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Mimi watched him as he came strolling back toward her. He wore jeans and a light blue button down oxford shirt with the sleeves rolled back, exposing his forearms. He sat down on the couch again, only this time he sat a little closer and Mimi caught a whiff of cologne. Zeke wasn’t normally a cologne wearing kind of guy, so when he did splash a little on, she always took notice.
Maybe she shouldn’t have had those two glasses of wine along with the popcorn. And maybe she shouldn’t be watching Casablanca, because all she could think about right now was the way her blood had taken up speed, like it was racing through her veins, trying like hell to get to some unknown destination. Okay, so she knew what this feeling was. She was horny. She was a thirty-five-year-old red-blooded woman and she hadn’t had sex in over three months and here she was sitting on a couch next to her husband. Her very sexy husband. Why not let nature take its course?
It was legal.
It was natural.
But was it a good idea?
Probably not. If they had sex then Zeke would assume all their problems were solved. Sex had always been a way for them to connect with one another. Not that there was anything wrong with that, but there had to be other ways, too.
They watched T.V., sitting side by side but she was having trouble concentrating. How could she pay attention to Humphrey Bogart when Zeke Grant was just a few inches away from her?
“So how was Burger World?” he asked casually.
“I was wondering if Rusty told you,” Mimi said. Not that she was surprised. She only wondered what had taken him so long to bring it up.
“Mac Haines texted me, too,” Zeke said. “Just in case someone else on Team Zeke hadn’t already filled me in.” He glanced at her. “So, this Wentworth guy, he’s helping you out?”
“He’s teaching me about the budget. So yeah, he’s been pretty helpful.”
Zeke nodded. Which Mimi took as encouragement, so she went on. “He thinks I should go after Billy Brenton for the Spring Into Summer festival.”
“You told him about that, huh?”
She stilled. “Did I tell you about that, too?” When did she tell him— “The night of drunken Bunco.” It still bothered her that she couldn’t remember everything that had happened on their ride home. “What else did I tell you?”
“That the only reason you married me was because I was incredibly hot and you wanted to jump my bones.”
“Ha! Right.” She would never say that! Would she?
He smiled in a way that made her suddenly want to fan herself.
“So, I know the festival is just three months away, and the whole thing is probably impossible, but I feel like I should give it a shot.”
“What’s the status on it?” he asked.
She hesitated to tell him, since the status was practically at minus zero. “I’ve called and emailed, and I have a message in to his assistant, Crystal. Bruce actually gave me her number.”
Zeke stared at her. “Br
uce Bailey is helping you with this?”
“Not helping exactly, but he did give up his information. Look, I know it’s a longshot, but Billy Brenton is giving a concert in Tallahassee two nights before the festival so he’ll already be in the area. I know it sounds crazy but it just might work. The festival is in financial trouble. It needs a big kick in the rear end to give it a lift and I think Billy Brenton is just the guy to do it.”
“If the festival is in financial trouble, then how are you going to pay this guy? Or is he going to do a concert for free? The last time I looked the city wasn’t exactly a charitable organization.”
“Doug said he might be able to swing Billy’s fee from the city budget.”
Zeke laughed. Not a funny laugh. But a nasty one that put Mimi’s spine on edge. “The guy who won’t approve two new police cars for the city wants to give you money for some country western star?” He shook his head. “I didn’t think you were that gullible, Mimi.”
She yanked her legs off the coffee table to sit up straight. “Just because Doug doesn’t want to give you money for cars doesn’t mean his offer isn’t legit. Getting Billy Brenton to play at the festival is an investment in this city.”
“How so?”
“The festival has been losing money for the past ten years. But if we can build it back up again to what it once was, it’s going to be good for the whole town. Every small business that advertises or sells its products at the festival is going to see some benefit.”
“I don’t trust the guy.”
