A Winter Wedding

“So how would you say it went?” Lourdes had gone in and put on her sweats again. Now she was sitting cross-legged on the couch facing Kyle so they could discuss the meeting.

“You gave him one hell of an interview,” Kyle replied. “Ed was so excited to get home and write his darn article, he was nearly tripping over his own feet as he rushed out of here.”

She studied him more closely. “Do you mind?”

“That you strongly hinted we were having sex?” He chuckled. “No.”

“I figured it’d be smarter not to leave Ed, or the next reporter, anywhere to go. There’s no point in accusing people of something they freely admit. Takes all the fun out of it.”

“That’s ironic.”

“What?”

“That you feel you have to admit to things you didn’t do just to get some peace...”

She’d learned a few tricks over the course of her career. “The life of a celebrity. It’s great on the way up. But coming down? That’s a bumpy ride.”

“You’ll be back on top again someday. Someday soon.”

She liked how he encouraged her. She got the impression he really believed it was true, and that helped.

“So you think the press will leave us alone now?” he asked.

“I’m hoping. Since I basically told him we’re romantically involved, there’s no big secret to reveal, no reason to keep badgering me or digging for dirt.”

“Smart.”

“But you’ll have to play along while I’m here—to make it believable.”

“No problem.”

“Okay, thanks. I’m sorry I didn’t have the chance to discuss it with you beforehand. I didn’t go into the interview planning to say what I did. I thought of it when he started asking questions and went with it because I decided it might be as good for Olivia to read as Derrick.”

He propped his hands behind his head. “Olivia doesn’t care who I sleep with.”

Lourdes wasn’t so sure. Kyle had made some mistakes, but he was still special. No one could miss seeing that. “It’s always hard when an ex-lover moves on,” she argued. “There’s nostalgia attached to it, if nothing else. Anyway, even if Olivia doesn’t care, Brandon will be happy. Your folks, too. Now maybe the past can stay in the past, and she can view you as her brother-in-law and not her ex-lover.”

“It’ll make Sunday dinners easier to tolerate—although my folks will certainly wonder when you don’t show up with me.”

“Maybe I’ll go.” She imagined holding his hand and gazing up at him as if she was in love and didn’t think that would be very difficult to feign. “We could put on quite a show.”

When he smiled, she sensed that he found their deception amusing but wasn’t taking it seriously. “Thanks for pretending to be my girlfriend,” he said.

She grinned. “I owe you one. And since you can’t seem to get a girlfriend on your own...”

“Whoa! I haven’t even emailed those women you chose on Single Central.”

“True. So when are you going to do it?”

“Soon. Anyway, I’m still surprised by what you told Ed. I thought I was supposed to be protecting you.”

“You’ve never dealt with the press.”

He stared off at the tree they’d decorated. “How will Derrick react to our involvement when he hears? Because he will hear.”

“Of course. We can count on it. But I’m not sure how he’ll take the news. I’ve always been so loyal, so dedicated to him. It’ll come as a shock to think I’ve already moved on.”

“Will he believe it? I mean...you were with him last week.”

“I saw him last week, but I haven’t slept with him in over a month, as you know. He’ll assume you’re the reason, I guess.”

“I never called him back the other night when I was supposed to go by and check on you.”

“That’ll only make this more convincing.”

“He might tell Crystal to take a hike and come after you.”

“I suppose anything’s possible.”

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