Page 36 of The Road Trip Romance

Sophia

After a very quick stop for food and bathroom break, we made it to the Corn Palace by the late afternoon. Tate is driving when my phone rings. I glance at the screen on my dashboard.

Frowning, I tell Tate to answer it.

“Holy shit! Why didn’t you tell me you started seeing Tate?” Marti’s voice yells from the car’s speakers.

Tate’s head whips around to look at me, both of us wide-eyed.

“What the hell are you talking about?” I ask as I feel three other sets of eyes bore into me.

“Hold on…Carol…what tabloid…” She trails off and her voice is muffled for a moment.

“Carol?” I mouth.

Tate frowns and looks back at the road as he pulls into a parking lot a few blocks from our destination.

“It’s all over social media. They are wondering who you are and if you and Tate are an item,” she says.

“Why are you with Carol?” I ask.

“Oh, uh, since you two…I called her about the thing you and Tate discussed with your book and, uh, we decided to meet up and…uh, go over some things,” she stammers. What in the actual fuck is going on here?

“We are not an item,” I assure her. I can feel my cheeks heating as I say this. “We’re…professional. I mean, we’re business colleagues.”

Tate’s watching me in the rearview mirror, and I can feel his gaze on me like the sun’s rays. I swallow and steal a glance at him. Is he mad I said that? I frown in confusion but then Marti speaks again.

“Oh, bummer. That could really bump up your career. Well, maybe we can play coy for a few days. Shall I spill your name to the paps?” she asks.

I can see Tate’s eyes flash with anger. “Uh, no. Not right now. Let’s just let them have to work it out. They’ll probably figure it out soon, now that there are photos of me,” I offer.

“OK, but talk to Mr. Big Shot about it because you could use the press. And tell him to call Carol,” she replies, and I know she’s just doing her job, but, fuck, could she be more callous. Normally, I love this about her, but right now, I want to crawl into a hole and die. I can still feel Penn, Jordan, and Rex watching me. What must they think?

“Hi, Marti. This is—” Tate starts.

I cut off the call before Tate can say anything else.

“What the fuck, Sophia?” Tate grumbles.

“Why is Marti with Carol?” I ask no one and everyone.

“Wait…is Marti…does she date…women?” Penn asks. I swivel to face Penn.

“Yeah,” I say slowly trying to figure out why that matters.

“Oh, for the love of God! Is my agent fucking your agent?” Tate says loudly.

My eyes widen. “What? You think Carol and Marti are, like…hooking up?”

“If the shoe fits…” Rex mutters under his breath.

“Uh, can we focus on the real problem here?” Jordan asks.

We all turn to look at him. “The paps have seen you with us. It’s only a matter of time until they figure out who you are. And the fact that we are all together. What’s the game plan?”

The car is filled with groans. I stare down the road at the palace made of corn. What am I doing? I’m in the middle of nowhere South Dakota with a car filled with enough egos to fill the largest doorway in the world, and meanwhile, I’m missing my kids, not working on my next book, and skipping out on my job for a week.

“Why do you look like you have buyer’s remorse?” Penn asks.

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