The Price of Fame - KJ1

by Lynn Ames

  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

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  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

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  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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  “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.”

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  “Yes, and you fed my habit quite nicely, thank you.”

  “Well, you were my roommate and the only Theatre major I knew; who else was I supposed to enlist to play practical jokes on unsuspecting fools?”

  “Mmm-hmm. It would be nice if you just said that I was the most talented actress you knew and that’s why you hung around with me.”

  “Yeah, that too, I guess.” Kate paused and looked seriously at her old college friend. She and Marie had been paired together randomly freshman year and had hit it off right away. She loved the fact that Marie accepted her just as she was and gave her space, while at the same time offering her unconditional friendship. They had roomed together until Kate had gotten a single junior year. Marie was one of the few people whom Kate let get close, and one of the very few in college who had known that she was a lesbian.

  “I can’t thank you enough for putting yourself on the line like this for me, Marie. It’s an awful lot to ask.”

  “For you, Kate, anything, you know that. I was glad you called; I just about burst a button when I saw the cover of Time. I couldn’t think of anyone who deserved the recognition more. And then when I saw the Enquirer yesterday I was mad enough to spit nails. It’d make me only too happy to screw them up.”

  Marie smiled. She knew she would do anything for Kate, and vice versa. In college most people had shied away from her, her offbeat manner leading most of her classmates to dismiss her as a nut, but not the tall, quiet beauty. Kate had befriended her right away, and, in turn, she was one of the few people who ever got to see Kate’s wicked sense of humor. She loved her with all her heart and hated to see her in pain.

  “Kate?”

  “Hmm?”

  “Are you all right? I know I haven’t been the best about keeping in touch, what with doing the show at the Improv and all, but I’m still here for you, you know?”

  “I know you are, friend, that’s why I felt comfortable making the call.

  I knew you would come through for me.”

  “You haven’t answered the question.”

  “Oh, haven’t I?”

  “No, smart ass, you haven’t.”

  Kate sighed, trying to figure out how to answer her friend. She had never lied to her before and had found her to be, on those few occasions when she had wanted to talk, a good listener. “No, I’m not okay,” she said quietly. “I got fired yesterday, I have no idea what my future holds, I had to leave my fiancée behind so she wouldn’t lose her career and get caught up in all this, and my heart is sick over it.”

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  “Oh sweetie.” Marie squeezed the large hand that rested on the seat.

  “I’m so sorry for you. I’m assuming your fiancée was the one in the picture, right?”

  Kate poked her friend. “No, I’m sleeping around, but don’t tell her, okay? Of course it was her. In fact, that was taken on the day I proposed to her; we were on a beach in St. John. I had taken her there to get away from everything.” She sighed wistfully.

  Marie noted the ironic tone in her friend’s voice. “It will be all right, Kate, you’ll see. This will blow over and the two of you can ride off into the sunset.”

  “I wish I could believe that.”

  “Who is she? All I could see from the pictures was the back of her head. Nice kissing technique, by the way.”

  “God, you are such a brat.”

  “Just part of my charm, remember? And, my dear, once again you haven’t answered my question. Am I going to have to beat it out of you?”

  “Huh? You and what army, woman?”

  “Just remember my husband is bigger than you are.”

  “Yes, but he’d probably be on my side.”

  “Not if he wants me to put out anytime in this century.”

  “Ooh, now there’s a threat.”

  “We’re getting off the subject, missy. Are you going to tell me who the lucky woman is?”

  Kate sighed heavily. “Her name is Jamison Parker. You might remember her; she was two years behind us...an Am Lit major. And, Marie—I’m the lucky one.”

  “Wow. You’ve got it bad, woman. Jamison Parker, Jamison Parker.

  Where have I seen that name recently?” She thought for a moment, and then turned incredulous eyes to her friend. “You can’t mean the same Jamison Parker whose byline graces the Time magazine story about you, can you?”

  “Mmm-hmm.”

  “My, what a tangled web we weave. Yikes. No wonder you’re trying to keep the hounds off the scent; that could look really bad for her.”

  “Right. Marie, she’s an incredibly talented writer, she’s got a brilliant future in front of her. I can’t take a chance on her credibility being called into question.”

  “I see your dilemma here. Why didn’t she just recuse herself from the story in the first place?”

  “It’s all my fault. We weren’t involved sexually when she was given the assignment. In fact, we had only kissed a couple of times and had really just found each other again the week before.”

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  At Marie’s inquiring look, she explained, “She was in Albany doing a story on the governor when the bombing happened; she saw me on television and came to find me. That’s how we got reacquainted. We had met briefly a couple of times in college and she had really made an impression on me, and, I guess, me on her. So we began talking on the telephone. When her editor gave her the piece to do on me, she made it clear up front she needed to maintain professional distance from me. I was the one who pushed her. And even then, we didn’t sleep together until she had done all of the interviews and research for the story. By the time she actually wrote it, we were head over heels in love, and just after she turned it in, I whisked her off to a remote Caribbean island and asked her to marry me.”

  “That’s quite a tale. And t
hey said romance was dead; apparently it’s alive and well and living in Albany, New York—who knew? I have to say, Kate, I never would have known the depth of your relationship from the story. She did an amazing job of staying objective, there’s no hint of anything too personal in there.”

  “I know, I was so proud of her. Now you see why I have to let her go.”

  “No. Now I see why you want to keep her out of the spotlight, but not why you need to ditch her.”

  “I’m not ditching her!” Why couldn’t they see? First Barbara, then Peter, now Marie; she had to do this for Jay’s sake, that was all there was to it.

  “What would you call disappearing and not telling her where you’re going?”

  “Look, the less she knows, the less she’s likely to try and follow me, and the less likely she is to lose her job and her future.”

  “Seems to me if she loses you, she is losing her future. But that’s just me,” she tweaked her friend gently. “A job is a job and love is everything. Katherine Kyle, you are one of the most desirable women on the face of the planet. Why, if I weren’t straight and happily married to Nick I’d chase your skirt myself. I can’t imagine this woman is just going to let you go and be okay with that.”

  They had arrived at their destination, a nice, solid brick home in a respectably middle class neighborhood. Getting out of the passenger side, Kate watched with awe as her friend transformed herself back into an elderly aunt in the blink of an eye. She had always loved watching Marie work; it fascinated her. Anyone watching would assume Kate was visiting with a beloved relative, which was just what she wanted people to think.

  Once they were inside the house, Marie turned to her friend. “How much time have you got before your next flight?”

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  “A little over two hours.”

  “Okay, that means you have to leave here within a half-hour to get back to the airport in time.”

  “Fine. There is a back way out of here, right?”

  “Yep, through the backyard where there’s a small path over to the next neighborhood. I’ll call Nick and tell him to meet you over there.”