Page 128 of Tips and Trysts

I close the space between us and put my hand on his shoulder. My words are hushed, just for us: “What’s going to offend your voter base more: Your son getting railed in the ass, or you leaking the video?”

His eyes narrow over frantic, overblown pupils. “You’ve ruined your life for this—our lives—”

“No, I’ll be just fine,” I whisper to him, speaking right into his ear. “I’mhergood boy now.”

It’s the last thing I say to my father before I turn my back on him and go to where Cora is standing. I want to kiss her and thank her for today, but in order for this to work, I have to stay on script. So, for the last time, I hold back the base instincts that yearn to pull this woman into my arms and tell her—and everyone—how much I love her.

I do the second-best thing.

With so many phones and eyes on me, I clear my throat and say, “Conservation of the Shenandoah Valley is at risk, so please contact your local representative and ask for increased funding—”

“Everett!” Cora chides, pulling on my arm and leading me to the door. “Not the time.”

Forty-Six

CORA

“Wait,” a voice callsas Everett and I exit the mansion through the front doors, emerging to a full blast of mid-afternoon Richmond sun. “Hold on.”

I know nearly every version of Felix’s voice: cocky and charming, groggy against his pillow, authoritative in a classroom—even wilty when he used to cry. This version is new: a thin weave of excitement and shock tangled together in a breathless shout as he jogs after us, waving.

“Jesus,” Everett murmurs. “This guy is beyond thirsty for a scoop.”

“Parched,” I agree as Felix comes to an abrupt stop in front of Everett and me in the narrow shadow of the mansion’s façade. I hold my hand over my eyes, shading them so I can look at Felix. “What do you want?”

“That was insane,” he blurts out, gesturing over his shoulder with his thumb. The expression on his face is pure delight—the kind that would have me going full claws-in-eyes if Everett hadn’t enthusiastically consented to showing that video toliterally everyone with internet access. “I’ve already messaged a producer at 24N. Your father is fucked, Everett.”

“Is there a point to this conversation?” Everett replies. “Because I’m not looking to shoot the shit right now. Multiple careers just imploded.”

Felix shakes his head. “This is salvageable for you.”

“My father played a video of me getting pegged for like, a hundred people. It’s on his website too. You’d have better luck salvaging the Titanic.”

“Everett quite literally got more fucked than his father,” I chime in.

“Did he?” Felix asks, eyebrow canted as he glances between us. “The average American voter might fall for it, but I don’t buy it. Warren Logan isn’t a man who engages in mutually assured destruction—not when he’s on a Senate campaign. You set him up.”

“Felix,” Everett murmurs, motioning for him to lean in with a tick of his fingers. “Look at me. Are you looking? Look at my face.”

He nods, focusing on Everett.

“Why,” he enunciates, “would I leak my own pegging video?”

“Same reason why Cora sent her own sex tape to the entire psychology department at Harvard,” Felix replies, talking to Everett like I’m not even here. “Because you don’t give a fuck what anyone thinks, so long as you take someone else down.”

He’s not wrong—but Everett and I won’t tell him.

“Give me an interview,” Felix requests, filling the silence. “I can spin this for you. I can make it the best thing to ever happen to you.”

Everett shrugs, no longer playing his role now that Felix clocked the setup. “The pegging was already the best thing to happen to me, so I’m good.” He faces me and grabs my hand. “Let’s go, gorgeous.”

“Everett,” Felix pushes, latching his hand onto his shoulder, “this could make or break—”

“You,” Everett fills in while shrugging Felix’s hand away, “and that 24N anchor role. I get jack shit out of this.”

“You’re joking. This level of infamy is priceless. You could do paid speeches. You could write a bestseller if you met the right people. You could—”

“Everett, listen to him,” I interject. “I think you should hear him out.”

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