Then I wonder about Harry.
What if he recognized me in the photos?
God.
He’ll almost certainly come stalking around Pawsome Hearts again, armed with a way to embarrass me to death. Pressuring Dr. Ezzie until she hands him the keys to the kingdom.
All so he can demolish the clinic and build an ugly new stack of gentrified condos.
Holy hell, no!
Before, this dilemma felt hopeless. Going up against Harry with my limited influence felt like throwing a bucket of water at a wall and praying for erosion.
But if I had Brady’s help ...
Stupid, I know.
Reckless.
Self-destructive.
When I came to the park, I was ready to throw his offer back in his face, and maybe any stray coffee cups I could find littering the ground. To laugh at the idea that heeverthought he could bribe me into being his flipping girlfriend.
Now, though, I see the offer for what it is without the personal outrage.
It’s more transactional.
One million dollars isn’t anything to sneeze at either.
Yesterday, I fled because the thought of lying to the world for money made my skin crawl. And he threw it in my face two minutes after I thought I could trust him.
Today, I’m reassessing my memory and my morals. What I’m prepared to do to save Pawsome Hearts.
“What’s your plan?” I ask, leaning up on my toes so I can see what he’s typing into his phone.
“Shoot this situation dead. I’m posting the truth for my followers. Everything. I’ll deal with the shitstorm it’ll bring down later. Almost done,” he grinds out, glaring at the screen like it’s biting him.
“Wait, don’t post it yet,” I say.
He stops and looks up. A fraught line appears between his brows.
“What?”
“I said don’t post.”
He shakes his head.
I inhale slowly. “If I wanted to be your fake girlfriend—if—I’d need the money up front.”
“The money ...” His face clears. Those blue eyes blaze. His mouth loosens just a fraction before it tightens again. “The money I offered yesterday, you mean?”
“Duh. Do you think I’m beating back rich guys who want to pay me to kiss them?”
“Lena, I—” He blinks and then buttons his lips like he knows he’s about three seconds away from blowing it again. “Go ahead. Talk.”
“I don’t like being forced into anything.” Understatement of the century. “But a small part of memightsee how this could benefit us.”
He looks like he’s biting his tongue, but he just nods.
