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Avery was shaking her head as she took the phone and walked out into the hallway so she could speak to her friend. “Hey Sab—”
“You have to help me.” Sabrina cut her off and then talked as fast as she’d ever heard her friend talk. “We had three girls quarantining at the B&B waiting to go on the show and they are currently in the ER being treated for fucking poison ivy. All three. I know you hate attention, and cameras, and anyone looking at you and I wouldn’t ask if I had any other options, but Ineedyou to be a contestant on the show.”
“Sabrina, I can’t go on the show.”
“Why not?”
Because I’m sleeping with your golden goose, Avery thought to herself.
“It would be a conflict of interest. I own the castle it’s filmed at.”
“So,” Sabrina shot back with an elementary school defense.
“I’m best friends with the executive producer.”
“Do you have any idea how many contestants you see on reality TV that are there because they have a parent or sister or in-law as a producer? Welcome to Hollywood, baby.”
“I have Jacob.”
“Jude just took him for three weeks.”
Shit.She was running out of excuses.
“You and I both know there’s a very good chance Jude will drop him off early.” Avery knew her ex was just making a point that he could see their son whenever he wanted for however long he wanted. She was pretty certain that the actual responsibility of having a four-year-old twenty-four hours a day would make an even bigger point and Jude would cry uncle within a week.
“If he comes back early, your mom is here. She can stay with him the nights you film. You can be with him every day at breakfast, lunch, and dinner and during the breaks that the cast has to get ready. The only time you’ll be away from him is when you’re filming. You worked longer hours and were away from him more than that in California.
Avery’s mind was racing. She couldn’t do this. She couldn’t go on the show that the man she was in love with was currently on, and faking a relationship with someone else. What was she supposed to do? Fake a relationship of her own?
What if Keaton decided not to play along with Zara and it messed up Sabrina’s show? She couldn’t have that on her shoulders.
“Sabrina, I have to tell you something. Keaton was the guy I was seeing when I came here to do the renovations. The guyyouthought I was going to elope with. And he was with me on the roof the other night. And we…well…you know. And just…I can’t go on the show.”
The line went silent, and Avery thought the call must have disconnected. When she pulled it away from her ear, she heard her friend scream. “Are you fucking kidding me? This is amazing! That’s the best news I’ve heard all day. All week. All year! Why didn’t you tell me this sooner? I would have put you on as an OG cast member.”
“Sabrina, no. I can’t.” Avery’s heart was racing a million miles a minute.
“Avery, youhaveto. I know I already called Yahtzee, but this is a super Yahtzee.”
“There’s no super Yahtzee.”
Avery heard a bunch of commotion in the background of the call and her friend said, “Shit, I have to go. Get your ass back to the castle. You have to do a psych eval and physical to be ready to film tomorrow. See you in five.”
“Sabrina!” Avery called out, but this time the line really was dead.
Avery turned around to head back inside the knitting club and jumped in start when she saw her mom, Kennedy, Laura, Jess, Chrissy and Karen Carpenter standing two feet away from her.
“How much of that did you hear?” she asked as she clutched her chest.
Her mom grinned. “Enough to know you’re gonna be the next contestant on Fairytale Love.”
20
“Let’s go!”Vic stared in the mirror and pumped himself up like he was getting ready for the big game. “You got this, man. You got this.”
Keaton was familiar with pre-game rituals. Some athletes and performers liked a party atmosphere with loud music and people around. Some liked to have a handful of people around that hyped them up. And some, like him, preferred solitude so they could get in the zone.
Whenever he had a fight, he needed at least thirty minutes alone so he could get his mind right unlike Vic who clearly needed to get pumped up.
