C16 Chapter 16

“You’re doing the right thing,” Cassie said as the makeup artist brushed a final layer of powder on Peyton’s face.

Peyton didn’t agree with Cassie’s assessment. “I really don’t think this is a good idea.”

Cassie planted her hands on her hips and glared at Peyton. “I am in PR, remember?” Cassie said. “You need to nip this in the bud before it gets any worse. You’re already a meme for god’s sake.”

Oh yeah, that had been a nice little heads-up from Chloe. The fucking In Like Finn Facebook page had started the damned thing, but at least it wasn’t just Peyton. They had put one up of Dale’s new wife too. Her video reply to Peyton’s hadn’t had quite the reach, but it was certainly enough to keep the story alive. This was why Peyton found herself in a makeup chair at four in the morning waiting to go on and be interviewed by Butch and Sunnie on Wake Up, Australia - a breakfast television program that was more tabloid than news these days. Why they thought her situation was worthy of the ninety-second slot, Peyton didn’t know. But Cassie had insisted she does the interview if only to clear the air and tell her side of the story. Peyton would much rather just hide away in her apartment until people forgot all about her and Dale and the Las Vegas showgirl who had come between them.

“Fine,” Peyton said with a sigh. “I just want it all to be over with so my life can go back to normal.”

“Oh honey,” Cassie said, pulling her into a hug but being careful not to smudge her makeup.

The segment’s producer came in and shuffled them out of makeup and into the green room. There was a table set up with some fruit and pastries, but Peyton was too nervous to eat. She couldn’t even sit still. She stood and paced while Cassie watched her.

“It’s going to be fine,” Cassie said. “You’re going to go out there and you’re going to tell everyone that yeah, you had a meltdown but that’s what happens when you find out your fiancé up and got married without telling you.”

“Right,” Peyton said.

“And you’re going to smile and let them know that it’s no big deal. You can laugh about it now. You’ve moved on and you wish Dale and his new wife every happiness in the world.”

“Right,” Peyton said again.

There was a low-level buzzing in her ears and her skin felt clammy. She couldn’t help but feel that this whole thing was a very, very bad idea.

“And then you’re going to do a big plug for the children’s hospital and the charity that Chloe and Declan are starting to support parents with terminally ill children.”

“Yes,” Peyton said.

She just had to keep that in her mind. She could turn this train wreck into something positive. More publicity for Caitlyn’s Fund was exactly where she should try and steer this out-of-control ship. She just had to get these nerves under control and clear her head.

“We’re ready for you,” one of the assistant producers said from the doorway.

Peyton took a deep breath, smoothed her skirt, and straightened her shoulders before walking confidently out of the room and into the studio behind the assistant. She greeted the hosts of the show and took her seat while the live broadcast was a commercial break.

“Don’t be nervous,” Butch said, his deep voice soothing in a fatherly sort of way.

Tony Butcher had been hosting the popular breakfast show since its inception ten years prior. He was older and not what you would think of as a typical television host. He was more dad than heartthrob, and his presence eased a bit of Peyton’s anxiety.

Sunnie was his polar opposite. She was bouncy and enthusiastic with a quick smile and a light-heartedness about her that made her a favourite when the awards season came around. She took her seat, her eyes focused on the run sheet in her hands, not even sparing Peyton a glance. Huh. Maybe that persona was only an act.

The producer gave them the countdown and Sunnie stowed her sheets under her desk before turning a blinding smile on Peyton just as the cameras went live.

“Welcome back to Wake Up, Australia,” she said with the perkiness that Peyton was familiar with. “Today we have with us someone who has become a bit of an overnight sensation.” She turned to Peyton.

Finn tried to keep his focus on the sports news playing on the screen of his treadmill. It was still early and the gym was quiet, just the way he liked it. The air conditioning was set perfectly, and he was on his favorite treadmill - his favorite because it was positioned in the exact spot so he got the breeze from the fan on the wall and he had an unobstructed view of the bank of televisions on the wall in front of him. He had his headphones plugged into the treadmill so he could hear the sports news that was playing on that screen, but he only needed to lift his eyes to be able to take in the morning news, the EPL results, or the replay of last night’s rugby.

And yet he was still out of sorts.

He didn't know why, but for the last week, he had woken up in a perpetually bad mood. He couldn't work out what the problem was. Things in his life were going well - better even. He had a job he loved, drove his dream car, and lived in one of the best warehouse conversions he had ever seen. There was absolutely no reason for him to feel such discontent.

Liam had told him he just needed to get laid.

He was going through an unusually long dry spell and he knew exactly who to blame for it. Peyton, the crazy woman. Ever since meeting her in person on the side of the road - maybe even before that, when he had seen her dressed as Wonder Woman but hadn't known who she was - he hadn't been able to get her out of his mind.

Finn was not a guy to go without some sort of female companionship for any length of time. He liked women. He liked sex. Most importantly he liked combining the two. He loved sex with women and he managed to get enough of it to keep him satisfied. It was why he was the dating guru that everyone turned to when their sex lives were in a slump. Finn had never experienced a slump, not since he had discovered the joys of casual sex, except for now.

He could lay this whole debacle directly at the feet of Peyton. Ever since she had stumbled into his life, he hadn't been interested in anyone else. He hadn't even kissed her and yet he couldn't get her out of his mind. The brief moment when she had brushed up against his body in the rain had triggered something in him and now she was all his body craved. He had hoped that they could have gotten up close and personal the other night when he had run into her at the club, but she had shut that down quickly and left him poised on the edge of blue balls.

Not one to waste an opportunity, Finn had scoped out the other women at the club that night, but no one took his fancy. Not one of the women dancing in their skimpy little outfits did it for him the way Peyton had and he'd gone home alone.

Yep. His bad mood was all her fault.

A flash of red hair on one of the television screens made him look up and there she was. He was so surprised to see her that his legs slowed, but the treadmill did not and he stumbled as he was thrown off against the wall behind him. He scrambled to climb back on the treadmill, hitting the stop button and then fiddling with the display controls so he could hear the interview.

“So tell us what led up to your unfortunate YouTube video,” the female presenter asked.