Page 69 of The Healing Touch

“Point taken.” Dimitri smiled, finally giving up. The guy was cool, and he understood Becca was taken. He wouldn’t stick his nose in their friendship. “How are you? Everything okay?”

“So far.” She gestured to the wall of banners Henry built around them. “This helps.”

“You’ll tell me if it gets to be too much?”

“Yep.”

“Promise me, Becca.”

“I promise.” She rolled her eyes.

“Why are you being so blasé about this?” Dimitri couldn’t wrap his head around the change in her. Last night, she’d been on the verge of a nervous breakdown to the point he thought about rushing her to the ER, and today she was acting like nothing was wrong or would go wrong. He was on pins and needles, himself.

“Because you’re here with me.” She smiled shyly. “That’s the difference.”

His entire being swelled with pride.

They announced the group picture, and she shooed him away, assuring him she’d be fine. Not that he trusted that. He’d seen the faces of everyone eyeballing them with speculation. They had to be eager to gossip. It was the one thing he knew about the Indie community. They were gossips and could rip each other apart as soon as defend each other. He didn’t trust the other PAs not to try to chat her up.

Becca sank down in her chair, relieved when Dimitri finally left. He was getting on her nerves worse than the actual thought of crowds with his hovering. That was as bad as crowding her, but she knew he did it out of worry.

“Hey, Becca!”

Stacey Jamison approached the table, all smiles. Becca knew her from Facebook. She was author H.L. Harper’s PA, and a gossipmonger. She knew it was coming, but she’d hoped the signing would start and they’d have to wait until at least lunch to start in on the questions.

She took a deep breath and steeled herself. It was just Stacey. No one else. She could do this.

“Hi, Stacey. You and Heidi all set up?”

The girl bounced on her feet. “Yes, I was worried we wouldn’t get finished on time since we didn’t get in until late last night. We missed early setup.”

“That sucks.”

“So…um…you guys all ready?”

“Yeah, we’re good.” Becca watched, fascinated as the girl tried to get up the nerve to ask her about the crazy ex. She seemed to really want to ask but was almost afraid to. Might as well put her out of her misery.

“If it wasn’t for Dimitri’s crazy ex, I’d be peachy this morning.”

“Oh, yeah? The woman posting all that stuff about you?”

Becca nodded. “Dimitri broke up with her, and she seems to blame me for it, but he dumped her last week.”

“So, are you and Dimitri a thing?” Stacey lowered her voice conspiratorially.

“Dimitri’s my best friend, and aside from that, it’s really no one else’s business.” She kept her voice cheerful but made sure the bite in it was enough to get the girl’s attention. “I hate gossip and the drama rumors produce.”

“Oh, for sure.” Stacey nodded a little too emphatically. “Not that I believed you’d do anything to wreck their relationship, but some people might be thinking that.”

“Then they can keep on thinking it.” Becca pulled out the money box and started filling it up with change. “I don’t give a rat’s ass what other people think. If they want to be so ugly as to think any of her hateful spiel is true, then that’s on them.”

“You tell her, girlfriend!”

Jacqueline Crantz pushed Stacey out of the way and started looking over all the swag. Jac was a blogger and one of the first people to showcase Dimitri’s books. They’d gotten to know each other pretty well over the last few years.

“If you’re getting all sweaty in the sheets with the eye candy, good for you. If not, good for you. It’s none of anyone’s business.”

“Eye candy? Is that all I am to you? I feel so dirty…I think I need a shower. Perving on the eye candy. Shame on you!”

---