by Sasha Combs
“Precious, I’ll call you this evening on your cell phone. Don’t worry about this. I’ll handle it.” Hamilton said in a confident voice.
“Wait Hamilton... Where are you going?” She felt like a part of her being was being wrenched from her soul and Precious didn’t understand where this feeling stemmed from. Hamilton’s comings and goings were always sporadic; ushered in by swift silent exchanges. Most times, he would enter a room, then leave and she wouldn’t even have known that he’d come and gone. But there had always been a special something about his presence. That intangible solidness that wasn’t actually there, but she’d grasp hold and this feeling had grounded her to the show. It wasn’t until now that she realized, she needed him. He needed that grounding force that only he possessed. She felt her legs moving at the same rapid pace of her beating pulse.
“Hamilton...” she said breathlessly. “I thought you said that...” She paused, trying to recall the details of their conversations. Her head had been heady and weighted with concerns. How to deal with a problem that was truly no fault of her own?
Hamilton’s eyes scanned her face, and she did something, she’d never done before. Precious gazed into his mesmerizing silver-gray eyes. Most times he wore dark shades, and she’d never stood this close to him. She spoke low, saying...
“I can’t... I can’t do this alone.”
Her fingers were tightly wound like knots, turning pale. Hamilton peered over her head, and he noticed the others. Their confusion was palpable. Until today, his name had only been words scrolling during the shows credits. He was fairly certain that Precious had never talked about him or his role as the shows producer. And why would she? As the shows producer, traditionally, his contact with the cast was usually limited but this project had been different. During the taping of the Grosse Pointe program, Hamilton rarely saw his office in California, because most weeks he was somewhere in this state. He also knew that Precious was the reason for this. In the past, he’d done his best to avoid her. But now, he was faced with a difficult decision. He knew what he should do, and dammit if he didn’t do the opposite.
He closed his eyes momentarily, then he opened them. Hamilton rested his hand on her elbow, easing her to the side. If he was going to do this, then he would do it right. He would talk face to face to her parents and her ex-boyfriend. He maintained his calm cool exterior while embracing the irony in this situation. At one point he’d done his best to avoid her, and now he was telling a lie to ensure that she’d be glued to his side.
“Look folks...” He said as his opening statement. They didn’t leave nor did they interrupt him, so he continued.
“We all want what’s best for Precious and we want her to be happy with this choice. Today, while we were talking... Finding a safe place for her to ride out this storm, had been one of our topics. Now... When I brought her here, I wanted her to tell her parents what happened before you saw the story on the news.”
Precious couldn’t believe the web of lies that were being woven, but she was willing to play her part if he needed backup. She listened, while Hamilton continued.
“I didn’t want to whisk her away before she had the opportunity to talk to you.”
“Whisk her away...” Her mother said. “Precious darling... Where are you going?”
“That’s the beauty of this Mrs. Sinclair.”
Now, his hand lay resting at the base of her back. Hamilton lightly guided his fingers up and down; soothing as he stoked and caressed. He had this and he didn’t want her to worry. He’d told her that he would fix this. So he reasoned, why not go all the way. He was telling a story that might end up being true.
He continued...
“The best way to ensure that Precious will not be followed...well, we’ll have to do something that the media would never expect. I’ve given this some thought and I’ve decided on a plan that I believe will work. I’m taking her to a secluded location, while my PR firm works on this little problem of hers. I can’t see into the future, but these people are good at their jobs.”
That part of his web of lies was true, and he really believed that in a matter of weeks, Precious would have her life back. Of course, Stone might have to cooperate but he’d not seen anything today that would hint that he wouldn’t.
“So you see...” Hamilton looked down at Precious. She was forcing a smile, that looked mildly genuine.
“Precious will be leaving with me. I just wanted her to talk to you before she left the city.”
Colten didn’t look at all convinced. He stared at Hamilton, sizing him up. He’d heard about the Gantry Production company. He would never have allowed his daughter to get involved with the show without checking it out first. From the beginning, he’d watched his daughters fame shoot through the ceiling, then overnight; after she refused to marry her boyfriend, suddenly she’d become the town leaper. He wasn’t wholly on board with this idea because he wanted Precious with him and his wife. But, he also accepted that there was little that he could do to stop her. And he would rather see her leave with a smile, than a frown, if he voiced his disapproval.
Colten reached down, capturing his wife’s hand in his. He guided her forward, to stand in front of their daughter. He said in a low voice...
“Is this what you want baby?”
Precious loved her mom and dad but she knew that leaving would be best for everyone involved.
“Yes daddy. This is want I want. You heard Hamilton. He has people working on this.”
Colten raised his eyes, staring down the man responsible for getting his daughter mixed up in his reality TV show.
He said...
“All right... But I’m holding you to your word.”
Hamilton didn’t know if he should be more concerned about Colten’s threat, or the odd way that Stone was glaring at him. Neither man looked at all pleased and Precious had been keenly aware of this.
************************
Chapter 3
Whoever said, when things get worse, they can only get better. Not only were they stoned out of their gourd; they had to be from another planet.
In the center lane of traffic, the black limo moved at a steady pace, cruising along the Chrysler expressway. The driver shifted lanes, easing right, to follow the 94 exit. As they headed east, driving to the Detroit Metro Airport, with each passing mile marker; Precious attempted to relieve Hamilton of his obligation. From the minute they left her parents house, a dark cloud formed over her head. She felt like the biggest coward because somehow, she’d cajoled Hamilton to deal with her parents. She could still see the way her father stared at her doubtfully but after listening to Hamilton, her father had been persuaded to believe him. Man, how pathetic was that, she’d thought. When she’d tried to talk to her dad and she’d been truthful; Precious had not been able to gain his trust. She supposed that explained her reason for turning to Hamilton when her efforts had failed. She’d always known that he was a superior negotiator. In spite of that, Precious felt guilty, relying on him to babysit her. She turned in her seat, to fully face him.
“Hamilton, please don’t think that I’m being ungrateful, because I’m not. You met my parents and I’m sure you saw what I was up against. Sure, I’m a grown woman, and I control my own life; but I would never do anything to purposely disrespect my parents. I love them, and I know they only want what’s best for me. They would do anything to see to my safety. But, you really don’t need to take me with you and you definitely don’t need to keep me underfoot until this media frenzy dies down.”
Hamilton had noticed her changed behavior. She seemed to relax, the closer the limo got to the airport. His lip curled up in a half smile when he said...
“Precious, I’m a man of my word and you heard what I told your parents. You’re with me until my PR firm cleans up this mess. Don’t forget... Until I say so, you’re still under contract. At least, until the second season begins.”
That was true and she wouldn’t debate him on that issue, but
the contract didn’t address her current concerns.
“But Hamilton, this isn’t necessary.” Her arms waved around the limo. The vehicle that had become her protective carriage. “Look...” She said pleadingly. “Just drop me off at the airport. I can catch a flight to Orlando, or maybe Atlanta.” Precious said these cities because these places were the first to pop in her head. But her quick mental brainstorming had not impressed Hamilton. He leaned closer to her saying...
“Are you nuts?” His brows lowered, and he didn’t clean up his words. “Your show rated highest in those two cities. If you go to either of those locations, you’d be lucky if you made it out of the airport.”
“Ok, I’ll admit. I haven’t had time to figure this out yet. Maybe, I’ll go to the Bahamas or the Virgin Islands.”
“Precious, those places will isolate you.”
“Well, I thought that’s what you wanted. To take me someplace where it would be difficult to track me down. What better place, than an isolated island.”
“The type of isolation I’m talking about, doesn’t involve an island. Precious, if you go to an island, you’re limiting your ways in and out. You might find yourself cutoff from an airport or a sea craft. Incommunicado is one thing, but being inaccessible is too risky a gamble.”
Her eyebrows furrowed because, now he was confusing her. Hamilton could see her puzzlement so he clarified his meaning.
“Look... When I said that isolation is the answer, what I meant to say is this. You need to be in a place where the population is small, and you won’t easily be identified.”
“Well, according to you, that place doesn’t exist.”
He laughed, recalling one of their conversations. Hamilton had told her that the bachelorette reality show had broken nearly every record. Largest audience. Top rated show for its entire first season. Largest fan following on Facebook and largest number of tweets in one single day. He’d gone on and on, reciting facts that had been told to him. In the end, he’d basically told Precious that she was extremely popular and her popularity would ultimately repair her image.
He smiled, then said...
“Precious, when I committed myself to protect you, I began thinking of places we could go. My family owns properties around the world, and there are no less than three homes in practically every state.”
“So, where are you taking me?”
She asked the question, but she no longer felt the butterflies warring in her stomach. Then she realized, that she didn’t really care where they ended up. Precious sensed an odd wholeness that she usually felt whenever she was in his company. She’d never been able to identify any one particular thing about him that made her feel this way because their times together had been so infrequent, and his visits had always dealt with business. But she had rightly assumed that he preferred her over the other women on the show. On more than one occasion, she’d felt his gaze from behind the sunglasses that he wore. The dark shades were his cover because Hamilton didn’t want her to know that he was looking at her.
They’d been talking about places and location that would be safest. Hamilton was just about to answer her, when he felt his mobile vibrating in his pocket.
He raised his hand, excusing himself.
“Just a minute... I’ve been expecting a call.”
Precious eased back into her seat. See looked along the side of the road, and she noticed that the limo had just passed the Middlebelt exit. She also felt the limo, easing right again. Soon, the long black vehicle would be making its exit, taking them to the airport. She assumed that Hamilton traveled using one of the production company’s private planes because he came and went as he pleased; and he was always on the go, flitting hither and yon. She tried to imagine where he would flit her off to. Precious tried to keep her mind busy because she didn’t want to listen in on his private conversation. But try as she may; she couldn’t stop herself from eavesdropping. His call didn’t sound at all like business because she’d overheard more than one of those phone calls. On the contrary; this call sounded personal.
“Yeah, yeah... I know. Bobby, I was going to call you when I got back into LA. No, nothing has changed. I left town on an emergency.”
Precious felt a burn of acid slipping from her stomach because in point of fact; she was Hamilton’s emergency. When she’d called him last night, upset and angry at herself; Precious had insisted that he come to Grosse Pointe to meet with her. Then after considering what she had to tell him about leaving the show; she’d changed her mind, asking him to meet her at the restaurant in Rochester Hills. For whatever reason, Hamilton had sound concerned and he didn’t attempt to force a conversation on the phone. He cleared his schedule; flying out of LA, early that morning. Now, her ears were like tuning forks. She listened for key words or phrases. Anything that would add to the sincerity of her apology, once he ended his call.
“Yes, Bobby. I’ll call Sammy today. I told you, nothing has changed. I know. I know. Bobby, I said I know. All right. Look, I’ve got to go. I’m almost at the airport. Yeah. Ok. Talk to you later.”
Hamilton disconnected the call, while avoiding her face. He busied himself, typing out a memo using one of his phone applications. When he was done, the limo had pulled to a stop in front of a hanger. Precious looked out the window, attempting to spot buildings or familiar landmarks. Whenever she used her father’s private planes, she preferred flying out of the smaller airport in Flint to avoid the heavy highway traffic. As her head craned to peer through the rear window, she noticed the driver in the rear. He opened the trunk, then lifted out a small piece of luggage. A sudden revelation shook her and she said...
“Hamilton, I can’t leave yet. I need to go to my place to get some clothes.”
“Not to worry.” He said. Hamilton opened his side door, to exit the vehicle. “I’ll send an email to my personal assistant. She can check in with the shows wardrobe department. Your stylist will have a list noting your clothing sizes.”
While they walked up the steps leading inside of the plane, Precious asked...
“So...are we going to LA?”
She asked because Hamilton’s personal assistant rarely traveled with him and she’d only seen the young woman on a few occasions.
“We’re going to LA but just for a quick stop. My assistant, Audrey... She’s going to meet us at the airport. There are a few things that I’ll need her to tend to while I’m away.”
“Will she bring my clothes to the airport?”
They were flying in one of the smaller jets. The airplane was sleek and narrow. The Learjet’s design made it perfect for speed, but the cabin wasn’t as wide as the larger planes. On either side of the aisle there were six rows of seats; twelve in all. Hamilton led the way, choosing to sit in the third row. When she passed him to take the seat on the other side; their bodies made contact as they each attempted to claim their seats. His rear pressed into her back, causing her to turn. When she twisted around, her breast slid across his lower back. Their unintentional touches had affected them both; sending pictures to their brains. Hamilton had to force himself to stop thinking about her chest. On more than one occasion, he’d tried to guess her cup size behind the cover of his shades.
After their bumbling circus act, they eased into their seats, pretending that the incident never happened. Precious busied her hands, straightening out her awful black outfit. Hamilton adjusted his pants, lifting to free the belt buckle beneath him. He couldn’t believe that it had only taken a casual touch to make him hard. His body had surprised him by responding so quickly. He’d never become so aroused without the added stirring of passions. Not that he had any problems in that department, but lately he’d noticed that few women excited him. As he pondered on this, he knew the reason for his lagging sexual interest. Since the beginning of the Grosse Pointe Bachelorette reality TV program; Hamilton had thrown himself into his work and the responsibilities of his job. He cared very little for the women he’d once wooed and he cared even less for the wom
en who attempted to woo him. Hamilton didn’t have any desires to date. No, he told himself. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to date. That wasn’t it at all. Hamilton wasn’t interested in the women he’d once dated in his past because his thoughts were filled with Amelia Precious Sinclair.
**********************
When the plane landed in Los Angeles, the pilot steered the jet to a private hanger, with the Gantry Production company’s label painted above the entrance. When the engines hummed low, then the cabin lights dimmed; Precious heard Hamilton unbuckling his seatbelt.
“Wait here...” he said, while he stood. He did a quick stretch, then walked to the front of the plane. He conferred with the pilot for only a few seconds. The man looked in her direction; he smiled then he exited the plane behind Hamilton.
Precious lifted the shade on her window. As she peered out into the large hanger, from where she sat, she could see three other large planes. Each plane was elegant in design and varying in size. She reached down to unbuckle her seatbelt, allowing her eyes to lower only for a minute. When she lifted her lids, then turned her gazing back to the window; her eyebrows rose because Hamilton’s assistant was standing in the hanger talking to him.
Audrey Preston was a tall, willowy beautiful creature. She was all smiles, and touchy, touchy with Hamilton. Precious couldn’t believe the way this woman used her body to flirt with her boss, and Hamilton did nothing to stop this. The woman’s sugary posturing soured her tongue, making Precious want to spit.
Hamilton reached inside of his pant pocket, while talking to Audrey. He allowed his assistant to bring him up to speed.
“So, where do we stand now?” he asked.
Audrey puffed on her cigarette while Hamilton spoke. She lifted her head up, then blew out a plume of smoke. She squinted her perfectly shadowed eyes, when she said...
“Milt over in public relations says that he can’t give you a definite timetable. He says, all he can do is get started and see where this horse leads him.”
