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Shit.
Larinda recoils, and my heart breaks for her at that last revelation. I know she didn’t love the guy, but still. To learn your pretend boyfriend was banging your most faithful… well, I still don’t really understand what they did. To learn they have been banging your pretend boyfriend behind your back while he tried to frame you for banging your real boyfriend who you actually weren’t banging until last night… that’s a lot to take from a woman in a potted succulent forest thousands of miles away.
“Larinda,” I say gently, tugging her hand.
She glances over at me… and bursts into laughter.
“Oh my gosh. Are you serious?” she cries.
Rena looks like she’s not sure if she is as she blinks back. “Yes. Um. Well, yes. As you can imagine, we will be terminating our relationship with Jarvis. This kind of behavior goes against our core values here at?—”
“Right, yeah,” Larinda interrupts, waving her quiet. “Okay, well, thanks for the update. That’s very helpful information. And you have no idea who this ‘mole’ is?”
“Not a clue. No one seems to know but the report is incredibly detailed and comprehensive. It must be someone intimately related to the tour, so I’d suggest you be careful who you trust.”
Larinda nods, and… hang on.
No.
Freaking.
Way.
I think I know who the “mole” is. Somehow I manage to contain my raucous laughter as images of my “blood brother” meticulously removing fairy lights from our hotel room and sorting bags of mints on our bed flash through my mind.
Did he… Is the world’s worst spy actually our unsung hero?
Wow. I don’t even…
“Okay, well, I’m sure you have a lot to deal with,” Rena says. “Just know that we?—”
“Yeah, yeah. You support me. Whatever,” Larinda says in the sassiest tone I’ve ever heard from her. It’s actually… really hot. “Except you don’t, though, do you? If the report hadn’t gone public and ruined Jarvis’ reputation, it would be me on the chopping block, wouldn’t it?”
Rena shrinks back with a horrified expression. All that’s missing is a dainty hand to her heart. She should give Rhonda a call for a demonstration on that.
“Larinda, I don’t?—”
“Save it, Rena. We know, and you know we know. You threatened Val with everything you had because he learned the truth. Well, guess what, the truth is still the truth, and you know what that means?”
Her expression tells us she’s afraid she does know and she doesn’t like it.
“It means you’re down two country stars. You better go start damage control with Jarvis, because Larinda Scott is pulling on her own new boots and walkin’, walkin’ away.”
“What?! Larinda, please?—”
“Don’t even bother. Just do yourself a favor and make all our lives easier by quietly severing our relationship. We have all the evidence we need to expose Jarvis and Lakebend. The song, the video, the engagement plot—everything. Give me the rights to my unreleased songs, and let’s try to move on with at least a modicum of dignity.” She tosses her hair and narrows her eyes. “That’s right, I said modicum because I’m effing smart and know so many words you never even dreamed I know in your efforts to stuff me in your ditzy pop-tart mold! Our lawyers will be in touch.”
She hangs up.
Looks at me.
And that right there is the woman of my dreams, the love of my life, the queen badass of badasses, reminding the world, yet again, that it’s way too small to contain us if we don’t want to be contained.
“We’re signing with Smart Play Records,” she tells me.
She’s already on her way back to catering when her words register in my brain.
“I’m sorry, what?” I say, pulling her around.
