Behind the Scenes
Page 19
“So hypothetically she plays a tape of a conversation she just heard between two parties where one party boldly told the other party that she’s intimate with me and the vulture asks me to confirm or deny and I confirm in very colorful terms.” He jumped up and held out his hand. “Make-up sex, here we come!”
“You confirmed that we’re having an affair?”
“Don’t forget, she’s the villain. She’s the one who eavesdropped and recorded you, and I never called it an affair. I confirmed that we’re intimately involved. I was backing you up, when you think about it. I had a choice of trying to protect your good-girl image but make you out to be a liar or just admitting the truth, which, if you think, makes you an honest hero.”
“Who sleeps with her boss.”
“Hypothetically.”
“Is this going to hypothetically actually make it to print?”
“Oh, you can pretty much count on it. Don’t be surprised if you get invited back to After Dark real soon.” He wiggled his hand. “Now are you ready?”
“You haven’t asked me what I thought of the hypothetical?” she said, studying her nails.
“I was just throwing it out there. You don’t really need to have an opinion about it.”
“Really?”
“Save yourself the trouble.”
“Uh-huh.”
“I . . . love . . . you?” He smiled.
She shook her head and stood up. “If you think that’s going to get you out of trouble automatically, think again.”
He shook his head. “All kidding aside. I love you. More than I thought it was possible to.”
“In that case, I’m taking back the ‘no problem if it ends’ clause. I’m loving you forever. And I’m now demanding that’s what you offer me in return.”
“I will love you forever.”
“Whether we end up here or Sonora or we split the difference.”
“I don’t care where. I don’t know anything but television production, but I can learn.”
She searched his face. “I’m the best thing that’s ever happened to you, you know that?”
“You know, I’d be dumb to argue that point.”
“Yes, you would,” she said, standing and walking right into his arms. “So don’t try, okay?”
He checked the clock on the wall. “One hour to After Dark. I’m going to be a little rushed.”
“You can make up for it after.”
He picked her up, anticipating the next hours, days, years, and promising himself he’d never take her feelings for granted. He’d finally found home.
“Want to hear an example of how much I love you?”
“I hear it and feel it in everything you say and do, AJ.”
“This is big.”
“Hit me.”
“I’ll even let Gran live with us, if you want.”
“You want her cooking, don’t you?”
“No, I want you happy. And family makes you happy.”
“They make me crazy. So not a chance in hell.”
“Okay then, what would make you happy?”
“How about we think of making a family of our own?”
“I could work with that.”
“But I’m a naïve girl from a small town, so you need to ask me something first.”
Confused, he said, “Could you give me a clue?”
“Think about it Landry. Before you drop me.”
His head finally cleared. “Oh. Shouldn’t I do it more romantically?”
“This feels pretty romantic to me.”
“Tanya Pierce, would you do me the honor of changing your last name to Landry?”
“I want that last name more than anything in the world.”
(Please continue reading for more information about Trish Jensen)
About the Author
Trish Jensen has decided that being a romance writer is the greatest job on earth. She gets to entertain handsome men and strong, beautiful women on a daily basis. And she can do it all wearing sweats and no makeup. Her characters know not to complain, because they realize she’s learned how to use the delete key.
Trish lives near her alma mater, Penn State, the beautiful, and Amish-filled mountains of central PA with her very spoiled (and Trish still has NO idea how that happened) black lab.