All color leaves Kelsey’s face. I know she doesn’t want her story out there, and I don’t exactly want mine told either, but we both signed waivers.

“I was hoping for the opposite. That they’d hire you but not air us.”

“So that’s how you two met up, because when I saw Alex two weeks ago, he never mentioned you.”

“Kelsey was assigned to me for the audition.”

Joy snorts. “And you two hadn’t seen each other since Baxter?”

“Nope,” I answer and take a swig of the beer.

“Oh, I cannot wait to see that meeting.” She laughs.

Kelsey and I aren’t laughing, and I’m really worried about her.

“Who called?” Kelsey asked. “One of the Reeds or a producer or something?”

“Paul Reed.” I’m glad it was him and not anyone else. He got my concerns.

“He’s going to edit, isn’t he?”

“Yep.” I take a seat across from Kelsey, and Joy sits on the arm of the couch.

“Of course he is,” Joy says.

Kelsey is nodding. “They give so much to charity and helping people out, none of the Reeds are going to screw over a bunch of kids getting a better shot at life just for ratings.”

“Besides, they don’t need you two to get higher ratings. They’re at the top already.”

That was my take, but I’m still not comfortable with us being aired.

“When will it be on?” Kelsey asks. She’s gripping the beer bottle so tight her knuckles are white.

“December 9th.”

“Merry Christmas.” Kelsey takes a drink, and any of the breathing and relaxing we did earlier is wiped away.

“So, I guess this is a bad night to ask you to add this.” Joy pulls a piece of paper from her pocket and hands it to me.

“What is it?” I can tell it’s a flower, but I’ve never seen it before.

“A lotus flower. It smells so good.”

“Nobody can smell it on your body.” I’ve been adding to Joy’s tat since I put the first one on the small of her back. “You’ve already got a garden growing as it is.”

“But I need this one.” She sobers. “I had another dream.”

Even though she’s been through all kinds of therapy, Joy still suffers from the nightmares of her youth. I’m not sure there is anything anyone can do to help her. The tattoos do for a while, but she barely goes six months before she needs something else added. Like the lotus flower tonight.

“You’re here for a tat?” Kelsey asks.

“Yeah.”

Kelsey’s face begins to turn pink, and I look back at the messages from Joy.

“I think Kelsey assumed you were here for something else.”

“Like what?” Joy’s really confused.

I read back the texts.

“And then you started to take your shirt off as you headed up to the bedroom,” Kelsey adds.

“Oh my God.” She throws her head back and laughs. “I am so not here for sex.” Then she looks at me. “You’re a cutie, Alex, but, um, no.”

That’s my life. In a room with two pretty girls and neither of them have any intention of ever having sex with me.

Not that I want to have sex with Joy. We are friends, and I kind of think of her as a sister. Kelsey, on the other hand, is totally different. I get why she feels the way she does, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want her.