Jeopardy in High Heels (High Heels #12) - Gemma Halliday Page 0,74

before she could expound any further.

She pulled back. "Well, anyway. He filled a void in my soul. Reignited passion in me that had been dormant for way too long."

"The old flame," I said, the meaning of the phrase dawning on me now.

"Yes." She nodded, tears forming in her eyes again. "He brought me back to life. You have no idea what it's been like living with Rupert for so many years." That sadness washed over her face again. "Once upon a time, I thought my husband loved me, but that was a lifetime ago. Now his only passion is for ratings."

"I'm sorry," I told her, meaning it. I had, after all, spent an entire meal with her husband. I knew what she meant.

"Rupert doesn't even see me anymore. I'm just another number on his asset sheet. But Dog…Doggy saw me. He understood me." She looked down at the note clutched in her hands as if remembering it was there. "I told him as much in my letters. I-I never got to give him this one." She sniffed. "He died before I could deliver it."

"I'm sorry," I said again. I patted her shoulder awkwardly.

"Yes, well, nothing to be done about it now." She sniffled loudly, bringing the tissue to her nose again.

"Mae, you mentioned that you went to see Dog on the set of the Jeopardy! taping to wish him luck. Is that true?" I asked, thinking that made a lot more sense now, knowing what their relationship had really been.

She nodded, pulling herself together. "It was the last time I saw him. He was afraid Rupert would catch me sneaking in, but…well, I just couldn't let him go on without a little good luck kiss, could I?"

"How did Dog seem to you then?" I asked.

She shrugged. "Fine. Maybe a little more distracted than usual, but I just chalked it up to nerves."

"And you wished him luck and then left?"

She nodded then paused, the color rising in her cheeks, and she lowered her eyelashes. "Well, we might have done a little more than just kiss before I left. But it was just a little quickie."

The canapé I had eaten earlier rolled over in my stomach.

"He was just so passionate about—everything," she said, infusing the word with meaning.

This was too much information for me, so I changed the subject. "I have to ask…I noticed you and your husband arguing just now at the memorial. Was it about Dog?"

She nodded, getting her sniffling under control. "It was that article in this morning's Informer. About Dog's mystery woman."

"You," I said. "Rupert read it and guessed she was talking about you?"

She pursed her lips. "I-I think so. I mean, he didn't outright accuse me, but he wanted to know if…if there was any truth to what that stupid reporter had printed."

"What did you tell him?"

"What could I tell him?" She shrugged, giving me that sad, watery smile again. "Just that it didn't matter now. Dog was dead, and whoever he'd been seeing…well, that relationship was dead too."

She looked so defeated that I feared another bout of sobs. But she must have cried out all she had, as she just slowly put the note into her purse and stepped to the mirror, dabbing at the streaked makeup with cold water from the sink. "Remember," she said, eyeing me in the mirror, "you promised not to say anything to anyone."

I hadn't exactly promised, but I nodded anyway. Which seemed good enough for her, as she turned her full attention back to her own reflection, pulling cosmetics out of her bag to repair the damage her breakdown had caused.

I took the cue to leave her alone and backed out of the restroom. My mind was whirling as I made my way toward the cast lot, where Dana and Marco were waiting, Dana's car idling at the entrance.

"What took you so long?" Marco asked, fanning himself with one hand, despite the AC blasting from the vents.

"Sorry," I said, slipping into the back seat. "I ran into Aunty Mae in the restroom." I quickly filled them both in on everything she'd told me as Dana pulled out of the parking lot.

"Wow. Talk about opposites attract," Marco said when I was done.

"I think it's romantic," Dana said. "Two star-crossed lovers meeting in secret."

I met her eyes in the rearview mirror. "One of whom was married, and the other was the poet who came up with Doin' it doggie style makes me want to howl."

Dana laughed. "Okay, fine. Maybe romantic isn't quite