In It to Win It (9 page)

She squeaked and jumped back.

“
Jane? Jane Alexander, I know you’re in there.” More pounding.

Jane shook her head. No wonder this guy couldn’t stay at one station. He was a loose cannon, a real piece of work. TV-101 taught that you didn’t piss off the person you were trying to interview. At least not right away … and not without cause. Her not answering the door did not constitute cause.

Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!

Ding-dong! Ding-dong!

Thud! Thud! Thud!

“
Go away, Clayton!” she shouted.

“
All I want is a statement on the pictures of you and Grayson Pierce.”

“
No comment.”

“
I’m not leaving.”

“
I said ‘no comment’.”

“
Not good enough,” he shouted.

“
Get off my porch!” She kicked the door for emphasis. Her toes, propelled by inertia, met the end of her shoe and she winced. She jumped in a circle, doing her best to cradle her injured foot.

“
Jane!” Nate interrupted the standoff.

She had completely forgotten that the line was still open and that Nate had been listening to the whole conversation via the phone.

“
Jane! Jane!” Nate’s muffled voice said from her pocket. She pulled the phone from her pocket and put it to her ear.

“
What?” she shouted, too pissed off to even feel bad.

“
Tell Clayton to get the hell off your doorstep or I’m gonna make his life miserable.”

“
Listen, Clayton, I only have one thing to say to you.”

“
Finally,” he said.

“
I’m on the phone with Nate Hughes right now. He says if you don’t leave, he’ll come and
make
you leave.”

With her eye affixed to the peephole, she watched him cringe. “Fine. You can call off your guard dog. I’m leaving.” He did, but not without kicking the crap out of the shrubs that lined the walk and slamming the gate that enclosed her tiny front yard.

“
Thanks, Nate.”

“
You bet. I’ll be by to pick you up at noon.”

She hated needing a meaty guardian, but wasn’t stupid enough to turn him down. “I’ll be ready. Hey, Nate … thanks for the heads-up.”

“
No problem. I always wanted to be a bouncer. Now I get my chance.” She could hear the grin in Nate’s voice and grinned too. The line went dead and she dropped her phone onto the kitchen counter.

Grayson’s phone call and his apology suddenly took on a whole new meaning. As did the letter currently residing in the garbage can. She went to the trash and plucked out the envelope. Her hands shook as she opened it.

Janie,

I have to apologize. I tried to on the phone, but we were disconnected before I got the chance to tell you the reason.

It’s come to my attention that a photo of our dinner together is going to be plastered on the covers of most of the tabloid magazines. It was not my intention and I hope that your life won’t be turned into a whirlwind.

I would really like to see you again and apologize in person.

-Grayson

His number was included.

Maybe he hadn’t told her the reason for his apology. She assumed it was for his actions—or lack thereof—in the locker room or in the parking lot or in the gym. It’d been weeks, yet the pain was still very raw.

Nate had been supportive, mostly because he didn’t bring it up again—after the initial tirade that included an interesting variety of name calling. Jane had never realized that Nate had such an extensive vocabulary.

Due to the change in plans, Jane had to make a phone call. She hit the ‘M’ on her speed-dial and waited.

“
Hello?”

“
Hey, Molls.”

“
Hey. What’s up?”

Jane regurgitated the events of the morning as Molly interrupted with phrases like, “Wow.” or “Seriously?” or “You’ve got to be kidding me!”

When the story was over, Molly was stuck between a fit of giggles and utter silence. The sounds coming through the phone were muffled hiccups. Jane guessed she would have reacted the same way if the roles had been reversed. Wearing the shoes, the scenario wasn’t a bit funny, but from Molly’s moccasins … yeah, it was frickin’ hysterical.

“
No problem, girlfriend,” Molly said. “I’ll see you at the station.”

“
Thanks, Molls.”

“
Hang in there.”

Hang in there was right. Jane felt like she was dangling from a cliff by nothing but her fingernails … and was quickly losing her grip. Just like the old days. She went back upstairs and started the task of getting ready for work.

As she showered, she visualized her feelings for Grayson washing down the drain with the soap bubbles. This was the end of the road for him. A person could only hurt her if she was willing to be hurt. She no longer was.

She turned off the shower, dried off and began the transformation on the outside. She blew her light brown hair dry and tugged at it with the round brush until every strand was straight with a slight curl at the ends. She added a little extra concealer, then dabbed and blended her foundation. Her green eyes twinkled as she applied her eyeliner, eye shadow and mascara. She finished her make-up with some neutral colored lipstick then headed for the closet.

Jane was just fastening her watch when her phone rang. The ringtone belonged to her mother. She debated letting the call go to voicemail but knew that Sheri Alexander was not going to leave Jane alone today.

With phone in hand, she closed her eyes and tried to sound nonchalant. “Hi, Mom.”

“
You’re dating Grayson Pierce?” The question was appalled accusation.

“
No.”

“
Go ahead, lie to your mother.”

Jane’s eyes squeezed closed tighter in frustration. “Believe what you want, Mom, but I am not dating Grayson. It’s all—”

“
He’s not the same boy you went to elementary school with, Janie. In case you don’t read the tabloids, he’s kind of a … a bad boy. And not in a good way. He likes his cars and his alcohol and his … floosies.”

“
I know, Mom.”

“
You, my darling daughter, are not a floozy. At least I didn’t think you were. But I guess if you don’t want to listen to me, go ahead and date him. Just don’t come crying to me when you end up with your heart broken. Because he
will
break your heart. Just like last time.” She took a moment to breathe. Jane heard the air get sucked in and blown out—right in her ear. An exaggeration of her mother’s frustration. “I swear don’t know how Maude deals with his exploits. I really don’t. It makes her look so bad.”

Jane rolled her eyes. Maude Pierce loved her son and probably wasn’t a bit concerned with how his actions may or may not make her look. Yet another trait that Sheri Alexander and Maude Pierce didn’t share.

The doorbell rang and Jane relaxed.
Saved by the bell
, she thought. “Hey Mom, that’s Nate. I have to go.”

Another exaggerated sigh. “Okay, fine.” And then the line went dead.

Jane opened the door. Nate was dressed in jeans and his heavy winter coat with the KHB logo over the upper right breast.

“
You okay?” he asked. “You look a little frazzled.”

“
My mom saw the magazine.”

He nodded that he understood, but didn’t say anything else. He didn’t need to; he’d been witness to more than one of her rants. “You ready?”

“
Yeah, let’s do this,” she said, donning her red KHB winter coat.

THE STATION WAS BUZZING WHEN SHE AND Nate walked through the door. Nearly every face wore an innocent expression that screamed
guilty
. More than one person quickly shoved a magazine in their desk or under a notebook or … one idiot even threw their copy in the garbage. Only to retrieve it once she’d passed.

Nate sat on the corner of her desk and plowed a hand through his hair. “So, um … do you think … I mean … would it be okay…?”

She laughed and held her hand out, palm up. “Should I make it out to you or Roxy?”

He placed three magazines in her hand. “Roxy’s fine. Unless you wanted to make one out to ‘the best photographer a girl could ever want’.”

Jane quickly autographed the front covers, addressing them just as he’d requested. “If these show up on
EBay
I will kick your ass.”

At well over six feet with shoulders that nearly brushed door jambs, she didn’t stand a chance in physical warfare, but he still had the decency to feign fear. He stood and lifted the magazines. “Thanks for these. You’re a good sport, Jane.”

“
Ya know, this is totally ridiculous,” she told him, rolling her eyes dramatically. “Nobody cares who I am, really. They only care that I might be banging Grayson.”

He raised a brow and the corner of his mouth quirked. She glared at him, knowing exactly where his thoughts had just taken him.

“
No, I am not banging Grayson. And don’t want to be.”

Liar, his look said.

“
Go to hell, Nate … and say hello to Grayson when you get there.”

6

“…
A
ND THE LAST THING I NEED FROM YOU is a location,” Jane said to Nate.

They were driving along in the news vehicle; him driving, her in the passenger seat with a notebook in her hand. Nate didn’t respond, although Jane knew he’d heard her. That was what Nate did when he was thinking. While his mind churned with thoughts, Jane went down her list.

Cake, check. Food—sandwiches (made by a sandwich shop)—check. Decorations—She and Molly had gone crazy at the party store.—check.

Finally Nate said, “Well … I really want Gracie to be there.”

“
Of course.” It was completely appropriate to have the daughter of the birthday girl attending. “So we should probably do a Saturday afternoon, huh?”

He nodded, but again drifted into his thoughts and fell silent. “I guess the park’s out.”

“
Unless we want to freeze our butts off.”

“
Yeah.” He chuckled. His glanced at her quickly out the corner of his eye before staring out the windshield again. “I don’t suppose you’d like to have it at your place.”

She turned in her seat and gaped at him. “You’ve seen my place. It’s not near big enough for the shindig you’re planning. Or the shindig
I’m
planning—according to
your
instructions.”

“
You’re probably right. I guess we could ask Dale if we could use Studio B.”

“
That’d be real fun for the kids,” she said sarcastically.

“
Why don’t we just do it at Chuck E. Cheese then,” he retorted, the muscle in his jaw jumping.

She laughed and after a moment he did too. “It’s not that hard,” she said. “What’s wrong with your house?”

“
That is an option, but I’d rather not have to do it there.” He slapped his forehead with his palm. “I know the perfect place.”

“
Where?” she asked as he whipped his phone out.

He pressed a button and the quick beeps of the speed dial rang out. With the speakerphone on, he popped his cell on the dash and waited for an answer.

“
Hey, man,” Rich Spencer answered.

“
Rich, I need a favor,” Nate said without preamble. “Can we use your house for Roxie’s surprise party?”

There was a momentary pause. “You’re asking the wrong Spencer, my man. You’d better ask Kate about that. I’m sure it’d be okay, but I don’t wanna speak for her.”

“
Thanks.” Nate disconnected while Rich was still talking. His thumb worked over the keys and pressed send then put the phone back on the dash.

“
Hello?” came to soft feminine voice.

“
Kate.”

“
Hi, Nate.”

“
Can we use your house for Roxie’s surprise party?”

“
Sure. When?”

Nate looked at Jane for the date and she answered, “A week from Saturday.”

“
Hi, Jane.” She could hear the laugh in Kate’s voice. “So you’re the one who got wrangled into planning the party?”

“
Yep, lucky me.” The two of them laughed and Nate snorted.

Jane really liked Kate. She was kind and truly competent at her job. Jane knew too many anchors who sat back, doing nothing while the producers wrote everything for them. Kate was different, she wrote as much as she could. Along with the brains, Kate had beauty too. The girl seemed to have it all, Jane thought.

“
So … Kate, we wanna do it in the afternoon, so the kids can be a part of it,” Nate added.

“
Oh, Jesse would like that. If you bring the decorations over the night before, I’ll take care of it. Jesse would love to decorate.”

“
Um … well, I hate to do that to Molly. She’s kind of excited about it.”