Page 65 of Nothing to Do

“Logan… Logan Lowe? I didn’t know he was coming.”

“Someone has to field the ire.”

Roman’s ire. Idiot got way too much airtime in everyone’s lives. Anyone in his periphery suddenly found their whole existence revolved around him.

“You have a lot of brothers,” she said, accepting a glass. “You must know how it works.”

“Yeah, sometimes it’s better when there are no witnesses.”

Everyone had their drinks, but it wasn’t exactly the most relaxed of moments with a score of people clamoring for their attention. Not theirs, Zairn’s and he was doing a great job of ig—

All of a sudden, he stood up. She had no idea why until, ah, Roxie came rushing past the guards at the deck and clacked across the deck in heels.

“Sorry, sorry, sorry,” Roxie said, bowing to press her chest against Zairn, one of her knees bending to raise her foot high behind her. “I’m here now, did you miss me?”

“Always, Lola.”

Together, they went to the rail to satisfy the crowd.

“Will they be okay?” she asked, unsure she’d want to be the focus of such fervor.

“They do this all the time,” Zane said.

“There’s a constant crowd outside Crimson Palace in New York,” Tripp said. “Even when the Empress isn’t in residence.”

She smiled. “The Empress?”

“Zairn was always popular,” Tripp said, examining the view of celebs and fans. “But since Roxie it’s been…”

“Think she turned things around for a lot of people.”

“You remember how much scrutiny he used to get?” Tripp asked, exhaling and slouching in his seat to address Zane. “The stress of it? Especially after Dayah.”

“He handles it differently now,” Zane said to Tripp and as a kind of explanation to her. “Now even when the press ishounding him for screwing around or their breakup thing… he’s lighter.”

“He knows it was bullshit,” Tripp said. “Anyone who knows him knows it’s bullshit.”

God, she hoped that was true. “Why would the press think he’s screwing around?” How heartbreaking, it was difficult to imagine it of the man she’d met the other night. “Why did they break up?”

“They didn’t.” Zane and Tripp shared a smile. “Roxie is great at the theater, and Zairn’s a fucking rock. They are the most… I’ve never known a couple so together, so solid.”

“And this coming from the guy whose parents have been together thirty-something years.”

Another exhale and a laugh from Tripp. “My folks have never known life without each other, adult life anyway. Zairn and Roxie…” All eyes drifted to the couple. “They know how to appreciate what they have, how to nurture it.”

“Roxie’s got an energy about her,” Zane said. “And she has good instincts with the media.”

“Also helps that she’s got them eating out the palm of her hand.”

“Thea…” The female voice attracted her attention and there was Roxie, dipping to kiss her cheek and steal the seat beside her. “Who’s eating out of your hand? Zane?”

“Not me.”

“You,” Tripp said. “We’re talking about your innate talent for bullshit.”

Rather than be offended, Roxie smiled, watching her guy pour her drink. “It’s a honed ability. And a necessary one.” Zairn put her drink down and Roxie immediately took his hand. “Isn’t it, Skippy?”

“Uh oh,” Tripp said. “What did you do?” Why would he think…? “She only calls him Skippy when he’s pissed her off.”

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