Page 89 of The Marriage Narrative
“What’s the difference?”
“Heh. You might be ready after all.” She retrieved her phone, sent a text, and waited for the response. “Sadie says it’s my call. She’d join but is already in a meeting. Unless you want to wait?”
“I don’t even know what I’d be waiting for. What are you talking about?”
“I’m talking about everything.” She sat back in her chair. “Zaffre Hourshas a very strict chain of command. We pitch overarching storylines to the network, they send us notes, then we windeverythingup and let it spin. But under that approval? Behind it? Below it? Beside it? That’s where Sadie operates.
“You wouldn’t believe how excited and proud she was when you put your princely foot down about Bea and pitchedNewlyweds. You tapped right into themagicof the show she created. ‘Let him cook,’ she said. ‘But watch him. Don’t let them burn.’ I’m talking about making you fireproof. Interested?”
Sadie had told him he could trust Mabel. And he trusted his sister. “I’m listening.”
“The second you volunteered as tribute, Sadie knew you’d be her ticket to bowing out with a bang.Sadie’s Last Standwas designed to use your relationship milestones as a cover story for her motherhood ones. We’re already working on her memoir pitch”—she nodded toward the computer—“the missing year in her life no one will ever get to see. Extra, extra, read all about howZaffre Hoursactually came to an end.Sadie’s Last Standhas an incredible number of moving parts, but you only need to concern yourself with three of them.”
He nodded for her to continue. Should he be taking notes? He opened a blank document on his phone just in case.
“One: we have Amber, who tried her best, but can’t curate like Sadie. Her meddling mama matchmaking fantasies got the best of her. She’s too emotional about her kids to see the bigger picture and has a bad habit of taking everything personally.” Mabel shrugged. “Unsurprisingly, the mall incident really fucked her up too. All the storylines have come to a screeching halt and the network’s getting antsy. Well, antsier because you had already shot the finale plans to shit. Which leads me to two: the network wants that fucking wedding.”
He nearly rolled his eyes. Of course, the network was still pushing for the kind of love story that came with a glossy manufactured sheen. A fairy tale to make viewers believe in love with multiple camera angles. “Makes sense.”
“Three:weneed that fucking wedding. I’ll give credit where credit is due. You are good at this, but you’re not better than your barefoot and pregnant sister. Even knocked up, Sadie’s ten steps ahead of everyone else. The problem with yourNewlywedsstoryline is it doesn’t have a natural stopping point. Building toward forever means it never ends. That is the antithesis to what we need for a finale andSadie’s Last Stand.”
“Why wouldSadieneed a wedding?”
“Same reason as the network.” She uncharacteristically batted her eyelashes at him—that innocent act was almost believable. “Everyone loves a storybook wedding. Being a guest. Fawning over pictures. Sharing the videos. Dying for an invitation and of envy. No one will think twice about every Zaffre being in the same location to celebrate. Of course, Sadie’s notable absence will be left to speculation. She doesn’t agree, she hates you, she’s sick, she’s jealous, she wasn’t invited—and we’ll encourage all of it. Anything and everything other than the truth.”
He blinked as realization clicked into place. “She’ll be in labor.”
“Attaboy. I knew you had it in you.” Mabel winked at him. “Her inducement will be scheduled for the same weekend at a private hospital. No one will know she’s two hours away, screaming her lungs out as she painfully ushers two babies into the world. Post-wedding, security will secretly take you all to the hospital on a schedule. Decoys in identical cars will go to the airport to board a private jet with the media in tow.”
“Who else knows about this plan?”
She began counting with her fingers. “Sadie. Me. And now you. She needed to be sure you and Combat Barbie were willing to publicly renew your vows in a lavish ceremony, happily paid for by your parents as proof they’ve accepted her into the family.”
“Then why didn’t Sadie ask me? Why are you doing it?”
“Because she respects you. She knows how hard this season has been on Zinnia. Personally, I don’t think Sadie wants to hear you say no,” she said. “We need this wedding, Alfie. Everybody wins. The network will be happy.Zaffre Hoursgets a two-part finale to remember. Sadie gets her privacy and loving support system by her side. The babies will spend their first hours of life surrounded by family.”
Everybody wins…except Zinnia.
Jordan loved the idea, but he couldn’t ask her to do something as special as renewing their vows as a distraction. Because she would say yes.I’d still end up right here. Your family needs us.His endlessly kind and generous wife would put Sadie and the babies first.
If she was going to do it, he wanted her to be sure about their marriage—in her real life.God, a single minute didn’t go by without his heart feeling like it was covered in bruises from beating too hard for her.
“Okay,” he said thoughtfully. “I want a temporary sabbatical, effective immediately. You do that for me, and I’ll ask Zinnia to marry me again.”
“How long is temporary?”
“No filming for a month.”
“Fuck you, no.” She gingerly picked up the clicker with two fingers, tossed it in the trash, and sighed. “Fine. She has to say yes or no deal.”
“No filming for a month,” he repeated. “I’ll ask for the wedding when I’m ready, and if she says no, I’ll go along with whatever backup finale Sadie can get the network to agree with that works with her labor plans.”
She raised an eyebrow. “No questions asked? Any storyline the network wants?”
His jaw tensed, instincts screaming as he knowingly walked into a trap. “Zinnia stays out of it,” he ordered. “But yeah. Whatever.”
“Hmm.” Mabel turned back to her keyboard and began typing even faster than before. “For your sake, I sure hope she says yes.”
