Page 114 of The Marriage Narrative
“What happened?”
“Unzip me, please?” They were standing in the middle of the room, her back to him. She moved her braids over one shoulder. “I can’t reach.”
Jordan clenched his hands before burying them in his pockets. He knew her too well to fall for that, even though he wanted to anyway. “Zinnia.”
She sighed. “Amber told me beforehand that it wasn’t serious.All I had to do was listen. I just got overwhelmed and then I remembered how the show works. I didn’t think you’d come.”
“Of course I came.”
“I didn’t think they’d let you. The timing was too perfect.” She gave up on trying to distract him, turning around but keeping her eyes downcast. “Did it go okay with Bea?”
“I suppose.” He couldn’t even pretend to be surprised that she knew. “The network really pushed to make it happen. I hope they got what they wanted because I’m not doing it again.”
“Andyou’reokay? Talking to her after so many years must’ve been hard.” She finally looked at him, eyes filled with so much concern he couldn’t love her any more if he’d tried.
He nodded but said, “It wasn’t, actually. I pretty much thought about you the whole time. Will you please tell me what happened now?”
She slid her hands under his jacket, holding him at his waist but keeping her distance. That was a first. She was practically allergic to leaving space between them and he wouldn’t have it any other way.
“They want us to do another show about being married and running businesses. Charles even asked about meeting Grace and Fiona. Said it’d be an amazing promotional opportunity for us and that we needed to ‘capitalize on the moment.’ ”
Why did she sound sodefeatedabout an offer? “And that’s it?” he asked carefully.
“Their idea has been in the works for a while because apparently, I’m Bea’s replacement,” she said quietly. “They might as well just have kicked me down the stairs and called me a spare.”
He didn’t mean to laugh. “Sorry.”
“It’s okay. I was trying to be funny.” Her timid smile was proof of that. “And Magda wants to hurry because she mentioned usingsomeone’s wedding as a backdoor pilot, whatever that is. Amber knew what she was talking about. Who’s getting married?”
Jordan stiffened and swore under his breath.
Twenty-seven days. They’d almost made it.
“The wedding is a cover story for Sadie.” He explained the plan in its entirety, watching as her face lit up with each reveal—minus the biggest one.
“That’s so impressive,” she said. “It’s also excessive, but that’s Zaffre life, I guess. So, whose wedding is it?”
“Technically, it’s a vow renewal ceremony,” he said.
“For your parents?” When he shook his head, Zinnia’s cute half-smile vanished and she yanked her hands away from him.
“How could you?”He’d never heard her yell like that before. Strangled, hurt, and quavering—it was a phantom stab in his shattered heart. “I told you about my parents’ ceremony!”
“You did.”
“Youknowhow much something like this would mean to me!”
“I do.”
“And you justgavethat to them tocuratefor a storyline too? That was mine! I trusted you!”
“I didn’t. What—”
“And if I say no, then your whole family will miss—oh my god,why didn’t you ask me first?”
“Because it wasn’t my idea!” he yelled back. “Because I knew if I told you the plan, you’d say yes on the spot, and I didn’t want that! I asked you to marry me for Sadie once. This time I wanted it to be foryou. I wanted it to be forus.”
She stared at him, long and hard, until her righteous anger began fading into confusion. “…What?”
