Page 92 of Nothing to the Wedding

“Want me to stay?”Stephen asked, eyeing Crosby like he wasn’t best pleased with the reporter.

“No, but don’t go far.”He started to leave.“But, hey, where have you been these last two weeks?”

“Here,” Stephen said.“Someone had to run the show with Ballard in New York.”

She liked that.How their family pitched and heaved and got things done.

“We’ve come a long way, Riot Guy.And to think one day you sent me to jail.”

His smile was lopsided.“Night’s still young, Kyst.”

As he slipped out, she just shook her head.What a world they lived in.But he was right, with her, and LA, there was always a chance of civil unrest and law enforcement intervention.They were kind of already halfway there.

“You rang?”Crosby said.

Not literally, but, yeah.“You want a drink?”she asked, going to the wall panel to adjust the lighting and the music.

She wanted somewhere quiet to talk, didn’t want to miss the party entirely.And a hostess knew how important ambiance was to getting what she wanted.

“Didn’t you get married today?”

“I did.”She glanced back.“Sit down.”

“And I’m here for… This gonna be like a piñata thing?”

“Are piñatas standard at weddings?We haven’t had one yet.”

“I meant—”

“I know what you meant.”

With everything in order, she stepped out of her ruby slippers and headed to the drink awaiting her on the table.Even on their wedding day, surrounded by friends, her drink monitor loitered on the other side of the glass, fixated on her drink.

“Shoes are a nice touch.”

“I thought so.”

“Like the hair too.”

“Thank you.”She dropped onto the couch, right in the middle.A novelty.She didn’t usually have the thing to herself.“Are you going to sit down?”

“I assume we’re waiting for someone.”

“Are we?”She sipped her drink and crossed her legs, bundling them onto the couch next to her.“Who?I didn’t know you had a plus one.”

“You have a plus one.”

“I don’t know where he is right now.”She relaxed against the backrest.“And you probably don’t want him to join us.”

“Why not?”

“Because his last experience with you involved a security bailout.”Short memory.“I don’t know that he knows what happened tonight.”

He chose a perpendicular armchair.“You really haven’t talked to him?”

“I said that, didn’t I?”

“So why am I here?”