Chapter Twenty

"I see," Jessica says over the line.

I've told her the whole story, and I can hear the disappointment in her voice. "I'm sorry. This isn't the way I hoped it would end. I thought I was going to tell you everything was great since I never once saw him be anything but a gentleman to the women on the cast and crew. He seems to be a genuinely nice guy when it comes to women."

There are predators everywhere. Straight. Gay. Bi. Doesn't matter. Predators are part of the human condition, but they do tend to prefer one type of prey over the other. Women aren't Joe's prey of choice, but that doesn't mean Patrick doesn't deserve to have one of us stand up for him. After all, we know what it's like.

"Yes. He's always been lovely around me, and my daughter thinks the world of him." Jessica sounds tired, but then it's late at night in Australia where she's working on the biggest project of her life. "I'm surprised. I assumed when I heard the rumors that they were about women. Well, I'll have to think about how to handle this. You've thrown me a curveball, Anika."

I ignore the annoyance I hear. It can't be for me since I'm merely the messenger. I've done my job, and now I have to lob the ridiculously hot potato back at her. It's going to be a hard couple of days for Jessica. "Like I said, I was hoping for a different outcome, but I'm glad you sent me in. I don't know what's been going on fully around here, but it's definitely bad, and we can spare Patrick from having to put up with it."

"Anika, what would you do in my position?"

She's been my mentor for years, so it's not surprising she's asking. Jessica loves a teachable moment. "I would fire Joe immediately. You have an eyewitness, so there's no need for further investigation about this incident. I would ask Patrick if he wants to file criminal charges against Joe, and I would release a statement to the press that we stand behind our cast and crew and always work to create a safe environment for them. Pinnacle Entertainment Group will not stand by and allow this kind of behavior. It's the only thing to do."

"Yes, I thought that was what you would say. There are nuances to the situation," she replies.

I should have known she would go here. It's inevitable. And honestly, it's smart. She has a company to think of. She has to get her ducks in a row. "So what I'm hearing is you want to talk to lawyers before you do anything."

"Such a smart girl," she murmurs. "Yes, I need to discuss this with legal. I have to remind you that you're still under contract."

So I'm to stay in position and not give away the game. Though I'm sure it doesn't feel like a game to Patrick. I feel comfortable that Luca isn't going to talk. "I'm not calling the press or anything. I trust you, Jessica. You'll do what's best for Patrick. If it helps, the assistant director is more than capable of finishing the project. I don't think there has to be a single day of shooting lost."

"That's good to know," she replies and sounds more energetic now. "All right, Anika. Give me some time to sort through this. What are you shooting today?"

"We've got a couple of one-on-one dates. We filmed the other three earlier in the week, and then the last king's choice ceremony here in the city," I tell her. I've already started packing. Luca had watched me this morning as he lounged on the bed. Lazy king. He'd fallen asleep with me the night before, and I bet Hans hates us both. I'm not sure if he slept on the stairs or went back to the room, but he was looking perfectly pressed when he'd knocked this morning and informed the king he was supposed to be on set for his "date" in an hour and production wanted to talk to him.

It's getting too normal to wave good-bye to my man as he goes off on a date with one of my friends.

Luca had kissed me senseless and left after telling me he wished we were filming our date today. We did that earlier in the week. He's already had one-on-ones with everyone before the last ceremony due to time constraints and where they were shooting. Our date had been to a Broadway show, and that was the night they would let us film with the cast. It had been magical. And if he'd cut me the night before, it would never have been shown.

Like Tiara Kate's time with him on a harbor tour.

It's going to be a long day since I won't see him until the elimination tonight.

"So you pack up after shooting ends this evening and head to Ralavia," she muses. "Well, the timing could be better, but there's nothing for it. I thank you for your work and for your discretion. They tell me you're doing surprisingly well at this."

I feel a blush cover my skin. "Yeah, it's not because I'm trying. I think I'm terrible at being on camera."

"I believe they call you adorably awkward," she replies. "You test quite well."

"I've been tested?" I sigh. "Of course I have. You're using focus groups on this project?"

It's something Jessica often does while a project is ongoing. She claims it helps the editors. What it helps them decide is who is going to be the bad guy. Or in this case girl. We'll get slotted into stereotypes. If it has to happen, the adorable weirdo is not terrible.

"Yes, dear. Normally we wouldn't, but this has big money behind it. And if the king marries one of you, it will be a huge ratings draw."

"It's funny you say that because Luca says the producers are hoping he breaks it off," I say with a little laugh.

I can practically hear her eyebrows rising. "Luca? I thought his name was Reginald? Such a stuffy name for a lovely man."

"He goes by his middle name." I feel my face heat. I shouldn't have given that away. "He's a nice man."

"So I've heard." There's a pause that lets me know she's thinking. "You know this project is important to me. Is there any chance that you didn't understand what you were seeing? If he's having an affair, it's a different story. If extramarital sex takes directors out of the running, I won't have anyone to hire."

"I know what I saw."

"But Joe said it was consensual." I can tell she's looking for any way out of this. I'm sure I've shocked her.

"What I saw wasn't consensual." I'm going to stand firm.

"But you haven't talked to Patrick yet," she says.

"He ran out. I haven't left my room yet, and he'll be out on the one-on-one dates all day. I won't have a chance to talk to him until the ceremony tonight." And I'm sure he'll be in a great mood after a twelve-hour workday with four more to go. I don't envy him the long days he has to work.

"Well, I'll handle things from here." She is silent for a moment, tension heavy between us. "You're a good person, Anika. Thank you for everything."

It seems like a weird thing to say, but I'm sure she's tired and she's got a ton of work to do now, too. "Of course. I'll see you when I get back from Europe. Unless you need me sooner."

The line goes dead.

I take a deep breath and try to banish the sense of dread that suddenly comes over me. I tell myself it's just nerves because this is a sticky situation I've stepped into. There will potentially be a legal fight if Jessica can't convince Joe to quietly resign.

There's a knock at my door.

I cross the room and open it, and Hannah and Riley are standing there, shoulder to shoulder, both with concerned looks on their faces.

"Did you hear they fired Patrick?" Riley asks.

"I mean he wasn't the most polite guy in the world, but he was very efficient," Hannah adds. "He was excellent at keeping us on time, and he made me understand why we have to eat before dates, not during. Even if the date food looks way more delicious." She blushes. "No offense to your mom."

Funny little trivia about shows like ours. Those fancy dates you see with all the fine food are strictly for show. The champagne is real and so is the food, but eating a burger on air isn't sexy. Eating anything is hard to film.

My heart clenches at the words. Though not the ones about my mom. She's fine. "None taken. What happened?"

Hannah walks in, setting herself on one of the unused beds. "No idea. I just saw him downstairs and it looked like he'd cleaned out his locker. I asked Lily, and she said the PAs had been told they have a new head. One of the older guys. It seems so weird. I thought he and Joe worked well together."

"I wouldn't say that was the vibe I got from them." Riley sits beside Hannah.

"What did you get?" I'm beyond curious. I have to believe that the situation with Patrick will be resolved when Jessica takes action. Though Joe firing him means he can sue Pinnacle, which means more lawyers. "Did you see anything?"

"I think the director has a thing for Patrick, but Pat doesn't reciprocate," Riley says. "I've been in the situation before. You have a boss and he gets a little too close when you're talking. Hugs you a minute too long. Wants to be alone with you. You don't want to lose your job so you have to walk this balance beam of being polite and friendly with him, but not allowing it to go too far. I think Patrick fell off the beam."

"That sounds terrible." Hannah's head shakes in sympathy for those poor souls. "You think he gave in? For the sake of his job?"

Riley flashes her an indulgent grin. "No, silly. He'd likely be here if he had. I suspect he finally gave the old goat a hearty no. You seem unsurprised to find out the director's at the very least bi. That doesn't fit my wide-eyed country girl."

Hannah leans into her. "Well, my momma told me that everyone I met outside of the country would be deviant sex people, so I expect it. Though I didn't expect that Anika would be one of them. Why do you need condoms? Holy crap, are you having an affair with a member of the crew?"

I glance over to where she's gesturing and realize that Luca left the nightstand drawer open, and sure enough, there is a half-used box of condoms sitting there for all the world to see. I laugh—a thoroughly nervous sound—and shut the drawer. "I thought production left them all over. You don't have any in your room?"

Hannah looks at me like I've grown a couple of heads. "Yes, but they're in the bathroom emergency kit. They're not in my nightstand."

"Maybe those were left over from some preproduction nookie," Riley says, though she seems to be thinking, that brain of hers working over the problem.

I'm worried she's going to come to the proper conclusion. "That's probably what happened. So is Shelby on a rampage still this morning?"

"She's downstairs making flourless pancakes or something." Hannah waves her off. "I'm still bothered by the fact that Patrick's gone. Is there anything we can do about it?"

"I think production would definitely tell us to keep our fingers out of that particular pie," Riley says with a shrug. "But Joe should know that he's going to get a reputation eventually. It's not like Patrick won't talk."

He won't if Jessica gives him a big enough settlement to keep quiet. Then all of this will be mere whispers and hints of rumors. Like what Jessica had heard, what had led me down the wrong path.

Which makes me wonder how many other Patricks are out there who've taken a deal in exchange for their voice. I don't blame them. Every person who has ever been put in this position has to judge for themselves what will make them safe again, what's right for them. I understand that going against a Hollywood machine can seem dauntless.

"I think we should take a minute and give it some thought." I only have to delay their going to the producers long enough for Jessica to set the wheels of justice in motion. It might be a couple of days, but she always moves swiftly and decisively. I honestly won't be surprised if she doesn't have him escorted off set tomorrow before they break everything down for the move to Ralavia. "We've got a big night tonight. Final four."

Hannah reaches for Riley's hand. "I hope and pray he cuts Shelby."

Riley shakes her head, pulling Hannah's hand against her heart. "It's going to be me or Ashley F. Ashley's right. She's the only big drama left. You're the ingénue. Anika is the dark horse. So that leaves one ambitious, girl-next-door slot, and one of us is going home before the big show."

I hate that she's compared us to a horse race, but she's not exactly wrong. "It could be any one of us. The king has a mind of his own. I know the producers put some bugs in his ear, but he won't do anything he doesn't want to do."

"Yeah, but I think he'll keep Shelby because he's only truly into one of us." Riley sighs and releases Hannah's hand. "I think he made his decision early on, and the rest of us didn't have a shot. But I also understand how he could have fallen for her so easily. She's the best woman in the house."

Hannah shakes her head, obviously confused. "Who are you talking about? Ashley?"

"I think she's talking about you." The way Riley's looking at Hannah makes me think maybe Emma was right.

"Me? I don't think Reg is in love with me," Hannah says.

"I guess you're not watching him carefully enough." Riley stands and moves toward the door. "I should go and pack. Need to be ready for tonight."

She walks out with the crisp step of an emotional woman. She's upset at the prospect of her fifty-fifty shot at making it to Ralavia. I agree with her on that. Luca will likely keep Shelby and Hannah around for exactly those reasons. But I also don't think Riley's upset at the prospect of losing the king.

I kind of think she is worried about losing Hannah.

Hannah stands up, watching her friend as she disappears down the hall. "What was that about?"

"I think she's worried she might not see you again after tonight," I explain.

Hannah blanches at the thought. "That's not true. We're best friends. I've never had a friend like Riley. I plan on seeing her every chance I get."

"But you could be in a foreign country," I point out. "Or back home. She'll be in Los Angeles. Relationships made on a set like this can be intense, but the real world comes back in and life settles down eventually. That's what Riley's worried about."

"Well, I don't think she has to worry about me marrying Reg." Hannah puts a hand on her hip and glances back to the nightstand. "I know I can be na?ve, but I seem to be the only one here willing to tell the truth. Shelby is the one who put out the story that he's already picked me. She did it to mess with Tiara Kate. But she knows the truth the same as me. You know he's crazy about you, right? He watches you all the time. When we're not filming he asks me about the house, but it's always just a way to get around to talking about you."

What has Luca been doing? "What?"

"And you look at him when you think no one else is watching." Hannah frowns my way. "Which is why I'm confused. I thought you liked him. I was pulling for you."

I simply shake my head, so at a loss for what to say. I don't want to lie to her, but I can't tell her I'm sleeping with Luca.

"I'm disappointed, Anika. You and Reg—who you call Luca at least once a day and try to cover it up—are perfect for each other. Watching the two of you give each other longing looks makes Shelby fake vomit. If we turned it into a drinking game, we would all have to get our stomachs pumped."

Tears pool in my eyes because I hadn't thought I was being open at all. Did everyone know how in love with this man I am? How vulnerable to him I am? I'm an open book, but the trouble is sometimes open books get their pages ripped out.

"You do care about him." Hannah puts her hands on my shoulders. "Then why are you having an affair with some random crew guy?"

My mouth drops open. "I'm not sleeping with some dude from the crew."

"Then who are…" She stops, and a knowing laugh leaves her throat. "Of course. How does he get in here?" She shakes her head. "Nope. Don't want to know. But I'm shocked at how relieved I am that you're not cheating on the guy we're all dating."

I'm not going to confirm or deny, but she knows so I ask what I want to ask. "I would think a lot of people would see that scenario as cheating. Not with Luca, but on the show."

She seems to think for a moment and then nods. "You're talking about the contest to win the heart of an actual king. Yeah, I know I came into this whole thing believing exactly that, but I've had my eyes opened, and not in a bad way. This is a business, but crazily enough the process they talk about worked for one of us. I know we have to hold out for drama for the show's sake, but he's made his choice. There's nothing in my heart but love for you, Anika. I'm happy for you. And I'm happy for me because I think I found myself here. I know I found more than I ever expected."

I reach for her hand. "I did, too."

I thought I would find out if rumors were true and help out my boss. I never thought I would find the man of my dreams and make such amazing new friends.

She pulls me in for a hug. "I really am happy for you both." She sniffles and steps back. "I know I shouldn't ask, but if there's any way you can convince him to keep Riley, I would appreciate it. If you can't, that's okay, too. She's going to find out I meant what I said when I told her we're in for life now."

I watch her walk down the hallway a far more confident woman than the one I met weeks ago. Though she's managed to keep her innate kindness.

"I want an invite to the wedding," she says without looking back.

Shelby stops at the top of the stairs, and her nose wrinkles when she looks my way. "I better be there, too. It's going to be a massive shit show. I wouldn't miss it."

I frown. It's not going to be a shit show. It's going to be a perfectly lovely royal wedding.

My breath catches because I realize I'm going to do it. I'm going to throw all caution to the wind and marry this man.

I sit down, and despite all the terrible things that have happened, I can't help but smile.