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“I have already heard enough suggestions for improvement. We’ve all got ideas, but here’s what we are going to do.”
He pauses, and his steely gaze bores into each one of us individually. I sit in silence while he turns his stare to me. “Pryce has given me a good idea. I hope it will kick start our ratings. Since he uses a stage name on the credits, we are going to use that to our advantage.”
I feel all eyes on me. It was a gamble to choose PJ Weber instead of using my real name. But I decided from the start I would rather lose opportunities as PJ than have them handed to me because I’m a Hatfield. Alan already has the opinion that I got this job because my father is Rick Hatfield, country music legend. It’s a blessing and a curse to be related to that man. If this idea turns sour, my identity will be blown, plus I will never work in this industry again.
“Pryce is going to be a contestant, and the female will select him.”
Gasps fill the air then silence as I feel all eyes on me. Finally, Stu has the guts to say what I am pretty sure everyone is thinking. “Rigged? Sir, the FCC has rules—”
“That’s why as we speak you are all receiving an email reminding you of the nondisclosure clause in your contracts. If word of this gets out, you will lose your jobs and never work in film or TV ever again.”
A few mumbles trickle through the room, but no one else speaks up.
“And for the female contestant, I am choosing…”
He glances around the room. When his gaze freezes on Kenna, I gulp. I did not think this through.
Her eyes flick up to find him staring at her. “You, Miss Frye.”
Kenna is slack-jawed as she drops the tablet then cuts her eyes toward me. “Sir, I—”
“Nonnegotiable. You are the only age-appropriate, non-pregnant female who hasn’t been seen on camera. No one except for us in this room will know.”
Seeing how Kenna is on the verge of hyperventilating, I say, “Let’s rethink this.”
Alan places his hands on his hips as he stalks toward me. His angry breaths pour over me as he stares down. “We will play your father’s fame to your advantage.” He waves his hand like it’s an easy solution to this convoluted problem.
Frankie whispers in Kenna’s ear. She replies behind a hand covering her mouth.
“The meeting is over. Get back to work. Pryce and Kenna, get with Phoebe and Stu to make this work. It must succeed.”
The crew exits, leaving the four of us to process what we’ve been tasked to do. For the longest time, we can’t even speak. We stare at one another in complete shock. Phoebe stands to stretch her back while Stu’s mouth hangs open, for once at a loss for words. I sneak a peek at Kenna, whose complexion has turned an eerie green.
“You okay over there, Kenna?”
She simply shakes her head. I know the feeling. What have I gotten us into?
Chapter Three
Kenna
It’s as if I am sitting ten feet under the surface of a swimming pool rather than at the conference room table. Pryce points his finger at Phoebe then at me as beads of sweat trickle down the side of his face, but his voice is muffled. He motions to me while Phoebe holds her hands out in defense. It isn’t until she touches my hand that I snap out of the daze and my ears pop like I’m in a fast-descending airplane.
“I’m sorry. What did you say?” I drop the tablet on the table. If I don’t slow my breathing, I am going to pass out.
Pryce turns my chair around until I am facing him. With one hand on each of my armrests, he wheels me closer. “Kenna, look at me.”
When I dare to gaze into his pleading eyes, I say, “I’m sorry, Mr. Weber, but I can’t do this.”
He rests a hand on my knee to stop it from shaking. In a voice calm enough to talk me off the edge, he replies, “I don’t want to do this, either, but we have no choice. When I made the suggestion, never in a million years did I think you would get dragged into it. See? I need you. My ideas are only half-baked without you.” He cracks a half smile. “At least we don’t hate each other, right?”
That’s the sweetest thing he’s ever said to me. I try not to read more into that statement, but wow. That was… He has no idea how accurate his statement is. “I guess that would make it even more awkward.”
His infectious smile grows bigger. “We will play the stupid game and go on one simple date. We’ll make it look good. When this is over, we go back to our behind-the-scenes lives. You know… back to me being your boss.” He holds my gaze for a second longer than is boss appropriate.
“And lie about it the whole time.”
Pryce’s phone buzzes. He leans back in his chair to read the message.
