Chapter 39
PETAL
I brush past a couple reporters in front of Twisted Hearts, hoping that Tina is not yet fed up with the attention my predicament has drawn to the place.
I know it has meant an increase in business for her, but that hasn’t come without a cost. All sorts of people have been coming in, not just customers, and that’s been a strain on her and our regulars, who have to navigate the crowd to get their romance fix on.
The security guys Rake hired have done a good job keeping things calm and civilized, but they can’t ask the reporters to hit the road, much as I would like them to.
For the life of me, I do not understand why anyone gives a damn about my private life, who I’m sleeping with, or who I did or did not marry. It’s truly baffling.
“Running out for coffee, Tina. Can I get you the usual?”
On the phone with a customer, she throws a thumbs up my way.
I know the minute I step outside, the reporters are going to start lobbing questions at me. Rake’s security guys make sure they don’t get too close, but that doesn’t stop them screaming at the top of their lungs in my direction.
So far, I’ve pretty much just pretended they weren’t there. But I wonder if I did answer some of their questions, would they finally leave me alone? At least for a little while? I decide to play nice and pause in front of the coffee shop.
I smile in their direction. “What can I do for you guys?”
They waste no time pushing their mics in my face, and because they are shouting all at once, I can’t tell what they saying. So I hold my hands up. “C’mon, one at a time. I can’t answer ten questions at once,” I say, forcing myself to chuckle.
I can’t let them know they bother me. Rake told me that’s rule number one.
I bounce in my shoes a bit to look like I’m happy and carefree. But that comes to an abrupt stop when I finally hear one question, loud and clear.
“Petal, what do you think about Rake Hanson’s being traded? What will that mean for your ‘marriage’?” he asks using air quotes.
Trade? Like to another team? I don’t know much about sports but would think it’s a good bet that if you go to another team, that means you have to move to wherever they are.
As in, leave San Francisco.
Think fast.
“I’m not sure what you’re referring to,” I say cheerfully.
The reporter senses a weakness. Jesus, they are vicious people.
“Are you saying you are not aware there’s talk that your husband, Rake Hanson, is discussing being traded away from the San Francisco Aftershocks?”
I glance at the security guy. His face is blank.
I decide to fake it, and wave away his comment like a pesky little bug. “Oh that,” I laugh, “that’s just a crazy rumor.”
I turn toward the coffee shop, hoping to shake them off, at least long enough to let me think, but there’s another question.
“Sounds like, Petal, from the expression on your face, that Rake didn’t discuss this with you. Now if you were a real married couple, you’d be in the loop. But since you’re not, you’re adding fuel to the story that your whole marriage is a ruse, like initially reported.”
I feel my face turn several shades of red, and rush toward the coffee shop because they can’t follow me in there. I walk up to the counter and place my order in a shaking voice, and wait at the end of the counter, fiddling with sugar packets and little wooden stirrers.
“Look, there she is,” someone hisses.
I want to turn around. I really do. But I pretend not to hear.
“God, don’t you think he could have gotten a prettier fake wife? What a tool that guy is.”
My eyes well with tears as a fury fills my chest, making it hard to breathe. Something inside me is working its way up my body, and I know there will be no holding it back in about four seconds.
Three… two… one…
I take my tray of coffees and turn around. “Shut your mouth,” I say, slowly and evenly.
Both women’s eyes widen, probably more at my tone than my words. I walk out of the coffee shop and back to Twisted Hearts, where I disappear into the back room to try to figure out what just happened.
I grab my phone from my pocket and look up ‘athletes being traded.’ It means exactly what I guessed. Like switching any other job, they have to relocate to where their new teams are.
What I’m still confused about, though, is why Rake hasn’t mentioned this to me.
He’s talking this good game about the two of us, seeing where things go, yada yada, and all along he’s aware he might be leaving town?
That is so fucked on so many levels.
The first being that Rake might be on his way out. Permanently.
And the second is that he didn’t bother mentioning it to me.
He had plenty of opportunities to bring it up. We’ve been together nearly nonstop for the last few days since he hasn’t had to travel.
Was he thinking the whole time he’s telling me about his fears, the whole time he’s wooing me, the whole time he’s fucking me, that he’s probably going to leave town?
My God. What have I done?
I wasn’t looking for a guy, not after what Andy did. I wanted to be on my own, a single girl enjoying life, for a while. A long while.
Then Rake drops into my life. I was not interested, not in the least, but his persistence wore me down. I let him in, into my life and into my heart.
Sure, it’s early days, but there’s something there.
At least, there was.
And now this?
I pull my phone out of my pocket and send a group text to Lucy and Gilly.
Emergency meeting tonight.
Gilly responds right away.
Oh my god. How exciting. Are you already pregnant?
Very funny. Can you come up to the shop? It’s really, really important.
We’ll be there.
God, I love those girls. I return my phone to my pocket and force myself back to work to take my mind off things, and begin talking to a customer looking for a lighthearted romance that takes place at a beach.
I lead her to our ‘summer reads’ section, even though it’s not summer, and she immediately piles four books in her basket.
Another satisfied Twisted Hearts customer. It’s what I live for.
Well, one of the things I live for.