I’m glad Luka told me that story, because it’s exactly what Emzee needs to hear. She starts laughing, and it’s the kind of laugh that instantly lights up her face—and these photos. Passing my phone to Emzee, I see her flick through the shots I took with a grin.
“These are great,” she says. “Thanks. I’m going to forward them to myself.”
“No problem.” I return my attention to the food, and when it seems like Emzee has relaxed again, I casually say, “So. I’ve known you for a while now, Em. And I find it odd that not once,not once, have you ever mentioned going out on a date.” I lift a brow.
She shrugs. “I’m not seeing anyone. Simple as that.”
“So who are the photos supposed to impress?” I ask. When she’s silent, I shoot her the puppy-dog eyes. “Please, Emzee! I’m dying for some gossip. Come on.”
“I mean, I might like someone…but he’s totally off limits.” She pops another bite of cucumber in her mouth with a wistful look in her eye that dares me to push the topic.
So, of course I do.“Listen, now that I’m all settled down and married, I don’t get to have a crazy dating life anymore—and I never will again!—so I need to live vicariously through yours. Isn’t that depressing and pitiful? Yes, it is. So do me a solid here. Lay it on me.”
Her upper lip curls before turning into a full-fledged smile. “I don’t date much, to be honest. It always tends to blow up in my face pretty horribly, so I kind of avoid it. That should be obvious.”
“You never say boo either way, so it’s really not obvious. So. Who’s Mr. Off Limits?”
“I don’t know.” She looks down and fiddles with her food.
I cross my arms on the table and lean slightly forward. I have a feeling she’s about to give me something I can work with. She waves her fork in a small circle and finally spills.
“The thing is, we’ve known each other for a while, but he has no idea I’m interested and he’s got a serious girlfriend anyway. So it doesn’t matter how I feel.”
“Then what’s with the happy deli photo for your social media?” I prod.
Her brow furrows. “Okay, the truth is, he asked me to help him pick out her engagement ring last week and I’ve been down about it ever since. I guess since he’s obviously never going to come around, I thought I should try to put myself out there a little more. Okay?”
Empathy floods through me, and I have to stop myself from saying something annoying, like “poor baby.” Instead, I say, “That sucks. He sucks! But you know what? That just means therealMr. Right For You is still out there somewhere. Or Ms.Whatever. Your soul mate. Your—”
“Soul mate? Eugh.” Emzee makes a face. “Next topic, please.”
I scramble for something safe. “Uh, I heard from Luka that you’re supposed to go to Turkey next year to shoot the ancient ruins at Ephesus?”
“Yes!” she practically shouts, her eyes sparkling. “I love ruins. They’re my spirit animal.” And with that, she’s off and running, sharing endless anecdotes about her passion.
When we finish eating, we’re so stuffed that we decide to take a walk around the neighborhood. Emzee chats about this and that, every topic easily moving away from anything too personal. When mention of Tori’s baby comes up again, I get a tickle of excitement.
“I can’t wait to hold that chubby little bundle in my arms,” I sigh.
“Oh yeah?” she says. “So when is Luka going to knock you up?”
Laughing, I say, “One baby at a time, okay? We haven’t even really talked about it.”
“You sure about that?” She looks like she’s ready to say more, but a rapid-fire succession of notification dings hit her phone, and she starts pawing through her bag to look for it. “What the heck is that all about?”
A second later, my phone begins to chime, too. I pull it out and see a barrage of incoming messages blowing me up. Before I get a good look, I hear a sharp intake of breath.
“Brooklyn…” Emzee says, voice tinged with horror, “look at your notifications. Now.”
My scalp prickles at her tone. As I click through a link, my heart starts to race.
Danica Rose Insider Leaks SHAM Zoric Marriage
Sources reveal Brooklyn Moss initially approached Luka Zoric while under contract to Elite Image, coercing Zoric into marriage with intent to commit corporate espionage. At stake are Danica Rose Management’s upcoming campaign plans, information regarding their new talent roster, and the agency’s operational procedures and marketing methods, according to sources close to the couple.
I freeze on the sidewalk, the words on the screen jumbling as I struggle to make sense of the damning exposé.My lunch is churning in my stomach as I read the article. And then, further down the webpage, I see a familiar name that sends me into a fiery rage:
DRM model Monica Shore broke her silence after longtime friend and current manager Luka Zoric confided about his “sham marriage” to Moss, who Shore claims signed a contract to deliver DRM intel to Elite in exchange for a modeling deal. A copy of a legal document entered into by both Moss and Elite Image’s CEO, dated earlier this year, appears to confirm this allegation. Neither Elite nor the agency’s CEO Austin Spears responded to requests for comment, but in the months since the Zoric marriage, Moss has received a number of high-profile modeling contracts with major players on the national scene.