“Search for VortexIndustries,” I tell Hawthorne.
“We should fly our little brothers in and make them do it.” Hawthorne sighs.
“No, our sisters.” Whitman is gleeful. “They all have their little apps; they could totally handle this.”
“What in God’s name are you doing?”
“Look what washed up from the Pacific Garbage Patch,” I say to my computer screen.
“You should let me schedule you for a spa visit,” Fitz tells Salinger with a grin. “You’re looking a little tense.”
“McCarthy’s being chivalrous,” Hawthorne tells Salinger. “We need to encourage this type of—”
“Why is there a fucking video of you and some YouTuber floating around the internet?”
“I saved senior citizens from a scammer. I’m a hero. This is good PR.”
“Was this Jenna’s idea?” he snarls.
My chair scrapes back as I stand up to face my older brother.
“He’s in love with her.” Whitman laughs.
“Our baby is growing up!” Fitz chirps.
“The fuck he is. You aren’t in love with Jenna.” Salinger gets up in my face. “You are incapable of romantic love.”
“And you’re some sort of expert?” I shoot back at him. “I know how you treated those women you used to date.”
“I wasn’t dating them,” my brother sneers. “I was using them for financial gain. Mandy’s different.”
“Cool, cool. Well, I’m not doing that to Jenna.”
“He’s ending her stalker problem.”
Salinger snatches the laptop that Isaac is working on.
“HopeWorks? Are you fucking kidding me? After all the shit I put up with, after you almost went to jail for throwing that guy in the fountain, now you’re stealing his company data?”
“They won’t find out.”
“McCarthy, you’re on thin fucking ice,” Salinger rages. “You better not fuck up again.”
“I won’t. I’m ending things.”
42
JENNA
“What is this calendar invite?”
Hannah looks over at my computer screen. “Giiirl, you have a meeting with the CEO of the company?”
“That doesn’t mean I’m getting fired, right?” I’m nervous. “Like, the CEO doesn’t show up to fire a junior account associate?”
“Maybe they heard that you’re going to be the next Mrs. Svensson and want to get on your good side.” Hannah waggles her eyebrows. “You know it’s true. Based off of what McCarthy said yesterday? His light is on, and he’s ready for matrimony.”
“I can hardly believe it, but…” I show her the text message on my phone with the luxurious photos. “He wanted to know if I wanted to get married on his brother’s private island.” Ilook around, hoping that neither Bethany nor any of her minions is listening.
