Chapter 7
Zinnia
Courthouse marriages were truly what you made of them.
Movies never mentioned signing the license, waiting for it to be processed, or booking an officiant. An accurate timeline would make things feel less spontaneous and more like an active decision.
Zinnia wore her favorite white pantsuit and made a simple bouquet.
Jordan looked handsome as ever in another all-black suit.
They mutually agreed to go with the traditional vows and the judge didn’t even require them to kiss.
He said, “I now pronounce you married. Congratulations,” and shuffled along to the next couple.
No wedding cake. No first dance. No writing on the car’s back window as they drove to the airport. They were married and that was that.
But they did get one gift: Grace and Fiona volunteered to cat-sit Beta Carotene while they were off shooting the show—their version of a peace offering. Her friends didn’t hate Jordan. They needed to give him a chance first to earn that particular honor.
A low-grade nervousness buzzed at the back of Zinnia’s neck during the entire flight. She couldn’t stop reliving Fiona’s teary goodbye and Grace’s tight, gasping hug. She turned off airplane mode as soon as they landed, eager to read all the group chat messages she knew were waiting for her.
Fiona had captured every second of Beta Carotene’s adventure commandeering Zinnia’s room. She showed Jordan a picture of the giant lump in the middle of her bed under the blankets.
“That’s good. He’ll be used to your scent by the time we get back.” They were waiting at the baggage claim. “The only thing he hates more than going outside is my sister. It’s on sight with Lulie—growling, hissing, spitting. He’s suddenly a completely different cat.”
“Why?”
“Don’t know. He’s pretty friendly with everyone else. He also hates dogs and any cat older than a kitten.”
He retrieved their suitcases from the conveyor belt and extended the handle for her. A severe-looking man holding a digital sign that read Olympus swiftly ushered them from the pickup area to the inside of an idling SUV.
After about twenty minutes, their driver stopped the car in front of an oversized wrought-iron gate. The house beyond was massive, multilevel, and painted a warm cream color.
“My parents bought the house when the show got renewed for a second season. They wanted a dedicated place for filming and to have once it was over. It’s their forever home,” Jordan explained, voice soft and head dipped close to hers.
“That’s so sweet.” And strangely economical.
He warned her that the second she stepped foot inside, all expectations of privacy disappeared.
There’d be several camera pods on rotating shifts with a producer.
Every room and hallway had at least one camera installed in the ceiling.
Bathrooms were an exception, but she shouldn’t be surprised if they followed her and waited outside.
Zinnia figured living there would feel a lot like shopping in a store with a government-grade surveillance system. They saw everything everyone did. They wanted customers to know they were being watched and tailed by Loss Prevention.
That never stopped her from shopping. She usually didn’t even register it happening. And when she did, she went out of her way to ask LP or employees for help. If they wanted to follow her so damn bad, then they might as well be her personal shoppers for the day.
Instead of taking the curved path toward the courtyard and front door, their driver continued going straight until they reached a spacious open-air garage.
Jesus, did one family really need so many cars? It was practically a showroom. She counted at least ten—and three motorcycles?!
“That’s where we’ll be staying instead of the main house.” He removed his seat belt and gestured to her right. “It’s the only place where we won’t be watched.”
In the distance, a one-story bungalow sat in the shadow of the much larger main house. Painted powder blue with white trim, it looked far more inviting too. A small cluster of people, all wearing identical pale green jumpsuits, were sitting on the porch.
“It’s so cute and starter home–sized.”
“I’m glad you think so. I really want you to be comfortable here.”
“You don’t like it?”
“I’ll get used to it. Let’s go. They’re waiting for us.”
She exited the car and followed his lead. “Wait, what about our stuff?”
“They’ll take care of it.”
And who the hell were they? She was about to ask, but then he took her hand in his and squeezed gently.
“Is this okay?”
He sounded nervous, but his palm was warm, and what he was asking for made sense. They were married now—he wanted to approach the green jumpsuit gang together.
“Yeah. I got you.” Holding his hand as they walked across the lawn made the moment feel intensely bright. Once again, that could’ve been the sun. It beamed down like it was running out of time to help make those May flowers.
A harried-looking woman with black hair pulled into a messy bun broke away from the group and met them on the top step. “Alfie.”
“Mabel.”
“Welcome home.”
The remaining green jumpsuits descended upon them like a swarm.
Zinnia was flanked by two people explaining the microphone she now had to wear anytime she was outside the bungalow and instructions for taking it off at night.
There was a small black box on the porch to place it in for safekeeping.
They’d make sure it stayed charged and ready for her.
They asked, “Any questions?”
“Just one. What are your names?”
“That doesn’t matter. Do you have questions about the microphone setup?”
She shook her head.
“Good. We’re not here unless there’s an emergency. Don’t look at us. Don’t talk to us. We’re literal flies on the wall.”
“Then why are you wearing bright green?”
“Easier to edit us out if we accidentally get in the shot.”
Mabel clapped her hands twice. “First storyline is in position. Delta resume. Gamma on Z. Epsilon on Hermes.”
“What’s all that mean?” Zinnia asked Jordan.
“Oh…Uh…” He blinked a few times, hesitating. “Basically, production uses code names, my family knows we’re here, and they’re waiting for us.”
The first floor of the house had a shocking number of sliding glass doors on the side they approached. At least one led to a bedroom, another to what looked like a game room, and they entered through a picturesque kitchen straight out of a department store.
Jordan continued leading the way, making a left turn at the first corner. The walls were stark white and accented with a striking deep blue. She caught a quick glimpse of herself in a large gold hallway mirror—pants not too wrinkled, makeup okay, hair good.
Grace had stayed up with her almost all night, helping her braid her hair. She’d said, “Like I’d let you look raggedy on camera. Don’t piss me off.”
Zinnia had settled on micro twists for the versatility. Easy to wash, dry, and pull back into a ponytail to hide when she started redoing them one section at a time over the course of a week.
“You look great,” Jordan reassured her softly. “Ready?”
She smiled at him. “Ready.”
They entered a sizeable living room and Lulie spotted Jordan first. She screeched and jumped over the back of the couch.
Zinnia moved out of the way in time for him to catch his sister in midair, and then stepped back again while his family greeted him with hugs, slaps on the back, kisses on cheeks, and inside jokes.
No one noticed her except for her camera pod steadfastly filming.
Watching their reunion was like browsing in an antique store and being bewitched by the big happy family forever smiling inside a snow globe.
Zinnia patiently waited with her hands clasped in front of her.
It didn’t feel right to think of his family as hers too.
They were married but not merged. Not yet.
She didn’t belong to them the way he did.
“Everyone.” Jordan stepped away from his family and wrapped an arm around Zinnia’s waist—she managed not to yelp as he gently pulled her close. “This is Zinnia, my wife. Surprise! We got married today.”
Wife by itself had a little pizzazz. Left a gentle sizzle behind.
My wife exploded like an overturned tanker truck full of gas. Knocked her off her axis so bad, she wasn’t sure how she was still standing.
But what the hell did that man mean by surprise? As in his family didn’t know who she was? Judging by the looks on their faces, the answer was a threatening no.
Lulie glared at her as if she’d stolen something. His dad, Damon, clutched his chest. His mom, Amber, looked ready to fight her. Only his brother, Wylie, seemed more entertained than upset. He was grinning like a treacherous house cat who’d just found the helpless canary in the coal mine.
“I know this seems sudden, but when you know, you know, right? I met Zinnia and I knew.” Jordan began recapping their supposed “whirlwind love story.” Some key details like how they’d met had been changed—through friends at a party instead of a dating app.
Others, like why they agreed to marry in the first place, were wholesale omitted.
Zinnia’s stomach dropped straight out of her body and was now being roasted in hell. He didn’t tell them she was coming. He hadn’t told them anything about her.
“Well. That sure is…something. We’re just happy you’re finally here.
” Amber’s neck and ears had turned a burning shade of furious, but the color didn’t make it past her jaw.
Full glam on an ordinary afternoon must’ve been the house standard.
She turned to Zinnia with a feral smile on par with Wylie’s.
“You as well. Welcome to—” She paused, as if the words were choking her on the way out. “Welcome to our family.”
Resounding silence filled every inch of empty space in the high-ceiling room as they all stared at Zinnia. She could practically hear the camera zooming in on her face.
Her traitorous costar gestured with his eyebrows for her to say something, but she didn’t know her lines because no one had given her a script.
“Can we have a minute?” Jordan asked. “We’ll meet you in the dining room.” Once they were gone, he tapped his mic—a reminder to watch her words. “What’s wrong?”
Why did you lie to me? She shook her head. “I don’t understand what’s happening.”
“Nothing is happening.” He laughed nervously, eyes darting to the camera pod who’d stayed behind. “Just be yourself. They’re gonna love you.”
And with those very loose directions, he led her back into the fray.
His family was huddled in front of an intense-looking wooden dining table.
The intricate summer flower centerpiece ran the entire length, and all eight places were fully set with glittering gold plates, polished cutlery, and blue napkins folded into elaborate fans.
Their whispered conversation came to an abrupt stop and a shiver ran down Zinnia’s spine.
“Hi.” She waved through her unease. “Jordan has told me so…um, well he’s told me about you. Very much looking forward to getting to know everyone.”
“Oh, that’s for us.” He pointed to the beautiful black-and-white cake with rainbow-colored flowers at the head of the table. “It’s from Sadie. Since she couldn’t be here.”
“There’s a card.” Lulie handed it to him. “They wouldn’t let me open it.”
“Because it’s not for you, damn,” Wylie snapped.
“Hey, watch your mouth,” Damon warned.
Jordan read the card, and Zinnia swore there was a manic twinkle in his eyes as he showed it to her.
Congratulations! I can’t wait to meet you, Zinnia.
All my best, Sadie.
PS Thanks for taking my spot! I couldn’t have gotten out without you.
If Zinnia felt one more chill, she’d need to be treated for hypothermia. There were seven flowers on the cake—each one the color of a lucky bracelet. Sadie definitely knew about Zinnia because she’d emailed the Zaffre Hours contract. But no one else in his family did?
To create more drama, a perfect mimic of Grace’s voice said. I told you so.
Use your brain before they eat you alive! Fake-Fiona pleaded.
Lulie handed Jordan a giant knife. “You two should do the cake thing. You know, to celebrate.”
They cut the cake together, his hand over hers, while Amber took pictures.
He placed the slice on a plate, and they politely fed each other a forkful.
It was fluffy and filled with cream and strawberries—she barely tasted it, let alone enjoyed it.
She felt like a robot following directives, creating a sad imitation of what this moment was supposed to be with her equally robotic husband.
“Oh my god, do it right,” Lulie whined. “I’ll show you.”
Wylie suddenly pushed Jordan out of the way and like intelligent raptors closing in for the kill, the twins attacked Zinnia on both sides, smashing handfuls of cake directly into her face.