Free Love Unmatched by Anne Leigh

Zander Zobowski, who I’m pretty sure just broke hundreds of hearts with the statement that he’s not single.
     
    Kieran was laughing during the commercial break. “Did Inna-freaking-Posey just flirt with Zander on live TV?”
     
    My phone was ringing. It was Zander.
     
    I answered right away.
     
    His voice was low as he said, “Babe, did you see the interview? She caught me by surprise.”
     
    “I did,” I huffed. “Tell that woman to keep her hands off of you.” Inna had touched Zander’s arm when she first came in front of the camera.
     
    “I love you,” he said steadily.
     
    “She’s a supermodel, Zander.” I was still fuming. “And she just told millions of viewers that she’s hot for you.”
     
    “It doesn’t matter,” he reasoned. “I’m only hot for you.”
     
    I sighed, “I know, babe. She just irritated me. She shouldn’t be doing those things in front of the camera.”
     
    His voice came through the speaker, loud and clear, as he said, “I gotta go, babe. Samantha’s signaling me that we’re going to be on again in a minute. Love you. Say ‘hi’ to Kieran for me.” He whispered, “And to baby.”
     
    We have kept the pregnancy within our innermost circle of family and friends. If not, the press would definitely be hounding us. Now that Zander had said he was not single, it was safe to assume that the curiosity would build up as to who his significant other was. I could already foresee another Chatty Pepper scenario, though not that it ever left us. Tanya had sent a couple of pictures from Chatty Pepper’s site taken after graduation. Apparently the site was still insinuating that there was a love triangle between Zander, me, and Kieran.
     
    “I love you,” I said before he hung up.
     
    Kieran sounded wistful as he said, “Man, you know how many guys would exchange places with Zander? A supermodel crushing on him and a beautiful fiancé waiting on the sidelines? I swear, that guy is born with all the luck in the world.”
     
    I crumpled a table napkin and threw it at his face. “There had better be no supermodel in the picture, or Zander’s guts will be flying all over the place.”
     
    “Oh, come on, Ace,” Kieran reflected. “That man is tied to you like you were his belly button. I bet you that it didn’t even register with him how gorgeous Inna was. It’s pretty pathetic how whipped he is by you.”
     
    I laughed. Zander didn’t have to say that he was not single in front of the camera. He did not talk about his personal business during interviews. I had a feeling he did that to deter Inna’s advances. Plus, he wanted to reassure me that he was mine.
     
    The rest of the interview went by smoothly. Samantha did not broach the topic of Inna and Zander’s love life again. They talked about the charity, the upcoming games, and the Minnesota Fox.
     
    Once the interview was done, Kieran and I planned out his stay in New York. We were going to visit the 9/11 Tribute Center, The Cathedral of St. John the Divine, and Harry Potter: The Exhibit at Discovery Times Square. Kieran and I loved Harry Potter. It was the only book in common that we both loved; Kieran was more into classical works of literature and I read more of the scientific journals and publications.
     
    Just as I was drying the plates over the sink the door of my apartment opened.
     
    My roommate Brynn entered. I met her at New York State University Hospital during the first day of general orientation. She graduated nursing from Nevada State College. We bonded over lunch that day, and when she mentioned that she was looking for a place to stay, I offered up my place without hesitation. I had been on the hunt for a roommate since I wanted to have someone with me in this city. Zander and I were sharing the costs for the apartment. It was pretty hefty, but once my internship was up we were thinking of keeping the place since I had really grown to love it. Zander said that it could be our New York