Page 80 of Book Club Confidential

“Don’t fight,” Hallie said, flipping on the bedroom light. “There’s plenty of muffins to go around.”

Tessa cackled, and Kate pulled the pillow over her face to scream.

“I can’t believe you guys slept until nearly ten,” Hallie said. “I planned to wake you with breakfast if you didn’t get up on your own. I made bacon too. My mama swears by grease and carbs as a hangover cure. There’s coffee in the kitchen, but y’all are probably severely dehydrated, so I’m going to suggest a lot of water first.”

Kate shoved herself into a seated position and leaned against the headboard. “Thank you for taking care of me last night.”

“Were you sick?” Tessa asked. She hadn’t heard a thing or moved a muscle until waking a few minutes prior.

Kate nodded and reached for a muffin from Hallie’s tray.

“Sorry,” Tessa said. “I didn’t realize.”

“That’s because you fell asleep before I finished the bottle of wine you opened when we got here,” Kate said.

Tessa searched her memory. She’d poured wine for herself and Kate while they watched the internet for signs that her wardrobe malfunction was caught on camera. She’d barely had a sip before her eyes and limbs felt too heavy to carry on. “I was so tired.”

Hallie bit into a slice of bacon and nodded. “I know an open bar hates to see you two coming.”

Kate groaned. “The drinks were probably free and flowing for exactly this reason. What better way to create content and gain followers than to get a bunch of drunk influencers in one place at the same time. The whole thing was a setup. And I fell right into the trap.”

“Hey,” Tessa said. “You weren’t the only one dancing in the rain. We were part of a crowd.”

“You weren’t the only one exposed by that wind either,” Hallie said. She pulled her phone from the pocket of her hoodie and tapped the screen a few times. “I follow this woman’s foodie channel. I didn’t even see her there, but everyone has had a good look at her now.”

Kate took the phone from Hallie’s hand, then grimaced. “Geez.” She shoved the device back at Hallie. “She looks like an underwear model. I look like a size fifty compared to her.” She set her muffin on the nightstand and curled onto her side once more.

Hallie turned the screen to Tessa. A twentysomething in a wet satin sheath dress and bare feet dominated the image. Thanks to the rain, her gown might as well have been made of cling wrap. “Eva from Ethically Grown,” Hallie said. “I love her stuff.”

Tessa set a palm on Kate’s shoulder. “It doesn’t matter what size you wear, or what size anyone wears. It’s as irrelevant as hair, height, or eye color. The bottom line is that no one should be sharing these images. They don’t have your permission for this. Since when can people post nudity so freely? Shirtless men can’t reveal their nipples on romance book covers, but it’s okay for these social media platforms to share your whole ass?”

Hallie lifted another slice of bacon. “You definitely ended yesterday a whole different person than you were at breakfast,” she said, smiling at the Alice in Wonderland reference. “That was very on brand of you.”

Kate covered her face with her hands. “I can’t post anything from last night now, or I’ll look like I’m trying to distract everyone from my ass.” She dug her fingers into her ratty hair and pulled in two directions.

Tessa tugged gently at her wrists until she set herself free.

“I wanted to use pictures from the ball to remind everyone I’m still relevant,” Kate said. “Attending the event was supposed to help me gain followers, not lose more. My daddy’s mama is going to have six consecutive strokes over this. There won’t be any consoling her. I’ve basically killed my grandmama!”

Tessa set Kate’s phone between them on the bed and collected her phone from the nightstand.

Dread fell over her when all the notifications came into view. She imagined all the calls and emails she had to make and send today. She’d start with Grant and her dad.

“Eat something,” Hallie said. “You’re shaking. You need hydration and sustenance. Plus, I’m an amazing fucking cook, so enjoy it. Some people pay big money for this kind of culinary service.”

Tessa took a muffin and a slice of bacon and smiled. “You are appreciated.”

Hallie took a step toward the bedroom door. “I’ll be right back with water and coffee.”

Tessa frowned at the list of her missed calls. “Devin called four times.” Was he drinking again? Tessa checked the times on the calls. One last night and three in close proximity this morning. The most recent was less than half an hour ago.

“Did you really quit your job?” Kate asked. “Or is there a way that you can go back, if you changed your mind? If you explain yourself, do you think you might get reinstated?”

“No.” She scrolled through the other missed calls. She recognized the numbers of a few clients. The main line from Hello, Marketing. Millie, Nina, and Josephine. Basically, everyone had called.

“Bummer,” Kate said. “Not to complain, but this whole new-lease-on-life main character journey sucks. I think we were better off living the lives we bitched about. At least then you had an income, and I still had my dignity.”

Tessa’s phone rang, and the name on-screen sent her pulse into a sprint. “It’s Grant.”