Can't Stop the Feeling (Whispering Bay Romance 6)

“FYI,” Mimi said, “we need to look for another surveillance company. We Gotcha, Inc is going out of business.”

“What do you mean they’re going out of business? Isn’t Stuart Malloy selling the company?” The second she said it she realized it would probably sound odd, because how on earth would she know something like that?

“Selling it?” Mimi looked confused. “Not that I’m aware. He told Zeke that the company is getting too big and he wants to spend more time with his family. He’s having his team take down all the cameras, so we need to find another company pronto. But who knows? Maybe he did sell it, and the new owner wants to change up the name and go after their own contracts. If that’s the case, we can always approach them and see if they want to give us a price break.”

Had Gavin succeeded in buying the business? The plan had been to take possession of the company, not dismantle it. None of this made sense.

Mimi and Pilar lingered a while longer, talking about tomorrow’s vote. Jenna pretended to listen, but all she could think about was the fact that at this very second, Zeke Grant could be watching that video. Her professional reputation, everything she’d worked so hard to achieve was all on the line.

She had to get to Ben. He would know what to do. It was the only thing keeping her from jumping out a window. Of course, city hall was only a one-story building, so that wouldn’t solve anything.

The second Mimi and Pilar left her office, she dashed to her car. Ben said that packing up his mom would only take a few hours so he must be home by now. She drove to his rented beach house, ran to the door and knocked.

It seemed like forever before the door swung open. A tall blonde wearing nothing but a bikini and a sheer cover-up stared back at her.

Jenna felt an odd sort of déjà vu. She’d know that body anywhere, especially since she’d Googled it often enough in the last couple of weeks. Tiffany McAdams stood in the doorway to Ben’s house looking as if she owned the place.

Chapter Twenty-Four

“Sorry, I was out by the pool. Can I help you?”

Jenna couldn’t help but stare. Weren’t celebrities supposed to look completely different in real life from their photoshopped pictures? Her golden s

kin was flawless, her long hair shiny and straight, and my God, the woman had the tightest abs Jenna had ever seen in real life. And let’s not forget the most celebrated boobs on the planet! The whole thing was beyond depressing.

“You’re Tiffany McAdams,” Jenna blurted. It came out sounding ridiculous because of course Tiffany didn’t need to be told who she was.

Tiffany’s expression, which up to now had been neutral, turned cold as she peered over Jenna’s shoulder. “You’re not with the paparazzi, are you?”

“The—no, I’m a friend of Ben’s. My name is Jenna Pantini,” she croaked out.

“Ben isn’t in right now.”

“You mean he’s still helping his mother pack?”

Tiffany let her guard down and smiled. “Oh! So you really do know Ben. Sorry, but it doesn’t hurt to be careful. Ben says I’m too suspicious, but you never know. Please, come in.”

She ushered Jenna through the door. “I thought I knew all of Ben’s friends, but I’m pretty sure we’ve never met. I would have remembered someone who looked like you. Want a drink? Ben doesn’t keep liquor in the house, but I’m sure you know that, so I always come prepared. I have wine. Red or white. You pick.”

“Nothing for me,” Jenna said. What was Tiffany McAdams doing here? She’d spoken to Ben eight hours ago, and he’d never mentioned anything about Tiffany being at his house. It was like Jenna had been thrust into an episode of The Twilight Zone where she was the main character and everyone else knew what was going on except her.

“Excuse me a minute,” Jenna said, getting out her phone. She dialed Ben, but it immediately went to voice mail so she left a message to call her back as soon as possible.

Tiffany topped off her wine. “Have a seat.” She sat on the couch and patted the space next to her. “You look like you just got off work. Sit and relax and we can dish the dirt on Ben.”

Jenna sat down, too numb to do anything else. “I’m not sure I have anything to dish.”

Tiffany studied her over the rim of her wineglass. “Sure you do. Why don’t we start by telling each other how we each know Ben.”

“Okay. Um, thirteen years ago for one semester Ben and I were study partners at the University of Miami. Then a couple of weeks ago he showed up here to handle a case I’m involved with. So we’ve…reconnected. I’m sorry,” she said, too wired up to sit here making small talk while her career was about to explode, “but Ben said he’d be here tonight. Are you sure he’s still in Hopalinka?”

“I’m afraid so.” There was sympathy in Tiffany’s eyes. It was the look a woman gave to another woman she suspected was about to get her heart smashed open.

“So how exactly do you know Ben?” Jenna asked, pretending she didn’t know the whole story already. But she was curious as to how Tiffany would describe their relationship.

“Ben is my best friend. And he’s also my business partner.”

“Really?” She hated the rising hostility in her voice, but she couldn’t seem to help herself.