Bailey said in a shy voice, his magnified eyes carefully moving from person to person. Good thing Dr. Bouting built him up, thought Louise, or it would have been hard to get any attention at all with the dramatic but dignified Anne Lansing nearby. Right now, Marty hardly seemed to have heard the introduction to the male assistant, since he was still checking out the female assistant.
At last Marty turned his gaze on Bouting. Louise knew he was irritated, for he disliked it when people came along at the last minute and tried to change a planned shoot.
âYou want these two to stroll alongâis that what youâre saying?â asked Marty. He shook his head. âNaw, that would be too many people strolling along.â
âYou probably are right about that,â said Bouting. âHow about interviewing Anne and Chris and me after we get through with our three-way philosophical fisticuffs?â That engaging grin overcame his face again. Louise looked at her producer and saw him again covertly looking at the garden writer. She could see he was weighing the options; after all, the elusive Dr. Bouting had done Marty a favor just agreeing to be interviewed. And here was this attractive horticulturalist who was being offered up to him as fodder for the videocam. Even though he should refuse, how could a man refuse this bait?
Matthew Flynn, along with everyone else, had been taking in this exchange without comment. Now he sat back and his mouth twisted in a wry smile. âHey,â he said, âI have a dandy assistant, too. This particular man cuts through a jungle with his strong, straight machete as if heâs running a knife through warm butterâthe clever George Wyant. He even brought it on this trip, in case he encounters an impenetrable section of jungle when we hike the Kalalau Trail up in the Na Pali. George can also treat someone whoâs fallen ill with malaria like a nurse at Mass General.â He grinned at Bouting. âBut no, you donât like either one of us, do you, Bruce? I wonât insist we include my good man George in the show, any more than Charles, here, would insist on dragging in his man, Nate Bernstein. Pretty soon weâd have the whole world in it, right, Bruce?â
Bruce Bouting hadnât cracked a smile. He said, âMatthew, you have to understand that Iâm a little different from you and Charles; Iâm an international businessman and these are my right-hand people. Why, you know Anne and how good she is.â
Flynn flashed a mischievous smile at the woman. âYeah. Of course. We all know Anne and how good she is. Aloha , Anne,â he said, though he must have left her no more than an hour ago at the conference session. He reached a hand out to clasp hers and succeeded in grabbing her whole forearm, as if his hand were the mouth of a boa constrictor.
A very physical man, this Matthew Flynn , thought Louise. âAnd Christopher is good, too,â said Flynn. âHi, again, Chris. And by the way, friend, I need to get you alone one of these moments and talk about some technical plant lab stuff.â
Christopher Bailey gave Flynn a sincere nod. âAny time, Matt.â Anne smiled icily at Flynn. Perhaps she knew that more important things were at hand than palavering with colleagues.
Bouting said, âYou may not have heard of Chris Bailey yet, but you will. Theyâre both rising stars in this field, topnotch botanists. Did I remember to tell you that Chris has crossed more successful new plant varieties than any scientist in the whole darned nation?â
âYes, you did, in fact,â said Marty.
Bouting went on, undaunted, âYouâre familiar with the two-crowned fuchsia coneflower, of courseâ Echinacea purpurea âBaileyâs Double Crownâ ? Itâs a real market winner. Thatâs Chrisâs flower.â He gave his assistant a fatherly smile. âBoth he and Anne deserve a little
Tricia Springstubb
Stacey Ballis
The Baby Bequest
Tana French
Chris Knopf
Elizabeth Lowell
Jason Parent
Marci Fawn
Per Wahlöö