Chapter 18
Lexie saw everything happen. She realized that a lot of what people were saying online was false. They were saying that Phoebe was all over Reece and that he couldn’t wait to get away from her. But from what just happened, it was clear that Phoebe was the one who didn’t want to be with Reece and ended things on her own. If Lexie hadn’t been there, Reece might have had to forcefully stop Phoebe. So, basically, what was happening in real life was the opposite of what was being said online.
When Phoebe got back to the room, she didn’t bring up Reece at all. Lexie was really curious, but she didn’t ask because it was kind of private.
Early the next morning, Phoebe got up and headed to the yard to get some exercise. When the shooting crew arrived, they caught her wrapping up her routine. Sebastian, who knew Phoebe from her heroics in saving his wife, greeted her with a smile and asked, “Why didn’t you want the live broadcast to start your performance?”
Phoebe showed off some serious martial arts skills, and it was captivating to watch. The best part was that those in the know could tell it wasn’t just some routine she’d picked up in a few months. It would definitely attract a lot of viewers if it was shown during the live broadcast.
Phoebe confidently replied, “Gold will always shine.”
It was the second day of the live broadcast, and some people were still not feeling her. Phoebe didn’t feel the need to rush into the limelight. Too much was as bad as too little. Sebastian was surprised at how calm she was. “You have a really good attitude,” he said. Then, he suggested, “Can we do a live broadcast next time you do this? Maybe even record a video to release later?” That would help Phoebe leave a good impression on the audience and build hype.
Phoebe was grateful and said, “Okay, thank you, Sebastian.” The shooting crew overheard their conversation and realized that Phoebe and Sebastian knew each other and that Sebastian was taking good care of her. After that, they started treating Phoebe with more respect.
At that moment, some folks came out and got ready to freshen up. With no phones or other entertainment, they all went to bed early to wake up early. The live broadcast started at 7:30.
Maddox glanced at his three buddies and asked, “Are we grabbing breakfast today?” Phoebe checked her watch and said, “We’re going to help pick peaches. Let’s see if we can score some breakfast on the way. We can bring back some food and cook for ourselves later.” They brought back four dishes from Charles’ place, so they felt awkward asking for more. Maddox and the others agreed. “Sounds good.” If they woke up super early and skipped breakfast, they were going to be starving later, and they wouldn’t make it through work without some food. Just as they were about to leave, the other team walked out of the room.
Jamar looked at Maddox and asked, “Are you heading out to find work?” He added, “We asked loads of households yesterday, so it should be easier to find work today.” This meant they could find work first, after all, Maddox’s team was just starting. Maddox said proudly, “We’re not looking for work now. We already have a gig lined up and will head there directly.”
Hearing his words, Jamar and the others looked surprised. Jamar asked, “When did you find the job?” Maddox said, “We found it yesterday, thanks to Phoebe. She led us.” He even bragged, “Not just today, but for the next week, we’ve got work lined up and won’t have to worry about food.”
Jamar asked in disbelief, “Wait, you’re telling me you’ve already lined up a week’s worth of work?”
Maddox just rolled his eyes and replied, “Why would I make that up?” Then Janar turned to Phoebe, looking skeptical, and asked, “How did you even pull that off?” He didn’t think she had it in her to lead a team like that.
Phoebe could tell he was doubting her, so she coolly said, “How I did it is none of your business. Maybe focus on finding your own job instead of questioning me.” Phoebe had always been underestimated by her family, especially with Sienna talking smack about her. They thought she couldn’t handle it, coming from a small town and all. So when Jamar heard Phoebe had found a week’s work for her team, he didn’t buy it. He choked out, “Don’t worry about us. We’ll find something for sure.”
Phoebe just smirked and said, “Trust me, I’ve got better things to worry about than you guys.” Jamar was getting fed up with Phoebe’s attitude ever since she cut ties with them. He just couldn’t figure her out anymore.
Phoebe stopped paying attention to Jamar and turned to Maddox and the others, saying, “Let’s go, working machines.” Maddox chuckled and said, “Working machines, that’s a catchy slogan.” James and Lexie also grinned in agreement. The four of them strolled out, chatting and laughing, each carrying a straw hat.
Left behind, Jamar’s team exchanged puzzled looks. They had thought they worked hard yesterday, but now Phoebe and her crew had already secured a week’s worth of work ahead of them. Reece knew that Phoebe was really capable, like a weed that could thrive in any environment. It was one of the things he admired about her. He glanced at the others and suggested, “Let’s find some work to do, too.” Even though his main reason for being at the variety show was to protect and promote Sienna, he couldn’t let the other team outshine them while they were there.
The others finally snapped out of it. Erika noticed the sun and remembered the straw hats. She asked Sebastian, “Hey, where are our hats?” Sebastian looked confused. “Hats? We didn’t provide any hats.” Erika was puzzled. “What do you mean? The other team has hats.” Sebastian finally got it and chuckled. “Those weren’t provided by the shooting crew. Phoebe and Lexie made the other team’s hats.”
Erika was shocked. “Oh, okay.” Then she remembered seeing Phoebe making a straw hat in the yard yesterday. Sienna had this fake smile plastered on her face, but deep down, she was feeling uneasy. “Why does everything have to revolve around Phoebe?” she thought to herself. She even silently blamed Erika for bringing it up. Trying to keep up the act, she put on a determined look and said, “Let’s head out and see if we can score more food today.” In her head, she was thinking, I’ve got to outshine Phoebe today.
As soon as Sienna said that, Jamar and Reece were on board. “Sure, let’s do it.” They flanked her, one on the left and one on the right, as they walked out the door. Erika was trailing behind and hurried to catch up.
On the other side, Phoebe and her crew rolled up to the farmer’s house they had agreed to work at the day before. The family was chowing down on breakfast. On seeing the four of them, the host quickly got up to greet them. Lily Sharp had this big smile on her face and asked, “Have you guys had breakfast yet?”
Maddox, not one to care about his image, played the pity card. “Not yet. Can you whip something up? We’ll work hard afterward.” He was seriously starving.