Chapter 29
Warren Atwell’s Legal Briefs: Always read the fine print of a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA).
Avery sucked in a breath.
I blinked a few times at the man on the stage. He was much more pulled together than we usually saw him on the island.
“Ziggy?” Avery croaked out.
The man in question smiled at her. “We don’t use that name here, but I promise, all will be answered by the end of our session. Capiche?”
Gold flecks in the bottle-brown of her eyes caught the light as she nodded her agreement.
There was a slight tremor in her hands as she sank back into her chair.
The tension in the air reminded me of the humidity before a storm.
I worried she would pass out. Hell, I was worried I might faint myself.
Adrenaline coursed through my veins, mingling with an unsettling wave of anxiety.
The rest of the audience did not seem as concerned as we were about the speaker for the afternoon.
Their energy was high as they wiggled and shifted in their seats, anticipating the talk to come.
Some gripped colorful books. Others opened notebooks and pulled out pens.
Two senior women had their heads together, whispering about one thing or another.
Everyone quieted down when Ziggy began speaking.
The world narrowed to his voice for the next 45 minutes as he passionately read from his new book - the incredibly spicy parts that had everyone hanging on his every word.
The atmosphere crackled with enthusiasm, laughter, and a few blushing cheeks as he navigated the raunchy moments with finesse.
Afterward, he signed books for another 20 minutes.
The ink in the books was barely dry before his assistant strode in and began clearing the room.
The energy disappeared in stages until there were only three of us left.
Ziggy, Avery, and I.
Along with so many questions.
“You’re Kitty Woodcock?” Avery asked.
Ziggy unbuttoned his suit jacket and slid it off his shoulders, laying it across the back of a nearby chair. “I am.”
“How long have you been writing romance books?” She questioned.
He tilted his head and tapped a finger to his chin. “Let’s see. Reagan was President then. I think.”
“What?”
He shrugged. “Harlequin was big business. They needed stories. I knew they’d never accept a romance book written by a man, hence the name Kitty Woodcock. A little tongue-in-cheek, but a female name, nonetheless.”
“That does make sense,” I admitted.
Avery backhanded me in the chest. “Don’t get on his side.”
I met her gaze and clenched my jaw. “I am not on anyone’s side but yours, Avery.”
Ziggy’s eyes lit up as he stared at us both. “It’s about damn time you guys got your heads out of your asses.”
“What? What?” Avery tugged on her hair. “I feel like I’m in the Twilight Zone.”
He shrugged. “Do you want to sit down? Maybe that’ll make it easier.”
My wife shook her head but allowed me to lead her to a chair, which she sank into with a huff. Ziggy chuckled and sat across from her, crossing his legs and placing his ankle on his knee. I sat beside Avery and pulled her shaking hand into both of mine.
“Where would you like to start?” Ziggy asked.
“You’re behind Pleasure Point,” Avery stated.
“Not a question,” Ziggy pointed out.
“Wasn’t meant to be.”
I grinned at Avery. She was a tough cookie.
“I am behind Pleasure Point. I owned the nudist colony before I sold it to The Seven, which includes your parents.” Ziggy pointed at me.
“And before you ask, Bolt is the only one who knows my true identity. Everyone else went along with his explanation that the former owner wanted to get out of the ‘naked game.’ I believe they didn’t want to know a lot of the details.
I did sell it to them for a pretty deep discount. ”
“I know something Mom and Dad do not.” I considered the implications. Avery and I had both signed non-disclosure agreements, which meant I could not discuss this with anyone else, even if I wanted to.
Except Avery. But, honestly, she was the only one I would want to discuss this with.
“Why did you sell it?” Avery asked.
“That is an excellent question,” Ziggy said. “Always the ‘why’ questions, am I right? The ‘why’ questions always lead to the good stuff.”
“You did not answer her question,” I pointed out.
Ziggy turned his attention to me. “And you, pressing for the truth, like a great lawyer. You truly are perfect for each other.”
Avery harrumphed and rolled her eyes. “Still not answering the questions.”
“Fine,” Ziggy sighed. “I sold it because the nudist colony business was dying, and instead of going bankrupt while I wrote my novels, I decided to make some cash and live off of the proceeds for the rest of my life. I’m not sure if you know this, but being a romance author isn’t always lucrative.
You need a fallback plan or another stream of income. ”
“You still live on the island?” Avery asked.
“I do.”
“Where?” I asked.
Ziggy smiled at me. “Her inquisitiveness is contagious, no?”
I tilted my head and narrowed my eyes at him.
He laughed. “I have a cabin near the former resort. Geez. You guys are like sticks in the mud today. Who pissed in your cornflakes?”
I stared at the man, then looked at Avery. “Have you noticed something - off?”
“Yeah,” Avery agreed. “He’s different here. What is it?”
I snapped my fingers. “He does not sound like Cheech or Chong.”
Avery wiggled in her seat. “That’s it! Is that all an act?”
Ziggy shrugged and slung an arm across the back of the chair beside him. “Perhaps. You young people have a hard time accepting the truth, even when it’s staring you in the face. You’re more likely to listen to an old fart who’s half out of his mind with a love for Mary Jane and cryptic words.”
“Why?” Avery asked.
I watched the good-natured facade fall from his face as he leaned forward and braced his elbows on his legs, clasping his hands in front of him.
“Pleasure Point needs you. It needs all of the younger generation to keep it going. The Seven came up with a very creative, but borderline crazy, plan to matchmake and bring y’all back to the island.
They put Thorn and Joy together, along with Darby and Drake, Spencer and Vi, and Kendra and Rowan.
Those plans would have failed without my help, but here we are.
And you two! You two are being more difficult than the others were. ”
“Us?” I sat back. “What do we have to do with this?”
He smiled and nodded between us. “You don’t think you were accidentally arrested for skydiving, do you?”
“How do you know that?” Avery whispered.
Ziggy shrugged and leaned back again. “There’s not much that goes on on that island that I don’t know about. And for the love of ganja, The Seven are constantly fucking it up. Nobody would get together if it weren’t for me getting them back on track.”
“So, this is all a setup. You set us up.” I did not know what hurt the most. The betrayal of being set up by my family or the knowledge that what Avery and I shared was not real. “It is not real.”
“There you go again, trying to stop something good,” Ziggy sighed as he stood and pulled on his jacket.
“Who says what you’re feeling isn’t real?
Nobody can make you fall in love with someone else, dude.
If the writer dudette is it for you, there’s nothing and no one who can put that asunder, if you catch my drift.
Only you can prevent forest fires and annulments. ”
We both stared at him agog as he squeezed our shoulders and nodded to his assistant in the back.
“Now, I’m sure I don’t have to tell you, lawyer dude, that you signed an NDA, which means you can’t discuss my identity with anyone.
Well, except writer dudette. And writer dudette, I know you wanted to write the story of Pleasure Point, but I can’t have my secret getting out.
I like my privacy. But it’s not really about me anyway.
Exposing my identity would mean exposing the secrets of many people I swore to protect. ” His green eyes flashed.
“Does Selene know you like this?” Avery asked.
He shrugged. “She sees what she wants to see. We don’t spend much time talking, which works fine for both of us.”
I shuddered, thinking about the cranky Selene Strickland getting it on with Ziggy.
“What’s your last name?” Avery asked. “Or is Ziggy a last name? A nickname?”
The corner of his mouth quirked up. “Tell you what, I will save that little mystery for another time. If you want help crafting the island's history without mentioning my name or the other people involved, perhaps we could work on that book together. It might have to be fiction. Maybe even a series about the quirky islanders and their matchmaking ways?” Ziggy paused to consider what he just said. I could see the wheels turning in his mind and wondered if all authors were like this. Finding stories in the everyday. Then, the sparkle faded, and he rolled his shoulders. “By the way, the next time I see you on Pleasure Point, I’ll be more Ziggy-esque, if you will.” He placed a signed book on each of our laps.
“For your trouble, here’s a signed copy of my latest BDSM series, Diamond Dommes.
Who knows? Maybe it’ll give you some ideas. Mmm-kay. Toodles!”
With a wave of his pinky finger, he disappeared from view and out of the room. I shook my head and blinked a few times, wondering if Avery and I were having a bad acid trip.
“Did that really happen?” Avery turned toward me.
“I believe it did.”
Resignation marred her face. “Believe. Right. You believe a lot of things.”
I frowned. “I do, but what does that have to do with—”
Avery’s grip on her book tightened, and she stood. “I’m leaving. Get in the car or don’t. But I’m headed home. Believe that.”
She turned on her heel and stomped out of the room the way we came in. I do not know what happened in the last ten seconds, but I had the sinking suspicion it was all my fault.