Jeez-um. That doesn’t even make fucking sense. How can I beMIAif they know that I’minLA?
“Get a life.” Air blasts through my lips, and I shake my head. “Do some people just have too much time on their hands?”
“Like you’d react any better if the tables were turned,” Mav snaps at me, and I look up.
Everyone is glaring at me, and I realize they were having some conversation and think I’m talking to him.
“No, man, it’s this effing sports podcaster.” I’ve had to tone down the F-bombs because my cousin Gina’s little girl is always running around. “I’m out here with my family, and she’s trying to say I should be training already.”
“Don’t you football players get to lie around until July?” Mav tries to taunt me, but his hockey schedule is literally…from Hell.
No worries. I’m ready for him. “Jealous?”
“Hell no, I don’t want to lie around.” He grins, catching my hand as we’re headed out the door, and I know it’s the truth.
Dove might have his heart, but hockey is his soul, and I’ve got to hand it to him, I have no idea how he’s going to bring those two worlds together.
As it is, our rideshare to the airport is here. We say our goodbyes, exchanging hugs and making promises to see each other soon. I hope we’ll actually keep them.
We pile into the Uber Black SUV, and it takes me back to a time not so long ago when I nearly missed my flight in one of these things.
“You know they don’t vet Uber drivers,” I say quietly to Austin and Edward. “Anyone with a car and a license can do this, whether they know their way around the city or not.”
“You don’t have to know a city to drive people around.” Austin almost sounds like Edward.
“If you’re going to make your living giving rides to people, you should. I almost missed my flight because of one of these…drivers.” I don’t want to go too harsh and ruin Austin’s rating.
On top of almost making me miss my flight, that Uber person gave me a one-star review and filed a complaintabout me being an “aggressive backseat driver.” I was so pissed, I nearly drove to Uber HQ to work it out.
Is that even a thing? I have no idea. Lesson learned. I’ll nevernottake the car service again.
CHAPTER 4
Melody
“This is totally working.” Lindsey has her headset around her neck, and she’s at her laptop scrolling through our subscriber growth rate and skyrocketing number of downloads. “I know sunny positivity is your vibe, but you’re giving voice to a lot of frustrations and it’s showing.”
My nose curls, and I scrub my fingers roughly across my brow. What started as payback, punching up at a super rich guy who clearly had lost touch with the common man, feels like it’s getting too big for me.
Going viral is a real head-trip.
Shoulders tight, I pace the room. I can feel the control slipping from my fingers, and I wonder if it’s even possible to put Pandora back in her box.
“Knox Bradford isn’t the team’s biggest problem,” I muse. “He’s actually a talented player. He needs better receivers, and the O-line hasn’t jelled yet.”
My bestie slants an eye at me. “Are you getting soft on ole K-Brad?”
I shake my head. “I’m not fully onboard with that nickname either.”
“That ship has sailedso farpast, QP.”
“Lindsey!” I drop onto the couch, looking up at her. “I ended my whole partnership with Susan because I didn’t want to go low. Now we’re building our entire new brand on it?”
“To be fair, what Susan did was completely different from this.” Lindsey rises from her chair and crosses the room to sit beside me. “She lured subjects in on the pretense of doing a friendly profile, letting the world see their struggle for greatness. Then she turned the tables and started digging up all their deep, dark secrets. You’re simply reporting what we’re all seeing with our own eyes, no betrayal, no cruelty.”
“I’m not sure he’d see it that way.”
“You’re reporting facts that are out there for everyone to see. She’s digging up bones. And when she can’t find any bones, she creates them.”