John sent his brother an irritated look, but Rob was unconcerned.

“Well, then,” said Angie. “Enlighten me.”

“It’s simple. Miss Zula’s main joy in life is throwing people who interest her together, just to see what happens. A year down the line there’ll be a new short story in The New Yorker or Harper’s, unless you and Caroline disappoint her by getting along.”

“I like Caroline just fine,” said Angie. “You’re saying that while we’re filming Miss Zula, she’ll be taking notes on us?”

Rob said, “That’s not it, exactly. She does get most of her stories from watching people, but she’s not likely to make it obvious enough to identify you.”

“Unless you’re Button Ogilvie,” said Kai.

“Zula hasn’t buttoned anybody for years,” said John. “You’d really have to be on her bad side to get that kind of attention.”

“I’ll bite,” said Angie. “Who is Button Ogilvie, and what did she do of such great significance that she’s been transformed into a verb by Zula Bragg?”

“It’s an old family feud,” said Rob. “Button Ogilvie is big on revisionist history, and Miss Zula finally struck back by writing Button into a novel—”

“Miss Callie,” said Angie, and a look of understanding came over her face, her eyes bright as she put things together and then filed them away for further reference. “Miss Callie is Button Ogilvie? Oh, it must have been fun, when Sweet-Bitter came out. Who else has been buttoned? I’m interested.”

“Nobody still living,” said John. “These days you won’t really recognize any of her characters as real people.”

Kai gave a high, hooting laugh. “I recognized John,” she said. “She called him Harvey Carson and he ran a family shoe factory in Mississippi.”

Very calmly John said, “Harvey Carson was not based on me.”

Angie sat up straighter, looking disturbingly pleased with the turn in the conversation, and with Kai. “Dollar Short, right? Came out two years ago? Of course you’re Harvey Carson,” she said to John. “First son of the local gentry sets up the ideal life for himself and discovers perfection is overrated. Or maybe you haven’t got to that last part yet?” She took a swallow of coffee and looked at him over the rim of the cup.

John met her gaze and felt the shock of it before he looked away again, this time at Kai. “I am not Harvey Carson. Harvey Carson falls in love with his sister’s husband. Are you saying I’m gay and don’t know it?”

Kai lifted a shoulder. “Angie would be a better person to ask, I think.”

“No,” Angie said calmly. “He’s not gay. But he might be in love with his brother’s wife.”

John felt himself flushing. “Hell no. Sorry, Kai, but no.”