Chapter Forty Three
“Morning,” I say to Lori as she walks into the kitchen.
“I’m not talking to you.”
“Um, I think you just did.”
“I’m still mad at you.”
“But I made you coffee. Coffee makes everything better.”
“It’s going to take a lot more than coffee. I thought you were dead.”
“I’m sorry, I should have called. It all just happened so fast, then I couldn’t get service at the hospital.”
“They do have pay phones, you know?”
“I know, but I didn’t want to leave him. The doctor gave him something which made him sleepy so I didn’t want him to wake up and be alone. I called you as soon as they gave him the all clear.”
“I legit thought he had murdered you.”
“Ever the drama queen.”
“I’m being serious. I thought he must have found out what you were doing and chopped you up into tiny pieces.”
“Well I’m still here, still in one piece.”
“For now.”
“This isn’t one of your crime documentaries.”
She raises her eyebrows. “It has the premise to be. You need to be careful. People with money have contacts.”
I roll my eyes. “I doubt that Mason has a hitman on speed dial. Anyway, did you at least have fun with Buzz last night?”
“No, I was too worried.”
“Well it was nice of him to stay with you until I called.”
“He only did it to try and get into my panties.”
“And did it work?”
“Almost.” She groans. “His tattoo’s drive me crazy. But no, we actually made a pact.”
“What pact?”
“Well it’s more of a challenge for him really. No sex.”
“And he’s agreed to it?” I ask, both eyebrows raised.
“Yep.”
“For how long?”
“Six weeks.”
“Why six weeks?”
“Because that’s when your contract ends so I figured I won’t carry on seeing Buzz when you stop seeing Mason.”
My heart sinks at the thought of never seeing Mason again. “You could still see him if you really wanted him to. You could tell him the truth about what you do.”
“How many times have we talked about this? Nobody will ever be okay with what we do.”
“I just want you to be happy.”
“I am happy.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. It’s my choice to do this job, just like it’s yours. If and when I want a boyfriend, I’ll quit. Until then, as long as my books have a happily ever after then I’ll be fine.”
“So are you and Buzz just going to be friends?”
“We’re definitely more than friends but I don’t want it all being about sex. I guess we could do other stuff. To be honest, I’ll be surprised if he sticks around for six weeks.”
“Well if he doesn’t then he’s an idiot.”
“Speaking of idiots, I wonder how Mason’s doing today. I still can’t believe he tried the ice cream.”
“He said he’s feeling better. He just needs to rest.”
Her eyes go wide. “You’ve spoken to him?”
I pull his cell out of my jeans pocket. “Yeah, I forgot to give him his cell back.”
“So wait a minute, if you have his cell, how have you spoken to him?”
“He’s using his work cell.”
“Have you looked at his photos?”
“No, of course I haven’t.”
“Why the hell not? Pass it here.”
“Lori, no. I’m not going to look at his private photos.”
She wiggles her eyebrows. “He might have taken naked selfies.”
“Exactly.”
“Exactly!” she echoes. “Aren’t you a little bit curious?”
Yes. “No.”
“You’re so boring. At least look at his messages. There could be incriminating evidence. You’ve been giving yourself a hard time about trapping him but what if he has texts from another woman on there? They could be from months or even years ago.”
“I guess you’re right.”
“Of course I am. Do you want me to look?” I nod and pass her the cell. “I wonder if he has any celebrity friends.”
“Just look at the messages.”
“I need to have a quick look through his contacts first. What if he has somebody saved as hot lips or fuck buddy? Oh my god, no way!”
My stomach flips. “What?”
“Bradley Cooper. The Bradley Cooper.” I roll my eyes. “Shut the front door! He has Leonardo Dicaprio’s number too! I’ve been in love with him since Romeo and Juliet. The fish tank scene gives me all the feels!”
“Just get on with it.”
I wait, watching her gasp and squeal when she spots other celebrities. “No hot lips,” she announces a minute later. “But he does know Taylor Swift. I wonder if any of her songs are about him.”
I laugh. “Check the calls and messages.”
She begins tapping and scrolling. “Oooh, lots of calls from somebody called Indiana.”
“His sister.”
“Oh. Um, a few random numbers. Some to Emily and Buzz but nothing that sticks out.”
“When was the last time he spoke to Emily?” I don’t know why I’m asking.
“Last Friday but he has missed calls from her after that.”
“What about messages?”
More scrolling. “Mostly Buzz and Indiana.”
“When do they date back to?”
“Um, about six months. So he’s either a good boy or good at covering his tracks.”
“Innocent until proven guilty.”
“I wonder why Buzz calls Mason Yankee.”
“Are you reading their messages?”
“Yeah, I want to see if they mention me. Huh, that’s weird.”
“What?”
“Buzz asked Mason if he enjoyed watching The Notebook. I thought men only watch that if they’re forced to. Maybe he’s been seeing a woman after all.”
I hold my hand out. “I think that’s enough, Sherlock.”
“Please let me look at his photos.”
“Lori…” She sighs and hands me the cell. “Ask Buzz to send you some nude pictures if you’re that bothered. I’m sure he would oblige.”
She rolls her eyes. “When are you giving it back?”
“I’m going to drop it off at the hotel later.” I finish my coffee then rinse out the cup while she serenades me to Hotel by R.Kelly. “Finished?” I ask.
She holds the note for a few seconds then takes a bow. “You should keep his cell for a little while longer. You know, to see if anybody calls or texts him.”
I laugh. “I’m not going to change my mind about the photos.”
She sticks her tongue out. “It was worth a try.”