Chapter 23
Gage glanced at the chaos surrounding him. The cast of Star Chat stood behind the massive camera crew while makeup artists stroked powdered brushes over Tristi and Brock’s noses, foreheads, and cheeks.
Unlike the hosts, Gage had already taken his place on the set, and was touching base to see that Christian had been able to do his part. A part that required him to talk to Cyree, get her to pull Carly’s file and collect her home address and phone number, in case she still had a land line.
Christian picked up the line, his face filling the screen as he answered. “Yo, man.”
A sudden tightness clenched around his chest. It all came down to this. To whether they could get Carly to tune in. “Did you get hold of them?”
Christian squinted into the phone and pulled that audience-winning grin. “You bet I did.”
“So the number really worked?”
“Sure did.”
Gage sighed. “Thanks, man.”
“Sounds like her mom and sister are on your side. They say that Carly’s torn, but that she’s coming around. Her sister even said that Carly might call you tomorrow before you take off to Maui.”
Gage shut his eyes and offered a word of thanks to the man upstairs. “Let’s hope our timing is right on then,” he said. “Hopefully, if she’s coming around on her own, Carly will really hear what I have to say. And believe it.”
Christian nodded before panning out the view on his end. There, surrounding his lifelong friend, were at least two dozen staff members in some sort of lounge room, a big screen TV blaring behind them.
“We’re all rooting for you,” Christian assured.
Gage felt his heart swell at the sight. He waved, humbled by the support, and gave them all a thumbs up. “Thanks, guys! Means a lot.”
“Countdown to going live,” someone hollered on set.
“Oh,” Gage said. “We’re about to go live. Wish me luck, all!”
“Good luck,” came the response from several of the members in the lounge.
“Good luck, Gage,” Christian said. “Guess you’re the right man for her after all. I hope she knows it.”
“Thanks, man.” Gage tucked his phone into his pocket and straightened in his stool. Tristi and Brock were getting into place to his left. The countdown on above the main camera before them said they had just one minute to go.
“Sixty seconds,” a skinny man behind the camera belted with an arm in the air. “Quiet on the set.”
“You ready for this?” Brock asked.
Gage gave him a grin. “Hope so.”
Tristi, who sat in the stool furthest him, leaned over the glass desk. “You’re going to do great. Thanks for giving us a chance to tell your story.”
Gage nodded. “Thanks for letting me do it.”
“Thirty seconds,” the man hollered.
Gage felt his nerves bouncing in every direction. He reached for his water bottle, took a long swig, and tried not to squint as he set his eyes on the main lens.
The countdown continued in red numbers straight ahead, and soon Brock was welcoming the viewers at home to their live episode with special guest, Gage Craven.
Gage gave the camera a nod while Tristi took it from there.
“You’ve seen the pictures. You’ve heard the story.
But the details you’ve learned about Gage's mysterious woman and her past were sorely lacking. Gage Craven is here today, just one day before he jets off to a private island to shoot his upcoming film, to set things straight and, as he says, protect the woman he loves. Stay tuned.”
It went back to Brock then, and the host began to list the other tidbits viewers could expect to see throughout the episode.
“Don’t go anywhere,” the man said once he was through. “You won’t want to miss this.”
The recording button dulled out, and Gage nudged Brock in the arm. “Commercial?” he asked.
“Yeah. You’re up next though. Hope your woman’s watching back at home.”
Gage took a swig of his water once more. “Me too.”
Carly eyed the ridiculous sight before her with wonder. Both Mom and Jill were on a frantic mission to find the TV remote, something Carly hadn’t spotted in months. Not that it mattered.
“I told you guys I never watch TV out here,” she said in her defense. “I usually only watch the one in my room.”
Her mom froze in place. A throw pillow dropped from Jill’s grip. “Can you turn that one on?”
Carly shrugged. “Sure.”
The two women broke into a race for Carly’s room. “How?” Jill hollered. “Hurry, Carly, come here.”
With the shake of her head, Carly scurried into the room behind them, chuckling under her breath. “I didn’t know you two were so addicted to…what’s the name of the show you’re looking for?”
Jill had already found the bedroom’s remote. She pointed it at the screen while nearly jogging in place. “You’ll see,” she breathed, eyes squinted at the screen.
“Special guest, Gage Craven.”
Carly threw a hand over her mouth as she gasped.
She shuffled sideways toward the bench at the foot of her bed, eyes pasted on the sight of Gage in a three-piece suit.
Just the sight made her ache and swoon all at once.
It was all that it took to unravel her. Her defenses, her fears, were replaced by a deep sense of longing.
“Thank you,” Gage said.
“We understand that during your time at an undisclosed resort, you fell for your surfing instructor,” Tristi said. “Is that a fair statement?”
Gage nodded. “Yes.”
“Sources say that it was a lot like paradise for the two of you,” Brock said. “All the feels of a new relationship. But can you tell us about how things went wrong, and what you’d like to do, with Star Chat’s help, to make it right?”
“Sure, Brock.” Gage leveled a look at the camera, and Carly felt it all the way down to her sock-covered feet.
“I can’t believe this is happening,” Jill said in a whisper.
“It’s so romantic,” her mom gushed.
“I won’t go into too much about how we fell in love,” Gage said, “but I will say that we did.”
Jill jumped up and down at her end of the room. “That was on live TV, Carly. He’s not hiding it.”
The warm tingles radiating throughout Carly’s frame said she was registering that fact for herself.
Gage continued. “Pictures started to show up of the two of us on the beach, so we tried keeping things behind closed doors.”
“Sounds right,” Brock said. “You want to protect this woman that you’re falling in love with.”
Gage nodded. “Exactly. I hoped to keep her name out of the press until I finished filming. I knew I’d be gone for a whole month, and the last thing I wanted was for her to be hounded while I was away.”
Tristi piped up next. “The paparazzi can get aggressive,” she said. “I’m sure that’s not a surprised to any of you folks at home. And they got hold of some private information anyway, correct?”
The mere question poked at that wounded spot in Carly’s heart.
“Right,” Gage said. “They discovered Carly’s full name—luckily they didn’t divulge her last name—and exposed a private piece of her past.”
“That being the loss of an infant when she was just eighteen years old,” Brock said in a sober tone. “Our viewers want to know if it was something you already knew about.”
“Yes,” Gage said. “This was not only a very private matter, but also the most painful experience she, and I assume the infant’s father, had ever gone through.”
“We understand that early on in the pregnancy, doctors knew the infant wouldn’t survive, is that correct?” Tristi said.
“Yes. She had a condition. It’s called anencephaly.
It’s believed that chances of that condition and others are greatly decreased when the mother takes folic acid prior to pregnancy.
For that reason, I’d like to help raise awareness by taking donations for the NBDPN—that’s the National Birth Defects Prevention Network, right here on the show. ”
“Wow…” Carly managed. “That’s the one I told Gage about.” Doses of shock and excitement exploded within her. She could hardly believe her ears.
“That’s right,” Tristi assured, squaring a look into the lens. “The website address should be on your screen at home now. Go to that if you’d like to donate or learn more about the defect that took this woman’s infant child.”
Tristi angled herself to face Gage. “Now, lets talk about why this information leak was painful in more ways than one. Would you like to explain?”
Gage nodded. “They didn’t simply reveal the fact that this young couple had lost their child.
The articles implied the parents had something to hide on the matter, and that simply wasn’t the case.
To even suggest such a thing shows not only negligence, but a complete disregard for what the families suffered. ”
Carly pressed her hands to her cheeks as tears welled up in her eyes. He knew how much this hurt her. He cared. And he wanted to make things right, even though it hadn’t been his fault.
Brock shook his head. “That’s a real shame.
You’ll notice that we here at Star Chat chose not to report on the story.
We may like to add a splash of Hollywood gossip into your day, but we carefully screen the topics we report.
And to make up for where other entertainment shows lack, we’d like to help by matching whatever funds are raised on behalf of this charity. ”
“Woohoo!” Carly’s mother cheered with a fist in the air.
Jill squealed and clapped.
“I appreciate that,” Gage said with a nod.
A tally appeared in the lower corner, showing a growing number of funds coming in. Carly couldn’t believe the moment was real. It seemed more like some sort of fairytale. Gage coming to her rescue like a noble prince on a galloping steed. Ready to defend her honor.
“So lastly,” Tristi piped. “When we spoke with Mark Craven earlier in the month, he told us that you and your instructor weren’t serious.
In fact, he went on to assure America’s hopefuls that you’d be on the market by the time your movie hit the screen.
Has that changed now? Does your family know how you feel about this woman? ”
“They do,” Gage said with a nod.
“Over the years,” Brock started, “you’ve been spotted with popular socialite Diana McCarthy. Word has it that your father was hoping you’d give her another chance. Is that true?”
Gage tipped his head. “He’s spoken with me about her recently, yes. But I think Diana and I both agree that we’re not a great match.”
“Oh my gosh,” Jill and Mom gushed in unison.
“That was probably what you overheard,” Jill mumbled.
“I guess it might have been,” Carly said with a nod. Relief washed through her at the idea. Another dose of tingly excitement did too. Could this really be happening?
“So I guess the question is,” Tristi said, her serious-face in full gear, “does your famous father approve of this relationship?”
There it was, that sneaky word Carly had warned him about during their very first date. She leaned in, knowing how much the seemingly harmless question meant to Gage.
He lifted his shoulders and peered into the lens.
Carly’s heart skipped a dozen beats in the short pause.
“I can honestly say that I don’t care either way.”
Brock gave him a nod. “That’s a good man.”
“I do, however,” Gage added, “feel confident that once my parents meet Carly, they’ll be as crazy about her as I am.”
“So what’s the final thing you’d like to say before you head out and practice all those moves your instructor taught you?”
Gage grinned. “First, I just ask that the tabloids who printed the misleading article retract it so that my lawyers and I aren’t forced to pursue sticky lawsuits, which we’re prepared to do.
Second, I ask that you all consider donating to the cause posted on your screen.
In a case like this one, education can literally save lives.
And lastly, I have something to say to Carly.
” His eyes narrowed as he locked his gaze.
“I fall deeper and deeper for you every day. I love you, and I very much hope to marry you one day.”
“Whoa,” Brock said.
Tristi fanned her face. “Lucky girl.”
“I’ll say,” her mom mumbled from her spot on the bench.
Jill, who hadn’t managed to hold still the entire time, clapped her hands. “That was amazing.”
“Marry him one day?” Carly floated on those words as she came to her feet and walked toward the screen. She stared at Gage’s handsome face until they went to commercial, then spun around and started jumping in place like Jill.
Her mother joined too, the three gripping hands and squealing like schoolgirls.
“You have to go to him,” Jill said, stilling the celebration dance. “You were going to go back tomorrow night anyway. Go now, so you can see Gage before he leaves.”
Carly nodded. “Okay, yeah. I think I will.” She considered the events leading up to the show. “How did you guys know Gage was going to be on TV?”
Jill grinned. “Christian called the house number. Mom answered. He told us all about it and said whatever we did, we had to get you in front of that screen.”
Carly’s smile grew. “I’m so glad you did.”
With the help of her mom and her sister, Carly got packed up and ready to go. It was time to push those fears aside once and for all and see what kind of life she might have. Time to get started on that happily ever after.