So she’d do her interview, pack her bags, and head back to Chicago. Aldrich might not be pleased that it wasn’t as in-depth an interview as his employer wanted, but if Ryne was going to be difficult, there was no way she could force him to talk. If Greyson was unhappy, she’d give him some of the money back. It had been a healthy sum and even if she returned a couple of thousand, there would still be sufficient left over for her needs.
She parked in front of the Gazette and gathered her purse and notepad. First she’d check her e-mails, and then see what flights were available. At noon, she would call Aldrich to tell him she’d be back in a few days. The man would press for a specific date and time, but she wasn’t feeling inclined to tell him since he’d probably demand she visit his office the minute she stepped off the plane. Well, too bad for him because it wasn’t going to happen.
Mel grinned, pleased with the no-nonsense attitude she was developing. It would serve her well, when she hunted down Ryne. No more Ms. Nice Guy. Uh-uh.
Beth looked up from her computer when Mel entered. She stood up and began talking like a circus ringmaster. “And here she is; the star of last night’s brawl and the Queen of the Pool Table... Mel Greene!”
Mel winced, feeling the heat of embarrassment flood her cheeks. “So I guess that means you heard about what happened atThe Broken Antler?”
Beth walked over to the counter and propped her chin in her hand. “Nope. Don’t know a darn thing about it.” Then she winked.
Rolling her eyes, Mel plopped down in one of the chairs near the front of the office, absentmindedly wiping a bit of dust from the leaves of the neglected philodendron that was on the table beside her. “I suppose the rumour mill has been working overtime since last night. Tell me the worst, Beth. What are they saying about me?”
“Only that you were roaring drunk, turned into some form of hot, sexy pool shark and won a wad of cash by beating some of the best pool players that Stump River has to offer.”
“What?” She sat up straighter, abandoning the plant and focusing her attention on Beth. “I was not roaring drunk. Maybe a bit tipsy, but I still had complete control over my faculties. And I’m not a pool shark, it was just luck. And the ‘wad of cash’ was loose change, for heaven’s sake!”
“Darn, I was afraid of that.” Beth affected a pout, but then brightened. “You didn’t deny the hot and sexy part, though!”
A vague memory of wiggling her tush before taking a shot during the impromptu pool tournament flashed through Mel’s mind. Damn, but she’d forgotten that part. And there was something about being too warm and loosening the tie on the front of her shirt... She clapped a hand to her cleavage wondering how much she’d been showing off. Feeling a wave of heat rising to her face, she fought for composure while secretly dying inside. Of course, then there was what happened with Ryne afterward! It certainly eclipsed a little hip wiggling and cleavage display.
“Er...I might have been a little less inhibited last night, but I did nothing inappropriate in public.” That was, strictly speaking, the truth. No one needed to know about Armand’s office. Being ‘screwed and then scorned’ by Ryne was her own personal humiliation and heartache.
“So I suppose the story about Ryne and Billy Watson fighting over you, and wrecking one of Armand’s paintings is false, too.”
Mel nodded emphatically. “I don’t know if the fellow was named Billy or not, but he and Ryne weren’t fighting over me, I’m sure. They probably have some sort of history or it was one of those guy things. Ryne doesn’t care enough to fight over me and I’d never met the other man before. As for Armand’s picture, that might be the grain of truth in the whole story. He was looking at a broken picture frame when I left.”
“But what about your arm?” Beth gestured towards the large bandage on Mel’s forearm. “Something must have happened for you to end up with an injury.”
“I think I cut it on the bar stool. Some of the wood probably splintered when it broke.” She rubbed the area around the wound. “It still stings, but it’s not serious. It should be healed in a few days.”
The other woman sighed in obvious disappointment. “Well, I guess that means I have to delete most of what I wrote this morning. It’s too bad. You could have been front page news.”
Narrowing her eyes, Mel studied the other woman, wondering if she was joking or not. Given that this was Stump River, where nothing ever happened, there was a strong possibility she wasn’t. Just to be sure, Mel clarified the matter. “Well, I’m sure something else exciting will happen before next week’s edition.”