by Michele Hauf
“Come down to the station and let me interview you during the third segment. Set the record straight, once and for all,” Rusty said. “Once the pictures are out there, the rumors are going to start flying. My spin on last night won’t be telling your story. I won’t tell the world what you told me. I will leave it vague, but that’s not going to help. I’ve got the spot open, but if you don’t, I’m going to have to give my producer and the viewers something.”
“We’ll think about it,” Hawk said.
Kennedy tapped the red end call button and tossed the phone on the bed. Wearing only Hawk’s shirt, she stomped around to the other side of the bed and clicked on the television. “The first segment starts in a couple of minutes. How much do you want to bet they start the fucking show with whatever pictures they have.” Her heart thumped in her throat. She thought about calling her sister and telling her to have everyone not watch The Morning Dose, but it was the most popular morning show in the country, and everyone in her family loved it.
Including her.
Well, not anymore.
She glanced in Hawk’s direction. He stood stiff. Unmoving. It almost appeared as if he wasn’t even breathing.
“Hawk?”
No response.
The music for the show started. Her gaze flipped between Hawk and the television. The reality was she had more at stake than he did, so why he was brooding, she had no idea, but she hadn’t the energy at this moment to deal with him. She sat on the edge of the bed, clutching the remote between her hands. Her legs bounced up and down while she waited.
But she didn’t have to wait more than a minute before Rusty’s voice boomed over the speakers and an image of Hawk opening a car door in the back of Thirsty’s flashed on the screen, followed by a video of the same car pulling into the gated community. Even more damning were pictures of her entering his house late last night.
When the show broke for commercial, Hawk joined her on the side of the bed.
“How bad were the pictures?” he asked.
“Certainly makes it look like there is something going on, but his commentary was generic enough,” she said.
“That I heard, but that doesn’t give him a hall pass, and when I see him, he better duck because my fist is going to connect with his face.”
“That will just make this worse; although, it’s really not bad for you. Just another notch in your bedpost.”
“You’re too good to be that,” he said just as The Morning Dose music sounded on the television. “If you thought the talk around the office cooler was bad the morning after you caught Tallulah and John in bed together, wait until we show up at the office this morning.”
“You’re not making me feel better,” she mumbled.
Rusty appeared on the screen.
“Rusty, I heard you went to college with Hawk Jefferson, and I was told you had dinner with him and his girlfriend last night,” Cindy, The Morning Dose host said.
Rusty raised his hand. “Hawk and I are old college buddies, and I did have dinner with him and his assistant, Kennedy Monroe, last night.”
Cindy pointed toward the images flashing on the screen. “Was that taken after dinner?”
Rusty nodded. “It was fun to catch up with him and to meet Kennedy. She’s a smart girl and knows the industry inside and out.”
“But we want to know about their relationship. What can you tell us about that?”
“You know, I’d rather them tell us. And I invited them both to the station to let them clear up any speculation and tell their story.”
Cindy did a little dance in her seat. “Oh, how exciting.”
Kennedy clicked off the television. “Oh, so not fucking exciting and I hate being manipulated.”
“You don’t think we should go down there, do you?” he asked with big eyes. “You want to go along with the charade?”
Her phone buzzed.
And buzzed.
Then rang.
And rang again.
Holding her head high, she stepped around him and snagged her phone. “My mother has called twice now. Two texts from my father and a what the fuck text from both my brothers. Jackie says hello. Ethel wants to know why she’s never been invited over for cocktails.”
“Your sisters crack me up, but I’m absolutely terrified of your brothers.”
“As you should be.” She glanced at the time. “We’ve got an hour to get to the station, and all I’ve got are the clothes that I wore yesterday.”
“Wait a second. Are we playing along, or are you going to tell them we lied to Rusty?”
“You mean I could call you out if I wanted to?” Not that she would but it was nice to know she was in control.
He nodded.
She let out a long breath. “For now, because of that bitch Heather, we are officially boyfriend and girlfriend.” She smacked her palm against her forehead. “Oh, my mother is going to have my hide for this one.”
“Your father and brothers might have mine, but in the meantime, we better get a move on. I’ll send word we’re on our way. Can you get one of your sisters or someone to meet us between here and there with an outfit?”
“I can do that,” she said, gathering up her things. Thank God she didn’t have to wash her hair every day and that it generally looked better on day two. She took a giant step toward the master bathroom, but Hawk circled his arms around her waist and stared down into her eyes with an intense gaze.
“Thank you,” he said softly before brushing his lips over hers in a quick but tender motion. “Tonight, we’ll go to Land Rover and pick out your new vehicle.”
She laughed. “If only.”
“I’m dead serious. It’s the least I can do.”
“You’re lucky your wife’s pregnant because I really want to haul off and hit you right now.” Hawk did his best to control his pent-up anger as he puffed out his chest and got in Rusty’s face. “Did you tip off those photographers?”
“I did not,” Rusty said. “I was woken out of a dead sleep at three in the morning by my producer, wanting to know why the hell I wasn’t the one breaking the story. I’m lucky I still have a job with the stunt I pulled to get you here. They wanted me to break the news at the top of the show, and I actually agreed but didn’t and with a live show…” Rusty shrugged his shoulders. “What were they going to do?”
“And if we didn’t show?”
“I either gave all the details of our conversation, or I could move back to Colorado. The latter might have actually made Lilly happy.” Rusty pulled out his phone and tapped it a few times before handing it to Hawk.
“What’s this?” Hawk asked as he skimmed the text messages from Lilly, basically expressing her desire for him to remain true to his friendship to Hawk and that she would support his decision to do that, even if it meant he got canned. “Guess I can’t stay pissed off when you show me that, but it still doesn’t excuse the way you backed me and Kennedy into a corner, all but forcing us to come here and out our relationship. We hadn’t even told all her family members yet, and it’s put me in a bad light with them.”
“I’m sorry about that. I really am. I tried to do as much damage control as I could without losing my job. I’ve got a family to think about,” Rusty said, glancing over his shoulder and nodding at someone. “We’ve only got a few more minutes, and I need to warn you, Cindy is a huge Heather fan, and she’ll go off script and go low.”
“I’m used to Cindy and her antics, but Kennedy isn’t.” Rusty rubbed his temples. While Kennedy helped him write great press conference speeches, could craft a killer email, and had a sharp tongue, she’d never had to do so on the fly or in front of the cameras. Nor did she have to tell a whopper of a lie in front of the world.
This was a bad idea, and he needed to put an end to it.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Kennedy round the corner. Her dark hair bounced over her shoulders, and she took long, confident strides wearing a blue sleeveless dress that hugged her curves, show
ing off her sexy figure, but in a conservative way. He blinked.
She rested her hand on the inside of his elbow. “I’ve never had anyone do my makeup or hair before. I have to say that was kind of fun.”
“Let’s get you two all mic’ed up and on the sofa,” Rusty said.
“I’m willing to put an end to this right now,” Hawk leaned in and whispered.
“Nope. I’m committed,” Kennedy said. “However, my insides are shaking like the start of a massive earthquake.”
“Well, you’d never know by looking at you.” He made himself comfortable on the sofa as close to Kennedy as he could without putting her on his lap. After shifting three times, he decided to lean back in a relaxed position with his arm around Kennedy, resting it on her lower waist, while she leaned into him, and her hand was strategically placed on his thigh.
“Thirty seconds out,” the producer called.
Some chick came out and primped Cindy, who sat in a single chair next to Hawk, while Rusty had positioned himself directly across from him.
“And in five, four…”
“Welcome back to The Morning Dose,” Rusty said. “Cindy and I are here with an old friend of mine from college, but you know him as the manager and agent to some of the most famous stars of today. Let’s give a warm welcome to Hawk Jefferson and his assistant Kennedy Monroe.” Rusty turned his attention from the camera to the sofa. “Thanks for coming today on such short notice.”
“We appreciate the invitation,” Hawk said. He kept his hand firmly planted on Kennedy’s hip, rubbing a gentle circle with his thumb. While she looked completely poised, her fingernail dug into his thigh.
“Why don’t we cut to the chase and get right to the heart of why you’re here.” Rusty turned his gaze to a screen on the far side of the studio. “And since there is more than one topic, why don’t we start with some of the more unpleasant ones.”
Hawk nodded, holding his breath, waiting for the first question.
“Heather Sinclair is currently in the hospital, and at first, she accused you, Hawk, of putting her there,” Cindy said.
“I’ve proved without a shadow of a doubt I had nothing to do with Heather’s accident. We hope she recovers quickly and wish her well,” Hawk said. He kept his tone level but made sure he laced his words with a touch of emotion.
“What about you, Kennedy? It’s must be hard to know that your boyfriend is the father of her twins,” Cindy said. “I’ve been told by a reliable source that the police are looking into your possible role in Heather’s fall.”
“Stop right there, Cindy,” Hawk said behind a clenched jaw. “That’s not true, and I don’t appreciate you twisting this situation and making defaming accusations.”
“Nor do I,” Kennedy said, sitting up a little taller. “For the record, I was with my sisters, which is the statement I’ve given, as did my sisters. And as to paternity, well, Hawk agreed to a paternity test which will prove he is not the father.”
“Are you sure about that?” Cindy asked. “He has quite the reputation.”
“I’m absolutely positive,” Kennedy said. “If we want to talk about reputations, we could talk about yours and how you twist things during interviews, going off your producer’s script. As a matter of fact, I heard just this morning that your polling is way down, and it’s possible the network is looking for a replacement.”
Cindy gasped. “That is called slander and how dare you say that on my show.”
“Welcome to Hawk’s world. It happens every time he steps outside his house. Someone is reporting on half-truths, rumors, and all-out lies. Which is what you are doing right now, and we don’t appreciate it.” Kennedy twisted her back and pulled out a piece of paper. “And for the record, here is the entertainment magazine where I got my information about your job. It came out this morning, so you might not have seen it yet. So, it’s not slander. I’m simply repeating what your colleagues are reporting.”
Hawk bit down on the inside of his cheek to keep from bursting out laughing.
Cindy sat there with her jaw slacked open, looking like a doe in headlights.
The Morning Dose music started softly in the background.
“We’re going to take a short break, and we’ll be right back with Hawk and Kennedy,” Rusty said.
As soon as the producer said they were off air, Cindy bolted upright.
“Who the fuck do you think you are repeating this crap on my show?” Cindy tossed the paper at Kennedy.
Hawk went to stand, but Kennedy squeezed his thigh.
“I’ve got this, babe.” Kennedy stood, smoothing down the front of her dress. “I wouldn’t have used it had you not gone low. Keep it up, and I’ve got more where that came from. In my career, I might be the girl behind the man, but trust me when I say, I’m not someone you want to fuck with.”
Hawk couldn’t contain his laughter anymore. “That’s my girl.”
“I warned you, Cindy,” Rusty said between chuckles.
“You’re on thin ice. This is my show, and I can and will have you fired,” Cindy ground out.
“No, you won’t,” the producer said as he stepped up on the stage. “I apologize for the way Cindy handled that segment. It won’t happen again, will it?” He glared at her.
She narrowed her eyes and shook her head.
Hawk cleared his throat, trying not to enjoy this too much, but he loved watching Kennedy put Cindy in her place, and nothing would make him happier than to see her get the boot. She always tried to make him look bad, and no one liked her anyway.
“But I’d also appreciate it if you didn’t put down my anchors,” the producer said.
“I wish I didn’t feel as though I had been left no choice,” Kennedy said. “To imply that I—”
The producer raised his hand. “Yes. It was. And it will be addressed. Now, let’s get through this next part of the interview without incident, okay?”
“Let me do it on my own, and it will be great,” Rusty said.
“You promised me you wouldn’t let this arrogant asshole come in and take over my show.” Cindy planted her hand on her hip.
“Just remember this is his interview,” the producer said. “We are back in fifteen seconds.”
“You are fucking amazing,” Hawk whispered in Kennedy’s ear before pressing his lips against her cheek.
“My pulse is racing and even my ass is numb.” She laced her fingers through his and plopped back on the sofa. “I can’t believe I did that.”
“I can’t believe you thought to find that article,” Hawk said.
“Ethel gave it to me.”
“Remind me to thank her properly.” Hawk set their intertwined hands on his lap and watched as the producer counted down from five.
“Welcome back to The Morning Dose. I’m here with Hawk Jefferson and the ever lovely and quick-witted Kennedy Monroe. And now that we’ve cleared up the unpleasant rumors, it’s time to address the status of your love lives.”
“I think it’s obvious now that we are a couple,” Hawk said.
“But you kept that a secret? Why?” Cindy asked.
“Because I wanted it that way. I’m not in the spotlight, and I didn’t want to be put there until I was ready,” Kennedy said with a sweet smile. “It’s unfortunate that we were put in this position, and it does anger both Hawk and me that the paparazzi invaded our privacy, but we were going to have to make our relationship public at some point. We just wanted to do it on our terms, not like this.”
“That is completely understandable,” Rusty said.
“Not to mention we work together,” Hawk added. “My dating record has been out there for the world to judge and scrutinize, and honestly, after my last very public breakup, I was sick and tired of it all. When we first realized we had feelings for each other, the last thing we wanted was people talking around the water cooler or people hiding in the bushes to take pictures. Last night we got careless, and unfortunately, we were outed before we were ready. But now that th
e truth is out.” Hawk lifted their hands and kissed the back of hers. “I’m glad. I’ve honestly hated hiding how much I care about Kennedy. She’s like no other woman I’ve ever met.”
“I’m curious.” Cindy leaned in. “How long have you been dating?”
“About four months,” Hawk said. God, he hated the way Cindy stared down at him with vulture eyes, waiting to dive in and go for the jugular.
She pulled out her cell phone. “Can you explain this picture of you carrying a passed-out Kennedy, over your shoulder, into her apartment building, on the night Lorna came forward with her story about abuse.”
“You seriously think this image is a bad thing?” Kennedy asked.
“Sweetheart, don’t engage,” Hawk said softly, waiting for the music to play so they could cut to something else before this got even uglier.
“I’m sorry,” Rusty started. “I think we’ve gotten sidetracked.”
Hawk sucked in a deep breath. He knew Cindy was trying to rattle him, which she’d done so many times in the past, but he wasn’t going to let her do it this time. Not with Kennedy at his side, opening her mouth, putting Cindy in her place.
Only, if her doorman had snapped that image, he was going to have to punch his lights out.
“Mind if I look at that image?” Curiosity was going to get him in trouble, but he really wanted to see where the picture had been snapped. That might give him a clue as to whom he should be pissed as hell at.
“Not at all.” Cindy handed him her phone with a big smile as if she just pulled off some coup.
He tapped the phone and made the image bigger and smaller, showing it to Kennedy as they both took a moment to study the background. “That was taken in the parking lot of the bar.”
She nodded.
“When we had dinner last night,” Rusty interjected. “You mentioned bonding over bad breakups.”
Hawk handed Cindy her phone back. “It was the night that someone took that picture, which I have to say, I’m thrilled it was kept private. Well, until now. But Lorna had made all those horrible false accusations, and Kennedy and her boyfriend at the time had just broken up. We shared a few too many drinks.”
