by C. J. Anaya
As the countdown began, Midge’s grin slipped away and the nervous tension in her neck reminded her of how much was on the line tonight.
“We’re here tonight to talk to America’s favorite sweethearts and get the gritty details of Brody’s journey to finding true love,” Les began, pausing for more applause before continuing on. “Let’s start by introducing you all to the man of the hour, Mr. Brody Prescott.”
Midge sucked in some much needed oxygen as Brody entered from stage right, waving to the audience and flashing that killer smile of his. But oxygen eluded her, refusing to enter her lugs, flitting away as she gripped the arms of her chair.
One breath after another allowed her more mental clarity and focus. She finally clued in to the interview Les conducted.
“Now Brody, we have several girls wanting to have their say at the moment.”
For the next grueling hour, Midge had to sit through the agonizing vista of beautiful contestants sitting next to Brody on the couch, hashing out misunderstandings, resolving conflicts and issues, and wishing him all the best while squeezing his arm and initiating far too much physical contact. Another twenty minutes was spent discussing Felicia Davenport’s participation on the show and her attack on Midge.
“Now Brody, many people had a difficult time with your controversial decision to eliminate Madelyn Knightly from the show, especially after the many heartfelt moments you two shared together. Just what went wrong? What made you decide that Ms. Knightly wasn’t the right girl for you?”
Brody’s smile looked a bit forced to Midge. The strain in the lines around his mouth and the corners of his eyes couldn’t been hidden by any of the cosmetics used to enhance his features.
“Les, there are points in every relationship where you discover aspects of a person’s personality or character that simply don’t mesh well with yours. It was better for us to part ways, but I wish Madelyn the very best, and I hope she finds the love she is searching for.”
The audience seemed a bit disappointed with Brody’s response. Midge couldn’t tell if it was because they still didn’t agree with the decision or because his response was superficial and vague.
“I have to wonder why you were there to help Madelyn when Felicia attacked her. Have you two decided to remain friends?”
Brody paled under the bright lights of the studio.
“No. I think that would be a little awkward for us, all things considered. I was in the neighborhood when the fire at her apartment started. I simply wanted to run in and make certain she wasn’t harmed in any way. We may not be right for each other but I would never want anything terrible to happen to her.”
Midge swallowed hard, appreciating his sentiment, but feeling more grateful that he chose not to air out the real reasons behind his decision to eliminate her. Most men might have tried to drag her reputation through the mud by discussing the contents of the video, however misleading they had been.
“Well, I think Madelyn had a few things she wanted to say to you before we bring Charlene on stage and talk about your future wedding plans. Madelyn?” Les motioned to the empty space next to Brody.
Midge did her best to close out the applause and sympathetic crying that a few more zealous fans of the show had unleashed as she approached the center of the room and took a seat on the couch. She kept a healthy bit of distance between she and Brody.
He could hardly look at her. She noticed the gargantuan effort it took for him to stand and give her a quick embrace before retreating to his side of the couch.
Once the room quieted down, Les dug right in to the hard questions.
“Madelyn, I think it’s safe to say from your reaction to Brody’s decision during your last diamond ceremony that you hadn’t expected him to let you go.”
Midge cleared her throat as the uncomfortable sensation of everyone’s rapt attention on her threatened to choke off her vocal chords. She gritted her teeth, willing some kind of response to come, but she hadn’t expected her stage fright to hit her with such force after all of her mental preparation. She felt so alone even though Brody was within reaching distance. Les must have mistaken her inability to speak as a show of extreme emotion.
“It’s okay, Madelyn. I understand this must be painful for you to talk about.”
A warm hand slipped into hers. She glanced at Brody’s strong fingers wrapped around her own and had a difficult time processing this show of support even though he was convinced she had betrayed him. Then her eyes did fill with tears. She gave him a grateful smile as the tears spilled down her cheeks. A momentary glimmer of surprise flashed across his expression before disappearing into that restrained façade he’d mastered so well.
“It is painful to talk about, Les, but I think what pains me more is that the relationship ended because of my inability to open up and trust the love that Brody so willingly offered. I never came right out and told him I loved him.”
A hushed gasp from the audience prevented her from speaking for a moment. She felt Brody squeeze her hand, but she knew if she looked at him and found pity rather than acceptance she would never get through the rest of her speech.
“Brody made it very clear how he felt about me, but I’ve always struggled to believe that there is anything about me worth pursuing. So many people in my life were interested in me because of what my connections to Hollywood could offer them. I’ve always been Corbin Knightly’s daughter rather than Madelyn Knightly. I refused to believe for quite some time that Brody was sincere in his pursuit of me, and when I did finally decide to give him the benefit of the doubt and take that leap it was too late. At that point, something very damaging was given to him, something that convinced him I didn’t care for him. I didn’t give him a reason to trust in what I felt for him, and as a result, he let me go.”
The murmuring of the audience became more audible, and Les had to wait until they quieted down.
“Madelyn, are you saying that Brody was given something that discredited you in his eyes?”
She felt the full force of Brody’s gaze on her. No doubt he was surprised that she would shed light on something so damaging for her when he had been gallant enough to sidestep that information.
“He was given a video that misrepresented how I felt about him. In truth, he was only given half the video, but I’d like to show the entire video right now so that everyone, including Brody, will know exactly how I feel about him.”
The lights dimmed as the large projector screen to the right lowered. Soon a video of Midge starring front and center was airing for all the world to see. In the background she could hear Felicia’s voice as she began blackmailing Midge. Brody, whether consciously or unconsciously, tightened his hand around Midge’s. She didn’t know if it was another show of support or if watching her claim she didn’t love him again was too much for him. The shadows dancing around his eyes certainly made it look as if he were grimacing at the display. The audience wasn’t happy with her response to Felicia’s blackmail.
Les paused the video and turned to look at Midge.
“This is the part Brody saw?”
“Yes. This next part was cut from his version of the video footage.”
Les nodded and allowed the video to continue. Midge tried to track Brody’s reaction from the corner of her eye as the conversation between her and Felicia progressed. She felt the same shame when she heard herself say her career was more important than her relationship with Brody, but she hoped her next words would redeem her in his eyes. His muscles remained tense and his jaw kept that hard edge that hinted at pain and suppressed anger.
Finally, that moment of redemption arrived.
“I won’t do it. I won’t forfeit my and Brody’s happiness for a three hundred page manuscript. I can always write another book, but I can never replace someone as amazing and wonderful as Brody Prescott. So if you plan on publishing that book under your name or destroying the only copy in existence, I suppose that’s up to you. I love him. It’s taken me far too long to g
et to the point where I can actually admit that out loud, and I can’t give it up now. I can’t give him up ever. Brody means far more to me than my success as an author, and if you had any concept of what true love feels like you might have found your own happiness by now rather than lying and murdering others in an attempt to grab it.”
The video ended once Felicia stormed out of the room. As the lights came up and the projector went white, the audience, the contestants, and even Les stood up applauding. She turned her head to take in the vast expanse of the audience to her right and the contestants on her left offering her their support and their applause. She met Cambria’s eyes and Cambria nodded as if to say, “Well done.”
Once the applause subsided, Midge allowed herself to look at Brody full on. His varied expressions flashed across his face so quickly they nearly canceled each other out. He hadn’t let go of her hand, its vise-like grip only tightening further.
“Charlene was working with Felicia to discredit me. She wanted you all to herself, and to be honest I don’t blame her. I share the sentiment.”
Brody shook his head. “I’m sorry, Madelyn, I should have allowed you to explain—”
“You have nothing to apologize for. I simply wanted to set the record straight. You need to know that I love you. I’ve always cared for you, but I never trusted in myself enough to allow it to grow like it needed to. I’m sorry I waited so long, and I have no idea if this changes anything now, but I couldn’t let you leave this show without knowing how I really feel about you.”
Midge leaned over and planted a soft kiss on his cheek, and then she pulled from her purse a small branch with a Lehua flower attached to it. She set it on the couch between them and said, “Lehua and Ohia, never to be parted.”
Then she stood, and instead of heading back to her chair like she was expected to, her feet guided her toward the audience, through the walkway separating the fans from the stage, and out the exit. She’d overcome her fears, left her heart wide open, and told him everything, but she’d be damned if she was going to sit in that chair while she watched Charlene, or Liz, or whatever that she-devil’s name was, put her hands all over the man she loved. This was all she could do. It was all she could handle.
As she stepped outside and onto the red carpet, she was surprised to see so many reporters, photographers, and fans of the show still out there offering their enthusiastic support. She did her best to paste on that same smile she’d managed for so long, but this time it wouldn’t take. The tears came anyway. She held her head high and continued walking down the longest red carpet of her life, heading for what looked like a very accommodating limo.
If Madelyn’s revelation and declaration of love hadn’t been so unexpected, he might not have sat there like an idiot for so long while the girl he loved left the stage and exited the building.
“Is she leaving?” Les asked. His panic managed to break Brody from his frozen state.
Leaving? She couldn’t leave. It didn’t matter that he knew how to find her now. She couldn’t walk away from him thinking for even one moment that he wasn’t going to chase after her like he always had. Like he always would. He grabbed the flower Midge left behind and stood.
“Excuse me, Les. My future wife is, once again, trying to get away from me.”
The audience laughed and cheered while Les looked around at the camera crew and asked, “He’s leaving too? Can they do that?”
Brody rushed off the stage down the aisle and toward the exit, bursting through the doors into the outer lobby and then moving into a full on sprint as he headed for the front doors of the building. He broke through them and paused on the red carpet, slightly disoriented with the remaining crowd still in attendance. Spotting Madelyn a few yards ahead of him was like emerging from a black curtain of fog that had refused to dissipate.
He ran down the red carpet as she opened the door of her limo and prepared herself to get in. He reached her before she could escape him again, placing his hands at her hips and swiftly turning her to face him.
The sweet tears flowing freely over her soft cheeks tore at his heart. He brushed them away with a finger and tilted her chin so that their lips were mere centimeters away.
Her shy smile caused adrenaline to shoot through his veins.
“This is the last time I’m chasing after you, Madelyn.”
“Why is that?” she asked.
“Because I want you to consider yourself good and caught.”
He melded his lips to hers and reveled in her uninhibited response, enjoying the mutual give and take of affection with no reservations or lingering doubts. She was his. Wholly and completely his.
He broke the kiss long enough to get down on his knee, holding up the Lehua blossom he said, “Madelyn Knightly, I think it’s about time you agreed to marry me. Will you do me the honor?”
Her smile, showered with tears, was the most beautiful sight he had ever seen.
She extended her hand and accepted the flower, then she knelt before him and threw herself into his arms.
“Yes,” she whispered, placing another long, lingering kiss on his lips. The chaos around them couldn’t override the enormous sense of love and fulfillment they found in each others arms as fans cheered and photographers captured one of the most important moments of their lives.
Epilogue
Midge breathed in the sweet smells of Giacomo’s croissants as she leaned back, enjoying the warm strength of Brody’s arm draped across her chair.
“Oh my word. These things are to die for,” Blanche cooed across the table from them as she took another bite of her warm croissant. “I can’t believe I’ve never been to this place.”
“Café Canapé is the best kept secret in the area,” Midge said in a conspiratorial whisper.
“I think between Blanche and my daughter, we’re going to have to fight for any chance at keeping one for ourselves, Brody,” Knightly stated. He reached for the last croissant on the table, but Lisa sneaked up right behind him and swiped it from his grasp. With a cheeky grin she took a large bite and then strutted victoriously around the table.
“Scratch that,” Knightly muttered. “Keeping these women fed is going to break your bank, Brody. Good thing you have some money to spare.”
“Speaking of money,” Lisa managed around another mouthful, “I just found out that Elizabeth Ramsey is not only testifying against Felicia at her trial next month, but she’s suing that psycho wench for pain and suffering due to the loss of her family and her home. When are you scheduled to testify, Midge?”
“Right around the same time as Elizabeth.”
“I’m still amazed at how cordial you’ve been with her ever since we discovered her involvement with Felicia. She nearly succeeded in ruining everything, for Heaven’s sake!”
“Once we sat down and actually talked it out, it was easy to see that she was simply trying to survive. I’m not condoning her actions, and we’ll certainly never be close, but getting a feel for what she went through gave me some perspective.”
“There’s pretty much no end to all of Madelyn’s amazing qualities, forgiveness being one of them.”
“Yes, you were certainly on the receiving end of her forgiveness while down on one knee a few months ago. I’m just glad things worked out the way they did,” Blanche said. “I was not pleased when I had to watch my son eliminate you, Midge. That whole situation was so wrong, I was about ready to throttle him through the TV.”
Brody chuckled. “Yes, you weren’t exactly too friendly to the other women from the show I brought home to meet you.”
“And who could blame me? I’d already picked out my daughter-in-law. You were suffering from severe brain damage by the end of the season.” Blanche reached across the table and patted Midge’s hand. “Lucky for us, this young lady never gave up on you.”
“I’m certainly happy things worked out the way they did. The press is already hounding me for exclusives during your wedding two weeks from now,” Knightly said. He rub
bed his hands together in excitement.
“No,” Midge and Brody emphatically stated.
Knightly held up a placating hand. “Just hear me out for a moment. I’m thinking I’ll be the one to film the entire thing. We’ll add touching interviews, behind the scenes footage of the day before preparations—where we’ll have exclusive access to any bridezilla behavior on Midge’s part—and then we can broadcast the ceremony live.”
Brody stood and shook his head while offering Midge his hand.
She took it and stood.
“If you even think about making our wedding a public spectacle, we’ll elope to the nearest church and forget to invite you,” Midge teased.
There were other reasons that Brody and Midge had opted for a quiet wedding away from the public eye. Her mother was coming to the wedding. Celeste had immediately taken to Brody when Midge had brought him to Garden Cove Sanitarium to meet her. Even though her mother’s mental clarity remained mostly unchanged, a small spark of recognition lit her features when Midge greeted her, and Celeste had cried when Midge told her about the wedding. It was a huge step toward rebuilding a relationship with her mother.
Brody went to pay for their sweets and then motioned Midge out the door while Blanche, Lisa, and Knightly discussed the pros and cons of a reality TV series about psychotic brides and their elaborate weddings.
“Are you ready to become Mrs. Brody Prescott?” he asked. He placed an arm around her shoulder and snuggled her close to him as they strolled along the sidewalk.
“Absolutely. It better happen sooner rather than later. I’m never going to fit into my gown with all of the croissants you’ve been feeding me.”
He laughed as they slowly meandered their way over towards the beach.
“You’ve got the metabolism of a sixteen-year-old boy. You have nothing to worry about.”
“Be that as it may, I’m thinking a healthy game of beach tag is in order. I have to hold onto this girlish figure!” She turned to face him and began a slow backwards run so she could taunt him a little. “Think you’ve got what it takes to catch me?”
