Page 126 of The Spring in My Heart

Mateo, on the other hand, is not that aware and takes four steps toward me.

“Let’s get this over with.” I walk over to one of the chairs in front of the green screen.

He looks around the room and back between Mimi and Maeven. No one else in the room will look at me.

Mimi releases an audible breath and goes to sit in the chair across from me. “Luxxy?—”

I freeze her with a look.

She clears her throat. “I’m sorry. Lux. It’s good to see you. You look absolutely gorgeous.”

“Mimi, I don’t want to be rude, but I’m not in the mood for pleasantries. I want to get this over with, do tonight’s event as mandated, and I’m done. I want to go home and?—”

I almost say spend the evening with Ollie.

Fuck. My. Life.

Mimi takes advantage of my silence. “I understand. We want to make this as comfortable as we can for you?—”

A haze of red floods my eye. The venom rises up my throat, and despite my best efforts to contain it, I spit it right at her. “If you wanted me to be comfortable, you wouldn’t have forced me to do this, given what you already know about my history with him.” I hook a thumb toward Mateo. “If you wanted pleasant, you would’ve gotten one of your sports bloggers to do the piece. But you didn’t want pleasant, Mimi. You wanted drama. You wanted viewers. You wanted ratings. So, you’re forcing me to help him clean up one of his usual and well-advertised media shitstorms. And now you got it because this is how I do drama.”

My voice is loud enough for all eyes to be on us.

Mimi’s face is passive, but the blotchy red spots break out all over the skin of her neck and face.

I’m almost sorry for her, but don’t let myself feel bad. I’m nothing but a ratings machine to her, and she cares nothing about my feelings.

“Luxxy, don’t be like that,” Mateo says.

I don’t even look at Mateo when I yell, “If the camera is not on, don’t fucking talk to me.”

A hush falls over the room, followed by the clicking of power heels.

Maeven stands in front of me, and my gaze immediately goes to her feet. Her Aminah bow pump heels are the most gorgeous thing I’ve seen in a long time, but I don’t let them sway me. Instead, I meet her gaze with the same hostility I do Mimi’s.

Her face is impassive, as it always is when she’s dealing with one of Mateo’s fuckups. She never lets emotions get the best of her.

I’m so jealous about that as I chew on glass after tearing my boss a new asshole.

“Let’s go have a drink in the green room,” she says.

I cross my legs and lean back on my chair, wallowing in my resentment. “Do you think it’s a good idea to give me alcohol when I have to work with your client? If I have nothing good to say to him now, can you imagine…” I trail off.

The quick and small twitch of her lips tells me she would, indeed, like to see that. Too many times, she’s been his fixer. He has charmed me on his own, and she has designed ways to smooth over his fuckups so we both come out clean.

“I’m not the person I was before, Maeven. I’m not going to play his girlfriend this time.”

“I don’t expect you to.” Her voice is soft, and the look in her eyes is earnest. “Let’s talk, because I think you and I can come to an agreement.”

I debate. I don’t know if I should trust her or not. She’s going to do what is best for him. But I also know she was always cool with me. She was the one who once told me I needed to do what was best for me and if that was walking away, then it is what it is. I should’ve listened to her.

“Okay.” I stand and walk out of the room and into the green room without looking at anyone.

Maeven follows me and closes the door, beelining for the fridge. She pulls out a bottle of Ace of Spades vintage. “He brought this so you can both drink it during the interview.”

“Are you fucking serious?”

The disgust must show on my face, because she smiles. “Very. The whole world knows he has a woman pregnant. They live together, and she’s not going away, but if there’s one thing about Mateo, he’s still going to shoot his shot.” Her voice is drier than the champagne could ever be.

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