I stand up and clear my throat like Rachel does as I push up my glasses. “Oh, Mr. Zebulund. Sorry. I thought you were Mr. Roe and your wife.”
He stalks toward me. His gaze deliberate as it travels up and down my body. “And you are?” He’s inches away now and I can’t breathe right.
Just my body, not my being.
“Rachel. Uh, Rachel Bowen. Roe’s assistant.”
Zebulund shakes my hand. “We’ve met?” He’s looking at me. My pulse leaps but I was an actress once too.
“Last week. I set up your meeting with Mr. Roe.”
He studies me. I replay the conversation I watched from the closet.
“You complimented my figure,” I add helpfully.
“Right. Right. Welcome.” The fog clears from his eyes.
He’s about to say something else when the door opens again and the other two enter. Nancy is mid-sentence but stops when she sees Zebulund and me. My mouth opens but there’s nothing to say.
“Darling, you look lovely this evening.” Zebulund walks to his wife, grabbing her hand and kissing her cheek.
Her study of me goes from uninterested to unfettered. She glares as though really seeing me for the first time. Then her features relax into apathy again. Roe and I exchange a glance while the couple chats. I shake my head once when his nostrils flare in question.
“Thank you for welcoming my guests.” Zebulund’s mouth twitches up in an ironic smile when the doorbell chimes majestically, as if on cue.
“I’ll go get the rest,” his wife says curtly.
“I hope you don’t mind signing a Non-Disclosure Agreement.” Zebulund pulls out a stack of papers from under his arms and sets them on the bar with a pen.
“Not at all,” I say.
“We all value our privacy,” Roe agrees.
“Indeed.”
Roe and I step forward and I sign as Rachel. This may be super illegal but whatever, I’m already in the dumpster.
“You were saying something about the house?” Zebulund slides the pen back into his suit pocket, because a suit is obviously what you wear to a Saturday night séance.
“Sage the house, yes.”
Here, in this room with him, I’m once again reminded how much space he takes up. How hard it is to breathe. I want to reach to Roe for comfort. That in itself is new and weird.
“What does that mean?” He waves his hand like he’s impatient even having to ask.
“It sounds silly. And obviously we don’t have to if you insist not. Many people sage their houses with the seasons. Helps clear out any unwanted negative energy. Sage is burned in all the rooms and the negative energy is called to leave.”
“Oh, that’s what Beth and Gene do.” Nancy reenters the room with Craig, Viktor, and Kyle. “I’ve heard of it. Cleans out the house.”
Thank you, Nancy! Though I can’t tell if she buys into it or not. And I’m still worried I’ve made an enemy of her. Never underestimate the power of Hollywood wives.
“You think that’ll help?” Zebulund’s poker face is impassive as ever.
“I do.” I hold his gaze. Lying to him is a pleasure up there with crunching leaves and peeling plastic off electronics.
“You want to walk around my house with a burning weed.”
“Yes. It’s best if the house is empty and all the windows are open.” I push up my glasses. Confidence is crucial when you’re lying through your teeth. “The negative energy, spirits, what have you, will be asked to leave.”
