Page 70 of How Jenna Became My Dilemma

“Nicely done!” Quinton hops out of his chair, running up the steps to where I meet him and Cody in the middle. He shakes his head as he laughs. “I don’t know what happened, but whatever it is, don’t change a thing. Chemistry and angst drip off of you two in droves. I love it! I love it!”

“You know what they say…”—Cody smirks—“fighters make the best lovers.” His eyes catch mine, and we exchange a look, a shared feeling that I’m not admitting or acknowledging.

“Well, it’s definitely true for the both of you.” Quinton pats us on the shoulders before marching down the stairs. “Let’s reset and take it from the top. But first, play back the footage so I can see the angles.”

“Do you want to go watch the playback?” I gesture down to the camera.

“I don’t think we need to.” He steps onto the stair just below where I’m standing, putting our bodies a few inches apart. His smile is easy, and his eyes bounce with playfulness or flirtiness, some kind of -ness that has my heart racing. “You heard, Quinton. Chemistry and angst drip off us in droves.” Cody’s hand on the banister inches toward mine until the tips brush against my fingers.

And oh my lanta!

I don’t even know what a lanta is, but Cody’s simple touch has it ohhing.

“I thought angst was bad,” I say, leaning toward him. “Do we really want that coming off us in droves?”

“It’s not always bad. Angst can imply uneasiness caused by tension and buildup.” Now it’s his turn to lean and move forward.

“Good tension?” I lift my brows and stretch my fingers, feeling more of his hand.

“The best kind.” His words are soft and secretive, like he doesn’t want anyone else to share in this moment with us.

I smile in reaction. “Too much tension can be bad if you let it build up too long.”

“Jenna? Cody?” Quinton waves us down to the camera. “I want you to come see this.”

Cody turns to me with a charged smile that makes my stomach swoop. He leans forward, hovering his lips just above my ear. “Nah, buildup is the best part.”

My breath hitches as he backs away. He takes the steps two at a time until he’s at the bottom. I don’t move for a second. All I can think about is how he’s right.

The buildup is the best part.

I follow after him, blushing the entire way down.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

CODY

We take a break from filming to eat while the cameras and the lighting are moved to the next shooting spot on the property. As I make my way through the catered buffet line, my plate gets heavier with each item I dish onto it. At the end, I grab a water bottle before stopping to look for where Jenna is.

She’s seated next to Tawny, but the other seat beside her is free.

I walk to them, hitting the back of the chair with my water bottle. “Is this spot open?”

Jenna glances at me with a smile. “Yeah, take a seat.”

“Good.” Tawny shuffles some papers in front of her. “I’m glad you’re both here. There’s something I want to discuss.”

I’m not particularly glad Tawny is here. I would’ve preferred an intimate lunch alone with Jenna—something like our brunch two days ago. But honestly, any kind of intimacy with her is welcome.

Easy, buddy. This is all fake.

I sit, forcing myself to glance at Tawny and not Jenna. “What’s up?”

Tawny laughs. “The show’s ratings, for one.” She holds up a paper like I can decipher numbers from across the table while eating a sandwich. “I mean, look at this.” She points to the first line, and Jenna leans in to see. “That’s where the ratings started after episode one aired last week.” She points to another line. “And this number is where we’re at today. Episode two came out at midnight last night, and one week of your fake relationship under our belts. I don’t do math, but that’s a huge increase.”

“Yeah, it’s a forty-two percent increase in ratings since the story broke that we’re dating,” Jenna says the number casually as she takes a bite of her salad.

Tawny’s eyes light. “I’ll leave the exact numbers to our master of accounting.”

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