* * *
I pull up at Nan and Pops’ place. A red Corvette is situated across the lawn like someone doesn’t know that you shouldn’t park on people’s grass.
Thug Two steps out of the RV, his shades hovering over the hard line of his mouth. “Boss, we can’t do our jobs when you sneak off like that all the fucking time.”
“Some things a guy wants to do without an escort.”
He tips his hat and takes up his post at the bottom step to the porch.
I grab the front door handle, but it opens before I turn it. Arianne stands inside, dressed like she’s just crawled out of a magazine.
I step back. “What are you doing here?”
“Oh, Buck. I’ve missed you so much.” She plunges out the door, throwing herself against me, her lips finding mine before I can dodge her.
I take her shoulders, putting her away from me. “What the fuck are you doing, Arianne?”
She pouts. “I came to see you, Darling. I thought it was about time I met your family.”
“Meet my family? Why the hell would you need to meet my family? We aren’t together anymore, Arianne. Surely you got that from our last few conversations.”
She pokes out her bottom lip, looking up at me through her lashes. “Aw, Buck. Don’t be like that.”
I push past her into the house. Nan stands in the entry, wringing a dishtowel in her hands, her expression distressed.
I close the door, shutting Arianne out as I click the lock into place. “What happened?”
“Tell me that woman is not your fiancé. Please.”
“Is that what she told you?”
Trudi bounds into the entryway from the living room. “So she isn’t your fiancé?”
I rub at the ache forming between my eyebrows. “Fuck no. You did meet Lou, right?”
Trudi pinches her bottom lip, tugging it. “Well, you wouldn’t be the first guy to do that sort of thing.”
“I’m a lot of things, Tru, but not that. Well, not with Lou, anyway.”
Nan hugs me and walks away, mumbling, “Thank God.”
Tru rocks onto the balls of her feet. “This will be great for the show’s ratings. Everyone loves drama. I couldn’t write this shit any better. Ex-girlfriend shows up, faces off with the new girlfriend. It’s going—”
“It’s not going to be anything. I’m sending Arianne packing. I don’t want Lou and her doing anything. Not even meeting.”
Trudi drops her gaze to her blue toenails. “Oh. Well, see—here’s the thing…”
I clench my jaw, giving myself a moment to settle. I don’t want to piss Trudi off too much. She could bury me in bad press if I’m not careful.
“What’s the thing, Tru?”
“Well, I’ve already got her paperwork done. She’s agreed to be on the show. And Barry loves the idea.”
“Fuck Barry. I don’t give a flying cow’s ass how many producers love it. They can all kiss my dick. This isn’t happening, Tru. It’s a bad idea. And it could really screw up my shit.”
I answer my phone as I stroll through the Quarter on my way to meet Buck and his crew.
“Fontaine!”
“Stephens. How’s it hanging?”
“It don’t hang. I have to throw it over my shoulder or it’d drag in the dirt.”
I laugh. “Yeah, that’s not what Murphy told me.”
“Murphy? Fuck Murphy. Oh, wait. I did. But, hey, I called because Russell and I are heading your way.”
“I’ll text you the address. I think the GPS will find it.”
“Sounds good.”
“You do know I’m not fucking you, Stephens. Right?”
“Aw man. You’d ruin a guy’s leave like that?”
“Sure as shit.” I can’t help but grin as I hang up.
Those guys give me a load of crap, but they’d have my back no matter what.
* * *
I hate the French Quarter.
No. Not the French Quarter, I hate being here with Buck, his merry band of Hollywood fruitcakes, and his ex-girlfriend. Mostly it’s the ex.
I tried to leave when I showed up an hour ago to find little Miss Blonde Scrawny-Ass staring at Buck like he’s the last cock on the planet. But, of course, I’m not quite finished paying for Aunt Delores’s house repairs and Buck knows it. So, cue the money.
I hate fucking money.
I’ve never wanted a lot of money, never desired things I can’t afford. I was fine plugging along on my own. And if it weren’t for everything Aunt Delores has done, I’d tell Buck exactly where he could shove his fist full of cash—right up his famous posterior, or up Arianne’s teeny backside. Yeah, that’s what he should do. Looks to me like she’d like some money up her asshole—she’d probably like money any which way she can get it.