Split Decision

by Traci Hohenstein

  Chapter 16

  “When you come to a fork in the road, take it.” — Yogi Berra

  The Hollywood Buzz was located a few blocks from my office. Instead of driving, I decided to walk to let off some steam. Two blocks in, I wished I had changed into tennis shoes. My three-inch heels were killing my feet and I could feel sweat starting to trickle down my silk blouse. I paused for a second to take off my jacket. Folding it across my right arm, I soldiered on toward the bright silver and glass building rising up above the many clothing boutiques and trendy coffee shops. I double checked to make sure my cell phone was on in case the hospital called.

  After I had left the hospital this morning, I’d headed to my office to check in. But I had an ulterior motive in mind as well. I wanted to confront Craig and find out who his source was on the Sawyer Winston story.

  Finally I had made it. I opened the glass double doors and a blast of chilly air hit me as I made my way into the expansive lobby. Apparently sleazy tabloid news pays well. I bypassed the lobby security with a nod and walked to the elevator banks liked I belonged here. After a quick view at the office directory, I noted that The Hollywood Buzz was located on the thirteenth floor. Lucky me.

  I stepped into the empty elevator and pressed thirteen. Another gentleman joined me and we made our ascent.

  “Good morning,” he acknowledged me.

  I politely smiled and looked straight ahead. I wasn’t in the mood for chit chat.

  “Aren’t you Ava Spivey?”

  I looked over and studied the gentleman closer. Dark hair with touches of gray, steely blue eyes, and nicely built. He looked vaguely familiar but I couldn’t place him.

  “Yes I am. And you are?”

  He stuck out his hand. “Neil Neven. I’m Craig’s brother. We went to school together. Although you guys were a couple grades ahead of me.”

  I shook his hand as the resemblance to Craig seemed apparent now.

  “Yes, I remember you.”

  The elevator came to a stop and the doors started to open.

  “You’re here to see Craig?”

  I nodded.

  “He usually gets in around nine-thirty so you’re a little early. Why don’t I show you to his office and you can wait for him?”

  This was going to be easier than I thought. Apparently Neil didn’t know the wrath that I was getting ready to unleash upon his brother.

  “You work here too?” I asked him and we made our way past the reception area where a young girl was answering the phone.

  The office reception area had two black leather couches with glass and chrome coffee tables. Copies of The Hollywood Buzz were laid out in abundance on the tables. The walls were painted concrete gray and a large photo of downtown LA was framed over the one of the couches. The rest of the photos were color glossies of various stars. The floors were stamped concrete with intricate swirly designs and colorful rugs were tastefully placed under the furniture.

  “I head up the online media division. Website, blogs, and the like.”

  I followed him through a large room that had around twenty cubicles, mostly empty, with the bare minimum of decor. Computers, printers, and little personal knick knacks and photos.

  “This is where our writers and photo journalists work. Although most work from home except around deadline then this place is crazy busy.”

  There were offices that surrounded the cubicle block. I read off the titles on the doors as we passed them. Connie Young, Managing Editor; Bruce Martins, Accounting Manager; Gabriella Martinez, Director of Accounts; and Neil Neven, Media Director before landing in front of Craig Neven, CEO.

  Neil produced a set of keys from his pocket and unlocked the door.

  “Craig should be here shortly. Would you like some coffee or water while you wait?”

  “No, thank you. I’m fine.”

  “Okay then. Nice seeing you again, Ava.” He smiled and left me alone in the office.

  Taking a look around, I noticed some differences between my office and Craig’s office. Where my office is clean, minimal and organized, Craig’s office looks like a bomb exploded. His desk was littered with magazine clippings, photos, and various scraps of paper. The only nice thing about his office was the view it afforded. Downtown LA with the skyscrapers on one side and a slight view of the ocean to the left. I turned my attention back to his desk and starting looking for something that would lead me to how the story of Sawyer Winston and his abusive wife got out.

  Sawyer told me that I was the only one that knew his wife was physically abusive to him. He hadn’t even shared that fact with any of his friends, family or business associates. So how in the world did Craig get a hold of that story? Craig knew that I represented Sawyer. That was public record. Just like the divorce papers that were filed. But the abuse was never recorded. I’d gone over in my head the times we were together and if I had ever said anything that might have been misconstrued.

  “If I had known you are coming, I would’ve cleaned the office up a bit.”

  I whirled around to find Craig standing in the doorway.

  “No need. I’m not staying long. I just wanted to talk to you about something.”

  “Okay.” Craig closed his door and walked over to me. As he bent down to kiss me on the cheek I pushed him away.

  “You seem upset. What’s wrong?” He looked puzzled as he draped his sports coat over his chair and sat down. He gestured for me to do the same but I declined.

  “Upset is just the beginning.” Unfolding the sheet of paper that Meghan had given me, I tossed it onto his desk. “What the hell is this all about?”

  Craig slowly scanned the paper while chewing on his bottom lip. A move that I had seen before when he was nervous. “Ava, you knew when we started to see each other again that I ran a celebrity news tabloid. I can’t not run stories just because someone is your client.”

  I snatched the paper back from him. “Don’t placate me. I know what you do. What I don’t know is how you got this information? That Sawyer was in an abusive relationship?”

  Craig looked at me with amusement. “So it’s true?”

  “I never said that! Just answer the question. Where did you get this information?”

  “Just like you can’t talk about your clients, I can’t reveal confidential sources. That is why they are confidential.”

  I quickly made my way around the desk and stood within inches of Craig’s face. “Listen to me. If you even cared about me one iota you’ll tell me how you found out about this. This is my career we’re talking about. So tell me Craig, where did you get this story?”

  “I’m sorry Ava. I can’t tell you that.” He reached up to put his hand on my shoulder. “Let’s meet for lunch later. Our usual spot. I’ve got a couple of meetings this morning and then we can hook up.”

  I shoved his hand away. “There will be no hooking up, Craig. We’re done. And I will find out how this story leaked. You can bet on it.”

  As I headed for the door, Craig jumped up and blocked my path. “Wait Ava. Please don’t leave like this. It’s just business. Nothing personal.”

  “It is personal Craig. This is my livelihood you’re screwing with. Now unless you’re going to tell me who your source is, get out of my way before I scream.”

  Craig let out a long sigh. “Are you sure you want to know Ava?”

  “Of course I’m sure!”

  “I gave my word. This will change things.”

  “Who?”

  Craig whispered so low I almost didn’t hear. “Allison. It was Allison who told me about Sawyer.”

  Chapter 17

  “Betrayal is the only truth that sticks.” - Arthur Miller

  Walking back to the office, I was in total shock. All kinds of questions swirled around in my head.

  How in the world did Allison know about Sawyer? And why did she tell Craig? How did she even know about Craig? Did she know about our affair? If so, was this retaliation for her finding out about the affair? Why would
Craig run a piece about Sawyer knowing it would intentionally hurt me?

  Halfway to the office, I sat down on a bench and covered my face with my hands. I felt dizzy and disorientated.

  “Hey lady. You okay?” I looked up to find a guy waiting at the bus stop, staring at me.

  “Yeah, I’m fine.” Wiping the sweat from my brow, I got up and continued on. After picking up my car at the office, I decided to go home. I needed to take a shower, and then find a way to fix this mess I was in.

  *

  I met Hope at the hospital where she was just finishing up her rounds. We sat in the doctor’s lounge drinking hot tea. She had her swollen feet up on the coffee table.

  “Last of the rounds for me ‘til this little guy comes,” she said rubbing her belly. “Two more weeks to go before we meet the little bugger.”

  “I bet Brad is over the moon.”

  “He is. The nursery is covered in stuffed animals and various sports stuff.” Hope leaned back and closed her eyes. “I can’t wait for hot shower and a long nap.”

  “It might be the last uninterrupted nap you get for a while, so enjoy it.” I propped my feet up beside hers and sighed. “I messed up. Big time.”

  Hope opened her eyes. “What’s wrong?”

  “I think Allison found out about my affair with Craig.”

  “Ouch.” Hope sat up straighter on the couch.

  “That’s not the worst part.” I took a quick look around to make sure we were alone. “She gave Craig some confidential information about one of my clients.”

  “What? How’d that happen?”

  “I don’t know. I haven’t confronted her yet. The Hollywood Buzz magazine ran a piece about Sawyer Winston. They reported information that only I was privy to. When I confronted Craig this morning he told me that Allison was his source.”

  “Why would Allison do that?”

  “She found out about my affair and was upset with me?”

  “I have a hard time believing that Allison would do that to you. How did she find out about Sawyer?”

  I shrugged. “Unless she overheard a conversation while I was on the phone or…”

  “What?”

  “She looked through my briefcase. I make notes on all my clients and she must have found his file and read through it.”

  “Are you going to talk to her?”

  “She’s so mad at me right now, but I don’t have a choice. We need to clear the air.”

  “What about Sawyer?”

  “Clyde went to his house for a meeting. He’s trying to put a lid on everything. It’s too late though. You know how it is. Once the media and paparazzi get a hold of a story this big, it will spread like wildfire.”

  Hope put her hand on mine. “I know this doesn’t sound like much now, but this will blow over. Once the next big story hits the air, Sawyer and his unfortunate situation will fade away.”

  “Yeah, but his confidence in me is now shot and my reputation will be tarnished. I’ll never be able to get that back.”

  Chapter 18

  “It is not until you become a mother that your judgment slowly turns to compassion and understanding.” - Erma Bombeck

  “Allison, we need to talk.”

  The cafeteria was almost deserted and about to close for the night. The crew was cleaning and only one other table was occupied. I reached for my drink, watching Allison’s face. She gave nothing away. Just like me.

  I continued. “There was some information that was leaked to the press about one of my clients. Sawyer Winston. Do you know anything about that?”

  Allison just shrugged her shoulders.

  “There is no sense in denying it. I know that you gave information to The Hollywood Buzz. Why Allison? Why would you want to hurt me like that?”

  Allison looked defiantly in my eyes. “Hurt you? What about Daddy? You’re the one who chose to cheat on him so don’t make me the bad guy.”

  So she did know about the affair. “How’d you find out?”

  Allison rolled her eyes. She was silent for a few moments before she explained. “Last month I decided to surprise you at work and see if you wanted to go to lunch. As I was getting ready to park, I saw you leaving. I don’t know why, but I had a funny feeling something was off. So I followed you. That’s when I saw you and some guy walk into a hotel together. I parked my car across the street and waited. Two hours later, you left and then he did. It didn’t take much for me to figure out what was going on.” Allison shook her head at me. “How could you do that Mom? How could you do that to Dad? He practically put you through law school and then gave up his dreams to stay home and raise us while you worked eighty hours a week!”

  “I’m sorry, Allison. Why didn’t you come to me?”

  “You’re never home! And now I know why!”

  “How did you find out about Sawyer?”

  Allison looked sheepishly. “After I saw you and that guy at the hotel, I snooped around your briefcase. I found the file about Sawyer and read it. Then I overheard you talking on the phone about Sawyer and his wife.”

  “Did you go to Craig and give him information on Sawyer?”

  “I didn’t know who Craig was at first. I followed him that day I saw you guys together. He went to The Hollywood Buzz office. I found out later that he owned the company.”

  “So you gave him information to make me look bad?”

  Allison twitched in her chair, avoiding my eyes. “I sent an email to The Hollywood Buzz. I was hurt and angry.”

  I reached over and gave Allison a hug. “I’m so sorry. I made a mistake and I’m going to do everything I can to make it right.”

  Allison hugged me back. “You’re not mad at me?”

  “We’re all entitled to making mistakes. It is how we recover that makes the difference. I plan on putting all my energy into repairing the damage I’ve caused.” I grabbed my purse and got up from the table. “Let’s go see how your dad is doing.”

  Chapter 19

  “Forgiveness is the fragrance that the violet sheds on the heel that has crushed it.” - Mark Twain

  I pulled up to Sawyer’s estate and pushed the intercom button.

  “Hello?” A man’s voice boomed through the speaker.

  “It’s Ava Spivey. Sawyer’s attorney. We have an appointment.”

  A full minute went by with no response. I thought maybe we had disconnected or something. Just as I was reaching out to push the button again, the black intricate gate swung open.

  “Please use the servant’s entrance to the right of the main driveway. Someone will meet you at the back door.”

  I sucked in a deep breath. The last time I’d been to Sawyer’s house, I’d gone through the front door. I didn’t know if this was a mind game on Sawyer’s part – punishment for being responsible for a media leak about the abuse -or if there was some kind of security issue.

  A large man wearing a black suit with a headset discreetly tucked behind his ear was waiting for me. I guess I should’ve felt anxious or nervous about this meeting but I didn’t. A strange sense of calm came over me and I was ready to face whatever Sawyer had in mind.

  The security guard led me to a small alcove off the kitchen. I was offered a bottle of Perrier while I waited. Fifteen minutes had past, no Sawyer. I guess this was another ploy on his part. I glanced at my watch and decided to give him five more minutes before I left. I needed to get back to Mark and I didn’t care anymore if Sawyer was upset with me or not.

  “Sorry for the wait Ava.” Sawyer came in the room wearing workout clothes. His athletic shorts and t-shirt outlined every muscle in his body. It was hard to imagine his tiny wife beating on him. Sawyer was close to six feet tall and well built. Portia was probably no more than five feet and had the body of an anorexic teenager.

  “As you know, my husband is at Cedars. His condition is stable at the moment, but he is suffering from a brain hemorrhage. I need to get back to him soon.”

  Sawyer sat down with me. “Yes, I heard from Cl
yde. I’m very sorry about that. I promise I won’t take up too much of your time.” He leaned over and rested his chin in the cup of his hands. “As you can see, I have more than the usual amount of paparazzi up and down my street. I can’t go anywhere and my kids are asking what’s going on. Please tell me how all this happened? How did this get out?”

  “My daughter Allison.”

  “Excuse me?”

  I decided it was best to come clean and tell him the truth. “I was having an affair and my daughter found out. She overheard a conversation between you and me about your circumstances and also read some of my email correspondence. This was Allison’s way of getting back at me. I’m sorry.”

  Sawyer looked incredulously for a moment then started to laugh.

  “You think this is funny?” I asked.

  “Here I was thinking someone in your office sold a story to the media. Clyde came over and tried to smooth everything over but I wasn’t buying it. I guess you didn’t tell him about this?”

  “I haven’t had a chance,” I answered.

  “I was getting ready to fire you.”

  Now I was confused. “So, now you’re not?”

  “No. I appreciate your honesty. And I understand teenagers. I have two, remember?”

  I nodded.

  “Go back to your husband and your daughter. Sounds like you have your own marriage to save.”

  “What about the divorce? The media?”

  “That’s what I have a PR department for. We’ll figure it out. As far as the divorce goes, we’ll proceed ahead as usual. I’m done living my life full of secrets. I suggest you do the same.”

  My cell phone buzzed and I looked at the caller ID.

  “Excuse me for a minute?” I answered the call.

  “Ava. It’s Hope. You need to get to the hospital right away.”

  “What’s wrong?”