Page 30 of One Weekend in Los Angeles

“Yes. I was hesitant to share personal details, but considering the way Jeff is behaving, I’m ready to reveal my side of the story.”

Ten minutes later, the two producers of the show along with a filming crew led us into the back room to conduct the interview. I’d asked if she wanted to be alone, but she’d allowed me to stay in the room. The first few questions probed for her feelings about the affair.

But the topic of conversation shifted quickly. “Regarding Deacon Miller as your date tonight, where do you think your future stands with him?”

I should’ve anticipated the interviewer would be curious about us. My breath held as I watched her glance over to me, her cheeks turning pink.

“Deacon and I have started an incredible friendship. He’s made me realize how nice it feels to be treated well. And once you’ve adopted a new standard, you don’t go back.”

“Jeff mentioned in his interview you weren’t supportive of him. What do you say to that?”

“In this world, there are people who give, and there are people who take. Jeff has taken for so long that he doesn’t recognize what it is to give, or what happens when the people he’s taken from have nothing more to give. He continues to be a taker. Tonight he went so far as to threaten to take my dog when I wouldn’t agree to give him another chance. The taking has gotten downright petty. He’s affixed Post-it notes with his name on them to all the items he wants in the house.”

She continued talking, discussing their fertility struggles and how she’d lost the man she’d once known. I was proud of her for not holding anything back.

My brave girl.

The interviewer was also a producer and seemed genuinely to care for Andrea. Throughout, his tone had been kind.

Then came the final question. “Will you return next year to the show?”

I could practically hear Ollie’s voice and hoped she’d be cautious. If she said no, the producers of the show might not have an incentive to share her side. “I don’t know yet, Brett. There’s a lot to figure out.”

“If you don’t return, do you have anything to say to your fans?”

“I’d tell them thank you for your support. I’d also say to you and the rest of the crew that I appreciate how kind everyone has been to me. This show and being on it was way out of my comfort zone, but you all made it easier.”

She was smart to compliment the crew and equally shrewd to avoid committing to returning. I wasn’t sure when this would air, but it was important not to burn bridges.

Afterward, Andi pasted on a smile while she said her goodbyes, but it was obvious from the way she gripped my hand that she was emotionally drained. I’d hoped to get her outside and into the waiting car, but Paula came out of nowhere, intercepting us in the entryway.

“Hi, Andrea. Can I have a word?” She licked her lips, appearing nervous. “Please.”

For a moment, I thought Andi might deny her the opportunity, but she sighed. “You have two minutes.”

“Do you want me to step away?” I wanted to support her but would respect her potential need for privacy.

She offered me a lopsided smile. “No, you can stay.”

The blonde flicked her gaze to me before centering her focus on Andi. Tears were already forming in her eyes. “I wanted to say I’m sorry. I didn’t mean—” She took a gulp of air. “I didn’t mean to hurt you especially when you were a good friend to me.”

“What did you think would happen when you slept with my husband?”

Paula visibly flinched and clearly had no good answer to the question. Meanwhile, I was reminded just how recent and raw this all was for Andrea. Although we might be having an incredible weekend together, she was still grieving her marriage.

Paula inhaled sharply, tears now falling. “He said you were getting divorced, and I believed him.”

Of course he’d fed her a false narrative. A tale as old as time.

But Andrea wasn’t letting her off the hook. “And yet you were hanging out with us both, so you had to know that wasn’t true. You chose to ignore the signs all around you and believe the lies. And Jeff continues to lie because I can guarantee he didn’t tell you that thirty minutes ago he asked me to go to counseling and work on staying together.”

Paula’s face blanched.

Meanwhile Andi’s tone wasn’t gloating or competitive, but rather she sounded resigned. “My days of looking out for you or giving you advice are over, Paula. You can choose to continue to believe him or not. It’s no longer my business.”

“Will you accept my apology?”

She didn’t hesitate. “While I appreciate your apology, I don’t accept it. Because there are some things which aren’t forgivable, and sleeping with a married man while befriending his wife is in that category. But I do wish you well.”