Delphine’s mouth fell open. “Wait—what?”
“Tonight was a setup,” Vance said. “They had a photographer there, ready to take pictures.”
“I don’t understand why they want this,” Delphine said.
“They think a romance storyline will bring in viewers,” I said. “And the more buzz before the show releases, the better.”
“What awful people. And an awful business,” Delphine said.
I rubbed at my temples. “I don’t even know if I’m allowed to say no. I signed a contract. What if I’m stuck? I feel like such a dummy.”
“How were you to know this is what it would be like?” Delphine asked. “The show seemed like a dream come true.”
“I’m not cut out for this,” I said. “Living life on social media might be for some, but not me. I want to build my business, but this just feels like the wrong way to do it.”
“I say you go in tomorrow and tell them you’re out—unless they agree to do it your way,” Delphine said.
“I don’t know if it will do any good,” I said. “But I’ll tell them I don’t want to play pretend with Beau just to boost ratings. In the meantime, I’ll have a lawyer look at the contract.”
“And Alex has a friend looking into Kenzie,” Vance said. “She’s up to something, but I don’t know what—or why.”
“There’s something wrong with that woman,” Delphine said.
“I think they’ll back down,” Vance said. “At least they’ll say they will. But it may be too late. Those photos might already be out there.”
My stomach lurched. “Oh, God. Should we look?”
“Not now,” Vance said firmly. “We can’t let them further wreck our evening.”
I nodded, sinking into a chair. “I thought I wanted something, and it turns out maybe all the mess that comes with it makes it a lot less attractive.”
“Be careful what you ask for, right?” Delphine said.
I just hoped that, in the days to come, I could get my life back. Take on a new client. Without the cameras and the fake narrative.
“Right now, I’m hungry,” I said. “And very grouchy.”
“Like Annie said, food’s on its way,” Delphine said.
“I’m going to change out of this dress,” I said. “Delphine, can you open some wine?”
“Vance, you better help me,” Delphine said. “I don’t want to disappoint the sommelier.”
“I’m at your service,” Vance said, as I headed upstairs to change.
When I reached my bedroom and slipped out of my dress, I was nearly in tears. Was this my new life—posing for the camera, pretending to be someone I wasn’t? Just a month ago, I’d been so starry-eyed, dreaming of my own design line and the kind of future that sparkled in the distance.
How naive I’d been.
I caught my reflection in the mirror. For a moment, I stood, looking at myself. Staring into my own eyes. Was I the same person I’d been before all this started? Could I remain true to myself despite the mess I found myself in? Did I have the courage to admit defeat and give it all up? Go back to my real life?
I drew a shaky breath, blinked back the tears, and straightened my spine. Downstairs, laughter drifted up through the floorboards.
A reminder of why I was doing all of this in the first place. For the people I loved.
After Delphine and Annie left, we tucked the girls into bed. I suggested we open another bottle of wine and sit out on the patio to look at the stars. This time of night, the temperatures had plummeted, so I grabbed a sweater from the closet before joining Vance. He’d opened a bottle of red and already poured it for us.
The patio was quiet, the evening breeze carrying the salty tang of the ocean. Stars filled the sky, bright pinpricks of silver scattered across the deep blue expanse. Vance and I sat side by side in the cushioned chairs, wrapped in cozy throws I’d pulled from a basket by the door. Between us was a small teak table, a half-empty bottle of red wine resting alongside our glasses.
