“Married.I was trying to remind you that Lillibet is married.”
“Ish.” Hildy seesawed her hand. “But it doesn’t really matter, does it?”
“No,” he agreed.
“Because of our thing.” She grimaced in apology. “Sorry to cockblock you, buddy. I didn’t realize you’d want to get hot in the tropics.”
He shook his head, recognizing the futility of arguing.
“I need you to stay in my corner a little bit longer. Let our love story play out in the press. It’s not really lying,” she added, noticing his frown. “They started it. All we’re doing is letting them run with it.”
Jefferson wasn’t so sure. Ignoring a bunch of online chatter wasn’t the same as pretending in front of real people, one of whom was turning out to be a lot less artificial than he’d been led to expect. “How much longer is this going to go on?”
“Our showmance, you mean?” It was a game with Hildy to try to get him to use the word. So far, he was winning. “It’s hard to give an exact time frame. When the moment’s right, we’ll know.I’llknow,” she amended, after a quick glance at him. “But you’ll be the first person to find out after that. Well, among the first.”
If the media thing didn’t pan out, she had a bright future in politics.
“Think of it like surfing,” she suggested.
He waited for her to recall the landlocked nature of his home state.
Hildy sighed. “I’ll dumb it down for you. Right now we’re standing on a massive pile of potential energy. Before this wave crests, I need to get myself on a solid footing so I can ride it all the way to shore.” Her hand sketched a smooth glide through the air. “If that means letting the sharks get a little nibble, so be it.”
“I was with you until the sharks.”
“The hype machine. Faceless masses of media consumers. Gossip rags. Take your pick.” She shrugged before hopping off the vanity. “We have to feed the beast. Let them believe the fairy tale.”
“Including Lillibet?”
“At least until I know she’s not going to sell me down the river to boost her own stats. Once she’s on Team Hildy, it’ll be a different story. If I work fast, maybe you can still get some. It’ll be like we both sealed the deal.” She squeezed his forearm. “I know it’s a lot to ask, and I wouldn’t put this on you if it wasn’t really, really important. This week is the key to myentire future.”
Jefferson suspected there was more than a little exaggeration happening, but he didn’t want to offend Hildy by pointing out that she was young, and this one week wasn’t likely to change the direction of her life. Still, he felt compelled to urge a little caution.
“Probably best not to get your hopes up too high.”
“I know you think I’m being dramatic. Which, it wouldn’t take much by your standards, but that’s beside the point. I have plans within plans. And if I pull this off, I’ll be in a position to give your career a major boost, too.WhenI pull this off.” Her eyes closed like she was giving herself a mental pep talk. “With a little assist from my uber-competent wingman.”
The flattery was almost worse than the bribery. “I said I’d help, Hildy. It doesn’t have to be tit for tat.”
“I know, JJ. We’re strictly platonic.” She laughed at her own joke before turning serious again. “I’m just saying I appreciate your sacrifice, and I fully intend to make it up to you. Maybe you can meet a nice ranch girl when you go home. Sow your wild oats or whatever they say in your world. Ride that bronco.”
“Yes. All our personal ads have a rodeo theme.”
“You should tell Lillibet about your chaps.”
“I don’t—”
“Shhh. Don’t spoil the fantasy. Anyway, Methuselah, it’s called playing the long game.”
“Which game are we talking about?” He hoped it didn’t involve leather pants.
“You, me, Lillibet, new jobs. Friends helping friends. Put this on your dream board. Time passes.” She made a whooshing sound effect. “The two of you work for me. You’re my favorite older people couple friends, like a reverse protégé relationship. If I get a flat tire, you’d come fix it. And bring Lillibet, and then we’d all go out for tapas.”
“I’ll teach you how to change a tire.” It was upsetting that she didn’t already know. That was a basic life skill, important to her safety—Jefferson tabled that topic for a later discussion. At least she was handy with bear spray. “I doubt you have much call for wildlife photographers in Chicago.”
“Our headquarters may be in Chicago, but Johnson Media is an international enterprise. I’d find something for you to do.” She pointed a finger in the air as inspiration struck. “You and Lillibet could be a team! You take the pictures, she writes the words. Plus all that other stuff you want to do with her, off the clock.”
He ignored the cheesy wink, refusing to let his mind go there. “I’m a grown man, Hildegarde. I can find my own work. And I don’t chase married women.”
