Page 64 of Where There's Smoke

“I might have had to hurt someone.”

“No kidding.”

“Oh, that reminds me,” she said. “Speaking of people who I sometimes want to hurt, I got a call from my agent yesterday.”

“Is that right?” I brought my coffee cup to my lips and cautiously took a sip.

She nodded. “About a potential sequel toBlack River.”

“Seriously?” I leaned against the counter. “I didn’t think they were going to do a sequel to that one.”

Simone shrugged. “Apparently Edwin’s got a hair up his ass and wants to direct a second, possibly a third film.”

“You going to do it?”

“I want to see the script before I sign anything in blood, but if anyone can pull it off, it’s Edwin. So, probably.”

“That’s great,” I said. “If it’s anything like the first one, people will love it.”

She held up her free hand with her fingers crossed. “Here’s hoping.” She set her coffee cup down and reached for the pot. “So did you and Anthony have a good time last night?”

I nearly dropped my own coffee. “What? I…um…”

Simone laughed. “Come on, I know you two weren’t dealing with campaign crap last night. Not after the way you guys spent dinner eye fucking each other from across the table.” My face burned, and she giggled. “It’s okay, Jess. You know I’m fine with it.”

“Well, yeah, I know, but…” I hesitated. “Are you really sure this doesn’t bother you?”

She laughed again, too easily this time. “No, of course it doesn’t.” She playfully narrowed her eyes. “And I know what you two were doing, so don’t even try to deny it.”

I cleared my throat and dropped my gaze, focusing on my coffee. “We…um…yeah, we had a good time.”

“So he’s good, then?”

“Simone!”

She snickered. “Oh come on. He’s gorgeous, but he’s gay. At least indulge me and let me live vicariously through you.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Simone…”

She gestured dismissively. “Okay,fine.” Reaching for the stack of mail that had accumulated while we were both out of town, she added, “Or you could just tell me he’s awful so I don’t envy the hell out of you for snagging him.”

“Would you believe me if I said it?”

“Nope.”

Laughing, I shook my head and picked up my coffee again. As I took a sip, Simone pulled a colorful tabloid magazine out of the stack of mail.

“Must you read that stuff?” I asked.

She shrugged. “I’m curious what they say about us.”

“Exactly why I avoid them.”

“Well, I’d rather hear it straight from the horse’s mouth than have someone catch me off guard during an interview or something.”

“Okay, good point. But still…”

She shrugged again and opened the magazine while I forced myself not to grumble about it. Not a week went by that these idiots didn’t have something to say about us. With every page Simone turned, every hiss of paper across paper, I cringed a little more, because it was only a matter of—

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