Blake emerges from Mindy’s room, shoving his wallet in his back pocket, shoes now covering his feet. He bends over Mindy, his mouth close to her ear, and says something in a low rumble.
Then he straightens. “Piper, it was nice to meet you.”
“You too.” I wave.
Mindy follows him to the door. I move to the kitchen and pour myself a cup of coffee while straining to make out the murmured words being exchanged. The voices stop, and there’s a beat of silence before the door shuts.
I sit on the couch and sip my coffee and wait impatiently then ambush her as soon as she comes back into the room. “What was that all about?”
“What do you mean?” She picks up her and Blake’s cups from the table and walks into the kitchen. “Are you hungry? I’m starved.”
I follow. “Don’t you dare change the subject. Why was Blake here?”
“I told you. We work together. It was work stuff.” She sticks her head in the fridge.
“Okay. Let’s try again. Why are you screwing Blake Bonham if you work together, and isn’t he married?”
She shuts the fridge and faces me, two spots of bright red flaring on her cheeks. “You don’t understand.”
“So explain it. I’m sure I can keep up.” I step closer and put a hand on her shoulder. “Mindy. This is me. You know I won’t judge you or think less of you. I love you. Besides, you can’t possibly beat me or Jake for the award for worst decision-making skills utilized by a Fox family member.”
She snorts a laugh, covering her mouth with a hand and giving me a stern look. “That’s not funny.”
“It’s a little funny.”
“And Taylor is worse than even you and Jake.”
I firm my mouth into a disappointed line. “Mindy.”
She waves a hand. “Fine, fine. Blake and his wife are separated.”
I raise my hands, palms up, in my best What the hell? gesture. “Then why all the sneaking around and lying to your sister, who isn’t an idiot, and acting like you’re doing something wrong? Why not say so?”
“The media doesn’t know they’re separated. No one knows except him and Jeanette. And me.” She blows out a breath, rubbing her face.
“Why don’t they come clean?”
She turns around again, opens the fridge, and grabs a carton of eggs and some chopped veggies. “It’s complicated. And it wouldn’t matter. We aren’t supposed to date since my company represents him. It’s a conflict of interest.”
I pull a pan from the cupboard and place it on the stovetop. We both stare down at it.
Mindy sighs. “It’s… there’s more to it. We’ve been playing this little dance for years.”
I lean my hip against the counter. “Years?”
She nods, her lips dipping at the corners.
“Tell me everything. From the beginning.”
She flips the knob to heat the pan, grabs a bowl, and cracks a couple of eggs into it with more force than is strictly necessary. “We met when he left Music City and signed with Rebel Records three years ago. He signed with us because he needed a better PR team. His last album with them didn’t do great, and he got in trouble for getting into a fistfight with his drummer after one of their shows. Press started calling him a hothead and a has-been, and he got arrested for being drunk and disorderly. Shortly after that, there were rumors about his wife sleeping with a costar.”
“Which one?”
“Hand me a fork, would you?”
I move back slightly to get the fork from the drawer and pass it to her.
She whisks the eggs. “You know that movie she was in with Chris Stewart—it was like DirtyDancing but in space?”