The Healing Touch - Apryl Baker Page 0,74

faces of everyone eyeballing them with speculation. They had to be eager to gossip. It was the one thing he knew about the Indie community. They were gossips and could rip each other apart as soon as defend each other. He didn’t trust the other PAs not to try to chat her up.

Becca sank down in her chair, relieved when Dimitri finally left. He was getting on her nerves worse than the actual thought of crowds with his hovering. That was as bad as crowding her, but she knew he did it out of worry.

“Hey, Becca!”

Stacey Jamison approached the table, all smiles. Becca knew her from Facebook. She was author H.L. Harper’s PA, and a gossipmonger. She knew it was coming, but she’d hoped the signing would start and they’d have to wait until at least lunch to start in on the questions.

She took a deep breath and steeled herself. It was just Stacey. No one else. She could do this.

“Hi, Stacey. You and Heidi all set up?”

The girl bounced on her feet. “Yes, I was worried we wouldn’t get finished on time since we didn’t get in until late last night. We missed early setup.”

“That sucks.”

“So…um…you guys all ready?”

“Yeah, we’re good.” Becca watched, fascinated as the girl tried to get up the nerve to ask her about the crazy ex. She seemed to really want to ask but was almost afraid to. Might as well put her out of her misery.

“If it wasn’t for Dimitri’s crazy ex, I’d be peachy this morning.”

“Oh, yeah? The woman posting all that stuff about you?”

Becca nodded. “Dimitri broke up with her, and she seems to blame me for it, but he dumped her last week.”

“So, are you and Dimitri a thing?” Stacey lowered her voice conspiratorially.

“Dimitri’s my best friend, and aside from that, it’s really no one else’s business.” She kept her voice cheerful but made sure the bite in it was enough to get the girl’s attention. “I hate gossip and the drama rumors produce.”

“Oh, for sure.” Stacey nodded a little too emphatically. “Not that I believed you’d do anything to wreck their relationship, but some people might be thinking that.”

“Then they can keep on thinking it.” Becca pulled out the money box and started filling it up with change. “I don’t give a rat’s ass what other people think. If they want to be so ugly as to think any of her hateful spiel is true, then that’s on them.”

“You tell her, girlfriend!”

Jacqueline Crantz pushed Stacey out of the way and started looking over all the swag. Jac was a blogger and one of the first people to showcase Dimitri’s books. They’d gotten to know each other pretty well over the last few years.

“If you’re getting all sweaty in the sheets with the eye candy, good for you. If not, good for you. It’s none of anyone’s business.”

“Eye candy? Is that all I am to you? I feel so dirty…I think I need a shower. Perving on the eye candy. Shame on you!”

Dimitri stood behind her, laughing while Jac blushed three shades of cherry.

“What? You’re pretty to look at. Sue me.”

Dimitri turned on his sexy-as-sin smile. “Is that all you want me to do?”

Jac blushed harder and fidgeted. “No, I want you to give me my damned pre-orders and stop flirting before Becca stabs me in the eye.”

Becca relaxed her grip on the Sharpie she held. She’d had a moment of extreme jealousy until she realized Dimitri was only playing a part. It was in his eyes. He wasn’t the least bit interested in Jac. He seemed to only have eyes for her, and that made her heart speed up.

She dug out Jac’s pre-order and handed it over to her. “Hey, hun. Why do you read Dimitri’s books?” It was a question she planned on asking every reader today to prove her point to him.

“Oh, my Lord, what don’t I like about them? I’m a sucker for paranormal, and you add in those sexy-ass alphas?” She waved her hand in front of her face. “You manage to bring those people to life in a way most authors can’t. I’m invested in the characters, and I get pissed off with them sometimes, but the story is what keeps me reading. You write so that I’m hooked. By the time I’m done with one of your books, I need a week to recover.”

“So, you read his books for the story and not because he’s gorgeous?”

Jac laughed. “Girl, I remember the first time you