Read Online Follow My Lead by Lisa Renée Jones - Free Book Online

Darla’s menu closer so that she could see what was on offer. “I keep thinking that what goes up must come down and we have to get off the ride before it does. Go out gracefully, with style, and on our own terms. And with some reality show kind of twist.”
    “Hearing you talk about the program ending is only making me more worried,” Darla said. “At least your job is secure.”
    “Oh, please,” Meagan pleaded. “You’ll be great and everyone will love you.”
    “We hope,” Darla replied. “We both know there is no certainty in this business.”
    “You two are not good for each other,” Blake said, moving a finger between Meagan and Darla and then lifting his chin at Sam. “I just spent hours on a plane with Darla from New York and she freaks herself out enough. Together, it’s clear that they are dangerous to each other’s sanity.”
    “And everyone around them,” Sam readily agreed.
    “We need to have Darla and Lana change seats,” Blake suggested, “so there’s some distance between Darla and Meagan.”
    Was he really trying to jockey for her to sit next to him? And did he really think that wasn’t obvious? Darla gave Blake an incredulous look and kicked him under the table.
    “Ouch!” Lana screamed. “Someone just kicked me.” She rubbed her leg. “Who did that?”
    Darla’s eyes went wide. Blake burst out laughing. Meagan looked between Darla and Blake, then to Lana, and immediately turned to her husband. “Sam,” Meagan scolded. “I told you to be careful with those big, long legs of yours.”
    Oh, thank you, Meagan! But Blake barked more laughter, and the rest of the group was looking their way. Darla considered kicking him again, only she hadn’t kicked him in the first place, so for safety’s sake, she settled for a glower and a silent promise that she was going to kill him. He laughed louder. “Stop laughing!” Lana ordered Blake. “It hurts.”
    “I’m so sorry, Lana,” Meagan said, squeezing Darla’s leg under the table, telling her she knew darn well who had kicked Lana. Meagan eyed her husband. “Sam. Apologize.”
    “I didn’t—” Sam grunted, and Darla had a feeling Sam had just gotten pinched or kicked himself “—mean to,” Sam finished. “I didn’t mean to kick you, Lana. I’ll be more careful. Sorry about that.”
    Lana scowled at poor Sam. “Remind me not to sit next to you. I’m going to have a giant bruise.”
    “Yeah,” Sam said. “Sorry again.” His gaze slid curiously between Blake and Darla. “I think I want to hear about this deal— ouch .” He grimaced at Meagan. “Would you stop that?”
    Darla’s heart leaped. She couldn’t speak and couldn’t breathe for that matter.
    The deal was about to be exposed.

7
    “ D EAL?” B LAKE ASKED IN REPLY to Sam, but his attention stayed on Darla a moment before flickering to the other man. “Did I say deal? I meant truce. Darla has agreed to forgive me for our past ‘incident’ for the good of the show. Rick is on his own, though. Where is he, by the way?”
    “I don’t remember saying that I forgave you,” Darla said and eyed Meagan. “And yes. Where is Rick? I’m looking forward to giving him a nice warm greeting.”
    “He’s doing a charity baseball game and won’t arrive until late tonight,” Meagan said and pursed her lips. “And you better behave when he arrives. You promised me you two would play nice.”
    “Of course,” Darla assured her. “I just want to have a little one-on-one chat with him to make sure I don’t become the brunt of any more of his attention-grabbing schemes.”
    “I already tackled that,” Meagan promised, lowering her voice. “Rick knows I’m trying to keep this a top-quality talent show, not an extension of a tabloid.”
    “Which, as Meagan mentioned,” Sam added, “is a tough task once you get six young men and women in a contestant house for eight weeks. The cameras are rolling, the hormones are high, and the weekly live competitions and