Chapter 18
Clarke
I sat in the car with Savanna, shoveling a wrapped burrito into my mouth. She picked at a salad with a plastic fork and stared at her phone, typing a message with her free hand.
I pointed a finger at her salad. “You gonna eat that?”
She glanced up from her phone. “Yeah. I’m just trying to get more info from my source. He’s hiding something from me.”
“Is he reliable?”
“He was until last week. Something has changed. Someone got to him. I don’t know if I can trust what he’s telling me.”
She shoved her phone into her bag and ate her salad. “So what’s with the shotgun wedding in Vegas?” Savanna asked between bites. “I thought you hated him.”
I rolled my shoulders against the seat. “It’s complicated with Will.”
“I never thought you’d see him after that night at the club. Leave it to you to turn a one-night stand into a three-year stand. This marriage is bullshit, right?”
I shook my head. “No, it’s real.”
I hated lying to one of my few real friends, but our careers were on the line.
Will was one mistake from getting traded to another team.
And who would believe anything I had to say if they found out I lied to protect Will?
I’d lose all credibility as a reporter. So I had to sell the shit out of our fake romance.
“Why now? I thought you stopped talking to him after you moved from Philly.”
“Honestly, we were drunk. We didn’t plan it. But I don’t regret marrying him.”
Her eyebrows rose in surprise. “Really? You once told me you would never get married again. And that you couldn’t stand the sight of him. It devastated you after you found him at the hotel bar with that woman.”
The memory stung a little, but I pushed my emotions aside. She needed to believe my marriage was real.
“I can change my mind.”
“Yeah.” She laughed. “I never thought you would. You were so adamant after the divorce about never settling down again.”
“We’re meeting with The Gossip Queen to talk about our marriage. She’s doing an exclusive on us. Does it get any more real than that?”
Her eyes and mouth widened.
“This changes everything,” she said with a mouthful of food.
“How so?”
“I won’t have my wing woman anymore.”
I chuckled. “Not that I was much of one before I got married. You know I hate going to bars and clubs.”
She nodded. “I’ll bug Rosie to come out with me. She’s the only single woman left on our team.”
“You have a better chance of getting the seventy-year-old secretary to come out with you.”
She tilted her head back and laughed.
“I told Will we can split our time between DC and Philly. So I’ll be working remotely for some weeks.”
Savanna shoved a forkful of lettuce into her mouth, then wiped her lips with the napkin on her lap. She closed the container and dropped it into the paper bag on the floor between her feet. I handed her the empty burrito wrapper to add to the trash.
My phone dinged with a new message from Will.
Will
I had to go back to Philly. Work shit. I’ll be home tomorrow night.
Clarke
Bring me back a chicken cutlet parm and mozzarella sticks from Tony Luke’s.
Will
Do you eat anything that’s not greasy or fried?
Clarke
Happy wife, happy life.
Will
You got it, boss lady. See you around seven.
Clarke
Be safe.
Will
You worried about me, wifey.
Clarke
Don’t push it, hubs. See you tomorrow.
I set the phone in the cup holder.
“Is that a smile on your face?” Savanna taunted.
“Shut up.”
“This is weird,” she confessed. “You’re married again. And this time to a professional athlete. I’m guessing that was him.”
“Yeah.”
“I can see it now. You’ll quit to have babies.”
“Nope.”
“Your new hubby has money. You don’t even need to work.”
“I don’t need to work now.”
She nodded. “True, but you refuse to use your dad’s money.”
“Because I know it annoys him.”
“You and Romeo will make cute babies.” She rested her elbow on the armrest between us. “I hear the first year of marriage, you fuck like rabbits.”
I rolled my eyes. “I’m not much of a kid person. For right now, we’re happy with it being just us. I could never quit reporting the news. Are you kidding? I’d get bored sitting at home after the first week.”
“Ain’t that the truth? I’d lose my mind if I didn’t work.”
“You probably work a little too much, anyway.”
She snickered. “Says the woman who works seventy hours a week.”
I held up my middle fingers to show her my tattoos, which reminded me why I got into this career.
Shaking her head, she laughed. “The truth conquers all things,” she said as she looked at the script on the side of my finger. “So tell me the truth about Romeo. I know when someone is lying to me.”
I sighed. “I’m not lying.”
“Prove it.”
“How do you expect me to do that?”
“I’m coming over for dinner this week.”
“You know I can’t cook.”
“Order takeout. I won’t believe you’re in love with him until I see it.”
“Fine,” I groaned. “Thursday works for us.”
She beamed with delight. “Can’t wait.”