by Elsa Kurt
“Alright, folks. Katharine’s got a yard full of people, all wondering what on earth is going on. How about you start putting the word out that all is well, and Miss Evans will be out momentarily?”
“Already on it. Justin is out there putting the spin on. I’ll go help him,” said Tori.
“And I’ll start putting the food out,” said Janie.
“Mitch, that’s my brother Nate and his girlfriend, Alyssa. Aren’t they the sweetest?”
“Yes, thank you for the introductions, Katharine,” Mitch chuckled down at her. “Nate, Alyssa, so nice to meet you both. You, uh, mind grabbing me that shirt, buddy?”
“Sure, come on Alyssa. Let’s leave the lovebirds alone.”
“Nate,” Katharine warned.
Mitch chuckled and gave Katharine a side glance to see how mad she was. She was smiling, too.
“So, you don’t hate me?”
Katharine fell back against the pillow and sighed. “I didn’t hate you, Mitch. I—I don’t know what comes over me when you’re around. Honestly? I think my problem is I really—”
“Here you go, Mitch. It was my Dad’s. You’re about the same size as he was. Maybe a little bigger.”
Nate, with Alyssa trailing behind him, returned holding out a light blue chambray shirt.
“I told him the color would be perfect for you, Mr. Ford. It matches your eyes.”
“Why thank you, Alyssa. You both are very kind.”
Alyssa blushed, and Nate scoffed. “Come on, Alyssa. Quick before Mitch Ford steals my girl.”
Nate took a reluctant Alyssa by the hand and pulled her away, back to the party. Chuckling, Mitch tossed the clean shirt on the edge of Katharine’s bed and began unbuttoning his stained one. He’d be glad to finally get the ruined garment off and…
“Oh—”
***
Mitch Ford was in her bedroom, unbuttoning his shirt, while Katharine was lying in her bed. The impropriety hit her like a brick, so she jumped up and made for the door. Only, Mitch, in his awkward effort to let her pass, stepped to his left as she shuffled to her right. They both moved again. Then, a third time. On their last awkward shuffle, Mitch placed his warm, broad hands-on Katharine’s bared shoulders and looked down at her with a placating grin. Clearly, he intended to move her in one direction while he moved in the opposite, but the physical jolt of his hands on her skin froze them both.
She looked up into his impossibly blue eyes and found herself speechless. His thumb caressed her skin, sending a shockwave through her body. Katharine stepped in closer. His shirt was open, his bare chest exposed. Mitch’s eyes softened, and he tipped his head down to meet hers.
“Well, what do we have here? Hey, bro… and chica. Tori told me where I could find you two.”
Mitch’s jaw tightened, and he exhaled through his nose hard enough to flutter Katharine’s hair. He dropped his hands from her shoulders. She stepped back guiltily, her skin tingling from where his work-rough hands had just rested.
“You found us, Justin. As you can see, I’m getting changed.”
“And I was—he—”
“No worries, man. Whatever. Would’ve been better if the cameras had caught it, but they got some killer vid from the yard, dude.”
Mitch rubbed his face briskly and ran his hands through his hair. “Great, just great. How much did they get?”
“Oh, man, like, everything! Katharine throwing her drink at you, Katharine getting stung by that bee. You, carrying her away like Tarzan. It was stellar, bro. Primo for prime-time.”
Mitch swung around to face Katharine, “Katharine—”
“It’s okay, Mitch. I know. It’s not your fault. It’s mine. I’m no good at any of this. I’m like a walking disaster around you. Just—let’s go and get this over with. The sooner we do, the sooner we all can get back to our own lives.”
The reality of everything—the disparity in their universes and experiences—set in again and the rosy possibilities Katharine had foolishly let herself envision evaporated like a puff of smoke. She stepped around Mitch and passed Justin. She paused in the doorway, and said softly, “Oh, and thank you, Mitch.”
He frowned. “For what?”
Katharine gave a short laugh. He was such an all-around great guy that saving a woman’s life was all in a day’s work for him. What on earth made her think she deserved a man like him?
“For not letting me die from anaphylactic shock, silly. And…” she shrugged and looked away, “for lots of things.”
She took the stairs carefully, still feeling woozy. Only, she wasn’t sure it was from the toxins in her system or the pain in her heart. Even though Katharine had never been in love before, she recognized the sensation easily enough. Heartache. She needed to get through the rest of the day, then the Up All-Night Show. Oh, and then whatever other public appearances Tori had lined up. And let’s not forget the next couple of weeks where the man of your dreams is literally next door.
FIFTEEN
UP ALL NIGHT
Four days later, Katharine stared into the dressing room mirror, a dour look on her face. Tori had accompanied her for the taping of the Up All- Night Show and was giving Katharine her version of a pep talk.
“On the upside, Katharine, the publishing company gave you an extension on the next installment. No questions asked. They even asked me to pass along their thanks.”
“For what?”
“Um, for boosting sales and putting them in the forefront of sought-after agencies, duh!”
Katharine gave a thin smile and picked at her blouse.
“Girl, you are one sad, pathetic puppy. When was the last time you talked to him?”
Without looking up, Katharine mumbled, “The party.”
“You haven’t spoken to him since Saturday? Why not? I know from Justin Mitch has tried to talk to you. So why are you ignoring him?”
Katharine’s shoulders went up, then drooped down again.
Tori made a ‘tsk’ sound and rolled her eyes. Then she took Katharine’s chin in her hand and forced her to look up.
“What’s wrong with you, hmm? You’re crazy about him. He’s crazy about you. The whole world sees it. So: What. Is. The. Problem?”
“It doesn’t matter.”
From the doorway, a rich baritone.
“It matters to me.”
Katharine’s heart cartwheeled. Mitch.
“Hey, Mitch. I’ll leave you two to talk,” said Tori.
Tori patted Mitch’s arm as she passed him in the doorway and he gave her a short smile. But his eyes were on Katharine. She looked straight ahead but could see it all in peripheral.
“Can I come in?”
“Sure.” Katharine tried to sound nonchalant, but the break in her voice gave her away. Mitch walked in slowly. Since she wouldn’t look at him, he moved between her and the dresser mirror. Unless she swiveled the chair around, she had to look at him. Even Katharine realized how childish it would be to spin her chair away, so she looked up into his careworn face. It said he meant business, and he wasn’t leaving until he got answers.
“Why have you been avoiding me, Katharine?”
“I haven’t. I’ve been—”
“Don’t. Please don’t insult my intelligence. Something is going on between us. You know it, I know it. Hell, it’s like Tori said—the whole world seems to know it. I’m not afraid to see where it goes. But it seems you are.”
Katharine opened her mouth to speak.
“Let me finish what I came in here to say.” He leaned in close, placing his hands on the armrests of her chair. “I’m a grown man, Katharine. I know what I want, and it’s you. You’re a grown woman, stop hiding like a child. Meet me halfway.”
She wanted to, she really did. But…
“Miss Ev— oh, Mr. Ford. Ah, we are about ready to have Miss Evans come out. Then you, sir.”
Mitch took his eyes off Katharine and turned his head toward the young man in the doorway. She closed hers for a moment and breath
ed in his scent deeply. The man walked away, and Mitch returned his attention to Katharine. He waited, saying nothing more. She was frozen, her stare fixed firmly on the shoulder seam of his shirt. The words were locked behind the wall she’d spent a lifetime building around herself. This was the moment, her chance to say she was crazy about him. That she was scared and unsure. That she’d never loved anyone before. She remained silent. Mitch dropped his head down and shook it with a sniff.
“Alright then. I guess I’ve got my answer.”
He walked out of the small dressing room. The word ‘wait’ remained caught in Katharine’s throat. She tried to tell herself it was for the best. He’d be gone soon enough and on to his next great adventure. It wouldn’t have worked anyhow.
“Miss Evans? We’re ready for you.”
For the first time in her writing career, Katharine was getting national exposure. Excitement and joy were what she was supposed to be feeling, and yet sadness blanketed her. It even outweighed her nervousness. Despite it all, she managed to get through the interview with a semblance of poise. Her prepared ‘impromptu anecdote’ went smoothly—as smoothly as anyone could’ve expected, at least. The host of the show, comedian Jackson Day, was everything they all said he would be. Kind, funny, encouraging, and best of all, able to navigate through any awkwardness on her part. Before she knew it, he broke for commercial.
“You’re doing great, Katharine. I love your books, by the way. Now, when Mitch comes out, we’ll have you slide down. All you have to do is roll with it.”
“Okay, sure. Wait—roll with it? With what?”
“We’re going to have fun, don’t worry.”
He’d already turned away and begun prepping for the next segment.
Mitch. In moments they’d be sharing the same stage once again, but now with even more tension between them. How would he act? How would she act? A live studio audience would be watching their every move, gesture, and hanging on every word. Later that night, it would be televised for the rest of the world to see.
I’m not freaking out. I’m not freaking out. The mantra had the opposite effect on Katharine. She wiped her damp hands on her lap, then took slow breaths to calm her wildly palpitating heart. The audience was a sea of indiscernible faces that she scanned with deer-in-headlight wide eyes. The first recognizable person they fell upon was Tori. She waved, then gave Katharine a ‘thumbs up’ and a reassuring nod.
Okay, well, at least someone is feeling confident about this.
The cue to begin again came from the edge of the stage and before she knew it, Jackson Day was telling the audience about the next guest. He stopped and restarted twice, deciding to add a joke, then change the delivery. Each pause sent Katharine further on edge. The anticipation was torture that everyone around her was oblivious to. She internally rehearsed calm, neutral greetings for when Mitch walked out. She’d extend her hand. No, she should probably go for a cheek kiss. It’s what he was most likely to do. Would he go to the left or the right, though? She began cursing him in her head. Meanwhile, Jackson Day called Mitch out onto the set, and the audience applauded and cheered. Suddenly, his shadow fell over her. Katharine blinked up at Mitch. His eyes bore into hers, his face stony. What was he just standing there for?
“Oh!” Suddenly remembering what she was supposed to do, Katharine stood abruptly to move down on the couch, misjudging his closeness. Mitch, instead of stepping back and giving her room, reached out to put a gentlemanly hand on her elbow to help her up. Katharine was turning at the same moment, so his hand pushed her further off-balance, and she sat down hard on the cushion. Instinct caused her to grab his arm, and she pulled him with her. He pivoted quickly, but not quite fast enough. Instead of entirely landing on top of Katharine, he only half fell on her. The studio audience roared with laughter. The Mitch that Katharine could see was not amused. The face he turned to the audience was all amiable Mitch Ford charm and self-deprecation.
“Now, that’s how to make an entrance, Mitch,” said Jackson. Then to the audience, “That was not rehearsed, ladies and gentlemen! How about a hand for these two?”
They whooped and cheered as if they’d witnessed an academy award worthy performance, rather than an embarrassing display of extreme awkwardness.
“Feel free to edit that out, Jackson,” laughed Mitch.
“Oh, man, no way! That was gold, right there. You two are like a—a modern day Ricky and Lucy. So, tell me, buddy—is she always trying to kill you like that?”
Mitch turned his smile over to Katharine, then back to Jackson, “No, I think I’m relatively safe from Miss Evans.”
“Are you sure about that, Mitch?”
“Why, yes, I’m pretty sure,” he chuckled.
“Really?” Jackson Day looked out at the crowd and tapped his finger against his chin before continuing. “That’s interesting you say that because I’ve heard differently. In fact, I have proof.”
Katharine froze, the blood draining from her face.
“Proof? I— wait—” stammered Mitch.
“Let’s roll that special montage your production crew sent us, hmm?”
The lights dimmed. A large screen dropped down, and the theme music for The Rebuilder began. The same intro that played for the Connecticut Today Show played as well. Only this time, after Mitch said, ‘Let’s take a look, shall we?’ a different clip played. It was Katharine throwing the soccer ball at Mitch. Then, a grainy, phone-camera video of Katharine dumping a drink over Mitch’s head, followed by her attacking him with an oar. Last but not least, another phone video of Katharine splashing her wine on Mitch’s shirt.
While the audience alternately gasped and guffawed, Mitch used the moment to lean in close to Katharine. He put a hand on her shoulder and said, “Katharine, I swear on my life, I did not mean for this to be aired. I screwed up, and I’m sorry.”
She bucked her shoulder away, refusing to even acknowledge his words. Katharine gripped the chair cushions tightly, her knuckles white. Her gaze was locked straight ahead. In a moment, the cameras and lights would be back on them. There was a new mantra on repeat in her head: I will never let Mitch Ford get the best of me again. Katharine knew the camera would be on her any moment, so she let go of the cushion, rested her hands in her lap, and unclenched her jaw. A placid smile replaced the hard line of her lips, and she sat up straight. She would take the impending onslaught with grace. Then, when it was all over, she’d cancel all her appearances and fade into anonymity, where it was safe.
“Well, how about that? Katharine Evans, I must say, you are a ball of fire!” Jackson Day turned to the viewers, “Am I right guys?” Raucous shouts and boisterous clapping. They didn’t hate her, they loved it. Katharine blinked, and her gaze swept across the audience. A small, genuine smile pulled at the corners of her mouth. A woman shouted,
“You get him, honey!”
Another followed,
“He probably deserved it, the dog!”
Katharine, still in disbelief, laughed along with everyone. The only one not laughing, was Mitch. The tension left Katharine’s shoulders. She sat back in her seat and did precisely what Jackson Day had told her to do. For the first time in her life, Katharine Evans rolled with it. In fact, she did one better. Katharine came out of her shell.
When the laughter subsided, Katharine angled herself to face Mitch and said, “You know what, Mitch? Move over. Jackson and I need to discuss this a little bit more.”
The audience erupted. Mitch heaved a sigh and pasted a good-natured smile on his lips as he stood and proffered his vacated seat to Katharine. She strode past him with an arched brow and sly smirk and took her place beside the amused host again.
“Now Katharine,” Jackson began, “tell us, what on earth did that big brute over there do to upset such a sweet, tiny thing like yourself? I mean—look at her, guys—is she not the cutest thing? You’re like an adorable, gentle—”
“Alright, alright,” interjected Mitch, “now, let me say that I—”
Laughter and more cheers filled the room.
“Okay, you two. Before this becomes, oh, I don’t know… a boxing match, what do you say we settle this the old-fashioned way with a—wait for it—a boxing match!”
Wild cheers, applause. Katharine and Mitch blinked at Jackson. He cut to a commercial break, then addressed the pair.
“Ah, you guys are great sports! This is going to be so much fun! Thanks so much for agreeing to all this.”
Mitch and Katharine spoke at the same time.
“Wait, I never—”
“Agree to what?”
They looked at each other in confusion, then out into the audience, where Tori and now Justin sat. They wore matching ‘oops’ expressions and apologetic smiles. Neither had informed their client as to what their appearance on the Up All-Night Show entailed. Katharine glared at Tori and Mitch buried his head in his hand. Before they could say another word, several Up All-Night Show staffers were ushering them from the interview seats to the stage area. The curtain opened to reveal an American Gladiator-style jousting ring. They shoved sparring helmets on them both and pushed them into the ring. Then they helped them onto opposing pedestals and thrust the pugil sticks in each of their hands. Everything happened so fast that by the time Katharine could find words to protest, they were signaling to start taping again.
Thank God, I wore pants. Please tell me he looks more ridiculous than I do. I’m going to kill Tori.
She couldn’t know what Mitch was thinking, but the look on his face said his thoughts probably mirrored her own. Katharine looked down at the padded baton, then back up at Mitch. He did the same. She broadened her stance and tilted her chin down to her chest. His eyed sprung wide, then narrowed.
