"I don't know. That's what I'm saying. I just don't understand. Why is he kissing me?"
"Do you think—" She wrinkles her nose. "Do you think that his relationship is fake?"
"What do you mean? You know it's fake."
"Not his relationship with you, goofy. His relationship with whoever he's engaged to."
"Well, we don't know that he's engaged."
"Come on, the signs are all there, right?"
"I don't know. I don't think so. I was doing some research, and he was dating someone like a year ago, and the talk was they were going to get engaged, and then he just disappeared, and no one's heard or seen him since."
"Fudge," she says. "But why?"
"That's the story." I stare at her. "That has to be the story everyone wants. Why did he disappear? And what was the secret celebration about last week?" There are so many thoughts going through my brain. So many answers I don't have. I just don't see how he can kiss me so passionately and actually be in a relationship with someone else. "Maybe he got married, maybe he had a baby, or maybe he decided to fly around the world. I don't know."
"So how are you going to find out?"
"I'm going to do my job as an investigative reporter," I say. "Do you think I should tell Holly?"
"I think you're going to have to tell Holly. Word is that layoffs are coming next week." She reaches over and squeezes my hand as I still. Shit, I didn't know we were at that point already.
"The new circulation numbers came in, and we've lost 25,000 subscribers in the last two months. I don't know what's going on and why we're doing so poorly, but if we don't get some breaking stories soon, we're done."
"Shit. I'm feeling conflicted here, Emma."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, Hunter asked me to be his fake girlfriend because the paparazzi is trying to break a story on him. It's already shitty that I'm a journalist and he doesn't know, and now I'm trying to break a story onhim, and it just feels morally reprehensible."
"Yeah, but that's why you took the job. That's kind of how it goes when you're an undercover reporter."
"I know. I just feel shitty, and then there's the fact that someone stole his grandma's necklace."
"Yeah, you mentioned that. Who do you think it was?"
"I have no clue. He and I were talking about it last night. We think it's either got to be someone that works there or one of the members of the book club, but I just don't know who." I pause. "Well, maybe Captain, because he just looks like he doesn't have two pennies to his name, if you know what I mean. I saw him admiring a couple of pieces of art one day, and I remember thinking to myself, it would be quite easy to take a Monet. Anyway, we have a list of suspects. I'm also on his list, which sucks."
"What? You would never steal anything."
"I know, but—" I shrug. "He's suspicious of me, and I guess rightfully so. He's just suspicious for all the wrong reasons."
"So, what are you thinking you're going to do?"
"I don't know, girl. I just don't know. I'm going to dinner with him tonight with some of his friends and colleagues and—" I close my eyes and rub my forehead. What have I gotten myself into? "He told me to wear a really nice dress, and I'm like, how sexy do I go?"
"You've got a thing for him?"
"I don't have a thing for him."
"He's gorgeous. I get it...."
"I mean, he is kind of gorgeous. If you like blue-eyed guys."
"You love blue-eyed guys, Gina."
"I wouldn't say Ilovethem. I mean, he's very handsome, but I like guys with brown eyes and green eyes, too. Anyway, they've got some private investigator coming to try and figure out who stole the necklace, and he says unless I pretend to be his girlfriend, he's going to tell them all the suspicious things I've done since he's known me."
