Tabloid (Dirty Laundry #1)

13. Death by Knitting needle is preferable

A week later, Talia was working from her now home. Zeke's staff wandered in and out of the kitchen where she'd set up her laptop. Her newest story wasn't exciting her. She had a picture of one of the new starlets drunk and stumbling out of a club. Unfortunately, for her she was underage. Talia stared at the cursor on the screen.

The weight of that night at the restaurant still plagued them. Zeke had been fielding one call after another from his agent and her assistant. From Talia's front row seat it appeared he was on the verge of losing a big role. However, it wasn't just his agent hounding them. Paparazzi were everywhere. This was why Talia had taken up working from home. She would have preferred her office but she was tired of being the gossip instead of reporting it.

Their time at the diner felt like a distant memory. Zeke with Gracie and little Tristan showed a side of Zeke she'd never seen. He was definitely not the guy she grew up with. This man was complex. How much of this was still a game? Talia's mind spun as thoughts of anything, but her work jumbled in her mind.

"What are you doing?" Talia jumped at the sound of Zeke's voice.

"Good God! Can you wear a bell or something?"

"Did I interrupt a nap?" Zeke walked over to the fridge pulled out an energy drink.

"No. I was trying to get some work done."

"Bull shit! I was watching you for the last fifteen minutes. You were sitting there tapping your fingers, humming and staring at the blinking cursor."

Talia sighed and crossed her arms in front of her. "What do you want Zeke?"

Zeke's eyes flared with something she couldn't identify. He cleared his throat and turned away from her. "I'm just checking in with you. Making sure your stay here is going well."

"Uh huh. It's fine. There's more than that?"

Zeke continued to look out the window while he finished his energy drink. "Having writer's block?"

Talia furrowed her brow. "Yeah. How did you know?"

"My staff said they've seen you sitting there every day for hours but not a lot of typing is getting done."

"Yeah. I guess I'm a bit distracted."

"The Paps?"

"Yeah. I'd never thought I'd miss the office, but I do."

Zeke walked over to the table and sat across from her. "What are you supposed to be working on?"

Talia looked at Zeke. An unwritten code of the gossip writer was you didn't let anyone in on your lead. Though, the way she was going it couldn't get any worse.

"Normally, I write up the gossip that goes with a photo one of the paps took. It's pretty rare I'm actually the one who catches the gossip in the action."

"You mean like you did with Gina and Gwyn?"

Talia nodded. "You know I've felt bad about all that, Zeke. I'm sorry that happened to you."

Zeke shrugged his broad shoulders. "It's done now. I wish you'd have come to me first about it though."

"I understand. I can't say I blame you for hating me."

"I don't hate you, Lia." Talia stared at the blank screen in front of her when she thought Zeke whispered, "You don't know how much I don't hate you."

"What did you just say?"

Zeke cleared his throat again. "I have an idea. It may seem crazy, but I think it's just the thing we need."