“Are you forgetting I have Jacek lying in a pile of drugs?”
Samantha chuckles. “And if you would have scrutinized that picture even a little, you would have seen how badly photoshopped it was. Not that you could have with the grainy version I had Cassie send. Now, if you try to spread the photo around, it’ll look like you’re trying to sabotage the Hunks, which will only help them and hurt you.”
Priest’s brow narrows. “You fucking bitch!” He lunges forward again, but Frank and the three other men hold him back.
“Take him from the room,” Samantha says.
As soon as he’s gone, Carl snarls, “What the fuck was that?”
Samantha crosses her arms over her chest. “Me saving your ass.”
“And you couldn’t have done it any other fucking way? I was about ready to have a heart attack.”
“I was doing you a favor. I met with him directly before you to collect evidence. You see, he wouldn’t put much over text, and there are rules about recording over the phone. I had him sign something in the mediation paperwork telling us we could record whatever took place in this room. I suppose I could have dismissed the whole meeting once I got what I needed, but Ifigured you’d relish the memory of his absolute annihilation for years to come.”
Carl releases a long breath. “No more fucking games like this.”
Samantha smiles. “I make no promises.”
“Can I have a moment alone with Samantha?” I ask impatiently.
“Why don’t I show you the inside of my new camper?” Wayne offers Carl.
“That’s mine!” Samantha hisses.
He waves his hand flippantly. “Yeah, sure.”
Once they’re gone, I turn to Samantha, hoping I can somehow fix what I so recklessly destroyed.
“I know you haven’t wanted to speak with me, and I’m sorry for crashing the party, but I need to tell you how sorry I am.”
“It’s not that I haven’t wanted to speak with you. I’m just…so ashamed of how I acted.”
“You have no reason to be.”
She shakes her head sadly from side to side. “Like hell, I don’t. I have a laundry list of bad deeds I need to make up for.”
“Well, saving the Hunks should go a long way. Most of the guys rely on the show and wouldn’t know what to do without it. Myself included.”
She rolls her eyes. “You’d be a big deal poker player.”
“I could do that now, if I wanted. But I don’t for a reason.”
“And why is that?”
“Hunks The Show is more than just a job to me. Carl was there for me when I had nothing. He’s more than just a boss, and the other Hunks are more than just coworkers.”
A tear wells in the corner of Samantha’s eye. “I love that you have that.”
“You can have it, too.”
She snickers. “Not after the shit I pulled.”
“Most of the guys understand you were helping with PR, and Bianca…well, I kind of let the cat out of the bag regarding little droid.”
She looks down at her stomach. “Well, I can’t exactly be mad considering it’s all but impossible to hide my pregnancy at this point, even with a new wardrobe.”
“It looks good on you.”
