Page 152 of Divorced from Number Thirty-Eight
I hold my breath.
“And what do you say to critics who say her job is…”
He sits back and crosses his arms, brows lifting. “I’ll wait while you attempt to find a word that properly denigrates the beautiful stories that my Faye brings into the world.”
My heart starts pounding.
The interviewer opens her mouth, closes it. Then lifts her chin. “Some would say it’s filth.”
“And yet, I got no pushback about being naked in the body issue of a famous sports magazine and TV shows that are filled sex and violence get national awards.” He raises his eyebrows. “But a love story where the main characters fall in love and find enjoyment in every part of that is somehow…filth?”
“Oh, he’s good,” Luna says.
I jerk, not having realized that I still have my phone pressed to my ear, that she’s still on the line.
But I can’t hang up.
Not when I’m soaking in every word.
“And have you enjoyed being her inspiration?”
“God, where’d they find this bitch?” Luna mutters.
“If anyone finds similarities between me and the heroes that Faye writes then all I can say is that I’d be honored to have a modicum of what makes them so special to her readers.” A self-deprecating chuckle. “Though, before people get too carried away, I’d remind them that imagination is a thing…and that I don’t have the secret ability to turn into a wolf.” He winks at the camera.
Pride bubbles up in my throat.
“Fuck yeah,” Luna whispers.
“Let’s transition to the topic of your wife,” the interviewer says. “Because I do believe you’re still married—something I can’t imagine the Grizzlies organization is happy about, considering you’re carrying on this blatant affair.”
Gray’s lips press flat. Then he sighs. “As you know, my soon-to-be-ex-wife and myself have a long and complicated past, but in the spirit of honesty, I’ll share that the divorce papers are signed and filed, and all that’s left before the both of us can officially move on is for a judge to sign off on our agreement.” He smiles pointedly. “In fact, she recently shared with me the exciting news of her engagement.”
“Oh wow, and that doesn’t bring up any hard feelings for you?”
“No,” he says. “Because I’ve fallen in love with a strong, smart resilient woman who’s shown me more of the world than I ever thought possible.”
“Like what?”
He looks at the camera and my breath catches because it’s like he’s right here in the room with me, staring into my eyes, murmuring. “Like how to make banana bread.”
There’s a pause, a long pause.
Then, “Banana bread?”
“Yup.” He stands, tugging off his microphone, setting it carefully in the chair. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a flight to catch.”
“Luna?” I whisper.
“I think he’s got his head on straight,” she says pride in every word.
“I…I’m not sure about that. I mean what if he was just doing that to protect me?”
“He was.”
I gasp. Because that didn’t come through the phone. It came from?—
“Gr-Gray,” I stutter, desperately trying to process the fact that he was just on TV and now he’s standing in the doorway of his bedroom. “I?—”
