“Did she … did she just sayfin-tastic?”
“Indeed, she did. Just wait.” Henry looked seconds away from passing out.
“I mean, they were really krilling it out there. I was completely hooked. Ten tentacleswayup.”
Oh, good gods.
Was she making fish puns on live TV?
“Great. Love that,” Porsha said.
Why,whydid it have to be Porsha DeWinter to catch Iris alone?
Sly and cunning were her very nature, being a fox shifter. If she scented a story, she would do everything in her power to charm it out of someone.
And Iris didn’t have nearly enough media training under her belt yet.
“So, back to Finn Westrock. Do I sense … love in the air? What an unlikely duo,” she went on. “A royal mermaid and a politician.”
“How does that saying go? Opposites attract,” Iris said, her smile peeled back so tight, it looked like it hurt. “You know, like barnacles to a hull.”
“Oh, no,” Henry groaned.
“This is bad,” Finn muttered, running a hand through his hair. The last thing he needed was a viral soundbite full of fish puns. Not when the Pixie Council was still on the fence and the Vampire Syndicate was watching his campaign like hawks. They wanted stability and tradition. Not chaos and pun-loving sea royalty.
“I’m not sure which of you is supposed to be a barnacle in this scenario of hers. But either way, it’s not good,” Henry said.
“I mean, a mermaid and a politician,” Iris went on, reaching up to flip her hair. Even the cameraman lost focusfor a second, zeroing in on the silky strands and the way the sun hit the shimmering scales up near her hairline. “It’s all uncharted waters,” Iris said.
What was with all the ocean references? He’d been living with the woman for a while now and hadn’t ever heard her use fishy puns or ocean metaphors.
Was she just nervous?
“I think we’re going to be making waves, though, that’s for sure.”
“No doubt about that,” Porsha cut back in. “Well, you heard it here, folks. One of America’s most eligible politicians has clearly beenreeled in. This is Porsha DeWinter, Channel 16.”
“What,” Henry started, turning off his tablet, “and I can’t stress this enough, in thehellwas that?”
That was a good question.
Finn had never seen Iris act so fake.
He didn’t like it.
Even if he knew it was exactly what he and Henry were constantly demanding of her.
“I don’t know. But we can’t figure that out until we find Iris and ask her.”
“No, we have to figure out how to get ahead of this. There are going to be hundreds of calls, people asking for comments, for interviews. And memes. There are going to be so many memes.”
“I need to find Iris.”
That look in her eyes before she’d walked off was still bothering him.
“No. We’re going back to the office. Now.”
As if on cue, both of their phones started to ring.
