The Winemaker's Dinner: Entrée by Everly Drummond, Dr. Ivan Rusilko Page B

that?” Ivan had been talking about their weekend? “Never mind. I got it: Micky.”
    “Yes, Micky. It certainly wasn’t my best friend.”
    “Tasha, I’m sorry. Things have been so hectic since Damian showed up, and Ivan’s been so busy…Well, that just seems like a million years ago. I can hardly believe it happened. And it’s not like he proposed or anything. He mentioned it hypothetically.”
    “And did you hypothetically say yes?” Tasha asked.
    “Of course I did!” Jaden filled her in on the vineyard conversation, hoping that would satisfy her. But as she knew it would, the conversation found its way back to Damian.
    “Now, do you want to tell me what’s bothering you?” Tasha asked. “I can tell there’s something, and you haven’t called me in a week.”
    Jaden proceeded to give Tasha a full account of the past week, including all of Damian’s blunders. “So not only did he break my favorite serving platter, he also set fire to the stove. He’s hit on every single female on the crew—successfully, I might add—insulted my makeup artist…Oh, and today he invited me to be in a three-way with him just as the camera started rolling.”
    “Seriously? That guy has some balls. But he can’t be all bad, can he? I mean, just look at him. He’s sex on a stick. Those blond curls and—my God, girl—his ass! How can you not stare at that all day? He has to be good for the ratings.”
    “Yes, I think his boost to the ratings might be his most endearing quality at this point. Every once in a while I catch a glimpse of a real person in there—someone who isn’t putting on a show for everyone,” Jaden conceded. “But for the most part he’s just unbearable. And , by the way, of course I’ve noticed how he looks. I may be dating Ivan, but I’m not dead. Truly, I think that makes him more annoying.”
    “Ah, just relax. He may be a bit of a man whore, but he’s one fine piece of man candy too. Just focus on the ratings and forget about the rest. You’re not having any fun, and you’ve worked too hard to have some Ken doll take that away from you.”
    “Maybe you’re right.”
    “I’m always right,” Tasha joked. “Besides, if he messes up enough, I doubt the studio will keep him around. By this time next year you’ll have your show back, and Damian will be licking his wounds on the beach in Maui.”
    “Hmmm…I like that idea,” Jaden said with a laugh. “But enough of this. Tell me about you. How’s the real estate biz? How’s Micky?”
    As Tasha launched into an animated story, Jaden closed her eyes. Though she loved catching up, she always felt homesick talking to Tasha. As they said their goodbyes, she swallowed a lump in her throat. She missed Ivan, she missed Miami, and she missed gossiping over lunch with her best friend.

Chapter 14
    “Time of the Season”
    T WO M ORE W EEKS . Two more weeks. Two more weeks. The mantra repeated in Jaden’s head like a Gregorian chant. Just two more weeks until her trip to Colorado to see her family. She needed all the stress-relieving and anger-reducing help she could muster to continue handling her co-host’s endless line stealing and inappropriate flirting. Also not helping was the fact that she and Ivan’s usual two-week rendezvous had been postponed because he’d been called away on business to New York. So he’d be going there, rather than coming to LA this weekend. He’d told her it was something of great importance and would explain everything to her when the time was right. When the time was right? What the hell did that mean? He’d been overly busy and constantly on the phone the last few times they had managed to be together, which made her even more anxious. Despite these unsettling feelings, she comforted herself with the knowledge that her dad’s retirement party was right around the corner. Ivan had sworn he could still make that trip. Knowing she’d see both him and her family soon was the one positive she could come