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Max and Sarah Weisman and Joy Hightower. Remember, I told you about Joy?” The blond woman’s green eyes widened and she stared at Joy with increased interest. Joy wanted to slither beneath the table, she was so mortified. She couldn’t believe this was happening to her. The man she’d shared that impulsive, crazy, steaming sexual encounter with on the set of
Maritime
had been
him
?
    She’d gone down on
Everett Hughes
?
    “I’m Everett’s sister, Katie. I’ve heard all about you from Everett.”
    A wave of panic flashed through her.
    “I just mentioned how talented I thought you were. As an artist,” Everett added quickly. She met his stare. His eyelids narrowed. Joy couldn’t decide if he seemed confused or concerned as he observed her.
    “And of course I know all about Hightower Special Effects,” Katie continued. “Your uncle is very well respected in the business. Rill would do cartwheels to get Seth Hightower for
Razor Pass
,” she murmured as an aside to her brother, then smiled at Joy. “You might even see him do a couple tomorrow at the premiere to get your uncle’s attention,” she said, her grin widening as if she found the prospect amusing.
    Joy inhaled slowly, commanding herself to focus. She’d been doing nothing but gaping like an idiot and blushing the entire time. “Are you referring to Rill Pierce?” she managed to ask.
    Katie nodded. “He’s my husband. Do you know him?”
    Joy shook her head. She’d never met the renowned Irish director, but she’d read somewhere that he’d done a screenplay adaptation of the postapocalyptic classic biker novel
Razor Pass
and planned to direct the film. Everett himself had been slated to play the lead role of Slader.
    “You’ll get to meet Rill at the premiere tomorrow, then,” Katie said brightly.
    “Oh . . . I’m not going.”
    Katie’s smile faltered. “No? Isn’t that why you’re in Chicago?”
    “She works here,” Everett said gruffly. He’d been standing there wearing a slight frown for the past minute, his gaze never leaving Joy.
    “I teach at a high school near here,” Joy said.
    “She teaches drawing and painting,” Sarah said in a rapid, pressured fashion, as if she’d just found her voice and couldn’t wait to use it. “It’s an art school for gifted students.”
    “That’s interesting,” Katie said warmly. “I must have misunderstood Everett when he spoke of you. I thought you lived and worked in the Los Angeles area.”
    “I did. I moved here last winter.”
    “Well, how come you’re not coming to the premiere? It seems a shame, since you worked on the movie and all. Can’t your uncle get tickets? Why don’t you ask her, Everett?” Katie said, sipping her coffee and glancing at her brother casually.
    Joy’s cheeks went from hot to scalding. “Oh no, that’s not it—”
    “Do you have other plans?” Everett asked.
    “No, I just hadn’t planned to go.”
    “Well, why don’t you? We can all sit together,” Katie said.
    “Katie,”
Everett warned under his breath.
    “Well, I just meant—”
    Everett jerked his arm abruptly, waving toward an empty corner of the café. “Can I talk to you for a second? In private?” Everett asked Joy pointedly.
    A bomb going off would have startled Joy less. Four sets of eyes pinned her to the spot.
    “I . . . well, yes, of course.”
    Sarah shot out of the booth, making way for her. Joy stood and glanced at Everett warily. He gestured for her to pass in front of him. She led him to an empty corner and turned to face him, her forearms crossed beneath her breasts, and stared at the second button on his shirt. Her heart began to beat uncomfortably.
    “You cut your hair. I like it.”
    She blinked and glanced up into his face. This close, she could make out the bluish-green color of his eyes beneath the shadow of the bill of his cap.
    “Thank you,” she murmured, studying his shirt again.
    “I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable,” he