and thinks Thom must be the luckiest dick on the planet.”
From what Masey said, Thom wasn’t very good with his dick. So how did he get this woman who makes a living getting off?
“So, check this.” The woman cuts in as if she has more scoop. “Sources tell us that Thom and Candy have been getting it on for months. And he’s complained—loudly—that Masey G. is a terrible lay.”
“Dead fish.” The guy gives a superior nod. “But, in her defense, Candy is probably just one of the best.”
“Oh, yeah.” Ms. Pixie Cut nods. “I’d do her.”
“Even I might. Rawr.” The dude rakes his hand through the air like a claw.
Together, they laugh. I want to puke. No, I want to punch them both for being terrible human beings who make a living off of broadcasting speculation about other people’s pain.
The woman holds up a hand that assures the viewer there’s even more. “And now I hear that the ring Masey G. waited ten years for—”
“Ten!”
“Crazy… But I hear that ring might be going on Candy’s finger soon.”
“Oh, snap!”
“Right?”
He nods. “We’ll have to see how all this unfolds, but as of right now…looks like it sucks to be Masey G.”
Together they laugh. There’s still another three minutes on the video, but I can’t watch. I can’t stand what they’ve said about her or the way they’ve dragged her personal life through the mud. Most of all, I can’t stand that they’ve hurt her and that they’re utterly wrong.
Since I can’t go fight an internet war, I need to help Masey in some other way. I’m just not sure what.
Slowly, I rise and meander down the hall.
Chapter Nine
When I reach my office, I see Masey in my chair with a pair of Beats headphones over her ears, frowning as she watches the replay of a video she clearly shot at home. Nearby, Ranger gives a happy squeal, and she turns to him with a big grin and a peekaboo that makes him laugh.
Then she catches sight of me and sets the headphones aside. “Got a verdict?”
I nod, trying to swallow back my fury on her behalf. “You’re good to go. There’s more natural light in this room than in your studio, I’m guessing.”
“Definitely.”
“So if you’re going to film at night, you’ll have to up the light factor a bit.”
“For sure.” She rises, concern filling her expression. “What’s wrong?”
I’m not in a hurry to tell her I was snooping. But more importantly, I don’t want Masey to think for one second that I’m with her merely because I feel sorry for her. And I’d rather not open her healing wounds over old shit I can’t change. “I made the mistake of looking at the news.”
“What’s going on?”
“Oh, you know. Crime, hate, terror, greed, disease, and destruction.” I shrug sarcastically. “The usual.”
She rolls her eyes. “Nifty. I try not to think about that while I’m working or I won’t get anything done.”
“Another reason I appreciate having the ocean as my office.”
She nods. “Now I’m just jealous.”
I struggle for something to say. I can’t blurt what’s blaring across my brain. Thom is a dick. You’re great in bed. People online suck. I think I’m falling in love with you. None of those things are going to fix the situation or ensure that I get to spend more than ten days with her. Now not only do I have to figure out how to persuade Masey to accept me beyond a fling and coax her into staying longer, I have to hope all of these toxic people who thought nothing about ruining her life haven’t hurt her so much she’ll never open her heart again.
From what my sister-in-law told me, I may be hoping in vain.
But I refuse to give up.
“Before we met, Harlow was telling me that Thom refused to appear in your videos.” It’s not entirely true, but I’m hoping to both help Masey and get closer to her. “If you still need someone with a Y chromosome in a video, I’ll volunteer.”
She looks surprised—in a good way. Then she seems to think better of it. “That trend passed. No one cares about the hashtag anymore. I always wanted to do it, but…you might not want the exposure or questions that come with it.”
“What do you mean?”
“It’s the Boyfriend-Does-My-Makeup Challenge. Thom hated the whole idea. Honestly, it wasn’t a necessity, but it would have been nice back then… To me, those videos were always cute and funny, and you could see how in love