Winning Moves (Stepping Up 3)
Jason and Ronnie talked through their plans briefly before the entire cast of more than a hundred filed into the theater and filled the seating across the aisle from Jason and his crew. The energy in the room changed almost immediately, the glances between Jason and Kat impossible to miss.
Ronnie called out a list of names to ensure everyone who was supposed to be on stage was, and then leaned in close to Jason. “You and Kat sure know how to shake things up. Talk about an armadillo in the room.”
“An armadillo?” Jason asked, arching a brow.
“That’s the Texas version of an elephant in the room.”
“I get it,” Jason said, and he knew Kat felt it. She was stiff on the stage, and tension radiated from her. “It’ll pass.”
Apparently Kat didn’t think so. She grabbed a microphone. “I need everyone’s attention, please. We have a show to get ready and everyone appears to be distracted. So let’s just cut to the chase and get focused. The answer to all the whispered questions is that yes, Jason is my ex-husband, and yes, we’re dating. And finally, yes, Jason was with my father last night when a group of reporters did some creative story building. Any questions?”
Jason saw his producer choke on a drink and silence zipped through the room as if she’d hit the mute on a remote control. Ah, his KandyKat. She had a way of making a point. Jason scrubbed his jaw and laughed—because really, what else could he do?—and then he leaned across the table and grabbed a microphone of his own. “I have a question…”
* * *
IT WAS LATE that evening and Jason and Kat sat with her parents at their kitchen table. Dinner was darn good lasagna that Hank was finally well enough to enjoy, and the past twenty-four hours had given them plenty to laugh at.
“So we’re standing at the diner and I told Ellie that we weren’t going to make any announcement,” Jason said, recounting the moment when they’d discovered the tabloids had found out he and Kat were exes. “And we all agreed and went to eat lunch. The next thing I know, I’m sitting in a theater with the entire cast and crew, with the whispers and gossip buzzing around the room. So what does Kat do? She finds a microphone and says, ‘I need everyone’s attention, please.’”
Hank laughed and Sheila went, “Uh-oh.”
Jason laughed and speared a tomato. “Exactly what I said. Uh-oh.”
“What was I supposed to do, Jason?” Kat asked. “The dancers kept whispering to themselves. Nothing was getting done. We needed focus.”
“What’d you do, Kitten?” Hank asked Kat.
Kat motioned to Jason. “Oh, let him tell you. He started this story.”
“Don’t mind if I do,” Jason agreed. “Kat proceeded to make her version of a public service announcement that went something like this. ‘Yes, Jason is my ex-husband, and yes, we’re dating. And yes, he was with my father last night when a group of reporters did their creative story building. Any questions?’”
Sheila gasped and covered her mouth and Hank chuckled. “Were there any questions?”
“Surely no one had the nerve to ask a question,” Sheila replied, dropping her hand from her mouth.
Kat’s eyes flashed at Jason. “Oh, yes. Someone did.” She pointed at Jason.
“Oh, God,” Sheila murmured. “What did you ask?”
Jason shrugged. “I asked if anyone had an aspirin or maybe ten.”
Hank and Sheila both laughed. “Then what?” Sheila asked, laughing now herself, and wiping tears from her eyes.
“Everyone laughed but me,” Jason said. “I was serious. I had a damn tequila headache, no thanks to you, Hank.”
“Did you get your aspirin?” Sheila asked.
“I didn’t even get a Tic Tac,” he complained. “But everyone seemed to get focused and do their job after that.”
“Oh, good,” Sheila said. “I hope that means last night is behind you two.”
Kat’s questioning eyes found Jason’s, and he answered with a quick nod. She grabbed her purse and removed the plane tickets. “Jason and I were talking and we think the press is going to keep coming at us, and you.”
“So I called my parents today,” Jason added. “They invited you both to come visit them and see what they do in Thailand.”
Kat placed the tickets on the table, hopeful her father wouldn’t let his pride over the bad investments get in the way of this trip. “You leave tomorrow and we bought a non-refundable package deal. The money is spent. You might as well enjoy the trip.”
“We can’t take those tickets,” Hank said quickly. “No. We can’t. It’s too much money.”
“The money is spent, Dad,” Kat said. “So either you take the trip or the money goes to waste.”
“I know why you’re doing this,” Hank said, his gaze meeting Jason’s. “And no. I told Sheila everything. We’ll meet your investment expert, but we won’t take charity.”