Chapter 26
Chapter Twenty-Six
Beverly
“Well, well, well…,” my mom says over the phone.
I click on the speaker and lean my phone against the lamp on the side table as I continue to unwrap the knotted Christmas tree lights I pulled from a box. “What?” I giggle, knowing I’m about to get an earful.
“Don’t you have something to tell me?” she asks, her voice rising an octave on the word “me.”
I furrow my brow. “Uh, not that I’m aware of. We called you on Thanksgiving. I think you’re all caught up. How’s Mike?”
“Mike is fine. We’re fine. The tour is fine. Now, stop trying to change the subject.”
“What subject, Mom?” I’m irritated and drop the wad of lights in a tangled heap on my lap.
“Ridge. Wilson.” She purposefully enunciates his first and last name.
My eyes go wide, and I wonder if Maddy spilled the beans.
But she promised me she wouldn’t say anything.
I’m the one who’s been lollygagging, trying to come up with the best way to tell my celebrity-infatuated mother that I’m dating none other than Ridge Wilson himself.
Not only dating him, but that I’m madly in love with the man.
I swallow hard. “What about him?”
“I saw you!” she hollers.
“Saw me? Where? What are you talking about?”
“I saw a picture of you on TMZ kissing Ridge Wilson at the Atlanta airport. I know that was you. I recognized your car and your red coat you bring out for the holiday season.”
I’m in shock, my mouth gaping as I scramble to pick up my phone and put it to my ear. “Mom, are you kidding me? You saw me and… and Ridge on television?”
Next to Entertainment Tonight, TMZ is one of my mother’s favorite entertainment news programs. The show delivers daily updates on Hollywood’s rich and beautiful, as well as the ones who screw up.
Why do I feel like I’m the one who’s messed up because of some random photographer capturing Ridge and I during a tender goodbye? I feel violated.
“So, it’s true? You and Ridge are dating?” My mom’s voice sounds like she’s about to hyperventilate.
“Calm down, Mom. Yes. It’s true. I’m dating Ridge Wilson. I met him while he was filming his latest movie on location at our school. Remember when I told you about that? It just… happened.”
The scream coming from my phone makes me stretch my arm away from my head to keep from going deaf. I can only imagine what her response will be when she meets Ridge in person.
“Mom? Mother!”
“Oh… yes… yes, I’m here,” she gasps.
“Are you okay? Do you need to sit down and put your head between your legs or something?”
“No, I’m fine.” She giggles. “But I need you to tell me everything. And start from the beginning again. I’m all ears.”
***
Walking through the grocery store baking aisle, I pull a random sack of flour from the shelf.
After filling my mom in on Ridge, I’m exhausted and need to clear my head.
Baking is my favorite escape, and besides, I need something to bring to the holiday teacher luncheon at school next week. Might as well get a head start.
I find the baking powder and peruse the assortment of conveniently chopped pecans in little bags and pluck a couple of them from the shelf.
As I’m eyeing the vanilla extract choices, I can make out someone staring at me near the end of the aisle.
She’s a middle-aged woman standing a few feet away from my cart. I flick my eyes to hers and smile.
“You okay? Do you need some help finding something?” My gaze lowers, and I notice she’s holding a tabloid magazine, my red coat front and center on the cover page. All the breath leaves my lungs in an instant, and I freeze.
“This is you, isn’t it? You’re the mystery lady who’s dating Ridge Wilson.”
My laugh comes out like a goose honk, and I feel my face burn with embarrassment. I can’t let this woman know the truth. I’m not prepared for something like this. I fumble with the words stuttering out of my mouth on the fly.
“I wish.” I point at the image. “Whoever she is, she’s one lucky lady. Who wouldn’t want to kiss Ridge Wilson, right?” My lips tingle with the memory of our goodbye kiss as I press my mouth shut to keep from saying anything else.
“Looks just like you.” Her eyes flick to the photo. “See? Same red coat and hair.” She’s defiant. It feels like she’s scolding me for lying. And that’s exactly what I’m doing.
“Doppelg?nger.” I shrug. “And besides, it is the season for red.” I comically pat the buttoned-up chest of my incriminating coat. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have some banana bread to make for the holiday luncheon at my school tomorrow. Have a nice day.”
I whiz by her, the rickety wheels of my shopping cart squeaking with effort. I rush through the self-checkout line, my eyes practically bugging out of my head, when I notice the glaring photos of me on the front page of all the tabloid magazines for sale. I feel nauseous.
Ducking out of the store with the lapels of my red coat turned up to cover my profile, I quickly toss my bags into the front seat of my car and lock the doors. I immediately call Madison.
“Hey, what’s up?”
“I’m never going out in public again.”
“What do you mean? What happened?”
I nervously look around the crowded parking lot, half expecting to see paparazzi photographers jumping out of the buggy return like masked robbers. “Have you been to the grocery store lately?” I ask.
“No, why?”
“Well…” I swallow hard. “Your little sister made the front page of all the tabloid magazines.”
“What?”
“Yup. Mom called me before I had to run to the store for some banana bread ingredients. She saw the same photo of me and Ridge on TMZ and drilled me like a sergeant.”
“Oh no.” Madison laughs.
“Oh no is right. I thought maybe it was a fluke, but she swore she saw a photo of us kissing at the Atlanta airport, and she was right. We were saying goodbye.”
“Seriously? Why would paparazzi be hanging out at the Atlanta airport? And how would they know it was Ridge? I thought he was wearing his ‘disguise’? You know, his baseball cap and sunglasses like he told us about at dinner?”
“He hadn’t put it on yet!” I holler. “Mom recognized me because of my stupid car and red coat. How did they get this out there so fast? Did you know they have a name for me? I’m dubbed ‘The Mystery Lady.’ Maddy, just now at the grocery store, a random woman came up and asked if it was me on the cover of the tabloid she was holding. The photo is everywhere!”
By this time, I’m on the road heading home, my fingers gripping the steering wheel in a panic.
“Calm down, Bev. What did you tell the lady at the store?”
“I lied and told her it wasn’t me. That the woman in the photo was my doppelg?nger.”
Madison lets out a howl of laughter, which makes me smile. I suppose if I had to lie, a doppelg?nger is a believable explanation.
“You need to call Ridge and give him a heads-up on this. Those tabloid magazines and news shows are nothing but celebrity gossip and sensationalized stories that pique readers’ interest. It’s one photo. I don’t think you should worry too much about it. Did you grab a copy?”
“No.”
“I’ll have to look and see if I can spot you next time I go to the store. Maybe grab a few copies for prosperity.”
“Maddy…” I whine. I’m overcome with guilt. I know this isn’t my fault, but Ridge and I should’ve been more careful, especially in a public space where millions of travelers converge.
“What if whoever took this photo digs even deeper, huh? What if I’m turned into a target?”
“Especially in that red coat of yours. You’re a regular bull’s-eye,” she jokes.
“Stop!”
“I’m sorry.” She’s laughing at my expense. “Take a deep breath. You’re gonna be fine. Ridge is gonna be fine. He’s probably numb to all of this since he’s a celebrity anyway. When you stop and think about it, this is kind of cool, right?”
“It’d be cool if no one recognized me. Oh my goodness, what about my students?
Their parents? The other teachers? Everyone knows about Ridge and the movie they filmed at the school.
They’re going to put two and two together.
What do I say? I don’t want anyone digging into my private life.
I don’t want to have to start wearing a disguise. ”
“—Beverly, stop it,” she interrupts. “Go home and bake your banana bread. While it’s baking, pour a glass of wine and call Ridge. He’s lived through this his entire life. He’ll know how to coach you.”
I nod and swallow hard. “You’re right. Ridge will know what to do.”
“And Bevy?”
“What?”
“Congratulations.”
“Why?”
“You’re on the fast-track to stardom, sistah!”