I step forward just as the doors slide open, and suddenly, there’s a thud and a muffledoofbehind me.
Jess barrels straight into my back, her face smacking between my shoulder blades as one hand grabs a fistful of my jacket to keep from falling.
We freeze like that for a second—me mid-step and her plastered to my back like the world’s most annoyed backpack.
“Jesus, warn a guy,” I say, turning just enough to glance over my shoulder.
She’s still clinging to me like she might fall through the floor. “You stoppedshort.”
“I walked. You crashed. There’s a difference.”
She pushes off me like I’m contagious, brushing nonexistent wrinkles from her blazer and avoiding eye contact. “Your back is annoyingly solid.”
“My personal trainer will be thrilled to hear that.”
She glares. “Don’t flatter yourself.”
“Oh, I don’t have to,” I say with a smirk as I step out of the elevator. “You literally threw yourself at me.”
“Keep dreaming, Carmichael.”
“Already am, Lexington.”
Her huff is audible behind me, but her footsteps follow mine all the same.
“Thanks for walking me to my door. I’ll see you later at the mixer.” I swipe the key card across the lock, and it chimes the all-clear to enter. Just as I step forward, my phone chirps, and Jess practically crashes into me again, peeking over my shoulder before I can angle the screen away.
“Is it an update?” Her breath is warm against my neck.
We both go still when the text pops up.
MADELINE
Hi Lucas! Looking forward to our date tonight. Maybe we can pick up where we left off last time? I’ve missed your…company. See you soon! xoxo – Madeline
“Oh, hot date tonight?” Jess purrs, her voice thick with fake sympathy. “Setting someone else up for disappointment? Should I text her and warn her now or later?”
I grit my teeth as fury bubbles up from somewhere deeper than I want to admit. When my father called earlier to suggest I meet up with Madeline Bishop, his favoritedonor’s daughter, I gave him a non-committal “yeah, maybe.” Apparently, he heard that as a green light, and now I get to look like an asshole backing out of a date I never agreed to in the first place.
Usually, I’d volley back something cutting. But right now, my blood is already boiling. Not at Jess. At him.
At all of it.
My father will explode, of course. Once again, I can play my usual role as the family’s lead disappointment. My brother and sister might have fallen in line with the Carmichael political dynasty, but I had the audacity to choose my own path.
“I’ll catch up with you later, Jess.” I step into my room and close the door, not waiting for her response.
At least watching the door slam in her face brings me a little satisfaction and joy.
I toss my phone onto the bed and walk to the window, where I take in the Vegas skyline. My room offers a perfect view of the Strip, all glittering lights and illusions, kind of like how my job is all about making things look better than they are.
I’ve got fifteen minutes before the conference call about Levi. That’s just enough time to come up with a strategy and tell Madeline the “date” isn’t happening. I take off my jacket and grab my laptop, already drafting potential statements in my head.
Levi Peterson, star of Wonderland’s upcomingPink Slip, was involved in a minor traffic incident last night…
No. That’s too vague. Everyone will assume the worst.
I take a deep breath and pick up my phone again. I needto deal with Madeline before tackling Levi’s mess. As I type out a polite but firm rejection, my mind wanders back to Jess. She’s probably already working her sources, trying to beat me to the story.
