Page 94 of The Boyfriend Experience

“Things?” I say.

“The Brewery Smackdown show?” she says. Like this should ring my bell.

“I… I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Home TV,” Michaela says. And now she’s irritated. “I was very excited about this concept and that’s why we flew in this morning to meet with you and your partner.”

“With Lawton?” I say, still confused. “And what do you mean Brewery Smackdown? The show is about mountain homes, not a brewery. And certainly not my brewery.”

Michaela laughs nervously. “Lawton Ayers?”

“Yeah, he and I have a meeting with guys this week about the Rocky Mountain Millionaires show. I have no clue where you got the idea I was doing a show on the brewery.”

“You called me,” Michaela says. “Can we go inside?” She looks over her shoulder again.

“OK,” I say, opening the door. “My office is upstairs, so… would you like to go up there and sort things out?”

“That would be great,” one of the men says. He looks very annoyed. But I can’t tell if it’s with me for not understanding, or with Michaela for fucking this whole thing up so bad.

I take them up the elevator, feeling nervous and self-conscious because everyone is on the wrong page, and then lead them into my apartment. “Can I get you anything?” I ask. I want to play good host because if I fuck up Lawton’s deal, he’ll probably never talk to me again. “Something to drink?” I offer.

“That won’t be necessary,” the man says. “Are you Ms. Ryan?”

“Yes, I’m Oaklee Ryan.”

“And you own this Bronco Brews?”

“Yes,” I say.

“Did you call our corporate offices on Saturday morning?” the second woman asks.

“I’m sorry, who are all you people?”

“I’m Mike Brown,” the man says. “Executive Producer at Home TV. I oversee all the new show concepts. This is my assistant, Jake Slocum. And this is Michaela’s assistant, Lisa Stevens. We’re here because somehow you knew we were coming to town to talk to Lawton Ayers about his mountain show, and you wanted to pitch us an idea about dueling local breweries before we decided to commit to him.”

My stomach sinks. “Let me guess,” I say. “Would these two breweries be Bronco Brews and Buffalo Brews?”

“Yes!” Michaela says. She’s excited now that I seem to be on the same page. “We love, love, love this idea, don’t we Mike?”

“I was intrigued enough to get on a jet at five AM this morning to fly in for your meeting, but I have to say, this was not the reception I was expecting.”

“Jesus Christ,” I whisper. “This isn’t happening. Look, there’s been—”

But that’s as far as I get in the way of an explanation. Because the elevator doors ding and then the doors open and Lawton appears.

Face all beaten up.

Raging mad expression on his face.

And yelling, “What the fuck are you two doing to each other?” Before I can tell him that Home TV is in the house.

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO - LAWTON

I regret my outburst as the words are leaving my mouth for three reasons.

One. Oaklee didn’t do this to me, Hanna did.

Two. She’s in the middle of a business meeting and I just yelled the word fuck.