Shit.
Chapter
Thirty-Three
West
My schedule has been crazy. Between flying to Seattle, moving on to Vancouver, and now being in Alaska for back-to-back games, I haven’t heard Serena’s voice in days. Tonight I make a point of calling her. She texted that she had something to talk to me about, which worries me, so I’m taking a little time before tonight’s game to call her.
“Hi.” She sounds breathless, like she’s in the middle of something.
“Is this a good time?” I ask.
“Joey and I are playing hockey in the great room,” she says. “So…thanks for that. It’s all he talks about now.”
I chuckle. “I’m sorry. I’ll make it up to you when I get home.”
“You’d better!”
“So, what did you want to talk about?” I ask. “Is it good or bad?”
“Uh, I’m not sure. I need advice.”
“What’s up?”
“I got a call from my old agent,” she says, a hint of excitement in her voice. “And guess what? They’re doing a reboot of Dusty Peaks.”
My eyes widen even though she can’t see me. “Holy shit—do they want you back?”
“They do. Unfortunately, there’s a catch.”
“Uh oh.” I mentally brace myself.
“They’re planning to film in L.A.”
I grimace. “Oh.”
“I know. It’s not good news.” She sounds frustrated. “I want to do it so badly, but I’ve been thinking about it since yesterday and I just don’t know if it’s feasible. First and foremost, I’d have to quit my very stable job to work on a television show that could get canceled after a few episodes. It happens all the time, you know?”
“Yeah.” I’m trying to keep an open mind for her sake, but the last thing I want is for her to move to Los Angeles. Other than a couple of games per season, I have no interest in visiting.
“And then there’s moving to L.A,” she continues. “Even if it’s temporary, it’s expensive and what would I do with Joey? I’m willing to bet daycare out there is even more expensive than here, and what would I do on the days shooting runs late? I was there until midnight sometimes. No matter how much they pay me, I don’t think a full-time nanny is in the budget.”
I respond honestly. “I can tell you firsthand, everything in L.A. is super expensive.”
“The more I think about it, the more I realize it’s just not feasible. I can’t risk my security for a pipe dream. Even though the money would be incredible.” She pauses, her voice turning curious. “Why aren’t you saying much?”
“The only person whose opinion counts is yours. I’m not the one who’d have to move.”
“I’d like to hear your thoughts, regardless. That’s why I wanted to talk about it.”
“Obviously, I don’t want you to leave Atlanta, or me, but it would be selfish as fuck for me to ask you to walk away from that kind of opportunity.”
“I don’t want to leave either,” she whispers. “Especially not now that I’ve met you.”
I love hearing that, but I need to make sure this is really what she wants. “But will you resent me for it a year from now?”
“If leaving you was the only obstacle, we might be having a different conversation, but the truth is, I realistically can’t move to L.A. Even if money weren’t an issue, and we both know it is, it would be brutal for Joey. Uprooting him, new school, new teachers, new friends—not to mention having a nanny… I just don’t see any way to do it. I have to tell Norm that the answer is no. I guess I just needed to say it out loud.”