She shrugged and made jazz hands. “Surprise…”

“How do you still have clients?” I asked.

“What? My clients adore me.”

I muttered, “Hopefully mine still do after I abandon them for a month.”

She rolled her eyes. “Why are you doing this if it’s making you so miserable?”

“My student loans are ridiculous, and I’ve been paying them aggressively, but they were such high interest that I still owe almost as much as I started with. It’s exhausting. I can’t make any real moves in life until they’re paid. This would get me out of debt and open up the possibility of going back to school or expanding the consulting I do.”

“David would’ve paid them off for you without blinking,” she said.

I’d consulted with a prominent billionaire when he’d been struggling to understand how to be the assertive public face of his company. Our lessons had been effective, but he wanted more from me. He’d been eager to set me up as one of his mistresses, and I’d been tempted. Wealth fixes so many problems. What he’d been promising was a comfortable existence, but comfort that came at a personal price.

“He offered,” I said. “I couldn’t do it. I respect the women who can, but I can’t sell that part of myself. It’s not even the sex part. I can’t fake a relationship.”

“Except with Alex Chase.” She pinned me with a pointed stare. It was easy to think she was all fun and games, but she was razor sharp.

“It’s different. We’d both have the same end goal and we’d both know we’re pretending. David thought he could buy real intimacy with me. He wanted to be convinced it was real. Alex Chase knows it isn’t and it only matters that everyone else believes it’s real.”

She pulled up an article on her phone that was speculating about the top competitors for the Crown of Swords cast. “Alex isn’t a favorite on here and when he’s mentioned, it’s dismissive. You’ve got your work cut out for you there. People really want Callum Kent to get the role.”

“Who’s Callum Kent?”

She groaned and glared at me, typing on her phone. “Girl, seriously. Put the books down every once in a while and watch some TV. How have you missed the thirst trap that is Callum Kent?”

She flipped her phone around and showed me pictures of a stunningly handsome dark-haired man. His strong jaw and dimpled chin made him look rugged and charming at the same time, but I didn’t have the same visceral reaction to his good looks as I had to Alex Chase’s. Maybe it was just because I wasn’t seeing him in person.

Ophelia asked, “Did you see who’s directing Crown of Swords?” I could feel her watching my reaction closely.

“I saw that it’s Maximilian Gates, yes.” I tried to keep my voice neutral.

“And you’re comfortable with the idea of seeing him again?” She looked incredulous.

“Comfortable? No. Capable, yes.”

Max was the worst client experience I’d ever had. I wasn’t looking forward to our paths potentially crossing again, but if I let that stop me from pursuing this opportunity, then I only let him do me further harm.