That’s the
Stark’s
home base. Looks like the president is going be there.
And guess what? So are you, what a coincidence!”
“You’re in a good mood.”
“Eh, doesn’t pay to complain, you know what I mean?”
“Yeah, I do. Okay. Well, I’ll come home now so I can write this story tomorrow in the office and then get on a plane for Florida tomorrow night.”
“Sorry about that, kid, doesn’t look like you’ll be getting a lot of sleep this week.”
“That’s okay, Trish, I know you’ll make it up to me,” she smiled into the phone. Her editor and friend really did take pretty good care of her.
Jay was exhausted, and her stomach was in knots. She thought about trying to call Kate, but knew in her heart it would be fruitless. She would call Peter when she got to New York later. While it would be near 10:00
or 11:00 Wednesday night in Germany when she touched down, it was six hours earlier at home, putting it closer to 4:00 or 5:00 in the afternoon in New York.
By 8:00 Wednesday morning Kate was somewhere over the midwest on her way to Chicago and then Denver, the jumping-off point for her journey. It had been a long evening and a longer night after she’d returned from Jay’s. She had gone from the train station to her travel agent, then to her florist, then to the house to feed Fred, play with him, get his things together, and take him over to Peter’s, where she had dinner and more discussion than she bargained for.
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Like Barbara, Peter was convinced that Jay would try to follow her and not at all certain that Kate’s solution was best for either one of them.
The ex-anchorwoman was tired, emotionally drained, and grumpy.
“What do you suggest, then, smart man? Let them feast on us and have Jay lose her career in the process? Never. I won’t do it.”
“You don’t know that Jay will lose her career, you’re making an assumption. And that should be her choice, not yours.”
It was the first time they had ever raised their voices to each other.
They faced off across Peter’s kitchen table, where Kate’s meal sat untouched. “Jay is too kind and too compassionate, she would never choose her career over me, even if it was what she really wanted. I will not be pitied; I am not some charity case.”
“Then stop feeling sorry for yourself and playing the martyr,” he boomed. More quietly he pleaded, “Go away for a few days and get your head together if you need to, Kate, but for God’s sake, don’t disappear from Jay’s life. That girl is head over heels in love with you and can’t wait to be your wife.” He thought about the little side trip the pretty blonde had made them take the previous night when they’d gone to dinner. “The two of you are strong enough to face whatever challenges come your way. Your friends will be here to support you. If you want, I’ll arrange it so that no media can get within a mile of either one of you.”
“I know you would, my friend, but even you can’t hold them off forever,” she said quietly. “I’ll ask you the same thing I asked Barbara: please, please look out for Jay and help her through this. I will take you up on your offer to make sure that no media go anywhere near her. I don’t think anyone who would be looking for a story can figure out where I live, but I can’t guarantee that. I’m hoping that by making my departure from the capital district painfully obvious, they’ll trail me instead.” She hadn’t made any secret about the fact that she was leaving the area and had, in fact, called the station earlier in the day, deliberately telling the receptionist that she was leaving the next morning at 7:00 for an extended period of time to visit relatives in Chicago if anyone called looking for her. She might as well put the idiot’s helpful nature to good use.
She sighed heavily. “Jay will be calling you; I trust you not to tell her where I am. You’re the only person who will know. I’ll be moving around, so I’ll check in with you once a day, most likely in the evening after you would have talked to her. You’re my eyes and ears, my friend, so if there’s something I need to know I expect you to tell me.”
She stood and Fred rose from under the table where he had been lying on her feet. She knelt down before him and gave him a big hug. “As for you, big guy, I expect you to be a good boy. When your other mother 237
Lynn Ames
comes home, I expect you to keep her company and give her lots of love, okay? You take extra special care of her for me and make sure she’s not lonely.” She kept her head down to hide the tears that spilled from her eyes. “I love you, buddy.” She kissed him on the top of his head and he licked her chin.
When she had composed herself, she stood and faced Peter. “You know I can never thank you enough for everything you do for me, right?”
“Yeah, I know, but I’ll think of something.”
“So you keep threatening; I’m scared.” She made a mock-frightened face. “I’ll be in touch.” And with that she was out the door.
At home again late that night, she’d spent a couple of hours doing laundry and packing, walking around the house making sure that everything was in order, and admiring the dozens of red and yellow roses that she had placed in strategic locations for her lover to find.
Each had a card standing against its vase, all with different sentiments but expressing the same love and devotion:
Eternally yours.
Jay, you are
my light and my joy, always.
I love you with all my heart and soul.
Yours
forever and beyond.
Thank you for the gift of your love, I shall cherish it
always. My heart belongs to you for all time; I love you, Jay, always
remember that.
She knew she shouldn’t have done that; after all, if she was leaving her, why not make a clean break? But she couldn’t do it; the ache in her heart was excruciating and she needed to let Jay know how she felt about her.
She couldn’t live with the idea that her lover might think she was using this as an excuse to walk away, and she wasn’t willing to let the younger woman’s insecurities get the better of her without making an effort to set the record straight; she hated hurting her, even if it was for a good reason.
Up in the attic, she found her boxes of old comic books, separating out all of the Green Lanterns and setting them aside. Then, for good measure, she made piles of the Aquaman, Flash, and Captain America comics, too, then took them all to the bedroom. She wrote a note to accompany them and put a flashlight and a fresh set of batteries nearby.
Finally, at 3:30 Wednesday morning, she tried to lie down and sleep for a couple of hours. It was 9:30 in the morning in Wiesbaden, and she wondered what Jay was doing. She pictured her interviewing injured sailors, listening intently to their stories, her sparkling green eyes alight with sympathy and curiosity. It made her heart ache painfully. God, she missed her already.
At 5:00 a.m. she’d given up any pretense of sleep and went downstairs to work out and then to run before showering and leaving for the airport, where she made her presence well known. Standing in line waiting to check in for a flight to Chicago, she removed her sunglasses 238
The Price of Fame
and talked with the other passengers, signing some autographs for those who approached her timidly with issues of
Time
. She made a special point of making eye contact and saying hello to those few who gave her disgusted looks and pretended not to notice her. She even took the time before departure to browse through the newsstand near the gate, where she signed some more autographs. She made sure that her one-way boarding pass to Chicago was visible to anyone who cared to take notice before she boarded the flight.
She spied two still photographers and one reporter lurking nearby; it was nice to know the WCAP receptionist was good at her job. None of the journalists had gotten on the plane with her. She knew she would have to put on a show in Chicago on the other end, in case they had other colleagues waiting there, but she had already made provisions for that.
For the moment, she sat in the air, her heart thousands of miles away and her soul feeling as if it had been ripped to shreds.
The first thing Jay did when she arrived at her apartment shortly after 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday was to pick up the phone and call Peter, who answered on the third ring.
“Peter Enright.”
“Hi, Peter, it’s Jay.”
“Ah, the world traveler. Where are you now?”
“I just got off a plane from Frankfurt, Germany. I’m at my apartment in New York.”
“You sound exhausted.”
“Well, I tried to sleep a little on the plane, but I haven’t been having much luck in that department the past twenty-four hours or so.”
“I bet,” he said sympathetically.
“Do you know where Kate is?”
“Not exactly.”
“What does that mean, have you heard from her?”
“Not yet today. I saw her last night; she left Fred with me before leaving town.”
“She’s gone?”
“Yes, she left early this morning.”
“Driving or flying? I guess that’s a stupid question; if she had been driving she probably would have taken Fred, right?”
“Right. Are you done with your assignment?”
“Part of it. I have to go into the office tomorrow morning and finish writing the story from Wiesbaden; I started writing it on the plane, but I’ve got a lot more to do. Then I have to fly to Jacksonville, Florida tomorrow afternoon to be at the Mayport Naval Station in time for a 239
Lynn Ames
memorial service for the sailors killed on the
Stark
on Friday morning.
I’m planning to fly directly back to Albany from there. I can write the story at home over the weekend and take the train to the city to turn it in Monday morning.”
“Sounds like they’re running you ragged.”
“A little bit. I can’t decide whether that’s a good thing or not; I guess being distracted right now can’t hurt.” She sounded dejected. “Do you think she’s okay, wherever she is?”
“I’m sure she’s fine, honey. Kate is a very strong woman, she’ll be all right.”
“She was hurting so badly yesterday. She was trying hard to be tough, but I know that whole thing with her bosses really threw her. I’d like to wring their scrawny little necks.”
Peter laughed. “Get in line, you’re not the only one who feels that way.”
“Do you really think the story’s not dead?”
“Well, I know your fiancée thinks it’s not, and I can’t really disagree with her there. She’s got amazing instincts when it comes to that kind of stuff. She’s taken some measures to handle it, though.”
“I’m not sure what that means, but whatever it is, I’m sure she’s cooked up something good.” Jay chuckled, thinking about her lover scheming and devising ways to play with the media. “Well, I’d better get going.” She hesitated for a moment. “Peter?”
“Yeah?”
“She is going to call you sometime today, right?”
“Yes, Jay, she promised to call in every day at some point.”
“Would you...would you tell her I love her? And that I miss her terribly?”
“Of course, honey, you know I will.” He paused. “Jay?”
“Yeah?”
“She loves you too, you know. Very much. That’s why she’s doing this. She just wants to keep you safe and out of the spotlight.”
“I know, but I don’t have to like it or agree with it, do I?”
“No, I suppose you don’t.”
“Can I call you again tomorrow, Peter?”
“Honey, you can call me anytime you want. I’ll always be here for you, Jay; for one thing, Kate made me promise that I would, and for another, I would have done it anyway.”
“You’re such a sweetheart.”
“Don’t let that get around, you’ll ruin my tough reputation.”
“Your secret’s safe with me, Technowiz. And Peter?”
“Mmm-hmm.”
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The Price of Fame
“Would it be okay if I took Fred home Friday when I get to Albany? I have a feeling I’m going to need his company.”
“Of course. Tell you what; why don’t I plan on picking up dinner and bringing it, and Fred, over to the house Friday night. Okay?”
“Yeah, that would be great. I can’t promise that I’ll be wonderful company, but...”
“It will be good to see you, Jay.”
“Yeah, you too. Bye, Peter, thanks for everything. You won’t forget to give Kate my messages, will you?”
“Never. Bye, Jay, try and get some sleep, okay?”
“Sure.”
Stepping off the plane in Chicago late Wednesday morning, Kate spotted them: two more photographers and one reporter.
Good,
she thought,
they’re taking the bait. That ought to keep Jay in the clear.
Just thinking her lover’s name gave her a pang, and she sighed as she made her way unhurriedly to the baggage claim area. She wanted to be sure to give her tails plenty of time to follow her. It wouldn’t do to lose them yet.
Once her suitcase arrived she exited the terminal, noting that her shadows had followed. She waited at the curb for a few moments until a big Crown Victoria pulled up and an older, matronly woman stepped out.
Kate approached the woman and gave her a big smile and a warm hug, saying loud enough for anyone nearby to hear, “Aunt Marie, it’s so good to see you. It feels like it’s been forever. Thanks so much for letting me stay with you for a while; I really appreciate it. I just need some time to get away for a couple of months, and it will be so good to spend time with you and Uncle Nick.”
In an unsteady voice the old woman replied, “Oh now, Kate, you know you’re always welcome in our home. You’re like a second daughter to us and we’re honored to have you around. Besides, you can reach all those things Nick puts up in the tall cupboards that I can never find. Come along now, let’s get you settled in and unpacked.”
The two women got in the car and drove off. Once they were a safe distance away, Kate reached over and squeezed the woman’s hand.
“Marie, you never cease to amaze me. Where in the world did you come up with that costume on such short notice? It’s brilliant; you almost had me fooled.”
“Hey, sweetie, that’s what you pay me for, remember?” The voice belonged to a woman no older than Kate.
“Yeah, boxes and boxes of Freihofer’s chocolate chip cookies, as I recall. You were addicted.”