Chapter 10
HOLLIS
Ichecked my reflection in the car window one more time before heading into the Young at Heart building. Blue button-down, sleeves rolled to my forearms. Dark jeans. Casual but put together. I’d gotten a haircut yesterday, too. Just a trim to clean things up.
Dress for success. Dress like a serious businessman.
Toby bounded up beside me, camera already in hand. “Dude, are you nervous?”
I chuckled and shook my head. “Why would I be nervous?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know. I’m nervous.”
“You’ll be fine.” I pushed through the glass doors into the lobby. “Just remember, get some behind-the-scenes stuff but don’t be intrusive. We’re trying to mend fences here, not annoy them.”
“Got it, got it.”
This was just a simple interview. Talk about the partnership, smile for the camera, show everyone that Juno and I could be professional adults together. Easy.
The elevator doors opened, and I followed the signs to the conference room. Through the glass walls, I could see Juno already inside, talking to someone I didn’t recognize. Probably the PR person her father had mentioned.
I took a breath and opened the door. Juno’s head turned. She had been smiling until she laid eyes on me. She shot me an annoyed look I was becoming very familiar with.
“You’re early,” she said flatly.
“That’s a bad thing?” I stepped into the room, Toby trailing behind me with his camera.
“No.” Her eyes went to Toby. I noticed he didn’t get the same dirty look.
“I brought my social media guy. Just want to get some content for our platforms. People love getting a glimpse behind the scenes.”
The PR person was a woman in her forties with sharp eyes and an immaculate pantsuit. She stepped forward with her hand extended. “Of course that’s fine. I’m Patricia. I’ll be guiding the interview today.”
I shook her hand, then turned my attention back to Juno. She was wearing blue. Because I mentioned it? I had been teasing, but shit, I was glad she had taken me seriously. Her eyes looked like sapphires.
The blouse had a V-neck that showed just enough to make my brain short-circuit, and the way it wrapped around her waist emphasized every delicious curve. Her black pants hugged her hips perfectly and her hair was down again, falling in soft waves.
I realized I was staring and quickly looked away, focusing on Patricia instead.
“So how does this work?” I asked, trying to get this show on the road.
“It’s simple,” Patricia said, gesturing to two chairs set up facing each other with a small table between them.
“You’ll sit here, have a conversation. I’ll ask some questions to guide things along, but mostly I want it to feel natural.
Like two colleagues chatting about an exciting new partnership. ”
Toby was already circling the room, getting different angles. Juno’s eyes tracked him nervously.
“Is he going to be filming the whole time?” she asked.
“Just getting some B-roll,” Toby said cheerfully. “Don’t worry, I’ll stay out of the way. And nothing private will get out. Hollis would kill me.”
I laughed. “Don’t be some dramatic. I would just end your career.”
That didn’t seem to comfort Toby.
Patricia smiled, though. “It’s fine. Actually, it’s good. Shows authenticity.” She picked up a bottle of my green smoothie from the table. “Juno, I thought it would be great if you could drink this on camera. Sell the whole healthy vibe.”
Juno’s brow furrowed. “I have to drink it?”
“Just a sip. For the camera.”
I watched her jaw tighten. Her eyes darted to the bottle like it might bite her.
Miss Dietitian doesn’t like to drink what she promotes? And I’m the grifter?
Patricia must have noticed her hesitation because she leaned in and said quietly, “Don’t worry, it’s not really one of his.”
My head snapped up. “Wait, what?”
Patricia looked at me. “What? It looks like the real thing. That’s all that matters.”
“Why not have her drink the real thing?”
“We didn’t think that was necessary.” Patricia shrugged. “We don’t want a reaction like at the health expo.”
Juno crossed her arms. “I don’t want to drink it at all. Real or otherwise.”
“My smoothies are really good,” I insisted, feeling frustration bubble up. “People love them. If you actually try one, you’d like it.”
Juno and Patricia had moved on, already talking about the script and ignoring me. I sat down in my assigned chair, trying not to sulk like a child. It was difficult not to be annoyed when people crapped all over something I had worked on for years.
Juno stayed in her seat across from me. The small table between us held the knockoff smoothie and some glasses of water.
Toby raised his camera again, positioning himself off to the side. Patricia stood behind the main camera operator, ready to guide the conversation.
“Whenever you’re ready,” Patricia said.
I looked at Juno. She was sitting with perfect posture, hands folded in her lap. Professional. Controlled. But she did not love any of this. She didn’t want to be here any more than I wanted to be here.
Great. This was off to a fantastic start.
“All right, we need some photos for the press release first,” Patricia announced, gesturing us toward a backdrop that had been set up in the corner of the conference room. “Just stand together, look friendly. No yelling.”
I walked over to stand in front of the backdrop and plastered on my most professional smile. Juno followed but her smile reminded me of a viper, ready to strike.
Patricia grabbed a camera and positioned us side by side. “A little closer, please.”
Juno shifted an inch toward me. I could smell her perfume. I realized we were both wearing citrus scents.
Great minds…
“Closer,” the photographer insisted.
We moved incrementally nearer until our shoulders were almost touching.
“Great. Big smiles!”
I turned my smile up a notch, tilting my head slightly toward Juno like we were old friends. Through my teeth, keeping my expression frozen in place, I said, “Just pretend you don’t hate me for a few more minutes.”
“I don’t hate you,” she murmured back, her own smile never wavering. “I just don’t like you. And I certainly don’t trust you.”
The camera clicked several times in rapid succession.
“You’re not my favorite person either,” I said pleasantly, still grinning like an idiot. “Who yells at a stranger the way you did?”
“Who records it and puts it online?”
“Literally anyone with a phone.”
Click, click, click.
“It was still a shitty thing to do.”
“You started it,” I pointed out.
Her smile somehow got wider and more fake. “Oh my God, you’re a child.”
“But am I right?” I kept my voice low enough that only she could hear. “Because you barged into my life, not the other way around. All I did was hold up a mirror for you. It’s not my fault you didn’t like what you saw in the reflection.”
“You’re the one who convinced my dad to partner up with you.”
“It made business sense. I didn’t know you would be part of the deal.”
“Smiles, please!” the photographer called out. “You’re looking a little tense.”
We both immediately brightened our expressions, leaning in slightly like we were sharing a joke. Anyone looking at these photos would think we were the best of friends.
Hell, maybe I had inherited some of Mom’s acting talent after all.
“Perfect!” Patricia clapped her hands together. “I think we’ve got what we need. Let’s move on to the interview portion.”
I stepped away from Juno, putting some much-needed distance between us. We returned to our chairs. Patricia positioned herself just off camera, holding a tablet with her questions.
“Remember,” she said. “This is a conversation between colleagues who respect each other and are excited about this partnership. Other than that, just be natural.”
I glanced at Juno. She was smoothing her blouse, not meeting my eyes. Natural. Right.
Patricia counted down. “In three, two, one… So, Hollis, Juno. Tell me how this partnership came about.”
I let Juno take the lead, watching as she transformed. The irritation melted away.
“Well, Patricia, when we first encountered each other at the wellness expo, there was definitely some… spirited discussion about health products and industry standards.” Her smile was self-deprecating.
I did my part and chuckled.
“But what started as a disagreement actually revealed how much we both care about the same things,” Juno went on. “We both want to help people make better health choices.”
I picked up where she left off. “Exactly. Juno challenged me, which honestly was refreshing. She didn’t just accept my claims at face value. And that’s exactly the kind of rigor Young at Heart is known for.”
“So the viral video was actually the beginning of something positive?” Patricia prompted.
Juno laughed, and it sounded genuine. “I wouldn’t go that far. But it did get us talking. And once we sat down and actually had a real conversation about our goals, we realized we were aligned on what matters most.”
We continued the conversation, which was about the fakest thing I’d ever been a part of.
Patricia held up a finger, indicating we were almost done. “So you’ve both grown from this experience?”
“Absolutely,” Juno said. “This partnership has taught me the importance of looking past first impressions and really digging into the substance of what someone is offering.”
“And I’ve learned that having someone challenge you, push back, ask the hard questions—that’s not an attack. That’s how you get better.”
By the time Patricia called, “Cut,” I was exhausted from the performance.
“That was perfect,” Patricia gushed. “Absolutely perfect. The chemistry between you two really came through.”
I almost laughed. Chemistry. Sure. If by chemistry she meant hostility strong enough to make my skin itch.
“We’ll get this edited and out by end of week,” Patricia said. “This is going to do wonders for both your brands.”
Toby lowered his camera, grinning. “That was sick, man. You guys looked great together.”
Juno stood up, immediately putting distance between us. “If that’s everything, I have a meeting.”
“Of course, of course.” Patricia waved us off. “Thank you both so much.”
Juno practically ran out of the conference room. I could have let her go.
“Toby, I’ll meet you in the lobby downstairs,” I said. “I need to talk with Miss Young.”
“Cool. I’m going to grab a couple more shots of the office and stuff.”
“Fine.”
I walked out of the conference room and took a second to remember which way her office was.
Her assistant was sitting at her desk outside Juno’s office. She looked at me, eyes going wide. “Mr. Blackwell.”
“I just need a minute,” I said.
“She, um?—”
I knocked once on her door and stepped inside.
Juno looked up at me. “What now?”
I laughed. “I just wanted to remind you of our trip.”
“Trip?”
“The meeting with PriceCo.”
She had a blank expression on her face.
“New York. Their corporate office.”
Then it hit.
“What! I thought we were meeting them here.”
I grinned. “Nope. See you in three days.”