Sienna smiled. "Exactly. That's what I want everyone to think." She slumped back on the couch.
"It gets a little tiring playing the part?" I asked.
"Yes. You get it. You can't be a successful female sports agent without playing a certain part," Sienna said. "Yours is good, subtle."
"Thanks, I guess. Though, I think I'm going to drop the act." I sipped my wine.
"Me, too," Sienna said. "I think it’s getting in the way of my relationships. I mean, I can't really find anyone genuine if I'm not acting like my genuine self."
"Is that how you feel about Fenton?" I asked.
"Don't be stupid," Sienna asked. "Our acts go perfectly together, but even that ended up not working because he's so into you." She finished her glass of wine and got up. "I think it’s about time I try out my obscenely huge hotel room tub without the lighting guy adjusting the soap bubbles."
I walked her to the door and waited until her elevator descended. Then, I grabbed my purse. I had to see Fenton and the glass of wine had quieted down all my rational objections just enough for me to go right away.
I made it all the way through the lobby of the MGM Grand before I was stopped by Dana Maria.
"You can't be bugging him the night before the title fight. He left the party early to be alone," she said.
"Dana Maria, I'm glad I ran into you. I've got to tell you I'm sorry we never hit it off. I really admire you, even if I say all the wrong things," I said.
"Had a little wine tonight, Kya?" she asked. Dana Maria adjusted her sequined tube top and smiled at me.
"Just enough to say things I mean."
"Good. Then, you can tell me why you won't leave Fenton alone."
I wandered over to lean against the glass wall of a souvenir shop. "I can't. I don't want to. I don't know. All I think about is the last time I saw Fenton and the next time I'll get to talk to him. I wonder how he's doing and if he ever thinks of me."
"Oh, Jesus, girl, you've got it bad," Dana Maria said. She pulled me away from the wall and led me back out the front doors. "Now, let me tell you the truth."
"Please. No, wait, do I want to know? It’s bad, isn't it?"
Dana Maria shook her head. "The truth is I like you. And, I like you with Fenton. I like the way he looks when he talks about you, even when you've annoyed him."
I grabbed her arms, smearing her body glitter. "Really? You're not just messing with me?"
"And, what I like most of all is that you do what is best for Fenton, even if he doesn't like it. You kept on at him about the endorsement deal, even when it hurt your chances with him. So, now you have to do what's best again. Leave him alone until after the fight," Dana Maria said.
"But he's mad at me. I didn't believe him when I should have," I said.
She stopped me from going back inside. "It's good. Let him be mad. He always fights better with a little anger."
Dana Maria put me in a cab and sent me back to the Tropicana. I practically danced all the way back to the suite, even though it was empty. When I woke up in the morning, the quiet was strange, but I was excited. It was the day of the title fight and I was going to see Fenton.
There was a knock at the door and my heart leapt. I tried to calm myself down but the wild hope that it could be Fenton made it hard to breathe. I rushed to the door, only to feel a cold rush crash over me.
Jackson McRay leaned on the doorframe. "I was hoping to catch you alone, Kya."
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Fenton
I woke up in the same suite I had at the MGM Grand before they kicked me out. I half expected Kya to be curled up next to me. I held still for the onslaught of nightclub memories. But it was different nightclub. The fight promotion party. The memories rushed back.
Kya in a light purple dress. It caught the light, changing colors. I had to force myself to look away from her hundreds of times. Almost as many times as I saw the picture of my opponent locking lips with her. I flung myself out of bed and stomped into the main room.
"Good morning. Breakfast shake on its way," Aldous announced. "Please tell me you slept well. You don't look it."