Page 46 of One Last Shot

Tom starts to say something, then pauses. Finally, he says, “Avery wants to see Petra again.”

“Why? Do they know each other?” Didn’t they only meet for like two seconds when Petra came to Tom’s office last week?

“Yeah, well, Petra sent her flowers on Friday as a thank you for arranging her hotel, and they’ve been texting since then. You guys want to come over for dinner one night or something?”

“When’s Avery back? Sunday?”

“Yeah.”

“I have a game Sunday night, but maybe Monday?” I ask as I walk back into my apartment and bring the food into the kitchen.

“Sure,” he says.

“I don’t really have a sitter for Stella, so how about you guys come here instead?” I take the containers out of the bag and set them on the counter.

“Fine.” The word is clipped, his voice annoyed.

“Man, you sound like a real asshole right now. Go out and have some fun while Avery’s away. You used to know how to do that before her, remember?”

“Before her, I used to know how to go out to pick up girls. Can’t really do that now,” he says. “Or, I don’t want to anyway.”

I hear the elevator doors open. “Okay, Stella and Petra are home, I gotta go. Go get drunk tonight or something,” I suggest. “Don’t just sit home pining for Avery.”

“Asshole,” Tom mumbles as he hangs up the phone.

I hang up the phone and walk into the entryway, and Stella runs to meet me in the dining room, then wraps her arms around my legs so I’m immobile. I run my huge hand over her hair. “I missed you,” I tell her.

“Missed you more,” she says.

“Who were you talking to?” Petra asks as she follows Stella into the room.

“Tom.”

“Your lawyer?”

I nod and bend down to pick up Stella for a proper hug.

“Why is he pining for Avery? Isn’t she his executive assistant?”

Oh, she doesn’t know. Of course she doesn’t. “They’ve been living together for a few months.”

Her mouth forms a perfect little O. “I had no idea. Maybethat’swhy she loves her job so much?” Petra laughs, and the sound rumbles around in my belly the same way it rumbles around in her throat.

She glances at Stella where she rests her head on my shoulder, the back of her head toward Petra. “Think they have sex at work?” Petra mouths silently.

I raise my eyebrows and nod my head knowingly, and Petra laughs.

“Can we eat dinner?” Stella asks. “Then I need to go pack my bag.”

“Pack what bag?” I ask.

“For my sleepover with Harper tomorrow.” Stella gives me such a huge grin that I don’t know what to say in response. “Thank you for saying yes!” She gives my neck another big squeeze before wiggling out of my arms and moving toward the kitchen.

Petra opens her mouth to say something, but I silence her with, “We’ll talk about this later.”

She raises an eyebrow like she’s looking forward to going toe-to-toe with me over this. I don’t know if I love it or hate it that she never backs down from a fight.

Over dinner Stella catches me up on the last few days, including updating me on the situation with Jason, who hasn’t so much as said a word to her since she pushed him down at recess. Petra looks absolutely imperious about this, but it’s only been a day. We’ll see if the truce lasts.

---