What does he mean? At our lunch, I remember his icy hostility toward Katrina. It bordered on rage as Katrina’s out of control behavior became audacious. Mortifying. It was obvious to me they had some kind of history, but Blake was tight-lipped about it. And I chose not to pursue it further. When I confronted Katrina about her outrageous behavior and their past, she told me Blake, the former love of her life, had broken her heart. I left it at that, never questioning it further. Loosened up by the Scotch, I build up the courage to prod. His tumbler half emptied, maybe he’ll open up and tell me more.
“Blake, what happened between you and Kat?” I deliberately use the name he calls her.
He drains the rest of his Scotch and sets the glass on the table between us. His blustery blue eyes meet mine. “Listen, Brandon, I can’t go into details, but that girl is bad news.”
Rather than unnerving me, his pronouncement affirms what I already know and gives me the impetus to probe further.
“What do you mean?”
“She’s capable of a lot of shit. I’ll leave it at that. Hey, man, I shouldn’t be telling you this stuff. You’re marrying her. Maybe she’s different with you and has found what she needs.”
I blurt out the next words. “Blake, I’m going to be honest with you. I’m having second thoughts about marrying her.” I don’t tell him that I attempted to break up with her before this trip, but she left town and I couldn’t reach her on her cell. Probably because there’s no reception at her father’s high security penitentiary.
Blake twists his lips, forming a less than happy expression. Judging by the look on his face, maybe it was meant to be that I couldn’t get in touch with Katrina. After being around her, I can only imagine what kind of damage she would do me in the press while I’m half way around the world at MIP. I inwardly shudder. Drawing in a sharp breath, production chief Blake finally breaks his silence and confirms my unsettling gut feelings.
“I wish you’d said something to me or our Press Department earlier. Our research shows that viewers are as excited about your televised wedding as much as they are for the Kurt Kussler season finale. You—or should I say we—have a lot riding on both events. And Katrina’s a loose cannon, the proverbial wrecking ball, and ready to blow everything up. Man, I honestly don’t know what to say. The timing sucks for a breakup.”
Christ. What have I gotten myself into? I’m damned if I do; damned if I don’t. A sudden bout of turbulence shakes the plane and cuts our conversation short. The clamor of clattering glasses sounds in my ears as the “Fasten Seatbelts” sign flashes overhead. I shift my gaze to my adorable assistant who’s talking to Blake’s wife Jennifer to make sure she’s alright. She’s looks a little terrified. I fight the urge to jump up from my seat and take her in my arms. Blake catches my eyes on her.
“Your assistant’s great,” he comments. “She’s really cute too.”
“Yeah, she is,” I mumble under my breath, wondering if Blake suspects something.
The turbulence fortunately doesn’t last long. But the shaky feeling inside me doesn’t go away as the air calms down. Blake undoes his seatbelt and asks an attendant to refill our glasses. After the attractive woman accommodates us, he takes another gulp of his Scotch and then sets the tumbler down on his muscular thighs. With his tall athletic build and movie-star looks, we could practically be brothers.
“Brandon, I’ve been thinking about what you told me. Do what you need to do. My wise old man always says no risk, no gain.”
Tugging at my lower lip, I digest his father’s words of wisdom. The stakes are high. I have everything to gain…and everything to lose. Why do I feel like a smooth ride is not in my cards?
Zoey
From the corner of my eye, I catch Brandon returning to his seat. His eyes lock on me, and he gestures for me to return to mine. Boss’s orders. Chat time is over. I excuse myself, but not before Jen gives me a hug. I really like her and have a good feeling we may become close friends as Jeffrey and Chaz’s wedding plans unfold.
“What were you and Jennifer Burns talking about?” asks Brandon as I plop back down on the roomy leather chair.
Mr. Nosy. “Stuff.”
“What kind of stuff?”
“Girl stuff. And what about you and Blake? You two looked intense.”
“Business. We talked mostly about MIP. I have a full day on the floor tomorrow. And there’s going to be a Q&A session after the screening tomorrow night. I’m going to need you to help me prepare for it.”
“Sure, no prob.” I have to remind myself this is a business trip. My James Bond-inspired dreams of tooling around the French Riviera and Monaco fly out the window. I’m back to being his go-to assistant.
Over a scrumptious dinner of beef bourguignon and free-flowing wine and champagne, Brandon and I review his hectic schedule. Every minute of the next few days is jam-packed with events and meetings. I get exhausted just thinking about it. Somewhere between my third glass of champagne and dessert, my eyes grow heavy. I doze off.