Page 126
This town meeting was already scheduled, intended as a final check-in to make sure we’ve ironed out the details of the festival activities. Hell, things had been going so smoothly, I’d intended to cut the night short, send everyone home a half-hour early with the peace of mind that everything’s going according to plan…
But with the recent turn of events, that’s not at all how tonight’s going to go.
I tap the mic. The screech cuts through the noise and every eye lands on me. “All right, everyone, please find your seats so we can get started.” My eyes catch Kira’s in the front row. She looks like she might throw up, but she insisted on being here.
Miss Scarlett sits beside her, arm slung around her shoulders, baring her teeth at anyone who gets close. On her other side, Matilda wears an equally terrifying scowl.
“As you all know, there are some rumors—”
“Is it true?” Someone shouts.
Of course, Guy chooses that moment to walk in. He saunters up to the front row, drops in next to Miss Scarlett, and gives me a thumbs-up. A thumbs-up. I am going to enjoy punching that stupid smirk off his face.
My hand tightens around the mic. If looks could kill, Guy would already be on the floor.
“Sorry I’m late.” He looks around. “What’d I miss?”
“I believe Roman was just about to tell us what’s really going on,” Fergus Fletcher says, his voice edged with impatience.
“This is absurd,” Colleen scoffs. “Roman wouldn’t knowingly have an affair with a married woman.”
“I don’t know. They were looking pretty cozy having brunch this morning,” someone else mutters.
Kira squirms in her seat, and suddenly I feel like my skin is crawling. It’s a rare thing that I’m in the wrong. Everything I do in life is to avoid being seen as the bad guy. And even if the circumstances aren’t what they seem, it doesn’t look any less scandalous on paper.
“Yes. The rumors are true.”
A ripple of shocked gasps fills the air, and my eyes find Kira, whose face has gone white as a sheet. Everyone’s just talking about her like she’s not sitting in the room. We’re no better than an online comment section.
“But it’s not how it seems. Kira’s been in the process of divorcing Augustus for three years…” I try to explain, but the chatter in the room only grows louder. “I know the optics aren’t ideal—”
“What about the festival? It’s three days away—”
“Are we not a little concerned about the negative attention this could garner?” Colleen asks, “For the town, I mean.”
I hold up a hand, trying to regain control before this turns into a panic spiral. “Let’s slow down. We aren’t going to jump to conclusions—”
“What if all the sponsors pull out at the last minute?” Someone in the back calls out.
“Nah. Seems like everyone’s making it a bigger deal than it is. I didn’t even know who she was until this morning,” Big Dan says with a shrug.
While I appreciate his optimism and wish he were right, I’m afraid Big Dan may not be the most up-to-date on internet gossip. I’ll figure out a way to fix this. I just need time…
“You mean to tell me, I’ve been fighting in comment sections all day for nothing?” Clyde says.
I jerk my head to look at him and shoot him a glare. “How many times do I have to tell you not to engage with trolls on the internet?”
As if Kira needs any more help digging a hole for herself. Now I have to worry about anything Clyde might’ve accidentally revealed trying to defend her. I pinch the bridge of my nose and silently count to ten.
“I can’t believe you’d do something like this. I thought you were a man of integrity,” Fergus says, shaking his head.
“Oh, like you’ve never had a scandal,” Miss Scarlett snaps back.
“That’s hardly the same thing. I was confused and didn’t realize where I was,” Fergus huffs.
Miss Scarlett lifts her chin. “That’s not how I remember it.”
“What about the reality TV show contestants?” Lucy cuts in. “Aren’t the Cryptid Chasers supposed to be here soon?”
