Page 57 of At the Heart of It
“They’re usually really big, bold beers,” Jonah said. “Much higher alcohol content, too. Sometimes up to twelve or thirteen ABV.”
“No wonder I felt a little loopy,” she said, hoping that explained why she’d been bold enough to send that photo. Maybe he’d buy that.
“If I remember right, 10 Barrel has another pumpkin beer that’s a little less intense,” he said. “I sampled it a few years ago when Viv and I were down there doing the Bend Ale Trail.”
The thought of Jonah and Vivienne on a romantic autumn retreat in Bend, Oregon, was enough to splash cold water on Kate’s libido.
This is why we’re here, dammit. The two people who were married to each other, who wrote a bestselling relationship guide together and traveled and made love and?—
“God, I’d almost forgotten about that trip,” Jonah muttered, almost to himself. “Viv hated it. We were out there for some film festival, but I talked her into the beer tour for a couple hours. You would have thought I’d asked her to drink from the toilet.”
Kate rearranged the mental picture she’d formed moments before, hating herself for liking this version better. The version where Viv was stuck-up and surly and closed off to new experiences.
“That’s too bad,” she said carefully, gripping the paper mug a little tighter. “We should probably get down to the parlor. The crew’s going to start getting restless if at least a couple of us aren’t down there.”
“Should we nudge Elena again?” Amy asked.
Kate glanced at her watch. “Let’s give them a couple more minutes. Ginger gets touchy if we try to rush her.”
She turned and led the way down the hall, then into the well-lit parlor. The room was packed with camera equipment and lights, but the film crew had all dispersed. Only Viv sat there looking serene and centered in a chic red kimono top and black silk slacks. She looked up as the three of them entered and smiled broadly.
“Hello, everyone,” she said. “Are you all as excited as I am to get started?”
“So excited,” Jonah muttered under his breath.
Kate resisted the urge to laugh, especially when she saw twin frown lines appear between Viv’s brows. Having them both a little edgy was fine, but Kate hoped they wouldn’t get too riled up before the cameras started rolling.
Skirting around Jonah, Kate moved into the center of the room and glanced at the antique clock on the wall. She set the cup of cocoa on a coaster and turned back to face the group. “Vivienne, Jonah—we’ve probably got another ten minutes until Elena is out of hair and makeup. Why don’t you two warm up by doing one of the communication exercises you talked about in On the Other Hand?”
“Oh, that’s a great idea!” Amy beamed. “How about the Five Things exercise? That seems like the perfect way to get the two of you on the same page.”
Jonah looked at Kate as though she’d just suggested they take off their clothes and paint their bodies with ketchup and mustard. Vivienne, on the other hand, looked delighted.
“That is an excellent idea. How about something like five things we admire about each other or five ways we’ve been inspired by one another?”
Jonah’s expression grew pinched, and Kate wondered if she should have kept her mouth shut. Then again, it was important to have them ready for filming. To make sure the two stars of the show were on the same page, more or less.
“Maybe something a little more neutral,” Jonah suggested. “Five favorite uses for duct tape?”
Viv smiled, though it looked a little strained. “That’s a perfect example of the first one I was going to share,” she said. “I admire the fact that Joe is already getting into character as the charmingly surly ex-husband with the dry sense of humor. That’s such a critical part of this process, and I admire him for committing to the role.”
Kate caught the subtlety of the backhanded compliment, and she wondered if Jonah had, too. Did poring over every word Vivienne Brandt had ever written make Kate the leading expert on Viv’s communication style, or did sleeping with her for five years earn Jonah that title?
The thought of Jonah sleeping with Viv made Kate’s stomach clench, but she ordered her face not to show it.
“Did you know you can make wallets out of duct tape?” Jonah asked.
That earned him an eye roll from Amy and a slight waver in Viv’s smile. With a sigh, he slid his hands down the thighs of his jeans. “Okay, fine,” he said. “I admire Viv for her perseverance. She always talked about wanting to do a TV show someday, so I’m glad she made that happen.”
Interesting, Kate thought, remembering her first conversation with Vivienne Brandt where Viv had made it sound like she’d never considered the possibility of TV. Was that false modesty, or something else?
A flash of discomfort in Viv’s eyes suggested she wasn’t thrilled at being outed, and Kate wondered if Jonah had done it on purpose.
“My turn,” Viv announced. “I admire that Jonah adopted a cat from the shelter.” She smiled, and Kate thought she might stop there with a seemingly sincere compliment, but Viv kept talking. “Rescuing a homeless animal is such a noble thing. And having the self-awareness to choose a pet in sync with one’s own personality is such a bonus. Cats are cool and aloof and detached and?—”
“I admire Viv for finding a way to be catty while complimenting my cat,” Jonah interrupted. “If that’s not a made-for-TV moment, I don’t know what is.”
Viv’s eyes flashed. “Well, I admire Jonah for finding a way to interject negativity into an exercise designed to reflect the positive. That takes some real creativity!”
