The Friends We Keep. Susan Mallery
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he mouthed.
She turned away and hurried to the bathroom. Once there, she checked out her reflection even as she was peeling off layers.
Okay, so the makeup was a little heavy for the middle of the day. And yes, the dress was kind of tacky-sexy. But she’d been teaching tango.
“A hooker,” she muttered as she stepped out of her dress. She slipped on shorts and a T-shirt, then traded in heels for flip-flops. “Talk about a jerk. I knew it. I just knew it. That internet article about him was exactly right.”
Too bad he was so appealing. That was just wasted. God should have given Jairus more ugly. The man deserved it.
She had makeup wipes tucked in a side pocket of her tote. She used them to remove her tango-centric eye and face makeup. It only took a second to brush out her hair and secure it in a simple ponytail.
Now she looked like what she was. A mom. She supposed it was her own fault for being late. If she’d gotten to the park ten minutes earlier, this never would have happened. Not that Jairus wasn’t still going to have to pay.
She came out of the bathroom to find the party moving outside. The counselors had set up several tables with balloons and goody bags, along with a big cake. All part of the prize package. Not only were the kids being given a special afternoon with Jairus, they were taking home an advance copy of his next book. Oh, joy. She knew what she and Tyler would be reading before, during and after dinner. For weeks. Damn Jairus and his ridiculous creation.
Tyler ran up to her. “He’s here!”
“I know. I met him.”
“He’s nice and funny and he told me secrets about Brad.”
“No way.”
Tyler nodded earnestly.
She dropped to her knees and took her son’s hands in hers. “I’m so proud of you. You worked hard to make this happen. You and your friends are having a great day and it’s because of you.”
He hugged her. “This is the best day ever, Mommy. You helped, too.”
“I know, but you’re the one who believed. I love you, big guy.”
“I love you, too.”
Tyler ran back to where Jairus was sitting on the grass talking to the kids and answering their endless questions about Brad and why things had turned out the way they had in his various stories. He seemed to be genuinely enjoying the kids. When it was time for the cake to be cut, he did that himself and served it to all the kids and counselors.
Nicole wanted to say it was because she’d frightened him, but she had a feeling his actions had nothing to do with her. He was too easy with the children. Too comfortable. He must do these parties a lot, she thought, wondering if they were part of his deal with his publisher, or if he chose to interact with his littlest fans.
The afternoon wore on. She kept to the fringes of the event, watching but not getting involved. This was Tyler’s moment. He reveled in the joy of being close to Jairus. The questions never let up, but the man took them in stride. Despite their disastrous meeting, Nicole had to admit Jairus was good at what he did.
Probably because he was so rested from counting all his money.
After about an hour, the goody bags were passed out. Jairus read the new book to everyone, then patiently signed every copy. Parents started arriving to pick up their kids. A few went over to meet him. He shook hands and posed for pictures.
One of the camp counselors walked over to join Nicole. “He’s so hot,” the twenty-year-old said with a sigh. “I tried to give him my number, but he wouldn’t take it.”
“You’re probably too wholesome,” Nicole muttered.
“What?”
“Nothing. Sorry. I was thinking of something else.”
“He’s been so great with the kids.”
“He has.”
She said the words reluctantly, but there was no denying the truth. Either Jairus truly liked children or he was the best actor on the planet. And as she refused to give him any credit for talent or ability, she was left with the uncomfortable fact that he seemed to really like children. And didn’t that suck?
She wanted him to be pure evil. Or just slimy. Except for the hooker thing, he’d done well.
As the campers left to go home, the crowd around Jairus shrank. Tyler lingered and Nicole didn’t hurry him, knowing this was important to him. They would leave when Jairus did. Tyler would want every second with his hero.
As she watched, Jairus said something to Tyler, then walked toward her.
“You look less hostile,” he said as he approached.
“I didn’t want to scare the kids.”
“You’re still mad.”
“No. I appreciate you did a good job here.” Man, that was hard to say.
“Thanks. I am sorry.”
She looked at him without speaking.
He shoved his hands into his jeans front pockets. “This is the part where you say it was pretty funny and no big deal.”
“That’s not going to happen.”
“Can I buy you a cup of coffee by way of an apology?”
His eyes were beautiful, she thought absently. He was obviously of mixed race—kind of a common thing in LA. She wondered about his heritage. A little something of everything, she would guess.
“Nicole?”
“What? No.” That sounded rude. “Um, no, thank you.”
“Can I get your number?”
She stared at him. “Why?”
He smiled. A sweet smile with just a hint of sexy. A smile that made her insides feel funny and her knees go just a little weak.
What? No! No way and no. She was not attracted to the evil, awful author of Brad the Dragon. She hated him. Hated. There was no way she was interested.
“To go out? I don’t know you and you have friends who send you hookers.”
“I only thought they did. There’s a difference.”
“Not much of one. The fact that you thought they did means they’re capable of it. Those are not people I want hanging around my son. You did good here today. That’s all I wanted. The rest of it doesn’t matter.”
“So that’s a no?”
“That’s a no.”
“You’re tempted, though. A little?”
“Don’t you have to be somewhere?”
“Not really. And you do know me. Through my work.”
She thought about the endless hours she’d spent reading his books aloud. “That doesn’t recommend you.”
He surprised her by chuckling. “Not a fan?”
“You have no idea.”
He leaned close. For a second she caught a scent of something woodsy and clean. Nice. “I get that from a lot of parents, but the kids love me and I love them.”
“Don’t try to be nice now.”
“I’m always nice.”
And highly verbal, she thought. “You’re a writer. I don’t like writers. Look, you really have to go.”
He studied her for a few seconds, then nodded. “It was nice to meet you, Nicole.”
While she was happy this was over, a teeny, tiny part of her was sorry he was giving up so easily. Was