Page 88 of The Boss I Can't Stand
“Oh, girl, spill!” Trin demanded as I snickered into my cup.
“There’s just a lot of teeth clacking,” she said, wrinkling her nose. “Kind of what I imagine kissing a horse would be like.”
Trin howled.
“But,” Shaw continued, “more than that, I’ve learned not to throw costumes into the washing machine. I’ll leave that to the professionals.”
Paisley raised her glass in salute. “Shreadageddon. Gone but not forgotten.”
“I guess I’ve learned not to fly too close to the sun,” I said thoughtfully. “Wanting recognition and awards is all well and good in this business, but maybe sometimes it’s better to just fly under the radar. To do this job I love without adding a bunch of stress and pressure on top.” This would certainly be the last fake engagement I’d ever agree to.
“I’m just glad you finally realized youhadwings,” Ro said. “That you believed in yourself enough to fight for our movie, and that you had enough self-respect to stand up to Finn instead of settling for less than you deserve. Because you deserve respect and love, Sierra.”
“I think wealldeserve at least that much,” I said, my throat tight.
“Hear hear!” Paisley said, and we drank to that until the bottle was empty.
31
FINN
“Where’s the birria?” Connor asked, rustling through the bags on Liam’s kitchen island.
My phone buzzed with a message from Brenna.You still haven’t bought Grace a Christmas gift yet. You told me to remind you, so consider yourself reminded.
I don’t know what had gotten into Brenna lately, but she was…bolder? Certainly less deferential.I’ll talk to Connor today and send you the list.
If you can get it to me after lunch, I’ll sort it out this afternoon. Clock’s ticking to have something delivered ahead of the holiday if I have to order it online.
“Are you eating my food?”
I rubbed my eyes. What day was it? Between attending the premiere forEvery Day Is Sundayand all the work involved in the lead-up to the theatrical release this weekend, I’d completely lost track of time. I knew Christmas was just around the corner, but all I could think aboutwasEvery Daycrushing it at the box office, and more importantly, crushingThe Last Stand—that damn war movie.
That thought beat like an endless drum in my temple. It was all I could focus on half the time. And maybe that was for the best. If I wasn’t thinking about the numbers, my thoughts strayed back to Sierra, and I didn’t want to linger there.
“Dude!”
“Huh?” I said as Connor waved his hands in front of my face. “What?”
“You’ve been looking at your phone for like five minutes with a blank stare,” Liam said.
“And you’re eating my tacos!” Connor added. He glared at me, unimpressed, and yanked the box in his direction.
“Shit, sorry.” At least we’d grown out of the habit of wrestling over food at the table. “What does Grace want for Christmas?”
“An uncle with his head screwed on straight,” Connor muttered, diving into his meal.
“Not helpful,” I said. “Send me a list, or I’m getting her that sheep farm.”
Connor snorted.
“Seriously, man. What’s on your mind?” Liam asked, doling salsa and chips onto his plate. It had been his turn to choose the restaurant for our weekly catch up, but the paparazzi had been relentless since my breakup with Sierra. To prevent ourselves from being stalked by middle-aged men with cameras, we’d opted to get take-out from his favorite taco joint, Sharkies, and take it back to his place in Studio City.
Mia was at VeriTV Studios working on the upcoming season of Liam’s hit show,End in Fire, and with Mom back in San Francisco with Grace, we had the house to ourselves. “I told you not to scroll through the reviews,” he said, shaking his head. “There are bound to be some shitty ones mixed in with all the good. Don’t dwell on them.”
“That’s not what I’m doing.” The reviews had been largely positive since the premiere. Sure, there were always those people who just didn’t “connect” with the plot, but the critics who mattered, the ones who had the ability to sway public opinion, had great things to say.
“Then what are you stressing out over?”
