Secrets Of The Night: A Case of Kiss and Tell

“Ha, you talk to every reporter. There’s nothing exclusive with you.”

“What can I say?” he asked, again with that grin. “I liked the article you wrote about Gail and Russell. I was worried the backstage stuff might be sensationalized …”

Nichole shook her head. “Gail is one of my closest friends. I’d never print anything to hurt her.”

“I didn’t realize that. So you’re from Frisco, Texas, too?”

“Yes. I don’t remember you at all, so if that’s what you’re thinking, we’re in the same boat,” she said.

“I wondered about that. Why didn’t we ever run into each other? A pretty redhead like you … I definitely should have noticed you in high school,” he said.

“Probably because I spent most of my time in the library or in Mr. Fletcher’s classroom. And I don’t think you did either of those things.”

“Did you write anything I might remember?”

“Only if you found the weekly lunch menu fascinating,” she said.

He laughed. “Oh, that was you. I’d like to talk to you later for Extreme Careers.”

“Okay, but being a society reporter isn’t considered ‘extreme’ at all.”

“I know. I was hoping you could use your contacts to help me find a war reporter.”

She nodded. “I know a couple of guys who’ve been to the Middle East. I’ll ask around and see if they’ll talk to you about it.”

“I don’t just want to talk to them, Nic. I’d like to go over there with a reporter and do some frontline shooting, too,” he said.

She didn’t think that any of the reporters she knew would want to be on a reality television show, but she’d been wrong about Gail wanting to be on one. “I don’t know if anyone will agree to that.”

“Let me talk to them. I can be very convincing and, if not, there’s more than one way to get the story I want.”

Jack left and she talked to the bachelor and the bachelorette for a few minutes before leaving herself. One of the things Jack had said continued to resonate with her. There was more than one way to get a story and if Conner wouldn’t talk to her, she might have to look into the other members of his family, especially Jane Macafee. She was in the spotlight and might have some insights into Conner that Nichole could use for her story.

Conner sent three calls from his sister to voice mail and narrowly missed her when she showed up at his office for a surprise visit. Finally, when she tweeted about him, he couldn’t ignore her anymore. He picked up his office phone and dialed Janey’s number.

“It’s Conner,” he said when she answered.

“I know it is. Why are you avoiding me?” she asked. “I wanted to find out what happened with that redhead reporter.”

“Nothing,” he said. Jane was as bad as could be when it came to snooping into his personal life. Besides, Nichole was the last person he wanted to discuss with anyone in his family.

“Nothing? You spent a lot of time with her for nothing.”

“She was … difficult,” he said.

Jane chuckled. “Good. Sometimes I think life is a little too easy for you.”

He wished. “Did you just call to harass me?”

“You called me,” she pointed out. “I tweeted about you.”

“Which I have repeatedly asked you not to do,” he said. Whenever she mentioned him on the internet or on her show he got slammed with emails through the company website, asking if he was on Twitter or Facebook.

“Sorry, bro, but if you ignore me you must face the consequences.”

“So what did you want?” he asked.

“I’m having a dinner party tomorrow night and have an odd number of guests so I need you to come. It’s at eight so you’ll be done with work.”

“Are you filming it?” he asked. One time she’d been doing her cooking show and he’d shown up unaware that the dinner was going to be taped. He had left without saying a word to her, but they’d had a huge fight over it later. Janey didn’t understand why he still had such an aversion to the press. In her mind what had happened with their dad was over years ago. But it was different for Conner.

“No. I think we both remember what happened the last time I did that.”

“Thanks, Jane. I’d love to come to dinner then. Eight?”

“Yes,” she said. “Did you talk to the reporter?”

“Only to get her to leave. She wanted to do a story on Dad and that old scandal,” he said, which wasn’t quite true, but he didn’t want Jane talking to Nichole. His sister could be stubborn once she had an idea about something.

“Oh, that’s too bad. I thought she was doing a piece on the television show that Matchmakers, Inc. was part of.”

“She is. But she also wanted to delve into the personal side of it. Stuff like why do I own a matchmaking firm if I’m determined to stay single.”

“A question Mom and I have pondered many a time,” Jane said.

“Um … you’re single, too. Would you like to delve into your reasoning on that?”

“I haven’t met Mr. Right,” she said.

“I don’t think you’re even looking,” Conner said. “I do want you to be happy.”

“I am happy. And I suspect you are, too. We aren’t like other people who need a spouse to be fulfilled,” she said. “We learned a long time ago to depend on ourselves—and each other, of course.”

“Of course,” he agreed. He hadn’t realized that Janey felt the same way he did. He’d tried his best to shield her from the worst of the fallout with their father. “I thought I protected you from most of the family drama that made me such a loner.”

“You did. You have always been the best big brother a girl could ask for.”

“The best … that’s not what you tweeted a few minutes ago.”

She laughed as he’d hoped she would. It bothered him that his sister was as closed-off to interpersonal relationships as he was. He’d adjusted to living alone and not letting anyone get too close, but Janey was gregarious and always had a group of friends around her.

“Love you,” she said.

“Love you, too, brat. Is Mom coming to this soirée of yours?”

“No, she has a board meeting for her charity. She said if you didn’t agree to come she’d call and put the screws to you.”

“You two always team up, don’t you?”