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“I take it you’ve done the job you came to do, and now we ask for some privacy.” Bibi nodded to Tina, who ushered out the suits. Good move because I was feeling full fucking bear right now, and no lawyers needed to see that.
Marissa watched them go, frowning. “Bjorn, I’m so sorry.”
“I thought you were different, Marissa. Now I’m not so sure.”
ChapterSix
Bibi
I thought by now, filmingThe Mating Gamewould get easier. But I had to accept a hard truth. It never would, and this might be the most challenging episode of all because I already loved both Marissa and Bjorn. When you spend this much time with people, you become more than coworkers. You were family.
And any doubts I’d had about Marissa’s decision to go with Bjorn—even though I was delighted she did—faded when I saw the look on her face as Bjorn stormed off.
She wanted this to work out. More than that, I might say she was in love with the bear, too.
Not that I could blame him for leaving. How dare Suzanne and her lawyers destroy such a beautiful moment. I had a feeling we had a very different definition of what happiness meant, especially when it came to her daughter. I made a mental checklist, so I could get to the bottom of how those awful lawyers got backstage access. But right now, I had one devastated contestant to comfort.
“Why don’t we find somewhere quiet so we can talk?” I suggested.
Marissa nodded and followed Tina, Stephanie, and me to the office. In the distance, a motorcycle engine revved. Bjorn was leaving, and it broke my heart that I couldn’t be with both of them right now. He needed someone to talk to about this, too. And we would. But first, I needed to know exactly what we were dealing with.
I would never let one of my contestants be blindsided like that again.
“Tell me the truth,” I said as soon as I closed the door to my office. “Did you know about the lawsuit?”
Marissa collapsed into the chair in front of my desk, burying her face in her hands. She didn’t answer right away.
“They’ve been threatening to sue Bjorn ever since he exposed their research methods.” Marissa sighed and repositioned herself. If she were a shifter, she’d be in her animal form. She was ready to crawl out of her skin. “I never thought they’d serve him with papers now. Here. Today. I figured if it hadn’t happened by now, they’d let it blow over. Sometimes their bark is worse than their bite.”
“They’ve been biting a lot lately.”
Tina took the seat next to Marissa. As much as I’d wanted Tina to spend time with those beautiful babies, I was so thankful she was here. I would never get through this episode without her. She leaned forward. “What we need to know is what Bjorn needs to know. Are you serious about this episode, or are you doing this to benefit your parents?”
Marissa tipped her head back and chuckled sadly. But there was no hiding how wrecked she felt. “Being in the hot seat really sucks, doesn’t it?”
“As long as you’re honest with us, it won’t,” I said. It wasn’t like her to be defensive. Not that I could blame her—she’d been sideswiped backstage, too. But I had to break down this wall if we had any chance of making this episode a success.
“It will surprise zero people in this room when I say this episode isn’t what I had in mind so far. And yeah, Bjorn and I have been oil and water in the past. Until the Hudaknocker entered the picture, and I can’t stop thinking about him.”
Tina quirked a brow. “So you’re saying a piece of pottery is responsible for you sleeping with your coworker and now choosing him to court you as a forever mate?”
“When Wendy found it, it was groundbreaking and mysterious. But when I talk about it, it’s an excuse?”
I rubbed my temples. “I need you to take this seriously, Marissa. When we were in the makeup trailer, I asked you not to tell your mother everything. I understand that’s a big ask. It seems like the two of you are close. But for this episode to not become a ticking time bomb, it will be best for everyone if you can separate your personal and professional lives.”
“But you encouraged me to date Bjorn,” Marissa said. “That’s not exactly a separation of anything.”
Usually, I loved it when Marissa had all the answers, but right now, she was putting me between a rock and a hard place. I wanted this to work out with her and Bjorn, but if Suzanne Marlowe was in the mix, I feared we wouldn’t be able to undo the damage that was caused. “I need you to keep your lips sealed when it comes to your family. I know. It’s something I never imagined I’d have to ask you to do. But we need to set some boundaries, or this episode will become a spectacle none of us will be proud of.”
Marissa lowered her gaze. She didn’t say anything right away. She had to be mulling things over. Finally, she nodded. “I love what I do, and I want people to know I’m not just a trashy reality TV producer—not talking about this show. But my mom saw blood in the water as soon as I told her about Bjorn and the Hudaknocker. She thinks this is the way to make her big comeback, and so far, it looks like it’s working. There are tons of people in town, and she’s already managed to put together her own camera crew. I don’t want anything to do with it. My loyalties lie solidly withThe Mating Game. But I know how she works, and my biggest concern is what she’ll do if I’m totally out of the loop.”
“We’ll find a happy medium. As long as we can keep the integrity of the show, I believe we’ll be able to pull this episode off if Bjorn is still on board. We’ve faced some tough challenges already and come out of it stronger than we were before.” I put my hand on her shoulder. “You’ve had a life-changing day. Why don’t you get changed into regular clothes, and then we can do some interviews?”
Marissa rose, let out a big sigh, and gave me a hug. “I promise I won’t let you down.”
“I know you won’t.”
“My mom, on the other hand? I make no promises.”
