Page 16 of Glitz & Goals

Okay,ouch.We had a moment yesterday, I’m sure of it. She could ask. Maybe shewon’t, but shecould.“Why not?”

A wrinkle has formed between Renee’s brows. She looks down at her hands. “There are a few factors,” she says slowly. “But here’s what I’ll tell you. For fun, she leaves shattered hearts all over the Strip. Completely impossible to tie that one down. Perhaps you noticed how effortlessly beautiful she is. How smart. How confident. Men fall at her feet. She never falls at theirs. Does that clear things up?”

My shoulders droop. “Got it.” I shouldn’t be surprised that the mermaid has a reputation for breaking hearts. After all, she flirted with me even though we never got as far as introductions. And when she left, she didn’t tell me that there was no merman in her life… she said that mermen didn’t exist. I thought that was a cute line, but maybe she was telling me that she’s not looking for a match.

And yet, I still want to find her, even if it’s just to hear the truth from her own lips. That she’s not interested. That she didn’t feel that spark.

Sonofabitch, why am Ialwaysdrawn to the untouchable women? Larisse might as well have been an otherworldly creature for all she cared about my feelings. Why can’t I ever be attracted to some sweet six or seven who will make me a sandwich when I’m hungry and massage my shoulders at the end of a long day? I, in turn, would treat her like my queen. But nope.

I always want theimpossiblewoman.

I don’t want to sit and mope in front of Renee, so I force a smile and reach for the folder. “Like I said, I’ll get these back to you. Thanks again.”

I can feel the weight of pity in Renee’s gaze as I retreat from the office. I make an effort to keep my steps even since my knee is bugging me after all that time on the ice this morning. I should wear my compression brace tomorrow. It’s not like anyone will think twice about it.

I fill out the forms in a daze, but all the while, I’m thinking about the woman whose name Istilldon’t know. I need advice.

So, after some deliberation, I give into temptation and call my sisters.

Laura picks up on the second ring. Her face fills half of my phone screen as she crows, “How are you, baby brother?”

I sigh. “God, when are you going to stop calling me that?”

Laura scoffs. “When you stop being the baby, obviously.”

The resolution on her end of the video tells me that she’s graduated to one of those watches most people use now. When they stream to each other, they make people’s faces look like 3D models of the actual person. I’m still happy with my smartphone, so my contribution to the conversation keeps the image flat. Call me old-fashioned, but I find the new tech kind of creepy and rise-of-the-killer-robots, even though it’s been around for years.

Erin joins us a few seconds later. “Hello, baby brother!”

Laura cackles. “Told you!”

“Message received. I’ll always be the baby.” I shake my head at their antics. “And at the rate I’m going, I’ll always be single.”

Laura immediately goes on the defensive. “Was some woman mean to you?”

Erin pipes up. “Was it Larisse? Please tell me she didn’t contact you again.”

“No, it’s not Larisse,” I say, before either of them can get too worked up. During my marriage, neither of my sisters was particularly close to my ex, but they were cordial enough. After the divorce, my sisters ended up solidly in my corner. We’d never talked about it before, but Laura confided in me that she, too, had trouble conceiving, and she was particularly indignant that Larisse would end our marriage over it.

Last I heard, Larisse hung up her pointe shoes and opened a dance studio. She married some big-shot CEO, popped out a couple of kids, and settled into her perfect little life with a picket fence and a retirement plan that probably has more zeroes than I care to think about. Looks like she made the smart choice walking away when she did.

Laura seems mollified. “Good, good. So, what do you need from us?”

“Advice, obviously,” Erin interjects. “But we’re gonna need to know where to start.”

“Okay.” I clear my throat. “So, I met someone.”

Both of my sisters gasp. “Gimme the deets!” Laura shrieks.

“Okay, uh. Details. That’s gonna be a problem.” I scratch the back of my neck. “See, I didn’t get her number. Or her name. Or any clear indication that she’s interested in dating.”

“Damn.” Erin whistles. “You struck out hard. That’s so unlike you.”

“Whatdoyou know?” Laura asks, looking skeptical as hell.

I exhale before admitting, “She was a mermaid.”

Laura nods. “Of course she was.”

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