The Swan and The Sergeant - Alana Albertson Page 0,23

problem.” Dima eyed me.

“Sel, I’m gonna take Banjo outside. We have to leave in five minutes. Dima, it was great seeing you again.” Bret headed toward the front door, and I heard it shut.

“Sorry, Dima. Bret won this truck, and Benny said—”

Dima cut me off. “I know. Benny told to me everything. I don’t have to start with my partner until two more weeks. I come with you before I go.”

Why did he want to join me in San Francisco? We never visited each other when we were training our celebrities. Not since we had been together romantically. “You don’t have to.”

“Of course, I do not. But I want to go to there. We need to train for Blackpool. It is in four months. And San Francisco is our home. Where we met, where we fell in love. We were supposed to get married there.”

Dima never brought up our broken engagement. I couldn’t believe he was doing this. Right now. When Bret was outside.

“Whatever, Dimka. You called off the engagement. You needed your space before we settled down and got married, remember? And you haven’t been missing me when you have been with all your women.”

Breathe, Selena, breathe.

“Anyway, Bret’s nervous enough. Having you around would hurt his chances on the show. You owe him that, don’t you think?”

Dima stayed silent. We had an unspoken promise never to talk about what had led me to finally make the decision to leave Bret.

Honestly, I didn’t have a choice.

“I really have to go. I’ll call you when I get there.”

“Ya tebya loobloo.”

I paused. “I love you, too.” We always said those words to each other. And I did love Dima. But I’d long given up any hope that we could have a normal relationship. Watching him over the years, dating the starlets on the show, had forced me to push my feelings aside.

I left the table, went to my bedroom, and grabbed my rolling suitcase. Dima was acting strangely, like he could read my mind. Being near Bret made me yearn for the pure love that I’d once shared with him. I had convinced myself that what Bret and I had shared was only possible for a young, first-time love.

I walked out the front door. Bret hopped out of his truck and took my bags. “Everything alright?”

“Yes. I’m great. Let’s go.”

Bret helped me into the truck. I settled into the crackly leather of the front seat, looking forward to our journey ahead.

Bret

Once we finally hit the road, I still couldn’t relax. I hated uncertainty. In the Marine Corps, my life was regimented. I knew what time I had to wake up every morning, what time I was supposed to work out, when each meal would be, and exactly what was planned for work. As I drove up the I-5 freeway, my eyes dulled by the endless views of dirt and cow pastures, I had no idea how this day, or any after it, would unfold. And I hated it.

Selena looked out the window. Surprisingly, she had been mostly silent for the past three hours of the trip.

“So, what normally happens on the first day? We just have to meet them today, right? No dancing?”

Selena turned to me, smiling. “Yeah, pretty much. The cameramen are there when you meet your stars. But sometimes it takes a few shots before they get it right, so you have to keep looking surprised every time they open the door. It isn’t too bad.”

Might not be too bad for Selena—she had always been good at hiding her feelings. I was no actor, though, and wasn’t looking forward to faking it for the cameras. “Well, I hope they get my shot on the first try.”

“You’ll be fine. I wonder who our celebrities are? Any ideas?”

I couldn’t care less who my partner was. I just wanted to get through this season without embarrassing myself, my friend’s family, and the Corps. “Hell if I know, Sel. I don’t follow all that celebrity stuff. Probably just some washed-up stars like the usual losers who go on this show.”

“You are so judgmental.” Selena scowled at me. “I’m excited. Only cool, reclusive celebrities live in Marin. I’m sure they’re awesome.”

“I’m sure they are just as spoiled as the Los Angeles celebrities. I’ve met some overseas through the USO. Some turned into jerks the second the cameras weren’t on them.”

“That’s too bad. But by living up here, they’re probably more down-to-earth. Don’t you think?”

I decided to stop talking. I had almost forgotten that there was