Total pages in book: 126
Estimated words: 121916 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 610(@200wpm)___ 488(@250wpm)___ 406(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 121916 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 610(@200wpm)___ 488(@250wpm)___ 406(@300wpm)
Sunshine engages Laila and me in a discussion about our strategy with our team. And when that short conversation ends, we launch into some planned smack-talk with the other teams.
“Get ready to go down, Adrian,” Laila calls out, much to everyone’s delight.
“Fitzy,” Savage deadpans in reply. “We’re at work. We’ve got a job to do. Now’s not the time to bark sexual orders at me, babe.”
The audience roars at that, like they always do when their two favorite judges, Mr. and Mrs. Adrian Savage, grace them with one of their patented viral moments. Honestly, I’m laughing as hard as the audience. Savage and Laila make more money in one season of this show than I’ll ever see in my lifetime. But they earn every penny, thanks to moments like that.
After a bit, just as the smack-talking segment feels like it’s ending, Sunshine presses her finger into her ear, like she’s being told something in her earpiece. “Ruby, before I let everyone go to start working with their teams, can you tell us something about the brand-new song your band, Fugitive Summer, will debut for us during the finale?”
Shit. We haven’t written the song yet, so I don’t know the answer to the question. Even if I did, however, I wouldn’t answer it. Also, why is she asking me this question, when she’s got the lead singer of Fugitive Summer sitting right in front of her?
“Sorry, Sunshine,” I say brightly. “That’s top secret. You’ll have to wait and watch the performance in the finale, along with everyone else. The only thing I can tell you now is it’s a brand-new song we wrote very recently, and we’re performing right after Cooper and his band, so you won’t want to miss it.”
“Ooooh,” Sunshine coos. “How exciting! And what interesting timing. I can’t wait to see that.” She returns to the camera in front of her. “And now, let’s watch each judge–mentor duo meeting with their teams!”
“Cut!” the director yells after Sunshine has been frozen in place for several beats. “Nice work, everyone,” he calls out. “Let’s shoot Savage and Kendrick meeting their team first. After that, we’ll take Jon and Cooper, and then Laila and Ruby.” He waves to the audience. “Thank you, everyone. You’re the best.” He makes prayer hands and bows. “We couldn’t do this without you. We love you. Now, please, listen to security’s instructions as you’re escorted out of the building.”
29
RUBY
“I’m sorry they did that to you,” Laila says. “They’re such assholes.”
We’re in her huge dressing room, munching on box lunches while awaiting our turn to shoot the “meeting with our team” segment.
“It’s fine. I knew I made a deal with the devil to get onto the show.”
“Kendrick sticking up for you was swoony.”
I blush. “Yeah, that was really sweet.”
“Better for him to do it than you. It played better that way.”
“If I’d tried to do it, they would have made me out to be a whining, complaining little bitch, and nobody would have believed me, anyway.”
“Probably true.” She munches on a carrot stick. “You’re really okay?”
I pause to consider. “I’m better than okay, actually. I’m great. This is a dream come true, and I’m not going to let anything or anyone ruin that.”
“Hear, hear.” She clinks her sparkling water to mine. And then, with a smirk, she says, “Seems like the audience is swooning hard for Kendrick. If the show is trying to pit Kendrick against Cooper, it’s pretty clear who’s winning that battle.”
“Can you blame them? It’s no contest.”
Laila takes a bite of her sandwich. “You two seem closer than ever. You’ve had fun staying at his place, huh?”
I stare at her with narrowed eyes. I had a feeling the other day that Kendrick had told Savage about our fling, but then I got too distracted by a dildo in my ass and a dick in my vag to remember to ask about it. Well, based on the way Laila keeps trying to steer this conversation to Kendrick, I’m thinking my hunch was right: Kendrick told his best friend everything, and his best friend then turned around and told his wife.
“What did Savage tell you?” I ask.
“About what?”
“Laila.”
“Savage didn’t tell me anything.” She smiles broadly. “But you just did.”
“Laila, come on.”
“Okay, okay, yes, I know about you and Kendrick having a little fun while you’re staying there. But don’t blame Savage. I never believed that kiss at Reed’s party was for the hidden cameras. I know what I saw. And so does everyone else who witnessed it. You can’t fake passion like that.”
My face flushes with heat, and Laila giggles.
“So, things are going well? The sex is good?”
“Good doesn’t come close to covering it. It’s been magical. Supernatural. Transformative.”
“Oh my gosh! Are you in love? Are you official?”
I exhale. “Slow down, sister. It’s not like that. It’s just a fling—a friends-with-benefits fling that will expire when I move back into my place.”