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“I have to go,” she said inanely, pulling away.
His grip tightened, and his lips moved again in the raucous noise. “Where?”
“Uh...uh...the bathroom. Going to the ladies’. See you in a minute. Bye.”
She pulled away again. Drew hung on for a split second, sensing her panic, but then let her go.
Jenna slipped away, weaving swiftly through the crowd and toward the door.
Someone stepped in front of her as she made for it. She ran right into him.
“Sorry, Jenna! Didn’t mean to bump you!”
It was Ernest, Ava’s eager-beaver young assistant, with his spiky white blond hair and his big round glasses that made him look like a crazed steam-punk aviator.
“Ernest,” she said. “What on earth are you doing here?”
“The usual,” Ernest said, holding up a tablet. “Recording your love!”
Jenna’s insides thudded two stories down. “Oh, God. Ava told you to come here?”
“She wanted me to record Roddy’s gig. The romantic dance and that be-still-my-heart steaming-hot kiss was just an awesome bonus. It’s gonna totally blow up online!”
“Oh, no, no, no! Ernest, do me a favor. Don’t post the dance and the kiss, okay? I understand about filming Roddy, but just leave me and Drew out of it.”
Ernest looked bewildered. “Why not? I thought this was the whole point!”
“It’s just, um, kind of private.”
“Well, duh. Of course. That’s why people go for it.”
“Just don’t, this time,” she pleaded. “Just this once. I need a breather.”
“Sorry.” Ernest looked anything but sorry as he lifted his tablet. “I already uploaded it to your and Drew’s YouTube channel—”
“I don’t have a YouTube channel!”
“Oh, but you do, and since last week, you two have already racked up twenty-one thousand followers. Let’s see, I just uploaded this video of the dance and the kiss five minutes ago, and it’s got...lemme see here how many views...ooh! Seven hundred and eighty-five...six...seven... It keeps going up! You guys are a hot property!”
“That’s just it,” Jenna wailed. “I’m not a property! Or a reality TV star! Sometimes I need to get a drink or go hear some music and have it just be for me, for God’s sake!”
Ernest gazed at her, looking blank and very clouded. “Just for you? Like, what does that even mean? What do you care if people like to watch? What does it matter?”
Jenna turned her back and left before she lost her temper and smacked the guy.
The cold wind whipped her hair as she walked down the street. Her eyes stung, and her face felt hot. Her throat was tight, like a cruel little hand was squeezing it.
But she’d signed up for this insanity.
There was a taxi cruising by. She hailed it and got in, then pulled out her phone as soon as she’d given directions to the driver. Her hand was shaking as she pulled up Drew’s number and texted him.
had to go. grabbed a cab. on my way home now. sorry.
A few moments later, his response appeared. wtf! seriously?
I needed to be alone. sorry. really.
Another minute passed, and his answer appeared. WHAT DID I DO
