Erin glanced over. “She’s the new reporter you’ve been paired with?”
“Unfortunately.” Tilly took a long drink of water. “She works like she’s the only one who knows how.”
Jamie smiled into her glass. “I seem to recall someone else who used to say that about me.”
“That was different,” Tilly said. “You weren’t wrongandloud about it.”
Jamie laughed. Erin hid hers behind a sip of wine. Leo sighed dramatically under the table.
They’d barely moved to second helpings when Savannah’s name slipped out again. “She—uh—Wells. She blew another stand-up this morning. Wind caught her hair, made it look like a shampoo commercial.”
Jamie’s grin was instant. “You’ve been paying a lot of attention to her hair.”
Tilly frowned. “I was behind the camera. That’s literally my job.”
“Sure,” Jamie said. “Yourjob.”
Tilly knew they should shut up, but something about Savannah made their skin buzz — not attraction, not exactly. Just… awareness.
Erin tilted her head. “You’ve mentioned her a few times now.”
“I’m venting,” Tilly said quickly. “She’s… she’s just—”
“Hot?” Jamie offered.
“Annoying.” Tilly countered.
“Confident?” Jamie shot back.
“Overconfident.” Tilly rolled their eyes.
“Talented?” Erin offered.
Tilly hesitated. “Lucky.”
Jamie nearly choked on her wine. “You hate that she’s good.”
“I don’t hate that she’s good,” Tilly said. “I hate that she knows she’s good. She talks with her hands, like she’s conducting an orchestra. Knows exactly where the frame ends.And she does this little half-smile when she gets a line right—like she’s congratulating herself in real time.”
Jamie and Erin exchanged a look that said everything.
“What?” Tilly said. “I’m observant.”
Erin set her glass down, voice mild but sharp around the edges. “Dude, you sound a lot like someone who’s got a crush they don’t want to admit.”
Jamie folded over the table, laughing. “Oh my god, Erin.”
Tilly froze. “A crush? No. Absolutely not. She’s impossible.”
Leo barked once, perfectly timed.
“See?” Erin said. “Dog agrees.”
Jamie wiped her eyes. “It’s killing me. You’re completely gone.”
“I’m not gone,” Tilly said, heat creeping up their neck. “She’s everywhere. She’s trending. She’s in promos. Her voice is stuck in my head.”
Jamie smirked. “Uh-huh.”
