“Wait, really?” He struggled to sit up. “This is the last one?”
“I’m afraid so.” Giving his leg a pat, Pepper got to her feet. “We always knew this might happen. Surprised we made it this long, if you want to know the truth. And don’t worry, your father is already pitching a few ideas for a new show.”
Stone blinked.
“Feel better, son.” The door whispered shut behind her.
Stone sat on the bed in a tangle of blankets, staring at the hotel room door.
He was free.
“I can sublet my room,” Gina said while Natasha poured two glasses of wine.
“We’ll figure it out. Did you decide whether or not you’re going to doThe Dance Offagain?”
“Not yet.” Gina took the wineglass Tash handed her. “I know this is show business, and there will always be someone trying to manipulate me, but if I return, I don’t want anything to do with Donna.”
“I wouldn’t blame you for telling them all to go fuck themselves, but I’ll miss having you there.”
“It’s going to be weird being alone in New York while I’m doing the musical. I’ve gotten used to LA.”
“And you have a kickass roommate here.” Tash clinked her glass to Gina’s. “Are you going to live with your mom?”
“No, I’m hoping to find a place in Hell’s Kitchen, or somewhere else in Manhattan where I can get to and from the theater easily. What are you going to do in the off-season?”
“While you were gone, I booked a gig on a cable show filming this summer. Nothing big—I’m playing a teenager, if you can imagine.”
Gina laughed. “A mean girl?”
Tash pursed her lips and shrugged. “I play the sassy bitch so well.”
“If only people knew what a softie you are.”
“Don’t tell anybody, or I’ll cut you.”
Gina snorted and drank more wine. It was a nice, sweet Pinot Noir, something she’d missed while filming. “We live in a world of seasons, don’t we? We could be living different lives every few months.”
Natasha flashed her knowing grin. “You mean you could fit in a season in Alaska?”
“Maybe.” Gina tried to squash a smile. “Summer, of course.”
“Does that mean you forgive him?”
Gina swirled her wine, watching it splash up the sides of the glass. The dark, fruity scent filled her nostrils. She missed the scent of pine.
“My sister pointed out that it was probably for the best that Stone didn’t tell me, considering how I might have reacted.”
“You mean how it would have made you an anxious mess?”
Gina glared at Tash out of the corner of her eye. “Yes.”
Tash grinned. “Keep going.”
“And my mother…” Gina stopped. Absentee fathers were a sore subject in this apartment. “Mami thinks I didn’t want to get close to Stone because…”
“Because your father left?”
“Yeah. And I knew Stone would be leaving.”
