Read Online Lethal Affairs by Kim Baldwin, Xenia Alexiou - Free Book Online
Authors: Kim Baldwin, Xenia Alexiou
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wondered why a reporter might “have a problem with her.” “That sounds interesting. What are you working on now?”
“Well, I’m currently covering this.”
“That explains a lot.” Domino kept her tone light and teasing.
“What do you mean?”
“All the questions you’ve been asking,” she explained. “I hope they were all off the record. If not, then allow me to give you a worthwhile quote.”
“Oh, I’m always receptive to what someone interesting has to say. Whatcha got?”
She thought a moment. “An artist’s dream is to have inspiration fall in her lap.” Domino could see in her peripheral vision that Cameo was staring at her, but she kept her attention on Hayley, delighting in the laugh her comment had produced.
“Does inspiration usually come to you that way?” Hayley asked with a crooked grin.
“No, that’s quite exceptional,” Domino replied. “Where do you find inspiration, Hayley?”
“Anywhere and everywhere,” she said. “Usually when I least expect it. Take tonight, for example.”
“What about tonight? Are you feeling particularly inspired?”
“Definitely.” Hayley’s grin widened, exposing those delightful dimples again.
Before she could ask anything further, Cameo tried to inject herself back into the conversation. “What will you write about the event tonight?”
“You mean aside from a certain artist’s interesting quote…” Hayley never took her eyes off Domino. “The usual boring stuff. How much money was raised, a plug for the sponsors, a mention of the VIPs who attended. I really want meatier stories like investigative stuff, or politics, but those usually go to more senior reporters. Any I do, I have to enterprise myself.”
“Are you working on anything of that sort right now?” Cameo asked.
That would’ve been Domino’s question if a subtle signal from Pierce hadn’t distracted her. He got up and headed toward the restrooms.
“Actually, yes. I may have a pretty big one in the works,” Hayley replied. “But it’s still too early to tell.”
“Please excuse me for a moment.” Domino got to her feet and followed Pierce. He was waiting for her out of Hayley’s line of sight.
“She likes you. Use it.” He said it in a low voice when she got within range, but he didn’t outwardly acknowledge knowing her, and he continued toward the men’s room.
Domino lingered in the women’s room for another couple of minutes before she returned to the table. Pierce’s instruction was to turn on the charm, get Hayley to like her. She’d been asked to do that many times before, had been trained for it, so she didn’t question such instructions. But this particular assignment wasn’t unpleasant at all.
As the waiters cleared away their dessert dishes, music began to play, the lights dimmed, and several couples started toward the dance floor. Cameo began to rise, clearly intending to ask Hayley to dance, but before she could, Pierce appeared behind her.
“Michelle. I thought that was you,” he exclaimed as he put an arm around her waist. “I almost didn’t recognize you, it’s been so long. How’s your father? Still spending every spare minute on the golf course?”
“Hey there, what are you doing here?” she replied, giving him a friendly peck on the cheek. “I’ll tell Dad you asked after him, and yes, he’s much worse since he retired.”
“Favor me with a dance?” he asked. “I’ll try not to step on your toes.”
“You’d better keep that promise this time,” she replied, turning briefly to Hayley and Domino. “If you ladies will excuse me.”
They joined other couples, gay and straight, who were swinging to an up-tempo Michael Buble version of “Crazy Little Thing Called Love.” Then Domino turned to Hayley. “Do you know what would make this night perfect?”
“Tell me.”
“If you would dance with me.”
“I’d love to make this night perfect for you,” Hayley said. “Especially since it would do the same for me.”
Domino rose
“Well, I’m currently covering this.”
“That explains a lot.” Domino kept her tone light and teasing.
“What do you mean?”
“All the questions you’ve been asking,” she explained. “I hope they were all off the record. If not, then allow me to give you a worthwhile quote.”
“Oh, I’m always receptive to what someone interesting has to say. Whatcha got?”
She thought a moment. “An artist’s dream is to have inspiration fall in her lap.” Domino could see in her peripheral vision that Cameo was staring at her, but she kept her attention on Hayley, delighting in the laugh her comment had produced.
“Does inspiration usually come to you that way?” Hayley asked with a crooked grin.
“No, that’s quite exceptional,” Domino replied. “Where do you find inspiration, Hayley?”
“Anywhere and everywhere,” she said. “Usually when I least expect it. Take tonight, for example.”
“What about tonight? Are you feeling particularly inspired?”
“Definitely.” Hayley’s grin widened, exposing those delightful dimples again.
Before she could ask anything further, Cameo tried to inject herself back into the conversation. “What will you write about the event tonight?”
“You mean aside from a certain artist’s interesting quote…” Hayley never took her eyes off Domino. “The usual boring stuff. How much money was raised, a plug for the sponsors, a mention of the VIPs who attended. I really want meatier stories like investigative stuff, or politics, but those usually go to more senior reporters. Any I do, I have to enterprise myself.”
“Are you working on anything of that sort right now?” Cameo asked.
That would’ve been Domino’s question if a subtle signal from Pierce hadn’t distracted her. He got up and headed toward the restrooms.
“Actually, yes. I may have a pretty big one in the works,” Hayley replied. “But it’s still too early to tell.”
“Please excuse me for a moment.” Domino got to her feet and followed Pierce. He was waiting for her out of Hayley’s line of sight.
“She likes you. Use it.” He said it in a low voice when she got within range, but he didn’t outwardly acknowledge knowing her, and he continued toward the men’s room.
Domino lingered in the women’s room for another couple of minutes before she returned to the table. Pierce’s instruction was to turn on the charm, get Hayley to like her. She’d been asked to do that many times before, had been trained for it, so she didn’t question such instructions. But this particular assignment wasn’t unpleasant at all.
As the waiters cleared away their dessert dishes, music began to play, the lights dimmed, and several couples started toward the dance floor. Cameo began to rise, clearly intending to ask Hayley to dance, but before she could, Pierce appeared behind her.
“Michelle. I thought that was you,” he exclaimed as he put an arm around her waist. “I almost didn’t recognize you, it’s been so long. How’s your father? Still spending every spare minute on the golf course?”
“Hey there, what are you doing here?” she replied, giving him a friendly peck on the cheek. “I’ll tell Dad you asked after him, and yes, he’s much worse since he retired.”
“Favor me with a dance?” he asked. “I’ll try not to step on your toes.”
“You’d better keep that promise this time,” she replied, turning briefly to Hayley and Domino. “If you ladies will excuse me.”
They joined other couples, gay and straight, who were swinging to an up-tempo Michael Buble version of “Crazy Little Thing Called Love.” Then Domino turned to Hayley. “Do you know what would make this night perfect?”
“Tell me.”
“If you would dance with me.”
“I’d love to make this night perfect for you,” Hayley said. “Especially since it would do the same for me.”
Domino rose
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