Page 90 of Push & Pull
“Doesn’t that mean stone in Greek?”
“Yes, and I’ve got two of them. Big ones.”
Although she hesitated, Simone still chuckled as she touched Petra’s hand. “I’m Simone. I am neither French, nor Jewish.”
“Huh. Is Simone associated with Jewish people? I had no idea.”
“It’s Hebrew. Female form of Simon. It became popular in France first, I guess.” Simone finally relaxed against the bartop. “My mom told me she named me Simone because it was pretty. Nothing special.”
“Was your mother half as dazzling as you?”
An enchanted sigh rang through Simone’s nostrils. “Yes, but she’s gone, so I’m afraid you can’t flirt with her, too.”
“Damn good thing, because I would.”
Simone’s fingers drummed against the bar. “What brings you to town, Petra? You don’t sound like a local.”
The only reason Petra thought on her feet so quickly was because she had spent half her life doing that to get by.Maybe someday soon my feet can slow down.“I was born and raised in…” Ah, should she do it? “Chicahgo.”
“That didn’t sound forced at all.”
“Can’t say I grew up with a full Midwestern accent, but I do a decent one.”
“You here on business? It’s the only reason to come into this boring city, where everything is corporate this and real estate that. We don’t even have a decent museum.”
“You could say it’s business. The unfinished kind.”
“Oh?” Curiosity cracked Simone’s voice. “I’m intrigued.”
“You said you were supposed to be meeting someone? So am I. Someone I really fucked things up with. I’m afraid she thinks the worst of me.”
Simone’s elbow eked across the bartop. Eventually, her fingers wrapped around her chin. “What did you do? Cheat on her?”
“No. Worse.”
“Hm?”
Petra swore to God that she was not making things up as she went along when she said, “I had to gall to steal her heart before breaking her trust.”
Although it was too loud in the hotel bar to hear Simone’s breath snapping through her nostrils, Petra sensed it like she felt the electric currents between them. “Are you sure you stole her heart? Did she tell you this?”
“I don’t think she would agree to meet me after everything that’s happened if that wasn’t at least a bit true.”
The purse of Simone’s lips was like an invitation to kiss them. Yet Petra held back, waiting for Simone’s response.
“Suppose you have a lot of groveling to do, then. What are you going to do?”
“Besides apologize and explain my life story? I don’t know. Hope and pray, I guess.”
“That’s not very exciting. Is that how you plan to win back this girl whose trust you shattered in a million tiny pieces?”
“Honestly, I’ve already done something pretty ballsy. I don’t know if you’ve been watching the news, but the gal who was kidnapped recently is the one I’m talking about. I helped her get out, at the expense of my own freedom. Only reason I’m out on bail right now is because her stepmother saw to it. But her stepmother’s voice doesn’t carry a lot of weight with this girl. They’re always at each other’s throats.”
“Maybe there’s a reason for that.”
“I still hope she can see the sense in her stepmother’s actions regardingme.Because this girl is really special. I’ve never felt about someone the way I do her. Can’t explain it. You ever been with someone who clicks with you from the start? Even if you’re thrown into a crazy situation together and nothing makes sense for a while? You… figure it out and have fun along the way? That’s how it was with this girl. She’s not someone I should have ever been into, but I liked her right away. She’s a total knockout, you know? Even if her hair color is fake.”
“Maybe she looks better blond… I mean, whatever hair color she has.”
