Page 28 of Searching for Sadie
As she walked into the inn her heart almost fell out of her chest.
There sitting at one of the tables was Zara, a lawyer she didn't recognize, and Ryan. Fuck. Zara had not said he was going to be here. She didn’t want to do this. The dread she'd been running from hit her smack dead in the face and it felt just as painful as an actual punch to the face.
Zara smiled and waved her over and Ryan turned and smiled at her. Fuck.
"Sadie, come on over. I went ahead and ordered us all breakfast so we could just talk and get a game plan on how to proceed."
Sadie crossed from the front desk into the dining room.
"Sadie. I've been trying to get a hold of you," Ryan said with a smile that seemed genuine, but it was one she could see through now.
"I didn't know you were going to be here," Sadie said, looking between Ryan and Zara.
Ryan smiled his charming smile and his blue eyes sparkled. She fought the urge to punch him in his face. Zara at least had the good sense to look a little sheepish and she tucked her black hair behind her ear.
"Shall we get down to it?" Zara said, taking a seat at the table.
The dark cloud that had been hanging over Sadie’s head opened up and stormed down as she sat down at a table with these people. These fake people she would do anything to get away from, but sadly, it was going to get worse before it would get any better.
"How are you?" Ryan asked as if he actually cared.
"I'm fine."
The table was quiet as everyone shared a couple uncomfortable glances.
"Why are we here? I turned on my social media accounts. I accepted friend requests. I will be at the reunion. What else do you all need from me?"
"We're here to help, Sadie. We just want to get a game plan."
"Game plan?"
"We need to figure out how they are going to handle our storyline," Ryan said.
"Handle our storyline?"
"Yes, and we all think," Ryan said, nodding and glancing at everyone around the table. "That we need a united front, so people don't get the wrong idea."
"I'm sorry... the wrong idea?! And what would that be?"
"I just think that we need to show that after everything we went through we're still friends," Ryan said as he reached for her hand on the table.
Sadie snatched her hand away and glared at him before turning her gaze to the lawyer and Zara. "I have my social media ready to help promote the show. I haven't disclosed anything, I will be at the reunion show. Is there a contractual obligation I'm missing?"
"No ma'am, that is all you are obligated to," said the man in the suit with a curt nod.
"Thank you. May I go?"
"Sadie, please," Ryan begged. "I'm worried our story line could cause me to look bad."
"How is that my fault?" Sadie asked.
"Please. I apologized for what happened on the show. I would really love a united front."
"And I would really love to not be embarrassed in front of a million viewers, so pardon me if I'm not interested in whatever this is," she said as she gestured to the meeting at the table.
"Sadie, be reasonable. I could lose my job. And you aren't blameless in this."
She scoffed and slid her chair back from the table. "What in this is my fault? Is it my fault you weren't attracted to me? Is it my fault you called me fat behind my back to all the cast members? Where is my fault in that?"
