Page 36 of Sugar Pie
Gossip and burn the rich.
Yours truly,
Regina, your gossip goddess you can’t escape from.
Warren
My muscles were on fire. I’d completed the cabinet installation, redone the stairs, and installed eight ceiling fans in that hot house with no windows open or working air conditioning. I yawned.
The best part of the moon rising on the day was that Kerry would be at home when I got there.
For twenty-eight years, I had been driven home in the nicest cars to every luxury and to food prepared by renowned chefs. Still, I never had the sense of belonging I’d experienced since Kerry had come into my life.
As I drove home, my phone rang. I saw my brother’s name and quickly answered. “Hey, Jeff. I didn’t expect you to call.”
“I don’t know how the gossip blog has any information. I’ve kept everything I know about Kerry as private as possible.”
I hadn’t checked it in a while, but last I’d checked, it seemed like the blog was fishing for information. If my alerts hadn’t been set to notify me whenever my name pinged, I have never read that trash gossip blog with a penchant for social warfare. I kept my gaze on the road. “I didn’t think you’d leak anything about a client and ruin your professional reputation.”
“Exactly. Maybe an employee at my firm is causing trouble, so I’m flooding my team with different narratives, but I don’t believe this Regina—probably not her real name—is anything other than someone from the dark web spinning information.”
No one in my family would have fed info to a blogger or written such rubbish. The words Regina used were too radical for any of us.
I shrugged as I turned onto my street. “I’m too far from California, and I’ve been off her radar in Manhattan for a while. Either way, nothing to worry about.”
“So you’re not stressed about today’s blog and supposedly someone talking to Kerry’s ex, Romeo?”
I parked and glanced up. The light in our apartment was like a beacon calling me up to her. “All my energy is focused on winning and growing my business.”
“Good luck.”
“You too.” I hung up. My brother and the dangers of being rich and spoiled were for another day and another time.
I raced up the steps and let myself in.
The smell of fresh beef stew wafted in the air, combining with her sweet floral scent.
I closed the door, and then the bedroom door opened. Kerry floated out in a yellow cotton sundress with white flowers on the hems.
I pressed my hand to my chest. “Wow. I need a shower so I don’t ruin this.”
She laughed as she passed me. “I left your nice white shirt on the hook in there.”
I fought my urge to grab her and kiss her—she would probably prefer if my hands were clean. I headed into the bathroom. “Are we celebrating?” I turned on the water.
“I found our first customer.”
My mind raced. That made no sense. We didn’t have our presentation ready to sell to anyone, and we didn’t officially own the land yet.
My stomach tightened as I showered. I quickly finished and dressed. I opened the door and called to the main kitchen, “Without even having a model?” I tugged my pants on and realized she had to have ironed them, as I had them rolled in my backpack. My laundry smelled clean.
“You have the 3D model and this one. So when your brother called me…”
I grabbed the shirt and put it on in the main room so I could see her. “Jeff?”
Her cheeks blushed, and I buttoned my shirt faster. I didn’t want to offend her, and she avoided looking at my muscular frame. “Yes, he wanted to tell me he’d sent me e-documents to prove my marriage is over and to tell me how to get a new driver’s license with my maiden name.”
I headed to the kitchen and found the salads she’d made then I picked them up to take to our small table. “Good.”
