“Yes, we.” She sounded downright irritated about it.
“When? For what?”
“This morning. In the write-up about the wedding.”
“And you came by to tell me about it?”
“I rather assumed you’d already know.”
This was obviously going to take more than just a minute. He sat on the edge of his desk. “Uh, no. I usually skip that part of the paper.”
“Well, it might not be as far-reaching as that transportation bill, but it certainly rocks this little part of the world.”
The mention of his column caught him off-guard. He wouldn’t have thought Lorelei read the editorial section of any newspaper. And normally he’d be surprised that the mention of something two private citizens possibly did at a private function could be considered earth-rocking in any part of the world, but he’d humor her for the moment. “What did it say?”
In response, Lorelei pulled a torn page out of her purse and shoved it at him. It took a second for him to get through a rundown of the guest list, what everyone was wearing and a description of the ice sculptures, but finally he found Lorelei’s name and his. He turned the paper over, looking for more, but on the back was an advertisement for a casino. “That’s it?”
Lorelei’s jaw dropped. “You don’t think that’s enough?”
“I don’t actually see the problem, Lorelei.”
She looked on the edge of a sputter. “My mother reads the Wednesday Pages like the Bible.”
“As does mine. So?”
This time Lorelei did sputter. “So? That’s all you have to say?”
“Well, I don’t see a reason to freak out.”
“Obviously your mother hasn’t been texting you all morning, looking for an explanation because half the city is asking her for an explanation.”
So that was what had her panties in a twist. Damn it. I shouldn’t have thought about her panties. Especially since he knew for a fact that her taste in undergarments ran to the tiny and lacy. “Definitely not.”
“Well, that figures.”
He could hear the sour that must be nice tone under those words. “Look, Lorelei. We don’t owe anyone an explanation for anything—much less some busybody’s baseless speculation in what is little more than a gossip column.”
Lorelei’s eyes widened. “‘Baseless speculations?’”
“Well, it was baseless—at least until your little freak-out gave it credence. The very fact you came running down here makes it look like there really is something going on. Something more than what was publicly witnessed. Someone went fishing and you took the bait. You’ve pretty much told the world we had sex.”
Her eyes widened. “For the love of …” Lorelei obviously hadn’t thought it through until now, and the realization set her pacing in frustration. She started muttering to herself, and he caught the occasional phrase about her mother or Vivi killing her. Even Connor’s name came up once. Finally she stopped pacing and turned to him. “What do you suggest we do?”
He didn’t see the big deal. “We don’t do anything. I’m going to go about my business as always. You can do whatever you think best.”
“Donovan, I’m asking for your help here. You may not care that there’s gossip in the paper, but I do.”
“Since when?” There was certain information a person couldn’t avoid, no matter how uninterested they might be. That included news of the adventures of the young, wealthy, beautiful and fabulous. Lorelei had made the papers plenty of times with far more descriptive rundowns on her activities.
“I know I haven’t cared in the past, but things are different now.”
Her voice lost the impatience and the snark, and for a moment she sounded almost vulnerable. But she was completely overreacting. This was not nearly the catastrophe Lorelei seemed to think it was, and, left alone, it would all blow over soon enough.
“I know I’ve never been a saint like Vivi. Never will be, either.” She smiled weakly, and he realized that it had to be tough to live up to an example like Vivi. “The thing is, with Vivi and Connor on their honeymoon, I’m going to be making appearances on their behalf—for the charities they represent and the organizations they support. I don’t need—and can’t have—this kind of gossip hanging over my head and coloring everyone’s thoughts.” Lorelei’s blue eyes were wide and earnest. She was serious. “It’s not just about me. It’s about them and their reputations and the organizations they do so much for. There’s a lot more at stake than just a little public embarrassment for me.”