Текст книги "Surge "

Автор книги: Sloan Storm

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“So you see, I really have no choice. If I don’t do this and earn enough money, I’ll be forced to put him back into public school. I can’t do that Dr. Wilcox. I won’t.”

Dr. Wilcox paused after I finished, considering what he’d say.

“Well, Ava, in all candor, I can’t say I’m surprised in the least. The fact that you go to such lengths to sacrifice for your nephew speaks volumes about your character.”

“Thank you, that’s very kind of you to say.”

“It’s the truth,” he added. “And, considering the closeness of your relationship, I’m sure the decision to leave him has also not been an easy one.”

I shook my head and pinched my lower lip between my teeth for a moment. “No, it hasn’t been. However, my roommate, Jillian, offered to take care of him.”

Dr. Wilcox smiled again. “Another blessing. It appears as though the universe wants you to take this opportunity. Doesn’t it?”

I nodded and folded my hands in my lap. Only one last thing bothered me about going on the road with the team. I worried about how it might change my relationship with my coworkers. Sensing that this might be my only opportunity to discuss it, I decided to bring it up to Dr. Wilcox.

But before I could say a word, he looked at me, narrowing his eyes in doubt. “Is there… something else you want to tell me, Ava?”

I swallowed and adjusted my position in my seat. “Yes. There is.”

“Please.”

“Well it’s just, it’s the other girls.”

Dr. Wilcox frowned. “What about them?”

“I don’t want them to be upset with me for leaving like this. We all have such a great working relationship that I don’t want to do anything to screw it up.”

A warm smile spread across his face.

“Ava, you have absolutely nothing to worry about. Listen to me. You are a very special person and opportunities like this don’t come along often. You have my word I won’t allow your choice to travel with the team, if that is indeed what you choose to do, affect your role here. As soon as you come back, your old position will be waiting for you. Okay?”

I smiled at him in return. “Thank you for that, Dr. Wilcox. You have no idea how much better that makes me feel.”

“Excellent, I’m glad to hear it.”

With that, he pressed his palms flat on the surface of his desk and eased himself out of his chair. I stood at the same time. He walked around his desk towards me and extended his hand in my direction.

“I’m assuming that congratulations are in order?”

I nodded, smiling as he drew close.

“Thank you, yes.” Before raising my hand to meet his, I paused. “Could I have a hug instead?”

Dr. Wilcox chuckled. “Of course.”

Later that afternoon, I got in my car after work and pulled out my cell phone from my purse.

I dialed Dieter’s number.

He answered.

AVA

It had been more than two weeks since I’d left Austin and followed the tour to its next stop in Miami.

At first, I enjoyed the excitement of going somewhere different and being part of something unique. However, it wasn’t long before I began to realize that the day– to-day things that went on with the team rarely required my involvement.

I wasn’t discouraged from visiting with the team while they were testing and working on the cars, getting ready for qualifying and later, race day. But after spending some time around them the first week we arrived, I felt more like I was in the way than anything else.

To make matters worse, I missed Simon.

Even though I believed I’d prepared myself to be away from him, the truth was I hadn’t. I called home every day to talk to him. Still, I felt worse and worse about what I’d done. Not only leaving him, but dumping the responsibility for taking care of him on my best friend. During one particular call from my hotel room, I asked him to put Jillian on the phone.

“Hey,” she said, taking the phone from Simon. “How’s everything going? Are you having a great time in Miami? What’s it like?”

I scoffed. “No, far from it.”

“Oh no, has something happened? What did Dyson do?”

I exhaled and laid down on top of my bed. “He didn’t do anything.”

“Okay, if you’re not upset with him, what’s wrong?”

I felt ashamed to admit what was really on my mind. I hesitated. Jillian stepped in, filling the silence once again.

“Whatever it is, Ava, you can tell me.”

I swallowed hard, exhaling while I confessed. “I-I think I’m homesick.”

Jillian giggled at me for a few seconds.

“Uh, why are you laughing?” I groaned. “It’s not funny.”

She quieted down. “I’m sorry, honey. I didn’t mean to. It’s just that you telling me you’re homesick was the last thing I expected to hear from you. You’ve always wanted to travel and see the world. It just seemed funny to me.”

“I do. But, they don’t need me here. I mean, yeah, every once in a while I have to go to the track during testing, but otherwise I’m all by myself.”

Jillian listened to me in silence for a moment.

“What can I do to help you feel better, Ava?”

I felt so pathetic. With the phone pressed against my ear, I rolled my head to one side and exhaled.

“Nothing… I’ll be fine. I just… I miss you both so much.”

“Awww,” Jillian began, clearly choking back some emotion in her voice. “Don’t do that. I’m going to get upset.”

Just hearing her say those words triggered me as well. I sensed a sudden rush of heat come to my eyes but before the tears could start to flow, I sat up. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have even brought this up.”

Jillian sniffled and after a hard swallow, she said, “Don’t. I know how important all of this is to you and Simon.”

I swiped at my eyes with the back of my palm. “Everything is going to be fine. I’ll be okay.”

“I should be the one telling you that! I don’t mean to be such a hot mess over here.”

Just then, I stood from the mattress and began to walk around my hotel room, eventually making my way towards its only window.

“Ava, are you still there?”

I couldn’t even see the ocean from the window.

“Mmm hmm,” I began, glancing up towards the puffy white clouds overhead. “I think I’m going to take a drive down to the beach. Believe it or not I still haven’t been there.”

“That sounds like a good idea to me.” Jillian said. “And you know you can call anytime, right? I promise I don’t mind.”

“Yeah, I know,” I began. “But I’ve got to get out of this funk I’m in. I’ve still got a couple of months ahead of me, and at the rate I’m going, I’m never going to make it.”

Jillian exhaled a sympathetic breath. “You’ll be fine, Ava. If anybody can handle this, it’s you.”

I thanked her, and then a few seconds later we said our goodbyes and hung up. Soon after, I grabbed my purse and headed out of the hotel to get in my car and drive to the beach.

It was midafternoon by the time I reached the lobby. Walking across it, I happened to glance in the direction of the bar. Dyson and Marco were in there with a few of their mechanics and the team manager, Darren.

From the looks of things, they were kicking back and having a good time together. I stood there for a few seconds looking at them and wishing I could join in on the fun. But it was clear that my role on the team meant I didn’t get included in such things.

Repositioning the strap of my purse across my shoulder, I turned to continue out of the hotel. But just as I did, Dyson looked straight at me. He nodded and smiled. It was the first time I’d seen him away from the track since we arrived in Miami.

I didn’t return his gesture, but instead continued to walk away.

DYSON

With qualifying fast approaching, I’d been putting all my effort into race prep. After finishing second in Austin, I liked my chances. Gunter was running well, but I loved the layout of the course and figured if we could get the setup right on the car, I had a great chance to win.

Things were mostly business as usual, the only difference now being Ava’s presence. We’d only spoken a couple of times since arriving in Miami, but I didn’t see it as unusual. The days leading up to qualifying were always pretty damn busy. As much as I tried to be friendly with her, she seemed distant. I wouldn’t say she was pissed at me, but something was different about her. In fact, when I’d seen her the day before in the hotel lobby, she seemed cold as ice.

Anyway, we were at the track the next afternoon when I’d just come out of the garage headed to one of the team trailers. Emerging into the bright sunlight, I hooded my eyes with my hand and spotted a familiar figure walking in the opposite direction.

“Ava!” I called out.

She stopped and looked at me. Taking that as my cue, I walked over towards her. She looked sexy as hell standing there. The sun’s rays reflected in her long, dark red hair, causing it to shine. She wore a tight T-shirt and a pair of jeans that hugged her feminine curves like the tires on my car did in a tight turn. Even though she still eluded me until now, I had no intention of letting that continue. I slid my tongue across my lips as I approached.

“What’s up?” I said.

She shook her head as I neared.

“Oh nothing,” she said, patting her hand against a manila folder tucked under her arm. “I just have to get some signatures from Darren.”

“Okay,” I replied, tilting my chin up at her. “I, um, haven’t seen you around. What have you been up to?”

She shrugged. “I’m just trying to do my job and stay out of the way as much as possible.”

Before I could say anything, she continued. “What about you? How’s everything going with the car? Are you going to be ready?”

I nodded and slid my fingers through my hair. “Yeah, we should be good to go. Gunter needs to watch his ass this time.”

Just then, a trace of a smile came to the edge of Ava’s mouth.

“Ahhh,” I began, winking at her. “So you do remember how to do that?”

“What are you talking about? Do what?”

I pointed at her. “Smile. Every time I see you around here now you look like you’re not having much fun, depressed even.”

Ava looked away from me. “It’s not intentional. I’ve just had a hard time adjusting. That’s all.”

“I understand.” I said. “It’s a lot to take in all at once. You only got to see the tail end of things in Austin. I suppose from your point of view it hasn’t been real exciting here in Miami yet, has it?”

She shook her head. “Not really, no.”

I leaned against a nearby retaining wall. “Have you had a chance to get out? See the sights? Go to the beach?”

“Yes,” she began. “I finally made it to the beach yesterday. I wish I’d gone sooner. It was just what I needed.”

While I listened to her, something still didn’t seem right.

“Hey,” I said, snapping my fingers. “Why don’t we go out and grab a bite to eat later? We haven’t hung out for a while. It will give us a chance to catch up.”

“I really don’t think that’s a good idea, Dyson. Thank you, though.”

I frowned at her. “Was it something I said? It usually takes you a little longer to shoot me down.”

She chuckled a little. “No, I think it’s just better if we keep things, you know, a bit less friendly. I don’t mean anything by it. I do enjoy your company, but now that we’re working together it’s probably for the best if we don’t mix business and pleasure.”

I pushed myself off the wall and nodded in the direction of Darren’s trailer. Not acknowledging her comment, I said, “Come on, I’ll walk with you.”

Ava repositioned the folder, crossing her arms and hugging it to her chest. Without speaking, she turned, and we started to walk side-by-side.

“You know,” she began, glancing at me for second. “You don’t have to worry about me, if that’s what this is about.”

I shook my head and shrugged my shoulders at the same time. “I’m not worried about you, Ava. I’m trying to get into your pants.”

Something that sounded like a cross between a laugh and a scoff came out of her mouth. I smiled. It was good to hear. She quieted down after another second.

“Isn’t that what Anastasia and Svetlana are for?”

“Sometimes.”

“Uh huh,” she muttered. “Well as much I respect your honesty, that’s about the worst idea possible.”

I chuckled as we continued to walk. Changing subjects, I asked, “How’s Simon doing? Is everything okay back home?”

I looked at her and watched as she ran her fingers through her hair, tucking it behind one of her ears. She turned and smiled.

“He’s doing fine. Thank you for asking.”

“Of course. He’s a good kid. I’m sure you miss him.”

Just then, Ava stopped and faced me. I looked at her as she did. She opened her arms and held the folder in one hand.

“Thanks for the talk. I should really get this stuff to Darren.”

“Okay,” I replied. “Last chance. You sure you don’t wanna go out and do something later?”

She nodded, but before she could say anything, I continued, “Well, now that you’re an official member of the team, you really should hang out in the pits on race day. There is nothing else like it. I promise you’ll love it.”

“You never quit, do you?” she said.

“Nope. It’s not in my nature. So what do you say? You want to have some fun with all of us? Or would you rather sit in your hotel room and feel sorry for yourself?”

Ava shifted her jaw at my teasing comment.

“Okay,” she began, pursing her lips at me. “I’ll do it, if for no other reason than to keep you from asking me out again.”

With that, she offered me another small smile before heading towards Darren’s trailer. As she walked away, I allowed my eyes free roam along her backside. My fingers curled, itching to dig themselves into her hourglass figure. Licking my lips once again, I watched her hips swaying from side to side and did my best to ignore the twitch in my crotch.

“Damn.”

AVA

After my conversation with Dyson a few days earlier, my mood started to steadily improve. Part of it was due to the fact that once the race was over, we’d have a bit of a break before moving on to the next stop in Los Angeles. Also, in a strange way, hearing Dyson come right out and tell me he wanted to sleep with me somehow caused me to trust him a bit more.

Although part of me still wondered if he manipulated the situation to get me alone with him, I felt as if I’d made my desire to keep things friendly between us clear. If he did have any ulterior motives and wanted to get back at me for refusing him, he hadn’t done anything yet. Until he did, I decided to leave well enough alone and give him the benefit of the doubt.

In any case, race day arrived, and I made my way to the track to join the team.

Just as it was in Austin a month ago, the venue crawled with spectators. In a way, all the boring time leading up to the event didn’t seem so bad in retrospect. I came to enjoy the craziness surrounding race day. As I reached the pit area, the insanity ramped up to another level. Mechanics, race officials, and VIPs crammed in every square inch of space.

I weaved through the throng of people, flashing my badge to security personnel along the way. Not long after, the team appeared ahead of me. But just as I picked up my stride, someone called out my name from behind.

I stopped and turned in the direction of the voice.

Anastasia and Svetlana. Great.

Glammed out in their Grid Girl outfits, the two women marched straight up to me. Crossing my arms, I prepared myself for whatever would happen next.

Svetlana spoke first. “You. Girl. Do you not remember what we say?”

I shook my head at her. “First of all, my name is Ava. Not girl. And secondly, what the hell are you talking about?”

“Do not pretend dumb.” Anastasia said, pointing her finger at me. “You know what we mean.”

“No,” I replied. “Actually, I have no idea what you mean. I only have to assume it has something to do with Dyson.”

“Yes. Dyson. We warn you already,” Svetlana said. “Stay away from him.”

I couldn’t believe the ridiculousness of this situation. Aside from our short conversation a few days earlier, I’d spoken maybe two dozen words to Dyson the entire time we’ve been in Miami. These chicks were delusional, and I wasn’t in any mood to tolerate their nonsense. Just then, Anastasia opened her mouth, presumably to continue their insults. I raised my hand, stopping her before she could get a word out.

“I’m only going to tell you this one time. There is nothing going on between me and Dyson. I work for the team, and that’s all. The only time he and I talk is when we’re discussing team business.”

They looked at each other and began to bicker in what I guessed was Russian. Not wishing to waste any more of my time with them, I spoke up one last time.

“The two of you have nothing to worry about. Do I make myself clear?”

And just when I thought I’d made my point as succinctly as possible, Svetlana stepped towards me and poked me in the shoulder with her finger.

“This last warning, girl. Next time we catch you near Dyson, you regret this.”

With that, the two women glared at me before turning around and walking in the other direction. What I hadn’t realized was that during the discussion, we’d managed to attract a few curious male onlookers. Not surprising really, when  I considered how the girls dressed on race day.

“Idiots.” I muttered, glancing at the girls one last time before spinning in place and continuing onward to join the team.

In the aftermath of dodging my first catfight since I was a teenager, I considered leaving the track before the race even got underway. After all, nothing was happening between me and Dyson, and the last thing I needed to deal with was those crazy Russian bitches.

Reaching down, I looked at the VIP credentials and started to remove them when Marco appeared, seemingly out of nowhere.

“Ava,” he said, smiling at me with a mouth full of gleaming white. “Dyson will be thrilled that you made it out. Are you excited?”

I let go of the badge, and it drifted back towards my midsection. His positive energy was just what I needed. I smiled back at him.

“Yeah, actually,” I replied, feeling my mood lighten. “I’m very excited. Are you ready?”

Marco stood there with both hands on his hips, beaming with confidence. “As ready as we’re going to be.”

I looked past him in the direction of the pits. “Where’s Dyson? I don’t see him anywhere.”

Marco nodded towards the team trailer. “He’s still getting ready. He’ll be out in a few minutes. Come with me.”

I walked behind him as we made our way towards the cars, surrounded by the mechanics and other members of the team as they made final preparations for the race. Darren noticed me standing there and approached, offering me a set of noise canceling headphones.

“Here,” he said, extending them to me. “If you’re going to be down here with us, you’re going to need these.”

I took them, and just as I was about to thank him, I noticed Dyson walking towards us.

“Ava,” Darren said, pointing towards his umbrella-covered elevated perch nearby. “You’re welcome to sit up there with me during the race if you want. It’s a lot less chaotic, and you get the best view in the house.”

I smiled at him. “That sounds great. Thanks, Darren.”

“You bet.”

Just then, he turned and walked in the direction of the cars, slapping hands with Dyson when they passed by each other. Dyson walked up to me. His fire suit gleamed in the bright white of the Miami sun overhead, not yet covered in grime from two hours of racing,

“Whatdya think, right?” Dyson said, spreading his arms wide. “Did I tell you that this was the best place to be, or what?”

Still clutching the headphones in my hand, I nodded at him. “You did. And you’re right, it’s exciting.”

Before Dyson could say another word, Darren yelled in our direction. “Dyson! You ready?”

Dyson nodded at him and gave him a thumbs up before looking at me once more. “How about a kiss for good luck?”

His request caught me completely off guard, and judging by the wry smile on his face he knew it. I stood there dumbfounded with my mouth slightly open, unsure of exactly what I should do. The last thing I wanted was to break some tradition they had, only to have him race badly and then for some strange reason try to blame me for it later. Dyson just stood there, expressionless, waiting for me to fulfill his request.

“Well?” he said at last. “You heard Darren, I gotta go.”

“Okay,” I stammered. “I...”

“Dyson!” Darren yelled out again. “Now!”

Dyson looked at me and winked before yelling back. “One sec, man! I’m about to get lucky!”

I shook my head at him in disbelief.

He winked at me. “I almost gotcha there, didn’t I?”

AVA

Over the next two hours, I remained glued to Darren’s side as the race took place. Dyson was right—there was nothing like being in the pits, watching everything happen in the heat of the moment.

When he wasn’t talking to Dyson over race radio, Darren educated me a bit about some of what goes on behind the scenes. The thing that stood out to me the most was the fine line between winning and losing. Mostly, it came down to team preparation and execution. When fractions of a second meant the difference between first place and tenth, having a team that worked as well as Dyson’s did under pressure meant everything.

As luck would have it, the points leader, Gunter Kass, had engine trouble with only ten laps remaining and had to retire from the race. When it happened, Darren reached in my direction and in a moment of spontaneity, he hugged me, yelling at the top of his lungs, “We’re gonna win! We’re gonna fucking win!”

Not long after, Darren’s prediction came true as Dyson roared across the finish line. Marco finished a close second behind his teammate. Minutes later, we scrambled to the winners circle. Dyson drove in, pumping his fist in celebration.

The entire team, the media and race officials crowded around Dyson’s car. He brought it to a stop and after unbuckling himself from his safety gear, he climbed out and the celebration got underway.

After a round of high-fives with his teammates, Dyson spoke to the media about the victory. I lingered nearby, listening in as the interview unfolded. When it concluded, Dyson raised his arms in celebration once again. A loud roar broke out. Grinning from ear to ear, Dyson held his race helmet in one hand and pumped it in the air over and over again.

I smiled and clapped, caught up in the celebration.

In the midst of it all, Dyson happened to glance in my direction and extended his free hand towards me. Wiggling his fingers, he motioned for me to approach. Without thinking, I walked towards him, fully aware of the dozens of pairs of eyes watching me while I did.

When I’d drawn to within a couple of feet, Dyson snatched me by the wrist and pulled me hard against his torso. Disoriented by the speed of it, I hadn’t even had time to figure out what happened before I felt his lips press against my cheek. No sooner had he done it than another deafening roar rippled through the crowd.

“Fuck yeah!” Dyson yelled, looking out over them. “Fuck yeah!”

Before I could say a word, a sea of arms and hands separated us, lifting Dyson into the air and carrying him away. Not long after, the crowd started to thin. I reached up and touched the spot on my cheek where he’d kissed me moments earlier. I glanced around, unsure if anyone even noticed.

It was possible he’d been swept up in the excitement of winning. Probably that’s exactly what had happened. A few seconds later I dropped my hand away from the side of my face, realizing that it probably meant nothing whatsoever.

The celebration continued.

Even though I was happy for him and the rest of the guys on the team, the only thing I cared about doing next was getting home to see Simon as soon as possible. Every minute between the end of this race and the time when I was expected to be in Los Angeles was precious to me. I walked away, leaving them all to continue the party. Making my way through the throng of people, I finally emerged from it a minute or so later.

Glad to be free of the crowd at last, I stopped to catch a breath. I looked up and saw them both standing there. Anastasia and Svetlana scowled at me, arms crossed and from the looks of it, ready for a fight.

I returned their icy glare with one of my own. Nothing was going to stop me from getting home to see Simon, especially not them. Without hesitating, I walked straight towards them, preparing myself for the first punch, kick or scratch.

They watched me, never blinking, and hardly moving. Every muscle in my body flexed. I had no doubt what was about to happen. Moisture drained from my mouth.

But much to my surprise, by the time I closed to within a couple of feet of them, they stepped aside. Wordless, they allowed me to pass between them. I slowed for just a fraction of a second, glancing at each of them before continuing.

“Cunt,” one of them mumbled. I wasn’t certain which of them said it.

I froze in place, while my fingers threatened to curl into fists. Every fiber of my being wanted to have it out with them once and for all. Instead, like a peaceful mantra, one word came to mind.

Simon.

I closed my eyes with a slow blink and kept on moving, not looking back even once.

AVA

A few days after my bizarre encounters with Anastasia and Svetlana, I arrived home in Austin for a brief visit before moving on to the next stop on the circuit.

I planned on spending as much time as I could with Simon while I was there. But before I did, I made sure to swing by the office and talk to all of my coworkers and Dr. Wilcox.

In spite of my struggles since leaving, the last thing I wanted to do was disappoint him. He loved Formula One so much I knew he would have given almost anything to be in my position. Only his work ethic and dedication to his patients kept him from fulfilling what was probably one of his biggest dreams in life. I certainly didn’t want to be disrespectful by accident, just because I wasn’t prepared for life on the road.

Predictably, he wanted to know about all of my experiences since joining the team a few weeks earlier. Needless to say, I spent a lot of time talking about all of the good parts and mentioning the less desirable ones with little more than a throwaway comment or two.

Otherwise, I was surprised at how much I missed being around my friends at the office. It’s funny how I’d taken their presence in my life for granted. It made me feel good that they felt the same way. It probably goes without saying then, that the happiness I felt from reuniting with not only them but Simon and of course, Jillian, filled me with much-needed joy.

It wasn’t so much that Dyson, Marco, Darren and the rest of the team members didn’t appreciate me, but nothing compared to the family and friends I had at home in Austin. And so it was that on the evening of my final night at home, the three of us sat around the dinner table, enjoying each other’s company.

Since I’d come home, Simon hounded me with an endless series of questions about what it was like to be on the inside of the Formula One racing team. Like I’d done with Dr. Wilcox, I chose to leave out the parts of it I didn’t care for and instead made it sound irresistible to a kid like him.

Anyway, after we finished eating, I sent him to his room to get ready for bed while I chatted with Jillian in the kitchen. She was predictably interested in Dyson. Although I told her on more than one occasion over the phone nothing was going on, I’d had a feeling she’d grill me about it when I got home.

It turned out that my suspicion was correct.

“I was watching the race the other day you know,” she said, wiping off one of our dinner plates with a sponge. “I saw him kiss you.”

I rolled my eyes. I hadn’t seen the television footage, so I didn’t know how it came across. But in the moment there was nothing to it. It was simple excitement on his part, just celebration.

“You don’t understand,” I began. “What you saw on TV–it wasn’t a big deal. Really. It was just a spontaneous kind of thing.”

“Uh huh. Sure it was,” she replied, snapping one hand to her hip. “Cut the crap, Ava.”

I frowned at her. “What? I’m telling you the truth. Believe me, Dyson has no shortage of women to pick from. Ask me how I know.”

Jillian froze in place, holding one of our dinner plates between her thumb and index finger. “What? What’s that supposed to mean?”

For a moment or two, I debated whether or not I would tell her about my run-in with the girls after the race. At the last instant, I thought better of it.

“You know what? Um, it’s nothing. Never mind.”

“Oh no… No, no, no,” Jillian groaned. “You don’t get to leave town for nearly a month and then hold out on all the juicy gossip.”

I shook my head. “I’m not holding out on anything. Trust me.”

“Bullshit,” she fired back.

I widened my eyes. “Jillian, watch your mouth. Simon?”

A sheepish grin spread across her face. She shrugged. “Sorry.”

Realizing I had next to no chance of resisting her incessant questioning, I relented and spent the next few minutes updating her about my drama with the Grid Girls.

“Wow,” Jillian began. “It sounds like those two are really insane.”

I nodded. “If there ever was such a thing as an understatement, that’s it.”

Jillian laughed. In fact, I was just about to tell her what they’d called me in Miami just before I left, but suddenly, my cell phone started to ring. I’d left it on the dining room table during dinner. After exiting the kitchen, I walked towards it and picked it up, flipping it over to see who it was.

The display flashed, ‘Unlisted’ across it.

“Who is it?” Jillian asked, without turning around to face me.

I shrugged. “Don’t know.”

Yet almost as soon as I said that, I remembered I was supposed to receive a call from team management about the schedule in Los Angeles.

“Oh, right. I think it’s about tomorrow. The team,” I said, swiping the phone on and raising it to my ear.

“Hello?”

A strangely familiar male voice replied.

“Well, well.”

A knot formed in my stomach. Silence fell over the line. I tightened my grip on the phone. “Who is this?”

“You know God damn well who this is, Ava.”

I felt my eyes widen in their sockets. Pulling the phone away from my ear, I stared at it in disbelief. Jillian noticed my sudden silence and turned around towards me.

Her forehead creased with wrinkles of concern. “Who is it? Ava, is everything okay?”

“It… It can’t be.”

With my mouth hanging open, I stared at her and slowly returned the phone to the side of my head. “Gene?”

After a ragged exhale, I received the horrible confirmation. “You were expecting someone else?”