intense, it was powerful, and it was a defining moment in our lives.”
Shannon hesitated. “At least it was for me. You can’t simply pretend it didn’t happen. Well, maybe you can, but I can’t.”
Shannon took a breath expecting Caroline to interrupt and was surprised when she didn’t. She just sat there looking at her as if she were crazy. “What?”
“What do you want from me, Shannon?” Caroline was tired of dancing around the two of them. It was the main question she had been asking herself for weeks, especially knowing she’d see her every day for weeks instead of once or twice a year. The tension in her shoulders and the butterflies in the pit of her stomach were all the evidence she needed that Shannon still had the ability to affect her.
“I just want to talk with you. Tell me what you’ve been doing with yourself, how you are.”
“Talk to you. You want me to talk to you.” Shannon nodded. “Fine.
After I left MHA I went to Columbia. My undergrad and graduate degrees are in physics and I defend my dissertation for my Ph.D. in astrophysics three weeks after the tour ends. I’ve been accepted to the astronaut program at NASA. I train in Colorado and have a cracker-box apartment in New York. I have good friends, my baby sister has five kids, God help her, and my parents love me. Other than what you know about me and the tour, that about sums it up.” Caroline sat back in the booth. There were a few more words about her life after that fateful day her father opened her dorm room door, but she was not going to share them with Shannon. She hadn’t told anyone except for Fran, and that was just recently.
“NASA? You’re going to be an astronaut?”
Out of everything she said, this was Shannon’s follow-up question?
Nothing about how I was after she left me? What did my father say?
Did he hit me or scream at me? Did I curl up in a ball and cry? Did I miss her? Shannon had the reputation of being a party girl on the tour, not serious about anything, no commitments other than the next race, and she sure was showing her colors now. “Yes, I am.” Caroline had always dreamed of walking in space or being the first woman to step foot on the moon.
“That’s cool. And Ashley has five kids?”
“Yes, one right after the other.”
• 107 •
JuliE CaNNoN
Shannon asked a few more basic questions that Caroline answered in simple sentences or with a yes or no. She didn’t feel particularly chatty and certainly didn’t trust either Shannon’s motives or her own body’s response. She kept herself on a tight leash during the stilted conversation.
“I got an invitation to our ten-year reunion,” Shannon said referring to their time together at MHA for the first time.
“I did too.”
“Are you going?” Shannon asked, hiding behind a French fry going into her mouth.
If I say yes, will you ask me to go as your date, Caroline wanted to say, but instead answered truthfully. “No. I’ll be at NASA then and I’m not interested in going.”
“Why not? It might be fun going back and seeing what everyone has turned into. Who has the most kids, the biggest house in the Hamptons, the ugliest husband.” She chuckled.
“I haven’t kept in touch with anyone from MHA, so I don’t really care what they’re up to.” The two weeks between being discovered and graduation were the longest of her young life. Somehow word must have gotten out that she and Shannon were caught together because she was ostracized by girls that had been her friends the day before and others had given her a silent thumbs up in the cafeteria. Either way, the only thing good that came out of MHA was that it got her accepted to Columbia.
Shannon didn’t know what to say next. She had tried casual conversation, current events, the tour, and had even brought up MHA, but nothing made Caroline talk with her like she had years ago.
“I thought maybe we could go as friends.”
“You’re kidding, right?” An image flashed in her mind of heads turning when she walked in with Shannon Roberts on her arm.
When she didn’t respond, Caroline continued.
“You want us to be friends? Like have lunch once in a while and chat about the weather or whether a carbon or aluminum frame is stronger or how much travel we have in our front shocks? Are you out of your mind?”
Anger and embarrassment filled Shannon’s stomach and she wanted to throw up. This had gone terribly wrong. What was supposed
• 108 •
Descent
to be a nice get reacquainted lunch had turned sour very fast. If it didn’t start out that way to begin with. Caroline was right about one thing—
what in the hell had she been thinking? She let anger take control.
“I guess I must be to think that you were mature enough to handle this. But obviously I was wrong. I’m sorry if I’ve ruined your lunch and upset you. You won’t have to worry about me bothering you again.”
Shannon tossed money on the table and walked away.
• 109 •
• 110 •
Descent
ChaPTER FouRTEEN
On Friday of race weekend the expo was in full operation.
Every manufacturer of bicycle gear, frames, components, sports drinks, energy bars, and nature trails was represented. The tents were set up surrounding the winner’s circle and people were milling about, some carrying packages bearing the logo of their purchase.
Fifteen feet from the Gatorade tent was autograph central, where riders were assigned shifts and signed autographs for fans passing T-shirts, hats, and pictures across the table to their favorite rider.
Shannon was stationed at the table with one of the male riders and she was attracting much more business than he was. The people that came to these events were typically in their late teens and twenties with an occasional thirtysomething attending as well. Shannon signed autographs, recognizing a few familiar faces of those fans that had been at previous events. These people must have money to be able to follow the circuit, she thought as she scrawled her name across her image embossed on a white tank top. One after another, they stood in line patiently waiting their turn to offer a compliment, share a word or two with her, or ask a question.
“I think you’re the best rider on the tour,” the fan gushed. She wasn’t much older than twenty and by the look of adoration on her face Shannon could be between her legs within the hour if she were so inclined. But she wasn’t interested, which was a surprise. Shannon had usually scored at least once, sometimes twice, at races, but for the first time in a long time she had no desire to fuck a total stranger no matter how attractive she was.
• 111 •
JuliE CaNNoN
“Thanks, enjoy the event,” Shannon said coolly but politely. The young thing sported a pout of disappointment and moved on.
“I think you squashed her plans for the night, or at a minimum hurt her feelings.”
Shannon cringed inside and glanced at her watch before looking up to see Nikki standing in front of her. Perfect timing, she thought, her one-hour shift was over.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Shannon stood; her back was sore from sitting on the hard metal chair.
Nikki moved to the end of the table effectively blocking her exit. “Sure you do, sugar. She wanted a piece of you, the infamous Shannon Roberts, mountain bike rider extraordinaire, famous lover on the tour.”
Shannon detected a whiff of something alcoholic on Nikki’s breath and her stomach turned. She was hard enough to handle lately, but the addition of alcohol was a new and potentially dangerous development.
“She’s just a kid,” Shannon said, unsuccessfully maneuvering around Nikki without touching her.