Page 93 of Book Club Confidential

“Dad!” Devin called. “I’m starving, and that’s a cell phone. Just bring it with you.”

Tessa laughed. “You’d better get going.”

“All right,” her dad said. She was sure she could hear the smile in his voice. “Take care of yourself, cupcake. I love you.”

“I love you too.”

Tessa disconnected and stared at her patio through the glass sliding doors. After working eighty hours a week for years, forty-hour weeks had felt like a vacation. Working zero hours a week, however, made her restless. Thankfully, book club was tonight.

She sent a message to the group chat to confirm. Kate had been nearly as unresponsive as Hallie the last few days, busy dealing with the Barenaked Katie incident, no doubt. Based on Kate’s complete social media overhaul, she’d decided she had nothing left to lose and took the leap to focus on her softer bookish side. Unfortunately, her follower count had dwindled to half of what it had been when they’d decided to become their lives’ heroines.

Tessa: Book Club tonight?

Kate responded immediately.

Kate: Thank heavens—Yes

Kate: Location suggestions Hallie?

Tessa smiled. Luring Hallie into the conversation by asking for food recs was brilliant.

When Hallie didn’t make a suggestion, Tessa did.

Tessa: How about the new steak house on Sycamore?

Hallie had mentioned the place twice during the summer, but each time they’d wound up at the food trucks.

Kate: Perfect!

Hallie: Meet you there at 7

Tessa set her phone aside, pleased at the results. The trio needed time to talk, and Tessa owed them both an apology. She’d begged them to join her on her quest to become a heroine, but doing so had derailed their lives. In fact, despite what felt like a colossal amount of effort on her part, Tessa’s life felt exactly as it had the day she decided to change—minus an income, an outlet for her passion, and general purpose.

She’d sent her résumé to at least a dozen job openings last night, but no one had responded. Not even the temp agency looking for degree-holding individuals for general office work. Surely, she qualified for that.

The phone rang, and Tessa raised it once more, shocked to see the Hello, Marketing number on her screen. Think about your regrets, and they shall appear?

Did Xavier somehow gain access to her thoughts now too?

“Hello?”

“Tessa? This is Jenny.”

It took a moment for Tessa to pull the intern’s face into mind. “Hi, Jenny. What’s up?”

“I feel weird for calling,” Jenny said, “but I found this number on some of your business cards in the trash. I hope it’s okay.”

Tessa narrowed her eyes at the image of her things tossed out like garbage. “Of course. Everything okay?”

“No.” Jenny sighed, and the sound of exasperation echoed in the speaker. “I don’t even know if this matters, but it just feels so—wrong. You know?”

“Nope,” Tessa said, hating the panic rising in her chest. “I’m going to need more information.”

It doesn’t matter what happens at Hello, Marketing, she reminded herself. She didn’t work there anymore. Nothing that went on at that office could harm or impact her in any way ever again. That was the best and the worst of it.

“Your clients are calling here to complain,” Jenny said. “They’re mad, and they want you back. It’s frustrating Xavier, so he’s sending them all to Peyton to smooth things over. He instructed all of us in the morning meeting to do the same.”

Tessa ground her teeth. “That’s unfortunate,” she said. “But they need help, and I’m not there anymore, so I suppose sending them to the VP of accounts makes sense.” What didn’t make sense was why an intern dug her number out of the trash to tattle.