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I turn back to Alejo and smile “Almost I just, uet started today, if that’s okay?”

“Sure, sweetie—” Alejo starts to say, shoving away from his station, but Heidi interrupts

“We’re on a schedule, Raquel Sit down and let Alejandro do your makeup”

Alejo’s eyebrows climb to his forehead, but he freezes in his tracks, unsure of what he should do And I have to biteout—I know that’s what she’s after She wants to have a reason to put et to any of the points I want to discuss

So, ignoring the rapidly building steam in nearly every part of my body, extremities included, I reply with a calm and steady confidence “I know it’s a busy day, and this won’t take long But it’s i to step out for a ain “Thanks, honey” His eyes alight with happiness at my orders, he scoots around the makeup chair and hustles to the trailer door

Heidi finally stops typing on her phone and watches me like a snake watches a mouse as I approach Lucky forto it make me a whole lot harder to shole these days

“All right, Raquel You’ve had your little scene and gotten your way Nohat are you going to do with it?”

“Well, for starters, I’ to ask you to drop the attitude I understand that over the years, I’ve given you reason to use it a time or two, but this isn’t one of those tiet on board with that or—”

“Or what?” she says snidely

“Or I’ to have to find someone better suited to me, Heidi”

She scoffs, and at the sound, I’ve finally had enough “Stop, okay? Just stop We’ve worked together for years—sinceI’ve had to family since It’s absolutely ridiculous to think that we can’t ether”

She sighs, but it’s finally the kind of agree with last night,” she says pointedly, and I nod

“I understand I know I’ve ree with—choices that don’t fit the mold of a Hollywood starlet—but in the process, I’ up Getting ood or bad, because in a couple of e of more than just my own life” I putto be in charge of raising a hu that seriously, and thatto beto be okay with that, or I’ to find someone who is”