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“You wouldn’t.”
“My darling, I absolutely would.”
A sigh emerges from beneath the tablecloth, then two trainers, followed by a pair of legs as Bri crawls out from her hiding place. Her hair is slightly tousled and her eyes are suspiciously red. Handing her the last of my coffee, she takes a grateful sip as we retreat into the back of my stall, away from the crowds. Business can wait, friends come first.
She perches on a stool while I lean against a display rail of jackets.
“He made me sign an NDA. Or rather he got his agent to do it,” she says, eyes firmly locked on the coffee cup. “He told me this morning he had to speak to him to sort things out, apparently things were me.”
“No, they were not,” I reply, crouching down in front of her, “I need you to listen to me very carefully.” She glances at me. “We all signed NDAs. All of us,” I gesture vaguely. “Me, Lennie, Luna, Enzo and Ember.”
Her forehead creases. “When?”
“Jason came to the lodge the first night.”
“He did?”
I nod. “He gathered everyone together. You’d gone back to your room for a shower.”
“Oh.”
“He asked where you were,” I tell her, grimacing. “And here’s the awkward bit. I got rude to him and so he left without waiting for you.”
“Why?”
A dramatic sigh escapes me as I put an arm over her shoulder. “Because apparently I’m an idiot and I wanted to inadvertently ruin your life and cause you unnecessary heartache.”
“Oh,” she whispers, a small smile tugging at her lips.
“So, this… Is partially my fault. Ok fully my fault. Because if you’d signed the first night like everyone else, none of this confusion would’ve happened.”
“It’s okay.”
“No, darling. It really isn’t.”
She shrugs. “But…” Ah, there’s always a but. “He said he needed to speak to his agent this morning.”
My heart sinks. “And?”
“So how do I know?”
“Bri.”
“How do I know he didn’t ask for it because…” her voice is very small, “because he slept with me?”
Oh no. Oh, sweetheart.
“I mean…” she says, gesturing at herself, “look at me. I’m hardly a supermodel and he’s a TV star. What was I even thinking? Of course he’s not interested in me.”
“BRIANNA WILDBLOOD, DON’T YOU DARE!”
She flinches. “What?”
“Stop it. Stop it right now. That ridiculous nonsense coming out of your mouth.”
“I mean it.”
“So do I. You’ve spent years letting intrusive thoughts win, haven’t you?” Silence. “You’ve listened to that nasty little voice in your head for so long that you’ve started believing it.” A tear streaks her cheek so I soften my voice. “My lovely, you are beautiful, inside and out. You are kind, talented, clever and funny. And you are one of the most genuine people I have ever met.” Smiling I take her hand in mine. “You are not difficult to love and I would appreciate it enormously if you’d stop talking about my friend as though she’s somehow less than.”
