Page 84 of Unexpected Shot
“I wish I knew,” I say to Courtney, who, like always, is the utmost professional. It’s also in this moment that I realize we’ve both slept with Beau. And that’s not awkward at all. “Everything just finally clicked for me today. It felt good.”
There. A perfect, standard answer that Ethan will be proud of. And I didn’t say one thing about Beau, or his dick.
But God, his dick. It should be illegal for any man to have a perfect penis. Penises shouldn’t be perfect. But his is. It’s absolutely not fair.
And yes, I did feel it subconsciously as I lined up every shot today. I’m sure somewhere a commentator was asking why I was squirming before a few of my shots. But then I’d go and hit an amazing ball, so they probably just think it’s part of my new routine.
Which it isn’t. Last night—and this morning—was a one-time thing. Never happening again.
“Shelby, can I ask you why you had a new caddy today? Follow-up: Where was Chad Ashcroft, and are the two of you still working together?”
I do my best not to have a reaction to Michael’s question. Of course he’s the one who would ask this. I don’t know why he’s obsessed with me working with Chad, but every question he’s asked me all week has had to do with him. Is it because I left Vegas to work with Chad? No, that can’t be it. Yes, I left Vegas because I thought working with Chad was going to be my best move, but also because my ex-boyfriend was married. Oh wait, he should remember that, since it was him.
“Chad and I are no longer working together,” I answer plainly. “I thank him for the help he gave me while I was rehabbing from my surgery, but our methods weren’t meshing. It was best for both parties to go our separate ways.”
“Does this have anything to do with Beau Devereaux punching him yesterday? Also, there are rumors that they got into a fight Wednesday night as well. Can you confirm?”
Was Michael always this slimy? Or am I just now noticing it because he’s not giving me average sex. “Whatever happened between Chad and Beau is between the two of them.”
“So we won’t be seeing him the rest of the tournament?”
I send Michael a “this better be your last fucking question on the topic” look. “If you do, it won’t be with me. Next question.”
I don’t know why those two words feel so good to say, but they do. Maybe because it seems as if it’s final. That the Chad-saga, at least for now, is over.
Oh! Maybe my play today had nothing to do with Beau but everything to do with Chad finally being gone. Yes! That’s it! My perfect drives and the thirty-foot putt I made that’s going to be on SportCenter’s Top Ten is because Chad was far away.
Oh thank God…
“I know you gave a statement yesterday about the incident on the sixteenth hole, but is there any follow-up you’d like to give today?”
I take a second to think about what I want to say to Michael’s question, knowing Ethan is going to watch this. “No follow-up. But I do want to again apologize to the tournament, the fans, Beau, and everyone else involved. It’s not who I am as a person, or a golfer, and I promise you, nothing like that will happen again.”
Fighting on the greens is never going to happen again.
Using Chad as my coach and/or caddy is never going to happen again.
Fucking Beau is never going to happen again.
So many nevers today. But necessary ones.
“Question.”
Beau’s smile is lazy as I straddle him on the hotel bed, a glass of whiskey in my hand.
“Answer.”
“Never have I ever gotten married.”
He thinks about it for a second, then takes the whiskey glass from me and goes to drink it. Right before it touches his lips, he stops. “No, Shelby. I’ve never been married before.”
I take the glass back. “Just me?”
“Just you, Belle.”
“Last question.” I snap my attention over to Courtney. Damn, that was a weird memory that never happened. “With your play today, you’re now right outside of the top ten before your partner tees off tomorrow. Do you think the two of you could be in the running come Sunday?”
“I never counted us out,” I say, my answer a little more cocky than I usually am. “Beau is one of the best golfers on his tour. Yes, our day yesterday was one both of us would like to forget. Both how we played on the course and how we acted. But we’ve put it behind us. That’s the beauty of golf. Every day issomething different. A new start. And I teed Beau up today. Now it’s his turn to take us into Sunday with momentum.”
