Page 12 of Kiss Me at Midnight
Jud wasn’t buying it. He saw greed in Darian’s eyes, not sincerity.
“Darian…” Jud wasn’t sure what to say. He glanced at the large yacht towering beside them. It had sleek lines but the tackiest light sconces along the exterior deck–a tangle of black metal strips with glass peeking out.
“Ah, here he is.” Darian pointed to a man with a camera on the other side of the security fence who aimed a football-sized lens their way.
Click-click-click.
Darian’s expression returned to the pleasant smile that was his baseline. “Before you take up with a boring fake girlfriend, maybe my friend with the camera can capture a shot of you with Rachel Cohen. She’s got plenty of buzz around her.” Jud’s agent wasn’t giving up on the status quo.
“Yoohoo!” a woman’s warbly voice called.
“No need to decide about the network offer today, Jud. You’re going on a private cruise.” Darian tucked his tie back beneath his jacket. “You’re flying back on Friday. I’ll tell the network to expect your answer then.”
“Yoohoo!Yes, I’m talking to you.” Dotty mashed a floppy straw hat on her head, shouldered a large red tapestry bag, and wheeled a small black suitcase behind her. She wove her way down the ramp like a race car navigating the curves on Mulholland Drive. “A little help, oh, hero mine.”
Jud hurried to assist the old woman before she fell into the harbor. “Dotty, what are you doing here?” She wasn’t supposed to be sailing with them. “Does Lily know you’re coming?”
“Of course not. But I’m an adult with bank accounts and charge cards of my own.” Dotty wore a pink velour track suit, white orthopedic sneakers, and pearls. She put her floppy hat on Jud’s head, which elicited several camera clicks. “Not to mention Abe invited me, too. I gave up a vow of silence for this trip and I’m going to enjoy talking and singing during every minute of it.”
“You know this woman?” Darian frowned.
“Of course, Jud knows me. We spenthourstogether last night.” Dotty’s short white hair blew this way and that in the breeze. Uncaring, she turned her attention to Jud. “Did you bring your superhero suit? I’d like to try it on.”
Oh.Jud wasn’t sure what to say to that.
Darian knew what to say. “No superhero suit for you, ma’am.” He swiped Dotty’s hat from Jud’s head just as the porter who’d collected Jud’s luggage hurried down the yacht’s gang plank. He handed the straw hat to the porter, directing him to take Dotty’s bags from Jud. “I’m sure you brought your knitting to keep you busy.”
“Knitting?” Dotty snorted. “What kind of grandma do you think I am, young man? I brought my two-piece. I anticipate singing show tunes in the hot tub every night with Jud.” Head held high, Dotty followed the porter up the gang plank belting outSeventy Six Trombones.
Jud grinned. Props to the old gal for handling a high-powered talent agent as if he were a middle schooler.
“I thought you were cruising with Rachel Cohen?” Darian scrubbed a hand over his short black hair. “A picture with you and Grandma is worth nothing to our network deal.”
“Forget the network deal,” Jud said through gritted teeth.
“Shoot.” Lily came down the ramp toting a much larger suitcase than her grandmother had packed. Hair in a loose bun, she wore blue Keds, blue jeans, a soft blue crew neck sweater. Her black frames had slid down on her nose. “Tell me that wasn’t my grandmother getting on board just now.”
Jud rushed forward to greet Lily with a quick hug and a kiss to her cheek, which was not enthusiastically received. “I’m not going to tell you anything that might upset you, honey. Look.” He slung his arm over Lily’s shoulders and pointed to the cameraman.
Lily smoothly slipped from beneath his embrace, but not fast enough to escape the paparazzi. “Is that the wedding photographer?”
“I don’t think so.” Jud collected her suitcase handle and wheeled it to the gang plank. “Let’s call it practice.” He introduced her to Darian. “Lily is my date this week. You just met her grandmother.”
Darian’s mouth dropped open. “But she’s…”
“My date.” Jud gave Lily a smile designed to charm, which wasn’t hard considering he found her charming.
“Oh.Thatdate,” Darian said knowingly, earning Lily’s raised brows.
The porter returned for Lily’s suitcase.
“Please tell me I’m sharing a room with my grandmother,” Lily said, eyes firmly on the porter. “She’s in need of a keeper.”
“Yes, ma’am.” The porter led the way up the gang plank.
“Ma’am,” Lily muttered, shaking her head as she followed him.
“I have no idea what you’re doing,” Darian said once Lily had reached the yacht. “But I can tell it’s not in your best interest. I’ll pay the photographer to delete the photos with Mary Poppins and Grandma. But I beg you. Don’t get on that ship.”
