The President turns to me and gives me a sidelong look before turning back to Judge Byrd. “No charges were filed because Samantha wanted to find something to ruin his reputations in the gossip pages of the tabloids.” He holds up a copy of yesterday’s News of the Times. It’s got my picture on the front page with a headline, “The Fall of Prince Sin.”
“When she got nothing and realized that people were falling in love with the Prince, she had no other option but to act,” President Bain concludes. “She’s just one of those people that doesn’t like hot bad boys getting away with stuff.”
“Your Honor!” Samantha stands up and shrieks with a shrill yell. “This is too fantastical to believe. This is the same man who pretended to have a fake fiancee, I’ll have you remember.”
President Bain smiles. “If it’s too hard to believe, Your Honor, then why is it all over the Abigail Adams column today?”
The President hands the paper to the Judge who reads it. He chuckles quietly at something and then, as if realizing he’s still in the courtroom looks over at me.
“Prince Blaine,” Judge Byrd calls out and I stand up. “I’m going with my gut here and President Blaine just made me feel a whole helluva lot better. All charges dismissed!”
Judge Byrd bangs his gavel and the courtroom breaks out in spontaneous applause.
Samantha rushes to the bench and begins yelling at Judge Byrd.
“You can’t do this!” she yells. “You can’t let a man like that go!”
The Judge looks down from his bench towards Samantha for a moment.
“You stupid foolish old man!” she continues to yell at him.
That does it. The judge’s face darkens and he bangs his gavel.
“Bailiff,” he summons, “I find Counsel in contempt of court. Put her in holding for the next 24 hours.”
The bailiff drags Samantha away and I turn towards Larry. “That’s it?” I ask, a bit puzzled at the turn of events.
“Hey, Your Highness, don’t thank me,” Larry says, gesturing towards President Blaine, “Thank the President of the United States.”
Then as if realizing what he’s telling me, Larry quips, “I never thought I’d be saying that in my life, by the way.”
He packs up the remaining papers and walks away as President Blaine comes up to me and shakes my hand.
“Prince Blaine,” he says. “I’ve followed your career for a while now.”
“Thanks, mate,” I say, not sure how to respond.
“I called your father when I saw the papers. He explained everything to me,” the President continues. “The girl you were with is feeling terrible and spent most of yesterday and the day before telling your father about how much she hated herself for all this.”
Hated herself? Alicia?
Well fuck, after breaking my heart in a thousand pieces, she could go fucking rot, for all I cared.
“It’s funny,” I say to the President as he walks with me out of the courtroom. “I’ve been with a fair number of birds, but I never really knew what they felt till now.”
He nods with understanding. “There’s something to be said for forgiveness though, Prince,” President Bain says.
I sigh. Some things just can’t be forgiven. What I need now is to leave New York for a while. Maybe even go back to St. Livy and figure out how to get over the only girl I’ve ever loved.
The only girl to break my heart.
I don’t know how to tell this to the President.
But it seems he knows what’s going through my head. “Read this,” he instructs me as he hands me today’s News of the Times. “And think about it.”
I take the paper from him as I head into the Bentley.
“Where to, Sire?” Pressly asks.
I think about going back home, but right now, I need to be away.
“St. Livy, mate,” I tell him. “I need to get out of the fucking city.”
I throw the newspaper to the seat next to me and close my eyes as photographers swarm the Bentley, snapping pictures as I drive off.
Great, I’m not going to jail.
But I’m still a broken wreck of a man.
29
Abby Adams: Let She Who Is Without Sin…
I’m Abigail Adams, and here’s what Abby’s hearing...
Actually, New Yorkers, it’s what I’m telling today. And what I’m telling is a confession. Maybe it’s too little, too late, but it’s the only gesture that means a damn that I have. Because I seem to have nothing left.
I’m not Abby. I may write as Abby, but the responsibility for coming up with the gossip is given to reporters who have gossip to report. My name is Alicia May Bayer and for the last four and half months, I’ve had a delicious story to report to you on the actions of a certain Prince. You all came to know him as Prince Sin. I came to know him as Derrick Blaine. And I fell in love with him.