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one to beat, even if she didn’t know it.
    I gave out the Scoop Out Final Five T-shirts. “Obviously, you can’t wear the shirt until the episode airs, but then we encourage it.”
    Gert and Will took their shirts, switched to street clothes, and left. Kate, Marissa, Cal and I changed to go celebrate.
     
    ***
     
    Music pounded through the dance club with so much bass I felt it on the inside. Cal flirted with all of us, spreading his Cajun charm equally between Kate, Marissa and me. So special. So glad I hadn’t fallen for his line about how good I looked in the Scoop Out T-shirt. He probably thought I’d get him more air time. I twisted away while Kate swiveled around him like he was a pole and she needed to earn a dollar.
    We four danced together until Garrett came down from an upstairs VIP room and hit on Marissa. Unlike Cal, Garrett kept his whole attention on her. When the next pop-rap mash-up song ended and rolled into an intense club beat, Garrett took Marissa’s hand and said to the rest of us, “We flew in delicacies from all over the world, to tempt the mortals into our lair.” He motioned up to the VIP room. “Chefs should find it intriguing, like tables set by gods awaiting your judgments. Want to come upstairs with me?”
    Delicacies. Lair. VIPs. I wanted it all. Kate and I stepped forward at once, her shoulder bumped mine, and we said in unison, “Yes.”
    Cal shrugged. “If it’s not from Louisiana, I wouldn’t call it a delicacy, but sure.”
    Garrett, keeping a tight grip on Marissa, as if she’d bolt, led us to the stairs. People were calling Garrett’s name by this point and pushing into us to get to him. We sped up and the bouncer took charge.
    The VIP room had curtained-off couches and a full bar. The music played on, but not as loud as downstairs. As lairs went, it had potential. The five of us joined two waitresses, several tall women who had to be models, the rock star known as Sax Grayson, and a movie star named Max Stone.
    Max Stone.
    Sax Grayson.
    Garrett Campbell.
    It was as if the posters in my dorm had gone live—and I was living in it.
    Max looked at me and then away.
    Curiosity stirred inside me. What did that mean? Was this because I’d bit him the last time I saw him? Or something else? I didn’t know the answer, but I knew I was going to find out.
     

 

Chapter Four
     
    One person stood in the way of me getting to Max—a model.
    The tall brunette model matched him in height. She looked like a skank. Girls shouldn’t think of other girls by derivative names. But she wore slutty clothes—sluttier than ours. She sent come-hither looks to every guy in the room—waiters, the rock star, and Marissa’s guy Garrett. And worst of all, she had her arm around Max’s waist. Max, the guy I thought was hot. For those reasons, she qualified as a skank. And she had to go.
    The quickest way to get a guy’s attention was to play up to another guy. I could hit on Cal, one of the waiters, or the rock star. I’d been told my best feature was my hair. I pulled it forward so the strands floated over my shoulder, landing right above my waist. I told my feet to walk toward any guy but Max.
    Thirty seconds later, I stood beside Max as he swigged his beer. A greeting was the most effective pickup line anyone could use. A simple greeting. A hello. A hi. A howdy. I tilted my head back and looked into his golden eyes.
    Nothing. I said nothing. The music boomed. The VIPs chit-chatted. My skin tingled, and I said nothing. We were having another silent standoff like the day we’d first met.  I hadn’t meant to start this. Say something.
    Nothing.
    Max smiled slowly. His smile said I’d speak first.
    The brunette model turned her back on us and went over to the rock star. She knew how to play the game. Feign disinterest. Play it cool. I wasn’t cool. At this point, saying nothing had become my only strategy. Make Max speak first.
    I waited.
    His eyes glinted.
    The dim lights in the room put