by Avery James
"You’re not making a good case for extra time. Ok, now the important question: do I get to keep this all to myself, or do I have to share?"
Ethan shook his head. "Your sister and Rich already know. I had to ask for their help in making sure that you didn't catch on before I had a chance to show you," Ethan said. “Callie helped me negotiate an extension of your lease to cover the roof deck which means you’re technically still in your office. So you can stay up here however long you like.”
"Oh, they'll pay for that," Amy joked.
“Go easy on them. Believe it or not, they were trying to do something nice for you.”
“I know,” Amy said, “but this is really above and beyond. Ethan. I don’t know what to say. No one’s ever done anything like this for me before. I really don’t know what to say.”
“Thank you works.”
“Thank you.” Amy leaned against Ethan and kissed him on the cheek. “You’re full of surprises.”
“Is that a good thing?”
“Today it is. The whole proposing out of the blue thing? I’m still waiting to see how that one turns out. But surprises can definitely be good. Maybe I’ll find a way to surprise you one of these days.”
“You can start by staying here with me for a while.” He reached into the basket and pulled out a bottle of wine.
Amy watched him uncork it and pour a glass. “Well, that’s not fair. I think you expected to charm me into staying. Put the wine down for a moment. I need to ask you something important.”
“Of course, you can ask me anything.”
As soon as the bottle was out of Ethan’s hand, Amy asked, “How private would you say it is up here?”
“Private enough,” Ethan said. He gave her a wry smile.
Amy swung her leg over Ethan and straddled him. “Maybe I can surprise you after all,” she added. He slid his hands down the back of her dress, pulling her against himself. He let out a little breath of excitement as she kissed his neck, and she could feel him starting to get hard with lust. Amy looked around, and saw nothing but the greenery of the roof deck and the blue of the sky above.
Ethan slid his hands down over her hips down to her thigh, sliding right under the hem of her dress. Amy rocked against him and let out a little moan as he slid his palm against her bare skin. Even though he drove her crazy at times, she was really starting to enjoy having Ethan around.
Chapter 19
As she walked down the hall from the bedroom to the kitchen, Amy leaned into Ethan’s office to see if he was around. His phone had been ringing for fifteen minutes, and she had gotten sick of waiting for him to answer. Amy walked over to the phone and picked it up. She heard a familiar voice on the other end of the line, just not the one she had expected. “Hello Hank, Ethan just stepped out,” Amy said.
“That’s alright,” Hank said, “I’m calling for you.”
“For me?” Amy asked. “What’s going on?”
“We have a bit of a situation. It’s Logan. Ski season has just ended, and it appears a few members of the media have found a new favorite sport.”
Amy shook her head. She had given Ethan such a hard time about this, and he had been right. He had been completely right. “I’m guessing that this has something to do with his favorite sport?”
Hank laughed. “You have a way with words, Amy. I’m hoping you’ll be able to hold this at bay for a while or bury it if you can.”
“Hold on a moment,” Amy said. She held the phone between her ear and her shoulder as she looked around for a pen and paper.
“If this is a bad time,” Hank started to say.
“No, this is as good as any. I just want to get some information down before we start.” Amy looked down the hall to Ethan’s office. She felt like she’d be invading his privacy by going in there without him, but she needed a pen as soon as possible. He’ll never know, she thought and she headed inside. She walked over to his desk and grabbed a pen out of a drawer. “Ok, so what kind of mess did he get himself into?”
“Some photos of Logan surfaced. The story linked Logan with the wife of a prominent business partner of mine. The story is still small time, more of a gossip column scandal than anything major. Some website has it now.”
Funny, Logan made no mention of that when he was trying to ‘get linked’ to me, Amy thought. “I see,” she replied. “That doesn’t seem bad so far. Has the wife come out and said anything?”
“Her? No.”
“What aren’t you telling me?”
“Amy, the photos are of you and Logan flirting with each other and going into the back room of his bar on the night of his show. There’s a heavy implication that something happened between you two.”
“Oh, God.” Amy froze. She had seen more scandals than she could count. In the face of any disaster her clients could imagine, she had been unflappable. But now that she was at fault, she didn’t even know what to say. She looked around the room to make sure Ethan was nowhere in sight, and she tried to catch her breath. She felt a cold sweat breaking out across her body. She had ruined everything. “Hank, I think I know what you’re talking about, and I have to tell you that it’s not what it looks like.”
Amy bit down on her lip and dug her fingers into her palm as she waited for Hank’s response. She just wanted to hang up the phone and yell, “Shit! Shit! Shit!” but she stayed silent. Finally, after what felt like an interminable pause, Hank said, “I believe you deserve a chance to explain yourself, Amy.”
“I can have a team there later this afternoon.”
“I want you here,” Hank replied.
“I’m not sure, in light of everything, that I’m the best person to take point on this,” Amy replied.
“Aside from the handsome fee I’m willing to pay, I’d consider it a personal favor. If you say nothing happened, then you should have no problem or conflict in taking this on.”
Things were going so well with Ethan. Amy finally had something that felt real, something that felt like it could be permanent, and now she was about to lose it over a night when she hadn’t even done anything? She felt a pang of guilt at the half-lie she was telling herself. Sure, she hadn’t actually done anything, but she had wanted to, and that was almost as bad. She wondered what she could do to make this right. She cleared her throat and said, “I’ll get the ball rolling on my end. I need to talk to Ethan about all this before committing.”
“Of course,” Hank replied. “I hope you understand that this issue is time-sensitive. I am out of town at the moment, but I will be flying in tonight. If your schedule allows it, I think we should meet at the airport before you depart.”
Amy looked up from the pad of paper to see Ethan standing in the doorway. “Hank, I’ll call you back soon when I’m ready to leave.”
“Hi,” Ethan said as he walked over to his leather chair and sat down. “What was Hank calling for? Is he looking to set up another visit?”
“I’m afraid the call was professional. Logan has caused a bit of a problem, and Hank asked if I could help contain it. I told him I had to talk to you first.”
“Why?”
“Well, you two didn’t exactly get along when we were out there, and if the roles were reversed, I don’t know if I’d be ok with you going out there?”
“Would you be jealous?” Ethan asked. Before giving Amy a chance to answer, he said, “I think you like me.”
“Shut up,” Amy said with a laugh. “Are you ok with this?”
“Can’t someone else go in your place? Callie or Rich or anyone?”
“It has to be me.”
“I really think you should stay.” Ethan thought about the way he had left things with Hank. He wasn’t thrilled at the prospect of Amy finding out he had told Hank that their relationship was a sham. He also didn’t want her to find out from anyone but him why he had put off the deal. He had been so careful to plan everything out. All he needed to do was convince Amy to stay, but one look at her, and he could tell that this was a battle he
wasn’t going to win. “Bring help. Come home as soon as you can. I have something I want to talk about with you.”
Amy grinned and leaned in close. “Nothing could keep me away a moment longer than necessary, and I’ll find someone to help.”
“How about Callie? She’s about his age. Maybe she can distract him.”
“That’s either a very bad idea or a very good one,” Amy replied.
“Only one way to find out. Besides I need you to clear out of town anyway. I have a date tonight.”
Amy froze. She felt like someone had just thrown her in ice water. “A… date?”
“Yeah. She’s a real live wire.”
“Are you serious?” Amy asked. She felt her shock and dread turning into indignation. She had just wanted to die because she had been caught appearing to do something with someone other than Ethan. And now he was talking about going on a date? She stared at him.
“Of course,” Ethan replied. He was smiling again. “By the way, did you know your nose scrunches up when you’re angry?”
“Why are you smiling?” Amy asked.
“I just told you why. You’re getting mad at me again. I’m a complete sucker for an angry woman.
“You have about three seconds to explain yourself.”
“Calm down, you’ve already given your blessing.”
“When did I give my blessing to anything like this?”
“When I told you that Vi had very specific demands when she helped me with the picnic.”
“She demanded to set you up on a date?”
“She is the date.”
“You’re going on a date with my aunt?”
Ethan couldn’t help himself any longer, and he burst into laughter. “Her terms were simple: if you liked the surprise, I owed her a steak dinner. You liked it, and now I owe her dinner. She said I could pick the night.”
Amy placed her hands on her hips and relaxed her shoulders. “You’re kidding.”
“I can’t make this stuff up. Go ask her.”
“Oh, I will,” Amy said.
“I’ll arrange for the jet to fly you out this afternoon. Why don’t you give your sister a call?”
“Don’t worry, I’ve got that part under control. Why don’t you go tell your date that I expect her to be on her best behavior?”
“I make no promises,” Ethan said.
As she turned for the door, Amy wondered if Ethan knew what he was in for.
“Hey, one more thing,” Ethan added, motioning for Amy to come over to him. As she approached, he placed his hands on her hips and pulled her close. He kissed her neck slowly, sending bliss through Amy’s body, until finally he raised his lips to hers and she got to lean into a kiss.
As they pulled apart, Amy said, “What was that for?”
“Just something to keep in mind when you’re gone.”
Amy smiled. She would have no problem remembering that kiss. She leaned back in and kissed Ethan again, pressing her lips firmly against his. It was his turn to be taken by surprise.
“Was that for me to remember?”
“No, that one was just for me,” Amy replied. She pulled back. “You’ll get your kiss when I get back.” She felt like she was spinning out of control, but that kiss with Ethan felt great. It was one of the best kisses she and Ethan had ever had. As she headed off to pack, she wondered if it would be the last.
Chapter 20
Amy could still taste Ethan’s kiss on her lips as she sped across the city in the back of a town car. More than anything, she wanted to tell the driver to turn the car around and bring her back to him. Instead, she picked up her phone and made the call she had been dreading since she had left the apartment. The only thing she knew about this “reporter,” Tricia Tate, was that she, too, lived in Jackson Hole. Amy was annoyed that she had to waste time and effort on this hack. She would much rather be wrapped up in Ethan’s arms. Hell, she’d rather be wrapped up in venomous snakes than talking to this woman about Logan.
“Hi Ms. Tate my name is Amy. I represent the Harris family, and I was wondering if you had some time to talk about your article from this morning.”
“I was wondering when someone was going to say something. Let me guess, you want me to take down the article.” Tricia’s showed no sign of emotion or interest.
This should be fun, Amy thought. “Yes. I’m looking at the picture right now. It’s an interesting shot. Do you mind if I ask how you got it?”
“I’m glad to take any official comments from the Harris family. And your name again? Maybe we can get together and talk.”
“It’s Amy Haven. Does this afternoon work for you?” Amy listened to Tricia’s response and jotted down an address. “I’ll see you soon, but before I go, how long have you been with Star Beat?” Gossip websites have the dumbest names. Amy had gone toe to toe with news anchors and the editors of national newspapers. She couldn’t believe that her whole world was in danger of collapsing because of a website named Star Beat. Besides, she thought, Logan wasn’t a star. Outside of Jackson Hole, no one had ever heard of him. Though she wouldn’t mind beating him at the moment. After listening to Tricia spout some nonsense, Amy added, “I see. Thank you.”
After she hung up, Amy called Callie. “I need you to do me a favor.”
“Name it.”
“Drop by Ethan’s place later this afternoon and check in on him and Vi. I have some business out of town and I just want to make sure they’re doing alright.”
“They get along just fine, Amy.”
“Yeah, a little too well if you ask me,” Amy said with a laugh. “I’m afraid they’ll burn the place down. Just stop by for a few minutes and see if they need anything. Vi would love to see you anyway.”
“I’m sure her eyes are plenty happy looking at Ethan.”
“All the more reason to send you over there. As long as your eyes aren’t too happy looking at him, I think we’ll be fine.”
“Don’t worry. I know he’s off limits. I reviewed the contract, remember? Besides, have you ever seen the way he looks at you?”
“Thanks, I just hope he continues to look at me that way.”
“What does that mean?”
“Nothing. I have to go. I have a plane to catch. I owe you one. I have a set of keys in my desk at work. Just grab them and head over whenever you have a chance.”
Several hours and one flight later, Amy slumped down in a booth in a dark corner of The Broken Spoke. The restaurant was a real mess, and the booth Tricia had chosen seemed to be the worst in the place. A tear in the vinyl seat below Amy was patched with a piece of duct tape. And the Formica table was chipped on the edges and stained from innumerable spilled coffees.
From the name of the place, Amy had expected a bar, but it was one of those old diners that hadn’t been updated in years, not in a way that made it look purposeful, just in a way that made Amy wish she hadn’t agreed to the job. She sat there for a good minute before raising her gaze to Tricia Tate. The fact that Tricia had chosen such a nondescript meeting place was a good sign. It meant she didn’t want to be noticed. It meant she’d be willing to listen to Amy’s offer. Amy ran her hand over the edge of the table as she order her coffee from a waitress with a stained shirt.
Like everything else on this trip, the coffee left a bitter taste in Amy’s mouth. Maybe it was because the coffee was burnt, or maybe it was because it reminded her of the infinitely sweeter taste of coffee on Ethan’s lips the last time she was in Jackson Hole. Even when she didn’t want them to, the littlest things seemed to jog memories of him. Amy stared off into the distance as she thought of his hands firm against her shoulders as he leaned in to kiss her and the coarse grit of his stubble against her cheek as he held the kiss long enough to let her know exactly what he wanted. Amy barely noticed as Tricia introduced herself. “Amy, you look so familiar. Have we met before?”
Amy turned her attention back to Tricia. This was usually the part of a scandal Amy enjoyed the most, the moment when the bala
nce of power tipped back into her favor, the moment when she reigned in the chaos and started to set everything back into place. She had done it hundreds of times, and, as she let the silence sit thick between her and the reporter, Amy knew she’d pull it off again. The only problem was that this time Amy felt no excitement in fixing this crisis, only regret that she had helped cause it.
Staring at Tricia through the stale air, Amy looked her up and down. Tricia didn’t exactly look like the Jackson Hole type. In fact, she didn’t look all that different from Amy. She wore a pantsuit and had her hair up in a bun, and her designer glasses were much more sophisticated than her prose. She’d look perfectly in place in a New York boardroom or a DC committee meeting. So why was she wasting her time writing about Logan Harris? “I don’t think so,” Amy said. “My husband and I honeymooned here in the spring, perhaps we ran into each other then.”
“And what’s your husband’s name again?” Tricia asked, whipping out a notepad.
“I didn’t give his name, and this is all off the record, Ms. Tate.”
“Why is that? You might want to give a comment or two. This is going to be a big story when I’m done with it, a national story.”
“The Harris family isn’t thrilled with the story you ran on Logan, and they are prepared to make sure your site does no further harm to the family’s reputation.”
“If you think you’re going to intimidate me, you’ve picked the wrong girl,” Tricia said with a scoff. Normally, Amy would have enjoyed this challenge, but she only cared about ending this scandal before it got back to Ethan. She’d have to find another opportunity to play hardball.
“I’m actually here to offer you a job.”
Tricia laughed. “Yeah, right. Let me guess, digging my own grave?”
“A friend in LA has an opening on the staff of his online magazine. I can put in a good word. They’re always looking for young talent. I’m offering you an out.”