California Girls by Susan Mallery

Author:Susan Mallery
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: HarperCollinsPublishers
Published: 2019-03-14T14:00:00+00:00

Chapter Seventeen

Post-show fan greetings were a tradition on the show. Those who wanted to meet Finola stayed after for a quick meet and greet. Finola usually enjoyed spending time with her viewers but ever since the news had hit, she’d been reluctant to have any one-on-one time. Even smiling and shaking hands seemed risky, and she’d kept Rochelle close to whisk her away if necessary. But it had been more than a week and no one had said anything, so she was more relaxed as she worked her way through the line of fans, and Rochelle had retreated to the dressing room.

“Thanks for coming,” she said, shaking hands with an older couple. “I appreciate it. Are you locals?”

“Yes, we live in Huntington Beach,” the gray-haired man said. “Bought our first house there nearly forty years ago.”

Finola chuckled. “And it’s worth a whole lot more now.”

“It is.” He winked at her. “You’re sure pretty. Just as pretty in person.”

“Oh, Martin, you’re such a flirt.” Martin’s wife rolled her eyes. “As if she’d been interested in an old coot like you.” Her tone was teasing, her smile friendly.

“You’re charming, Martin,” Finola said, chuckling before turning to the next guests. “Hello. Thanks so much for coming to the show.”

The next couple was what looked like a mother-daughter pair, with the mother in her midforties and the daughter college age.

The daughter smiled. “Your clothes are great. I try to get my mom to dress better, but she won’t listen to me. Do you do your own hair, or does someone do it for you?”

Before Finola could answer, her mother narrowed her gaze. “I don’t understand why you’d want to air all your dirty laundry out in public like that. What’s the payoff to you? Are you that hungry for attention? Is that why Nigel left?”

Finola felt the judgment and slap all the way down to her soul. She wanted to run away but there was no escape and no one to protect her. She looked around, but most of the crew had disappeared and the other guests had left. These were the last two.

“It wasn’t my choice,” Finola said before she could stop herself. She knew there was no point, that she should simply thank them for coming and walk away, but she couldn’t seem to move. “Not the affair or the publicity. There are photographers stalking me. They found out where I live and they chase me in their cars, making me feel scared and unsafe. It’s a nightmare and it’s humiliating.”

She was saying too much but she couldn’t seem to stop. She wanted this woman to know that it was all Nigel. All him and that whore Treasure. Finola was the innocent party. She’d done nothing wrong.

She opened her mouth to say that, then shook her head. She was a fool. Whatever this woman thought of her was her business.

Finola forced herself to smile pleasantly at both of them. “Thank you so much for coming. I hope you enjoyed the show.” Then

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