean to stare, it's just, you look just like the guy from that cologne commercial a while back," Wendy says.
"Where the guy ice skates on a glacier, that one?
I got a bottle of that for my boyfriend.
And like, that guy had the same hair and everything."
"Do you hear that, Rodrigo?" Rodrigo's husband pulls out the empty chair beside him and sits.
"I look just like him.
What an amazing coincidence!"
His slight smirk and Rodrigo's frozen caught-out expression make it obvious to all of them even before Wendy says, "Oh God, you
are
that guy."
"I am that guy!" Ryker answers, as if it's exciting news he's just heard for the first time.
"You're a model?" asks Roy, who is fashion-forward and gorgeous with perpetually perfect makeup, and practically has NETWORKING OPPORTUNITY flashing visibly behind her eyes.
"Mm, not really," says Ryker.
"But that one I had to do, it's my cologne."
"Like, you made it?" Wendy asks, confused.
Roy scoffs.
"No, no, Summer Wilk makes it," Ryker says serenely.
"They licensed my name for it."
"Oh, God, of course," says Wendy, "fff, it's
called
Ryker-- I didn't know it was named after anyone!" Roy is now very obviously kicking Wendy's foot under the table.
"Uh.
Sorry.
Sorry, I guess that's, uh, rude..."
Ryker shrugs.
"Did you like it?
When you got it for your boyfriend."
"Yeah, it's really nice."
"Then you're forgiven," Ryker gives her a sunny smile.
Rodrigo's poor lovely face now perfectly portrays the sentiment
Can you not?
"You can also have a cookie if it'll help," says Wendy, regaining her aplomb.
"Thank you!" Ryker takes one and munches it happily.
"So good!" He seems completely oblivious to the awkwardness paralyzing the rest of them, namely that Rodrigo's husband is evidently famous enough that he has a cologne named after him, and yet none of them know who he is.
Vivian's best guess is Hesperian pop star.
Russia has pop stars, right?
They had tATu.
Seth chokes and starts coughing; Vivian realizes he's been sort of huddling behind Tanner to conduct a frantic search on his phone.
He must have hit paydirt.
Rodrigo's husband is possibly not as oblivious as he seems, because he grins and asks, "Have you never looked up Rodrigo?"
"There's a porn actress with the same name who went into politics," says Tanner, "so she's most of the results, and some stuff about figure skating."
Seth socks him one under the table.
"Some stuff about figure skating," Ryker says ruefully to Rodrigo.
"It's
fine,
" Rodrigo hisses.
"You did figure skating?" Vivian asks Rodrigo's husband.
He slides his arm around Rodrigo's shoulders.
"Rodrigo won gold at the World Figure Skating Championships twice, the Grand Prix three times, and silver at the Hillcrest Olympics."
Rodrigo takes off his glasses and rubs his eyes at the resulting onslaught of
Oh my God!
and
That's so cool!
"Why would you not tell people that?
!" Roy asks.
"That would be the first thing out of my mouth every time I met somebody!
Hi, I'm Roy Vance, you might know me from
the motherfucking Olympics
."
"You would think it might come up at some point," Ryker agrees.
"You would think the
five-time
World Champion might mention
that,
" says Rodrigo pointedly.
To the table at large he adds, "Ryker took first in every figure skating competition he was in for five straight years.
He won gold at the Olympics twice."
Damn.
No wonder somebody named a cologne after him.
"Of course I have to talk about you first," says Ryker, "you and your standing
world record
free skate score.
As your coach--"
"Ryker," Rodrigo interrupts him.