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Lolly smiles. “A man of hidden talents. Any others?”
I roll out my entire repertoire. I neigh, bleat, oink, caw, and moo. She reels off the animals, only guessing the emu, then the rhino and armadillo wrong. No one expects a bird to grunt, so I forgive her the emu, but it’s two demerits for the others. By the time I get to my impersonation of elephant seals, she’s almost back to Lolly of the Laughter, beaming at me. But there’s a shadow over her. Something I’ve seen only once, when she lifted her head during our slow slow-dance at Gustavo’s wedding and struck me with her too-sad eyes. It’sthatlook. Haunted, hooded, waiting. But for what?
“I’ll run the bath.” She forces a smile and trots away, flicking the tail of my shirt up and wiggling her behind. Whatever it is that worries her, she wants it gone. I can help in that department at least, be the sunshine that blasts away the shadows and illuminates all murky corners so that no beasts may linger.
I move the plates to the tray and gather up the newspapers, stacking them in a pile on the table in the lounge. It’s only when I do a final sweep of the bedroom that I spot another manila envelope under one of the chairs. “Goddammit.” Someone has gone to the trouble of sending me glossy photographs, which means no amount of wishing will truly make it nothing, and I don’t need mischief makers in my life right now. I have a five-million-dollar contract, the love of the woman of my dreams, and—no matter what I told Lolly about being willing to stay here—a chance to make it back to Florida before the season is donewiththe funds I need to play with my team and keep my foundation afloat.
I unwind the string that holds the envelope closed and slip the photograph out. It’s upside down, the letters TMZ printed on the back in the same hand as the note Lolly found. When I flip it over, my heart does a double beat. The blood drains from my face. It’s an innocent enough picture, but the fact of it having been delivered means innocence has fled.
“What is it?” Lolly’s standing in the bathroom doorway.
I can’t very well say it’s nothing. I hand her the glossy. Her face falls, as I knew it would. “It’s nothing.”
“It’s you…” She runs her hands over the wavy image of me.
“What?”
“Oh, god.” She points at Juliette. “Her. It’s her. And that’s an elevator door. You’re reflected in the elevator door…”
“It’s nothing. I told you. We went to her suite, but then I remembered myself.” Shit. I had hoped never to visit this chapter of my life ever again. “Nothing happened. She made a call for me…”
“Who are they?” She cuts me off as she hands the picture back. “The couple with you. Who are they?”
“I don’t remember their names.”
“But you remember them?” Tears threaten at the corners of her eyes.
“They burst into the elevator. They were fans, nothing more.” She asked me to sign her breast, he asked me to take pictures. They got off many floors before we did. Why do the words stick in my craw, even though they are the truth?
“TMZ. That can’t be good.”
TMZ has to be a joke. Like Lolly said not ten minutes ago, I’m no Alex Yanez. I’m notgossip-worthy.
Before I know it, she has her phone out and is scrolling through web pages. She groans. “From last night. They’ve got you dancing with everyone…” She flicks through a dozen pictures or more. “And the conversation you had with Pippa’s friend? That’s all here. Damn….”
“What?”
She takes her phone back. “What did Pippa ask you to say?”
“She said it would be good for England. That thepowers that bewere eager to chase some trade agreement. I was smoothing the way for Alan.”
“Alan? The one with the foam-filled cock? Our Alan?”
It sounds preposterous, but it’s the truth. There was nothing seedy about our conversation. I delivered my line as instructed and went on about my business. My phone buzzes on the nightstand. Then again. And again. “It’s Pippa.” I turn my back, think better of it, then face Lolly as I put the call on speaker.
“You’ve seen?” Pippa’s calm reassures me. All will be well.
“We’ve seen.”
“I’ll have our people quash it.”
Lolly’s eyebrows shoot up.
“It’ll be gone within the hour. Sorry. It’s just… Well, I’ll explain when I see you. Sorry you got snagged. It’s unfortunate but, as you know, it comes with the territory. Thanks for diverting attention. Ourforeign frienddidn’t make the news, and that’s the best outcome we could hope for.”
“Nothing ever really goes away. Once it’s on the internet, someone has it. It’s always there.”
Pippa guffaws on the other end of the line. “We have a deeper reach than most. Trust me. It’ll be wiped.”
