Unforgettable: Book Two (A Hollywood Love Story #2)(40)
As much as I’d like to ask Jen to tell me more about Katrina, I don’t broach the subject. From Chaz, I know she despises Brandon’s fiancée as much as I do. The bitch almost came between her and Blake. In fact, she almost cost Blake his life. I still haven’t shared this info with my boss. Jen doesn’t bring up Katrina either. A nice girl from Boise, she was probably raised with the value: “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say it at all.” Growing up with brutally honest Pops and Jeffrey, I was taught to tell it like it is. I internally sigh. I so wish I had the nerve to tell Brandon what I know about the crazy bitch. Just maybe I will.
Brandon
“The season finale looks f*cking amazing,” says Blake after taking a sip of the expensive Scotch we’re both drinking. “That ending is killer—no pun intended.”
“Thanks,” I say proudly. “And thanks for believing in me and letting me write it.”
“We have high hopes for it. Libby Clearfield, our research head, has been tracking intent to view and the score keeps going up every day. Ninety-eight percent of your viewers say they won’t miss it. There’s even considerable interest among non-viewers. The buzz is sensational. We anticipate the ratings to go through the roof.”
“Wow,” I say, both humbled and blown away.
“We’ll get our first feedback when we screen it tomorrow night.”
I take a sip of my drink. “I’m a little nervous.”
Dressed casually in jeans and a T-shirt like me, Blake laughs and gives me a warm pat on the back. “Don’t be, man. It’s going to rock and the Q&A afterward will be a piece of cake. I’m moderating it so there’s nothing to worry about.”
“Great.” I imbibe more of my Scotch and swallow just in time before Blake pops a disquieting question.
“Where’s Kat?”
Katrina. The mere mention of her name in any form makes my stomach churn. She’s been out of sight, out of mind. The memory of her showing up at my lunch with Blake back in January and shredding his wife Jen storms into my head. The alcohol burns through my blood as my cheeks heat up.
“She’s couldn’t come.” My voice wavers. “She had previous commitments.”
Blake takes another swig of his drink and nods. “That’s good, man.”
What does he mean? At our lunch, I remember his icy hostility toward Katrina. It bordered on rage as Katrina’s out of control behavior became audacious. Mortifying. It was obvious to me they had some kind of history, but Blake was tight-lipped about it. And I chose not to pursue it further. When I confronted Katrina about her outrageous behavior and their past, she told me Blake, the former love of her life, had broken her heart. I left it at that, never questioning it further. Loosened up by the Scotch, I build up the courage to prod. His tumbler half emptied, maybe he’ll open up and tell me more.
“Blake, what happened between you and Kat?” I deliberately use the name he calls her.
He drains the rest of his Scotch and sets the glass on the table between us. His blustery blue eyes meet mine. “Listen, Brandon, I can’t go into details, but that girl is bad news.”
Rather than unnerving me, his pronouncement affirms what I already know and gives me the impetus to probe further.
“What do you mean?”
“She’s capable of a lot of shit. I’ll leave it at that. Hey, man, I shouldn’t be telling you this stuff. You’re marrying her. Maybe she’s different with you and has found what she needs.”
I blurt out the next words. “Blake, I’m going to be honest with you. I’m having second thoughts about marrying her.” I don’t tell him that I attempted to break up with her before this trip, but she left town and I couldn’t reach her on her cell. Probably because there’s no reception at her father’s high security penitentiary.
Blake twists his lips, forming a less than happy expression. Judging by the look on his face, maybe it was meant to be that I couldn’t get in touch with Katrina. After being around her, I can only imagine what kind of damage she would do me in the press while I’m half way around the world at MIP. I inwardly shudder. Drawing in a sharp breath, production chief Blake finally breaks his silence and confirms my unsettling gut feelings.
“I wish you’d said something to me or our Press Department earlier. Our research shows that viewers are as excited about your televised wedding as much as they are for the Kurt Kussler season finale. You—or should I say we—have a lot riding on both events. And Katrina’s a loose cannon, the proverbial wrecking ball, and ready to blow everything up. Man, I honestly don’t know what to say. The timing sucks for a breakup.”
Christ. What have I gotten myself into? I’m damned if I do; damned if I don’t. A sudden bout of turbulence shakes the plane and cuts our conversation short. The clamor of clattering glasses sounds in my ears as the “Fasten Seatbelts” sign flashes overhead. I shift my gaze to my adorable assistant who’s talking to Blake’s wife Jennifer to make sure she’s alright. She’s looks a little terrified. I fight the urge to jump up from my seat and take her in my arms. Blake catches my eyes on her.
“Your assistant’s great,” he comments. “She’s really cute too.”