Determined to outdo him, Olivia arrived at the studio twenty minutes earlier than usual the following morning. If she could not show him up in talent alone, she would demonstrate how much more she wanted it. She would work harder and longer, forcing him to see that she was a force to be reckoned with. By the time Max arrived, she was warmed up and walking through some of the dances they had been working on.<br/><br/>As tempted as she was to make some snide remark about him 'finally arriving', Olivia chose to bite her tongue. She was beginning to realise that he somehow always managed to turn everything against her. How, she did not know, but it was obviously just the sort of person he was. For a split second, she wondered if it was all worth it. A moment later, she shoved that thought away roughly.<br/><br/>Of<em>course</em>it was all worth it! How could she think that, even for a moment?<br/><br/>Though she managed to keep her mouth shut, she could not help the cold glance that was all the welcome she offered him. Pyotr arrived a minute later, saving her from having to handle Max alone. It would have been much harder to keep her words to herself if she had been alone with Max for any period of time.<br/><br/>"Alright, we work on Foxtrot today, da?" the coach called when Max was ready. Before either of them could answer one way or the other, Pyotr was already putting together a routine. They practised for several hours until Pyotr told them to take a break and went off to make a telephone call.<br/><br/>Olivia sank down onto the floor with her back against one wall, sighing as she opened her water bottle. "That wasn't awful," she mumbled without looking at Max. In fact, it had been the best practice they had had, in her opinion. Granted, they had only been working together for three days, and perhaps if she had not been quite so tired she would not have said anything.<br/><br/>He really would not be a bad partner if he was not such a horrible person!