Page 126 of Not Exactly a Small-Town Romance

Time to go for broke, it seems. “But slow where it’s important.”

“Oh, my.”

Yeah, I’ve got her.

I drop my cell phone on my bed. There. Done. I’m back to my manwhore ways, getting my ass out of town, and it’ll be fine. No Kelsey. No regret. Moving on. I have no choice.

She’s in good hands. The right hands.

Time for me to head to the office.

When I arrive, Jester is pulling files out of the wall of cabinets, an old system Desdemona insists on keeping.

He looks up as I close the door. “You’re back?” He steps off the stool he needs for the top drawers. “Where’s our girl?”

“She fell for the lumberjack from Wyoming. Grandmama approves of her, and she’s living the small-town dream. That’s a wrap.”

“Well, damn, Zachery. I thought you two were gonna figure it out.” He heads to the coffee bar and pours me a hefty cup.

I sit at Kelsey’s desk, fingering the glass unicorns. “Thanks. Yeah, I don’t know what she’s going to do about Desdemona. She can’t work from Wyoming indefinitely.”

Jester perches on the corner of Kelsey’s desk and sets the cup in front of me. “For sure, for sure.”

I take a sip, savoring the jolt of caffeine. “I’m headed to Venice with Catalina Ferrig. I need tickets for me and her for Thursday, plus hotels and cars. I’ll handle getting the festival passes.”

Jester moves to stand in front of me with his arms crossed like he’s Perturbed in Pink. “You can’t possibly.”

“I can. And it’s on Desdemona’s orders.”

“How will we cover for Kelsey if Desdemona comes for the soccer shoot?”

“Not my problem.” I’ll keep my distance from now on. Maybe even cut Desdemona loose. If Kelsey’s going to be gone soon anyway, I don’t have much keeping me here.

“Think it over before you get all rash,” Jester says. “Sow your oats with Catalina if you need to, but promise me you’ll come back for the shoot. It’s next Tuesday. You can be here. I assume you’re going toFestival Cinema?”

“Yeah.”

“Fly back Monday. Be here.”

He’s really pushing this thing. “I’ll think about it.” I set the unicorn down. I never did learn from Kelsey what they were for or where they came from.

But after learning more about her, including those hundreds of drafts to her mother, I bet I know. They belonged to her mom, or were gifts from her, or some shared experience.

I did something unwise.

That’s what she said in her email.

It was true.

Anything with me is unwise. Even Catalina might be unwise, letting me seduce her into working with a director she hates.

I press the heel of my hand into my face. God, I’m tired.

“Go get some sleep,” Jester says. “You look like you’ve been on a bender. Things will look different with a good meal and some shut-eye.”

He’s right. I’ve been awake for twenty hours straight.

I push away from Kelsey’s desk, possibly for the last time.

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