Chapter 29
Salem
My day had been going so well. Chase and his lovely wife who I suspect can’t stand him sat for the interview with Kathleen Murray, the hottest journalist on the planet at the moment, at least in my circles, and were killing it.
They said all the right things, all the right way, and I knew I’d chosen the right reporter to do the job. We were hitting it out of the park.
It all had started off so great. Then, in a flash, it all went to hell.
I knew when Kathleen suggested they take a break halfway through that something had happened that would hurt us. There was something about the way she looked over at me after her phone vibrated on the table off screen that told me all was not well.
Chase knew it too. As soon as he heard it, he suddenly began looking like a deer in the headlights.
For her part, I don’t think Cheyenne had a clue what was about to happen.
I may not respect her after finding out she likely is in this relationship with Chase solely because it benefits her bottom line, but she did exactly what I needed her to do in that interview.
Her voice remained soft but resolute as she spoke about her love for him and how she was determined they would move forward in love.
She smiled just big enough to convince viewers she could be happy.
She couldn’t have done a better job if she tried.
And all of it was shot to hell because her idiot husband can’t keep his dick in his pants.
My mind whirls as I stand in front of Kathleen at this moment with her asking me if we want to continue now that the news has broken that Chase and the fucking nanny were seen leaving the Hotel Charlmont last night right after eleven.
No, we can’t continue, for Christ’s sake!
We have to regroup, and to be honest, I have to decide if I can even work with that asshole after this mess.
I can’t say that, though, so I plaster a smile on my face and answer, “Let me talk to my client, Kathleen. Give us a few minutes in private, if you will.”
She’s gracious but doesn’t hide the smug smile every journalist gets when they know they’ve uncovered what at least will be the story of the week, if not the month. I don’t blame her. I’d be thrilled if I were her too.
I walk through the door to the hotel room next door and find the happy couple sitting on opposite sides of the bed facing way from one another.
I’d say that’s pretty symbolic. Why Chase isn’t on his knees in front of his wife begging for her forgiveness baffles me, but he doesn’t seem to have the sense God gave a horse.
Rubbing my temples, even though I know the headache forming behind my eyes is going to be a doozy, I blow the air out of my lungs and try to find the words I need to stay professional while relaying to them how utterly fucked we are right now.
I honestly don’t know if I can fix this, and that’s not something I admit lightly.
I don’t say anything for nearly a minute as the two of them stew in their anger. Perhaps nothing can be done here. The man clearly doesn’t respect his wife enough to not lie to her and cheat on her. Maybe that’s just the truth of it that I can’t twist or turn to look like something else.
Cheyenne speaks up first, and I’m not surprised when she says, “I can’t go back out there and pretend like I’m the nice little wife again. Not after what Chase just told me he did.”
She’s not even looking at me, but I hear the rage come through loud and clear in her voice. I understand completely. If I found out my husband acted like hers did, I wouldn’t be sitting here talking to a fixer. I would have left as soon as I found out about last night’s little rendezvous.
“I don’t blame you.”
Part of me thinks I should be trying to convince her all is not lost when it comes to the interview and Chase’s reputation, but I can’t bring myself to say anything like that. Maybe this can’t be fixed after all.
Suddenly, Chase jumps up from his chair and runs over toward her. “You have to, Cheyenne! We can work this out. I’ve been feeling like a fish out of water since I’ve been out of work. That’s all last night was.”
I don’t know whose anger at those words is worse, mine or his wife’s. I watch as she slowly turns around and glares at him. It’s the look of a woman who has taken just about all she is ever going to take from a man.
“First, it was you were lonely because I was working on something for my business. Oh, God forbid I do something to earn a little money and not dote on you every minute of the day. Now it’s that you’re feeling like a fish out of water because you can’t work?
You can’t work because no one will hire you after you fucked our nanny, Chase!
And then you go and do it again? Knowing we had this interview today and the press is all over the place every time you step out the door after your first screw-up?
No, Chase. We can’t work this out. I’m done. ”
Cheyenne walks over to me and stops, but she now looks different, like something has released her from all the misery she’s been dealing with.
“Salem, I can’t lie to the world anymore.
Not after this. But do you think Ms. Murray might be interested in hearing from me alone?
I know I’m not a huge star like Chase, but I am his wife, and the media has seemed to be interested in my part in all of this. ”
Chase follows her over to where I stand and whines, “No, you can’t do that. I’m Salem’s client, not you.”
I smile, knowing full well what’s in my contract for every client I agree with work with—the clause that says clients must do exactly what I prescribe for them or the contract will be considered null and void.
I explain it in detail before they sign on the dotted line, and Chase understood that he had to never see the nanny again and not cheat on his wife while working with me. He broke both pledges.
Turning to face him, I say, “I’m sorry, Chase, but you broke our contract with your behavior last night.
I made it explicitly clear to you when I agreed to work with you that you had to do exactly what was spelled out in our contract, and that meant no sleeping with the nanny.
You didn’t live up to that, so I can no longer work with you. ”
He stammers out something about his lawyer having something to say to me, but I know my contracts are legally rock solid and binding.
This isn’t my first rodeo. I’ve had many clients over the years, and those clauses dictating what must be done by the people I work with have been tested more times than my patience with him in the last few days.
Cheyenne, on the other hand, I can work with, so I turn to her and say, “Let me see what we can arrange. I don’t know if it will be today since I need to get the legalities between the two of us settled first, but let me ask Kathleen. I’ll be right back.”
“I’ll sign the contract as soon as you put it in front of me, and I can pay the fee, just in case you weren’t sure.
I may have been the long-suffering wife of Chase Parker, but I’m not without my own skills.
And you don’t have to worry about me breaking the contract. I’ll do anything you tell me to.”
I give her arm a squeeze and smile. “I know you will. Thank you for what you did today. I’m only sorry that it wasn’t helpful because of what Chase did.”
He’s on his phone on the opposite side of the hotel room, likely complaining to his attorney about my dropping him as a client. Whine away, Chase. Your wife, or your probably soon-to-be ex-wife, and I have business to do.
I breeze back into the other room to find Kathleen waiting for me, still sure she’s ruined my workday. I hate to disappoint her, but sometimes things don’t work out like you think they will.
“Okay, Chase Parker is no longer my client, so I can’t speak for anything more about this interview with him. I can, however, offer you an interview with Cheyenne Parker as soon as tomorrow. She’s got a story to tell, and I’m sure your viewers would love to hear it from the wife’s point of view.”
I know Cheyenne wants to use this opportunity to help her business, which is fine by me, but I need to sell it that she’s going to dish about all that’s happened with that idiot husband of hers. Kathleen only takes a moment to think about it before giving me a big, toothy grin.
“Sounds great! How about later today? Say three o’clock?” she asks eagerly.
Quickly, I consider how fast we can get the contract written up and signed between now and that time. We have four hours, so I think we can make it possible.
“Sounds great! My client will be thrilled. See you back here at three.”
When I return to the other room, Chase has already left. All the better. He’d likely only have empty threats and overemotional behavior left to deal with me.
Cheyenne smiles as I tell her the news about the interview later today and extends her hand to shake mine.
“Thanks a million for understanding why I couldn’t go on with that, Salem.
Once, I can forgive, but last night showed me Chase isn’t going to change, no matter how much I agree to stand by him.
Now that nanny can have him for all I care.
My daughter and I will do just fine without him or her. ”
“Let’s get back to my office and get the papers signed so we can go over a few things before this afternoon. This is your chance to get your story out, so we want to make sure it hits exactly like we want it to,” I say as I escort her out of the room.
My mother always said when life hands you lemons, you have to make lemonade. I like to think that’s what I did here today.
Kellen isn’t home when I walk through the door, so I pour myself a glass of wine and kick my shoes off after a long and ultimately successful day.
Yes, one client screwed everything up, but Cheyenne came back a few hours later and gave that Kathleen Murray an interview for the ages.
She didn’t hold a thing back. Her husband got both barrels, as did the nanny.
Cheyenne is going to be the name on everyone’s lips tomorrow and for weeks to come.
She even slipped in a few mentions of her business, which will likely send profits soaring for her.
All in all, I’ve had better days, but this one at least ended well.
I’d been looking forward to seeing Kellen tonight, but it’s after seven already and he’s not home. I wonder where he could be.
Taking my glass of wine in one hand and my shoes in the other, I head for the living room but stop when I see a note on the table. He can be so thoughtful sometimes.
Salem,
I’m up at Matthias and Ava’s. I’ll probably be back late, so don’t feel like you have to wait up. I hope your day and that interview with the cheating husband went great. I’ll try not to wake you when I get in.
Love,
Kellen
I smile and turn back to continue on into the living room. Kellen King is a lot of things, some entirely too frustrating some days, but when he’s cute and sweet like he was in that note, I can’t help but forget those times he drives me nuts. He’s never been perfect, but he is the man I love.
As I settle in on the couch, I think about his fixation on marriage lately.
He looked so hurt when I told him the other night that I didn’t want to get married.
I may have handled the whole talk of marriage poorly over the years.
I never wanted to hurt him. I simply hoped if I kept pushing him off with vague answers of someday that it would eventually become a non-issue.
It’s not that I don’t love him. I’m crazy about Kellen.
I have been since a few hours after we first met.
He charmed me almost instantly, and to this day, I can’t imagine how I ever could have thought I hated him.
Well, leaving me at that resort had something to do with that, but he made up for his mistake, and it’s been smooth sailing ever since.
We’re not like his brothers and their wives. We like being who we are. Marriage isn’t something we need. It’s that simple. Maybe if I needed his money it might be an idea I’d be more enthusiastic about, but I don’t. I make enough money all on my own.
I’ve considered marriage more times than I can count with him, but I always come back to the same issue.
I felt it today when I stood in that room with Chase and Cheyenne Parker.
He’d done everything to ruin their lives, and the pressure to stay clearly weighed heavily on her, but why?
Why after all he’d done to screw up did she think she should remain his wife?
I felt that almost smothering pressure myself as I stood there, and all I could think was how much I hated that for her.
That’s not something I ever want to feel in my life.
Not that I think Kellen lies to me or has cheated on me. It’s not that I think it’s possible he will either. I simply never want to put myself in a position where that could happen and I feel exactly what Cheyenne felt today after the news broke that Chase cheated on her again.
Kellen and I are perfectly fine the way we are. His brothers and their wives can love their lives and their children, and we’re happy for them. It’s just never been the life we want.
I do have to admit, though, that after spending some time with Cheyenne and her daughter that I can see why some people love the idea of having children. She is a cute little girl, and when she laughs, you can’t help but smile.
That’s not me, though. I don’t want to spend nine months gaining weight, having swollen legs, and worrying about labor and delivery. I watched Eden suffer for her entire pregnancy. I couldn’t do that. Even more, I don’t like being around newborns. They freak me out. I never know why they’re crying.
It’s too bad children don’t come out like full-fledged humans.