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The crowd behind the man screamed louder. Alex wondered how fake all these celebrities were. A crawling unease crept up his arms. He couldn’t help but wonder if the girl standing next to him had always been Kana, or if he’d been talking to Sammy this whole time.

“I’m so sorry! Where are my manners?” The man bowed, sweat dripping from his balding head. “It’s just that no one has heard from you for so long. It feels like I’m dreaming.”

Kana giggled. “I mean, you’d never know.”

The man laughed awkwardly, clasping his shaking hands together. “So, what can I do for you today? Are you here for the taping?”

“I heard Snowy was going to be here, and I wanted to come and support her!” Kana smiled sheepishly, then her face fell, glancing at the crowd. “Oh no! But I didn’t get a ticket…”

“Ah, don’t worry!” The man waved his hands, shaking his head. “We can get you in. No problem!”

Kana made a fake gasp and put her hands together. “Really? Are you sure?”

“Absolutely! I’m sure Covey will understand. He’s been thinking about inviting you on the show too!”

Kana squealed and shook his hand with both of hers. “Thank you so much! You are so, so nice!”

As much as Alex hated seeing it—the saccharine smile, the fake laugh, the whole performance—he couldn’t pretend it wasn’t impressive. She’d been doing this since she was a kid. And she was damn good at it.

The man’s face went blotchy red. “It’s my pleasure.” He cleared his throat when he gestured at the men behind her.

“They’re my bodyguards! Don’t worry, they won’t bite.” She placed a hand on the man’s arm. When the man’s smile widened, Alex wanted to smack every single one of his teeth out.

Luckily, he didn’t have to. The man slid his arm away on his own, cleared his throat again, and tightened his tie a little too tight. “Please follow me.”

Kana blew a kiss at the screaming audience as they followed the man inside. Alex had half-expected red carpets and golden chandeliers. What he got was cubicle walls and fluorescent lighting. He scrunched his nose in disappointment.

The main studio was smaller than Alex expected. They descended steps between rows of seats into what was basically a dark theater with too many wires. Lights and cables hung from the ceiling like vines. At the bottom, the raised stage sat under a blinding spotlight with two ugly orange couches in front of a screen showing the LA skyline. The whole setup looked like a film student’s senior project. Alex couldn’t believe people fought for tickets to this.

The man led them to the front row. “Here are your seats! We will just tell everyone that we reserved them. Make yourself comfortable. Let me know if you need anything, Miss Sammy.”

Kana thanked him, and he hurried out of the room.

Alex dropped into a seat and stretched his legs out.

But before he could get comfortable, Kana’s elbow found his ribs. “Sit up,” she ground out. “You have to act like you know what you’re doing even when no one is looking.”

He smiled as he sat up straighter. That was the girl he knew. “Yes ma’am.”

As the rest of the audience filed in, Hal leaned across Kana and whispered, “So, what’s the cue?”

“As soon as it’s break, we follow Snowy back to her room,” Ken answered, then nodded at Kana. “By using her.”

Kana’s smile flickered. “Thanks for the pressure,” she muttered.

“Hey, you were the one that was able to sweet-talk that guy into letting us in,” said Alex, gently nudging her arm. “Going backstage will be a walk in the park.”

Kana winced, but a rehearsed smile slid back into place as she glanced at the audience taking their seats.

After everyone settled in, several crew members went over the rules. Alex zoned out after they were reminded them to laugh and smile, no matter how bad the jokes were.

A rush of footsteps interrupted them. The shrewd man from earlier came back in, sweating, and pulled the crew members into a tight huddle. Whatever he told them wiped the professionalism off their faces. They dispersed with the same tight expressions. Alex’s eyes narrowed.

The leading crew member clapped his hands together and faked a smile. “Alright, folks, we have a change in the schedule. We are going to film a later segment now, but the prompts are the same. Sorry about that. And thank you so much for your patience!”

When the crew disappeared behind the set, the murmurs swelled—confused, restless.

“What the fuck was that all about?” asked Alex under his breath.