Page 33 of Head Over Heels

Josie looks down at her hands. "I was on a dating app. Just looking for friends."

Renna's face falls. "We're still your friends, Josie," she says quietly. She glances at Mel.

"Renna, leave her be." Tilly gets defensive. "We're both thrilled for you that you've found each other, but it's hard." She looks at Josie. "Go on, darling."

Josie shakes her head. "I wasn't really looking for anything—more just flipping through to see if anyone caught my eye. Her profile didn't have a picture; it just said she was looking for companionship."

"I was vetting women to act as my fiancée at high-profile events, but it had to be someone I would enjoy being with. Josie and I hit it off."

"I'll say." Josie's face twists. "I walked out on you because you were rude to your assistant. I couldn't believe it when she called me back a few days later. She said I was living in your head rent-free," she directs a look at me, "and if anyone could realistically pull this off, it would be me."

I would laugh if it weren't true.

"Wait. Is this about the money?" Mel asks Josie. "Don't sell yourself to get the money, Jos. We'll figure something out."

"What money?" I ask, confused.

"There's no money involved," Josie says quickly. "I don't want her money." She gives the other three women a warning look.

What money?

Renna puts her hand on Mel's arm to stop her from saying something. "If what you said is true about the rumors, then you need to stop them." She looks at Josie. "You really want to get involved in this mess? It's your reputation, too."

Josie raises an eyebrow. "You think that coming out as a lesbian and being engaged to Ms. High-and-Mighty is going to ruin my reputation? How did that go for you last year when you came out to all your adoring fans?"

Tilly slams her beer on the table just loud enough for everyone to stop and look at her. She looks at me first. "This is not how things usually are with us. Well—me and my mouth, but not the rest of it." She looks at Mel, her voice gentle. "It's hard to let go when you've held onto someone so tightly for so long, isn't it? You're not going to lose her friendship when she finds someone. Whether it's this crackpot," she motions toward me, "or someone else—be happy for her that she's able to start moving forward."

She turns to Renna. "There's room enough for you and for Josie in Mel's life. Don't be that jealous person. I've known you for almost a decade, darling. That's not who you are. Just like there's room for both me and Mel in your life."

Renna's eyes drop to her plate.

Tilly turns to Josie angrily. "You." She takes a long swig of her beer and slams it down on the table again. "You do not disrespect Serenity Lee and her fanbase like that."

Josie raises an eyebrow at Tilly. "Are you done?" I can see the amusement dancing in her sparkling blue eyes.

Tilly leans back in her chair, her arms across her chest. "For now." She turns her gaze back to me. "Is there a specific reason why you're here tonight? Josie didn't mention you before, which means she didn't realize you'd be here. Did something else happen with this dipshit of yours?"

I glance at Josie. I'm still not convinced that I can trust these women. I'm less convinced now than I was an hour ago.

Tilly rolls her eyes. "You can trust us. If you're going to be faking things with Josie, you're going to have to trust the three of us anyway. Just spill it."

Josie jumps in. "Her CFO handed in his resignation earlier this year because he wanted to prioritize his family. His oldest daughter is in gymnastics," she glances at Renna, "and his other three are still young, but they're also in sports. Flor decided it was better for business to work with him and be a little flexible with his hours to keep him on board."

"You're calling her Flor now?" Mel raises an eyebrow.

"He's not getting out of work," I point out. "When he leaves early, he puts in the hours later from home."

Josie rolls her eyes. "Like I said. You're being flexible. Anyway." She sighs loudly. "Woodhouse, the one who's spreading rumors online, approached him and asked if he was getting special treatment from her, too."

Three pairs of eyes turn to me. "None of them are getting special treatment. I suppose you could argue that Jason's getting special treatment with the flexible hours, but I went through HR to approve that, and it's the best thing for the business. Besides, I would never tread on someone else's partner—married or not, and I wouldn't touch Woodhouse with a ten-foot pole. He's slimy."

"Would you touch him if he weren't slimy?" Tilly asks suggestively.

I'm taken aback by the comment. "He's not exactly my type," I say wryly, "but even if he were, he's my employee. That would be unethical, illegal, and immoral. So no." The thought is offensive. "Is that what you think of me?"

Mel and Renna wisely keep their mouths shut. Tilly doesn't. "You're paying someone to be your fake fiancée. Are you going to fire me if I disagree with that?"

"Whether you disagree with me or not, as long as you do your job, you have nothing to worry about." I take a deep breath, trying to calm myself.

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