Page 19 of So I Fell for Bigfoot

nine

Hannah

“If Lars is here, I want to see him.” It was just me, Tina, and my thoughts in my trailer after Marissa ushered my friends out.

I wished they were here. Tina was cool, but we hadn’t spent enough to together to connect on same level as I had with the girls.

Tina looked up from her tablet and chewed her lip. I’d screwed this up so badly that even the most experienced producers had no idea what to do about it. “Bibi should be here soon.”

“I feel like I’m grounded and waiting for my fairy dragmother to get home and decide my punishment.” The joke fell flat on delivery. I hugged a fuzzy pillow against my chest and sighed. I’d changed out of my dress and was back to normal, everyday Hannah. “This wasn’t how I expected today to go.”

“How do you want to fix it?” Tina asked.

“Seeing Lars would help.” There was no harm in trying again. “Being isolated like this makes me feel like I’ve done something wrong.”

“You haven’t. This happens sometimes when you’re dealing with shifters. We follow their rules. It can feel restrictive, but it’s better than feeling dead.”

Oh.

There was a knock on the door, and Bibi poked her head in. “Ready to chat?”

I nodded.

Still absolutely fabulous in her stage outfit, she seemed so out of place at my pity party. She moved one of the pillows aside and took a seat. Tina nodded and headed out of the trailer.

“Today wasn’t what we expected.” Bibi sighed. “I know, understatement of the century. The important thing is we have a safe place for Lars to stay, so that’s one worry off all our minds.”

“Were they really hunting him?” A chill went down my spine that someone could think like that. What if they succeeded?

No. Lars was bigger and stronger than humans. Wise in a way only an immortal could be. But if he was outnumbered, none of that would matter.

“Yes. Hugo said the roads were clogged with hunters. I’m sure not all those people wanted to bring him harm. Some were probably there out of curiosity, caught up in the hype. If Lars approves, I think the best thing we can do is educate the humans. Satisfy their curiosity. Then maybe they’ll be content to let him live his best life.”

“Does that mean I don’t have to go out with Armand anymore?”

“Tell me why you don’t want to go out with him.”

“Isn’t it obvious?” I waited for her to answer, but she didn’t. “Because he’s not Lars.”

Bibi nodded. “Fair. Now, I came here to interview you, because the viewers are sure to have a lot of questions, especially since you’re one of their own. Are you okay with me filming our conversation?”

I put the pillow on the floor, straightened my hoodie, and wiped under my eyes. “I probably look a mess. I’ve been crying.”

Bibi gave me a sad smile. “You’re perfect just as you are. They don’t want you straight out of the makeup trailer. They want to see what really goes on behind the scenes.”

“Okay.” I’d done this a thousand times, but I’d always felt like I was in control. Now I felt anything but.

“What did it feel like to be on stage?” she asked.

“Overwhelming.” I shook my head. “Everything happened so fast. I thought I’d be so certain of who I wanted to choose, but it’s not easy in the moment. I keep thinking of what I would’ve liked to do differently.”

Bibi’s brows shot up. “Oh, that’s interesting. Tell me how you’d handle a do-over.”

“I might have asked different questions, or asked for more questions.”

“If it makes you feel any better, I wouldn’t have given you more questions,” she said.

“No? I didn’t take you as such a stickler for the rules.”

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