“Is he here now?”
“No, he’s not here. Are you out ofyour mind?”
“Well, get your clothes on and getyour ass ready because we’re about to have an emergency meeting.”
“Will you just tell me why youhave this crazy idea in your head?”
“Oh, you’ll see, Tad. Don’t youworry about that. Now get your clothes on. We have to go grab Bryce. Both ofyou have a lot of explaining to do. I tried to reach Roeder on the way up here.He’s not in yet, but if you think he’s going to be okay with this, you’ve gotanother think coming. Come on, now. We’ve got to get to Bryce from his room.”
“He’s not there,” Tad says.
Shit, shit, shit.
“And why is that?”
“He went out to get breakfast. Heswung by here to ask if I wanted anything.”
“Then I’ll fucking text him tomeet us…God, you sure know how to fuck shit up, don’t you, Tad?”
I’m still trying to figure out how we were exposed, and itmust be driving Tad as crazy as it’s driving me.
Twenty-One
Bryce
“Now, who’s going to explain what the fuck this is allabout?”
Kiernan’s laptop sits on his hotelroom desk, displaying a picture of me and Tad kissing each other at thestadium. Darren sits beside Tad on a burgundy couch, gazing at me wide-eyedwith a sort of “you’re in so much trouble” expression on his face. Tad doesn’tlook at me. His blonde locks are tossed every which way from our tusslesthroughout the night. He wears a pair of sweat pants that he managed to throwon, but no shirt since Kiernan didn’t even give him enough time for that beforehauling him out of his room.
He pouts. Like he’s just asdisappointed as I am that this had to come to an end.
My face must be white as a ghost’sright now. When I showed up, Kiernan didn’t say what his issue was. Just pulledup the image on his laptop and glared at Tad and I.
I stand in the doorway, my mouthhanging open.
“Is Bryce there?” It’s Roeder’svoice. I shift my glance to two cell phones placed side-by-side on a table besidethe sofa where Darren’s sitting.
“I’m here, Roeder.”
“Are you going to explain what’sgoing on right now? Because you didn’t get this job so that you could screwaround. You know how many calls and emails I’ve gotten this morning about this incrediblyunethical and unprofessional behavior?”
Just when I was starting to enjoymy assignment, this had to fuck everything up.
But that’s what I get for enjoyingmy assignment. I couldn’t just come here and do my job. No. I had to put my jobin the line, and for what? Well, for some fucking hot-ass sex, but still, it’snot something I’m proud of.
“Sir—”
“Agent Roeder,” Tad interrupts.“I’m sorry.”
That’s it. A confession. It’s overfor me. I might as well just leave this embarrassing situation, pack my bags, kissmy career with the FBI goodbye, and go back home so I can start looking for anew job.
“I saw there was a pap nearbyyesterday,” Tad continues, “and I kissed Bryce because I thought it wouldfunny.”
“Wait a minute,” Kiernan says.“You saw a guy with a camera, and you did this on purpose?” He turns to me. “Whydidn’t you stop him?”
“He tried,” Tad says. “Look at himin the pic. He hardly looks like he’s into it.”
You can’t really tell from thepicture. The sunglasses make it difficult to read my expression, which workswell to back up Tad’s point. Props to him for being such a good liar. I feellike I’ll just let him roll with it for a bit to see if he can really pull thisoff.
