Page 93 of Nothing to the Wedding

“Everything, this entire conversation, is off the record.”After his nod, she continued.“I know what happened tonight.And unless it was some elaborate ruse, you did good.”

“Thank you.”

She leaned close to whisper, “Was it an elaborate ruse?”

Glaring, the question didn’t amuse.“No.”

“Why speak out?”

His mouth opened a little, he breathed, pondering?Checking himself?Did he plan to hold back or let rip?

“You are a human being, Roxie, and this is your wedding day.Do I think Zairn’s squeaky-fucking-clean?No, I don’t.But…”

Five second wait.Ten seconds.Was she supposed to say something?What was he expecting?She needed more information before making a move.

“Go on,” she said in her best patient, understanding therapist voice.

“There were things on the tablet…”

“Bad things?Incriminating things?Angry things?Dick pics?Homemade porn?Oh, are you a plushie?”

Didn’t he just get a thousand times more interesting!

The line of his lips thinned, except this time he wasn’t annoyed, he almost seemed… amused.Another person who thought she was crazy.Damn, why not own it?

“Things that might’ve been of interest to you.”

“Things I’d be mad at if I read them?”She touched the surface of her drink.“I meant what I said.Zairn’s the one you have to thank for that.He’s the voice of reason in a lot of rooms.”

“And that forty-eight-hour period was…” His inhale came with a head shake.“Is that how you live every day?”Ah, a little empathy, perhaps.“Waiting for someone to broadcast your biggest secret?”

“Unfortunately for the press, I don’t have any big secrets.I barely have any little ones.”

“If that’s true, why surround yourself with security?”

“Security is less about the media and more about the fanatics.”That wasn’t fair.“Sometimes, if we’re out and about, people crowd close, and they could get hurt.Security is there to keep people safe, not hide some dark secret.”

“You restrict access.”

“I don’t know any public figure who doesn’t.We can’t have an open door, ‘come on over and watch us eat’ policy.Sometimes we have to shower and sleep.”

“You’re entitled to privacy.”

“Wow,” she said.“Can I have that in writing?”

“I stand by what I said, you’re a celebrity and people want to get close.You’re living the dream.”

“One you know more about than you let on.How did you know what you said outside to Anjelica?About Zairn and his assistant?”

“Think you’ve got a mole?”

“In Tibbs?No.”Was Hell getting chilly?“I probably should’ve checked it was true before asking you.”

“If it was true?Zairn didn’t tell you about the phone?”

“I didn’t speak to him this morning, that was true.And don’t change the subject, tell me how you knew.”

“Tibbs.”