Valorous(36)

“Thank you so much.” Her sweetness nearly reduces me to tears. It’s been so long since I’ve had a family behind me, and the Godfreys are one hell of a family to have on my side.

Carolyn swoops into the conference room at the stroke of noon with a team of producers, camera people, hair-and-makeup staff and an entire entourage of others who stand around talking on phones, barking out orders and generally trying to look important. The woman herself is a blonde with warm blue eyes that save her from being unapproachable. She’s known for being a master interviewer who always asks the right questions and can make even the sturdiest of men break down into tears with probing inquiries about the most personal of matters.

One of the crewmembers outfits us with clip-on microphones. Flynn pushes the guy’s hand aside and takes care of clipping mine onto my dress. The possessive action nearly makes me giggle, but he’s not in the mood for silliness.

When the mikes are in place, Carolyn comes over to us and hugs Flynn. “So great to see you again.”

“You, too, Carolyn. Thanks for doing this.”

“Thank you. This is the interview of the year. Everyone wanted it. I’m so incredibly honored you chose me.”

“I chose you because you’ve been fair to me in the past. I hope you’ll do the same for Natalie.” He’s friendly and charming as always, but he puts her on notice nonetheless.

“Of course.” She turns to me and extends her hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Natalie.”

“Likewise.” I’m totally starstruck. I’ve watched Carolyn Justice’s daily talk show since college. “I’m a big fan.”

“Thank you so much! That’s so nice to hear. Before we begin, is there anything completely off-limits?”

I glance at Flynn. The pulsing muscle in his cheek tells me he’s tightly wound and apt to get more so in the next hour.

“Nothing is off-limits, but I won’t speak in detail about the assault.”

“I understand, and I’d never ask you to.”

I reach for Flynn’s injured hand and hold it between both of mine as we’re directed toward chairs under the bright lights Carolyn’s people have set up. The wires and cords on the floor remind me of the day we met, a thought I share with Flynn.

His lips curl up into a smile that doesn’t reach his eyes. I want to get this over with for his sake as much as mine.

When we’re seated across from Carolyn, I continue to hold his hand, needing his comfort as much as I want to offer mine to him.

Carolyn has an intro prepared in which she summarizes the events of the last week and introduces us, making note that this exclusive interview is the only one Flynn and I plan to give.

“I want to start by asking you, Natalie, how your life has changed since you met Flynn.”

The question takes me by surprise because I’d think the changes to my life would be rather obvious. I glance at Flynn, who’s staring straight ahead, his face expressionless.

“My life has changed completely,” I tell her. “With a few exceptions, it’s changed for the better. I feel extremely fortunate to have met Flynn, to be part of his life and to have him in mine.”

He gives my hand a gentle squeeze.

“We’re all very curious as to how you two met. Care to share that story?”

We exchange glances, and he nods for me to go ahead. I relay the story of Fluff escaping from me in Greenwich Village and how I chased her right into Flynn’s shoot. “I smashed into him and ended up on the ground with the wind knocked out of me while Fluff took a bite out of Flynn.”

“The dog bit you?”

“Yep.” He lifts his arm where the marks have faded but remain visible. “The old girl’s still got game at fourteen.”

“And with only about ten teeth left in her cute little head,” I add.

Carolyn loses it laughing. “So what did you think when you realized your dog had bitten Flynn Godfrey?”

“She was afraid I’d sue her and Fluff for all their worldly goods,” Flynn says with the trademark humor I’ve come to expect from him. It’s good to have that back after living with tense, stressed-out Flynn.

“Which doesn’t amount to much,” I add. “Of course I was mortified. Fluff has never bitten anyone, and she makes her debut with Flynn Godfrey?”

“The whole thing was pretty funny,” Flynn says.

“I have to ask how you go from her dog biting you to walking the red carpet together at the Golden Globes a week later.”