Page 97 of Stage Smart

He looks skeptical but leans forward anyway. “Okay. It affects you.”

“I figured as much. What is it?”

On the outside I’m calm and mildly irritated. Inside, my heart is pounding.

What happened with Larinda at Club D Lux was amazing and very irresponsible. We both agreed it was too risky and we should keep our distance over the next few days, just in case. The last thing we need is any evidence to support suspicions that may have been aroused. We even left the club at different times in different vehicles to provide a cover.

Despite our efforts, I can’t shake the image of Jarvis’ dirty looks for the rest of the night. I couldn’t tell if they were new dirty looks or my brain adding new evidence to the same ones. Either way, I have no idea where his head is which scares the crap out of me.

Maybe I’m about to find out?

“It’s… ah! This is so hard. I don’t want to hurt you, bestie.” He cringes. “Shit! I meant, tour bestie. Marcos is already my bestie bestie. I’m so sorry. Please don’t be upset. If I could have two besties, you’d be the other one, I swear. It’s in the code, though.”

Of course it is.

“It’s fine. So what’s the news about me?”

“Oh! Right. It’s about your amours.”

“My amours?”

He chews on a thumbnail and nods. “I overheard something…”

“… which was?”

He glances around nervously again. “Cheating,” he whispers.

Oh no.

I force a calm expression through a burst of panic. “Cheating? What about cheating?”

He groans and covers his eyes. “It’s so bad. Ugh! Fine… I overheard your girlfriends gushing about a threesome with an A-lister. And since you’re clearly not an A-lister, it clearly wasn’t you.”

Ouch to that last part.

He peeks through an opening in his fingers, and I do my best to look dismayed not relieved.

“I see,” I say with a hard expression while my insides sip cocktails on a palm-lined beach. Thank god it’s not about Larinda and me.

“I’m so sorry, my friend. Bring it in.” Before I can react, I’m being yanked toward a cologne-drenched chest for a suffocating Chad-hug.

After a few seconds, I extricate myself and offer an awkward smile. “Thanks,” I say. “Do you know who they were talking about?”

That’s something a jealous boyfriend would ask, right? Plus, that info could be helpful down the line.

“No. I wish. I’ll keep an ear out, though. A man should know who his girlfriends are sleeping with, am I right?”

“Right.”

“Oh! Maybe it’s Phil!”

“Who?”

“Phil—I forget his last name—but he played the park ranger on that show about forest fires?”

I squint at him. Not sure what show he’s talking about but pretty sure “Phil” with no last name isn’t an A-lister.

Although I’m happy to hear my non-girlfriends are cheating on me, I’m nervous about my lack of progress on discerning more of Jarvis’ plan. We’ve been so distracted by our own scandal, we’re behind on spying on the others. Maybe Chad will have a lead I can use.

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