One Last Time(8)

“I know you can’t see it now, but trust me, you’ll thank your lucky stars later. When you meet a man who loves you through all the shit, it won’t seem like the worst thing in the world. You’ve just got to get through this part,” Heather tells me with so much hope in her voice that it stuns me.

Her divorce wasn’t easy, I get that, but we have two children involved. There’s a home filled with the life we shared, child support, alimony, debt, and so much more. Since moving out of the house, he’s attempting to be cordial, but our lawyers are the ones communicating about the ugly stuff.

It’s almost like Scott lives for finding ways to make my life hell since he found out how much he’d pay in child support.

“Regardless, I’m not there yet,” I sigh.

“Today you’re starting your new life, Kristin. You get to be anyone you want when you walk through that door. Be fearless.”

“I don’t know what I’d do without you.” I smile, knowing she’s right.

Fearless is the last thing I am, but I can fake it. Can’t I?

Heather laughs. “You’d be lost. Now go in there and show them who’s boss.”

I exit the car and head into the small office building.

“Hi.” I smile at the woman sitting the front. “I’m Kristin McGee. I have a meeting with Erica.”

My nerves are high, but I do my best to keep it together. Erica and I spoke at great length on the phone, but we didn’t actually meet before she offered me the job. All she needed was Eli Walsh’s endorsement.

She nods, looking at her screen. “Yes, you’re the new girl. I’m Pam.”

We exchange pleasantries as she walks me to a desk in the back corner. I place my things down, and then she leads me to what should be an office, but I don’t think I can call it that. There are two partitions, which I guess are supposed to be walls, posters tacked in random places, papers all over the desk, and clothes all over the chairs.

What the hell have I gotten myself into?

“You must be Kristin!” A short woman at least half my age jumps up. “It’s great to meet you.”

“You, too.” I plaster a fake smile on and shake her hand.

“Excuse the mess,” she says with a smile as she looks around sheepishly. “We moved to this office last week, and it’s been a transition, to say the least.”

I shake my head, dismissing her worries. “I just moved myself, I get it.”

Erica pulls her hair into a messy bun, and I realize how overdressed I am. She’s barefoot and wearing a pair of workout shorts and a T-shirt that says: Y’all Need Jesus.

I’m not sure if I’m excited about the possible dress code or scared.

“Please, sit.” She motions for the chair.

“Thanks,” I say as I move the shirt to the other chair.

“So, you’re seriously friends with Eli Walsh?”

This is going to be so awkward. “Yes. Heather, his girlfriend, is one of my best friends.”

She leans back with a grin. “That’s amazing. FBD is definitely one of the hottest Tampa stories. Even though we have readers across the country, we started as a local blog, and Tampa is still our base. Eli and Randy are the area’s golden boys, so we need to keep our followers fed.”

It doesn’t surprise me. I’ve seen firsthand how crazy people go over the band. They’ve been around since we were kids and haven’t lost their fans. Eli and his brother Randy grew up in Tampa, which makes the people here a little more nuts about the Walsh brothers. I can’t say anything because I was one of them until I got to know Eli. Now, it’s kind of sad how much of his life people think they have a right to know about.

The worst is how they treat Heather. Thankfully, she couldn’t give a shit less.

“I want to be clear that I won’t actually be writing about Eli. I won’t do that to him or my friend.” It’s the same thing I told her during our phone interview, but there’s no harm in reiterating it.

Erica leans forward with her arms on the desk. “Of course not. I completely understand that. However, you do have access to the celebrities in his life, which is one of the reasons Eli suggested you’d be a great fit here.”

Perfect. I don’t have to write about him, but his friends are fair game.

Maybe I can’t do this. I’m not comfortable with being that lurking friend always thinking of a story.

Then I think about what my lawyer said about Scott and the kids. I can’t go to court saying that I took a job and then quit the first day. It definitely won’t bode well for my character should Scott actually try to fight me about custody.

Eli is the one who suggested this, so he must be okay with it.

I shift, straightening my back. I may not want to do this, but I will. I’ll do the best damn job possible. “Do you have anything you’d like me to start with?”

“Actually . . .” Erica’s smile is mischievous. “I got a tip that I want you to follow . . .”

And so it begins.





Chapter Four





Kristin





Sitting at my dining room table, I chew on the inside of my cheek, wondering how the hell I approach this. I know if I ask, Heather won’t tell me no, but I’m starting to feel like a shitty friend.