Page 56 of How Jenna Became My Dilemma

“But I don’t want it to be a secret anymore. I want the whole world to know this. Woman. Is. Mine.” I ram her shoulder into me with each word. She’s a pinball, bouncing back and forth between my hand and the crook of my arm. “Because when you find someone as genuine as her, you don’t let her go.” I squeeze her arm even tighter.

“Well, I certainly think all the world knows. Since those pictures of you two went viral Sunday night, you’re the number one trending thing on the internet. We’re all dying to get a glimpse of our favorite couple.”

“Here we are.” Jenna tries shrugging, but I’m holding her so close her shoulders can’t really move up and down.

“Here.” I kiss her cheek. “We.” I kiss it again. “Are.” I kiss it one last time.

I’m so obnoxious, and I don’t even care.

Jenna eyes me with an are-you-kidding-me look, but I don’t regret anything. I’m having more fun in an interview than I ever have.

“Let’s talk about The Promised Prince.” Marley holds her hands up. “We’re in Alberta on location for the filming of the rest of the series. It’s breathtaking here.”

“It really is.” Jenna relaxes into my arm as she talks, and suddenly, the charade doesn’t feel so fake anymore—especially with the very real humming in my heart.

JENNA

* * *

The Celebrity Today interview is a lot like blow-drying hair.

Specifically, like when you flip your head over and build a cave of wet hair around your face. You put the blow dryer in the center, angling the hot air at your scalp, thinking you’re doing a great job getting your roots dry. Then suddenly, everything goes wrong, starting with a concerning whirling noise. A few strands of hair get sucked into the fan at the back, and now your hair is being ripped from your scalp by 1,875 watts of a Conair blow dryer. The only way to make it stop is by turning the machine off and yanking your hair out of the fan.

Well, I can’t turn this interview off—or, for that matter, my raging heart.

That’s why when Marley smiles and says, ‘Those are all my questions,’ and I give all the necessary thanks, I bolt out of there faster than the kid from The Incredibles.

“Jenna, wait.” Cody is hot on my trail, which is terrible because he’s the one making me hot. I have long legs, but even my strides can’t hold him off. Within seconds, he’s right next to me, his shoulder and arm against mine as we walk together.

He grabs my hand, and I turn to him, yanking it away.

“What are you doing?”

Cody’s smile glows. “Everyone is still watching us, bumpkins. It would be nice if they didn’t see us fighting.”

Fine. I let him hold my hand as I keep walking.

“Bumpkins? Do I look like the type of woman who should be nicknamedbumpkins?”

“Would you prefer poopsie?”

I shake my head, still stuck on the first horrific term of endearment. “I don’t even think bumpkins is a real word.”

“It’s probably not.” He swings our joined hands between us, and it’s so natural that it’s annoying.

“And what was all that back there?”

“An interview?” His voice goes high, like he’s unsure if he answered my question with the right answer. He didn’t.

“I’m talking about all the touching. You mauled me during the entire thing.”

“I was just being an affectionate boyfriend.”

Affection is the last thing I need between us.

“Well, it was too much.”

“Nah.” He presses his lips into a disbelieving frown as he shakes his head. “You said you were prepared to deliver the most lovey-dovey couple the media has ever seen. I was meeting you halfway.”

---