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Fuck, and I’d fallen for it, hook, line, and Marissa.
Someone dared knock on the door. I growled and tossed the letter aside before going to check who it was. Bibi waved at me through the peephole.
I opened the door just long enough for her and Stephanie to enter.
No Marissa. I shouldn’t have been surprised, but I was disappointed.
“I take it this means I’m still on the show.” I nodded toward Stephanie’s tripod. She had already taken it out of the bag and was sliding the camera into place.
“Of course you are. That is if you want to be.” Bibi looked out of place in my utilitarian living room even though she’d changed out of her stage clothes into her velour jogging suit with her name in sparkles on the ass. She took a seat on the couch, and I went over to the fridge to grab beers for the ladies. Much to my surprise, they both accepted. It was that kind of day.
“I don’t know what I want anymore.” I picked up that stupid letter again. “This lawsuit is no joke.”
“I’ll have the network lawyers look at it. They’ll guide you on what the next steps should be.”
I exhaled and sank back into my chair. “Not used to having anyone else take care of my problems.”
“I know bears typically keep to themselves, but you’re part of my pack now.” Bibi took a sip of her beer. “Packs take care of each other. Just like you’re trying to find land suitable for bears.”
“Is Marissa part of your pack too?”
“Absolutely. And I won’t let a shark like Suzanne Marlowe tear us apart. When I asked you if you were willing to go on stage, you agreed immediately because you said Marissa was your mate. Are you giving up on her because things got hard?”
“No,” I growled. “But I’m not sure I want to tangle with her mother.”
“This could have happened at any time. The good thing is you have the resources to fight it.” Bibi held up her hand before I had a chance to protest. “If you walk away from this, I can’t help you, Bjorn. Together, we might not be able to stop Suzanne from doing what she does best, but maybe, we can make sure Marissa doesn’t get pulled into it.”
I sighed. “I don’t know if I can trust her.”
“We talked after you left. Otherwise, I would have been here much sooner. But I also had a feeling you needed some time to think. Marissa seems genuinely surprised by what happened today. And, if I should be so bold as to add, disgusted. She wants something different.”
“Marissa has been different since she started working onThe Mating Game.”I’d never tell Beebs how close I was to walking out of that very first meeting we had together. I hadn’t wanted a repeat ofThe Scoop with Suzanne.“More serious. Focused. Hate to say, but the end ofThe Scoopmight be the best thing that ever happened to her.”
Bibi tipped her head. “What was she like working onThe Scoop?”
“A total brat.” I chuckled. “Don’t get me wrong. I thought it was amusing. But she could be impossible because she knew she could get away with murder. Suzanne knows how good Marissa is—and how good she could be. To be honest, I think the one Suzanne’s really out to get might be you.”
“Oh.” Bibi’s lips parted, and then she steeled herself. “That does make sense, I suppose. I have taken reality TV by storm. But if that’s the case, I hope you’ll have my back as much as I have yours, Bjorn. I’m new to reality TV, and the only reason I got involved was because I can’t stand it when anyone causes unnecessary drama. It’s my job to make everyone see the good in the people I bring on this show.The Mating Gamedoes well because we don’t resort to dirty tricks to get ratings. But since you’re familiar with Suzanne’s—techniques—I ask that you let me know if I’m about to get blindsided.”
“No one I’d rather fight for.” I held up my beer can and tapped it against hers.
“Likewise. So I will assume that means you’re still willing to go forward with the episode.”
I groaned.
Are you ready to give up on Marissa so easily? And let Suzanne win?my bear asked.
“Yeah, I’m in.”
Bibi beamed at me. “Excellent. So the ladies and I devised a plan to Suzanne-proof your episode. Would you like to hear it?”
“Lay it on me.”
“Wonderful. You need to pack your bags because I want to avoid scenes like the one playing out in your driveway.” Bibi turned toward the window and made a face, then turned back to me with her most dazzling smile. “Hugo has graciously agreed to have you stay at his house.”
I raised a brow. “For the whole episode?”
Hugo was a great guy, but I was used to having my own space.
