Chapter 73 The Negotiation
“Maybe there is a prince...” Hallie began, not knowing exactly how to complete the sentence. She had to improvise, and felt she was on the verge of being in “the zone”.
“Really?!” Perry perked up at once.
“But here’s the thing. I don’t think he’s ready to meet you, and it wouldn’t be a good idea to go barging in there.”
“But why not?”
“Trust me. This is all Terry’s doing. She’s hoping to embarrass me, and you’d be playing right into her hand by going in there.”
“You expect me to not go in there after you’ve told me I could get an interview with a real royal?” Perry exclaimed.
Hallie felt like shaking him. “Have you forgotten what Terry is like? Remember when she told everyone I had rabies in the third grade?”
Perry shook his head, his eyes filled with painful memories. “Yeah, that was something. I was terrified.”
“It didn’t do anyone any good, except Terry, right?”
“Right!”
At this moment, Terry herself came out the front door, hurtling straight for them.
“What are you still doing out here, Perry?” she yelled. “I thought you were going to make some news headlines.”
“This is the same kind of situation,” Hallie said, feeling desperate. “So if you’re my friend, you’ll leave it alone and not give Terry the advantage.”
“Your friend, huh?” Perry looked down and chewed on his lip in discontentment. “Some friend, who doesn’t even want to be my backup singer.”
“I told you, Perry, it wouldn’t work. I can’t sing!”
Gritting her jaw, Terry grabbed the hapless journalist’s arm and started pulling him towards the house. “This is no time to be catching up on high school drama. You get over there right now and tell that story!”
“Terry, leave him alone!” Hallie grabbed his other arm and held him back.
“Ouch!” Perry yelled. “You’re both crazy!” He extricated himself from Hallie’s grip, then took a few steps towards the house. “I’ll do it, but not because you’re forcing me to.”
“Fine,” Terry hurled his arm free. “Let’s go then.”
Hallie stepped in front of him. “I’ll be in your music video,” she said, almost unable to believe the words that were coming out of her own mouth.
Perry was stunned too. “What?”
“I’ll do it. I’m just not going to sing, but I could be—I don’t know... a dancer or something?”
“Oh!” Perry’s eyes went wide. “A dancer, that would be—”
“Hey, we’re losing sight of the goal here,” Terry prompted, snapping her fingers.
“Would you really do it?” Perry asked.
“Yes, if you turn around right now and go back in your van and drive away.”
“But what am I going to tell the news station?” he asked with a mopey expression.
“Tell them it was a hoax or something,” Hallie suggested, casting a nervous glance back at the house. At least no one else had come out to join them.
“Don’t you dare!” Terry yelled. “I’m not giving you any more news tips after this.”
“Will you wear a bikini?” Perry asked, cringing away as if he expected her to slap him.
“Fine,” Hallie said, “Whatever. Just get out of here.”
“Okay. You’re the best!” Signaling for his camera man to move out, Perry dashed for the van.
Terry watched them leave, almost as if waiting for him to change his mind at the last second.
Finally, she turned to Hallie and said, “You’re no fun.”
“Actually, I’m very fun. Haven’t you heard, I’m going to wear a bikini?”
Terry made a sneering face at her and turned back towards the house.
Everyone greeted Hallie with applause on her return.
“Thanks for getting rid of that reporter, girls,” her mama said.
“Any time,” Terry replied with a proud smile.
“I thought you were pulling that reporter towards the house, Terry,” Luke remarked with a malicious grin.
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Terry replied, “That was just part of my strategy to confuse him.”
“What was all the fuss about, anyway?” Sam asked.
“Oh, it was just a case of misunderstanding,” Hallie said, “Someone misinformed Perry about some prize cows being available for viewing here. I wonder if they got it mixed up with Bob’s prize chickens.”
She looked over at Terry, waiting to see if she would try to argue, but only got a sour smirk from her. Evidently, Terry wasn’t ready to announce to everyone that Luke was a prince, not without the fanfare of a news team.
The older family members relaxed as they returned to their dinner. After the meal was over, Luke came over to Hallie and walked alongside her as she headed back to her bedroom.
“Thanks for that,” he said. “I guess that reporter was probably there because of me?”
“I didn’t do it for you,” she said with a tired sigh.
After the private humiliation of his kissing Terry, she didn’t much feel like being publicly humiliated by appearing in a music video.
However, it was better than having Luke outed as a prince in front of the entire family. She would never hear the end of it.
“Well, thanks anyway.” He smiled with a warmth that reminded her of their fun times together. “Can I talk to you, alone?”