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He moved aside.
Hugo was an ally, even if I didn’t agree with everything he did.
“Come in,” Bibi sang when I knocked on the door.
“Are you firing me?” I asked.
“Someone’s an alarmist this morning.” She rose from behind her desk. Today she wore a velour jogging suit, sparkly sneakers, and a scarf over her hair. “Yesterday was pretty magical, if I do say so myself. But ever since the date ended, I keep getting pinged about notifications that question your intentions for being on the show. I don’t doubt Cindy’s your mate, Logan. But you may never convince anyone outside of this room. Are you okay with that?”
“No.”
Bibi put her fingers over her mouth in shock. No doubt she’d talked to Hugo about this.
“Cindy’s the only one who needs to believe it.”
“How would you like us to handle this? If you have a publicity team, we would love to work with them to make sure we’re sharing a cohesive message.”
“I fired my agent yesterday.” I sighed. “Let the reporters speculate about me. They’ve been doing it for my entire career. They’re hardly ever right. No need to give them more material that they can twist to serve their purposes. If we ignore them, they’ll get bored.”
“They’re not going away.” Bibi paced the office like she wanted to shift. Her behind sparkled with the word Bibi. “I’d love to interview you and broadcast it before they get carried away with the ‘he said’ and the ‘she said’. All NDAs will be null and void, and it will be open season on Logan Mathis, whether you’re ever in your wolf form again or not.”
“Interview away. You can have exclusive rights to my story. Whenever you want. I have nothing to hide.”
She nodded. “Plan on tonight. I’d already made plans to work with Cindy later today. Make a list of any topics you want covered. This doesn’t have to be just about your wolf, Logan. I have a feeling there are a few things you’ve had on that well-muscled chest of yours for a while.”
She was right. “Will Cindy be there when we do it?”
“I’ll certainly extend the invitation, but if you want my professional opinion, I think it would be better if this was just me and you.” Bibi rested her behind on the corner of her desk. “What can we do to support you?”
“Like getting me settled here?” I asked. Cindy and I still had so much to talk about. That one date felt like so much more—but I wouldn’t choose anything permanent in Sunset Springs without asking her first. “We should probably wait until the episode is done.”
Bibi shook her head. “That’s not what I meant. We have access to one of the best shifter doctors in the country. Dr. Chandra Lowe. She’s up in Sawtooth Forest, and she’s been doing some cutting-edge research on shifter medicine. If you haven’t been able to get answers from your medical team, she might have a different perspective.”
“No.” I rumbled. “Thank you for wanting to help me. It’s a kind offer. But I don’t want this treated like a freak show.”
“I promise you, Dr. Lowe would treat you with the utmost respect.”
“It’s not her I’m worried about. It’s them.” I motioned behind me, but Bibi knew what I was talking about. “Getting their hands on information they’re not ready for. My biggest concern is making Cindy believe that she’s my mate.”
“But your wolf—”
I held my hand up. “The story on everyone’s lips is whether or not I’m faking this relationship to benefit my career. Because they know without my wolf, I probably don’t have one. My agent—or former agent—tried to bribe me out of doing this show with the promise of some big roles. Human roles. Maybe someday I’ll be ready to talk to your doctor. But right now, I have to make sure Cindy can live with a wolf who may never shift again. That’s what I need your help with. I need to sweep this woman off her fucking feet. I’ve always relied on the fact I was Logan Mathis the actor to attract women. Will she still want me if I’m out of the business?”
Bibi brightened. “We can do this. You don’t need a makeover. You’ve already been polished to a perfect finish. You need a makeunder. We need to give Cindy every opportunity to see the real you. So think about that before we do the interview tonight. Who is Logan Mathis when the lights go dark and the cameras aren’t filming? That’s our story. You can’t show her the same side of you that you’ve shown the public. Whatever you’re holding back, that’s what you’re going to win her over with.”
“Okay.” Problem was, I’d been playing to the cameras for so long I wasn’t sure who that guy was anymore.
Bibi put her hand on my shoulder and squeezed it. “I’m excited about this. I have to be honest, I was furious that you’d been brought on the show because I thought we’d have a hard time making everyone believe you were for real. But that is the show. This is your chance to show the world who you really are.”
