Page 94 of How Jenna Became My Dilemma

“Yikes, Jenna,” she says. “Slow down. The night is young.”

I wince from the burn in my throat and push a smile onto my lips. “I’m just happy, right? We did it. We signed season two.” My eyes gravitate to Cody, but they don’t linger. The last thing I want is for him to notice my disappointment.

I shouldn’t be disappointed. Season two is what we wanted, what we’ve been working toward with the ratings. But the heaviness in my chest weighs me down like I’m a thousand feet underwater with no oxygen.

It’s over. Everything between Cody and me is all over.

Actually, it was over last night, the second I laid my heart on the line, and he left it dangling there.

I should be glad the contract states this fake relationship ends when the ratings go up and Flixmart signs season two. I am glad. Now I can just move on with my life and forget that this whole Cody Banner thing ever existed.

I leave for Milan tomorrow to do a photoshoot. It’s not something I was planning on or even going to do, but after everything that happened last night between Cody and me, I thought some space was a good idea. So I called Tawny and told her I was in. The timing works out perfectly.

Everyone talks around me, chatting about celebrity gossip and rumors of who will be cast in the next season. I sit back against the leather bench, only moving to take a drink from the waitress’s tray when she brings another round.

“Jenna?” Cody says over the noise and music. “Jenna?” My eyes flip to him, but I don’t say anything. “Can we talk?”

“We are talking.” I look around the table.

“I mean in private.”

I should say no, except that would be really rude, and there’s still a part of me that longs to hear what he has to say. That’s the freaking hope part.

“Okay.” The relief that washes over his face is endearing.

CODY

* * *

I lead Jenna through the crowd to the VIP section in the back.

A security guard steps in front of us. “This area is off limits.”

“We just need a second.”

The guard’s eyes drift to her, and a flicker of recognition passes through them. There it is again. Another person who recognizes her and not me, and I don’t even care. How could you ever forget a woman like Jenna? His eyes rove over her body, and I seriously contemplate putting him in a headlock. Can you put security guards in headlocks? Luckily, I don’t need to test it out because he whips open the curtain, letting us go through.

“Just for a moment, Miss Lewis.”

“Thanks.” She walks to the back of the room by the table, spinning to face me.

I called this meeting, so I decide to go first. “What’s your deal tonight?”

“Nothing.”

“That crap you pulled out front when we came in the club wasn’t nothing.”

“I was just packing on the PDA for the cameras. Isn’t that what you do?”

“No. When it comes to you and me, I’ve never done anything I didn’t want to do.”

“Isn’t that the truth?” It’s not so much a question, more like a bitter statement.

The hurt behind her voice takes me by surprise, and I take a step toward her, softening. “Jenna, tell me what’s wrong. What changed?”

“Nothing changed.” She looks at me, blinking back the beginnings of tears. “This is fake. It’s only ever been fake. When it was real for me, it wasn’t for you. Which is fine. You don’t have to—”

“What are you even talking about?”

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