Page 28 of Grimm County Wishes (Grimm County Lawmen #4)

I’m sorry, but we no longer desire to use your marketing services. We’d like to cancel our contract at the end of the month.

J eannie jolted up from her phone as Lindsey’s shrill whistle tore through the room.

“Great work, folks! We have a few low-key days where we’re taping confessionals with the women and Al. Then we’ll have the overnight dates.” She paused as snickers of laughter filled the room.

Jeannie tried to hold back her disgust. As if it wasn’t enough that she’d been let go by the third client this week because she’d been too busy focusing on the show, now she had to think about Al bedding a bunch of women.

Although, after the other night at Susie’s, maybe she was wrong.

Was it possible he felt the same way she did after their night together and only went along with the show because she insisted?

Her fingers reached up to her lips, remembering the way Al’s had felt there. What if—

“After three passion-filled nights in the honeymoon—no, excuse me— conjugal suite, we’ll be down to two women of interest. We’ll head to New York City to film the last dates and final arraignment.

So tonight, have a few sips, and enjoy a few slow days.

Then gear up because the job’s not done yet!

” Lindsey raised her glass and the sound of cheers competed with clinking glasses around the set.

“Conjugal suites? Is she kidding with that? Is that even a thing anymore?” Diane asked Jeannie.

“Um, honestly, I don’t know. I can’t imagine Christian allowing something like that in his jail cells.”

“Son of a bitch!” Diane shook her head and laughed. “No wonder Hope never complained about working late. I’ll bet that little hussy was watching.”

“Eww!” Jeannie exclaimed, grateful to have something to take her mind off her imploding career and Al’s overnight dates.

The jail cells in the back of the sheriff’s office were small, like a bank vault with a twin bed, stainless steel toilet, and a tiny window in the door.

But her mind drifted to those old-timey cells like in Mayberry, with iron bars so the deputies could always see what was happening.

Bars she could hold on to when Al showed up in his uniform and railed her from behind.

“Earth to Jeannie! You sure you’ve got wine and not moonshine in there?”

“Oh sorry, girl. I was daydreaming. What did you say?”

“I was asking what you thought of the final three. Who do you think Al will choose? And who should he choose?”

Jeannie sighed. So much for taking her mind off things. “I think all the remaining women are great. But Mercedes might be too much of a party girl. Al has changed so much since becoming a deputy and I’m not sure he’d be able to keep up with her, or if he’d even want to.”

Diane nodded. “Good point. If he sends her home, I hope she invites me to her pity party. I’m sure it will be epic.”

Jeannie laughed. “Iona is gorgeous and confident and would be a good match for him. But she is the villain of the show, and she’s said some pretty mean stuff. Al doesn’t have a mean bone in his body, so I’m not sure how that would play out if he does pick her.”

“Could be pretty awkward when they watch the show later and he sees how she made Charlene cry after the go-kart race.”

“Exactly.” Jeannie took another sip from her glass. “And then there’s Jazz. They have a lot in common work wise, and she lives a few hours away, so that could actually work.”

Diane lifted her glass and chugged the rest of her wine. “You think so? Have they even, like, hooked up or anything?” Her eyes shifted around, probably looking for someone with a bottle so she could get a refill.

“Um, I don’t think so.” But she didn’t really know. Maybe they had. Maybe he was enjoying being the bachelor and making out with everyone. The wine soured in her stomach. “She seems perfect on paper, there’s just something … I don’t know.”

“Something? What kind of something?” Diane leaned in closer. “You can tell me.”

“I really shouldn’t.”

Diane made the zip your lips motion and nodded.

“Fine. I think she’s kind of sneaky. I’ve caught her a couple of times in places she wasn’t supposed to be, like rooms that are for the crew and off limits to contestants. And I know they aren’t allowed to have phones, but I caught her talking on one at Susie’s.”

“Well, she is a fancy attorney back home. Maybe she sneaked a phone to keep up with a case.”

“I guess so.” Jeannie shrugged. “With all the bad luck I’ve had lately, I’m probably being paranoid.”

“Good talk.” Diane patted Jeannie’s shoulder. “I need to put away some of the equipment before I leave out of here. See you around! ”

“Oh, okay. Bye!” Jeannie watched her walk toward the other camera operators who were almost finished breaking down for the night.

Diane was right. She was being too hard on Jazz.

So what if she was hiding a phone? Mercedes probably had a laptop in her bra.

The image of Mercedes pulling a MacBook from her tits made her chuckle.

Now that would be an amazing marketing campaign.

Which reminded her, she had an email from Victor Crawford that she’d left unread. He’d also sent text messages which she’d ignored. But with nothing better to do, she pulled out her phone and opened the email.

Ms. Knight,

We’ve recently had a senior marketing position open up, which I think you’d be great for.

I understand your hesitation to come in at the bottom when you’ve already had success for several years.

With this position, you’ll be in charge of a team of marketers, and you’ll get to select the clients you work with.

Give me a call if you’d like to discuss it.

Or, if you’re ever back in the city, we can meet for dinner, and I’ll give you a tour of our offices.

V. Crawford

Jeannie blinked. Holy cow. A senior position, responsible for a team of people?

Not bad for a girl with only a high school diploma and a couple of online certificates.

She’d been hesitant to leave Grimm County before.

Well, not so much Grimm County, but Al. The town wasn’t so bad, but her childhood memories took up too much real estate in her mind.

But as long as Al was by her side, the memories faded.

What would happen to her if he ended up with one of these women?

She doubted any of the remaining three ladies would be happy for him to have a female best friend.

And if the show took off and Al got more offers?

They might leave Grimm County altogether, and he’d probably hire someone with more experience to be his publicist. And where would that leave her?

Alone and jobless, like her mother. Like hell, she thought, as she typed a response to Victor.