Page 37 of When I Picture You

Micah slid on his Ray-Bans. “Nash reached out to Gloriana about surprising Lola, and we thought it would be a perfect moment.”

“And you didn’t want to tell me about it?”

“It’s a surprise, Renee. You ruin it by telling too many people.”

“I’m not people, I’mthe director!”

Micah raised his hands innocently. “Hey, I thought you wanted these natural-feeling moments. Surprise is great for that.”

“You thinkthat’sLola being natural?” Renee flung her hand toward the door.

“I said natural-feeling. There’s a difference,” Micah said. “If that’s all, I’m going back inside.”

The door swung shut behind him.

Renee seethed at Micah and Gloriana. Hadn’t they realized they were watching a master at work? All day, Lo had commanded the room. In her shiny white boots and little shorts, she took uncompromising control of the rehearsal, then delivered a performance of “Star Sign” so incredible it had given Renee chills. At the break, Lola had been herself without any prodding or coaching. She’dcomplained about something, like a regular person with regular emotions.

It was actually pretty sexy.

Now, she’d been reduced to pretending to make out with a guy who looked like he thought yogurt was too spicy.

Lola deserved better than a fake romance, better than Micah’s dumb setups and distracting surprises. Renee didn’t want her film to be a part of that.

Documentaries were supposed to tell the truth.

If she couldn’t do that, how would Dragan ever pass her thesis? He’d emailed the other day, requesting an update. She’d thoughtshe’d have something positive to report, but now, all over again, it felt like the project was slipping away from her—not that she’d ever had it squarely in her grasp.

Renee squatted on the ground and put her head in her hands, trying to get her breathing steady. Someone waved a cold bottle of water in front of her face. When she looked up to accept it, Cassidy was standing over her.

“Thanks,” Renee mumbled before taking a swig.

“You should move or you’ll be in the shots,” she said, then waved to someone parked in an innocuous gray car.

A bald-headed man in a wrinkled button-up got out. He was holding a camera.

“Seriously?” Renee muttered. A few moments later, Nash and Lola strode into the parking lot. Immediately the rapid-fire clicking of the camera’s shutter began. They were holding hands, and even though they clearly saw the photographer, they didn’t quicken their pace. Lola’s hair was thrown up into a claw clip and she’d changed into jeans.

Thosejeans.

Renee tried not to let her eyes linger on how the denim clung to Lola’s ass because she wasn’t a creep, but Lola was literally walking away from her.

The pair hopped into Nash’s massive, shiny truck and pulled away. Once they were gone, Gloriana emerged wearing a gigantic pair of sunglasses.

“What the hell was that?” Renee flung a hand at the man. “Why didn’t security deal with him?”

Gloriana waved to the paparazzo, who saluted her in response. “Honey,wecalledhim.”

Renee’s mouth fell open.

Gloriana smirked. “You really don’t understand how any of thisworks, do you? There’s no point in getting Lola and Nash together if no one sees it. That’s what a relationshipisin this town.”

***

“You went to high school with her?” Nash said with a salacious gasp.

Lola nodded. “We grew up together. Next-door neighbors.”

“And now you have a huge fat crush on her.”