Page 71 of The Billionaire Love Match

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THE STUPID KEYCARDwouldn’t work in her door. Casey jammed it in again. Red light. Again. Red light. She pounded on the door with her palm and shoved the card into the slot again. Red light.

“Can I help?” Tessa’s voice came from behind her.

Casey pressed her forehead to the door and held up the keycard. “Here. Maybe you’ll have better luck.”

Tessa took the card and put it gently into the slot. Green light. Tessa turned the handle and Casey stumbled into the room, not stopping until she was face down on the nearest bed. She knew the comforters were the most filthy part of any hotel room and she just didn’t even care. Bed bugs seemed like the perfect way to close out the show. Though this hotel was probably too nice for bed bugs.

She heard the bed next to hers shift as Tessa sat down. “Want to talk about it?”

“No,” Casey groaned. “I just want to be off this show. I want to disappear into nothingness, back where I came from, never to be seen or heard from again.”

“You won’t get off that easy.” Tessa laughed. Something about the sound of it jarred Casey into sitting up on an elbow. She stared over at Tessa, who suddenly looked...strange. Her voice had even sounded different.

“What does that mean? Tessa, are you okay?”

Tessa rolled her eyes and flipped her hair. Her expression shifted to one of compassion. “Oh, sorry—try this. It’s okay, Casey. As long as we’re in it together.” She laughed again and Casey stared at her.

“What’s going on?”

“You’re even slower than I thought.”

“Did she get to you too?” Casey asked, thinking of Colt’s mother and the ambush in her office.

“Who?”

Casey shook her head. “Never mind. You just seem weird. Are you okay?”

“I’m just peachy,” Tessa said. “I can’t say the same for you and your sad little story, which is about to come to an end.”

“I’m sorry?”

Tessa leaned forward then, snapping her fingers. “Get with the program, Basket Casey. Are you really this dense? It would be so cute if it weren’t so sad.”

Casey sat up now. “Tessa?”

“Anastasia,” the woman said. “My name is Anastasia. Playing the role of Tessa on The Billionaire Love Match. My first big credit! Clearly, I nailed it.”

“You’re an actress.” Casey didn’t think the pit in her stomach could get any bigger, deeper, or blacker. But it did.

“Ding ding ding! Give the girl a trophy. Wow, you are so incredibly gullible. You have no idea how hard it was to keep a straight face sometimes the last few weeks.”

Casey searched the woman’s face, as though she could find Tessa buried somewhere in there. But her body language was more confident and sultry. Her voice more harsh and with a slight accent. Eastern European?

“So you and Colt together, huh? Just pulling one over on everyone?” Casey said, her voice laced with bitterness.

Anastasia/Tessa cocked her head to the side. “Colt? He has no clue either. Poor guy. I’ve got him just wrapped around my little finger.”

“So he doesn’t know you’re an actress?”

“Ha! No. He thinks I’m Tessa. He’s ready to pop the question. And all I have to do is pretend for a few more weeks on the press junket.”

Anastasia/Tessa stood and stretched, looking bored suddenly. “Well, it’s been fun. I’ve got to go do my hair.”

“Don’t let me keep you,” Casey said.

“Oh, don’t be bitter, Casey. It’s not a good look on you. Wait—where are you going?”

Casey moved as quickly as she could to the bathroom. “I’m going to throw up now.”

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