Page 100 of Courting Gossip (Courting)
‘Yes, the astronauts.’ Nina tucked her hair behind her ear. ‘Josh has a burr under his saddle about them.’
‘Josh?’ Genieve asked carefully.
She was stunned to see Nina’s cheeks turn pink.
‘Hot tea with honey,’ she told the waitress when the woman dropped by.
Genieve waited patiently.
‘Yes, Josh Morgan.’ Nina straightened the silverware on the table before her. ‘My detective. We’ve been seeing one another.’
‘Oh, Nina. I’m so happy for you.’ Genieve laid her hand over her friend’s on the table. She truly was excited. Nina was such a private person, but she needed somebody strong enough to match her, and the detective deserved to go weak in the knees. ‘I think you two are really good together.’
‘Thank you. Actually, that’s what I wanted to talk to you about.’
‘Your relationship with the cop?’
Nina nodded. ‘I think you can help, but first, how are you?’ Her boss’s brown eyes took on the observant cast that nobody could escape. ‘You were upset when you called me wanting to cancel your contract, but then when we spoke about Kevin Murphy, things appeared to be better?’
Genieve glanced out the window. People were still walking by. The Metro station was only a block away. Lights in neighbouring buildings showed others were burning the late-night oil. She wondered how Brody’s work was going.
‘We had our first fight,’ she said quietly. Even thinking back, it hurt. She roused herself and gave Nina a wink. ‘Then we made up.’
Nina wasn’t as easily manipulated as Darien had been. ‘Is it just a fling, or is it serious?’
Genieve bit her lip. Was it time to be honest? She didn’t think the situation was going to change. She knew it wouldn’t from her end. ‘Very.’
‘Oh, good,’ her boss said, relaxing back against the booth. She smiled politely when the waitress brought her drink, and she put the tea bag in the hot water to steep.
‘Good?’ Genieve ventured. ‘I didn’t know if you liked him or not.’
‘If you like him, then I do, too.’ Nina touched her earring. ‘And I’ve noticed the thawing in his cold exterior. He gave me a heads-up that the two of you are going after Murphy?’
Genieve winced. She should have thought to do that. Luxxor had as much at stake as they did. ‘I hope we didn’t step on your toes.’
‘Not at all.’ Nina’s smile showed the icy steel that was at her core. ‘Feel free to take your shot at the bastard.’
Genieve nodded and drank some water.
‘Brody’s not cold,’ she said quietly. Not when you knew how to read him. ‘Trust me.’
‘He’s protective of you.’
‘So is your detective. How did you get him to drop the investigation into Luxxor?’
Nina tilted her head. ‘You took away any probable cause he might have had.’
‘Something tells me he didn’t want to look too hard for more.’
‘Maybe.’ Nina dunked the tea bag up and down. Finally, she removed it and added the honey.
Her movements were so crisp, Genieve knew something was up. Her boss had called her out in the middle of the night, and she’d arrived looking like Cinderella at the ball. This wasn’t like Nina at all. It felt like impulse. It felt like something big.
‘Do you love him, Nina?’
‘Yes,’ her boss said throatily. Her eyes seemed darker when her gaze pinned her from across the table. ‘Are you in love with Brody?’
‘Desperately,’ Genieve said.
