Page 64 of Lucky Shot

“Here we are,” he says, pulling up to a carpet and set of stairs that lead to a sleek navy-blue private jet.

“No. This is—”

“Exactly where you’re supposed to be.” He looks at me in the rearview mirror and I can see his eyes crinkle from his smile. “Here’s Ari now.”

I open the door of the car to find Ari standing at the top of the staircase in the doorway of the jet.

“Surprise!” she says with her hands out and a huge smile on her face.

I stand at the bottom of the steps tentatively and look up at her. “I don’t understand. You said I was going to a movie, a screening, and this is . . . not that.”

“True. This isn’t exactly that. Yet. Come on.” She motions for me to climb the stairs with a chuckle, but I stand where I am.

Curiosity has me taking the steps one at a time while something niggles in the back of my mind. As I step into the plane, I feel like Alice in Wonderland entering a different dimension. The interior is sleek and polished and more luxurious than anything I’ve ever seen. I want to run my fingers over the wood panels and feel the leather seats, but I stand frozen in the doorway.

“Ari, what’s going on?” Is the movie here on the plane? Is this some kind of photo op? Like . . .

Her smile widens. “You are going to a movie as promised. It’s more a movie premiere . . . that just happens to be in New York City.”

“Wait. What?” I feel like my head just did a total three-hundred-sixty-degree spin.

“Good surprise, right?” Her face is a picture of willed excitement that she hopes carries over to me.

“New York? I can’t go there. I have the academy. I don’t have clothes. I . . . I can’t go.”

“You don’t need to worry about anything,” she says, tapping away at her phone as she speaks. “I have a rack of dresses for you to choose from when you get there. Hair and makeup as well. You’ll go to the premiere, stay for the night, and we’ll have you back here first thing. If there are any delays, I’ve already arranged with Martin to handle the camp for you.”

“Martin?” What the fuck is this voodoo magic she is talking about? “How?”

“He’s a very nice gentleman. I called the academy. He answered. I explained the situation, and he has it completely handled.”

“So he knows about this?” No wonder he gave me that look when I left earlier.

“He does. Yes.”

“I’m . . . this is all too much.”

“No, it’s not. It’s just what the doctor ordered.”

I stare at her and her trusting smile but don’t feel very trusting. And then it hits me. That ghost of a thought I’ve had since I hung up with Suri.

My history being plastered all over the internet. Miami Mayhem or the MLS or both using the academy to promote their superstar and soccer in the US.

And me walking willingly into it out of my own desperation to save what I love.

“Did you feed the media information about me?” I ask.

Ari snaps her head up to look at me. “Excuse me?” she asks politely.

“I agreed to go to this movie thing before I found out that the media had dug into my past and plastered it all over the internet. As you can imagine, it’s somewhat unnerving and makes me want to hide from the world. I’m a woman of my word or I would have backed out, but truth be told Ari, I’m here and feeling rather trapped and somewhat used by you and your team.”

She has her head angled to the side as she studies me. “I’ve heard you. I’m still hearing you, and I’m so sorry you feel that way. Please know that the press wasn’t tipped off in any way about who you are or about your past. It’s just the nature of the beast that they dig into people’s histories, and I’m sorry they did that to yours.”

“I’m not a pawn for you to use to improve Hardy’s reputation and the public’s perception of him,” I say.

“Agreed,” she states with a decisive nod. “But I will tell you that I’ve been doing this job long enough that I assumed this might happen. I apologize. I should have warned you. And maybe a part of me thought that including you in this premiere tonight was a way to make amends for it.”

“I’m supposed to buy that?” I totally do.