He grins, not even trying to deny it. “It’s compelling, I won’t lie. But I respect both of you too much to turn this into reality TV.” He stands to leave. “Just keep me in the loop. And remember, great marriages survive challenges like this. Makes for better storytelling.”
After he leaves, I buzz Kira back in. “Get me everything you can on Vanessa Martin. Employment history, social media, previous complaints, anything that helps establish credibility. And reach out to her attorney to set up a preliminary call.”
“On it. And Lucas?” she asks tentatively, aware of the delicate situation.
“Let me worry about Lucas,” I say more confidently than I feel.
When she leaves, I turn back to the folder and flip through the allegations again. They’re detailed and specific enough to warrant investigation, but I need more before I can determine if this is a legitimate scandal or a political hit job.
As I work, I try to ignore the gnawing feeling that I’m already crossing a line that Lucas asked me not to cross. But I’m not digging into his father, I argue with myself. I’m verifying a legitimate tip that came to me.
The distinction feels increasingly hollow with each page I turn.
I just hope that by the time Lucas finds out about this story, I’ll have enough facts to make him understand why I had to pursue it.
And why I didn’t tell him right away.
thirty-four
. . .
Lucas
“If we announceduring the festival, we get the industry buzz, but the general audience coverage gets diluted,” I explain, pacing the length of Alex’s office. “If we wait until after, we control the narrative but risk losing momentum.”
Alex watches me with mild amusement, his feet propped on his desk. “You’ve given this more thought than I have, and it’s my production deal.”
I stop pacing, realizing I’ve been overanalyzing. Again. It’s what I do when I’m trying not to think about something else. Or someone else.
“Force of habit,” I admit, dropping into the chair across from him. “So, which option?”
“Festival announcement,” Alex decides. “The streaming platforms will be there with checkbooks ready. We’ll leverage the bidding war for press.”
I nod, making notes on my tablet. “We’ll need Sophia todo the rounds. Her involvement gives the project credibility beyond just another comedy.”
“Already on it. She’s blocked off the weekend.” Alex studies me for a moment. “You seem distracted today. Everything ok with the wife?”
Wife. Five months in, and the word still gives me a strange flutter. “She’s fine. Just busy with the podcast.”
“Mm-hmm,” Alex hums skeptically. “And that’s why you just spent twenty minutes overthinking a straightforward announcement strategy? Come on, man. I know you better than that.”
I set my tablet down. “She’s been off lately. Distant. Working late. Distracted when we’re together.”
“Have you asked her what’s wrong?”
“Multiple times. She keeps saying it’s just work stress.”
Alex shrugs. “Maybe it is.”
“Maybe.” I don’t sound convinced, even to myself.
“Or maybe,” Alex suggests carefully, “she’s just adjusting to ‘married life.’” He brings his hands up to air quote that last part. “It’s only been what, five months? You guys went from barely tolerating each other to a Vegas wedding to living together over the course of a weekend. That’s a big transition.”
The comment lands harder than it should. Everyone else still talks about our relationship like it’s some improbable rom-com plot twist. Alex has been quietly rooting for us since the beginning, calling us perfectly matched like he knows something we don’t.
I nod slowly, buying time with a sip of coffee. “You’re right. We’ve both been busy. The documentary wraps next month after my father’s announcement, and…”
I stare into the middle distance like the answer might be hiding there. The truth is, that conversation has been circling us for weeks now, unspoken but constant, a deadline hanging in the air. And lately, Jess has seemed quieter, like maybe she’s already preparing for the exit ramp, like maybe she’s ready to go back to her old life.
