She put the cat down, and they spent the next hour or so poring over paperwork. Usually, Eve felt a thrill of anticipation as she finalized her plan of attack with a new client. With Josie, though, the thrill she felt had nothing to do with anticipation. It was more of an adrenaline rush, a mixture of discomfort over the idea of spending the next few weeks in a bar and this unrelenting attraction she felt whenever she got within twenty feet of Josie, whenever she so much asthoughtof her.
When the paperwork had been put away, Josie reached for the kittens, lifting the black one into her lap. He mewled softly, paws waving in the air. “It must be about time to feed these guys.”
“Yes,” Eve confirmed. “And I’m out of formula. I ordered some of the same brand you gave me, but it doesn’t arrive until tomorrow. I was hoping you could help me out.”
“I can definitely hook you up with more formula.” Josie cradled the kitten like a baby, stroking his belly. “Hungry, aren’t you?” She stood and walked into her bedroom, taking the kitten with her, returning a minute later with a container of powdered formula.
Eve took it from her and went into the kitchen, familiar by now with the process. She mixed and warmed enough formula for the four kittens and sat on the couch beside Josie to feed them. They each lifted a kitten out of the box.
“It’s soothing, isn’t it?” Josie said quietly, watching as the black kitten suckled from the syringe.
Eve looked down at the gray kitten in her lap. “I suppose.”
“Admit it.” Josie nudged her elbow against Eve’s. “You’ve gotten fond of them.”
“I don’t hate them, but they’re a lot of work.”
“You like them,” Josie insisted with a grin.
Eve put the gray kitten back in the box and lifted the white one, ignoring Josie as she replaced the black one with his gray-and-white littermate. Once they were all fed and cared for, Josie set up a video camera on a tripod, facing the couch.
“Time to introduce these guys to the world,” she said.
“I’ll leave you to it, then.” Eve stood, crossing the room to get her briefcase.
“Oh, come on. You’re a television host. You should be in it with me.”
“No, thanks.”
“It’s good publicity for both of us,” Josie insisted. “For someone who touts herself as a marketing expert, you should know this.”
“I know all about publicity, thank you. I also know that, after the contract we just signed, it’s best for us not to appear in kitten videos together.” She had no desire to be in Josie’s video, nor did she have the energy for it. Already, it was going to take everything she had to get through the filming later today. “I’ll meet you downstairs.”
Ignoring the shocked expression on Josie’s face, she gathered her things and walked down to the empty bar. She set her briefcase on the bar top, running her fingers over the glossy surface, wood encased beneath a thick lacquered finish. This was a space she needed to get acquainted with, because she’d be spending the majority of her time here for the next two weeks.
Unbidden, a sob rose in her throat. She pressed her palms against the bar, breathing through the pain, blinking Lisa’s image from her vision.
“Eve…” Josie’s voice filtered in from the direction of the stairs.
“Not now,” she bit out, straightening her spine, keeping her back to Josie.
A door shut behind her, and she was alone. She dragged in a ragged breath, wondering at the stinging sensation in her fingertips until she saw the marks she’d made on the bar top, its lacquered coating now embedded under her fingernails.Fuck.
Leaving her briefcase behind, she walked out the front door and stood on the sidewalk, sucking in deep breaths of fresh air. She inhaled all the familiar scents of the city, car exhaust mixed with the slightly smoky scent of a nearby restaurant. Italian food, if she had to guess, based on the herbs drifting on the air.
She smoothed her hands over her blouse, adjusting the tuck of the silk fabric into the waistband of her skirt. This was fine. She was fine. The camera crew would arrive shortly, and she’d forget everything else as long as that red light was pointed in her direction. She could bury her discomfort over being in the bar. She was an expert at burying her feelings. There was no reason for this to be any different.
Taking one last breath, she turned around and walked back inside.
* * *
Josie had been recordingherself for YouTube for years, so there was absolutely no reason for her to panic in front of theDo Overcameras. Except…she was panicking. This was all so much bigger and more important than anything she’d ever done before. She was going to be on cable television, for crying out loud.
If her dad could see her now…
She’d stammered through her interview with Eve, and then she’d gotten hopelessly choked up as she took Eve—and the camera crew—through her family photos and showed them the place where her dad had died. Eve assured her afterward that it had gone well, that her emotional response was exactly what they wanted forDo Over.
But Josie couldn’t help worrying that she was going to look like a total basket case when the segment aired. Thank goodness for Adam and Kaia, who were in their usual seats at the end of the bar, showing their support. Josie had seen Eve interviewing them with the film crew earlier. Kaia had spoken earnestly into the camera while Adam gestured all over the place as he told who-knew-what wildly embellished story about Josie.
