Page 51 of Passenger Princess

"I'm going to be in that corner," Jaime says as we walk in, pointing to a corner of the room as we walk to the high-top table I’ll bestanding at. "Don't throw a fit because I'm not right at your side; I don't want to be in your pictures."

I fight a smile before shaking my head at him. "It's all right, big guy. I think this is a solid exception."

"Why is he even here?" Anne asks, coming over to us, all drama and attitude. I give Vanessa ahere we go,look, and she smiles with wide eyes. "What kind of trouble could you possibly get into at a meet and greet?"

With a sigh, I turn to Anne, trying to make my voice as calm and friendly as possible. "Despite what you seem to think, Jaime isn't here just to keep tabs on me and report my every twitch to Regina, but because I've got some weirdos with just a bit too much interest in me."

Anne huffs before rolling her eyes at me and putting her hands on her hips. "You know, we all have weirdos in our messages, Ava. I don't know what makes you so special to need a bodyguard."

I lift my hands, attempting to appease her. "Look, talk to Regina. I never said I needed a bodyguard—you were at the meeting where I said it wasn't necessary. They just stuck me with this guy," I say, hitching a thumb at Jaime, even though I've been increasingly happy he has been by my side over the past three weeks.

"Well, you're just going to be here shaking hands and taking pictures. There's security at the hotel. I'm going to be in the main room where there'snosecurity." She tips her chin up and puts her hands on her hips. The stance and her face make her look like a small child who isn't getting her way, like she's about to stomp her foot or lie on the floor, tantruming until she gets her way. "I want him to come with me."

Jaime’s body tightens next to mine, and a wave of jealousy and panic overwhelms me, but I keep my snotty smile on.

"Come with you? For what, Anne? To protect you from the millions of people who voted for you to win?" Vanessa lets out a small snort, but I keep speaking. "If you feel so threatened by them that you want Jaime to assist you, you have to talk to Regina. Or Jaime, but good luck with that."

"Good luck? What's that supposed to mean?" she asks.

"It just means he isn't really into all of." I wave my hand around the room. "This."

"Well, maybe it's justyouhe's not into," she replies in a way that kind of makes me want to rip her hair out.

My mind goes directly to the kiss this morning, the way he held me, the way he looked at me, the groan he let out when I ground on him…

Oh, he'sdefinitelyinto me.

But I won't be letting Anne know that, of course. "You're so right," I say with wide eyes. "That must be it. Maybe you can fix him, you know?" Jaime snorts before coughing to disguise the laugh as she looks at me, assessing before rolling her eyes and walking off.

As she does, Vanessa leans into me. "God, she's insufferable," she says. "How are you doing it?"

"Doing what?"

"How many stops has Anne been on with you? And how have you not absolutelylostit on her yet?"

"Oh, that. Yeah, too many, if I'm being honest. But on the bright side, she hates my guts so much that she mostly stays away from me."

Vanessa lets out a laugh and gives me a genuine smile.

"God, that must be nice. I've spent so long playing nice with her since we've been on the same circuit; I think she thinks we're friends."

"Ah, yes, well, unfortunately, or, maybe, fortunately, for me, I don't think we'll ever get to that final state of acceptance."

"Definitely fortunate," she says before her voice drops a bit lower. "Wicked witch and her monkey incoming."

"Wha—" I start, but Regina is walking my way on a mission, Anne trailing behind with a smug smile, and I understand.

"Mr. Wilde, today I need you to go with Anne to her signing," Regina says without any sort of hello to anyone.

"What?" he asks. "No, I'm assigned to Ava."

Her posture goes straighter, and her chin juts out, and something tells me this woman isnotused to not getting her way. "Well, actually,you're assigned to the Miss Americana pageant. We've just asked you to follow Ava."

Jaime's jaw goes tight. "We've had active security threats on Ava. Have there been any threats on Miss Utah?"

Something about him calling meAvaand Anne by her pageant name makes warmth bloom in my belly, but I don't have time forthatbecause she continues on her tirade.

"I get weird messages just like Avadoes. Wealldo, right, Vanessa?" She turns to Vanessa, who lifts her hands in anI'm staying out of thisway before Anne crosses her arms on her chest. "She's nothing special."