Page 31 of Love Under the Microscope
He gave no indication of being the magazine’s source.
Except something feels off about him. Really, really off.
I don’t know what, and that bothers me.
Unfortunately, we have no concrete proof that he’s the source.
Now that I’ve met Nigel, however, I need to talk to Drew and see if I can get more info about who’s supplying him info about Zentello. If it turns out to be Nigel, a big part of me wants to discount all the negative rumors about Orchid.
Only I can’t.
I know firsthand how the pharmaceutical industry operates. Medi-Lion’s weight loss pill trial killed Aisha, so I wouldn’t put anything past those companies. All they care about is the bottom line. Nigel could be telling the truth about Zentello. Of course, that would mean Zelda is lying to me.
I glance her way to find her staring at me, and I wish I could read her mind to know what she’s thinking. That would be the easiest way to discover the truth about her company. Although she’s probably thinking about Nigel.
That thought sends the tingles from her kiss on my lips to the pit of my stomach. I don’t like that at all. I’ve only kissed one other woman since losing Aisha, and now after Zelda’s kiss, I can barely think straight. But I’ll deal with that later.
Right now, a new plan forms in my head. I need to get her away from Nigel and find another bar where I can get something non-fizzy to drink.
As soon as we’re a fair distance away from him, I hear Zelda’s breath slow. That’s a good sign. She kept her cool around Nigel, but she seemed … tense.
“You okay?” I ask.
Zelda nods. “That went well.”
“I’m not so sure about that.” I realize my hand is still at the small of her back, but I leave it in case Nigel is still watching us. “All you managed to do is piss off Nigel. He really is a nice guy, by the way. I totally get why you wanted to date and live with him.”
She grimaces. “I know. I made a bad call on that one, didn’t I? Why aren’t you more excited about the fact that you saw what he’s really like?”
“My opinion of him doesn’t matter, Zelda. He didn’t give us anything solid to go on.”
“Surely, if we see this side of him, other people will too.” She pulls away from me, my hand falling to my side, and thrusts her hands to her hips. “No one will believe a word he says. How could they?”
“Nigel kept his voice low. He wasn’t pleasant, but he didn’t do anything that horrible other than act like an asshole and say some cruel things to you. People always do that, and he can spin your conversation however he wants. He could easily say you threatened him.”
Zelda rolls her eyes. “As if.”
“He could, and you need to accept that. We have to do something else to find out if he’s the source besides make out in front of him.”
As she shifts her weight between her feet, her hips sway against the fabric of her dress, her ass looking nicer than it felt.
Wait. This isn’t a real date.
I raise my gaze to focus on her hair. Yes, hair is something safe to look at.
She stops moving and rubs the back of her neck. “Tell me what we need to do.”
I’m about to remind her she’s the boss, but it’s been a while since I’ve felt like part of a team. Work’s too competitive, and I kind of like how the two of us play off each other. “We need to do an old-fashioned plot-and-plan session. No more three o’clock meetings where we’re so tired we come up with half-assed ideas.”
“Hey,” she protests. “There was nothing half-assed about this plan. My seeing him here worked out. Besides, you’re the one who came up with the other part. And that upset him, which is what we wanted.”
“I’m just afraid all it did is make him more determined to ruin Zentello.” I heave out a sigh. “If Nigel Carrington is the source and has proof Orchid originated with his company, then Zentello is screwed.”
I expect her to answer, but she bites her lip instead. “I’m not sure what he could have.”
That’s not what I thought she’d say. “So how do we find out?”
“What?”
