Aspen didn’t answer, just started delving through her purse. "I think I have some concealer that will cover that up if you want."
"I'm not putting make-up on it." I resisted the urge to check my compact. "I just need it to heal."
"It's ugly."
"So are you," I retorted, much as I'd done when we were younger. Her face puckered up like before, but this time, she couldn't cry and tell Dad that I was being mean to her.
I hid my grin behind my coffee cup.
"Anyway, at the risk of more insults about things I can't help, what did you want to meet up for?"
"It was Paris's idea," Aspen sniped. "I told her you'd never want to help because you're such a bitch."
My lips curved. "I mean, I really try to live up to your expectations, Aspen. You're who I aspire to be."
She glowered at me, but it was Paris who reached over and tapped her hand. "Stop it, Aspen."
I arched a brow when Aspen pouted but shut the hell up.
A server appeared and took their orders as well as mine, and all the while I kept trying to peer through the backroom door as if I had X-ray vision.
"Do you have fleas or something?" Aspen complained. "Why can't you sit still?"
I ignored her and, to Paris, asked, "What do you want? I thought this was supposed to be about Mom."
"It is, but I asked Daddy and he told me that I needed to stop projecting."
"Projecting what?"
She wriggled her shoulders. "We’ve been stressed, you know, about the show. He said that I was reading into things that weren’t there."
Whoa, way to gaslight, Dad.
Still, I kept my mouth shut on that topic. "Okay, so, what, then?"
Just her mention of the show told me that was her reason for not canceling.
"We're having a problem with the thirty-five to forty-five demographics."
I played it dumb. "Huh?"
Paris frowned. "You heard me. We're falling short on viewers in that age range."
"So? What do you want me to do about it?"
"We'd like you to come on our show. We'd love you to talk about what you're doing. There's no reason it has to just be about Paris and me. We could expand for you and Camden to be featured as well," Aspen said brightly.
"Wait a minute, are you hitting me up for a guest appearance?"
Paris shot me a smile that I knew she thought was winsome but just looked desperate. "I think it would be great exposure for you. It's a completely different platform. You could hit home with some of your opinions, and you could spread the word about your articles and things."
I tipped my head to the side. "Paris, what articles am I writing at the moment?"
She blinked at me. "Umm, you know, about, like, sexism and stuff."
I groaned under my breath. "You don't even know what I'm working on right now! What's really going on here? Why are you so interested in getting me and Camden on there—" My words waned as realization struck. "The network wants to cancel your show?"
Aspen squinted at me. "No. Of course they don't."