Page 80 of Hot Set

His eyes glaze. I know that look. He’s attempting to reconcile his ongoing conflict between Donal Cam’s image and Jack O’Leary’s life.

Meg jumps on his moment of hesitation. “Bobby and I have met with every department.” She thumps a file on her desk labeledNDAthat holds the non-disclosure agreements we’ve all signed to avoid leaks fromThe Chieftain’s Sonuniverse. “News of your engagement is currently on lock down.”

Locked down or not, it’s really happening. Jack and I clasp hands, and I’m adrift in his ocean blue eyes. This wonderful man is going to be my husband long after all ten seasons ofTheChieftain’s Sonare available on Blu-ray.

He gives Meg a lopsided smile. “That’ll be fine until our wedding come fall unlocks it.”

The strangled cry from across the desk shatters our ten seconds of bliss. Meg’s face doesn’t have a drop of color left. “Thisfall?” She leaps to her feet and paces behind her desk. “You can’t. A wedding that soon will shred your fandom.”

Jack pounds the arm of the chair with his fist. “I won’t—”

Meg sits down hard. Twin lines of light from the desk lamp give the appearance that we’ve shocked streaks of gray through her chestnut hair.

I grip Jack’s bicep, signaling him not to speak as Meg takes a shaky breath. A pang of sympathy catches me by surprise. She and Bobby seem to be vying for the workaholic of the year award. Does she have any semblance of a personal life away from the show? On the night she dragged me away from Jack in Howth, she was interviewing Cam O’Sullivan, no relation to Donal Cam, her new assistant. After the interview, she’d been alone at Lobster Lee’s with nothing but an overflowing glass of wine for company. For the two years Treat and I were in limbo rather than investing in a real relationship, seeing couples who were obviously in love was painful. It made me acutely aware of what I didn’t have.

Do Jack and I make Meg feel that way?

“Here me out,” Meg levels her gaze at me. “I needThe Chieftain’s Sonto make a splash at Cali Con this summer.” She rubs the bridge of her nose. “The show and the man.”

Jack twirls his hands for her to get on with it. Thank goodness he’s calmed down enough to let her say her peace.

Her intense gaze sends a shiver through my body.

“I need time before you two officially go public.” Jack sputters, but she continues. “Teasing the relationship between Jack and Niks already ballooned our ratings, inspired new online fan sites, and my phone is ringing off the hook for interviews. Help me work that scenario for all its worth. All I’m asking is some semblance of subtlety on your part to give me a shot at finishing the success we’ve set in motion.”

The pleading look on her face softens Meg’s features, humanizing the publicity machine.

I’m not as gut-punched any more by the trumped-up love between real life Donal Cam and Nieve. It turns out Niks, Marisa, and I have a girl band chemistry I really enjoy. Besides Jack’s sister, Bonnie, and his nieces, Niks and Marisa are the biggest cheerleaders for our engagement. I tilt my head at Meg. “How long do you need?” If Niks and Marisa have to make a sacrifice, I can be subtle for a while, at least in public.

She steeples her fingers. “True Time wants us to stay the Jack/Niks course until after the season two finale airs.”

“We’re done here.” Jack shoots to his feet with a snarl, dragging me toward the door of the office.

The look of panic in Meg’s eyes enlarges the soft spot I’m beginning to feel for her. Her motives and insane drive exist because of her dedication to the show. The three of us share that.

A bargaining chip suddenly occurs to me. I pull Jack down to whisper in his ear. After I finish, his eyes search my face. When I nod, he touches his forehead to mine for a moment before we slip into a quick but thorough kiss.

I pivot to face Meg and lean back against Jack’s broad chest, pulling his arms around me. It may be my imagination, but I swear I catch a fleeting look of longing on Meg’s face as she stares at our vertical snuggle. A moment later, the matching grins on our faces send her eyebrows skyward.

My smile widens even more. “We’ll play True Time’s game until the season two finale drops on one condition.”

Meg studies us before tapping a pen to her chin. “Which is?”

I’m the one calling the shots on the cat and mouse game now. “You help secure us a wedding venue guaranteed to keep out any unsanctioned media attention.”

Jack rests his chin on my head. “Shouldn’t be too big a bother for you since we’ll be well into shooting location scenes for season three by then.”

Meg does not miss the mischief in Jack’s voice. Her eyes dart back and forth between us with suspicion. She takes what can only be identified as a cleansing breath. “I assume you’ve already got a specific place in mind?”

I tilt my head back to see Jack’s face. His eyes twinkle like sparks from a bonfire. He bobs his chin at Meg, and we say together, “The Skelligs.”

If I had to wager, I’d say not much shocks Meg. But this does. By the end of season two, my future husband will be so insanely famous, any hope of a private wedding will be a pipe dream, unless we exchange vows on a rock in the sea covered in puffins with near-impossible access.

I giggle as Jack scoops me up in his arms and lets out a triumphant laugh. “Paint that scenario for us Meg, and we’ll buy you the canvas.

Epilogue

We honestly intended to honor Meg’s timeline. In her P.R. scenario, Jack O’Leary and Gillian Bettencourt will tie the knot on Skellig Michael off the coast of Ireland in June a year from now. The event will be great publicity for the show, so of course Jack and I promise to be one hundred percent on board for Meg’s hoopla.

---