‘As if she isn’t under enough stress, that – that beast brings in his ex-wife!’
‘Fuck,’ Stacie cursed, just as the camera cut to earlier scenes in front of Garrett’s house and Stacie’s arrival, with plenty of close-ups of her, dressed to kill, pulling her wheelie weekender along behind her.
Skilled in interaction with the press, Stacie had only smiled and pushed her way gently to the door. The reporter gave a brief voiceover.
‘Stacie Emerson, owner of the New World Gallery in New York City, has a long-running relationship with both Garrett Thorne and his more famous brother, Ellison Thorne, CEO of the cutting edge company, Pneuma Inc. With the ex-wife showing up, bag in tow, it would appear that there’s trouble in paradise. As the saga of reclusive author Tess Delaney’s first public appearance at the Golden Kiss Awards unfolds, adoring fans meeting their heroine for the first time, only to discover that she has received death threats from an anonymous stalker, are not pleased with the younger Thorne brother’s less than stellar behavior.’
‘Oh shit,’ Stacie said. ‘Oh Garrett, I’m so sorry. I had no idea.’
‘They want to crucify you,’ Don said. At some point Garrett had put him on speaker phone.
‘I can see that, Don,’ Garrett said.
The noise in front of the house crescendoed and suddenly the scene on the television cut back to the front of Garrett’s house. This time the view was live.
‘Damn,’ Kendra said. ‘Is there a mob gathering?’
‘Oh my God.’ Stacie’s voice was little more than a whisper. ‘I’m so, so sorry. I didn’t know. I’ll leave.’
‘No!’ Kendra grabbed her arm and pulled her back onto the sofa. ‘You can’t leave.’ She nodded to the TV where someone in the growing crowd threw an egg, then another.
‘Garrett, what the hell were you thinking?’ Don growled over the speaker phone.
‘It’s not his fault,’ Stacie said. ‘He didn’t know I was coming, and I have a key. I always just let myself in, and there’s nothing going on between us, Don. You know that.’
‘I know that,’ Don said. ‘But they don’t.’
On television a woman in the mob thrust a sign in front of the camera that read Garrett Thorne, Devil Spawn.
‘Devil spawn,’ Kendra said. ‘You’re kidding me.’
Garrett only shrugged and sat staring at the television.
Just then Kendra’s iPhone rang. She’d grabbed it up when Don had summoned them all, once again, to the television. There were already several urgent emails for K. Ryde, as she had expected, and several texts for Kay Lake. They were all from Don. But it was Harris calling.
‘Ken, thank God!’ The concern in his voice was palpable. ‘Are you all right?’
‘Fine. I’m fine, Harris, don’t worry.’ She slipped off the sofa and moved to stand in the hallway where she could still see and sort of hear the television, but could have a little privacy in which to speak to Harris.
‘You watching TV?’ She could hear at least a little bit of the tension drain from his voice.
‘I’m watching,’ she replied. In the background she could hear traffic noise. ‘I’m on my way over. I’ll be there in about 20 minutes.’
‘No, Harris. That’s not necessary. Really, everything’s all right.’
‘Not all right, Kendra. Not all right at all. I’m on my way, and Dee and Ellis are on their way back from Seattle. They’ll be there as soon as they can get there.’
‘Harris, please, it’s not a big deal. Really, it’ll be all right. Please don’t.’
‘Ken, I’m coming and that’s that. End of conversation. I don’t trust Garrett Thorne, and well, after everything that’s happened to you, I’d just feel better if I were there.’
‘Harris, all that’s over. I’m fine, really. This is just part of negotiating the PR maze.’
‘I don’t care if it’s all over. Ken, I know what you went through. I was there, remember? There’s no way in hell either Dee or I will let that happen to you again, and frankly I’m shocked Thorne would drag you into this.’
She rolled her shoulders and massaged the base of her skull and the onset of a tension headache. ‘He didn’t know, Harris. It wasn’t his fault. It was my fault.’
‘I don’t care whose fault it is, I’m still coming. Deal with it.’
She nodded, even though she knew he couldn’t see. Another complication she didn’t need. ‘Park a couple of blocks away and come in the back,’ she said.