Mel suddenly interjected, “Gemma, the date on this letter is from last week, before you were officially back with us.”
“What?” She grabbed the paper from Mel’s hands and skimmed its contents. “It is.” She swallowed hard. “That means the company had already made its decision on me before our meeting. Maybe thereisa way I can fight this.”
Mel and Fernando nodded.
“It’s worth a shot. I’ll start looking up a couple different lawyers tonight when we get into the hotel,” Mel said.
“Lawyers?”
“Yes. It’s going to take a legal heavyweight to be able to fight a company like DOI,” Mel emphasized.
Gemma could see dollar and pound signs floating in front of her eyes. It would be a long and drawn-out process. Taking a deep breath, she looked at Mel and Fernando. “No, I’m done with DOI. It’s not worth the time, energy, expense, or heartbreak. I doubt it’ll even make a difference. At this point, I’d rather cut my losses, make a clean break, and just figure out what comes next.”
Fernando hugged her tightly. “My little Gemma-rella has grown up. That’s the most adult thing I think I’ve ever heard you say.”
“Are you sure, Gem? You probably won’t be the first or the last person DOI decides to ruthlessly cut like this.” Mel lowered her voice. “There’s definitely something fishy going on behind the scenes. I don’t know what it is, but I don’t like this at all.” She pinched her lips together. “It’s my fault you went to see Dr. Zhang. I should go and set the record straight.”
“Mel, I appreciate it, but no. It’s like you said, nothing will change their mind. This is bigger than me.” Gemma took a moment to gather her thoughts. “If you catch word of any other skaters who are put through the same paces as me, let me know and I’ll consider taking legal action, but until we know more, I’d prefer not to do anything else.”
Fernando and Mel promised her that they would.
* * *
Gemma should have been angry, but instead, she found that she was eerily calm. As she walked through the hotel lobby later that evening, the sound of Burl Ives’s classic rendition of “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” played over the sound system. White, green, and pink Christmas trees trimmed with colorful lights and baubles filled the space.
As she turned the corner to take the lift to her room, she stopped to admire the sight of families queuing to meet Father Christmas. Children bounced up and down on their toes, anxious for their turn. Seeing the excitement on their little faces instantly lifted her mood. There were at least still some places in the world where magic existed.
Suddenly, there was a gentle tug on one of her sleeves. “Cinderella?” a girl with wide blue eyes asked.
Gemma was still dressed in a light-blue dress with a black jacket thrown over it. She was so distracted, she forgot to change before leaving the arena. She’d have to have somebody sneak this back tomorrow. She couldn’t leave the company any excuse to accuse her of stealing.
Gemma’s heart melted and she knelt down on one knee. “Hi there. What’s your name?”
“I’m Ava.”
“Ava, that’s a lovely name. It sounds like the perfect name for a princess like you.”
The little girl giggled. “I told Mommy that I saw you, but she didn’t believe me. I had to come and tell you that you’re my favorite princess.”
“Well, I’m so happy to hear that.” Noticing suddenly that Ava was alone, she said, “Where is your mum?”
Ava pointed to the end of the queue for Father Christmas. A woman with a rounded belly chatted with another woman with a double stroller ahead of her. She hadn’t noticed that her daughter, who Gemma guessed to be about five years old, had gone missing.
“How about we tell your mum you found me and then maybe we can take a photo together.”
“Yes, princess.”
Holding her hand, Gemma walked Ava over to her mother. “Do you really have glass slippers? Mommy said they’re only make believe.”
“I do, but can you keep a secret?”
Ava solemnly nodded.
“My fairy godmother keeps them for me.”
Her little eyes widened.
“Ava! Did you run off after I told you not to?”
