Jasper placed a hand on her shoulder. “We know that, Reese. She’s fishing. Trying to generate more readers. But she’s skating dangerously close to libel.”
Reese shook her head. “Even though this piece is one lie after another, it contains enough truth that I’d be hard-pressed to sue.”
“She’s good, in that respect,” Nick agreed. “Vicious, but good.”
As she and Jasper dissected the article sentence by hideous sentence, the churning in Reese’s stomach started to boil over, humiliation turning to anger. She attempted a deep breath, anything to slow her heart. She felt like throwing things, screaming, but she needed to keep her cool. Figure out how she was going to deal with this situation.
Though relieved that Nick and Jasper hadn’t been taken in by the article, she was painfully aware that they still didn’t know the half of it. Melinda DuPre’s speculation about her planning a coup of this show couldn’t be farther from the truth, but without realizing it, the woman had been spot on about her plans for the future. To make matters worse, she had yet to tell Nick about those plans. Not that she’d deliberately kept them from him. Until now, there hadn’t seemed to be the need to share them.
Or was she kidding herself? Was she waiting to see where things went with their relationship before trusting him with her dreams?
“What do you want to do about the article, Reese?” Jasper asked.
His question triggered a decision. She rose, gathered her purse. “Maybe I can’t sue her, but I can still give her a piece of my mind.”
She charged around the desk, bumping a hip along the way, and had almost reached the door when Nick called out, “Wait.”
She faced him. “Do you want to go with me?”
“No, I’m suggesting you wait, think about this a little longer.”
“Think about what, Nick?”
He stole a glance at Jasper. When the older man didn’t respond, he went on, “Chewing her out may feel good at the moment, but you’ll only give her fodder for a follow-up story. One even worse than this.”
She leaned against the still closed door and tried to catch her breath.
Jasper came to her and gently guided her into a side chair. “Sit, young lady. Nick’s got a point. If you’re going to go after that woman, give yourself a chance to calm down first.”
“Calm down?” She spit out the words. “One Internet article and the woman shreds my career to pieces. Never gives me a chance to rebut her insinuations. And I’m supposed to just take it?”
That brought Nick to her side. In a soft, coaxing voice, he said, “I love the way you plunge wholeheartedly into whatever you tackle. That’s what makes you so creative. But that same impulsiveness can also work against you, like getting blacklisted for walking out of Solange.”
She nudged away a misbehaving tear that trickled down her cheek. She couldn’t let this go. She’d been wronged. She needed to make things right. But Nick was correct about her impulsiveness. She hated that. And hated that she couldn’t defend herself.
“I can’t just sit here and do nothing.”
Nick squeezed her hand. “We need to make the best of this, Reese. Laugh it off.”
Laugh it off? She wanted to laugh, all right—at the lunacy of his advice. Why wasn’t Nick taking this more seriously? Didn’t he care what that woman had done to her reputation?
Jasper leaned against his desk front. “Forget about chewing out that DuPre woman. We’ve got a more serious problem.”
“What are you talking about, Jasper?” she asked.
He bit a lip, rubbed his chin. “Leonie.”
“Maybe she won’t see it?” Nick suggested.
Jasper fixed him with a look that said, “Get real.”
“We can hope, can’t we?” Nick replied. “She’s not much of a computer person.”
Jasper massaged his chin again. “True. But someone around here’s bound to tell her.”
“Trudy.” Reese spoke the name out loud without realizing it. She remembered Trudy’s recent chumminess with the executive producer.
“I still think the less we react to this thing, the less ammunition we’ll be giving Leonie,” Nick argued.
“She’s going to find out, Nick,” Jasper returned. “If she hasn’t already, she’ll know about it by the end of the day. Our best course of action is to head her off.”
Reese tuned out the how-to-deal-with-Leonie debate to mull over one aspect of the article that continued to baffle her. Even with the partial information the interviewer had dug up about her background, where had DuPre gotten the idea that she intended to stage a coup? Unlike the other aspects of the story, which were all past events, the innuendo about Reese stealing the show from Nick was in the future.
Then it hit her. Melinda DuPre had found an inside source! That was the only explanation. But who?
Trudy? The day of the interview, Trudy had bugged her incessantly for details. But Trudy wasn’t sharp enough to concoct the takeover theory.
Leonie! Of course. They’d anticipated she’d do something to interfere with the new format, but she’d gone to ground for so long, they’d almost forgotten about her. Big mistake.
The egotistical old broad. She couldn’t stand the fact that Reese’s co-hosting had boosted the ratings and she had nothing to do with it.
Reese brought her mind back to the discussion going on around her.
Nick was saying to Jasper, “If you’re so sure Leonie will have seen the article, then let’s get her on our side. Convince her she needs to contact that interviewer and demand a retraction.”
“I don’t think that will be possible,” Reese cut in.
Both men stopped arguing and gaped at her.
“The negative parts of that article focused on me. But there were some positive parts when it came to the show itself. Who would want to make me look bad while making the show look good?”
In unison, Nick and Jasper blurted, “Leonie!”
“Bingo. I think this is the other shoe we’ve been waiting to drop.”
Jasper popped up from his perch on his desk and returned to the computer to reread the story. “Good Lord, Reese! I hadn’t considered that angle. But you’re right. The show doesn’t suffer at all from this DuPre woman’s remarks. It does seem to have Leonie’s stamp on it.” He looked to Nick, seemingly for concurrence.
“Say Leonie does have something to do with the story, what can we do about it? Confront her? She’ll simply deny it,” Nick said. “Even if she admitted to sabotaging it, what do we do then, other than chastise her?”
“Do you have any better ideas?” Jasper challenged.
Nick nodded. “I say we ignore her and build this whole blog thing into tomorrow’s episode. You know, make light of it. Use it to our advantage.”
Jasper’s eyes went wide. “You’re kidding.”
Shrugging, Nick suggested, “Maybe. Maybe not. What do you think, Reese?”
Reese didn’t reply at once. She shifted her gaze away from the two men to hide her reaction to Nick’s ideas. Just minutes before, he’d been at her side, commiserating about the article. Then Leonie’s name had come up and he seemed to back away from anything smacking of confrontation. Now he wanted to treat the story like a joke? “No, Nick. The less said about that awful article, the better.”
“You sure? We could have a lot of fun batting this around.”
Fun? The article had ripped the bandage off her wounded reputation with one brisk stroke and he wanted to play it for comedy? What was going on with him? She’d come off looking like a fool if they even mentioned the article on the show. Was he deliberately trying to make her look bad? Good God, did he believe Melinda DuPre’s speculations? “I don’t want to have fun with it, Nick. I just want it to go away.”
Jasper clapped his hands together, dismissing them. “Good. I’m glad that’s settled.” He smiled at Reese. “I’ll take my cue from you and downplay that interview with the rest of the crew. But to avoid their questions or odd looks
, why don’t you keep to your dressing room as much as you can today?”
“Thanks, Jasper,” she called as she headed out the door.
Nick trailed behind her. “You sure you’re okay?”
“As okay as I can be, considering.”
“Then, I, uh—” He didn’t go on, although he apparently had something else to say. He stayed with her as far as her dressing room. “I need to get ready for tomorrow’s show, but I’ll be back later.” He glanced up and down the corridor, apparently to assure they were alone, then planted a kiss along her hairline.
Still smarting from the cavalier way he’d treated the article, she didn’t experience the usual rush when he kissed her.
****
Late that afternoon, Nick finally checked back to see how she was doing. Settling onto the daybed, he stared at the ceiling, saying nothing once he’d greeted her.
Noting his distraction, she asked, “Why so pensive?”
He didn’t answer immediately, choosing instead to twirl one of the throw pillows like he was spinning dishes. Finally, he replied, “That thing you said earlier…about not wanting to co-opt the show from me?”
“I meant that, Nick.”
He concentrated on the gyrating pillow. “Yeah, well, maybe you shouldn’t decide so fast.”
“Why would you even suggest that? I’m not out to get your job.”
He flipped the pillow onto the bed and faced her, his eyes inky blue. Serious. “I know that, Reese. But ever since I left you, I’ve been giving that interviewer’s words some thought. You came on board just so you could put ‘television experience’ on your resume. On-camera work was a remote possibility, not a guarantee. But this ankle of mine changed everything. And as a result, we discovered you had the makings of a star.”
His words caused her breath to catch. Had he learned about her plans for her own show? “Okay, yes, I like being the talent around here more than being a production assistant. And I’m pretty good at it too. But that’s co-hosting. I don’t want your job.”
Nick pulled himself up and hobbled over to her, leaning on one crutch while he looped a strand of her hair around a finger. “You’re more than pretty good at it, Reese. You’re a natural. I think this latest ploy of Leonie’s, assuming she was behind that story, tells us she’s getting desperate as she realizes just how good you are.”
This discussion had her more worried than his dismissive attitude earlier. “What are you saying, Nick?”
“I want you to be prepared. Once Leonie sees your value, she’s going to change her tune. Of course, she’ll make it sound like it’s all her idea, but she’s going to want you to host permanently.”
She studied him. He didn’t seem concerned at the prospect. In fact, he seemed strangely supportive. “I told you, Nick, that’s not my intent.”
He dropped the strand of hair and took her hands. “Hear me out, okay?” He waited until she closed her mouth and gazed directly into his eyes. “I want Leonie to put you in charge.” He paused long enough for that to sink in, then went on. “The stage is calling. But I haven’t felt I could leave my aunt until I found a credible replacement. I couldn’t believe my luck that night when I watched you storm out of Solange. That’s why I went after you. You’re more than credible, Reese. You’re sensational.”
Reese pulled her hands away. “You’ve had this in mind all along?”
“I wasn’t sure it would work, but yes. Once Leonie accepted the idea.”
“Leonie? What about me? Weren’t you concerned I might not go along with it?’
He studied the floor. “Sure, but you were more likely than Leonie to get excited about hosting the show because, well, because…”
“Because why, Nick?” His tiptoeing around her questions rattled her insides. What was he holding back?
“When I didn’t hear from you after I offered you the job, I checked around. Learned that your exit from Solange had made you chef non grata in town. So when you did get around to calling me, I figured you’d run out of other options.”
“Why didn’t you mention that back in Jasper’s office when I was apologizing for not telling you?”
“I hadn’t planned to tell you now, but you forced me to. Besides, you were the one who kept the information from me, not the other way around.”
She had to look away. She hadn’t exactly lied to him about that part. She’d never do that. She’d simply omitted mention of her temporary state of non-recognition by the city’s restaurateurs.
Nick continued. “I hoped you and Leonie would hit it off. That she’d be singing your praises within days. Then you broke one of her rules on your first day, and I’ve been swimming upstream ever since trying to get the two of you together.”
Returning her gaze to his, she rolled her eyes dramatically. “Good luck there. Isn’t going to happen.”
He leaned in closer, a smile of satisfaction curling his lips. “Doesn’t need to anymore. Thanks to my accident, you got the opportunity of a lifetime and you ran with it. Even Leonie can’t ignore your success.”
She attempted to absorb his admission. Had he just told her he’d deliberately arranged for her take over the reins? Who was this man?
She looked him in the eye. “Did you stage your own accident?” As the thought germinated, she added, “Have you been feigning a sprained ankle?”
“No! Of course not. You heard the doctor for yourself at the hospital,” he returned adamantly. His smile turned sly. “But the ankle’s been doing better than I’ve let on ever since I got my meds changed and you arranged for that aide to come in everyday. I, uh, wanted to prolong your co-hosting stint as long as I could.”
She closed her eyes. The man had failed to come to her aid earlier in the day, he’d trivialized a written assault on her professional character, and now he was telling her he’d set her up to assume his job? When she opened her eyes again, the room seemed to be swirling.
She steadied herself against her dressing table. “You used me.”
He cocked his head, apparently caught off guard by her accusation. “Used you so you could keep receiving a paycheck after being blacklisted? Used you so you could put television experience on your resume? So that within weeks of starting here you’d become a co-host who would dazzle the audience? Okay, fine. You want to put it in those words, sure, I used you. But who’s gained the most so far, Reese? Me? I’m still here. I haven’t gotten what I wanted. Yet.”
This couldn’t be happening. Not again. Maybe Nick hadn’t exactly lied to her, but he hadn’t come clean with her about his real reason for bringing her on the show. He’d been her mentor and supporter because it served his purposes, not because he cared about rebuilding her career.
What a fool she’d been to believe him. She even gave him her body. No, that part she’d done willingly for her own pleasure. But she hadn’t asked for the feelings that accompanied the sex. Those had snuck in under the radar.
And she’d thought Leonie was a manipulator. Apparently it ran in the family.
A sharp pain drilled through her forehead, settling into a dull throb between her eyes. She dragged the chair from her dressing table and fell into it. “I think you’d better leave.”
“Reese, c’mon. You’re obviously upset with me, but for the life of me, I don’t know why. You’re the one who’s benefited the most.”
“I thought you enjoyed co-hosting with me.”
“I do.” He paused, grimacing like he was seeking something else to say but couldn’t figure out how to put it. “I do enjoy co-hosting with you. More than I thought I would, which is why I stayed as long as I have when I could have used my ankle as my way out. But I’ve got to get back on the stage before they forget me. All you have to do is settle back, watch me leave, and take over.”
“Take over a show called And He Cooks Too?”
He opened his mouth to reply but closed it.
“Go, Nick. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“You’re not going to cut out over thi
s, are you?”
“I don’t know. I’ve had too much come at me today. It’s making me ill. Physically.”
“You’re sick? Should I get a doctor?”
“No. I just…need…to lie down.” She waved him away.
He backed out of the room, his forehead wrinkled in bewilderment. Clearly, he couldn’t understand why his actions troubled her. He still believed he hadn’t done anything wrong.
To think she’d been about to tell him her plans for her own show. The DuPre woman’s article had been a wake-up call, and she’d been berating herself for keeping him in the dark about her intentions. Her omissions were small potatoes to what he’d been holding back.
She rubbed the area between her brows, which pounded from the effort to hold off tears all day. Further work on tomorrow’s program was impossible while her head was erupting.
She swallowed a couple of painkillers and crumpled on the bed. Cuddling the pillow Nick had fondled just minutes before, she willed the events of the last twenty-four hours to evaporate along with the hammering in her brain. Within minutes, sleep provided temporary escape.
Chapter Twenty
Nick remained on the other side of Reese’s dressing room door, his hand arrested in midair, debating whether to go back in. Obviously, he’d angered Reese, but he wasn’t sure how. Okay, he hadn’t gone ballistic when she suggested Leonie had sabotaged the DuPre thing. But having it out with his aunt wasn’t going to gain them anything. Either she would have denied having had any part in the article or she would have seized on all the half-truths and insisted they fire Reese.
What about Reese’s accusation that he’d used her? Sure, he’d used her, but she was the one coming out on top.
This had been a tough day for her. She needed more time to calm down. Surely she wouldn’t continue to brood about his having used her, or, God forbid, leave the show. She hadn’t replied when he asked her that question. Said she was confused and didn’t feel well. But Reese wasn’t like all the other women in his life who’d run off when things got difficult. She’d come around and realize he’d done all this for her.
And He Cooks Too Page 20
