The Price of Fame - KJ1

by Lynn Ames

  As the regal woman made her way back down the aisle, she searched for a pair of shining emerald eyes. What she found there was a haven of compassion and understanding in a world that made no sense. When she was seated again, Jay leaned close and whispered, “That was beautiful. I can’t think of a better tribute to such a special young man. I’m sure you brought many people comfort with your words.”

  Kate could only nod a thank you, unable to speak around the lump in her throat and unwilling to lose her composure there. Sensing that, her companion said nothing further.

  They were almost to the car when Joey’s parents stopped them. “We just wanted to say thank you one more time,” the mother said, tears blinding her vision. Reaching out, she grasped Kate in a hug. “What you 117

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  said about our Joey was so true, and so beautiful. He will always live in our hearts.”

  “Mine too,” the blue-eyed woman said as she pulled back a little.

  “I’m so sorry for your loss. I hope you find peace.”

  “God bless you, Ms. Kyle,” the father said, as he put his arm around his wife and led her away. “We’ll never forget you.”

  Ducking quickly into the driver’s seat before her emotions could get the best of her, Kate drove around the corner and down several side streets before pulling over in a small, deserted alleyway. “I’m sorry,” she said to Jay, “I just need a minute.” She would never have allowed herself to let down her guard in front of anyone else, but with the wonderful, gentle soul sitting beside her, it was different. She felt safe. She bowed her head against the steering wheel, tears running down her cheeks.

  Jay moved the center console and scooted over closer to her friend, running a hand up and down her back in a comforting motion, just trying to be there for her. After a few minutes, Kate straightened up and gave her passenger a watery smile. “Thanks, I needed that.”

  “Anytime, Kate. I’m glad I could be here for you.”

  “Me too.” And with that, she started the car again and drove them to the station.

  Settling herself in front of her word processor, Kate began writing the introduction to her special. She had explained to Jay apologetically that she would be tied up for several hours putting together the verbal part of the one-hour show. After that, the writer could join her, Gene, and one of the editors as they combed through the mountains of taped material that would yield the pictures to go with the words.

  The process fascinated Jay. In the meantime, she had made an appointment with Gene to go through old footage of the anchorwoman’s stories. She wanted to get a better feel for her subject’s reporting style; she was also curious to see if that style had changed and evolved over the five years that Kate had been a broadcast journalist. And, of course, the thought of spending two or three hours watching that gorgeous woman on tape didn’t bother her a bit.

  By 2:30 p.m., satisfied with what she had written, Kate went in search of Jay. She found her holed up in one of the back editing rooms with Gene looking at a story she had done four years earlier about the discovery of toxic waste contamination at a local manufacturing plant.

  She groaned as she looked at herself on the screen.

  “If you two are quite finished, can we get started on some real business here?” Kate smiled into the somewhat bloodshot emerald eyes that met her blue ones.

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  “Ready when you are, boss,” Gene said. Grabbing the editor, the three of them moved down the hall to one of the new, spacious, state-of-the-art editing rooms.

  The anchorwoman handed each of them a copy of the script so that they could get a sense of what she had in mind, and so that they could all be looking for the pictures that would tell the story as much, or more, than the words could. Gene, who had shot all of the footage they would be using, proved to have a phenomenal memory when it came to finding specific shots and the interviews Kate had indicated she wanted to use.

  Jay was mesmerized watching the journalist and the cameraman work together to make the words come to life. It was as if they had a language all their own; the reporter seemed to know exactly what they had on tape, and the talented cameraman knew where to find it. Each piece of footage was clocked for time, so that they would know if they had enough to cover the words in the script.

  Once they had all the footage they thought they would need, Kate put on a set of headphones, sat down in front of the microphone that hung down from the ceiling, and laid down her voice on tape. In those spots where an interview was to be put in, she paused, indicating the correct interview to be slotted, and counting down from five to one. She explained to Jay that the countdown was so that the editor would know where to insert the interview and wouldn’t have to worry about running over, or stepping on, the anchorwoman’s words. The countdown would be deleted in the editing process.

  When Kate was satisfied with her delivery and speed, the editor gave a listen and indicated that the quality was fine, explaining to the writer that the reporter’s voice had been recorded on audio channel one. The interviews and ambient sound would be laid down on audio channel two, and the two tapes would be melded together into one master audiotape, which would then be matched with the video images.

  With the anchorwoman’s initial part of the process complete, she left to deliver the 6:00 news. Jay chose to stay with the cameraman and editor, sitting transfixed for the next hour as they took the selected images and matched them to the words from the script to tell a compelling story.

  By the time Kate returned from the set, the preliminary draft of the special was ready. She suggested that they order dinner in and watch while they ate. Everyone agreed, the pizza order was placed, and the viewing began. Every so often, she would make the editor stop the tape and make a comment, or suggest a small change or the addition or deletion of a piece of video. Two hours and two large pizzas later, everyone was satisfied with the finished product.

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  The special included footage taken from home movies of Joey at his last birthday party and again at a little league game the previous summer.

  Then the scene shifted to the eight-year-old trapped under the rubble of the explosion and his parents at his funeral just that morning. Finally, an image of Joey’s parents standing together, strong in their faith, delivered the message that their son would live on in their hearts and the hearts of many others as a beacon of courage and bravery. Similar segments with other victims and families drove home the theme of the triumph of the human spirit over terror.

  When the last credit rolled and silence filled the room, Kate turned to Gene and the editor expectantly. “Well, what did you think?”

  The cameraman weighed in first. “I think it was edgy and powerful.

  Fast in the places it needed to be, and slower and more subdued where it had to be. I like the pacing.”

  The editor agreed. “You know, everyone is expecting a rehash of what happened; the who, what, where, when, and how. Anybody could have done that. What you did here is far more potent; it gets past the mechanics and material issues and into the emotional stuff. I love that.”

  Kate merely listened to the comments, processing the information.

  Finally, she turned to the person whose opinion mattered most to her.

  “Jay, what about you?”

  The writer was surprised to be asked as she had planned only to stay in the background and observe, but she was pleased beyond words that Kate wanted to know what she thought. “Well, I can’t speak to the technical aspects of the piece like these guys can. But as a viewer my gut reaction is that it’s alternately the most depressing and uplifting story imaginable. Watching it, I felt the helplessness and hopelessness of the moment. And then, I was so moved and inspired by the ability of these victims and their families to bounce back and take something positive from the most devastating of horrors. In the end I was left with a warm, powerful feeling inside my heart about the strength of
the human spirit.

  Wow.”

  Kate simply nodded when Jay was done talking, but a slight blush was creeping up her neck. She couldn’t have asked for a better reaction.

  Turning to the cameraman and the editor, she said, “Great work, folks, thanks for making it so good. I think that’s a wrap.” Then she took the master dub and walked down the hall to hand it to the news director.

  An hour and a half later, shortly before she was getting ready to go on the air, her boss appeared at her desk. Without preamble he said, “Nice job, Kate, that showed great vision. I loved it.”

  Shocked by the compliment, which was rare at best coming from the news director, Kate mumbled her appreciation and thanked him again for giving her the next day off. Then he was gone, and she was off to the set.

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  Jay decided to go with her to get one more look at Kate at work, although she wasn’t foolish enough to think that it was anything other than a personal desire to be close to the amazing woman for as long as she could be.

  At midnight they were once again walking through the front door of the house, both of them beyond exhaustion and barely able to hold their heads up. Kate turned to Jay, saying, “I’ve got some ideas what we could do tomorrow, but I’m also flexible if you’ve got something else in mind.”

  “Try me,” Jay said as she stripped off her suit jacket.

  “Okay, I thought maybe we could skip the workout and run in the morning. You could sleep in a little longer, and then we could go hiking instead for part of the day; there are some beautiful trails in the Catskill Mountains that I’d love to show you. We could pack lunch and have a picnic, take our time, then come back here, shower, and relax a little before I take you out for a fabulous dinner at a wonderful place I know.”

  The blonde sighed with pleasure. “That sounds fantastic. I can’t think of anything I’d rather do. The only drawback is that I didn’t think to bring my hiking boots with me.”

  “That’s okay, the hike isn’t too terribly difficult. You could do it in your sneakers, or we could stop and I could buy you a new pair of hiking boots if you’d be more comfortable.”

  “No, no,” Jay replied, “my sneakers will be just fine.”

  “Great then, that’s settled. There’s no rush to get going in the morning, so whenever you wake up is perfect.”

  At that the writer smiled, and the two walked up the stairs together.

  “I’m glad you liked the documentary, Jay.”

  Emerald eyes looked up to meet dark blue. “I thought it was incredible, Kate. I was moved to tears; you did a magnificent job with it.”

  “Thanks.” They had reached the top of the landing. “I’ll see you in the morning. Sleep well, Princess.”

  “You, too, Stretch.”

  Two hours later Jay was sleeping soundly, dreaming of lying in the taller woman’s arms. This was a recurring dream for her, one she’d been having off and on since their first real encounter on the ski slope. It always brought a smile to her face.

  So caught up in the dream was she that it took her several moments to register the sensation of her hand being tossed up into the air. At first, she thought it was part of the dream. Shortly, however, a whine made it clear something else was going on. Finally, as more of her senses awakened, 121

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  she figured out that Fred was trying to get her attention. The canine was pushing his nose under her hand and throwing it up into the air in an effort to wake her.

  As her brain began to kick in, Jay registered the dog’s agitation. He was poking his nose at her and tugging at her clothing. In the several nights she had spent in Kate’s home, the faithful companion had never left his mistress’ side at night. Jay sat up quickly.

  “What is it, buddy, what’s wrong?” As she talked to Fred, trying to calm him, she heard a noise. She was quiet for a few moments, and then she heard it again, this time more distinctly. It was Kate, and she was screaming.

  Within seconds, Jay was down the hall and pushing her friend’s door open further. The light in the hallway that spilled into the room combined with the bright moonlight filtering in through the skylight to allow her to see clearly. Kate was thrashing around, screaming and crying in her sleep.

  Jay experienced a moment of uncertainty; before when she had tried to awaken her from a nightmare, Kate had pushed her away, growing cold and distant. That was the last thing Jay wanted to have happen, but she couldn’t stand by and watch her friend suffer.

  She moved to the bed, gently grasping the struggling woman by the shoulder and shaking her. “Kate, please wake up. Kate, honey, you’re having a bad dream. Please, sweetheart, wake up.”

  As the dark-haired woman moved toward consciousness and her eyes began to flicker open, Jay backed away from the bed. Not wanting to risk the reaction she had gotten previously in this situation, she started to move toward the door, apologizing as she went. “I’m sorry, Kate, Fred came to get me. You were having a nightmare; I just wanted to make sure you were okay.”

  Even in her confused state, Kate could sense Jay’s discomfort. “It’s okay, Jay.” Looking into the fearful green eyes before her, it took her another few seconds to understand her companion’s reaction. She hated that her behavior had put that look there. This time, she vowed, she would handle her embarrassment differently. “Come here, please,” she motioned for Jay to sit on the bed. More softly she added, “I could use a friend right now.”

  No more invitation was required, the writer moving to join Kate and sitting on the side of the bed close to where the blue-eyed woman was just propping herself up against some pillows. Tentatively, Jay reached out and took hold of her friend’s hands, which were shaking. “What was it about, do you want to talk about it?”

  Kate shrugged, “I just can’t seem to get the images out of my head,”

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  said, “It was the same thing I saw in my dreams last week, right after the bombing; something I saw while I was in the building. I had been crawling through the remains of the first floor, helping some of the kids who had been in the lobby when the explosion happened. In fact, I had just finished freeing Joey, and had moved maybe another ten feet or so when I stumbled across something. I looked down, and there was this young boy, he was probably a classmate of Joey’s. His eyes were fixed and staring unseeing at the ceiling, as if in a silent plea. Part of the first-floor roof had collapsed on him.” Tears began to stream down her face.

  “I haven’t been able to get his face out of my mind, and I wonder if I ever will.”

  “Shh. Oh, Kate, it’s okay, sweetheart.” Jay moved closer and took the anchorwoman into her arms. “It’s going to be all right.” Rocking and comforting her friend until all her tears were spent, she reached to the bedside table and handed Kate the box of tissues that had been sitting there.

  Pulling back a little, Jay used her thumbs to wipe the tears from the face in front of her. Impulsively, she leaned forward, replacing her thumbs with her lips, placing light kisses on the softness of Kate’s cheeks and eyelids. The combination of the feel of the silky smooth skin and the scent of Shalimar that had been etched in her memory for so long was almost too much for Jay.

  Slowly, she reached up and ran her fingers through the raven hair, pulling Kate to her. Their mouths met in a kiss that was at first gentle and undemanding. As their lips became better acquainted, it was Jay who deepened the contact, wanting to express with her kiss the feelings she had never spoken.

  Kate moaned at the sensation of the extraordinary woman’s tongue mingling with hers, united in a dance of welcome and desire. She ran her hands up and down the smaller woman’s back, reveling in the delicious texture of the sheer satin nightgown as it brushed against her palms.

  When she felt the aroused state of Jay’s nipples where they pressed against her, it was all she could do to ho
ld herself back.

  Breathing raggedly, she pulled away from the kiss. Looking into deep green eyes darkened with passion, she teased, “Aren’t you afraid you’ll compromise your professional objectivity?”

  Jay growled, “I don’t care anymore, I’ll make it work. Professional detachment is driving me crazy.”

  Kate laughed, “Glad to hear it’s not just me, but you’d better be getting back to your room or I won’t be responsible for my actions.”

  Reluctantly, Jay agreed. “Are you sure you’re all right?”

  “I am now.”

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  Jay leaned over one last time as she stood, bestowing another passionate kiss on the perfect lips below her. Then, with a small smirk and the raising of an eyebrow, she turned and made her way across the room to the door. “I’ll see you in the morning.” She winked at Kate, who was still reclining on the bed with a wondering look on her face.

  “I can’t wait,” came the husky reply.

  Both women fell asleep dreaming about what the next day would bring.

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  CHAPTER TWELVE

  ay continued her pacing in the kitchen, back and forth, back and J forth. Running her hands through her hair, she worked hard to stay calm, but it had been over an hour since she had first gone to check on Kate and found no sign of her. She had searched everywhere she could think to look. What if something had happened to her? Where could she possibly be at that hour? For the fourth time in as many minutes, she checked the clock on the wall: 7:32 a.m. From his vantage point on the floor in the doorway, Fred watched his new buddy with interest.