Another direct hit. I pressed a hand to my chest like there might be blood.
“Hey guys, leaving the wedding so soon?” Both of us whirled to catch Peter exiting his car, surrounded by smoke. The guy was hotboxing his car at a wedding? Was he in high school?
“No,” Nora said quickly, a fake smile on her face. “It was just…getting crowded in there. Thought we would get some air.”
Peter wandered over to us, surrounded by a cloud of whatever he’d been smoking.
“Great time, huh?” he said.
“Sure. If you’re high,” I muttered. I don’t know why this guy bothered me so much, but he did. Inserting himself into Nora’s trauma, insisting he could tell her story when Nora was the best storyteller I’d ever known. The way he looked at her…I especially didn’t like that.
“Helps me socialize,” Peter said with a shrug, brushing aside my judgement. Which. Fair. “Nora, I would love to get some time with you to discuss this book.”
“Well,” she said. “I’m not sure…”
“Preliminarily. I understand you’re not committing, just yet. What I’m really hoping, is you might know how I could reach Rene.”
“The fuck?” I asked. What was this guy smoking?
Nora grabbed my hand and squeezed it, telling me to stand down. “Why would you want to talk to him?”
“I have to get his side of things, if I’m going to tell this story accurately.”
“He’s a criminal. And a liar.” she said tightly. “There is no accurately when it comes to him. If you want accuracy, talk to the dozens of women he’s destroyed.”
“No doubt,” Peter agreed, a little too casually for my taste.No doubt?“I’d like that information too. I don’t want to interview you two together or anything. But everyone has a story to tell. I just want to be the narrator.”
“Narrate this, Pete,” I said firmly. “Nora isn’t going to have anything to do with that asshole. And you don’t mention him around Nora. Ever.”
“Dude, you’re being really extra right now.” He looked at our hands, still clasped in the folds of her skirt, his eyes got wide. “Wait? So you two are a thing?”
“No!” Nora pulled her hand away and I had to let it go.
Nora tucked her hair behind her ear, even though there was no hair to tuck there. It was a nervous gesture, one she’d had her whole life. “Look,” she said, making her point clear. “The only thing I care about when it comes to Rene is that he gets what is coming to him. I don’t want to talk to him. Or about him. I want him to go to jail. So, I’m sorry Peter, but I really don’t think working on this book with you is a good idea.”
Yeah. That’s right. Nora could fight her own battles. But Peter stepped closer.
“The demand for this story is huge. This is a major seven figure advance. Of course, you’d be entitled to a percent of that. We’re talking serious money, Nora. Life changing money.”
“She said she’s not interested,” I stepped forward, putting myself between Peter and Nora.
“I’m not letting this go yet,” Peter said, backing away from us. “Real money, Nor. Think about it.”
He turned, shoved his hands into his suit pant pockets and headed back to the barn where the reception was being held.
“That guy’s an asshole,” I said.
“He’s just chasing down a good story.”
“You tempted by the money?” I asked her. Real money. Life changing money. Money so that she didn’t have to work in my garage anymore. “I did give you that raise.”
She laughed and I could feel the tension between us ebbing. She shook her head. “I’ve had money. Life changing money. It’s not all that. Sometimes it just gets you into trouble.”
“You want to go back in there?” I motioned with my thumb back toward where the music was pumping out of the old barn. She looked at me, with narrowed eyes. “Don’t think I’ve forgotten I’m still mad at you.”
Right, that moment on the dance floor. Her being irresistible and my body reacting like an over-eager dog.
I’d almost kissed her.
