Page 39 of House of Deceit

Charlie playing Marco Polo in the pool with Keith and a few others seems to have been a light-hearted moment the audience enjoyed and I mentally pat myself on the back. Their friendship makes no sense, but their connection is there. Keith doesn’t seem to be attached to anyone beyond my red-headed smart ass.

The crowd loves her humor, but what they love even more is her budding romance with Parker. As much as I wanted to keep the talk on the daybed out for selfish reasons, the director in me knew it was good television.

There are few things audiences love more than love.

My butt is numb from sitting on the lumpy bed of my hotel room for three hours, scrolling various message boards, articles, and daytime shows for any hint of the feeling the public holds for Charlie. My notebook is full of various feedback they don’t know they are giving me so we can adjust our approach.

We’re only in week two, and she’s standing out exactly like I knew she would.

The song “Barbie Girl” blares from somewhere deep in the covers and I mentally curse out my sister.

“How many times have I told you to stop adding a ringtone to your contact?” I ask without preamble when her face fills my screen.

“About as many times as I told you to stop kissing my friends under the bleachers in high school. We aren’t even yet. You need to talk to your best friend. He’s pissing me off,” Lorelei says.

Part of the agreement between the three of us when they started dating was they would not put me in the middle of any relationship drama. I open my mouth to remind her of this, but she cuts me off.

“I told him I didn’t want him to propose when you weren’t here to celebrate, and what does that lug head do?”

“Tank proposed?” I sit up straight on my bed. “When?”

“Today!” She lifts her hand in front of the camera, banishing her fake anger. “Isn’t it gorgeous?”

Happiness fills every molecule of my body. My sister is my favorite person on the entire planet, and I never thought she would find someone I felt deserved her. But then again, Tank has taken care of her in a way she would be lucky to have for the rest of her life.

“He didn’t ask my permission,” I say, fake angry.

She rolls her eyes. The job of a brother annoying his sister is never done.

“I’m not a prize-winning cow. You have no say in the matter.”

“You’re way too snarky to win any prizes. As a human or a cow,” I tell her.

“Congratulate me or so help me God, I will slap your photo on a billboard on the main drag announcing you have chlamydia.”

I smile at the threat, a favorite of hers. “Congratulations. I’m glad you’ll be making Tank’s life hell until the end of time. We’ll celebrate when I get done filming. Deal?”

“Deal. Speaking of filming, your girl is a stunner. If I liked women, I’d make you introduce me.”

“Why does everyone keep telling me how beautiful she is like I’m blind?” I ask, exasperated.

“Knowing how you get during the season, I doubt you’ve noticed. Then again, you’ve not had to spend quality time with a knockout during a season either. But who the fuck is this Parker guy and why is he encroaching on your girl?”

“She’s not my girl in the way you mean, and he’s not encroaching. Frank is Parker’s wrangler. He picked that clip this week and I approved.”

She scowls as she studies my face for any hint of my underlying feelings and, in that moment, she looks more like Mom than I’ve ever seen her.

Grief envelopes me suddenly, my eyes going misty. My thumb hovers over the hang-up button but Lore and I made a pact we wouldn’t hide our sadness from each other.

The world, yes, if we must. But each other? Never.

“Are you okay?” she asks, sensing the change in me.

“I just wish Mom was here. To help you plan the wedding. The sound of her voice is fading in my head and then you gave me that look and for a moment, I heard it. Clear as a bell.”

Her mouth downturns as she tries to fight her own tears. Knowing I don’t want to delve any deeper into my emotions, she shows me her love by changing the subject.

“Have you kissed her yet?”

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