Page 16 of The Daredevil

Michelle:OMG! No! You guys are awful.

Audri:AWFULLY curious about our bestie’s love life.

Kiera:Royce IS a hot guy.

Audri:He’s not dating right now. At least I haven’t heard anything or seen anyone. Want me to ask Remi?

Michelle:No!

Kiera: He’s probably a workaholic like Remi.

Audri:Remi isn’t a workaholic anymore.

Kiera:That’s cuz he has you to keep him busy. LOL! (heart emoji, cucumber emoji, eggplant emoji)

Audri:We’re talking about Michelle’s love life, not mine.

Kiera:It’s been a year since you’ve dated, M. Time to start again. Need me to intro you to a hot model?

Audri:Make sure he has brains too!

Michelle: Let’s get on a three-way call.

Kiera:I’ll call you in a minute. Need to run to the restroom.

I took a second to breathe after the chat with my friends. I knew it would be difficult to hide something from them. If they saw my face, they’d know something was up right away. I wasn’t good at hiding my feelings from my friends. They were like family to me.

I met Audri in my last year at Boston University, studying journalism. Audri had been studying business. She introduced me to Kiera, and the three of us bonded immediately.

Kiera called me and added Audri to our call. I was thankful I’d signed up for international phone services from my provider, for which NewYou Beauty would compensate me at the end of my contract.

“Spill it, Michelle,” Kiera said.

“First off, I don’t want to meet any of your hot models. Nothing against them. I’m just not in the mood for pretty boys.”

“Royce isn’t a pretty boy,” Audri said. “He’s handsome with an edge.”

He wasexceptionallyhandsome. His rugged looks churned my stomach in delectable swirls, as though my body made its own dessert just thinking about him. I kept the private thought to myself.

“He gave me a ride to my apartment when the livery service car broke down. I didn’t know he owned an excursion company.”

“Yeah, he owns a lot of them,” Audri said. “So, did something happen between you two?”

“No,” I sighed. Why should I hide the truth? There was no shame in finding a gorgeous man attractive. “Well, Iamattracted to him—it could just be a phase, though.”

“Hmm . . . I’m not sure about that. Since when have you been nervous sharing your thoughts on a man with us?” Audri asked.

I paused at her comment.Oh, shit.

“Audri’s right. I don’t remember you holding back on your attraction to Julian.” I could almost see Kiera’s wheels turning. “He’s your longest relationship too. Michelle, darling, I think it’s time for—”

“SSG 003!” Audri laughed. “You guys did this to me last year, so it’s only fair you get to experience it too.”

“Might as well take advantage of the fact that we’re still young Super Spy Girls,” Kiera said. “I can’t imagine us doing this in our eighties.”

“Speak for yourself. Remi will still call me Agent Sexy Dot when I’m eighty.”

“Weirdos.” Kiera snorted. “Is Royce attracted to you, Michelle?”

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