Page 26 of Grunt: A Marine Romance

Dima’s eyes narrowed. “What are you talking about? Take some time off. That is ridiculous. We placed third in Blackpool last year. And Fabio and Gia will retire this year. This is not the time to lose focus.”

“Forget it.” She looked down at her feet. Drawing up all her courage, she added, “Dima, do you ever want to have children?”

Dima stirred his cocoa. He lowered his voice. “No. I don’t. I love the kids, but it isn’t right for us. We have too many goals.”

There it was. After ten years of maybes, next year, when we retire, Selena finally heard the truth. She wasn’t shocked—she’d suspected he felt this way for a long time but he had never come out and admitted it.

Her lips quivered. She wasn’t angry, just heartbroken. He had promised that if she dedicated her life to him and dancing, they would start the family she always wanted. Especially since he had lured her away from her life with Bret.

She got up from the table and snuggled next to Dima on his one-sided booth. “Dimka, I love you. You have been everything to me since I was a little girl. But I want to have kids. And I’m twenty-eight years old. I can’t wait forever. I will regret for the rest of my life if I don’t have a family.”

Dima clutched her hand. “Maybe after we win Blackpool we can discuss it.”

“But what if we don’t win? I can’t wait that long.”

A waiter walked by with a tray full of plates. One of the men at the next table erupted in loud laughter, clapping his neighbor on the shoulder. This wasn’t the place to do this. But it was the time. “I’m sorry, but I have to give this back to you.” She slipped off her engagement ring. The day he had proposed at the Palace of Fine Arts had been one of the best nights of her life. Back then, she’d still believed in the ballroom fantasy and thought that she and Dima could have it all: success, a family, true love. She was younger then and they had plenty of time to start a family. But Selena ached every time she saw a father playing with his kid. No amount of success would be worth the pain of not having a family.

He grasped the ring. “What does this mean, Selena? You are bound to me. We have contracts, competitions, products, videos, studios. You can’t leave me. I will wait for you to get hold of yourself and we can talk.”

“Dimka, we’ve been broken up for three years. You’ve been with women during that time. I never went on more than a few dates with any one.” Selena felt strong. She’d been having doubts for a while and finally had no hesitation about her path. “You’ll always be in my life. We can still dance together, and work on our projects. I’m grateful for everything you’ve done for me over the years. But I need to find myself. I don’t want to have any regrets.”

“This is about Bret. Have you slept together with him, Selena? Tell to me!”

“How could you ask me that? You and I aren’t even dating and I never cheated on you. Ever. I never questioned you about all the rumors with your celebrities. And nothing has happened between him and me. This is about us. I want a family. I want children.”

“Fine. It is over. You won’t make the fool out of me.” He got up and stormed out of Ghirardelli. Selena prayed that no one had taken a picture that would end up in the tabloids.

She could’ve taken a cab back to her hotel across the bridge, but she didn’t want to be alone. Before she could reconsider, she dialed Bret’s number.

“Hey,” Bret answered, sounding groggy.

“Bret, I’m stuck in the city. Can you come get me?”

He didn’t pause. “Of course. Where are you?”