Page 73 of Pucking Sweet

“Yes, I did. Thank you,” I reply crisply.

He fakes a confused look. “Hmm, I never heard from you. Best practice should probably be that you shoot me a reply, just so I’m not worrying.”

I smile, gesturing to the JGH reps. “Well, as you can see, I’ve been a little busy this week, planning for the fundraiser.”

And dodging my mother’s increasingly urgent calls.

And my sister’s barrage of whiny, desperate text messages.

And all my social media accounts, which are still buzzing with the news of the wedding.

Oh, and Colton, my dream boyfriend, who I now feel like I’ve cheated on thanks to the walking red flag standing in front of me.

“I get it,” he says with a solemn nod. “You’re too busy to answer emails from us lowly players. Or a text. I sent you a text too. Did you get that?”

“I got your text.”

“And left me on read.”

Jenni and the Johns glance between us, their eyes darting like they’re watching ping pong.

“Poppy’s a tough woman to pin down,” Lukas says at Jenni with a wink. “Always playing hard to get.”

Jenni smiles. “Well, she’s in high demand.”

“Ain’t that the truth,” he replies. “In high demand and highly demanding.”

Oh god.

I step over to him, placing my hand on his arm. “Why don’t we set up an appointment to go over all the particulars later this week?”

“Particulars?” He feigns confusion again, even going so far as to scratch his head. “I thought everything in the contract was all pretty straightforward. I mean, I used the template you provided. Is your name spelled incorrectly?”

“Yes, I noticed you added me.” I really hope he can read the “curl up and die” message I’m blinking at him right now. The jerk just smiles wider. “And I’ll be happy to be your representative on this deal.” I turn to Jenni and the Johns. “Lukas just secured a lucrative endorsement deal.”

“Ooh, with who?” chimes Jenni.

Lukas looks slowly down at me, still grinning. “Yeah, Pop, with who?”

I laugh, squeezing his arm tighter. “Oh, you know we can’t share that quite yet, not before the ink’s dry. Gotta cross all thoseIs and dot thoseTs.”

“I think you got those backward, Pop,” he teases.

“I know.”

“You’re squeezing my arm kinda tight there, Pop.”

“I know. Would y’all please excuse us for one teensy moment?”

“Sure,” says Jenni, looking a little crestfallen that I’m taking him away. It shouldn’t bother me. She’s young and single, and so is he. For all I know, she could be another willing name to add to his stack of sex contracts.

Over my dead body.

I dig my nails tighter into his arm, leading him down the hall.

“Say, have you tried the coffee cart?” he calls over hisshoulder. “Best macchiatos in Jacksonville. And the almond biscotti are to die for. Why don’t you go tell Gavin to put your orders on my tab? Our intrepid PR director will be along in just a minute.”

We turn the corner, and I’m seething as I open the door to a utility closet and pull him in behind me.