Page 13 of Built to Last

“It was. And then when I was fourteen, Marilyn Jennings became our housekeeper. She took one look around and realized she had to take care of us, too. She was the mother figure we needed. And we got a father figure, too. Her husband. They lived in the servant’s quarters, and I started spending a lot of my time there. Jer, too. Her husband taught us so much of what we know. He was a contractor.”

And now I know why it’s important to him. “Lenny.”

He nods. “Lenny. Marilyn died five years ago. Cancer. He was a mess. My brother was something of a mess, though I won’t go into that. It’s his story. I came up with the idea of the show as a way to give us all purpose. Up until then we’d done design work for fun mostly.”

“You were one of the most sought-out designers in all of Manhattan.” He’s underselling himself. It isn’t like I didn’t look him up. Know thine enemy and all that. Though right this second he’s not feeling like the enemy. He’s feeling like someone I might enjoy knowing.

“I graduated from an Ivy League, and the first job I took was with my aunt, who is one of the divas of the Upper East Side.” He grimaces slightly. “I think she’s thrown down with CeCe once or twice. I’m glad we have different last names. My aunt was a Housewife before there was a show. She can bring the drama when she wants to, and she usually wants to. However, she’s extremely influential. Jeremiah was already showing great signs of being a truly talented artist. So when we redid her brownstone, naturally a major magazine wanted to do a story on it. It’s pretty much the definition of privilege, and I know it.”

“Uh, I inherited a whole company. I know it’s not the same level, but I do understand.” I like to be fair, and it seems like Reid and Jeremiah hadn’t had it all golden. “We work with what we’re given. I like that you want to help your friend. I hired him, you know.”

“For which I am eternally grateful,” he says with a gallant bow. “Seriously. Thank you. I am hoping this goes well and we can think about starting something new.”

I have some questions. When I researched what happened with the show, I found nothing except speculation. It happened after the accident—which sounded even more serious than Jeremiah told me. Reid spent some time in the hospital and in physical rehab. “What happened with the last show? It seemed to be going so well. I know all my friends loved it.”

One of the things that made the show work was the banter between the brothers. Reid was the serious one and Jeremiah the heartfelt artist everyone loved. Sunshine and the grump. The hot grump. The charming-when-he-wanted-to-be grump.

I have to wonder if some of it was for the camera. A way to highlight their differences and bring some interesting conflict to the show. Reality TV isn’t so real, as I learned.

He turns to the gardens, looking out over the night. “Appearances can be deceiving. Again, not my story to tell.” He turns my way. “Is there any way at all that you would like to dance with me?”

It’s a huge mistake. I don’t like this guy. Except I kind of do. If I wanted to keep hating him, I shouldn’t have talked to him. “Sure. Why not?”

When we enter the palace again, I give my glass to the waiter picking up empties and let Reid take my hand. I follow him down the grand stairs and into the most romantic setting I’ve ever seen.

Not that it’s going to tempt me. It’s just a dance. Nothing more.

Chapter Five

Ivy stares at me for a moment, her eyes wide. “Uh, you do know who that is, right? Like you didn’t hit your head and now you have amnesia and forgot you hate him?”

I watch as Reid walks toward the bar at the end of the ballroom. He glances back as though making sure I’m where he left me. “I’m dancing with him. Nothing more.”

Anika steps in. She changed from the big, poofy traditional wedding dress she wore for the ceremony. She has a different dress for every event. The wedding and balcony greeting, which took place this afternoon. Then the coronation and luncheon. Now the reception with dinner and drinks and dancing. She wears a white dress with long sleeves and a plunging back, and she’s wearing the hell out of the royal jewels. “Did I see what I think I saw?”

Ivy has on a black sheath and some spectacular heels that still don’t make her Heath’s height. Not that he seems to mind. “You absolutely did. She danced with him and she didn’t even use the opportunity to stab him. I checked.”

The idea is ridiculous. Well, now it feels ridiculous since I don’t think I’ve ever felt as in synch with a man as I do dancing with Reid. I’m not much of a dancer, but the man knows how to lead. While he whirled me around the ballroom, he told me tidbits about some of the wealthy people in attendance. Like the fact that the Duchess of Claireborn divorced her husband when she found out he was allergic to her Cavalier King Charles Spaniel dog and was given an ultimatum. The dog totally won. Or the fact that two of Luca’s cousins once tried to date the same Norwegian prince, and the war that started is now officially called the Scandinavian Social Media Slaughter of ’18.

You know what they say. Never start a land war in Russia in winter and never post a bad picture of a royal princess unless you want her to release a TikTok of you eating a whole ham hock when your entire personality is vegan.

I love his stories. He seems to know everyone on the European side, too. They all nod as we dance by.

“We had a talk and realized we have more in common than I would have thought,” I allow as I watch him walk up to the bar. There are waiters dispensing champagne and wine, but anything else must be acquired at the bar.

“Uhm, yeah, you both look like you’re going to devour the other,” Anika says.

I frown her way. “I didn’t say that.”

Ivy’s head shakes. “You don’t have to. We have eyes. And I think I can smell the pheromones from here.”

“Oh, is that because Harper wants to jump TV guy’s bones?” Darnell walks up, a plate in his hand. Darnell is Heath’s former roommate, though they’re still in the same building. I happen to know he feeds Ivy on a regular basis, and she’s his first and best beta reader. He’s got a science fiction novel coming out in a few months, and we’ll use it as another excuse to party.

Didn’t Jeremiah tell me Reid likes science fiction? And does Darnell have to be such a weirdo? “I’m dancing with the man not jumping him.”

“You kind of did hump his leg.” Heath joins his best friend, and he also has a plate piled high with the treats they’re serving. Ivy, of course, immediately grabs one.

“It’s called a dip,” I counter. “I had to wrap my leg around his so I didn’t fall back.”

---