Page 66 of One Last Shot

I stop my pacing when that reality hits me. I’ve known that I want Petra to stay since the minute I kissed her. Probably even before that. But that was selfish me, wanting to be close to her, wanting to be able to touch her and taste her any time I wanted. Wanting Stella to be able to keep looking at Petra with that adoration she so clearly has for my ex-best friend, now current lover.

But this reality is different. This feeling is different. I want her to stay for good. To see if we can make this marriage more than just a slip of paper. I can envision us here, together, with Stella and with more kids if Petra’s willing, and with a happiness I never dared hope for. Until now.

I can hear the low rumble of her voice out in the solarium, which she’s been using as her office during the day while Stella’s in school. I head over to the glass doors that lead from my bedroom out there, and quietly pull one open so that I’ll be able to hear when she’s done with her call.

I glance at my watch.Shit.I have five minutes until I need to be downstairs where Daniel will be waiting to load my suitcases into the car and drive me to our training facility, then we’ll head down to Philly on our team bus. I definitely don’t want to interrupt Petra, but I want to talk to her before I go. I want to let her know that everything’s a go with Raina, and also tell her how I’m feeling about our future. I want to plant the idea like a seed that can grow when it’s ready.

“No”—Petra’s voice is firm—“there’s no way I can be in LA by the end of this week. Late next week, probably.”

What the hell?

She laughs and that throaty, sensual sound rolls over me like it always does, springing to life a small flame of desire. “You don’tneedme, Charlie, youwantme. There’s a difference.”

The hairs on the back of my neck stand up as a chill moves down my spine.Who the fuck is Charlie?

There’s a pause as she listens to the response and then a low, disapproving “Hmm” rattles around in her mouth. “I’ve already given you my answer.” Another pause and then, “No, I haven’t found a place yet.”A place in LA?“I saw a promising little house online, but I want to go see it when I get there.” She laughs at whatever this asshole Charlie says. “Well, obviously, I want to be as close to you as humanly possible.”

Another chill moves down my spine. Have I really been this blind, thinking that just because we have this history and we’re having amazing sex and she’s great with my kid, that it means she’d want to stay? Are my feelings really this entirely one-sided? And this whole time she’s been seeing someone else? Is she moving to Los Angeles to be with him?

I don’t know her at all.

She mumbles a low, “Of course.” Like everything she says, it sounds sexy.

I shut the door as silently as I opened it, take a few quick steps across my bedroom, grab my suitcase, and head downstairs. I need to get out of here, to think about what I just overheard and to figure out what it means. And I need to be away from Petra to do that.

CHAPTER18

PETRA

The interview with Raina ran a little longer than planned thanks to my and Sasha’s side conversation and the negotiation about Raina’s college plans. I’ve literally never been more proud of anyone than I was of him for the way he handled that. So many people’s opportunities are limited by the cost of the education they need in order to achieve financial independence. I hardly know Raina, but I already want to make sure that she has every opportunity in the world, especially if she’s going to give the next year or more of her life to caring for Stella.

In any event, now I’m late for my meeting with my producer, Charley. She’s not going to be happy about that, but at least I texted her assistant asking for her to call me ten minutes later than planned, and got a clippedOK.But I manage to make it to the solarium before my phone is ringing.

“Hello?”

“Petra, this is Annabeth. I’m putting Charley through.”

“Okay, thanks.”

Silence, then, “Thanks for making me wait, bitch.” Charley laughs. She’s tough as nails, but I know I’m going to like working with her.

“Sorry, something really important came up.”

“What could possibly be more important than talking to your first and favorite producer?”

“Ugh,” I stall. “Something personal.”

“If this show goes well, you’re about to be a household name.” That promise sends a shudder through me. I don’t want the notoriety, I just want to be able to help women tell their stories, to inspire other women to persevere when they feel like giving up. I want to live my feminist beliefs in a way that helps other women take control of their own lives. It’s a big dream, and this show is about to help me achieve it. “And if that happens, there won’t be a separation between your personal and private life.”

“Are you trying to talk me out of this, Charley?” I tease. “Because if so, it’s working.” She knows how on the fence I was about doing the show. She’s the one who pulled me over to her side, fought with me tooth and nail until I agreed. She’s been my biggest cheerleader and also a staunch realist about how my life is about to change.

I’d accepted these changes, and I was okay with them. And then Sasha had to walk back into my life, along with the sweetest little six-year-old, and now they’ve both wormed their way into my heart. I’d thought it was well-protected, that I’d hardened myself off to actually loving someone other than my best friends. And never in a million years did I think I’d be able to trust Sasha again after the way he left me when we were younger. It had taken years to recover from that, and then a series of other men tried to break me like he had, and it was enough for me to swear off ever caring for a man again. Use them for what I needed, and get rid of them—that plan had worked so well for me until he showed up again.

“I’m just trying to prepare you for the reality of how things might change for you,” she tells me. “I know you like your privacy, but that’s going to be harder to maintain. It’ll be more like when you were modeling, except we’re not selling your body. We’re selling your brain, your personality, your life experience. And people are going to pay attention, Petra. I can just feel it. This show is going to be great.”

I take a deep breath, pushing back the trepidation that’s rising to the surface. I’ve already agreed to this. Signed a contract. This is what I wanted.Why does it feel so wrong now?

I wonder for a moment if I should tell her about Sasha and Stella. Does she need to know that I’m legally married? If we’re able to move ahead and find him a path to adopting Stella, and it somehow gets out in the news, she’ll be furious that I didn’t tell her.

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