Page 109 of Another Fox Bites the Dust

“If there are things on your phone that you’re worried about leaking to the public, then you should come clean first. Release the story yourself so you can control the narrative.”

It’s the same thing we planned on doing, but if Blake is the one to come forward, it would have a lot more sway.

“I don’t know, Mindy. She’s got everyone on the planet completely snowed. Who would believe me?”

“You tell me, Blake: What would be worse? Coming forward with your story and your side of things first or letting Jeanette do whatever she wants and ruin your life and mine?”

“I don’t know.”

I shake my head, irritated. I swear he loves all this drama as much as Jeanette does. They’re probably perfect for each other. If he won’t man up, a little nudge won’t hurt. “I’m recording this conversation. If you don’t come forward and make this right before Jeanette starts spreading stories about us, I will share this conversation with the media myself.”

He doesn’t speak. Maybe I’ve shocked him into silence.

Luke’s hand squeezes my knee in quiet support.

“Talk to your PR team,” I say, when Blake still hasn’t responded. “I’ll let you think about it for twenty-four hours, but if you haven’t made a statement by then, I’m coming forward.”

I hang up and glance around.

Luke’s grinning.

Piper’s hands are covering her mouth, her eyes wide.

Oliver is eying me with a glint of respect. “Well done.”

I toss my phone on the table. “That should do it.”

* * *

“Remember when I said you wouldn’t be playing for thousands of people? That may have been a lie.” I twist around in my chair to look at Luke.

He’s sitting on the bed, shirtless, back against the headboard, legs stretched out in front of him, crossed at the ankle. His guitar is in his lap, fingers strumming a familiar tune.

So freaking hot.

I’ve been finishing up last-minute work. Christmas is less than a week away, and I don’t want to worry about work while spending time with my family and with Luke. We’ve divvyed up the holiday so we won’t have to spend any time apart. We’re spending Christmas Eve with his family and then Christmas Day with mine.

His mouth quirks in a smile. “You lied to me, huh?”

“May have.” My eyes track down his form, taking in the broadness of his bare shoulders, the flex of his forearms, and his fingers picking at the strings.

“Like what you see?”

“Maybe.”

It’s a good thing we’re in the north wing of Oliver’s building and they’re too far away to hear anything. It’s also good that Oliver invests in sturdy beds.

Blake made a wise decision and released an official statement the morning after our little chat, spilling the truth about Jeanette’s pregnancy and publicly announcing their separation.

Included in the statement was a brief note:Any rumors about Mindy Fox and myself are completely unfounded. We worked together for many years, and while we remain on friendly terms, there is nothing more between us.

Not long after that, Jeanette appeared on Blake’s social media accounts, posting videos blasting him, blasting me and quite a few other women—ostensibly based on the DMs and texts and who knows whatever else he had on his phone.

Unfortunately for Jeanette, her eyes were red and hazy, her words slurred and chaotic. If anything, all she accomplished was adding credence to Blake’s statement.

A day later, reports came out that she checked into a posh treatment center in California.

Two days later I got a call from Duncan Santos. He’s the fourth artist to join my label, after a few other unknown acts I had found. Just like I anticipated, once I hooked such a large fish, the calls and messages started pouring in. Not just from other artists interested in submitting to Outfoxed Records, but from producers, booking agents, and managers.

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