Page 63 of Winter Glam in Amsterdam

"Nothing noteworthy," I say sheepishly. Then I correct myself. "Yet."

The other guys don't notice it, but I can see darkness washing over Zoey's face. Immediately, I reach for my phone again.

Tanner: Still not your fault.

I message her, and when she sees the notification pop up, she angles her phone away from Adam to read it with a poker face.

"So, if any of you got any good ideas for groveling, I'm all ears."

"Do you really wanna take tips from them?" Zoey whispers loudly, covering the side of her mouth with her hand as though she's telling me a secret.

"My idea so far is having flowers sent to her place." I shrug, startling when they all start to grimace.

“I told you,” Reed says with a sing-song voice, and I subtly scratch my chin with my middle finger.

"For real, though, that's so basic," Zoey says in her teenage, judgmental tone, and I immediately feel humbled. I honestly thought it wasn't theworstidea.

"Does she have a favorite animal?" Jackson asks. “Cats? Dogs? Guinea pigs?”

But Zoey immediately shakes her head in disapproval. "Don't you dare get her a pet."

"I'm not getting her a pet," I say. "But I might have an idea. Adam, have you talked to Rick recently?"

"As a matter of fact, I have. Why?"

“Because I have a favor to ask.”

Summer

"Well, Miss Shepard, if you have no more questions regarding the role or our company, that concludes this interview," Mr. Smith, as he introduced himself, says and looks at me expectantly. This is the second of the two interviews I’ve scored after that first stint with the human snail.

And this job would be perfect. The company is located within an hour of my parents’ and Luca’s house, work hours are flexible to a degree and the compensation and benefits package is right what I had in mind.

"No questions from my side." I stretch my lips into a friendly smile and get up once I see him do the same, taking his outstretched hand for a firm handshake.

"We will be in touch shortly. I must say, though, Mr. Walker made an excellent recommendation, and I'm sure you would be a great fit for this company."

"Mr. Walker?" I ask, confused, lifting my eyebrow in confusion ever so slightly, fighting to keep the smile on my face. One of the Walkers made a recommendation? That’s news to me.

"Oh yeah, he's an old family friend," Mr. Smith starts chattering while I do my best to remain calm.

"Adam?" I ask, and he shakes his head with a chuckle.

"No, no. This particular recommendation came from Tanner, well via Adam."

"Oh, that's…" I try to think of the best word to add here. "Kind of them." I force my face to remain in a pleasant expression, but inside, I'm seething.

"Here we are." Mr. Smith calls the elevator for me.

"Thank you so much for taking the time to meet with me," I say just before walking into the elevator. "It was a pleasure meeting you, and I look forward to the possibility of working together."

I keep that small job-interview-smile on my face until the elevator door closes, but as soon as they are shut, my face drops.

"I can't believe him," I whisper, starting to pace the small space.

I'd been so ecstatic to score a proper interview, only to learn that it was Tanner meddling.

Fuck no.

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