Page 22 of The Brat and the Bodyguard

I nod miserably.

“Prowler went dark as soon as Shopify realized what was going on. They shut that down fast.”

Kristie nods slowly, her expression thoughtful.

“Okay, at least that’s over and done with. But again, I’m not sure what we can do to dispel rumors that you’re not anti-semitic. You know how these internet sleuths are. They find something and immediately hold it aloft as the be all, end all of truth, justice, and righteousness. It’s disgusting, if you ask me, especially since a lot of them are trolls sitting in front of computer monitors all day. I wouldn’t be so quick to judge, if I were them.”

I nod sadly.

“I know,” is my soft voice. “I just wish there was something I could do.”

“Well, thereissomething,” Kristie says in an encouraging voice. “You can get married to Karl! You love him, right? You want to make babies with the gorgeous Swede, and have little tow-headed kids running all over the place.”

I swallow hard because this might be the toughest part of all. Tears come to my eyes again, and to my dismay, the sobs start all over again.

“I do love Karl,” I say in a choked voice. “He’s everything to me, and shown me what love is about. But I don’t want to pull him into my mess. Everyone thinks I’m a Nazi sympathizer now, and they’re going to think that he is too, if he marries me. He deserves better than that.”

Kristie is silent for a moment.

“Maybe, but does he care?” my friend asks in a gentle tone. “I mean, Karl knows you. He knows you don’t have an antisemitic bone in your body. He knows the truth about what happened with those swastika sweatshirts, so maybe it doesn’t matter.”

“I know,” I say immediately, wiping at my cheeks. “He says he loves me no matter how this turns out, and supports me a hundred percent. But the problem is thatIdon’t want to do this tohim!” I wail, uncaring that people are beginning to look at us in the café. “Karl deserves better. He’s so tall and handsome, and kind and honorable too. He deserves a woman who’s not tainted, who will give him beautiful Swedish babies as they ride off into the sunset. They deserve to live in a gorgeous Scandinavian-style house filled with blond wood furniture and plenty of light. They’ll drink piping hot cups of cocoa in the winter and snuggle into thick blankets as part of Swedishhyggeculture.”

“Okay, I think you’re too into the Swedish stuff,” my friend says in a droll tone. “Karl is a sexy former military guy, so I can’t really see him sipping hot cocoa from a mug with a heart on it, like in an Ikea catalog. But that’s neither here nor there,” she says quickly. “What matters is that you love him, and that he’s supporting you through this tragedy. I mean, this tragicomedy,” Kristie corrects quickly, trying to make the best of the situation.

I pin her with a sorrowful look.

“There’s nothing comedic about swastikas,” I say in a low tone.

“No, of course not!” she hurries. “I’m just saying that you love Karl, he adores you, and the sex is good.”

“The sex is amazing, off the charts hot,” I acknowledge, looking down at my untouched cinnamon bun. “I’ve never come so many times in my life and Karl knows exactly where to touch, and how to stroke.”

“See? Perfect!” Kristie says with a big smile. “Men will look past anything if the sex is good. Besides, you’re not wreaking havoc on his life, Ains. Okay, maybe a little, but that’s only rightnow. Long-term, everyone’s going to forget this. It’s just a blip on the radar, and then it’ll pass.”

I shoot her a sad look.

“I won’t have a career anymore. I already kind of didn’t because no one wanted to book me after Justin and I broke up.”

“But that guy was nuts,” Kristie says. “Besides, it’s better that you’re broken up because Justin is definitely toxic now. No one will touch him with a ten-foot pole. Hell, a hundred-foot pole! I heard that Adirite’s dropped him, in fact.”

“Yeah, that’s what I heard too,” I say in a faint tone. “But he’ll find a way. Justin’s crafty, and commands a global audience wherever he goes. He’ll find another method of getting Prowler goods sold.” I sigh again before turning to Kristie. “But what about you, girlfriend? We’ve spent an hour talking about the tragicomedy of my life. Is anything going on with you?”

Kristie purses her lips for a moment.

“Well, Joseph’s not happy.”

I nod.

“That’s your agent, right?”

“Yeah, over at Busby Model Management. He’s pissed because I need to go home for a family wedding, so I’m taking three weeks off. Joseph says it’s career suicide, seeing that there are a couple important shows during that time.”

I shake my head.

“At least he’s putting you up for the castings. I don’t even have an agency right now.”

Kristie puts her hand over mine, giving it a gentle squeeze.

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