Chapter 29

29

JANUARY

"Congratulations!" Melissa held up her champagne glass, toasting the happy couple.

The small gathering at the brewery all raised their glasses to Sadie and King. They'd just learned that their song had earned a gold record. It was the most popular song of the winter, and things could not be going better for them.

It was funny to Melissa that Sadie had turned into some sort of urban legend. After that video went viral, showing Sadie spelling those influencers, most of them had stayed away from King, believing that Sadie would hex them. It had been a blessing in disguise since King now had some sort of normalcy without being stalked all the time. And with his mother safely behind bars, their lives were about as perfect as could be.

"Cheers!" Sadie said, beaming.

Melissa had never seen her friend that happy before. She was thrilled for her. Though she did miss her. Sadie and King were gone a lot for work now, and Melissa just didn't get enough girlfriend time anymore.

Sadie saddled up to her on a barstool and said, "Man, it's been ages since we've had dinner together. Can we do that this week?"

Melissa looked over at her and wondered if she'd been reading her mind.

"What?" Sadie asked. "Are you traveling for work?"

"No. It's nothing. Yes, dinner this week. I can't wait."

Sadie gave her a sideways hug and said, "I don't know what I'd do without you."

"Same."

Her friend gave her a kiss on the cheek and hurried back over to King, who was sitting at the bar, digging into their slice of mocha caramel cheesecake.

All Melissa could do was laugh. If there was one thing that could come between her and her bestie, it was a really good piece of cheesecake.

"Hello, gorgeous," Briggs said as he took Sadie's empty seat.

"Briggs," she said coolly.

"Aww, don't be like that, Mel. I thought we were friends," he said as he looked her up and down, clearly admiring her body.

"Not that kind of friends," she reminded him.

"That's too bad, cause I think we'd be really, really good at being friends."

She thought so, too. The problem was Briggs was Mr. Non-Commitment. And Melissa was looking for Mr. Right, not Mr. Right Now. "Sorry, Briggs. I'm not that kind of girl anymore."

He chuckled. "My loss. Well, if you change your mind?—"

"Briggs Williams, is that you?" a woman with a Southern accent called.

The man beside Melissa suddenly stiffened.

"It is you," the woman exclaimed. "I'd know those biceps anywhere."

Briggs glanced at Melissa and mouthed, Help .

She opened her mouth to respond, but before she could, Briggs wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulled her tightly to his side, and said, "Kassie Kinny, what in the world are you doing here?"

The gorgeous petite woman with thick shiny black hair slinked up to Briggs and leaned into him. "Looking for you, of course."

"Oh," Briggs said, his eyebrows rising to his hairline. Then he cleared his throat. "Kassie, meet Melissa, my fiancée."

"Your wha—" Melissa started, but she was cut off suddenly by Briggs's mouth coming down on hers. He kissed her so thoroughly that when he finally pulled back her head was spinning.

"Well, this is a development," Kassie said, looking annoyed.

"It's new," he said sweetly and then nuzzled Melissa's ear and whispered, "Please, do me this favor."

"What are you really doing in town, Kassie?" Briggs asked.

"Oh, I wasn't lying about coming to see you," she said, glaring at Melissa. "I'm recording at Austin's studio, so you'll be mixing my tracks. I was hoping…" She placed one finger on his chest and lowered it slightly as she added, "that we could get together while I'm in town. For old times' sake."

Melissa hated the way the woman was manhandling her fake fiancée right in front of her, and without thinking, she said, "Hands off, Kassie. This guy is taken."

***

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