Page 170 of The Fake Out Flex

"You made it," I say, giving her a warm embrace.

Having to fire me was hard for her, too. She really did everything she could to keep me. I'm glad we've remained friends, and I'm happy she's here.

"Of course I made it. Wouldn't miss this for the world, especially when you said the entire LA Swifts team would be here."

"Are you a hockey fan?" Summer asks.

"I'm a hockey player fan, hon. I even bought my husband an entire hockey outfit. The jersey. The shoulder pads. The helmet. The gloves."

I'm surprised to hear her say that. "Oh. I didn't realize Hamish plays hockey."

"He doesn't." Margo takes a sip of her cocktail through her straw, her cheeks swelling with a mischievous smile. "Notice how I didn't say I bought him any pants? Let's just say it's added a whole new level of spice to our nocturnal activities."

For only the second time in recorded human history, the Fast-Talking Five have been reduced to silence.

Thankfully, my brother, decked out as a Scottish highlander complete with a tartan plaid kilt, sporran, and Jacobite shirt, swoops in to save us from the awkwardness.

"Aye, it's a pleasure to see ye," he says, followed by a dramatic bow. He grins goofily. "And that's all I've got as far as pretending to be Scottish goes."

"What a shame," Beth responds dryly. "I was so looking forward to hearing more of you butchering the Scottish accent."

"See," I hear Summer whisper to Hannah. "That's how you deliver sarcasm."

"Oh, so you're the brother, ay?" Margo asks, stepping in toward Levi.

He takes a polite half step back because, uh, cleavage, and answers, "The one and only."

"I heard you do a neat party trick." When his expression remains blank, she adds, "You're a music charts savant, apparently."

He rolls his eyes. "Geez, Evie. Is there anyone you haven't told about this?"

"About you being a music geek? Uh, no. Everyone knows. Including Amiel now."

Amiel smiles, and Margo takes another sip of her cocktail, then picks a random date. "March 1999. Go."

Levi shoots daggers at me for another few seconds before his inner music nerd breaks through, and he turns to Margo. "Early 1999 was an interesting time on the Billboard Top 200 mainly due to the Titanic soundtrack dominating the album charts. The biggest casualty? Madonna. Because despite her seventh album Ray of Light being critically lauded, Celine stopped it from reaching number one. I guess her heart really did go on…and on…and on."

"I've forgotten he's able to do that," Hannah says as she flags down a waiter and swaps out her empty champagne glass for a new one, which is very unlike her. One drink is usually her limit.

We haven't been able to hang as much as I would have liked to over the summer. I've been flat-out with the stadium, and she's been spending most of her spare time with Culver.

The two of us watch as Levi regales Margo with way more chart trivia than I think she was anticipating. He finally finishes ranting, and she grabs Hannah and hastily retreats back to the girls while Levi wanders over to me.

"Margo couldn't wait to get away from you," I observe with a smile.

"Well, then, stop telling people about my talent."

My smile grows. For all his meddling and general annoyingness, I really couldn't have asked for a better brother.

"Where's Fraser?" he asks, scanning the ballroom.

"No idea. You haven't seen him?"

Levi shakes his head. "Nope. Although, I gotta say, this theme is wicked. It's too bad kilts aren't a thing. It's so…freeing."

"Please stop talking."

He laughs.

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