Page 20 of The Christmas Fix
“We’re prepared to rent it for the duration of the shoot,” Cat said coolly. She named a figure and had the satisfaction of seeing surprise flash across his face before he frowned again.
“I’d have to check with the town council.”
Cat dropped her head against the back of her chair and stared up at the ceiling. “Matters of public facility rental are deemed the responsibility of the city manager, and unless the title painted on your door is a joke, you’re the stubborn jackass who gives the okay.”
“If you’re looking for me to commit wholeheartedly to selling out my town for the sake of ratings, you might as well hold your damn breath because it’s not going to happen.”
Cat stood and rested her fingertips on his desk.
“I’ve had just about enough of your holier than thou attitude—”
“Excuse my interruption.”
Cat flopped back down in her chair. “Noah Yates, this is Paige King, director of the Selling Out of Merry—working title of course. Paige, this is Noah, stubborn ass.”
She ignored Paige’s sharp look in her direction. She’d dealt with Paige and Gannon sniping at each other for a year before they decided to play nice. She figured Paige wouldn’t mind being on the other side for once.
“Noah, it’s great to see you again. I was with the show two years ago when we were here for the Hai family, and your community really made an impression on all of us. My husband had to turn away volunteers for his crew.”
Cat watched Noah shift uncomfortably in his seat. “Uh, thanks. Please. Sit.” He gestured toward the other empty chair.
Cat rolled her eyes at the suddenly solicitous bastard.
“Oh, I can’t stay, and neither can Cat.” Paige glared in her direction until Cat rose from the chair and crossed her arms. “What I’d like to do is invite you to our briefing. We’re sitting down with your county’s emergency services chief and waste management to get everyone on the same page. We don’t want to be stepping on any toes while we’re here, and we’d like to fill any gaps you have in the cleanup process so we can begin renovations immediately. I know you’ve probably got a full calendar dealing with the city end of things, but if you can spare an hour, I think we’ll all be better prepared and have a clearer idea of what our roles are.”
“I’d appreciate that, Mrs. King.”
Cat glared at him. “I was going to invite him to the meeting,” she muttered to Paige.
“Of course, you were,” Paige grinned. “Gannon was looking for you. He went through the Hais’ house and has a preliminary list of concerns. Can you go track him down ASAP?”
Cat shot Noah one last dirty look. He met her scowl for scowl. “I’ll see you outside,” she told Paige and strode out.
CHAPTER TEN
Noah watched Cat go. He felt like he’d gotten in a few good shots, felt a little raw in some of the spots she’d poked. But fighting with her was better than any shot of espresso. It made him feel awake, focused, energized. And it gave him something to do with the ball of nervous energy that had lodged itself in his gut the moment the first rain drop had fallen on Merry.
“Noah, I’d like to be candid with you, if I may,” Paige said, sinking into the chair Cat had just vacated.
He spread his hands. “By all means.”
“I can’t imagine how upsetting the past week has been for you. It would be devastating for anyone who cares about their community to watch it be destroyed. And I understand how important the Christmas Festival is for Merry. I also know better than most how ugly reality television can be. You can trust me—and Cat. We don’t do drama for ratings. We’re going to give you your town back in one piece in time for Christmas. But we can’t do it without your cooperation.”
Noah sighed and rose. He opened the minifridge behind his desk and took out a Coke. “Want one?”
“I’ll take a water if you’ve got one.”
Paige seemed like an upstanding person, even if she did work in TV. She was earnest, smart, and didn’t waste her time trying to enhance her already striking natural beauty. She seemed sincere, and he felt the slightest bit embarrassed that she’d caught him and Cat sniping at each other.
“I’ll be frank, too. I’ve been very open about my feelings toward your industry. The last time the show was here, the whole town went star crazy, and Cat lived up to the hype by breaking the nose of one of our citizens when she’d had a few too many out on the town. I don’t like what she stands for.” He raised his hand when Paige moved to interrupt. “That being said, I’m not blind. We need your help if we’re going to get through this. Waiting for state or federal money would take forever, and even if we had the money for rebuilding, we don’t have access to crews.”
“I’m just asking you to be open-minded about the process. I can’t promise that we won’t disrupt your town because we both know that’s impossible. But I can promise you we’ll do everything in our power to keep the story sincere and real.”
“And you’ll keep Cat out of trouble?”
Paige laughed. “I’m not sure where you got this impression of Cat, but it’s going to be very entertaining to me to watch you figure out how wrong you are about her. She’s fiercely loyal, and I’ve never known anyone with a more generous heart.”
Noah blinked. That wasnotthe viciously beautiful woman who sashayed into his office and called him a jackass.
