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Julie glanced across the table, widening her eyes in warning. Riley, no. If Camille found out about their plan, there’d be no going back. She’d have to see the pseudo-relationship with Mitchell through to a story.
And she was no longer sure she could do it.
But her friend ignored the silent command. “See, Julie knows better than anyone the high standard she’s set with her previous articles. In order to ensure this story is of the same quality, she’s doing a little undercover work so she can speak personally about developing a relationship.”
“Undercover work? In a relationships article? Isn’t that a little … tawdry?” Kelli asked with a sneer.
No more than that tiny skirt that’s one sneeze away from showing your hoo-ha, Julie wanted to snap.
“Julie, is this true?” Camille asked, looking unusually intrigued.
“Well, that was my original plan, but it’s not really panning out, so I was thinking—”
“She’s being coy,” Grace chimed in. “The truth is, this guy is smitten with her. They’ve seen each other almost every day since the first date.”
Grace, nooooooooo!
Her friends knew what they were doing, however. Camille was eating it up, and Kelli looked positively livid.
“But I can provide a real relationship,” Kelli whined. “Julie has to use a guy for a fake one.”
Camille nodded at Julie as though Kelli hadn’t spoken. “I like it. We can call it ‘Undercover Girlfriend.’ Good work, Ms. Greene. I look forward to reading your draft.”
Mitchell’s steady, kind face flashed before her eyes, and she felt sick to her stomach.
“Wait, Camille!” she blurted out. Grace and Riley shot her warning looks, which she ignored. “The undercover-girlfriend aspect isn’t really shaping up like I’d hoped, and I was thinking a new direction, maybe—”
Camille held up a hand. “Your first draft is due in just a couple of weeks. And while I certainly don’t doubt that you can pull something else together, it won’t be as strong as your original idea or what Kelli can offer.”
“But—”
“Either you can go through with your original plan or Kelli can cover your spot in this issue. What’ll it be?”
Julie felt something fierce throb at her temple. She wanted to rage at Camille, who was being completely bullheaded and unreasonable, but that was futile.
Her heart demanded that she step aside. Her career wasn’t worth the pain. Not to herself, and certainly not to Mitchell.
She had opened her mouth to concede when she caught sight of Kelli grinning broadly and already scribbling something in her glittery purple notebook.
“I’ll do it,” she heard herself say. “I’ll finish what I started.”
Camille looked pleased. Kelli looked constipated. Grace and Riley looked worried.
And Julie felt even more ill.
The rest of the meeting passed in a blur, and when it was over, she nearly bolted from the stifling conference room, desperate for fresh air.
Grace and Julie flanked her on either side as they steered her toward the elevator instead of their shared office.
“Sorry,” Grace said quietly. “I didn’t realize how conflicted you were over this until it was too late.”
“Me neither,” Riley said by way of apology. “What are you going to do now?”
Julie gave a mirthless laugh. She had no choice. “Now? Now I pull out the big guns.”
“Threesome?” Riley asked.
“No. Movie night.”
