As Logan tried to figure out what was going on, Callie jolted back into professional mode. She sat up straight and scanned the logos on the vans. Most of them were rentals. There were no national news outlets, and too many telephoto lenses to be real reporters.“Gossip magazines and entertainment shows. Logan, they’re here for you. Look ahead and keep driving. Don’t speed up, just keep going as if everything’s fine.” So much for going back to normal.
***
“I need my phone,” Callie said, “and I need it now.” She shot off question after question at Logan as she assessed the situation. “Do you have any other way of getting to the house? Where’s your boat?” As she waited for his response, she started formulating a plan for minimizing damage with the press. If Hank or Amy caught wind of any of this, they’d either be very happy Callie was on hand to fix it, or very upset that she had allowed it to happen at all.
“The boat’s at the wharf behind the brewery. I’ll call ahead and make sure there’s no one waiting with cameras,” Logan said. “You ok? You almost seem excited about this.”
“No, I just want to make sure we take care of this, that’s all. Remember, this is what I do for a living. Just follow my advice and everything will turn out fine.”
“Callie, I’m more than capable of handling my own messes,” Logan said. “You’re on vacation. You’re allowed to take the day off.” Callie tried not to wince as she listened to Logan. This was the time to tell him, she thought. This was the time to come clean and admit that she had been sent to Newport to prevent him from causing exactly this kind of mess. Telling him was the right thing to do. It just wasn’t the smart thing to do. There was no telling how he’d react. It was better just to forget about their personal relationship for a moment. Callie needed to to her job. As they swung back around the point, taking care to avoid the press, Callie kept her attention focused entirely on her phone. “Supposedly Veronica broke up with her new boyfriend. TMZ has you as the reason. Supposedly you two spent last night together. Is there something I need to know?” she asked.
“No, unless there’s something you need to share with me about last night,” Logan joked.#p#分页标题#e#
“I’m not kidding. I don’t just mean last night. Tell me the history. Now. I need to know everything.”
“We had a thing together for a while,” Logan said. He trailed off like he didn’t want to admit the rest.
Callie scrolled down the page and kept reading the blog post. “You mean you slept with her, and broke up her engagement,” Callie said.
“Not exactly. I mean yes.” Logan waited until he reached a stop sign, and then he turned for a moment and looked deep into Callie’s eyes. “Her engagement was a sham, and, yes, we slept together, but I haven’t even spoken with her in months. It was a mistake. I knew as soon as it happened.”
“Are you telling me the truth? I’m not asking as your whatever-I-am-to-you, I’m asking as someone who can diffuse this situation.”
Logan held eye contact and placed his hand on Callie’s shoulder. “I’ve always told you the truth, and I’m not lying to you now. I have no idea why she’s here.”
Callie had a good idea why Veronica would make a scene out of being in town. “I guess we’re about to find out.”
No one was waiting at the brewery. The entire wharf was eerily quiet compared to the mob scene back outside the mansion. Callie felt a little shiver as she and Logan got out of the car and headed to the boat. Maybe it made sense for them to get caught together. It would mean some real explaining with Amy, but it just might solve Logan’s problem, at least the report about the night before, and if they got caught, she could at least tell Amy that she was doing her best to keep Logan away from the press. Callie didn’t see another person between the car and Logan’s speedboat, and soon they were speeding across the bay, heading to the mansion. So much for that idea.
As Logan steered the boat toward the dock. Callie slipped her hand over his forearm. Who knew what would happen after they confronted Veronica. Callie wondered if they should just turn around, head out to the yacht and wait everything out. It would give her an excuse to do nothing but spend time with Logan. It could be a win win, but she knew there was no hiding from the truth. She had to deal with Veronica Jones, and she had to do so quickly and quietly.
When they reached the dock in front of the guesthouse, Callie couldn’t see any hint of the throng of reporters camped outside the front entrance of the mansion. Instead the air around her was silent and dead, without even a hint of a breeze. A light rain fell, and everything seemed too quiet. Something bad was about to happen. She could feel it in her bones. Every bit of professional training she had ever received told her that she needed to change the situation as quickly as possible. She just needed a moment to think. As Logan tied the boat up to the dock, Callie planned out her course of action.