Page 61 of Bad Run

twenty

Gwen

Present

“You’re not going to like what I have to say,” Jenna sings.

“Great,” I groan.

I’ve just finished telling her about everything that’s happened since we last spoke. My grandfather’s crappy will, the disastrous meeting with my dad, dinner with my mom and Juju, and Juju’s crazy-ass idea.

But I leave out the incident with Lance at the dog shelter. No use bringing it up when nothing really happened. At least, that’s what I keep telling myself.

Judging by the look on her face, there’s a one hundred percent chance I’m not going to like what she has to say.

“Okay, let me have it,” I huff.

I lean back and kick my feet up onto the chair beside me. My phone is propped up against my water bottle on the conference table as I video chat with my bestie during my lunch break.

As I predicted, she got the role in the play she auditioned for, and between her rehearsal schedule and my work schedule, we haven’t been able to connect.

Jenna isn’t the only one I haven’t seen this past week. Lance has been on the road for a week of away games, and I oddly miss him.

Every night, I picture his handsome face and the silver flecks in his piercing blue irises. He’s impossible to get out of my head.

I really need to stop thinking about him. Nothing can happen between us. No almost kisses will change his mind.

“Promise to hear me out before you start telling me no?” Jenna asks.

I pinch my lips between my fingers, making my friend chuckle. We both know that’s not my style, but I’ll try for her.

“Juju is right; getting married would solve a lot of your problems.”

“Not you too,” I groan.

My grandmother’s plan is off-the-charts bonkers. I’m not surprised Jenna agrees with her. She’s more of an “act now and figure out the consequences later” kind of gal. The last thing I want to do is make a rash decision that could affect my life, just for a job.

It’s not just a job, though; it’s your dream career.

She wags her finger at me. “Nuh … lips zipped.”

I bite them between my teeth so she can continue.

“If you make the right deal with the right person, then you can have the job you want. Prove you’re an absolute badass. Then, when you’re in the clear, you get an amicable divorce, and it’s over. There’s nothing about being a divorceé in the will, is there?”

“No.” I don’t think so. But can I trust my dad not to pull some random clause out of his butt after the fact? Also no.

“See. Loophole.” Jenna grins.

“Okay, genius. Give me the name of one single guy who isn’t a walking red flag, willing to go along with this bananas plan of yours?” I tease.

“Ty!”

“Ty? You know he likes men, right?”

Jenna rolls her eyes at me. “You need a paper husband with no mess. Who’s better than an actor who won’t sleep with you?”

“True. But he lives in New York.”