I tear my eyes away from Ellis long enough to look at Willis who looks like that emoticon with hearts in his eyes. “We understood how it would look to people. We knew people might question my objectivity, but let me be clear about a few things. I was never objective when it came to Ellis. I can’t be if I want to do my job well. I had to passionately believe in him, passionately defend him, passionately go to battle for him, and I did. I still would. Ellis was my friend long before anything romantic occurred. He’s a wonderful man. He’s complex, introspective, highly intelligent, and deeply compassionate. This is a man who will do anything for those he cares about.” I smile. “If you knew Ellis the way I do, the way his friends do, the way his family does, then you would fall in love with him too. If you knew how deeply he was wounded by those accusations, if you knew how hard he took it, you would know that Ellis Worthington may be a lot of things, but at his core, he is an amazing man, like no one else. I didn’t want to fall in love with him. It’s honestly the worst outcome you can have when you have a working relationship, but I don’t believe I had a choice.”
“Thank you both for your candor,” Willis says. “What’s next for the two of you?”
“I have to find a new publicist,” Ellis says, laughing softly.
“I have to find a new client.”
The three of us chuckle as Willis continues. “So you won’t continue your working relationship?”
I shake my head. “No. We recognize that to the public it wouldn’t be as transparent of a relationship as it should be, and to be honest, we both know that we have to let that part of our journey go. We had planned to slowly phase it out, but as we all know, that’s not a possibility any longer.”
“Yes, so let’s talk about that. You obviously weren’t aware that someone was taking photographs of you the entire weekend.”
“Obviously,” Ellis says. “We are very interested in learning how the person responsible was so successful in remaining undetected.”
“We all are,” Willis says. “I did a bit of calling around and received a formal statement from the hotel in Paris where you were staying.” He picks up a piece of paper and begins to read from it. “We at Le Paris are deeply saddened that the privacy of our guests was violated. We are deeply committed to providing a safe haven for any guest, and assure Mr. Worthington, Ms. Kennedy, and all our guests that we are actively investigating how the breach occurred.” He looks up at us. “Any comments to the hotel?”
Ellis glances at me, and I nod. “We look forward to the results of their investigation, however, we are aware that Hannah, or whomever she had tailing us, did so outside the confines of the hotel as well.”
I feel my blood start to boil and take a deep breath to calm myself, but Willis notices.
“Avery? Are you alright?”
I nod. “I am. I’m just honestly disappointed. I understand that Hannah and others just like her make a living exposing juicy secrets that people would like to keep quiet. I make my living undoing the damage caused by that exposure, so I get it. I can see the irony that a terrible scandal is exactly what brought Ellis and I together, but that doesn’t make it easy to accept. I wonder if Hannah has any secrets and how she would feel if they were splashed on the front page of every gossip magazine in the country. What did she gain by this? Fame? Unlikely. Money? I don’t think so. Her name in the sun for fifteen minutes? I guess so, but to what end?”
“Exactly,” Ellis adds.
“I’ve always believed that the truth is all that matters, and that no matter how many lies are told, somehow the truth will always rise above it. I still believe that and somehow, even if no one believes me or Ellis, someday, the truth about what really happened with Ms. Lisbon will come out, and his reputation will be vindicated.” I squeeze Ellis’ hand. “I also believe doing the right thing is always better than doing the easy thing. We’re here with you tonight, Willis, because of the kindness you showed. Because of the integrity in which you conduct your work. Because you presented truth over spreading lies. When we wanted an advocate you were the person we called. Not Hannah or any other gossip spreading paparazzi. No one will ever trust Hannah when they see her. They won’t give her exclusive interviews. All she accomplished was revealing a relationship that would have been revealed anyway. I was angry, I was, because my timeline was escalated because of her, but the longer I sit here, the more we talk, the more I understand that she did me a favor. Ellis and I don’t have to hide how we feel for the sake of public perception. You already know. We can just move forward with our future, so even though Hannah probably thinks she hurts us, probably didn’t have good intentions, she helped us.” I smile briefly. “But make no mistake, I won’t forget, and if we learn that any illegal actions were taken on her part, she will be accountable to them.”
Willis smiles at me with a gleam in his eye. “I recall the night I met you, and you had the same expression on your face as you do now. In fact, you were dealing with Hannah at the time. I immediately thought to myself, Mr. Worthington is safe with her, and I was right.”
“In more ways than one,” Ellis says. “Avery has rescued me from myself, a task no other, not even my beloved friends and family have been able to accomplish. She made me see myself in a new light, and because of her, I know that…” He pauses, shifting in his seat so that he’s facing me. “I know that I am for you, Avery. Every part of my life, the good and the bad, made me the man I am today, the man you wanted and needed. I can’t regret a moment of it because it led me here with you now, and loving you is worth any battle that had to be fought.” He shifts his attention back to Willis, as he leaves me speechless. “I just want to thank you for listening to our story with kindness. We needed someone to care beyond the salacious headlines. We are just people, like everyone else. We have our hurts, we make mistakes, we laugh, we cry, we love. Avery and I are two people who despite everything were meant to love each other, and we hope people can understand that and allow us our happiness. We’ve earned it, both of us.”
“We’ll take a break now,” Willis says, as the cameras flicker off. “Oh goodness, you’re gonna make a man cry on television. You are dreamy.”
Ellis smiles. “I’m just being honest. I want to live my life in peace with this woman by my side. I don’t think that’s too much to ask.”
“It’s not. You’re really coming across very genuine and heartfelt. I’m sure the public will eat you up.”
Kate walks over to us, handing us each a cup of water. “If they don’t see the love between the two of you, they are blind.” She looks at me. “Avery, your handling of Hannah was very kind. You could have shown hatred, but instead you showed pity.”
“I don’t pity her at all. She’s made her bed, so she should lie in it. I just needed to expose her kind for what they are, while highlighting how doing the right thing will reap more rewards.”
“I just can’t be mean,” Willis says. “I love good gossip as much as anyone, but I’ve never had it in me to be nasty to people. Kate taught me early on, seek the truth, but report it with integrity. Even though all I had was a blog and a tiny column with a local paper, I always kept that advice in mind.”
“And you were remembered for it,” I say, leaning over to pat his hand.
“Thank you. For the next part, I thought we’d just talk a bit about your family backgrounds and then do the tour.”
Ellis frowns. “No family.”
“It’s not my favorite topic either, but if we give them a little they won’t seek it out on their own.”
Ellis nods as he sighs. “I understand.”
“We’ll make it quick,” Willis says. “I won’t dig. We can start with Avery if you wish.”
“That’s a good idea.”
“Then right before the tour, I’d like to ask a couple Q & A. It’s just a few questions, but I don’t want to tell you them ahead of time so we get a genuine reaction. They are respectful questions I assure you.”
Ellis cracks a smile. “Why not.�
��
We return from our break, and Willis crosses his legs again, his interview mode, I’m learning. “Avery, our viewers would love to know a bit more about your background. What can you share?”
“Well, I have an identical twin sister. We lost our parents when we were teenagers.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry.”
“Thank you. It was difficult, of course, but she’s been an anchor for me even when I didn’t think I needed one. She’s a beautiful soul who hasn’t let pain and tragedy close her heart.”
“Neither have you, love,” Ellis comments.
I smile, nodding. “I’m more guarded than she is, probably because of my profession too, but I’ve learned that the right person can open me up.” I look back at Willis. “I have her, and her husband, David, and now Ellis, so even though I don’t have direct family, I’m very loved.”
“Avery has all those things, and she also has my family, who fell for her instantly.”
Willis smiles. “Tell us about your family, Ellis.”
His smile fades just slightly. “Well, Avery and I have a deceased father in common, but my mother is alive and well. She is a phenomenal woman, and I owe all the best parts of me to her. She was forced to raise a stubborn bloke, but she managed me well. My father was a tough man, but I’ve come to realize that he loved me.” His slightly cracked voice when he speaks tugs at my heart. “We can’t always see these things in our youth, but with maturity and a new perspective, it’s all so clear. I hope if I’m ever a father my children know even when I make a mistake, I will love them with every ounce of me.”
I look away, absorbing this new information. He’s never talked about children.
“Wonderfully said,” Willis adds. “So now, we’ll do a little Q&A.” He smiles. “Avery, what is Ellis’ favorite drink?”
“Scotch and soda.”
“And hers, Ellis?”
He grins. “Scotch and soda.”
Willis laughs. “Favorite food. Avery?”
I consider it for a moment. “Kebabs.”
“Good job,” Ellis says. “Yours is, ah, I know. A full English.”
I laugh. “Right.”
“Biggest quirk. Ellis?”
“Avery’s quirk? Hmm. She finds English words oddly sexy. Like whilst and fortnight.”
We all laugh. “I do.”
“What’s your favorite word?” Willis asks.
“Jaguar, but only when Ellis says it. It’s extremely sexy.” Ellis smiles and winks at me.
“What’s a quirk of Ellis’s?”
“Hmm, I don’t know that he has any quirks. He’s always very polished and composed. Oh, wait, I know. He is very proper most of the time, but when he’s comfortable, he’ll slip into slang and more casual language, and it’s like being with a completely different person.”
Ellis laughs. “Only to her is that a quirk.”
Willis smiles. “Favorite destination for Ellis?”
“Paris.”
“And for Avery?”
“Paris.”
“Coffee or tea?”
“Coffee,” Ellis answers.
“Definitely tea,” I respond.
“Although I have learned to enjoy the occasional cup of coffee when prepared by Avery.”
“And he has a special blend of tea I like.”
“Favorite way to spend a Sunday afternoon. Avery?”
“On the couch with the paper, a warm drink, and Ellis.”
“Ellis?”
“Whatever Avery’s doing.”
“You know the two of you are quite adorable.”
Ellis smiles then leans over and kisses my cheek. “It’s amazing what qualities the right person can coax to the surface. I’ve spent my adult life trying to keep people out, only letting those closest to me into my inner sanctum, but I was, at times, lonely. I felt like people misunderstood me, but it was my own doing. Generally speaking, people believe me to be cold and elitist, and most certainly not kind when it comes to women, but it isn’t true about me at all. I can be difficult and demanding about what I want, but you can’t run a company the size of Equis without those qualities. After the scandal broke, I always thought that my true character would shine through it all, but it never did.”
“Until now,” Willis says.
“Thanks to Avery.”
“Is there anything else either of you would want the public to know?”
Ellis and I look at each other. “I do,” I say, softly. “Don’t believe everything you read. Most of it isn’t true or entirely true. Use a critical eye, and when something happens to a celebrity, a socialite, a prominent businessman, ask yourself if that person was someone you knew, your brother, sister, mother, or you, how would you want to be treated? It’s only news if you make it news.”
“Thank you, Avery. Ellis? Anything from you?”
He considers the question for a moment before shifting his gaze to Willis. “I’m just a man like so many others. I’m not famous, and I don’t want to be. I want to run Equis and make it as strong as I can. I want to contribute to the economy and provide good paying jobs for people. I want to devote time and money to charities that need me. I want to put ugly and untrue rumors behind me. Mostly, I just want to live my life in privacy with the woman I love. There’s no story here. I’m just a man.”
“Thank you both so much for your time and for speaking with us tonight. Would we be able to get a tour of this gorgeous property?”
“It would be my pleasure,” Ellis says.
Willis and Ellis stand while I wait back with Kate. She smiles at me, patting my shoulder. “That was great. You both really opened up, and I think the public will get it. You’re being unnecessarily persecuted for no reason. Although your plea to not follow gossip might put you out of business.”
“I’d be glad to be out of business to be honest. I do what I do because I’m good at it and it’s a need, but I’d much rather run out of work if it meant people like Ellis could live their lives without public scrutiny.”
“True. Between us, I always believed it was a fabricated story. I’m very good at reading people, and I could see the lie in her eyes when she did her press conference. I hope she tells the truth.”
“She won’t. They never do.”
“True. Regardless, I think a lot of good was done with this interview. We’ll have it edited and ready to go for Sunday night.”
“That’s great. I’m impressed with how well Willis did.”
“So am I, to be honest. He’s always been behind the camera, but I knew he had talent. He was comfortable and quite at ease with his task.”
“Definitely. I know Ellis felt comfortable or he wouldn’t have spoken so freely. That’s a testament to Willis. Ellis is a tough nut to crack.”
“I know. We’ve spoken to him before at various events and he was always kind and professional, but very stoic and clipped in his responses. It was obvious he doesn’t trust the media.”
“It wasn’t about trust. He just didn’t like it. You heard him. He sees himself as an average bloke with a good job. He doesn’t get why anyone cares about him.”
She laughs softly. “He’s hardly average. Humility is not a trait I would have expected.”
“I know. He’s so spectacular, you’d think his head would be huge. I mean, he can be a little pompous depending on the subject, but he’s a good man underneath it all.”
“He came across that way.”
“Good. This was my idea, so I hope it was the right one.”
“It was.” She smiles. “We’ll make sure of it.”
“Thanks, Kate.”
Thirty minutes or so passes when they come out of the back rooms after finishing the tour. We say our goodbyes and get follow up information about when the interview will air, then see them out. Once they’re gone, we both plop on the couch.
“Well, we did it,” Ellis says. “Now what?”
“How about dinner? Kebabs?”
He smiles. “And then?�
�
“Scotch?”
“And then?” He wiggles his eyebrows, twisting to face me.
“You and me naked?”
“Excellent plan.” We fall into a kiss, laughing as we do. “Thank you,” he says, pulling back enough to look at me. “Thank you for guiding me through this. It actually felt good to talk about my feelings openly. I felt safe knowing you were there to catch me if I fell.”
“I won’t let you fall.”
“I know.” He kisses me. “I won’t let you either.”
I nod, dragging my fingers through his hair. “Can I ask you something?”
“Anything.”
“You mentioned children in your interview. Is that something you want?”
“Honestly, I don’t know. I’ve never even considered it because…” He pauses, smiling. “Because I never considered love. Do you?”
“I don’t think I’d be good at it. I’m not nurturing at all.”
“Untrue, my love.”
“Maybe I should start with like a plant or something.”
Ellis laughs. “We have plenty of time to make these decisions.” He brushes his fingers over my cheek as his smile dissipates. “But does this mean we’re both thinking about these things?”
“I am now.” I laugh. “I mean, you brought it up.”
“It’s the first time I’ve ever voiced such things, and I assume it’s because of how I feel about you. If you provided the queen with an heir, well, she’d build you a shrine.”
I laugh again as he nuzzles his face against my neck. “We have lots of time.”
“We do.” He kisses me again so softly, it makes my breath catch. “Now to get on with our evening plans.”
◆◆◆
On Sunday evening, I set a few appetizers on the coffee table as Ellis opens the door to greet our friends and family. We invited everyone over to watch the interview with us, since we still don’t leave our apartments. Good thing for takeaway or we’d starve to death. Certainly though, the attention has died down a bit, and I hope after tonight, it’s completely dissolved. I’m getting cabin fever.
Mind the Line Page 31
