Chapter Seven
This wasn’t going to be easy, Zach thought, as he looked at one piece of paper and then at the next one.
Tilly’s idea was a good one, but there was no organization to it.
He’d read through her application form for the contest, his eyes closing the second after he read his mom’s name as the big drawcard.
Even knowing that was who she wanted, seeing it in black and white didn’t make it any easier to swallow.
Had his mom agreed to attend and participate? Or was Tilly still being wishful?
He would cross that fiery gully when he came to it.
“Here you go,” she said as she waltzed back into the room. She was practically vibrating with happiness.
“Thanks.”
She plopped down in the chair opposite him. “Where shall we start?”
“Kathryn Lancaster said yes?” How he managed to say her name without choking on it, he wasn’t sure.
The truth was, he loved his mother. He just didn’t like what she did and how she used people for her own advancement.
Then again, his mom had been in the industry for a long time, and she knew that the only way to get anywhere in the cutthroat world she inhabited was to slip through the gaps, no matter how slim they were, and use any tactic to get what she wanted.
Especially after she’d been stabbed in the back by someone she’d thought was her friend.
As a young kid he’d loved the notoriety of being Kathryn Lancaster’s child. Then the shine had tarnished when he worked out it was a world he didn’t want to inhabit. And here he was, about to be dragged back into it.
“Well, um, not quite.” Tilly picked up a pen and twirled it around her fingers.
Oh no, this isn’t good.
“What do you mean ‘not quite’?” There was no need for him to ask the question. He was pretty sure he knew the answer to it anyway.
“I haven’t actually emailed her office yet.”
Zach blew out a breath—it was worse than he thought.
Most celebrities didn’t bother with in-person appearance requests unless they got something out of it.
His mother could possibly do a segment on it for her show, but really, what did Marietta have to offer a talk show host from California in terms of show content?
He had no idea. He hadn’t been in town long enough to think what could draw his mother to participate in Tilly’s event.
“I see. And do you have a backup celebrity if she can’t make it?”
Tilly chewed her bottom lip and her gaze slid away from his.
“You haven’t got anyone, have you?” he asked.
“No.”
“Right. So I guess that’s the first thing on the list—lock in a celebrity. That’s the drawcard for you, isn’t it? Someone big who will appeal to the judges?”
“Yes. We need it.”
“You don’t think your idea stands on its own? That the people of Marietta won’t get involved with the project if there’s not someone like Kathryn Lancaster involved? That Marietta itself isn’t enough to have the judges believing that your event is worthy of the win?”
Tilly tapped the top of her pen on the notepad in front of her with fierce concentration, contemplating his words.
“It’s not that. It’s just I looked at the past winners and they’ve all had something spectacular that made them stand out.
And yes, some even had big stars involved.
I need this to be a success for everyone in Marietta. ”
There was a hint of desperation in her voice, and it wasn’t the first time he’d heard it when she was talking about her idea.
Why was the town’s good opinion so important to her?
He wanted to tell her that it didn’t matter what the town thought of her. He thought she was pretty fantastic.
Yet, he couldn’t do that because that would mean he cared, and he couldn’t let himself. She was too sweet to drag into the harshness of celebrity status. If he was going to survive this proximity to her and work with her constantly on this project, he needed to maintain some distance between them.
“We’ll do whatever we can to make that happen, but I think you may have to accept the fact that getting someone as big as Kathryn Lancaster, or anyone with the same pull power as her, might be too big of a task.
We don’t have a lot of time. I remember you saying when we had dinner that you didn’t want a ‘no name,’ but you might have to reconsider that idea. ”
Tilly looked defeated. She’d stopped tapping the pen. The corners of her lips turned down, and the excitement and happiness that had been present in her hazel eyes had now dimmed, as if a light had been turned out.
God, he was an ass. He didn’t have to be so brutal with her.
All it would take would be one message to his mom, and she’d help out.
Sometimes his conscience annoyed the heck out of him. It would solve all of Tilly’s problems, but he had a feeling she wanted to do this herself. Her need to succeed suggested she wanted to do it on her own, without any outside influences.
Or maybe that was his hope because if that was the case, then he wouldn’t have to make the call that would turn his world upside down.
Have him face the woman who’d birthed him and, as selfish as it was, he just wasn’t ready to do that.
Ready to face her again. The wounds from her previous actions were still too raw.
Zach wanted a peaceful life. A life where he could do his job and, if he saved people, it wasn’t made into a nationwide spectacle where everyone stopped him in the street and the other people who’d also been involved had been shunned as if they were evil.
No, it was better this way. Better to keep who he was and his connections to Kathryn to himself.
“Hey, don’t look so dejected.” He reached over and took her hand in his, his body immediately warming at the connection. “I’m sorry I was so frank, but it’s the time of Christmas miracles, right? Maybe we’ll get that Christmas miracle.”
“Yeah, maybe we will.”
Not quite the response he was hoping for, but by the time he left, he’d have her smiling again.
“Okay, let’s do this. Let’s write down all the people you want, that you initially discarded, and then we’ll draft an email and research the best way to contact them. I can stay as long as you need me to.”
“But don’t you need your sleep?” she asked.
“Surprisingly, I’m not feeling that tired. Must have been the wonderful meal you made for me.” He winked, and a tiny thrill went through him when he saw the rosy color in her cheeks.
“I promise I didn’t put anything into it that would keep you awake.”
Because he still had a hold of her hand, he gave it a squeeze. “I know. But I’m enjoying being here with you.”
And that was the truth. He was having a good time, even though everything about what they were working on had the potential to make him uncomfortable. He was finding he was willing to live with this discomfort for Tilly.
“I promise I won’t keep you late. Let’s get started.”
For the next hour they made two lists—one for the stars that Tilly had wanted, but didn’t think she could get, and another for the people that she’d be happy if they would be a part of it.
While Tilly worked on preparing the email she wanted to send, he set about finding contact details for everyone.
“Wow, how did you find out all these email addresses so quickly?”
“Easy.” Zach turned the laptop around and showed her the site he was looking at. “I searched how to get in contact with stars and their agents, and this was one of the listings that came up.”
In fact, it was easier than that. He was well aware of the website, but he wasn’t going to tell Tilly that.
“Really? It was that easy? I can’t believe they have that information out there?”
“You can find anything you want on the internet.”
“I know, it’s just . . .” She shrugged. “I suppose given that they’re in the public eye, they would have a way for people to contact their agents or send fan mail.”
“That’s right.” Zach knew firsthand how far people would go to get in front of a star.
There was a reason they all lived behind twenty-foot-high walls.
They may have an occupation that pays well and puts them in the limelight, but they were entitled to their privacy, just as much as the average person was.
There were some exceptions to the rule, of course.
Stars who craved to be recognized. Who did everything to have the spotlight on them.
A few more beats of silence passed before Tilly sighed and handed her notebook over to him. “Can you read this, please, and tell me if it’s succinct and to the point without being overly aggressive. Feel free to make changes.”
Like she’d done with the form, she preferred to handwrite things out before typing. The number of balled-up pieces of paper littering the top of the table told the story—she’d started and changed her mind quite a few times.
Zach read it over. “There’s nothing about this I’d change. You’ve stated your case. Given them a good breakdown of everything that’s involved. What you’d like them to do. The importance of the event, not only to you but to the town.”
“There’s really nothing that needs to change or more I should put in?”
He looked up, seeing the uncertainty shining in her eyes. How many times had she been knocked down by someone who didn’t believe in her? Or was it Tilly herself who didn’t believe in what she could accomplish?
“I think you’ve done an amazing job with this email.”
Her smile brightened, and he imagined she was doing a happy dance on the inside—Tilly looked like that sort of person. Someone who was bubbly and happy all the time. Their little dance at the top of the stairs when they’d first met was a testament to that.
“Thank you, Zach. That means so much to me. Now, do we do a bulk email or individual ones?”
“Individual. With these types of people, you have to make them feel important. Stroke their ego. Make them think they’re the only person you’re contacting.” As much as he tried, he couldn’t keep the cynicism out of his voice.