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Everly snorted. “That’s a weird thing to keep in your pockets.”
He shot her a disgruntled stare, but she would have sworn he was fighting off a laugh. “I have two dogs, remember?”
“I guess that makes it alittleless weird.” She gave him a wide smile.
Odin’s owner finally retrieved his leash and began apologizing profusely. The poor woman’s face was about four different shades of red, but Logan kept assuring her it was fine. In the fewest syllables possible, of course.
Everly took the time to stoop and give the dog one more round of pats. “You’re a good boy,” she mumbled. “It’s not your fault he’s wandering around with delicious things in his pants.”
The second she heard herself, she wanted to keel over.Whywas she talking about Logan’s pants and what was in them? And calling them delicious? She was talking about the dog treats, obviously, but god, if someone had heard her, or the camera had picked up her voice…
What if they airedthaton the next episode? Everly would have to change her name and leave the country.
Her cheeks were on fire as she stood and brushed her palms on her leggings.
Logan’s gaze tracked her movements. “You must have one, too? A dog? You’re good with them.”
“Becca and Ellis do. But I want at least three of my own someday.”
“Yeah?”
“Animals really help keep me centered. I feel like they’re… I don’t know… good at reminding us what matters.” She shrugged, and her gaze dipped to her feet. She hadn’t said anything that earth-shattering, yet it still felt like she’d given him a glimpse of a secret part of her. She didn’t really share her attachment to animals. It reminded her too muchof her grandmother. Grandma Helen had owned an animal sanctuary a few towns over, where Everly and her brother had spent most afternoons as kids. Whenever Everly had a bad day, or was feeling a little adrift, she’d head for the goat pen, or sit on the porch with the dogs and cats, and pass hours petting their coats or grooming them.
“Prepare for chaos.”
“That’s my favorite thing.”
Everly took a few steps back toward Stanton and Jazzy, but then Logan shot back, “You’ll need to keep lots of delicious stuff in your pants.”
She spun around in shock to find him battling a smile. The tiny pull of his lips changed his entire demeanor. He looked younger, softer, more open. And a little too devious to be holding a camera.
Everly’s pulse was pounding everywhere in her body. She hardly noticed when Stanton and Jazzy hooked arms with her once again.
“Where were we?” Jazzy’s eyes narrowed in concentration. “Oh, right. Work.” She looked to Logan for the cue to start.
He nodded, camera and frown back in place.
“We can forget the job for now,” Stanton said. He tugged Everly closer to his side. “We know what shereallywants to do is plan how to bag this guy at work. James?” Stanton’s eyebrows danced at her.
“What? No.” Everly shook her head so hard it was in danger of rattling off her neck. “That’s not what I want at all.” She took a deep breath and attempted to reignite the anger that had started to bubble in her chest last night while humiliation kept her tossing and turning. “I actually wanted to talk about the whole James thing.”
Everly had already pulled down so many walls for this show. She’d resurrected dreams she’d given up on years ago, faced painful feelings about herself, admitted how much she’d let Grandma Helen down by quitting the Collective. Now Sady was going to scrap it all? What did it say about Everly that the showrunner didn’t find her actual story worthtelling? That she thought it was better to focus on this fabricated romance instead?
By this time, they’d reached Sunny’s, and Sady, who’d been idling beside her shiny Mercedes SUV in the parking lot, hurried toward them on impossibly high canvas wedge sandals. She must have caught the last few words Everly said because she clapped her hands together. “Wasn’t it great?” She wore an olive-green sleeveless shirt dress with a woven brown belt cinching her waist. Sunglasses that likely cost more than Everly’s car were propped on her head, and gold earrings shaped like leaves dangled from her ears. “The fans loved the premiere so much.”
Everly had purposely been avoiding the internet since the special. Which, honestly, had been like trying to pass the day without breathing, given how much time she used to spend on the forums.
She swallowed hard. She wasn’t afraid of confrontation, but she didn’t exactly enjoy it. Especially when the person she had to confront controlled the editing software. “I’m glad it was so well received,” she said as diplomatically as she could. “But I wasn’t… expecting my segment.”
“What do you mean?” Sady ushered them forward into the restaurant.
The entire wall of booths at the back had been reserved for filming. Stanton was immediately fascinated by the egg-shaped knickknacks as he slid into the middle one, Jazzy beside him. Sady directed Everly to the bench across from them.
Everly began to explain but Sady shook her head, a finger pressed to her lips as she pulled over a chair for herself next to the booth. For the next few minutes, they sat in silence while Logan tested angles for the best shot. It felt like an eternity before he was finally in position, and Sady gestured for Everly to speak again.
Not so much reality for something called “reality TV.”
Everly had thought she’d at least get to choose when she talked and where she sat.
