Straight from the Hart

by Tracie Banister

  “The clean-up crew is going to hate us,” I murmur as the actors shout congratulations and good wishes.

  Alex lowers his microphone before telling me, “I bribed them with tickets to next week’s premiere of New Frisco so that they’d help me tear petals off two hundred roses and put them in the snow tumblers. I’ll throw in a bonus and arrange for them to attend the after-party where they can meet Jax and Jaz.”

  “Ooooo, I want to meet Jax!” my grandmother enthuses, handing us flutes filled with bubbly.

  “Now, Viv, he just got back together with his wife. I need to help him avoid temptation, not throw it in his path.” Alex winks at her, and she laughs.

  “I am really going to enjoy having you as a grandson. Welcome to the family!” She clinks her glass against Alex’s.

  CHAPTER 45

  “Are you even listening to me?”

  Cole’s voice breaks through the dreamy ether I’ve been happily lost in for the last few minutes.

  “Huh—what?” I straighten up from being slumped over my desk with my head perched on my hand.

  He gives me a recriminatory look. “You haven’t heard a single word I’ve said since I came in here, have you?”

  “Of course I have . . .” I search my short-term memory to see if I can come up with anything. “Horse!” I exclaim, feeling very pleased with myself. “You were talking about a horse.”

  “In what context?” Cole’s perfectly arched brow lifts at the end of the query.

  “Uhhhhhh . . .” I’ve got nothing. With a wince, I say, “Sorry. It’s been hard to focus today. I miss Alex.”

  “He hasn’t even been gone twenty-four hours.”

  “I know, but that seems like forever when you’re newly engaged.” Exhaling a sigh, I hold up my hand so that I can gaze adoringly at my heart-shaped diamond ring again. Has there ever been a more beautiful piece of jewelry?

  “Heteros,” Cole says with an eye roll, and I toss a paper clip at him even though he’s not wrong. I have been in a blissful daze ever since Alex put this ring on my finger a week ago. I need to be paying more attention here at work.

  Clasping my hands in front of me on the desk, I inquire in my most serious, professional tone, “What’s the deal with the horse?”

  “Rachel Snokes got thrown by one as a kid, so she’s not a fan, which her husband forgot about when he signed them up for our Spring Into Romance package with the horseback ride on the beach.”

  “That seems like an odd choice for him to begin with. He’s not exactly the outdoorsy type.” Dr. Snokes is an introverted taxonomist who spends most of his waking hours looking at organisms through a microscope and being so science-oriented is why he regularly needs our assistance. If it were left up to him, he’d probably romance his wife by the light of a Bunsen burner in a lab.

  “I tried to steer the doc toward one of our less active packages, but he said Rachel has been complaining about the lack of adventure in their marriage lately. So . . .”

  “We need an exciting and unique alternative to the horseback ride. When are they supposed to be doing this?”

  “Day after tomorrow. Snokes already told the wife he had something ‘fun’ planned for them.”

  I run down the other Spring Into Romance package options in my head. Stargazing at the observatory? Totally predictable when your husband is a scientist. Rose garden picnic? Not lively enough. Gondola ride? The Brubakers are already scheduled to do that on Friday night.

  “We’re going to have to go off script for the Snokes,” I conclude.

  “I know a tattoo parlor in West Hollywood where couples can create a design, then ink each other with the help of the resident artist.”

  “Too adventurous. One or both of them would pass out before a needle ever touched their skin.” Rising to my feet, I move out from behind my desk so that I can pace back and forth, which always gets my creative juices flowing.

  “Got it!” I snap my fingers when the answer pops into my head a few seconds later. “The wine safari in Malibu. We can book a private tour for the Snokes so that they’ll have a guide and a jeep all to themselves. They can enjoy nature and all of the exotic animals on the property without having to exert much energy with a bonus of getting to sample some good local vino. Call Carlos at the safari lodge and book it. Be sure to tell him to include a stop to see Stanley.”

  “The Insta-famous giraffe?

  “That’s the one. He’s super sweet and will eat right out of your hand. Rachel will love him, and maybe making friends with Stanley will ease her back into being around horses.”

  “It’s a solid idea,” he compliments me while extracting his phone from the pocket of his linen blazer, which is a daffodil yellow (only Cole could pull off that bright color!). “Hmmmmm,” he murmurs after a few seconds of tapping on the device. “The wine safaris only happen during the day and the doc wanted to do something with his lady at night.”

  “He can surprise her Friday morning by announcing that he’s taking the day off work, which is something he never does. It’ll be the perfect start to their adventure!”

  “Mmmkay, I’m going to tell Snokes to take some photos of Rachel and him toasting each other or smooching in front of Stanley, then we can post them on our account and tag the giraffe. He has eighty-four thousand followers.” Cole flips his phone around to show me Stanley’s Instagram page. “We need to get a piece of that.”

  “Agreed. Maybe we can even do a whole series of posts over the course of a week about romantic excursions we’ve arranged for couples who are animal—” I’m cut off by the buzzing of my phone. Reaching across my desk, I scoop up the cell and check to see who’s texting me. “It’s from Jax,” I tell my assistant before clicking on the new message.

  “Ooooo, what does our sexiest client want?”

  “A Reid always pays his debts,” I read the text aloud.

  “I don’t get it.”

  “Game of Thrones reference,” I explain.

  “I never understood the appeal of that show. Dragons and boobs? Yuck.”

  “Not sure what debt he’s talking about since he paid for our services in full, plus gave us that very generous bonus.” I’m about to reply to Jax’s text, asking him to clarify, when my phone rings. As soon as I see my fiancé’s name appear on the display screen, I grin like a celebrity promoting a blue light teeth whitener. “It’s Alex!” I all but squeal.

  “Then I’ll leave you two lovebirds alone to coo at each other. I need to find his and her pith helmets for the Snokes’ safari.” Cole sweeps out the door of my office while I answer the phone.

  “Hey, you! How’s New York?” That’s where he and Jax have gone to do the first leg of the New Frisco press junket. They’ll be there through the weekend, then it’s on to London.

  “I’ve been on the go with Jax since five o’clock this morning,” Alex says, sounding exhausted. “He’s done more than twenty interviews today and it’ll be more of the same tomorrow. Good thing he never gets tired of talking about himself. Speaking of which, turn on your TV.”

  “Now?” I frown because that’s an odd request. “Why?”

  “Just do it. Channel Two. Entertainment Tonight’s about to start and you need to see the lead story.”

  “I’m still here in the office and the only TV we have is in the break roo—”

  “Less talk, more walk, babe. Hurry, or you’re going to miss it!”

  “All right, all right,” I say as I hightail it out of my office into the corridor. “I can only move so fast in heels and a tight skirt.”

  “You’re wearing a tight skirt? Tell me more.”

  “I don’t think so. We’ve been on this call for almost a minute and you haven’t said you loved me or missed me once,” I pout.

  “I tossed and turned in my big hotel bed all night because I couldn’t sleep without you next to me, and I doodled hearts with your name inside them all over the press materials while the New Frisco cast was doing their interview on BUILD. How’s that
?”

  “Not ba—” I don’t complete the thought because I walk into the break room and see Cole sitting at the glass table with his feet propped up on a chair, noshing on the very expensive passion fruit truffles that are supposed to be for clients.

  “I thought you were on a diet,” I say.

  “What? You think I need to lose weight?” Alex asks, and I picture him self-consciously patting his washboard abs.

  “Of course not. Your body is beautifully sculpted perfection. I was talking to Cole.”

  “It’s hopeless,” my assistant mumbles after stuffing another truffle in his mouth. “I’m not good at depriving myself. I’ll just have to find a guy at the pool party this weekend who’s into fatties.”

  “You’re not fat, so stop being so critical of yourself. Do you know where the remote for this TV is?” The electronic device is not on the countertop where the twenty-two inch flat screen sits, nor is it in any of the drawers beneath.

  “Tick tock,” Alex says.

  “That’s not helpful,” I chastise him as I continue to peek in every cabinet and even the refrigerator with no luck. I then notice a copy of People on the seat of the chair Cole’s using as a footrest. I pick up the magazine and discover the remote hiding underneath. “What channel’s ET on again?” I inquire while turning on the TV.

  “Two!” Cole and Alex shout from either side.

  I hit the appropriate button and host Kevin Frazier materializes on screen. “—and last night’s premiere of New Frisco was the first time Jax and Jaz have appeared together since the cheating scandal and their subsequent separation. Does this mean the fan favorite duo is back together? Keltie Knight got the exclusive for ET on the red carpet.”

  I pull out a chair and plop down because I’m really interested to see this. Although I was on the invite list, I couldn’t attend the premiere because I had a previous engagement—dinner at Ian’s parents’ house. Over cocktails, we came clean with them about our relationship and I returned the Ellingsworth ring with heartfelt apologies. They were gracious about it, but still confused until Ian explained his sexuality. I was very proud of him for finally being honest and saying, “This is who I am and I’m done pretending.”

  His parents looked completely shell-shocked, but Nicola quickly rallied and assured Ian they loved and supported him no matter what. I think it’s going to take Andrew a little longer to wrap his mind around the whole omnisexual thing, but at least he didn’t outright reject or condemn what his son told him. So I’m hopeful that this will be the dawn of a new era of understanding and acceptance for their family.

  “I am sure I speak for everyone when I say how great it is to see the two of you here,” the blond correspondent gushes, then shoves her microphone at the Js.

  A gorgeously tousled Jax, who looks like he just rolled out of bed and threw on several thousand dollars’ worth of designer clothes, flashes his famous smile and says, “We’re happy to be here to show our love for this fantastic film.”

  “And what about your love for each other?” Keltie wants to know. “Is it safe to say that you guys have patched things up?”

  Jax snakes his arm around Jaz’s waist and she gazes up adoringly at him. Honestly, I’ve never seen her look more beautiful or radiant. She’s practically glowing with happiness, which is a big change from the last time I saw her when she was a disheveled mess with her face all splotchy and puffy from crying.

  “We have,” she admits. “In fact, we just returned from the most amazing, romantic trip where we were able to spend quality time together and get back to being us. Our feelings for each other are stronger than ever and we renewed our wedding vows in a private ceremony so that we could confirm our commitment to each other all over again.”

  “Yeah, it’s a fresh start for us and we have one very special person to thank for making it all happen.”

  “And who’s that?” Keltie leans forward with her microphone, eager to get the scoop straight from Jax.

  “Vanessa Hart,” he says my name, looking straight into the camera. “She’s a romance concierge here in LA. My publicist put me in touch with her back when everything hit the fan and I was afraid I’d lost Jaz forever. She dedicated herself to making things right for us and—”

  “—she saved our marriage,” Jaz picks up the story. “We never would have reunited if it hadn’t been for Vanessa and all of her hard work. She’s also the one who planned our romantic getaway and vow renewal down to the last wonderful detail. She’s incredible and we owe her big time.”

  “Thanks, Red. You’re the best!” Jax declares, then he and Jaz blow kisses at me.

  I am deeply touched by their shout-out and the knowledge that I played an important part in their reconciliation. It’s validation that what I do really matters.

  “You’re crying, aren’t you?” Alex teases me from the other end of the line.

  “No,” I say in a choked voice, swiping away the tear that’s rolling down my cheek.

  “That is quite an endorsement!” Keltie enthuses on-screen. “I might have to give Vanessa a call since I want to do something special for my husband’s birthday this year.”

  “You totally should,” Jaz encourages her. “Vanessa is very discreet, creative, and most importantly, caring, which makes her the perfect romance concierge for people in the entertainment industry. What’s her company’s name again, Jaxy?” She snuggles in close to her husband, sliding her hand between the jacket of his dove gray suit and the black, halfway unbuttoned shirt beneath.

  “Uhhhhhhhh . . .” His eyes roll back in his head as he tries to remember. “Something to do with her last name: Be Still My Hart?”

  Jaz scrunches up her nose. “That doesn’t sound right.”

  “It’s Straight from the Hart,” says Keltie who’s been doing some Google-fu on her phone with the hand not holding the mic.

  “That’s it! Thanks, Kels, and thanks to all the fans out there who’ve been rooting for us. Rest assured we are back and better than ever. And you never know, we might have some exciting news to share in the not-too-distant future.” He gives a saucy wink to the at-home audience.

  Keltie inhales sharply. “Is there a Jax Junior or Little Jaz on the way?”

  Jaz blushes prettily and says, “Maybe. Check back with us in a few months.”

  “In the meantime, go see New Frisco and hit me up on the Gram to let me know what you think.” Jax finally remembers to promote his movie, probably because Alex is off-camera furiously pointing to one of the posters.

  The Js show their pearly whites and wave before moving along to the next interviewer on the red carpet.

  “Oh my god!” I squeak into the phone. “I can’t believe Jax just recommended me and my company on the biggest entertainment news show on TV. You put him up to that, didn’t you?” If Alex was here right now, I would drag him off to the nearest bed and show him my appreciation in a variety of imaginative ways.

  “Nope. That was all Jax. I had no idea he was going to use his platform at the premiere to sing your praises. It was an effective way for him to fulfill the terms of his contract with you, though.”

  “A Reid always pays his debts,” I murmur the message Jax sent me earlier. It makes sense now. When I signed him as a client, I asked Jax to spread the word about Straight from the Hart and let people know he and Jaz were happy with my services. I had hoped he’d pass my name along to a few friends or business associates, but he went global with his endorsement. I don’t know why I’m surprised—movie stars like to do things big!

  “What’s that? I didn’t hear you.”

  “Never mind. I was just—” My phone buzzes with an incoming text. “Hold on for a sec.”

  I pull the cell away from my ear to check the message and the phone out at the front desk starts ringing. “Can you grab that?” I ask Cole who’s licking cocoa powder off his fingers, which is all that’s left of his pile of truffles.

  “Have I been demoted to receptionist now?” he queries with a b
it of an attitude.

  “No, but that can be arranged,” I counter.

  “But it’s after hours,” he whines.

  “You can burn off some of those calories you just ingested.”

  “Ugh, fine.” He saunters out of the break room just as a second line at the reception desk begins to ring in tandem with the first. What the he—

  My phone informs me that I have yet another text, and I still haven’t checked the last one! Eek! Quickly I scan through both messages and am gaping at the display screen when I hear, “Nessa. Nessa! Are you still there?”

  Lifting the phone back to my ear, I say, “Yeah, sorry. I just got a text from Hailey Bieber if you can believe it. She wants me to help plan something romantic for her and Justin. It’s the anniversary of the first time they exchanged ‘I love you’s next month. And People magazine wants to interview me—People, Alex! I should turn them down, right? They probably just want the goss on Jax and Jaz, and I have to keep all of that confiden—” I’m interrupted by another ding and I can now hear a symphony of land lines trilling out in the reception area. No way can Cole handle this barrage all by himself, so I hustle out to the corridor.

  “Our phones are ringing off the wall,” I tell Alex.

  “That’s great, ba—”

  My cell buzzes once more and I check to see who it is . . . Orlando Bloom wants me to ‘work my magic’ on his upcoming honeymoon with Katy Perry! Are you kidding me????????

  “I can place you on hold, but there are already several calls ahead of—,” a harried-looking Cole is speaking into the front desk phone, which is lit up like a Christmas tree with several blinking red lights. “Okay then. Please enjoy the soulful vocals of Chrissy Teigen’s husband while you wait.” He presses a button on the phone and places the receiver back in its cradle. Glancing up at me, he says, “I want overtime for this. Better yet, you can foot the bill for me to get lipo.”