“I wasn’t paying attention to where I was setting it, and it toppled over. No biggie. You ready?” She had it in place and was securing her phone to the stand.

“Ready as I’ll ever be.” I offered a closed-mouth smile.

“Great. So, I’ll ask some questions, and you answer them honestly. If you’re unhappy with how anything comes out, we’ll either reshoot or edit it out. Sound good?” She was so matter-of-fact and almost cold with her delivery—it wasn’t comforting.

“I guess.”

“Hello, you sexy people. It’s me, Caz Montgomery, here. Thank you for joining me this week on My Unscripted Life. The votes are in, and after my near-death experience in the haunted prison, you had mercy on me this week.” She beamed at the camera with one raised eyebrow, exuding a charm that would probably have all the girls at home swooning.

“My task was to help Shorty, this beautiful creature to my left, tell the woman of her dreams that she wants to be more than friends. But first, we should get to know Shorty better so you can send her all the good vibes when she asks this woman out.” As she turned my way, a wave of fear washed over me, leaving me paralyzed.

“So, tell us about yourself.” She opened the floor, but I still couldn’t find my tongue. She sat there for a few more seconds before realizing I was drowning. “You’re twenty-nine years old, right?” She promoted, and at least my body cooperated and allowed me to nod. “We got a youngster here.” She winked at the phone.

“You’re also a business owner?” Her melodic voice had a calming effect that eased my tension.

“Yes. I’m part owner of Sprout and Sprigs, a meal-prep and meal-planning business that focuses on vegetarians, but we serve everyone.” I couldn’t believe I got those words out, but it would be great advertisement if we kept that in there.

“Did you hear that? She’s smart, good-looking, and ambitious. What does she need my help with?” She laughed, but I could tell she was playing it up for the camera, and my cheeks were hot from more than the sun. “Even though Shorty is a catch on her own, she and I worked together to prepare for this big day. We scoped out possible first-date locations, discussed potential conversation starters and common interests, and the biggest piece of advice I offered was for her to relax and be herself.” She placed her hand on my shoulder, but it had the opposite effect on me as I stiffened.

If she noticed, she didn’t let on as she continued. “So, I need you all to wish our girl, Shorty, here good luck—not that she needs it.” With one more smoldering look into the camera, she ended the recording. “You did a good job, but you need to breathe.” She squeezed my arm, and I loosened a little.

“I’m really nervous.”

“No shit? You had me fooled,” she joked, and I cracked a smile. “Everything is going great. Now, all that’s left is popping the question.” She squared my shoulders and pulled me to standing. “You got this. Ember would be an idiot not to see how amazing you are.” Her fingers gently brushed my skin as she tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear, sending a shiver down my body. Her touch lingered, and her eyes locked on mine.

It felt like something passed between us for a second, but just as quickly as it started, it vanished.

“All right, go get your girl.” She stepped toward the tripod and began putting it away. “I’ll stand to the side, taping, but I promise not to interfere or be in a location where you can see me. Is that okay?”

It was weird how quickly she moved from one thing to the next. Sometimes, she was on to something else before my brain processed what had happened, but I was trying to keep up.

“Yeah. But if she laughs at me, do you promise not to air that?” Rejection was bad enough, but humiliation would be worse.

“If she laughs at you, I’ll bitch slap her,” she deadpanned, and I smiled at how protective she was.

“Well, you don’t need to get an assault charge over it,” I quipped, and she shrugged.

“You’re probably right, but I never want to see you get your feelings hurt—especially not by…” Her words dropped off, and she put her bag over her shoulder. “I’m going to put this in my car, and I’ll be inside. Why don’t you go ahead of me so you won’t be as aware of the camera?”

I nodded and moved toward the door. This was it—the make-or-break moment. I should have been excited, anxious, scared, or something. But as I walked inside, all I could feel was numb. Was that a sign?

Chapter 21Caz

As much as I hated pushing Shiloh into the coffee shop, I knew it was the right thing to do. She deserved a shot at happiness, and if Ember was that person, I would support her. But so help me, if Ember did anything to hurt her, it would be the last thing she ever did.

Shiloh might have thought I was kidding when I said I would bitch slap Ember, but I was already itching to get my hands on her. And if she caused Shiloh any kind of pain, that was all it would take to push me over the edge.

What was wrong with me? Since when did I become the fighting type? I wasn’t a vigilante. I needed to get myself together before going in there.

“She’s just a friend. She’s just a friend. She’s—” My phone rang, interrupting my chant. “This is Caz,” I barked into the phone, and Matrix’s laugh echoed from the other end.

“Going that well?”

“I was in the middle of something. What do you need?” I shouldn’t have been short with him because I knew this was the last time we would really get to work together, but I wasn’t in the right frame of mind right now.

“I didn’t need anything. Just wanted to check on you and make sure you were okay. Sorry to disturb you.”

“No, you’re fine. I need to get inside, though, so I can tape Shy asking Ember out.”

“Shy? Is that your pet name for her?” He was teasing, but it pissed me off.

“Shut up. I heard Sonya call her that before, and it just came out. Do you want to give me more shit about it, or do you want your footage?”

“By all means, continue. I’m glad you’re getting something useful.”

“All right. I’ll talk to you later.” I was about to hang up, but his voice stopped me in my tracks.

“Don’t sacrifice yourself for the sake of this show.”

“Since when do you believe that?” I scoffed.

“You know I care about you, and I don’t want to see you hurt. Do what’s going to make you happy.” He was sincere, and I fought back my emotions because I had a job to do.

“Same. Everything will be okay, but I better go.” I abruptly ended the call before he made me cry.

After finishing my last, “She’s just a friend,” I took a beat, then headed inside. The place was unexpectedly busy for a weekday, which would help me go unnoticed. Since I had a Lavalier microphone, which worked as an extender for audio when I recorded on my phone, I could stay out of the way without missing anything.

Everyone seemed concerned with themselves, so I had no reason to be worried about being spotted. I stood in the back corner, diagonal from the counter, and out of Shiloh’s sight. I pressed record as she stepped up, and Ember approached. Even though she and I couldn’t find out much on Ember’s social media, from my assessment, it seemed like she was self-absorbed. Of course, I didn’t use those words when talking to Shiloh about her. But my advice was to lead with a compliment because I figured she would eat that shit up.

I waited patiently, hoping one of them would talk, but it seemed they were in the same staring contest Ember and I had been in before. Although I wanted to say something to break the awkward silence, I had to stay in the shadows. Finally, Shiloh opened her mouth.

“Hello.”

So much for flattery to win her over. Maybe she would follow it with something sweet.

“Flat white, please.” She pulled out her money and stepped aside without making further eye contact or small talk.

Was this part of her tactic? Was she playing hard to get? I mean, that might work, too. Ignore her to the point where she begged for attention? It was possible.

When Ember called Shiloh’s name, notifying her that the drink was ready, I zoomed the video in. I watched as Shiloh ran her fingers through her hair, causing it to fall in that effortlessly seductive way. My breath hitched, but I remained calm. That was until I saw Ember’s reaction. She looked like a smitten kitten, and I thought I might get sick.

This was what Matrix meant by not sacrificing myself. It was excruciating to witness someone unworthy fawn all over her. When I saw Ember touch Shiloh’s fingers as she handed her the cup, I’d had enough. I stopped taping and headed out. Maybe Shiloh could tape their date. All I knew was that it couldn’t be me.

Once I got to my car, I drove off, not knowing where to go. I should have called Matt and told him what had happened, but I was afraid of what he might say. Instead, I wandered around downtown, aimlessly planning my next move. But I didn’t have one. Then, out of the corner of my eye, I spotted a sign that read, "The Hideaway," and I pulled over.

I wasn’t sure what the place was, but it was like a beacon, so I got out and went inside. As I entered, everyone’s heads turned and stared. I scanned the place, and the bar was filled with women whose gaze was fixated on me. By the pride flags and female empowerment symbols, it was evident this was a queer bar, and I was either fresh meat or out of place.

Hoping to divert attention away from myself, I hurriedly sat on one of the stools, and the bartender immediately approached.