Page 60 of At the Heart of It
“Real-life stories are best,” Amy agreed. “And it will help if it’s a little juicy. Something that will really draw viewers in.”
Viv looked thoughtful, but not upset like Kate expected. That seemed . . . odd. Then again, Viv wasn’t the one who’d be most annoyed by another form of personal intrusion. It was Jonah they needed to worry about.
“Did they say why they’re asking for this?” Viv asked. “It seems a little strange to throw this in after we’ve already started filming.”
“They think it’ll give viewers a more intimate connection to the show,” Amy said. “You know, provide a sort of voyeuristic thrill about peering into your lives.”
Kate felt her stomach churn, hating where this was going. Not as much as Jonah was going to hate it, though. She glanced at Viv, who looked serene as always. “Viv? Do you have any ideas?”
Vivienne tilted her head to the side and gave a slow nod. “Perhaps. Let me give it some thought. How soon do they need to know?”
“Within a day or two,” Amy said. “I told them we’d put our heads together and get back to them.”
Kate picked up the coiled cable and moved across the room. Depositing it in a crate next to the door, she straightened and looked at Viv.
“Should we call Jonah in for a meeting?” Her voice sounded casual enough, but she felt a flutter of eagerness right under her breastbone. “We could get him on a conference call if we don’t want to drag him back here.”
Viv looked at her, seeming to consider it. “No. Let me do it in person. One on one.”
Kate nodded in agreement. “Okay” That was best, obviously. The less time Kate spent with Jonah, the better. Let Viv handle this. “That sounds perfect. Maybe the two of you can go have coffee or something and hammer out your thoughts.”
“That’s a wonderful idea.” Viv smiled and stood up. Her silk slacks looked remarkably unwrinkled, and Kate wondered how she managed that. “If you two don’t mind, I’m going to head into my study and do some journaling about this. Will you excuse me?”
Kate nodded. “Absolutely.”
Viv smiled, moving toward the doorway. As she approached, Kate stepped aside to let her pass. A tickle of Viv’s perfume hovered in the air, something spicy and earthy and mysterious.
“Thanks for all your hard work today, Vivienne,” Kate said. “You did a fantastic job.”
“You, too, ladies.” Vivienne looked back at Amy, then returned her gaze to Kate. She held it for a long time, and Kate ordered herself not to break eye contact. Not to flinch at all. Viv smiled. “I hope you know how much Jonah and I appreciate what you’re doing.”
Kate swallowed and nodded. “Thank you.”
“Tell Jonah hello for us,” Amy called. “Make sure you let him know we think he did great, too.”
Vivienne smiled again, her eyes still locked with Kate’s. “I certainly will.”
Jonah walked through the door of the animal shelter with a skinny Labrador on a leash, more eager than he’d been in weeks to put his damn shirt back on.
“Getting chilly out there?” Jossy asked as she grabbed the lab’s leash and handed Jonah a wad of clothing he recognized as his own.
“Actually, it’s a lot warmer than it looks.” He fumbled with his sweatshirt, trying to untangle it from the T-shirt he’d left twisted inside. “And Bruno here does great on a leash.”
“Good boy!” Jossy bent to scratch the dog’s ears as Jonah dropped the sweatshirt on the counter and began wrangling his T-shirt right-side out.
“I could have done without the woman who stood there for a full minute watching Bruno lick his dick before turning to me and asking if that gave me any ideas.”
“Eew!” Jossy pretended to gag. “Jesus. What the hell is wrong with people?”
Jonah yanked the hem of his T-shirt out of the armpit, cheered by his sister’s indignation. “I told her Bruno seemed to be doing a fine job cleaning it himself, but that he’d let her know if he needed help.”
“I feel like I need a shower.”
“You and me both.” Jonah located the neck hole of his shirt and had just started to yank it on when the door chimed. He looked up to see Vivienne standing in the doorway.
She’d changed into a flowy black top and soft-looking lavender leggings that reminded him of a pair she’d owned when they were married. Back then, she used to wear them around the house on nights they’d cook dinner together. He’d graze her ass with his palm, brushing past her en route from the granite island to the stove, and Viv would gasp and pretend to be shocked.
Jonah always knew better. She’d liked his occasional flares of caveman behavior. At least she had when it served her purposes.
