Page 30 of Nothing to the Wedding

“You know I remember meeting him the first time,” he said, retrieving paperwork and a Dyce device.“Do you remember that day?”

“In Boston, yeah, I remember.The eyelashes.”The familiarity of his expression sparked some nostalgia in her too.“That was more than a year ago.”

Thinking about it now, she’d known Greg Hatfield almost as long as she’d known Zairn.

“We’ve come a long way since then,” he said.“I never did ask why the Kesley thing pissed him off so much.He hated me from the minute I walked in.”

“That was nothing to do with Kesley,” she explained.“And everything to do with you and I bonding over eyelashes.”

Confusion touched his brow.Maybe he didn’t remember Astrid’s words that day or he didn’t understand why them bonding would piss off Zairn.

“The eyelashes, yeah.”

“Though, for future reference, I know from experience that he’s not a fan of being set up on dates.Tried it myself and woo, yeah, he wasn’t that receptive.”

“You set your fiancé up on a date?”

A slow shallow nod followed.“With his ex-girlfriend, yeah.”

“Why would you…?”As he trailed off, he looked deeper.“How come you never wrote a book?”

“There’s still time,” she declared to the ether and laughed.“The documentary wasn’t enough?To be honest, I haven’t had a lot of time, what with the ambassador thing and Lola’s Liberty—did you hear we’re part funding a joint venture with Lighting Darkness and Huddle Hope.”

“I had heard about that.I’d love to know more though.”

That was kind of his job, always to know more.

“It always fascinates me how much interest there is.”

“In your day-to-day life?You’re a wonder, Rox.Living the dream.”

As Reeve Crosby told her.

“It’s about the man, genius.” Toria’s words were apt, though they were said in a slightly different context.Somehow, she doubted they’d be well received by the director.

“What do we need to get through today?”

“I have the schedule for you,” he said, retrieving a folder from his binder to hand it over.“And there’s a presentation of the show’s artwork, the soundtrack, you’ll love it.”

Wow, gawking at the paper, all she saw were names and dates, lists of this and that, her life in black and white for the next… however long this took.

“Is everything set up?”

“Just about.We’re making a few personnel changes, breaking new people in.”

Her eyes rose from the paper to meet his.“I don’t know if I like new people.Has Ballard vetted them?Z isn’t wild about strangers.”

His slight snicker intrigued.“I think you’ll be okay with these additions.They’re on their way now.”

Shock gaped.“Today?I have to meet them today?I have dinner plans.”

“You’re not an easy person to get face time with, Rox.I have to make the most of it while I have you.It won’t take long.If you really don’t want to do it today, we can do it another time, but it has to be soon.Tomorrow?Friday?If I don’t make a date with you now, your next opening is probably Christmas.”

“Oh, sorry, I have plans for Christmas too.”

“Rox—”

“It’s fine,” she said, taking a breath.“I’ll meet them, just, if I don’t like them, they don’t get over the threshold.”