KATE
I stoodat the window by my desk, my fingers touching the cool glass as I watched Drew walk to his car.
He'd just done it. He'd told Alexis.
Relief swept over me. I knew I should probably be worried about my job. But I was too happy to see that Drew was free from his relationship with that witch.
My phone beeped with a text.
Alexis:Please order two dozen roses and have them sent to the address we have on file for Gwen.
Sympathy roses to Gwen. Well, I could definitely do that. Though it might be hard not to tell the florist to writegood riddancein the note.
I was just opening the company's address book when another message from Alexis popped on my screen.
Alexis:Have the florist write a note saying something about asking for forgiveness and hoping she'll take him back.
What? Had Drew changed his mind?
Before I could figure out my conflicted feelings on his change of heart, my phone beeped again.
Alexis:Make sure not to give them Drew's name or say anything about the show. Just use the preloaded credit card I gave you.
I sighed and grudgingly punched in the phone number for a florist near Gwen's home in Detroit, and made the order. The florist read off a few options for the message, joking that it was on her list calledGroveling,and then I picked the one that sounded the most like Drew.
Then I pulled up Drew's name in my messages and shot him a quick text.
Me:I'm guessing the flowers mean you've changed your mind.
I wanted to put a frowny face emoji at the end of that sentence.
It took twenty minutes for Drew to respond.
Drew:Alexis helped me see the light.
“Canyou take care of the happy couple this weekend?" Alexis asked me when I brought Alexis’s lunch by her office. Mondays were always the craziest at the studio, with all the last-minute checks before the show aired. I wondered if Alexis even took time to go pee when she had a deadline to meet.
I still wondered how Alexis was able to convince Drew to get back with Gwen when he'd been so sure the day before.
What was Alexis holding over him?
How else could she have been able to convince stubborn Drew Burrows to get back with a woman whom all of America was starting to see as someone very wrong for him?
At least, Iassumedeveryone could see how wrong Gwen was for Drew. I could see it, at least.
But since I needed to keep this job, I would do what Alexis asked of me. So I said, "Yes. I can help."
"You're a lifesaver." Alexis dug through the bagged lunch I’d brought her and pulled out a bacon cheeseburger. "I have to admit that I was a little worried about bringing someone unfamiliar into our studio family so late in the game, but Drew was right. You really have been such a great help to us."
"Thank you." My cheeks glowed at the praise. I had no idea Alexis had even paid me that much attention. After all, I was kind of a nobody in the grand scheme of things.
"Which has had me thinking…” Alexis continued. “I was talking to Drew about what happened between him and Gwen this weekend, and as you probably guessed, I was able to convince him to get back with her." She looked behind me. "Actually, could you shut the door real quick?"
Once I’d shut the door, Alexis motioned for me to sit down. Then Alexis scooted closer so we could have a more intimate conversation.
"I told Drew not to tell you—told Drew not to tell anyone—but I realized that I'm going to need help with this plan that we have."
My ears perked up immediately.