Page 36 of Blue Moon

“Pros? I would save sooooo much time. Honestly, people think being an influencer is easy, but it takes over your whole freaking life. Plus I’m fed up with people knowing everything about me. I’ve barely had any privacy since I was four years old. Do you know what Mom’s next plan was? She wanted me to get a reality show. Cameras in my face twenty-four-seven. Jubilee didn’t want to be involved, though, and the networks said just me and Mom wouldn’t be enough of a storyline.”

At least Jubilee had done one thing right.

“Cons?”

“My earnings potential would drop. And after I finish at the Palace, I’ll need to line up more work since I don’t have savings anymore.”

“I’ll throw in another thought. If you disappear completely, that might have the opposite effect to the one you’re looking for. When something’s scarce, people only want it more.”

In the rear-view mirror, Ryder saw Luna slump in her seat. Fuck. He thought there was a happy medium to be reached, that she could post a few impersonal photos each month to keep the rabid hordes happy, and gradually build walls around her private life. But the decision had to be hers.

“So I have to give them something?”

“In all aspects of life, there’s a balance.”

“Maybe I’ll post the picture of me sitting on the piano, but with a real short caption and, like, two hashtags.” She tapped away at her phone screen. “You think that’ll be enough?”

“Social media is way outside my area of expertise, but I think it’s worth a shot.”

“Hmm, I don’t know… If you ever decided to hang up your gun, I’d definitely offer you a job as a background model.”

“And I’d have to regretfully decline.”

Luna snorted. “Regretfully?”

“Looking at your ass all day wouldn’t be much of a hardship.”

“Mmm.”

Mmm? What did “mmm” mean? One thing was clear: Luna could make fuck-me eyes for the camera, but she had no clue about flirting. Or relationships, or even having friends. Amethyst Puckett had steered her daughter into a life of servitude. Cut her off from outside help. Moulded her into a money-making machine. Luna was starting to see the truth now, but she’d entered adulthood without even the most basic of survival skills. What kind of parent did that? Set their kid up to fail? Hell, Ana was already teaching her little girl to drive, and Tabby was only five years old.

“You mind if we swing by the office?” Ryder asked. “I need to drop off the notes.”

“What would you do if I said no?”

“I’d take you back to your apartment, give you advice on staying safe while I was gone, and then head to the office alone. And while I was there, I’d probably grab a bucket of curly fries from Potato Potato because we’re heading toward lunchtime.”

“Potato Potato?”

“It’s supposed to be better than Arby’s. Forty potato dishes, thirty kinds of sauce to put on them.”

“Do they also have tater tots? And waffle fries?”

“Probably.”

“If I order them all, will you share? Because I still need to be able to fit into my costumes tomorrow night.”

“So you’re coming to the office?”

“Duh, yes.”

The way to Luna’s heart was through her stomach. Four months ago, watching her prance around on Kory’s yacht, Ryder never would have guessed that.

“You can wait at Blackwood while I go hunt carbs.”

“On my own?”

“No, there’ll be other people there.”

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