Holden knocked on her door. "Perri. You gotta eat something. You've worked so hard, and it's not just about you anymore. Now, come on and open the door."
"Holden, go away," Perri whined.
"Persephone, open the Goddamn door, or I will take it off the hinges, and you won't have a door anymore."
She slowly got up from the bed and opened the door. "It's about time." Holden came in with a tray.
"You need to eat at least 1500 calories. You have to take care of yourself. Remember when you told Bodhi he wasn't going to break you? I hate to say it, but you seem a little cracked."
She took the Pop-Tart from the tray and started nibbling on it. "Why did he do it? I honestly thought he loved me." He took her into his arms. She started to cry for the sixth time that day.
He sat down on the bed next to her, kissed her forehead, and rubbed her arm, trying to comfort her. "I don't know. I honestly thought the same thing. I do think he loves you, but he fucked up big time. He has commitment issues. That's the only thing I can think of. Has he tried to contact you?"
She shook her head, wiping her tears with the back of her hand.
"Do you want him to?" She shook her head again. "Well, at least he listened when you told him not to."
"I honestly thought he would. I guess there was a part of me that really hoped he would. Has he tried to contact you?"
"I think he knows better. He knows where my loyalties lie. I can't say the same for Jake and Lewis. They love you, but I can't tell them what to do."
"Do you think if they do talk to him, they will tell him anything about me?" she asked, looking up at him.
"No. I told them that your business was your business and you would contact him if you wanted him to know anything. They did understand where I was coming from."
She took a nibble on her Pop-Tart. "Thank you, Brother Bear. I don't know what I would do without you. Mom and Dad have been no help, and Annie has been a complete bitch to me. She's actually been really taking joy in my misery."
"Misery loves company, and she is the most miserable person I know."
She picked up a glass of juice and the vitamins that were next to it. He watched her take them and take a bite of the Pop-Tarts.
"Thank you for taking the vitamins without any argument. You need to eat more. What can I get you that you would eat?"
"I don't know. I'm fine with the Pop-Tarts."
"Perri, you haven't reached your caloric intake goal any day since a week after he left. So, tell me, what can I make for you?"
"I guess I could eat some chocolate chip pancakes. If that's not too much trouble."
"Of course, it's not too much trouble. How about a scrambled egg, too?"
"Okay, and powder sugar on the pancakes, please."
"How about some turkey bacon?"
"I would eat some of that. But only one pancake."
He looked at her disapprovingly. "How about five baby pancakes?"
"I think my tummy could handle that. It might take me all day, but let's give it a try."
He walked out of her room and out to the kitchen. Perri picked up a string cheese and started to unwrap it.
Andromeda was now leaning up against the door frame. "When are you going to get over it? He's gone. He's moved on. Christ, you weren't even a real couple."
"We were a real couple."
"Why, because you had sex with him? Because he was your first? Bitch, please. You know he slept with like eight women before he slept with you? Trust me, Perri, you were nothing but a notch on his belt buckle."
"Annie, why do you have to be so mean to me?"
"It's not mean if it's true. Grow up. Cry me a river, build a bridge, and get over it already. He's back in Europe with his new girlfriend. I mean, he just left. He didn't even try to come back and beg for your forgiveness. He could have pulled a Cusak and ended up on the lawn holding a boombox playing In Your Eyes, but he didn't. He hopped on a plane and went back to his life."
"Would you just leave? You have made it your life's work to ignore me, so why don't you go back to work?"
"Look, all I am saying is take off his sweatshirt, eat your fucking food, and take care of yourself because you are being selfish. There is more than just you to think of. He's over you, Perri. He has moved on with his life and found someone else who can be there with him every day. You don't want him in your life. You told him so. You kicked him out of your life with no chance to come back into it. I believe you said don't want him in your life in any way, shape, or form. Or something like that. I wasn't really paying attention. You're pathetic life doesn't interest me at all." She turned and went back to her room.
Holden came back into her room.
"Where's the pancakes?"
"Persephone, we need to talk."
Bodhi was walking out of the main office when he passed by Janessa's office.
"BODHI!"
He stopped and closed his eyes. "What Janessa?"
"Come in here."
"Would you at least ask me nicely?"
"Would you please come in here?" She sounded annoyed.
He walked in. "What can I do for you?"
"Sit down." He stood there. "Please."
He took a seat. "Why am I in here? You are the last person that I want to see."
"Awe. Bodhi, that hurts." She got up and shut the door. She opened her drawer, pulled out a piece of paper, and held it out to him.
"If this is about the photo shoot, I am aware, and I have the information."
"No. This is a press release you need to read. Make sure all the information is correct."
He snatched the paper from her and read it. He looked confused, then disgusted, and then shocked.
"Janessa, what the hell is this?"
"It's a press release."
"No. It's a wedding announcement."
"That I'm releasing to the press."
"You are out of your fucking mind if you think I would date you, let alone marry you!"
"Why not? You're single. I'm single. We are good together. Three times," she said, sitting back down.
"Why not? Because you're fucking crazy, and I am not single. And, if you remember correctly, because I sure as shit don't, you drugged me, and then you sexually assaulted me."
"Oh. Bodhizafa---"
"Don't call me that," he snapped.
"I am not fucking crazy. I am cunning. I have yet to have any police knock on my door because you reported this so-called sexual assault. You have no proof that I put anything into your drink. In fact, you were so drunk; maybe you took it from someone and didn't remember taking it. In fact, if we asked the bartender from that night, he would remind you that you bought it off him, and he saw you take it."
"Stop trying to gaslight me," he shot back. "I know I didn't get anything from the bartender. Why would he say that just to cover your ass?"
"Because my sweet Bodhizafa, he likes my ass so much he would do anything for me. All it takes is a suck and a smile."
"You're such a fucking cunt."
She ignored his comment. "As far as you being single, you are, in fact, very single. Any relationship you may have had back in the States with your little stick figure is over. Four million views on just one of the videos. She saw you up on me, saw you swallowing my face. So, tell me again that you are not single," she leaned back in her chair.
His jaw clenched the entire time she spoke. His fists were balled so tightly that his nails were piercing his palms. He stood up slowly.
"If you ever speak about Perri like that again---"
"You'll what, Bodhi? Wait? Perri? As in Periwinkle?"
"How do you know that name?" he asked.
"I know it because when we were fucking in the back of the bar, you called me Periwinkle. I thought you were giving me a stupid nickname but now I know differently. Can you imagine what she would say if she knew you called another woman her cutesy little nickname?"
He ran his fingers through his hair. He couldn't believe that this was what had become of his life.
"I'm still not going to marry you. You can't release the story of me testing positive and being suspended because that would prove the team tried to cover it up. So, I would love to know why you think I would ever be with you," he said.
"Sit down, Bodhi. Do you want to know what I have on you? I have knowledge of when your surprise tests will be administered. Wouldn't it be a shame if you tested positive again? If you get kicked out of the league, no one is going to touch you. You'll be labeled as a drug addict. Your basketball dreams will become a living nightmare."
"Marrying you would be a nightmare, and I would never put myself in a situation where that would be possible," she said smugly.
"Your water bottle, your Gatorade, your coffee. I can even get something in your protein bar. Things dissolve. Needles with a little bit of ketamine injected into a plastic bottle can make you have an unbelievably dreadful day. Remember what I said: it can be in your system days. You would have to be on your toes every second you are here, or at business dinners, or at practice, or during your games and press events. How about next Wednesday, when you go to your photoshoot because I am going with you. You can't watch me every second you're there."
"The fuck you are."
"The fuck I am. I go to all those kinds of things. If your name or picture is going to be in a publication arranged by the team, I am there. Now, if you agree to this relationship, I will keep my hands off your career."
He said nothing.
"Why don't I give you some time to think it over?"
"So, what? We get married, and then what? I live unhappily ever after?"
"I have a nuptial agreement," she said.
"A nuptial agreement?"
"Yes, and I will sign a prenup. Then again, you are not going to be rolling in it playing for this league. We stay married for a minimum of... well, till I get bored. If you make it to the NBA, we may have to revisit some of these things. Oh, and we have sex three times a week---"
"Like I am going to be able to get it up three times a week with you."
"We will get you a prescription for those magic little blue pills. You know how those work."
"I can't do this. How can you in good conscience ask me to do this?" he asked.
"Oh, that's easy. I don't have a conscience. I have goals, and being married to the biggest thing to hit England is going to open a lot of doors for me. I am not going to be stuck in this shitty job for the rest of my life. I have big plans, and in order to expedite things, I need status. Who better than the future MVP? My guess is Rookie of the Year, too."
He was trapped. He was stuck between a bitch and a ball. Was it worth it? If he marries her, he will never get Perri back.
"When would this all happen? When would you be throwing a match and starting this dumpster fire?"
"Does that mean you agree to do it? All of it?"
"I write the prenup. That's the only thing I ask. Otherwise, I agree to your terms. Can you hold off on the press release? Can you give me some time to get some affairs in order?"
"You can have the prenup," she said.
"That's it? I get no time to tell my family? Or my friends?"
"Or your ex-stick figure?"
He stood up so quickly that his chair flipped backward. "Don't talk about her like that. She's more of a woman than you will ever be. She's fought and earned everything she has. She never climbed on the back of anyone to get ahead. I'll do this, but you never talk about her again. You have me now, so there is no reason to bring her up anymore."
"Fine. You're right. She's meaningless now. As far as I'm concerned, she's dead and buried."
He wanted to strangle her. How dare she say something that horrible? Dead and buried. My single biggest fear. "When will you be putting out the release?"
"Oh, it's already out. It will hit the papers and the news stations in..." She looked at her watch. "About a half hour ago. So, wear a cup and buckle up. It's going to be a bumpy ride. Now, get the fuck out of my office, darling."
He stared at her for a moment. "Fuck you, Janessa." He stormed out of her office and slammed the door.
"THREE TIMES A WEEK O'NEILL!" she yelled after him.