Page 35 of The Invitation
“How did this happen?” he asks. “What are the odds?”
“From what I can tell, Jonah had floated the idea to you early last week just in case something fell through. Then it did fall through. They lost both actors or characters or whatever you want to call them.” I sigh, my surge of anger starting to wane thanks to the bourbon. “He returned my call on Saturday night, and we discussed it in theory. Shortly after we hung up, he called again, saying they had found a female lead and wanted to know if I would sign on. At some point between his calls, Sutton must’ve talked to Georgia.”
“Wow.”
“Yeah.Wow.”
Waffles begins to snore on my shoulder.
“So what now?” Tate adds a finger of liquor to my glass before pouring himself one. “How did it go when this all came to light today?”
I chuckle in disbelief. “Not well. We had a pissing match, both of us trying to get the other one to quit. She wouldn’t walk away because of Sutton, and you know how much we owe Jonah.”And I can finally do something to help our family.
“And you’re both hardheaded as hell.”
“Well … that, too.” I sigh heavily. “She just drives me crazy, Tate. Her smart little mouth. Her temper. The way she stomps her size six shoe and expects me to bow to her.Fuck. That.”
I turn to my brother and catch him smirking.
“What?” I ask, unamused.
“Not a thing.”
I pace Tate’s office, my mind reeling.
Georgia’s going into this not only trying to make Sutton look good but also trying to make me look bad. I know her—too well. She will strap on her angel wings, flutter her thick lashes, and try to make everyone fall in love with her. And they will because they don’t know her like I do.
The thought alone eats through me.
“Do you two have a plan?” Tate asks.
“For what?” Waffles jumps at the sound of my voice. I pet the top of his head until he falls asleep again. When I speak again, it’s quieter. “Do we have a plan for what?”
He grins. “How not to kill each other primarily.”
“No, but we need one.”Ineed one.
How am I going to navigate this and come out unscathed?
Our exchange echoes through my brain as I gaze out the window.
“Better be sure you can handle this, big girl.”
“Oh, little boy, you don’t know what you’re getting yourself into.”
It’s like a light goes off—a big, bright light that shines directly on the path I need to travel.
A slow smile splits my cheeks. “I know what I’m going to do.”
“I thought I wanted to know, but by the sound of your voice, maybe I don’t.”
I turn to him. “I’m going to beat her at her own damn game.”
“Meaning …”
“If Georgia’s anything, she’s predictable,” I say, still working out the details in my head. “As much as I hate to admit it, she’s good at what she does.”
Tate lifts a brow.
