Page 82 of Lady and the Camp
They reminded me of my Mavens. These girls were meeting earlier than we had in college, but some here would make friends for life. This was a big deal.
The circle focused their attention on me. “Miss Hudson: Truth or dare.”
I could opt out—I was an adult. But something told me not to. “Truth.”
The campers looked at each other. No one came out of the gates bursting with a question. They’d pestered me half the day, so maybe there wasn’t anything left to wonder about. Finally, one of the bolder girls asked: “Is it true you tried to ruin Kristoff Krom?”
Bianca shot up from her log bench. “Off limits.”
I held up a hand. “It’s okay.”
“You don’t have to answer,” Bianca told me.
The girl lifted her chin. “Truth or darerequiresan answer.”
Bianca shot her a frosty glare. “I’ll block your junior leadership badge.”
“I’ll answer,” I said. “I did not intentionally ruin his business deals or rat him out to authorities. I know that’s an expected answer. Of course I’d defend myself. But I want you all to know, I truly did not sabotage him. The truth is, I was too focused on myself to notice what he was doing. I really wanted that Sheek deal. Looking back, I can see I glossed right over a bunch of red flags with Kristoff because being in his circle of influence got me closer to what I wanted.”
I paused to scan their faces. I expected bored expressions or eye rolls, but I had their attention.
“He would often leave in the middle of dinner at a restaurant to take a private phone call,” I continued. “Busy people do that. I thought nothing of it. Once his driver made a sharp turn and the car sped up. The place we were going was only a few miles away but it took us an hour. Kristoff told me it was L.A. traffic. Now I think the driver was trying to outrun somebody following him.”
Soft gasps sounded around the fire.
I glanced to Bianca. “I’m not going to stop you now,” she said.
“For me, fame wasn’t the end goal. But it sort of was.” I rubbed my forehead in an attempt to gather my thoughts. “I wanted the skincare spokesperson deal so I could get paid and stop having to do all these side hustle jobs. The truth about influencers is a lot of it isn’t as lucrative as it seems. For some, it totally is. For me, even with ad revenue and free samples and paid posts, I had to work odd jobs to stay afloat. The whole time I told myself I was better off making my own way than working some conventional job with a steady paycheck. I had thousands and thousands of followers but…I was miserable. And dating a billionaire tech genius didn’t make me happy either.”
I swallowed. As I spoke, my thoughts grew more clear. “I honestly haven’t been happy in a long time. Not until…until I came here. When all of my usual distractions weren’t taking up every inch of space in my life. I had to face that I have no idea what I want to do with my life. And that it’s okay to feel that way. It’s okay to want a reset.”
Murmurs cascaded around the fire. I sat straighter. This was inappropriate. I was using campfire time like therapy. I wasn’t a camper, I was an adult. “I’m sorry, that was too much for a truth.”
“No,” the girl who’d asked me the question spoke first, followed by more objections. “It’s so good to hear the other side of fame. So many famous people don’t talk about how it really is.”
“I stayed with a boyfriend who wasn’t good for me too,” a blond with a pixie cut admitted. “I wouldn’t listen to my friends. Finally, he broke up with me in a video chat that he recorded and put online. Like your ex did to you.”
“What a jerk,” I blurted. “I’m so sorry that happened.”
The camper next to her gave her a hug.
My throat tightened. “Sometimes the person you believe is everything you want is the opposite. It can be really surprising who sees you for who you are.”
Feet shuffling sounded behind me. My skin chilled. It was total darkness beyond the fire. A figure in a plaid shirt emerged.
“Lucas?” I called out.
A grumble sounded and he stepped nearer, now visible from the campfire’s flames. “I’m keeping watch. I’m not…listening.” A flash in his eyes told on him. I would gamble he’d heard me, at least whatever I’d most recently said.
The campers had been introduced to Lucas at the night’s first Mess, and he’d informed them he’d be staying on site all week. He shuffled back, seeming to recognize we needed space.
Bianca tossed a knowing glance my way. She clasped her hands. “Thanks, Hudson, for sharing. Now who’s next—truth or dare?”
Chapter 27
Lucas
Iholedupinthe camp office with an aggressive To-Do list. First, I looked at camp director job listings. Not for me, but to learn how to post one.
