I might have to kill her.
“How are you feeling?” He asks her.
“Fat, tired and pregnant.” She laughs. “But Gary’s taking care of me.”
“Get your hands off my wife, asshole.” Gary calls out, his eyes closed. This must be usual behavior.
“I want you to meet someone.” Leo backs away and gestures toward me. “This is Sam.”
Lori’s mouth drops in surprise and her wide eyes meet Leo’s. “You’re introducing me to a woman?”
“Shut up,” he mutters and laughs.
“Holy shit. Hi.” She moves as quickly as she can toward me and instead of shaking my hand, she pulls me into a tight hug. “It’s so great to meet you.”
“Hi.” I smile and pull out of her embrace. “Shouldn’t I know you from somewhere?”
“Oh.” She waves me off and rubs her belly. “I used to do some modeling back in the day, but these days I’m a stay at home mom.”
And then it hits me. “You’re Lori Fitzgerald!”
“Yeah.” She smiles shyly.
“’Some modeling, huh?” I ask with my tongue in my cheek. “That’s like saying I do ‘some breathing’.”
Lori laughs. “Well, I guess that’s true.”
“Hey, guys.” Another woman enters the room, consulting an iPad gripped in her arm, not looking up. She’s clearly used to being around famous people.
Thank God.
“I’m glad you’re all here.” She scowls at Leo, but he just stares her down, unflinching.
Leo Nash doesn’t apologize for being late.
A photographer joins her and begins snapping photos of the guys where they are, getting ready for the shoot, talking to each other.
Me, standing next to Leo and Lori.
“Why is that man taking my picture?” I ask, my bitch voice on full-throttle.
“He’s taking candids for the spread.” The woman answers me. “I’m Melissa, the publicist for Nash.”
She eyes me for a moment, and then her blue eyes go wide. “Oh my God, you’re Luke Williams’ sister!”
And just like that, my walls go up and I school my features, pull away from Leo and clench my hands into fists. Luke Williams’ sister. No name of my own.
“I haven’t given anyone my permission to take my photo.”
Melissa looks to Leo for guidance, but he just shrugs. “She’s right. It’s her call.”
“Are you two an item?”
“No!”
“Yes.” We answer at the same moment. Leo scowls down at me. “We are.”
“Holy shit, this is a scoop!” Melissa moves in and I bare my teeth.
“I am not answering questions. I do not want my photo in this spread. Not one goddamn word, do you understand me?”
She comes to an abrupt stop and frowns. “You dated Scott Parker, didn’t you?”
“You did?” Lori asks, her voice impressed.
“No comment,” I reply and wish with all my might that I wasn’t here. What was I thinking taking an interview in L.A.? I can’t move here.
“Hey.” Leo turns me around and hugs me, but I stay stiff as a board. “Sam, stop this.”
“Do your interview, take your pictures, and get me the fuck out of here.” I glare at him for a moment and then soften. He didn’t do this on purpose. He just wanted me with him.
I take a deep breath, my back to the rest of the room, facing Leo. He’s frowning, but his eyes are full of worry, not anger. I shake my head and grip his hands tightly in mine.
“I’m sorry,” I whisper. “I just don’t want my picture in this spread.”
“Done,” he replies and kisses my forehead. “Her photo does not appear in this spread.” Melissa bristles.
“But this is a major scoop, Leo.”
“I don’t give a fuck. Unless you want to lose your job, you’ll leave her out of it.”
“Or we leave,” Eric agrees quietly. For the first time since Melissa walked in the room, I glance around at the other guys. They’re all glaring at her.
“You’re not TMZ,” Lori reminds her.
“Fine,” Melissa snaps, glaring daggers into me. “Let’s do this.” She turns her back and her heels click across the floor as she walks into the studio.
“She’s a bitch,” Lori whispers and winks at me.
“I’m not a fan of the press.”
“Yet you work in the industry.” Leo shakes his head and laughs at me.
“I am an editor for lifestyle magazines, not rags,” I clarify.
“So, you dated Scott?” Lori asks, catching my attention again.
“Briefly, a long time ago,” I murmur so Melissa and the interviewer she’s speaking with can’t hear me.
“He’s hot.”
“He’s an asshole.” I grin sweetly. “No matter how wholesome and sweet he wants everyone to think he is.”
“I knew it!” Lori laughs. “No one is that put together.”
“You have no idea.”
Leo is watching us quietly and catches my eye. I shrug.
“Let’s go guys!” Melissa calls. “We’ll be out of here in thirty.”
“Famous last words,” Lori mutters and lowers herself down into a chair as the guys move into the studio for photos and to answer questions. “Sit with me.”
“Okay.” I join her and watch the flashes go off in the other room.
“How long?” She asks, her eyes also on the studio.
“A few weeks.”
She nods. “These guys aren’t easy. Sexy as all get-out, but not easy.”
“Are guys ever easy?” I ask with a laugh.
“Good point,” she agrees.
“Do you two have a past?” I ask calmly. She glances down at me and back over to the men.
“No. It’s always been Gary for me. We’re good friends.” She sobers again. “He’s different you know.”
“Yeah, I know.”
“Well, then.” She exhales and smiles down at me while she rubs her belly. “Welcome to the clan.”
***
“When are we heading back to Seattle?” I ask Leo when we are in his car, heading back toward the freeway.
“Thursday morning, why?”
“Do you have your heart set on going to the pier?” I turn in my seat to watch his face. I just enjoy watching him. He glances over at me and then back to the street.