They’re not happy that he just metaphorically banished a bodyguard from a room. Jack senses this and speaks directly to Akara.
“Why would you need to be in a secure environment?”
“Because she asked me to be,” he says curtly. “Any other questions,Jack?”
“For Sulli, yeah,” Jack says, trying to ignore the incensed bodyguards.
Sulli hesitates to eat another bite of food. “You okay, Kits?”
Jack and Akara stare each other down.
And then Akara says flat-out, “Respect security and we’ll respect production.”
“Sounds good, man.” Jack swigs his sports drink.
Akara nods.
I’m fucking impatient. “Let’s move on.”
“How about,” Jack says to Sulli, “you tell us what you’d like to talk about on the show. You said there’s bullshit that needs to be said. What bullshit?”
Sulli uses her muscular bicep to wipe her mouth. “So the photographs from the Olympics.”
My muscles bind, but she’s able to meet Jack’s gaze while unloading more of her feelings.
“The ones with the hair. The stupid fuckwads who keep thinking it’s funny to zoom up on my bikini line need to know they arefuckwads.”
“Agreed.” I finish off my tea in one gulp.
Olympics should’ve been a time tocelebrateSulli’s athletic achievements. Theentirefucking time, the media latched onto her shaving and waxing habits. Weeks before the summer games, they photographed Sulli with stubble and hair by her bikini line.
The image went viral.
85% of the questions reporters asked at the Olympics centered on her hair—and she answered all of them with a definitivefuck you.
That also went viral.
“Does the topic go deeper than the Olympics?” Jack asks. I tense.
“What do you mean?” Sulli scoops a piece of waffle.
“He means when you were younger,” I explain. “Did you deal with anything like that growing up?” Her forest-green eyes that match my hue justdrownagainst me—because I was there. I grew up with Sulli. I saw her hit puberty earlier than most girls. Her hair is dark and grows fast.
I saw the boys after swim meetsjeerat the hair on her arms. I shoved two in a pool when they started making gorilla noises. And then I hugged Sulli in the locker room, and we collectively said,fuck them.
Fuck them.
“Do I have to talk about that right now?” she whispers to me.
“No.” I give Jack a serious look likework your production magic and pivot this topic. Now.
“Maybe you and Moffy can have a segment swimming or racing one another.”Thank you.
I almost smile. “You mean a segment where she kicks my ass.”
Sulli’s lips curve, and she knocks her shoulder to mine. “I’ll go easy on you.”
“No you won’t.” I rotate to Jack. “I’ll only do it if you agree to get your ass beat by her too.”
