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MylastviewofFiona is her eyes—bright blue and widening at the sound of Shae’s voice. I don’t wait until the door is shut before I turn to the pink-haired influencer, Emmett bodyguard-like behind her.
“No lurking here,” I say in response to her question. “Just checking in with y’all.”
“Last night was fantastic,” she bubbles. “Bexley and Grayson haven’t been seen yet, and Boen is waiting for Rachel to wake up. I don’t know about the girls and David yet.” She jerks her chin at the door where Fiona just disappeared. I picture Fiona standing at the peephole, eyes round and staring. “We’re off to find food; want to come with?”
“Thanks, but I’m heading to the gym first,” I say. “Maybe I’ll catch up with you later.”
“Wow. Dedicated.” Shae pokes Emmett in the side. “I bet you were like that, back in the day.”
Back in the day when Emmett Pike ruled behind the plate, before his world fell apart and a fastball to the head knocked out his career. “Naw,” I say. “Emmett would’ve been up at dawnandgotten Grayson to go with him. This is late.”
Emmett smiles. I can’t imaginenotplaying ball, so I know it must be tough on him. He seems to be pretty happy with Shae, though. She’s a firecracker; she’d make any man happy.
“Thanks for last night,” Emmett says. “It was a lot of fun.”
“Wait ’til tonight,” I promise. “It’s the producers’ turn to treat, and I picked out a brand-new steakhouse for us to try. Then a buddy of mine is having a party I thought we’d check out. Heinrich Farr—know him?”
Emmett blinks with recognition of the hockey player, but before he can respond, Shae pushes forward. “What about us? I heard the girls are going out on the town on their own.”
“Kind of like a mini bachelorette party.” I give Fiona’s door one last look as we head back down the hall. “I made a few suggestions.”
It feels weird walking away.
“With strippers?” Shae demands, looking quite pleased at the thought.
“I’m not saying a word,” I say and Shae laughs all the way until we reach the elevator. Then she turns serious.
“I saw Arabella and Payton last night.”
I know several social influencers, and I don’t have much of an opinion on them. But Shae is different; it might be because she started off as a travel vlogger, or maybe it’s rumours of a terminal illness she’d once been diagnosed with, or maybe because her face—as cute as it is—isn’t the only one plastered throughout her IG account. She traveled with friends and that somehow makes her a lot more personable and genuine than some of the influencers out there.
Not all, but some of them.
“Yeah, I saw them,” I say, mouth twisting into a frown at the thought of Emelia’s friends.
“She’s in town, too?”
“They’re never too far from her.”
Shae makes a face, and instantly I feel better. Emelia is known the world over for her sophisticated and seductive photo shoots, but it’s nice to know I’m not the only one who sees through her image to the ugliness underneath. “Have you talked to her?”
“Shae,” Emmett chides.
“I do my best to avoid it, if at all possible,” I admit. “Seems to always get me into trouble.”
Fiona is nothing like Emelia or the people she surrounds herself with. She would never twist my words and actions into something unrecognizable.
The thought smooths my frown.
“Good idea,” Shae says. “Although my likes would go through the roof if I posted something on the two of you.”
“Which you won’t be doing,” Emmett quickly cuts in. “You’re not working, and even if you were, Mase and everyone here is off limits.”
“At least until Sunday night.” Shae turns to me. “Grayson says I can post pics after we’re all home. I can’t not tell my followers about this.” She waves her arms, knocking a woman with phone in her hand, surreptitiously taking a picture of me. “Hey, sorry about that. Totally messed up your shot, didn’t I?”
The woman slides her phone into her bag with a sulky expression. “I think I should do a post aboutprivacyandrespect. What do you think?”
“I think you’re awesome, darlin’.” I turn to Emmett. “You got a keeper, there.”
