Page 35 of Nothing to You (Nothing to… #7)

TAKING HER HAND, Rourke led her into the living room again as Zairn turned on the TV.

“…quite a surprising revelation.” A woman in a cocktail dress stood on set with a glitzy banner flashing on the screens behind her. Zairn and Roxie’s names faded up with a picture of them at the side, like people wouldn’t know who they were.

“Has it been confirmed?” the presenter said. “No, but we have several eyewitnesses…”

Damn. Did this mean Diva had leaked their conversation to the press? Wasn’t Knox supposed to be keeping a lid on it?

“And there is footage of a black town car pulling into the alley behind the clinic at the same time these witnesses claim to have seen the couple. We can only assume they’re expecting.

A surprise given their breakup not so long ago when Roxanne, excuse me, Roxanna, claimed Zairn wanted her ‘barefoot and pregnant’ and that is a quote.

Has the beauty changed her mind for love… or money?”

“Nice. Never miss a chance to bring up the gold digging,” Roxie said. “It’s not money, it’s the sex! Do you have any idea how much experience my Casanova has?”

“This reproductive clinic is one of the best in the country for all kinds of reproductive and fertility needs. I can’t imagine they’re having fertility issues. If Roxie was so against having children, it can only be an accidental pregnancy.”

“This is fun,” Roxie said. “It’s been a while since we’ve been in the news.”

Yeah, like a whole ten seconds.

Zairn muted the TV. “Do we care?”

“No,” Roxie said, opening a hand to him.

He came to take it and sat at her side. “I’m sorry about this.” His fingers went into her hair as they curled around the side of her head. “I’m sorry they’re invading our privacy again.”

“This is our life. I know this is our life. I’ve told you to stop apologizing. Who cares if they know we were there? Won’t that be the evidence you need if the kid asks about its mother? Now you have proof!”

“The kid asks? Are you dying?” Jane asked, full of panic. “Why are we sitting around here? What do you have? We should be at a hospital!” The innocence switched to Zairn. “Why don’t you have a team of doctors for her? Don’t you love her? Don’t you want her to live?”

“If I made the rules, she’d have a team for everything she could ever need. Including a designated charger. But she’s not dying. At least, she assures me she’s not.”

“I’m not deliberately dying,” Roxie said.

“So the world knows we went to a clinic and thinks I’m pregnant.

At least they’re saying it’s your baby. In six months, when Lilya’s pushing out her kid, and I don’t even have a bump, they’ll get a clue they were wrong.

They move on from these things quickly.”

“It’s the documentary,” Kintyre said. “You’re hot right now. The paps are watching everywhere you go.”

“Oh, we know that. Believe me. It’s a damper on my sex life. Now we have to do it at home all the time, and I love having sex in the car.” She pushed out her lower lip in dramatic misery. “I can’t walk ten feet without someone flashing in my face, and not the good flashing.”

Roux smiled. “I don’t know if I would be so calm.”

“You’re never having kids,” Rourke interjected. “What are you talking about?”

“She might want kids,” Jane said. “People change their minds all the time. Some people think one thing until they’re in a situation and then they change their minds.”

“Jane wants everyone to have kids,” Roxie said, stroking her friend’s leg.

“I don’t want to have kids,” Jane said, drawing everyone’s attention. “I don’t.”

“Says the woman who picked out names before she hit puberty.”

“It’s about the situation. I don’t want kids now, but I want them later.”

Situation? Like who you’re with? “You don’t want kids now because you’re with Knox?” she asked.

What kind of father would the Collier be?

Roxie sat back, out of Jane’s view, shaking her head like maybe she’d hit a nerve.

“No, because I want to do it right.”

“And Knox is doing it wrong?” Rourke asked on a snicker. “Don’t worry, dude, I’ll draw you a diagram and explain it real slow.”

“Who are you kidding?” she asked. “You don’t do anything slow, two-pump chump.”

“Yet you get yours every time. I’m irresistible, baby.”

“Knox is an amazing lover. The best lover I have ever had,” Jane said, raising a defiant chin.

“I wouldn’t change anything, not a single thing about how we make love.

And we’ve talked about it.” About sex or babies?

“Yes, we had a sticky moment, and I hurt his feelings. I’ll always be sorry about that. ”

“Blossom, you don’t owe anyone anything.”

“But we are, aren’t we?” Jane asked, her eyes round in innocence. “You said we would have babies one day. Is that still true?”

“Anything you want, Blossom, you get. You know that, baby.”

“And if it happens by accident…”

“Nothing happens by accident,” Roxie said.

“Oh, yes, it does,” Lilya said, a hand on her bump as she went to Kintyre’s side to put his on it too. “This kid wasn’t planned, he’s a sucker punch.”

“Good name choice,” Rourke said, earning himself a sharp elbow in the ribs.

“Just because we didn’t plan him doesn’t mean we don’t want him.” Lilya wasn’t offended, she was adamant. “He knew it was the right time and who he wanted his daddy to be. Babies pick their parents, not the other way around.”

“Now there’s an existential discussion,” Rourke said, laying an arm across her shoulders.

“Whether we’re religious, whether there’s a higher power, does karma exist?

Are we all on a pre-destined path? Is the future fate or free will?

Do we choose, or are we blindly following a path we have no control over? ”

“Blindly following a path we have no control over?” she repeated the words. “Yes, I am blindly following a path I have no control over. That’s not my fault. It’s yours.”

“You blame me for everything.”

“Only things that are your fault. I had no free will when you made this real world.”

“I owned that decision then. I own it now.”

“I don’t think you’re fate. You’re arrogant. You have manipulated and contorted everything these past few weeks. We wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for your choices.”

“You stayed,” he said. “I offered you a contract in California. You could’ve said no.”

“And ruin my career?”

“Your career is what you make it. If you didn’t want Mosaic and Huddle Hope, and everything that was on offer, you would’ve turned and ran to find another way. Roux Radley does not need anyone’s permission for anything. Might be why she screws up so much.”

“I don’t screw up,” she said, pushing away from his arm to put a few inches between them. “Unless you call falling into bed with you a screw up. Yeah, that maybe was a mistake.”

“Haven’t we just decided that sometimes the mistakes, the accidents, the unforeseen consequences actually become a blessing we didn’t expect?”

“This means the press will camp outside.”

That didn’t worry Roxie. “No one has anything to hide.”

“Except Roux’s brush with Diva.”

“The cops will leak that anyway; we knew that would happen. Knox can only do so much, and we’ve got the routine down. They report it, we no comment, and then we change the subject with something juicier.”

“You’re a pro,” Zairn said, beaming with pride.

“Do I ever let these things upset me? It was these things that brought us together. What we are is not their business. They can think what they like, believe what they like, make up whatever they like. Providing you and I know the truth, providing we’re on the same page, that’s all I care about. You. Us.”

“So we’re no commenting?”

“Call Salad, he’ll figure it out.”

“And New York?”

“We have a schedule in place. There’s no point putting it off. We’ll be asked about it one way or the other.”

“Will the Diva thing cause problems?” Roux asked. “If you need me to take responsibility—”

“You did nothing wrong.” Roxie didn’t let her finish. “No one thinks she did anything wrong, do they?”

The pointed look her friend landed on Rourke spoke for itself.

“Hey, I’m just a bystander,” he said, tugging her hair like they were in the schoolyard. “I’m not surprised she got territorial. I told her I’d fuck her either way, but she just can’t stand other women wanting me.”

“Oh, ha, ha, ha,” she mock laughed. “Think of the fortune I’m saving you in hookers. They are the only other ones who’ll sleep with you, right?”

“It’s getting hot in here again,” Lilya said, bobbing her brows at Roxie.

“When the Diva story hits, we’ll tell the truth,” the nouveau-blonde said.

“The truth?” Zairn asked. “We don’t usually do that.”

“Trying on a new hat today, Casanova. Does it suit me? The truth diverts the story. Yes, Roux stopped Diva getting into the event and hustled her out before she could get comfortable, but people are more interested in our sex life and your love seed.”

“You like saying that.”

“I do like saying that.” Roxie grinned at her fiancé. “Does anyone have a problem with the plan?”

Zairn raised a hand, then laid his arm across Roxie’s legs. “I do. Why am I paying Salad when you do this so well, Lola?”

“I couldn’t do it full time, especially with us reserving the mornings for future planning.”

A single burst of laughter came from Zairn. “From now on, that’s what I’m putting on our calendars.”

“Works for me. I have nothing better to do with my mornings, except gold digging. Obviously.”

“Will Diva talk to the press?”

“And make herself out to be the innocent victim?”

“Bet on it. Diva laps this shit up,” Knox said. “But we can control who leads with the story and who buries it. We’re having dinner at the house tonight, Blossom.”

“We are?” Jane sat poker straight. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I just did.”

“No! Earlier! Why didn’t you tell me before?”

“Because I just decided,” he said, typing into his phone.

Zairn squeezed his fiancée’s leg. “What about New York?”

“We’ll go tomorrow,” Roxie said. “That gives Roux a chance to go back to Mosaic and grab what she needs. We’ll chopper you down from there.”

Chopper her down. This really was a different life.

“What about the others? Helena, Myles, and Johann. Should I bring them?”

“Your team aren’t needed for the pitch.” Rourke told it straight. “Leave them at Mosaic for the routine stuff. You sell it in New York and come back to find out what you’re selling.”

“They might not like that.”

“I put you in charge.” Rourke was stern. “Yours is the face people want to see. This is your job. To head Huddle Hope. To be in charge. You have the ear of the money, that makes you the most valuable. We can replace others.”

To get to the top like Rourke and his friends had, being ruthless was a necessity. Sentiment wouldn’t get them far.

She’d say that she didn’t want to leave anyone behind, but Franco and Guillermo had grabbed opportunities to move on up the ladder in other locations. Huddle Hope meant something to her. Did it mean the same to the others? Maybe this was just a step on the ladder for them too.

“Okay, but I need Mieux.”

“The woman doesn’t like to sit still for more than five minutes anyway,” Zairn said. “She’ll be happy to jump states.”

“She’s always welcome at CollCom,” Knox said, smirking at Zairn.

“Hey, we’ve all tried it. We’ve tried to pin her down and she won’t have it. She’s a wanderer.”

Rourke had told her the same thing.

“Brooker is lucky to have her. Have you ever sent her to Cam?”

“No,” Knox said. “Because I know he’ll love her and want to keep her, and she never lets any of us keep her. Then whoever I send next will pale by comparison.”

“You don’t want to set standards too high,” Roxie said. “That’s the same criteria I used for my love life. Don’t aim too high. Take what you can get. Sevens need love too.”

Zairn squeezed her knee again. “Take what you can get anytime, Lola.”

A phone rang and Kintyre retrieved it from his inner pocket. “This should be interesting,” he said, flashing the screen at Lilya.

Stroking her bump, Lilya shrugged and explained as he answered. “Reeve Crosby.”

“He’ll want another exclusive.”

“He can want all he wants. It’s not happening.”

These people pulled together for a common purpose, not because they had to, but because they were family. Maybe not by blood, but in every way that really mattered. And they’d accepted her into their fold. It was an honor. One she didn’t take for granted.