“Gibson’s on assignment in Argentina and thinks I shut my phone off forTed Lassobingeing on Thursday nights,” Jane says.
Ridhi nods. “Shiloh’s at the fire station, and Bridget’s cockblocking Teague.”
“And I’m taking you to Estelle next if you don’t fuckingtalk,” I growl.
“She’s at a business meeting,” Tavi-Not-Tavi whispers.
Willie Wayne drops the truffle he’s holding.
“Holy shit,” Jane murmurs.
Ridhi grabs the nearest folding chair and sits like her legs don’t want to hold her. “I will never understand rich people.”
“What’s your name?” I ask.
“None of your business.”
Willie Wayne bolts up out of his chair. “She didn’t sprain her ankle!This is just like when Lola faked a broken arm so that she could get someone else to cook for her onLola’s Tiny House.She didn’t sprain her ankle, and we freakinglostbecause she left the game!”
“She’s sorry,” Not-Tavi says.
“Where is she?” I repeat.
“Even if I knew, I wouldn’t tell you.” Not-Tavi tosses her hair. “She’s a good person doing her best in shitty circumstances, and I hope she never comes back.” She gives me a half smile that feels almost real on the sympathy. “No offense. It’s not about you. It’s really not.”
Of course it’s not.
I’m nobody.
A small-town plumber who was a nice distraction while she was trapped here. “She’s not coming back?”
Not-Tavi shrugs. “She says she is, but if I were her, I wouldn’t. Again, no offense. She likes all of you. Like,waymore than I’ve ever heard her talk about anyone else in her life except for one person.”
Naomi. Her friend Naomi.
“How often have you been here?” Jane asks.
“I respectfully decline to answer that question.”
“Does Lola have a doppelgänger too?” Willie Wayne asks.
Jane throws a truffle at him. “Do you really think she’d know? What do you think there is, Doppelgängers R Us on a secret corner in Hollywood?”
“Don’t waste truffles.”He lunges for it and recovers the truffle he dropped at the same time.
Ridhi’s fanning herself like she, too, is realizing this is super fucked up and can’t quite get a grip on it. “How did you even get this job? Are you wearing aScooby-Doomask, or do youactuallylook like Tavi in real life?”
Tavi-Not-Tavi growls. “Can we talk about the more important part? Like how if any of you breathe a word of this and hurt Tavi, you’ll regret it for the rest of your lives?”
“No one’s hurting Tavi.”
“What’s this business meeting about?” Jane asks. “Whatbusiness? And where the hell did these trufffffffffuuck.Are you serious?Shit. I mean, we all assumed she eats decent food when no one’s looking, butare you serious?” She points at me. “Andyou knew.”
“Stop,” Not-Tavi says. She wrinkles her nose, but it doesn’t wrinkle with her. “Can we all please agree that I need to stay away from Tavi’s family until she gets back or fires me because she doesn’t need me anymore? Ifyoufigured it out, they might too.”
I stare at Not-Tavi, and the truth sinks in.
Tavi, the real Tavi, isn’t coming back.
