“No one turns the Matzo Baller into a Disney Character Cruise on my watch,” Rebecca said.
He pushed his mic again. "Avi, you still there?"
"Setting up now. Beck's on the mix and scratch. I’ll be dropping the beats."
"They don't call me DJ Hayseed for nothing." Beck came in, loud and clear.
Thirty seconds later, the opening notes of Beastie Boys’ Sabotage started pounding through the ballroom speakers. Heads turned. The energy shifted—people gravitating toward the music, toward where Avi and Beck were suddenly the center of attention.
Tzipi glanced at the sound, then back at him. "Did you just...?"
"Coordinated distraction. Avi's pulling some of his fans away from the line with a pop-up guest DJ set. Give you a breather. And no handsy Hannon."
The line for the Hanukkah Heroes Meet & Greet thinned. Not empty, but manageable. She’d lost some of the women in line who may have been there for Hannon, but clearly had a thing for Avi Wolfson too. Still lots of fans who wanted to meet the actress who played Vanta…and even some who wanted to meet their childhood idol, Rosie.
"You really are the glue guy."
"Somebody has to be."
Tzipi was staring at him, something unreadable in her expression. "And you told Hannon Kershaw you'd kick his ass."
"Holy shit," he said out loud this time. "Apparently. In my defense, he was being a creep."
"He was." Her expression softened. "And you protected me. For real this time. Not because you thought I was Kara. Not because it was your job. Just... because."
"Yeah." Jonah's heart was still racing. "Because."
She stepped closer, into his space. Close enough that he could smell her perfume—Kara's perfume, technically, but somehow it smelled different on her. Better.
"Thank you," she said softly.
"Anytime." He meant it. But his mind was already racing. They had talked about taking things one hour at a time. But the stakes had changed.
He glanced around the ballroom. “Where’d Levin go?”
He knew something had been off with that guy…harmless, my ass. And Tzipi had walked into his trap somehow, without even realizing it.
She followed his gaze, scanning the crowd. “I don’t see him.”
“He must’ve slipped out during the Hannon thing.” Jonah’s jaw tightened. “You didn’t really sign anything, did you?”
Her face gave him the answer before she spoke.
“I honestly don’t know what I did. I was so…” She pressed fingers to her temple. “I was upset. After I left you. I was signing things, he was there…helping…”
Fuck.
“He said in the terminal, at two o’clock,” she added quietly. “In front of the press.”
“One hour at a time. Remember?”
She held his gaze for another beat, then squared her shoulders. Nodded. And turned back to the fans, slipping into Kara Koff once more. Smiling, posing, signing autographs.
And Jonah stayed six paces back, watching.
Making sure the most interesting woman on this boat made it through the night in one piece. He touched his earpiece again. His eyes on Tzipi. "Jay, you there? Favor."
And planning how to get her off it before Rob Levin could ruin everything.
