“I’m sorry,” she says again.
“For what this time?” I ask her.
“For being flippant about the brunette stuff. The ego stroking jokes. I was treating it like it was funny, and it’s … it’s not. Not when people are writing about you like you’re not a real person. Like you’re just a body they get to review.”
I want to brush this off. I want to say something cocky and stupid and redirect the conversation to something that doesn’t make my chest feel like this. But she’s looking at me with those hazel eyes, and she’s being honest. The least I can do is not be a dick about it.
“You didn’t know.”
“But I do now.” Those hazel eyes widen.” So …” she nudges my shoulder with hers, “I’ll find new material.”
“Please don’t,” I reassure her, because our bantering back and forth is becoming the highlight of my days.
“Too late, I’m already workshopping new ways to insult you.” She grins.
This makes me laugh. “Can’t wait.”
For a second, she just stands there like she wants to say something else but doesn’t know how to land it, then she shakes her head. “For what it’s worth, your reviews were pretty solid.”
“And?”
“You know what they say, your ego doesn’t need the boost.” She grins.
“Maybe a little one …” I tease.
“There were a lot of rave reviews.” She smirks.
“I aim to please.”
“Sounds like you do. Keep up the good work.”
“Thanks. You know, anytime you want to …”
Collette glares at me. “I wouldn’t finish that sentence if I were you.”
I hold up my hands. “You’re right. I’m sorry. I forgot where I was.” I smirk.
“Have a good day, Fish.” She walks off down the corridor.
I watch her go. Collette St. Pierre intrigues me, and I know she shouldn’t, but she does.
6
COLLETTE
Two weeks in, and I have a problem. The problem is six foot two, plays left wing, and keeps showing up in my content with the kind of natural charisma that makes my engagement numbers look like I actually know what I’m doing. Justin Crawford is good on camera.Annoyingly good.The kind of good where I point a lens at him and he just shines, he’s funny, quick, and never says what I think he is going to say.The fans have noticed.
“The Fish content is outperforming everything else by double,” Zara tells me Monday morning, pulling up the analytics dashboard. “Whatever you two are doing, keep doing it.”
“We’re not doing anything. He’s just …”
“Charismatic? Charming? Obsessed with being in front of your camera?” She grins.
“He volunteers a lot,” I say carefully.
Zara gives me a look. “Mm-hm.”
“He does!”