Page 129 of Not Exactly a Small-Town Romance

The foot traffic is light this early, and only a few Barbies and a SpongeBob are out trolling for picture tips among the tourists.

I fairly skip along the stars, considering my plan.

I’ll get Jester to call Zachery in, and we can brainstorm how to spin this change in the game plan forLimited Fate. Desdemona will have to see she’s locked in, that it’ll do more damage to disrupt it than to go for the ride.

Drake Underwood is flying in to see this pair.Mypair. Even Desdemona knows better than to anger a director, and I already have a connection to this one. She isn’t the messenger.

I am.

When I walk up to the tiny office lot, I stop short. Zachery’s Jag isn’t there, but that’s not unusual. We can call him in. And Jester doesn’t drive.

But Desdemona’s black Mercedes is in her spot.

That can’t be. She’s in Europe. I saw pictures the day I left Glass.

Even if she decided to come to the soccer shoot, that isn’t until next week.

I need to prepare myself before going in. She could be back for a lot of reasons, but one of them could possibly be that Drake Underwood’s assistant called Desdemona instead of me. Or it could have been Jason’s agent. Or Gayle’s.

Or someone tipped her off.

I should have known that would happen.

I swiftly walk a block away and sit on a bus bench out of view of the office windows.

First, I text Jester.

Desdemona’s back?

Dang it, I should have done that before I left my apartment. Or when I got to LA yesterday, even though it was late.

I should have given him a heads-up about the movie, but no, I only texted Zachery, not that he got the message. He never wrote back.

I thought I would be coordinating everything myself, and I would have time to break it to her.

I steady my breath.Calm down. She could be here for anything. Play it cool.

My phone buzzes.

Jester:Oh, darling. I’m not going to be able to help you.

What does that mean?

The next text is from Desdemona.

Get in here.

Okay. It’s gone south.

Even though she told me to come right now, I take a moment to text Zachery.

Everything’s going down. Desdemona must have found out I recast Limited Fate. Are you coming in?

I watch for the dots that tell me he’s replying, but none come.

Where is he?

In a flash, I realize how much I’ve leaned on him. At work. In off-hours. He even went along on a trip to find a husband.

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