Page 66 of Book Club Confidential

Tessa snorted. “Good thing you aren’t dramatic. Hey—” Tessa looked more closely at the comments. “I see some questions about your hen house and garden here too.”

Kate sniffed. “Where?”

“Looks like they came in while we’ve been chatting,” Tessa said. “Either they all happened upon your post at once, or a friend group shared the link and others followed.”

Silence stretched for a long beat. “I didn’t see these,” Kate said, sounding infinitesimally brighter.

“There,” Tessa said. “You bravely revealed your gooey cottagecore center, and your crunchy counterparts arrived.”

Kate laughed. “Okay, so this is good, I guess. Now I just need those people to tell all their friends and follow me.”

“Just keep being you,” Tessa said. “I know it must be scary facing numbers every day. If some kind of chart showed my constant progress or failure, I’d freak out too. It’s a lot of pressure, but you’re a queen. Keep going. More people will find you.”

Kate sniffled again. “Okay. Maybe it’s not over yet.”

“It doesn’t end until you say so.” Tessa glanced over one shoulder at Peyton’s suddenly silent office.

“Are you leaving at five?” Kate asked. “I want to be casually late to the ball, but I don’t want to be so late that we miss anything.”

“I’m packing up now,” Tessa said. “I won’t be late.”

“Thanks.”

“No problem. I’ll see you soon.”

“Okay,” Kate said. “Wait. Hallie’s calling.”

Tessa waited, eager to say goodbye.

“Hello?” Hallie said. “What’s happening?”

“I patched you in,” Kate said. “We’re talking about the ball. How’s it going?”

Hallie made indistinct choking sounds. “I spoke with Mama about my worries about the wedding.”

Tessa wrinkled her nose. This was going to be a longer conversation than she could manage at the office, and she really needed to get moving. She headed for the hallway. “How’d it go?”

“About as expected,” Hallie said. “I only called her because I’ve been putting off talking with Bryce.”

“You haven’t done that yet?” Kate yipped. “Hallie!”

“I know,” Hallie said. “What if he doesn’t want to marry a lesbian?”

“You said you’re bisexual,” Kate said. “Regardless, if he doesn’t want to marry you, you shouldn’t want to marry him either. You should be worshipped.”

“What did your mom say?” Tessa asked. She slowed and peered down the row of cubicles toward Peyton’s office door. Still closed. Still silence beyond. She took that as the miracle she needed and hurried down the hall on quick silent feet.

“She said I was an idiot if I chose to break an engagement to someone from a family as wealthy and powerful as his. Also that sexual orientation was irrelevant. Apparently, if sex was something that mattered in marriage, then young, beautiful women wouldn’t marry ninety-year-old geezers on their deathbeds.”

“Tessa,” Xavier’s low, growling voice ripped through the space behind her, and she froze.

“Shit,” she whispered. “I’ve got to go.”

“See you soon!” Kate said. “Call me as soon as you’re ready, and we’ll meet you!”

Tessa turned slowly, disconnecting the call and lowering the phone to her side. A glance at the clock above the elevator told her it was nearly five.

Xavier closed the space between them in long angry strides. “Conference room,” he said. “Now.”