by Sasha Combs
In less than twenty minutes; Precious walked up one side of the street, then crossed the road, to walk back down, using the other side. By the time she reached the SUV, Hamilton was leaving the general store, carrying two large bags of groceries. He placed his bags in the rear well of the car, then offered to show her the towns craft store. He pointed out a restaurant with a sign that said José’s Cafe. Precious smiled, forcing a grin while trying to be polite but she saw nothing that interest her. So, since there was nothing else to see, Hamilton suggested that they drive and enjoy the scenery. The road that Hamilton traveled was like an ad on TV, beckoning the viewer to visit California. For most of the ride, she cocked her head, viewing from every angle. They rolled their windows down, until Hamilton’s mobile rang, forcing him to raise the windows. The sounds from the wind and surf had prevented him from clearly hearing the caller. Precious sat quiet, so as not to disturb him. She strained her ears, zeroing in, on key words. She felt a sudden uneasiness the second she realized who the person was on the other end of the phone.
Hamilton rarely communicated with the office whenever he traveled in this region. He just didn’t possess the patience to deal with the annoyance. The trees always interfered with the signal and roaming was unheard of in this zone. Already, this call had been dropped twice and Audrey still hadn’t finished telling him her reason for calling. Each time the call connected; his assistant would begin where she believed their conversation had been interrupted. The only problem with this was that, by the time Audrey would realize that the call had been disconnected, minutes had passed. Unaware that no one was on the line; Audrey would continue talking. So, her conversation read like a censored script. Bleeped out phrases, and sentences lacking contextual substance and as for a framework; there was absolutely no reference point. In other words; Hamilton was completely clueless.
They were driving down a portion of road where the tree line wasn’t as dense. Hurriedly Hamilton said...
“Audrey, speak fast before I lose your call again.”
“Those frigging trees. I hate being interrupted.”
“Audrey!” Hamilton wasn’t angry, he just needed to keep her focused. Audrey cleared her throat, then she said...
“I talked to Milt this morning. The news is bad Hamilton. Really bad. Milt said that in his twenty-three years, he’s never seen anything like this. Every reporter that he’s attempted to work with; they’ve ignored his spin. He says, that they are hell-bent to report a story that is guaranteed to pull in their audience. And that means, trashing Precious Sinclair. Right now, she’s reality TV’s public enemy number one. Her fans want her to redeem herself by accepting Stone’s proposal of marriage. Milt says, if that’s true, then his hands are tied and fixing this mess won’t be easy. But not to worry Hamilton. Milt sent a few of his people to talk to Stone Norris.”
“Why did he do that?” Hamilton was being careful not to use names. He didn’t want to unnecessarily worry Precious. Especially if sparing her was something within his power.
Audrey continued.
“Milt was only trying to meet your timetable. You know the one I’m talking about. You told him to make Precious his top priority. Well, he interpreted that to mean that he has to make her problems go away, now. He believes he can accomplish this if Stone Norris goes public, saying that he is returning to Fiji. He wants Stone to be filmed saying that he is moving on with his life and that he wishes Precious all the best.”
“Is Milt close to meeting this goal?”
“No. Not close by a long shot. His people talked to Stone, but he didn’t say what they’d hoped he would. Stone said that he’s still in love with Precious and he’s still holding out hope that she’ll marry him.”
Up ahead Hamilton noticed that his turnoff was just around the bend. From that point forward, the signal would begin to get jumpy; and more than likely the call would abruptly end. He needed a quick summary, so he said...
“Bottom line it for me Audrey.”
She understood, so she spoke in a rush.
“No quick fix. May take the entire summer. Will keep lines of communication open with Stone Norris. Artie says the publicity is making the show even more popular than ever. Also, the news hasn’t leaked about Precious possibly not returning next season.”
In Hamilton’s absence, Audrey’s responsibilities were many and it surprised him that she had not forgotten about Precious possibly leaving the show. Dealing with this problem had not been planned but he had to trust someone with every detail and in the past, his confidant had always been Audrey. He relied on her more than the other people employed at his company. In spite of that, he admitted that he should have disclosed everything to Artie as well. Telling him would have been the right thing to do but Hamilton held back primarily because he still had high hopes. He wanted to persuade Precious to remain with the show for the second season. He looked to the right of him. She was staring out the side window. Inside, he smiled because he knew that Precious was hanging on every word; listening to his side of the conversation.
He said...
“Thanks Audrey. And keep me in the loop. The signal at the house is best in the morning and late in the evening.”
Hamilton was about to end the call when Audrey said...
“Hamilton... Please call Sam. There was a message on your voice mail. You forgot to make that call.”
“Damn. You’re right. Thanks Audrey.”
There was no need to disconnect, because the trees relieved him of the task. When he didn’t hear Audrey’s voice, or any sign that she might still be on the line. Hamilton lay his phone on his armrest, then he said...
“That was Audrey. But I’m sure you already knew that.”
“What did she say?”
Hamilton had already prepared himself for the worse because some part of him already knew that Milt would need longer than a week to repair the damage. He breathed in, wishing that his lungs were inhaling smoke from a cigarette. But he reminded himself; for Precious he’d tossed that habit into the flames. Erasing the memory, he said...
“Look Precious... Before I say anything. I just need you to understand something... In this business, you can never allow the hype to define your sense of self. Most times, the media wheel can be spun in either direction. Be it good or be it bad. In your case, the wheel is spinning in a bad direction. My PR team is focusing their efforts on erasing the bad stories, while feeding the media frenzy news reports that are more favorable. But...sometimes, the change doesn’t happen overnight. Audrey reports that it isn’t going to be a quick shifting of this wheel. My PR team believes that they’ll need more time to influence the right people to undo the damage.”
“Which people? Who are you talking about?”
Hamilton had even prepared himself for this question and it amazed him how steady he sounded.
“Precious... I’m sure you knew at some point, we would have to involve Stone Norris. You wouldn’t be in this mess had he not been overheard saying that he wanted to get your fathers help to persuade you to marry him. When you refused him, he should have left you alone.”
“Don’t do that Hamilton. Don’t blame Stone for my problems.”
Hamilton’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion. He didn’t understand her insistence to defend Stone Norris. A man, in his estimation was at the root of her problems.
“Precious... Answer me this one question. If you’re determined to absolve Stone; then explain why you refused his proposal? If he’s such a great guy, then why didn’t you just say yes...and be done with it?”
His words were spoken with more emotion than he’d intended. Partly because he was jealous. He didn’t like the idea that she would care so much for a man who was clearly at the center of her troubles.
Precious looked straight ahead when she answered him.
“Stone cared more for me, than I cared for him. Don’t get me wrong. I really did like him. We all liked Stone. But I was never in love with him.”
“Well, did
you ever share this information with Stone?”
She closed her eyes because this is where she’d made a horrible mistake. She swallowed hard then said...
“Look Hamilton. I remember the day when Stone told me that he was in love with me. I also recall that I didn’t return the sentiment, but he wasn’t at all bothered by that. At first, I thought that there had to be something wrong with me. Stone has the kind of personality that draws people to him. And by people, I also mean me. We had so much fun just being in each others company. But, after a while, I finally accepted that I couldn’t say that I loved him because I wasn’t in love with him. Maybe I was being selfish, but I never wanted to end our relationship and I didn’t see any reason not to date him, just because I wasn’t in love.”
“The fact that you didn’t love him is exactly the reason you should have ended it. Stone Norris told you that he loved you and he stayed with you because he hoped that one day you would fall in love with him.”
Hamilton was speaking from his gut because nowhere in this script had he planned to say this. Even so, he honestly believed that Precious needed to hear it. She inhaled a deep breath while recalling a similar event. After telling her friend about Stone and his confession of love; when she didn’t end their relationship, Regina had recited practically the same rhyme and verse. Even then hearing it had been difficult enough; but listening to Hamilton made her feel far worse. She could barely get the words out when she said...
“You’re right. I should have ended things but I didn’t and not long after that, Stone asked me to marry him, and I refused. Then a few months later, he asked again. It was then that I knew, I had to end our relationship; and I did. I told him that we were better off being friends. I stopped calling him, because I suspected that he would need a little space. It helped that he was in Fiji working on the new resort project.”
“Well, he isn’t in Fiji any more and it doesn’t look like he’ll be returning any time soon.”
When they’d first started talking, their conversation had little to do with scoring points or unearthing errant ways. But somewhere along the line, Hamilton felt an urge to right a wrong. He wasn’t wholly on Stone’s side, but in some ways he understood why he’d been drawn to Precious. Hamilton believed that Stone found it easy to fall in love with her. What man wouldn’t but the conundrum didn’t exempt her culpability and he’d left Precious with more than a little to think about. Even so, Hamilton didn’t relish the idea of being right and he didn’t enjoy proving his point. He focused his eyes on the road. They were silent for a long while. Precious didn’t speak until his car pulled onto the private road leading to his house.
“I’m sorry for getting you involved in this. Especially since this isn’t really your problem anymore.”
Hamilton knew exactly what she was talking about and he didn’t want to argue. Yet, she had broached the topic and he told himself, that now was as good a time as any to talk about this. Soon, the road would end, stopping in front of the house. He hated that the road wasn’t a bit longer. Hamilton needed time to say what had to be said. So, he compromised with his odometer, by dealing with something that he could control. Hamilton eased off the accelerator; slowing the vehicle to a steady slow crawl. He peered at her with a slight turn of his head. His voice was low and masculine.
“Precious... When we were in the restaurant in Rochester Hills, we talked briefly about your reasons for leaving the show. But... After the woman threw her smoothie in your face, we never had the opportunity to finish that conversation. You told me that you were leaving the show... But you never explained your reason for leaving. And you never gave me the chance to persuade you to stay.”
Precious was so stunned, she didn’t even realize that the SUV was barely moving. Her eyes went wide when she said...
“I cannot believe you Hamilton. I’m in the middle of nowhere, because there are a group of people turning my life upside down, and inside out. I can’t even go home because if I do; I might get mobbed, or spit on. And if that isn’t enough... According to you, this entire ordeal is my fault because I failed to end my relationship with Stone Norris before he asked me to marry him.”
“Precious...” Hamilton had wanted to interject but Precious continued her rant, without yielding, to allow him to speak.
“From day one... I never really wanted to do that show. I only participated because Faye and Regina begged me. They told me that it would be great and the show would help our careers. Well, the show wasn’t great, and as for my career...”
Hamilton didn’t need to hear this part because he’d been at her parents house when her father told her about her position at his firm. However, Precious felt it was necessary to remind him. She told him a few details that he knew nothing about.
“You have no idea how I busted my butt to get my position. I earned my job because I never wanted it to be said that my father handed me my position on a silver platter. I get enough grief for being a Sinclair and I didn’t need favoritism added to the list of complaints. That hedge fund became my baby. I ate, slept and lived for that account. My gains were through the roof and my father was preparing me for further advancement. But that show... That damn reality TV show made me appear incompetent. In short... To the investors, I looked like a joke. Like a rich girl not sure what she wanted to be when she grew up. In their eyes, I wore my job like a pair of expensive earrings. Like a saucy woman pretending to be a financier in a man’s world. Do you have any idea how that made me feel? Do you even know how many people I had to call and explain that the show was scripted and it was just television?”
“But the show wasn’t scripted Precious.”
“I know that!” she yelled. “I had to tell them that to regain some measure of credibility.”
This topic was getting heated, and her anger had approached a boil. He had not even realized it, but his foot was steadily pressing on the accelerator, speeding up the vehicle. The wheels on the SUV made an eager climb. In less than three minutes, Hamilton had come to a full stop, then he was shifting the gear into park. Precious had her hand on the lever to open the door, when her movement was stopped. Hamilton placed his hand on her leg, capturing her attention.
He looked at her, and in his gaze he didn’t have to persuade her that his words would be sincere. In a low even voice he said...
“Precious... I’m so, sorry. I guess, I haven’t clearly thought this through. I’ve been looking at this problem from all angles, but I haven’t connected all the lines. You are a victim in this. Stone is a victim. The show has been victimized as well. But...for me, there’s only one true problem. For now, my concern is for you. I brought you here because I care about you and I’m determined to fix this. I promise you... You will have your life back.”
“You can’t promise that.” She whispered. Hamilton leaned in close, bringing his face mere inches from hers. She could feel warmth emanating from him; then she considered, that maybe the heat was coming from inside of her. Hamilton touched her chin, gently turning her head to face him. When their eyes locked, there was an immediate connection. His words wrapped around her much like his arm had, on the night they sat in front of the fire. Hamilton’s words left no room for interpretation.
“Precious, this is a shitty situation and somehow I never fully understood the impact...but I understand now. I want you to know that I’m not just saying this to sooth you. I mean this. You will have everything in your life returned to you...just as you left it. Everything will be better than you remembered. This is a promise I will keep.”
After he said his words, Hamilton didn’t move an inch. He was so close; close enough to steal a kiss. Parts of his body wanted to do that very thing, but he told himself; now was not the time for that. Not now, and possibly never. With those thoughts in his head, Hamilton straightened then moved back to the driver side of the vehicle. His lip curled up, forming a half sexy smile. The metamorphosis was better than watching a caterpillar transforming into a butterfly. Hamilton had flip
ped a switch; from one thing to another. One minute he’d been suave and debonair, then in the next he was carefree and lighthearted. All in all, a mixture that Precious was becoming fond of.
“Sit tight and let me be a gentleman. I’ll get your door.”
Hamilton eased from the car, walking around the rear to the passenger side. He opened her door, offering his hand to help her lower to the ground. They walked down the short path taking them to the house. Neither spoke until they stepped across the threshold, walking into the sitting area. Precious said...
“If you don’t mind, I’d like to take a shower.”
Hamilton didn’t give her request a second thought because he didn’t fully grasp what his nearness had done to her. Being so close to him in the car; Precious had experienced a moment of pleasure. Being alone with him was becoming increasingly difficult due to the overwhelming sexual tension that grew greater with each passing day.
Hamilton watched as she padded down the hall to her room. He said...
“I’ll be out back chopping some wood. The news report said that we’re in for some bad weather tonight. Heavy rains, and lower temperatures.”
“OK.” She said, as she went on about her business. Just the thought of Hamilton, shirtless swinging his ax. The mental images in her brain would demand that she dial down the temperature of the water, to freeze her carnal thoughts into submission.
Precious stepped out of the shower, mainly because she couldn’t stand the chill any longer. She wasn’t even sure how long she’d been in the darn thing. After hearing Hamilton talking about weather and chopping wood. Precious had walked pass her room; heading straight for the shower. As soon as she was on the other side; she closed the door, then quickly removed her clothes. It wasn’t until she stepped out, standing in the middle of the bathroom, creating a puddle. Precious realized that something was missing. She eyed her pile of clothes on the floor, but her robe was no where in sight.
