“We train our coaches to use the utmost care with clients, and it is regrettable that allegedly some have interpreted our training to mean recommending crash dieting and dangerous exercise practices. We will suspend our coaching operation immediately to launch an investigation.”
In response to the recent scandal involving competitor FitMi Fitness, Marshall stated she knows FitMi Fitness CEO, Christopher “Wes” Lawson, to be ethical and professional. Said Marshall, “It’s a shame Body FTW turned into something ugly. We saw the two reviewers bring people together to reach their goals, and while we were, of course, #TeamHottrYou, both women should be commended on their efforts and for sharing their stories. We urge Best Life and FitMi fans not to let this blip sour you on two fantastic platforms.”
That was unexpected. I skimmed forward as she praised their innovation, the highly trained coaches, and the seamlessly integrated platform. I was no business whiz, but when your competitor was down, it seemed prudent to strike versus sing their praises.
“I believe in the company and their mission, and that’s why, in the coming months, HottrYou and FitMi will work together, combining the best of both programs to support the fitness and goals of all new and future users. The FitMi coaches are highly trained, educated, and professional.”
I looked up in disbelief.
Del had walked back in, holding a bottle of water and a banana and standing behind the couch. “What are you reading?”
RJ ignored his question and nodded to me. “Keep going.”
I skimmed forward as they shared a few thoughts about the merger and then quoted Kelsey about the scandal with FitMi. Her answer left me rereading the sentence several times.
“Wes and I have known each other for years. We’re close, and when you have a history like we do, successful business partnerships are only the beginning.”
I stared at the screen. The release included a photo of Wes and Kelsey from college. She was looking at the camera, but he was smiling at her, and it was his genuine smile, the one I’d thought of as mine. My heart stilled when another, more recent photo flashed on the screen. It was a selfie of the two of them, Wes’s smile more of a wry grin, but that wasn’t what held my attention. Scruff covered his square jaw—he’d told me after the wedding he never went out unshaven until I mentioned I liked it. That photo had been taken recently.
“It has to be a publicity stunt.” Kat shoved her phone back in her pocket.
His smile. I couldn’t get over him giving his genuine smile to her. “They dated,” I said in a small voice. “They dated for years. He wanted to marry her.”
I doubted all the things I thought I knew about him and me and our story. Was he interested in Kelsey that whole time?
RJ eyed the screen again. “Really?”
I nodded, nothing to add. The things he said . . . they felt real, they felt more real than anything I’ve ever experienced. I looked at the photo again, and my heart sank. I’d left Wes because I didn’t want to hurt his company— it could help so many people—but looking at him and Kelsey . . .
“Still. I’m sure it’s a publicity stunt,” RJ added.
“It might not be,” Del said, biting into the banana.
“Del!” Kat exclaimed, while RJ shoved him away.
“What? I’m not saying it’s right, but if he’d do that, you’re better off without him.”
Groaning, I sat back on the couch and folded into myself, hugging a pillow to my chest.
RJ snatched the pillow out of my arms, throwing it at Del. “We’re trying to make her feel better.”
“Hey!” I tried to snatch it back. “I need that. I’m sad.”
“You can be sad, but you’re done hiding.”
“I’m not hiding.”
RJ fixed me with another decisive stare. “You have crumbled-up cheese puffs all over your clothes, and your hair is at least fifty percent bird’s nest. You’re sitting in your apartment glued to the TV and stewing. You’re hiding.”
I rested my head on her shoulder. “What do I do?”
Del ventured into the conversation again. “Get back up. That’s what you said when my adviser told me to start over on a new research topic.”
“And it’s what you told me when I got in that fender bender and was so scared to drive again,” Kat said, sitting on my other side.
“And it’s what you told me after I slipped on the ice last January when we were running late for that movie.”
Kat and Del gave her wary looks, but RJ shrugged.
I grinned in response. “You wore impractical shoes. It was your own fault.”
“The lesson stands. Get back up.”
I leaned against my friend, surprised at everything she’d said. “I don’t know what to do, and I don’t know if I can.”
“Well, trust the people who know you best. You can,” Kat said, joining the hug with RJ. “Now, go shower.”
She shooed me off the couch, and I spread my arms to hug her and Kat before turning to Del. “You’re good friends.”
Del stopped me with a gentle palm to my forehead. “I will hug you when you’re not disgusting.”
56
KELSEY WALKED INTO my office without knocking. “Get my email?”
I’d been staring at it for a solid five minutes. I glanced up from the monitor and closed the browser window containing Kelsey’s statement and HottrYou’s post about her announcement. “What the hell was that?”
“What?” Kelsey grabbed a water bottle from her bag and sat back in the chair, crossing her legs. She looked bored, which gave my anger a more pointed edge. Against my better judgment, Cord and I had met with Kelsey after she’d texted me, and come to terms on a plan, but her smug expression reminded me of all the misgivings I’d had about it.
Cord slammed through the door of my office, features twisted in anger. “You implied our companies are merging?”
Kelsey rolled her eyes and took another sip from her bottle. “Calm down. We talked about this.”
Her dismissive smirk set my teeth on edge, and I pounded my fist on the table. “You might as well have announced to the world it was a done deal. We never agreed to that!”
She pulled out her phone and thumbed over the screen. “You needed your asses bailed out. Did you see the positive response to my announcement? I have three major outlets ready to run positive, scandal-free stories about FitMi. You should thank me.”
Cord paced. “We talked about you coming over as COO after you shut down coaching at HottrYou. That’s what we agreed to.”
She arched one eyebrow and shrugged.
“This is not happening, Kelsey. You need to put out a retraction.” I slammed my fist on the desk.
“Okay,” she said with an easy shrug of her shoulders.
I didn’t believe she’d cave so easily. “Okay?”
“Sure,” she said, setting the water bottle down and smoothing her skirt. “I’m sure flip-flopping on the heels of your CEO sleeping with a client paid to review the app won’t bother your investors at all. I said we were bringing the best of both platforms together, but I’ll just walk it back. While I’m doing that, why don’t I tip off the press you were with her when she crash dieted into the ER. That’ll speak volumes to your superior coaching, won’t it?”
Her blasé tone and barely veiled threat hit me like a two-by-four. “Are you kidding me with this? You’d do all of this because I rejected you? In what universe do you think this would make me want to be with you, and when did you become this fucking vindictive?”
“I already told you, I’m not trying to seduce you. I’m just letting you know the score.” Kelsey assessed my features and dragged a finger down my biceps. Her expression softened, voice shifting into a fake sympathetic tone. “You miss the fat girl. You really had it bad for her, huh?”