Page 105 of Not Exactly a Small-Town Romance

“You think I didn’t knock on those doors?” I haven’t admitted this to anyone. “Nobody wants an industry joke bringing negative publicity to their theater.”

“When was the last time you tried? The reputation fades.”

“Not as long as I continue walking the red carpet and keep the tabloids busy with their hilarious headlines.”

It doesn’t happen all the time, but if a photographer gets just the right shot, they exploit it fully.

Beer Junket Bimbo? Zach Carter’s Latest Starlet Reenacts the Famous Nip Slip

Who Called G-23? Is Zach Carter Dating the Bingo Crowd Now?

Kelsey sinks back against the chair. “Why do you do it, then? You could let it all fade out.”

That’s just it. I don’t want to fade. “That would be giving up.”

She nods, her hair glowing from the window light. It’s full dark out now. “I get that. I would do a lot of questionable things to avoid going home to Alabama.”

“You think my dates are questionable?” It’s fine for the tabloids to think that, even for my dad to think it. But not Kelsey.

“No, no. Having been the recipient of the full Zachery treatment, I’m very confident that you are an absolute gentleman other than not realizing the extent of your power.”

My heart speeds up. What does she mean by that? “So, I’m absolved?”

“Fully. I was really talking about my own life. Working for Desdemona sometimes feels like being the evil mastermind’s apprentice.”

“I’m definitely not enjoying it like I used to. She’s getting more desperate as she becomes increasingly irrelevant.”

“You think so?”

“Kelsey, you’re the one making all the good calls. She’s skating on your talent to bolster her reputation.”

“Then why does she make me so miserable?”

“Fear.”

Kelsey rests her chin on her knee. “Maybe we both need a change.”

We both say it at the same time.

“Jester.”

“We can’t leave him,” Kelsey says. “Although he’s been with Desdemona longer than either of us.”

“He does seem immune to her brutality.”

“Maybe his colorful clothes are a force field. Her harsh words invert into birdsong and giggles.”

This makes me laugh. “He definitely makes it work.”

She stands and pats my shoulder. “Speaking of which, I better go see if there are any fires to put out. Thank you for being so much help, Zachery. I don’t know how I would be managing on this trip without you.”

She kisses the top of my head and goes back inside.

Her day turned on a dime.

And because of that, so did mine. Just the wrong direction.

Chapter 35

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