Page 85 of At the Heart of It
Kate smiled as she packed pieces of lighting gear into a fancy-looking crate. “You have a house full of assholes?”
“I am the consummate crazy cat lady,” Jossy said. “I have a soft spot for the ones no one else adopts. The ones with attitude problems or missing limbs or some weird fungus that makes their hair fall out in clumps.”
“I love it,” Kate said. She was still wearing Jonah’s running shoes, and something about that made him happy. “I wish I could have a pet. Someday, maybe.”
“Hey, you can come over anytime and pet mine,” Jossy said. “Not tonight, though. Tonight I just want to put my PJs on and eat ice cream straight from the carton.”
“That sounds like the perfect evening.”
“It was so great meeting you, Kate.” Jossy stepped up and pulled Kate into a hug, flashing Jonah a thumbs-up behind her back. “Love her!” Jossy mouthed, grinning at him.
Jonah nodded, trying to keep a straight face. Trying not to let on that he had anything other than a professional relationship with Kate.
“It was great meeting you, too,” Kate said as she broke the hug. “I’m so impressed by what you’re doing here.”
“Thanks!” Jossy tucked a fire-red curl behind one ear. “Call me if you have more questions. Or if you just want to grab a drink sometime. Something besides the nasty beer my brother’s always drinking.”
“I’ve developed a fondness for the nasty beer” Kate flashed him a smile. “But I’d love to grab a drink sometime. I could use a little girl time.”
“Sounds good.” Jossy moved toward the door, then turned back to Jonah. “You okay locking up by yourself?”
“I’ve got it covered.”
“You promise you won’t forget to set the alarm this time?”
“It was just the one time,” he muttered, prodding her toward the door with a boom mic pole that Pete had left propped next to the door. Jossy giggled and scuttled away.
“Night, Joss.”
“Good night, Shirtless Wonder.” She squeezed him hard, standing on tiptoe to whisper in his ear. “Much better pick this time,” she whispered.
Then she pulled away, scurrying out the door before he had a chance to ask what the hell had given her the idea he had any interest in Kate.
Kate, who was now alone in a room with him for the first time since they’d slept together. Jonah looked at her and gave a small shrug.
“So here we are,” he said at last.
“Here we are.” Kate smiled, but there was something in her eyes he couldn’t read. Something bothering her.
“You okay, Kate?”
She smiled a little. “Just tired. And hungry. And tired. Did I mention tired?”
“You might have.”
“Thanks for the shoes.” She tipped her foot to the side and smiled down at them. “Do you mind if I wear them home and give them back tomorrow?”
“No problem. Keep them as long as you like. The clown look is a good one for you.”
Kate laughed, and Jonah took a step closer. He didn’t touch her, of course, but something in him ached to have her nearer. “Thanks for everything you did tonight,” he said.
“What do you mean?” she asked. “I did my job.”
“No, you didn’t,” he said. “You went above and beyond your job. You promised Jossy you wouldn’t play up her disability without her blessing, even though we both know damn well audiences eat that shit up. Even though she probably signed the same crazy-ass contract the rest of us did that says you’re free to run with whatever storyline you choose.”
Kate bit her lip. “We aren’t heartless, Jonah. The show is about playing on human emotion, sure. But not at the expense of the humans involved.”
“That’s good to know.” Jonah stretched, feeling tired all of a sudden. And hungry. Still really, really hungry.
