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“I’ve met someone too. I was… waiting for the right time to tell you.”

Nice touch with the dramatic pause, Damon. You’re really selling this.

Would Lissa buy it, though? Was he a good enough actor to fool even her?

The two golden statues on the shelves in his office told him he was. There was no need to back down now.

“You’re seeing someone else?” Lissa asked incredulously.

Damon gave a little shrug. “I wouldn’t say seeing. I’m not the type to go behind your back. You know that.”

Unlike you, who has clearly gone behind my back, he thought. But he kept that little dig to himself.

“Anyway, she’s been on my mind. There’s something there. Something strong. And I knew I’d have to pursue it.” He put on the most sincere mask he could muster at the moment and said, “I’m sorry, Lissa. I didn’t want to hurt you.”

There was a moment when Damon didn’t know if Lissa was going to go with this or call him out on his bullshit.

He figured she didn’t know, either.

Hopefully he’d been as convincing as he’d seemed to himself.

“Where did you meet this girl?”

Okay. She’s just fishing for more info. No big deal.

“Auntie Athena’s.”

Well, it was plausible on several fronts. He was known to hang out at Auntie Athena’s nursery over in West Hollywood. Affectionately referred to as Hollywood Haven by adoring Littles, a lot of ageplayers went through there. It was a big hub for the community.

“Who… is she?”

Damon couldn’t tell if Lissa was hurt. She certainly had no right to be. This was a very fake relationship. Her relationship with Max Arden was clearly very real. He could tell by all the buzzing sounds still coming from her phone. Couldn’t the asshole wait a few minutes for them to officially break up before he blew up her phone?

“Just a girl.”

“Famous?”

“No.”

“So… a regular person?”

Damon only laughed but managed to hold it in. Lissa could be like that sometimes. She forgot she’d been born and raised in rural South Dakota and graduated from a high school class of thirty-six students.

“We just clicked, Lissa. I’m sorry.”

“Oh. Well… I wish you two all the best.” She grabbed her phone, pushed off from where she’d been leaning, and stepped forward. “Would it be weird to invite you to Max’s party? It’s after the big awards ceremony. I’m sure you’ll be celebrating. You’re taking home a statue. And you could bring her.”

Now Damon’s acting skills were truly being tested. He hoped his face didn’t betray him.

“I’d love that. I think it would be a nice way to move forward.”

Seriously? You dump me right before the Awards and then expect me to just roll up to your afterparty like everything is okay?

It took him a second of offense before he realized the invitation he’d accepted wasn’t even the biggest problem he had.

Oh shit! What the hell am I going to do now?

She nodded. “Are you still going to the gala tonight?”