get married on TV. But wait until you read the contract and our offer. I’m sure you’ll be very happy to consider it at least.”
He reaches into his messenger bag for a sheaf of papers.
“David,” Kelsey says firmly, “we’re not getting married live on camera. We’re not getting married at all.”
Archer frowns at her. David blinks.
“What’d you mean, you’re not getting married at all?” His eyes widen. “You’re not breaking up, are you? God in heaven, tell me you’re not breaking up. Please don’t be break—”
“We’re not breaking up,” Archer interrupts. “We’re just not getting married on camera.”
He looks at Kelsey again as he emphasizes the words “on camera.”
“Well, when are you getting married then?” David asks. “Because we can work around it, you know. I mean, we can stage the on-camera wedding, if you’re worried about privacy, but—”
“David.” Kelsey slams her hand down on the table. “We’re not getting married.”
David sits back and stares at her. “What, like, ever?”
A strange silence settles over the table. Allie clutches my arm.
“Marriage just isn’t our thing,” Kelsey explains, gesturing between her and Archer.
“You mean it’s not your thing.” Archer is starting to look somewhat irritated again.
“I mean that we’re happy the way things are,” Kelsey says. “We’re not getting married. Especially not for a season finale.”
David is silent, tapping his fingers on the table.
“Kelsey,” he says, “considering the negative publicity about you at the moment, we need a change. We need to show you sparring with Archer but unable to resist the sexual tension, fighting with everyone else…and then finally, surrendering to the hero.”
“Surrendering, huh?” Archer asks.
For some reason, he gives Kelsey a look that is simmering with suppressed heat.
“No,” Kelsey says, not returning Archer’s gaze.
“He’s the new star of the show,” David informs her. “And the only way the viewers will stop slinging shit at you is if they know Archer, hunky dog-rescuing hero, fully accepts and loves you. Because if he loves you, the viewers will too. In other words, that man is your goddamned redemption.”
“I don’t need redemption,” Kelsey replies tartly. “Besides, I suck at the romance stuff. In five seasons of Storm Hunters, have you ever seen me get the slightest bit mushy with Archer? No, you have not. Because I don’t do romance.”
“That’s part of my point,” David says. “You need to get his groupies back in your corner. And to do that, you have to soften up, let Archer take the reins, show your girly side.”
“I don’t have a girly side.”
“Well, you’d better hurry up and get one,” David says. “Because you need to let Archer tame you.”
Allie and I wince. Kelsey’s blue eyes fire sparks at David.
“Tame me?” she replies icily. “No one is fucking taming me.”
“I’m just saying you need to—”
“No.”
David looks at Archer with exasperation. “How do you put up with her and all her damned nos?”
“She doesn’t always say no.” Archer glances at Kelsey, the heat still gleaming in his eyes before he returns his attention to David. “So how about this? We do a story where I keep asking her to marry me, and she keeps saying no.”
David lifts his eyebrows. “I like it. But how does that story end? Does she finally say yes?”
“Ask her.” Archer tilts his head toward Kelsey, who gives him a “stop it” glare.
“Look,” she says, “there will be no proposals and no romance. There will certainly not be a live wedding. I’m a scientist, for god’s sake. The show is about the science of tornados. There is nothing scientific about romance.”
“Exactly,” David says. “That’s why viewers will love it.”
“I’m not doing it.”
“And I’m not accepting your answer.” David taps the contract with his forefinger. “At least, not until you look this over. You might very well discover you have a whole crapload of girl in you once you see the terms we’re offering. If not, we’ll have to get something else going for our boy here. I’m thinking Motorcycles and More, starring Archer West.”
He gets to his feet, nodding goodbyes to both them and us before he leaves the room.
Archer and Kelsey look at each other. The air between them almost crackles with challenge.
“No science in romance, huh?” Archer asks. “What about magic?”
“There’s no such thing as magic.”
“Then what’s this?” He gestures between them.
“You know what I mean.”
“I know the thought of losing your edge pisses you off,” Archer says, leaning closer and looking right into her eyes. “So you’re going all hardcore scientist instead of playing by the rules. But I know you’re a