And then there was a secret smile on her face, and I wondered if she was enjoying the fact that she thought she had a secret that I knew nothing about.

I worked hard to make sure I didn’t have the same secret grin on my face. I leaned in closer. “Because if you know somebody rich and famous, I hope you’ll let me know if he has any friends,” I said.

We both laughed, but it didn’t reach her eyes any more than it reached mine.

Chapter 13

I got home that night and climbed into bed beside Keith.

I pulled out Hooks’s phone and began to aimlessly scroll through the text messages. I felt bad—Emma was nicer than I’d expected her to be. It wasn’t fair really; she was beautiful, wealthy, and she owned her own business.

She’d been charming and nice, and she wanted to hire me, of all things. It was almost laughable.

At the very least, she could be a jerk.

That would’ve made me feel better about what I was doing.

And there was something else.

It had taken me a few hours to connect the dots after I got home, but suddenly, something she had said jumped out to me.

There might be some major changes coming down the line for Allure, so this fashion show is really important to me.

I scrolled through the text messages until I found an exchange I’d read earlier that day, and when I scanned it a second time, I sucked in a breath.

June 12, 5:01 p.m.

Ryan: Hey

M: Hey you

Ryan: So random question for you.

Ryan: I’m going to be hiring a new assistant soon. What would you say if I asked you to take some time off from work and take the job.

M: You’re kidding

Ryan: I’m not

M: I can’t just do that. You know I can’t. Besides, I love my job

Ryan: Wouldn’t you love being able to travel with me?

M: Of course, but…come on Ryan

Ryan: Okay, never mind. We already have a ton of applications in. Forget I brought it up.

M: Wait—let me think about it.

I felt a movement next to me, and Keith rolled over, pushing his face next to my own. “Hey,” he said, his voice gruff and sleep-filled. “When’d you get home?”

“About ten minutes ago,” I said. “Sorry, did I wake you?”

“No, I’ve been in and out of sleep, waiting for you to get here.”

“Why?” I asked, sitting up slightly. “Is something wrong?”

“No,” he said. “I talked to Randy today. He wants me to come along to the meet in Indianapolis next week.”

I frowned in the darkness. Randy was the Morton College swim coach and one of Keith’s best friends. “How are they getting there?”

“By bus.”

“Okay,” I said slowly. “You thinking about going?”