Spin Control

by Holly O'Dell

  "Hello," a groggy voice answered.

  "Anna, it's me. Why aren't you at work?"

  "They didn't need me until later in the week since we're shooting extras only. No Miranda for a few days."

  "Yeah, about that. Do you know where she went?"

  "Bermuda, I think. Why?"

  "I'd tell you to grab a New York Post, but since you just woke up, I'll give you the abridged version. Did you know that she and Devin are eloping?"

  "What!" I knew that would jolt Anna into the waking world.

  "You didn't happen to see Devin hanging around the set, did you?"

  She paused thoughtfully. "Not that I can remember, Kate. But they keep us makeup people pretty sheltered, so I'm not the best person to ask. I can find out for you, though."

  "It doesn't matter at this point, but thanks anyway"

  "How did this slip past you?"

  "That's the question I can't stop asking myself. I mean, we're with this guy what feels like day and night for the last three months, and to hear something like this ... it's unbelievable. Of course, Gwen thinks I just cured cancer. You know what the worst part is?"

  "Can you even pick a worst part?" Anna was fully awake and engaged in the conversation.

  "Devin was waiting for me Friday night at my house. We're standing outside, when he decides to tell me how wonderful I am and kisses me"

  "What in the world?" Anna fumed.

  "I know!"

  "You slapped him across the face, right?"

  "Even better. I told him that I didn't want him."

  Anna squealed. "Girl, you're right, that is better than a boring old slap!" She paused. "You know, it just doesn't sound like Miranda. Why would she do this knowing that she's returning to California in a month?"

  "Love makes us do crazy things, or so I'm told."

  "Are you sure it's even true? After all, it seems awfully suspicious that you wouldn't know. What's Michael's take on all of this?"

  "Don't know. He had a family emergency today."

  "How convenient."

  "I'm trying to give him the benefit of the doubt, but I'm sure he doesn't want to hear from me after I stormed out of the coffee shop on him on Friday."

  "Why didn't you call me this weekend and tell me any of this?" Anna sounded offended.

  "I'm sorry, hon, but I was so wrapped up in formulat ing how to tell Michael that I'm feeling something for him, and in proving my worth to Gwen after she almost fired me last week that I-"

  "Let me get this straight. You almost got fired, you're finally admitting your feelings for Michael, and you told your ex to buzz off? And you forgot to call your best friend?"

  Guilt washed over me. "I'm sorry. I've been so caught up in my own world that I haven't been letting anyone in." Including Michael, I now realized.

  "You know I'm just teasing you. Phone works both ways, they say. I'm just glad that we're talking now" Anna hesitated. "There's something I've been meaning to ask you about too."

  "Shoot."

  "So, Miranda has-"

  Rita appeared in my door. "Anna, can you hold on a sec?"

  She tossed paperwork onto my desk. "You leave in three hours."

  "Wow, that's efficient. Thanks, Rita." I put my mouth back up to the phone. "Crap. I'm sorry, Anna, but I need to run home before catching my flight to Bermuda. Can I call you from the airport?"

  "You're going to Bermuda?"

  "Woops, guess I left out another minor detail. It's not for fun. Gwen has kind of pushed me into going to do some spin control for something I didn't even know about in the first place. Lord knows I shouldn't go as a matter of principle, but apparently I'm in self-torture mode. If nothing else, I have to get Miranda out of this jam"

  "Good luck. If you don't have time to call me from the airport, don't worry. We'll catch up soon enough. Be safe, now go! You've got a very important flight waiting for you."

  I'm wondering if you could tell me if Devin Underhill is staying in his penthouse," I asked the Hotel Bella concierge as sweetly as I could.

  "Ma'am, you know we don't give out that kind of information," he kindly but firmly answered.

  "But I'm his publicist."

  "If that's the case, you should know where he is," he smirked.

  "What if I told you he was in grave danger?" I almost laughed at myself for trying to be so mysterious.

  "Then I'm sure we'll take care of it." The concierge walked to a back room, likely calling security to drag the crazy lady away.

  I slumped on one of the plush gold chairs in the open-air lobby. Despite my reasons for being here, I couldn't help but smile at the warm, lilac-scented breeze that blew over me. And the locals (except the concierge, unfortunately) were so helpful, so welcoming. Someone on this island had to be able to help me; Devin was a familiar face here. He came to Bermuda at least once a month, always telling me when we dated that this island was his home away from home.

  For now, I had to keep watch. I was afraid to bring my luggage up to my room, because Murphy's Law indicates that the minute I left my post, Devin would appear. So I crossed my legs and stared at the front entrance. I really needed a hobby, as I was being left alone too often with my thoughts.

  I robotically bit my nails, contemplating whether I should get on the next plane home. Despite the green, lush beauty of the island, I had no business being here. What if Miranda and Devin really were happy together? Then I would just be the jerk who tried to break them up, and who knows what would happen with my career then? As far as Michael goes, I tried him on his cell one last time while I rushed to get my seat on the plane, but his phone was still turned off. I didn't leave him a message.

  I saw a tall, tanned man get out of a taxi and walk toward the entrance of the hotel. Heart thumping, I rose from my seat thinking the man was Devin, but as he came closer, I realized it was just a stranger. I sat back down, but knew that I couldn't wait here by myself much longer. This island wasn't that big; if I didn't see him at the hotel, I was bound to run into him somewhere else. So I rolled my luggage behind me and dropped it off in my room on the king-sized bed.

  I went behind the property, which was located right on the ocean. The pristine, pink-tinged sand was almost surreal. The salt of the crystal-clear sea hung in the hot, humid air. My only regret was that I didn't change clothes before I left the hotel room. I was still wearing a blue v-neck sweater and jeans from the flight, and I already could feel the shirt sticking to my back.

  I scoured the beach for any sign of Miranda and Devin. From a distance, I saw a couple lounging on a blanket, feeding each other fruit and giggling. I knew it wasn't Miranda and Devin, but watching that happy pair, oddly enough, made me really miss Michael.

  There was a lot of activity further up the beach. The closer I got, I noticed people frantically running around, with lots of headsets and cell phones. Upon even closer review, I saw a bunch of tall lights and a large white canopy. This was it. This was the site of the wedding.

  I looked around for a familiar face, but I didn't see anyone. I consciously sighed. Maybe this was someone else's party. And that's when I saw Miranda.

  She stood in a white bikini, showing off her incredibly-shaped abs and tanned body. She looked serious while a man in a white T-shirt holding a clipboard asked her questions and took notes. When he moved to the side, Michael was in clear view. He walked over to Miranda and put an arm around her shoulder.

  This is why Michael couldn't work with me; he was in love with Miranda and was probably moving back to California with her. Ohhh, what am I doing here? I thought desperately. I had never felt so humiliated, so ashamed, so depressed in my life. I backed away before they could see me, but I tripped over one of the electric chords and landed ever-so-ungracefully in the sand, right on my bottom.

  "Kate!" Miranda bounded over to me, looking a lot like Bo Derek in 10, sans the gold bathing suit and braids. "I can't believe you're here"

  Michael was right behind her, looking happy yet extremely confused
.

  "I can't believe I'm here, either," I mumbled. I tried to nonchalantly look for a huge diamond sparkler on Miranda's left ring finger, but it was empty.

  "What are you doing here?" At this point Michael had extended his hand to pull me out of the sand.

  "There's, well, I can't. . " Deep breath, gather thoughts. "Don't marry Devin!" I blurted. "Or Michael!" And I had accused Michael of not thinking before he spoke?

  Miranda looked at Michael with daggers practically coming out of her eyes. "You didn't tell her?" This was the least amiable I had ever seen her. Michael hung his head, then looked away.

  "I don't believe this." Miranda put her hands on her hips. "My big brother here didn't tell you that we're related."

  I thought I was going to end up in the sand again. "S-s-siblings?" I stuttered.

  Michael stepped toward me. "Kate, I know that I've said this a lot in the last few days, but let me explain."

  "Why didn't you tell me?" My face fell.

  "To his credit," Miranda jumped in, "we've had an agreement that we would not let anyone know we were brother and sister. He didn't want to be an actor, and I already was getting some parts on TV. He wanted to get his foot in the door in PR without the help of his famous sister." She shook her head sympathetically. "I thought for sure he would tell you, considering how he feels about you."

  "Feels about me?" I meekly parroted.

  "You're making it worse," Michael hissed at his sister.

  Miranda threw her hands up in the air. "Well, from what I'm seeing and hearing, you're not doing a very good job at telling her yourself."

  "I really do have a good excuse for why I haven't called you back," Michael said sheepishly as he stepped even closer to me.

  "I'm all ears" I clasped my shaking hands together.

  "Miranda called me last night saying that her agent warned her about this false report that was going to appear in the Post today."

  "Little did I know I was marrying Devin Underhill this week," she added dryly. "So, Michael came down to give me moral support in case I ran into Devin."

  I looked between the two of them expectantly. "So, what happened?"

  "Devin showed up on the set a few times in the last month or so," Miranda said.

  "Uninvited," Michael interjected.

  "I blew him off, but I didn't want to make a big scene, since I know what you guys were trying to do and that he needed good press"

  My brow was furrowed. "How did he make the leap from that to an engagement?"

  Michael crossed his arms. "Apparently he knew about Miranda's trip to Bermuda and was overconfident that she would say yes. So he leaked the story to the Post."

  "You just missed him, Kate" Miranda smiled ironically. "He was about to get down on one knee, but I stopped him. I told him I wasn't interested in him romantically."

  I threw my hand over my mouth. "How did he react to that?"

  "Kind of shocked, actually." Miranda shook her head.

  "And don't forget the stomping off in a huff," Michael helpfully added. "I got to witness the whole thing."

  "And what was his reaction to you, Michael?"

  "Very confused. Couldn't figure out why I was here. Then he looked like he wanted to punch me, but instead, he stomped off."

  "Thank God I have people like you and Michael in my life." Miranda spoke kindly. "I just feel like I contributed to this problem somehow."

  I put my hand on her arm. "Don't worry about it. You have nothing to do with this." I turned to Michael. "What do we do about Devin now? I mean, Gwen thinks we're the ones responsible for this, and if she finds out that we let this hoax slip past us..

  Michael grabbed my hand. "After the stunt he pulled today, I don't think we'll be hearing from Devin in a really long time."

  The man with the clipboard walked up to Miranda. "Ms. Hamilton, we're ready to start the photo shoot"

  She put her arms around both our shoulders. "Well, kids, they need me. And it's a good thing, too, because you two have some catching up to do" She pointed at Michael. "And remember what I told you" She swayed toward the set.

  I tilted my head. "What did she tell you?"

  He looked down at me with a smile forming at his lips. "Not to be a dumb boy and screw it up this time."

  Lovely, lovely Miranda. I'd definitely have to thank her for her words of wisdom later.

  "You have a captive audience," I grinned, but suddenly became very serious. "So let's start with why we can't work together anymore."

  "Remember when I told you about my ex-fiancee, that after her I vowed never to get involved with a coworker again?" I nodded encouragingly. "I knew that I was, er, starting to feel something for you, and I didn't want to ruin a good thing between us, so in my head, I thought it was best if I left Burton Relations in the hopes that something could work out between us. But of course, when I tried to tell you that, I sounded like a complete goon"

  "I didn't help the cause much, running out on you at both the benefit and the coffee shop. Did you get my voice mail?" I asked hopefully.

  "Not if you left it on my cell phone. I sort of, well, dropped it."

  I pursed my lips, and Michael continued. "When you left the coffee shop, I was so mad at myself. I fumbled around for my cell phone to call you, but I was so jittery it slipped out of my hand and fell right into my coffee. Needless to say, I haven't had time to look for a new one" He gave an embarrassed grin.

  "Why didn't you tell me about Miranda being your sister?"

  "I tried that night we had Chinese at your place, but then we were interrupted, and I just didn't want to talk to you about it."

  I must've looked hurt, because Michael gave me a comforting rub on my shoulder. "See, there I go again, my mouth running faster than I can keep up with. I just didn't want it to be a burden to you, so I didn't bring it up, but I kept thinking about it." He shook his head in spite of himself. "Miranda says I live in my head too much"

  I belted out a hearty laugh. "That's what Anna says about me! We're quite the pair."

  And suddenly, Michael grabbed my hands, which were shaking. "I think we are quite the pair. I just need to know you feel the same way. And that you'll forgive me for saying anything that made you feel less special than you are."

  I wanted to collapse into his arms and be held. But for now, just being here with Michael in paradise was enough for me.

  And, with all the courage I could muster, I told him what was brewing within me. "Of course I have feelings for you, Michael. How else can you explain my running out on you twice in twenty-four hours? I just need to ask one thing. Please don't leave Burton Relations."

  He drew me into a tight embrace, his strong arms engulfing me. "Not without you," he tenderly whispered into my hair. Michael backed away from me and stared into my eyes before closing his hazel eyes and placing his warm, soft lips on mine. And I can honestly say that it was the most unexpected, most wonderful kiss a man has ever given me.

  We broke away from each other's mouths and giggled. We saw Miranda sashaying toward us with a wide, giddy grin. She handed me her cell phone. "It's Anna. I'm sorry, but I had to call and tell her about the two of you! Don't be mad!" She handed the phone to me, then skipped back to the set.

  "Glad to see you both got smart," Anna said smugly.

  "And all it took was getting out of the country. Look, I'm sorry I was so rushed this morning when we talked. You were going to tell me something, and we got interrupted. What's going on?"

  Anna cleared her throat. "Miranda has invited me to be her personal make-up artist. In Hollywood"

  "What? That's fantastic! I am so excited for you, Anna" I gleamed, but my heart hurt at the same time. My best friend, the one who's been there with me for the last ten years, was going away. But how could I be upset at the opportunity of a lifetime for her?

  I heard Anna sniffle. "I mean, you'll be coming out to visit me, right?"

  "Every chance I get. When are you leaving?"

  "Well, I've found
someone to sublet my place for now. Miranda has found me a great place in Santa Monica, so sometime within the next month, I'd say"

  "I'm going to miss you so much" I started to tear up.

  Anna was crying, too. "Now, this is a happy time, re member? And from what I hear, you're in very good hands" I looked over at Michael, whose eyes had been on me the whole time.

  "Okay, I'll be back in a few days," I said with mixed emotions. "We'll have a big going-away party and I'll be at your place every day helping with packing and just hanging out with you." I sighed. "You're gonna be great in Hollywood. I just know it."

  "Thanks for being so supportive. Anyway, I better run. Call me when you get back. And be careful with Michael!" She joked. "I hear he's fragile."

  "Take care, hon"

  I wiped a renegade tear off my cheekbone. Michael walked over to me and wrapped his arms around my waist. "So, she's going to L.A., huh?"

  I nodded lightly, then rested my head on his shoulder. He tipped my head up so he could look me directly in the eye. "I think that we should do dinner and stare dreamily into each other's eyes." Michael winked.

  I playfully slapped his wrist. "And maybe crack each other up with more Ralphie Wiggum lines?

  He hugged me tightly again. "I wouldn't have it any other way"

  We walked toward the photo shoot, where Miranda was posing in the evening sun.

  "You two be good!" She shouted from the set. "I'll call you tomorrow."

  "I, um, I'm staying at Hotel Bella, unfortunately," I muttered to Michael.

  "We're getting you out of that hotel," he grinned coyly.

  I gave him my forearm. "Twist, twist!" He took my arm, fervently pulled me in, and kissed me with a passion that I'll never forget. This, I thought as he gently worked his fingers through my hair, was something I could finally put a positive spin on.

  So I was wrong about a few things. First, I found out why Gwen was so eager to take on the Devin project. It was not her desire to be with Fox-rather, her desire to be with his property. At the start of the arrangement, Fox said that if Gwen and her team had helped get Devin in line, she could stay in one of his Portuguese villas for six months. She took that as her signal for early retirement, and made good on her word. Within two months of our trip to Bermuda, Michael and I became partners in Burton Relations.