The Set Piece

by Catherine Lane

  “What is it, son?”

  Diego sighed deeply and rushed his next words out. “Mama, I think I like men.”

  Isabella’s eyes went wide, and she sank down into the chair reaching for the armrest to steady herself. So many emotions rushed across her face, Amy couldn’t unscramble them all. Finally, she dropped her gaze to her hands. Diego waited with baited breath, and his nervousness reached across the kitchen to grab Amy. When Isabella finally looked up, a fierce determination had settled over her features. “I know.”

  Both Amy and Diego sighed almost in unison. Amy bit her lip to prevent a smile of triumph. She had called it. Isabella had known all along.

  “But you two have an arrangement, right?” Isabella asked.

  Now Amy started in surprise.

  “An arrangement?” Diego echoed her thoughts.

  “Sure. Where you go out and do…whatever you need to do, but you always come home to Amy in the end. You’ll get married and there’ll be grandchildren and family vacations and a life outside of that other…issue?”

  Shit. Amy hadn’t seen that coming. Isabella had known about Diego, but she thought that this thing with her was real too.

  “No, Mama.” Diego’s voice was low and sad. “We’re not going to get married.”

  “Why not?” Tears sprang to her eyes. “You’re great together.”

  Diego pursed his lips and shook his head. “She’s just a beard. I pay her to be my girlfriend. Amy’s helping me out so I can keep my endorsements. This whole thing’s a farce.”

  Another long silence. So long Amy wished she could turn back time so she and Diego could take it all back.

  “Okay.” Isabella rose, and started to gather up the brochures on the table. With something between a choke and a laugh, she let them drop back on the table. They scattered, the swish of paper deafening in the silence. As was the click of her heels as she moved to the door without a word. There, she paused for a moment and a sliver of hope ran through Amy. Would Isabella say something to salvage the situation, or at least give Diego some hope for the future? Surely she could step up and be the bigger person whatever she felt about Diego’s sexuality?

  Diego closed his eyes waiting for her next move. Finally, Isabella raised a hand to pat his shoulder but froze an inch away from touching him. She couldn’t let it drop onto him. She turned and left without a word.

  “That’s it, then.” Diego stiffened as the door shut.

  “No, it’s not.” Amy moved toward him, until she saw the pain in his face and stopped short. “She’ll come around.” Her voice had lost the confidence from before.

  “Maybe, but for now it has come between us.” He rubbed his chin in despair.

  “Diego, I am so sorry.” And she was. It was ironic. She would have given anything to have had this conversation, no matter how heartbreaking, with her own mother. Diego would always have the honesty of this day to fall back on, whatever happened next.

  “Fuck!” Clearly he wasn’t there yet. “I was so stupid to think I could control all this. Or let Paul do it for me. First Rob, now my own mother. I am so totally screwed!” He stormed for the door. “I can kiss the national team goodbye if this gets out. This is all your fault!” A minute later, Amy heard the deep rumble of his car as it flew out of the driveway.

  Amy felt a familiar churning in her stomach. This job was going to give her an ulcer. He was right on some level. Her advice had pushed him forward, maybe faster than he could cope with. Could she fix it? Yes, she thought she could, and she would start with Rob.

  She rushed back to the gym, but it was empty. Rob was long gone. No evidence remained of the crazy drama that had unfolded a short time before. Except for a corner of a photo peeked out from under the leg press machine. It was the fake porn picture that had pushed Diego over the edge. Rob must have forgotten it in his rush to get out of there, or left behind it in some twisted attempt to get to Diego.

  She flinched at the image. Diego and Rob were naked. Diego held out his erect penis as Rob went down on him. It was a horrible forgery. Their heads were obviously patched on to fake bodies, but still the overall impact was aggressive and sordid. Diego was right; Rob was crazy. Who knew what he might do next?

  Her phone beeped. It was a text from Knight. Rob’s called a meeting. Can’t get a hold of Diego. WTF is going on? GET IN HERE ASAP!

  A stab of pain shot through her stomach. Man, Rob was fast. What was he planning now?

  Her fingers flew as she texted Casey. Urgent. Meet me at Horowitz’s now. Bring your phone.

  Jenna leapt up as soon Amy came through the doors.

  “Ms. Kimball. Were we expecting you? Do you have an appointment?”

  “An impromptu one. Upstairs.” Amy marveled at the control in her voice.

  “Ah…I’ll just check on that.” Jenna grabbed for the phone.

  “Don’t bother, Jenna,” Paul Knight appeared behind Amy. “Amy has an appointment. I’ll take her up.”

  Amy watched his eyes settle on Jenna’s chest before he took Amy by the elbow and directed her to the elevator. Once inside she shook off his grasp.

  “Do you want to tell me what this is all about?” Knight hissed at her. “Do you know why Rob called this meeting?”

  “No. But this is what you get for meddling in someone else’s life just so you can get a few bucks.”

  “What? Rob is coming over for reasons he won’t disclose after you were investigating him. What did you do?”

  “Me?” Amy’s voice cracked. “You’re pinning this all on me? After you told me to go after him? This is not my fault.” It was then she knew with all certainly that come hell or high water she was getting out of this arrangement today. No matter what.

  Horowitz’s secretary, Rachel, greeted them as soon as they stepped off the elevator.

  “Mr. Knight. Ms. Kimball. Good morning.”

  “Is he in?” Knight tilted his head back toward the corner office.

  “Yes. But he’s not happy about this sudden meeting.”

  “Neither am I.” Knight threw a livid look at Amy. She bit her lip. The pressure was mounting. Casey had better get here soon.

  “Can I get you a coffee or tea?” Rachel asked.

  “Latte for me, Rachel.” Knight headed for the glass door at the end of the corridor.

  “And a latte for me, too. Thank you so much for making it.” She met Rachel’s gaze, and the older woman titled her head almost imperceptibly. “Actually could you bring me two? Someone else is joining us.”

  Horowitz was in a mood. His jacket hung over the back of his chair. Several crumpled balls of legal pad paper lay around the trash can.

  “Did you find out what this is about, Paul?” Horowitz thundered as soon as they opened the door.

  “No, Miss Smarty-Pants here hasn’t said a word.”

  “I’ve solved the Photoshop mystery.” She shrugged. Let them suck that up.

  Horowitz stopped scribbling and gave Amy his full attention. “Well, young lady, who’s behind it?”

  Rachel arrived with their coffees.

  Amy waited for her to leave.

  “Are you actually going to tell us something?” Knight butted in before she could speak. “We’re not here for the coffee. This isn’t Starbucks, you know.”

  Amy’s heart started thudding in her chest. Without Casey and her ammunition there was absolutely nowhere to go with this. She opened her mouth to stall when the office door whooshed behind her.

  Rachel escorted Casey in. She looked crisp and businesslike in a soft, yellow blouse and gray slacks. She managed to look fresh and sharp, despite the hot day and the bad-tempered meeting.

  “Finally. Let’s get started. This better be good,” Knight said.

  Casey was shown to a chair, and Rachel departed.

  Horowitz shrugged back into his jacket and
made the meeting official.

  “Casey, show them the video of Rob in the den,” Amy said.

  “Okay.” Casey picked up her lead and ran with it. “You want good? This is the best.”

  Knight stood so close to Casey as the video played that eventually she rolled her eyes, gave him the phone, and moved over to Amy.

  “I got you a coffee.”

  Casey took the cup Amy offered and fixed her with a look. “What’s with the video?” she asked softly. “We don’t have enough on Rob. I thought we agreed last night you were going to demand to get out of the contract.”

  “A lot has happened since then. I’ll tell you later,” Amy said. “You look great by the way.” Having Casey by her side made her feel she could actually pull this off.

  Knight slapped the phone against his palm when the screen went dead. “Okay. Who’s going to tell me why we’re watching Diego’s trainer play with some shit on the mantel?”

  “If you look closely, Paul,” Amy said, “you’ll see that he isn’t playing with stuff on the mantel. He’s putting back a framed photograph of me and Diego, and I bet an altered version of it has already arrived at this office.” She looked at Horowitz.

  He and Knight exchanged glances. Horowitz pushed a button on the phone. “Rachel, can you please bring in that envelope I sent down to…processing.”

  “That’s what you call it?” Amy laughed.

  Rachel appeared seconds later with a tan padded envelope addressed to Diego Torres by care of the law office. Horowitz slid the picture out and showed it to Amy. “You mean this one?”

  The background was exactly the same, perfect snow-capped mountains, but in the foreground Diego had his arm slung lovingly around a handsome man. Amy hated to admit it, but somehow he looked happier in this incarnation.

  “Yes.”

  “Okay, so Rob’s behind all this. But we need real evidence, because what I see here wouldn’t stand up in court,” Horowitz said calmly.

  “I want out of my contract.” Amy cut to the chase.

  “What?” Knight said.

  “Stop talking, Ms. Kimball.” Horowitz inclined his head to Casey.

  “Too late. She already knows.”

  “That’s a major breach.” Horowitz stared at her.

  “Not if I deliver the evidence. The kind that stands up in court and stops Rob in his tracks. In return, you tear up my contract. Believe me, Diego will want it that way as well. I’m surprised he’s not over here demanding it right now.” She shrugged. “I’ll give you two weeks’ notice. Diego and I can break up any way you want—within reason, of course. I can be the bad guy, take the fall, and Diego can come out smelling like a rose. Maybe his popularity will spike?”

  “No way. This isn’t what we bought from you.” Knight took a threatening step forward. Casey bristled, ready to defend Amy if needed.

  Amy put a hand on her arm holding her back. “I’ll keep everything I know a secret. Look, I just can’t do it anymore.”

  “Why?” Knight asked. “Is this about money? Do you want more?”

  Amy looked at Casey and tilted her head in an unspoken question. Casey nodded.

  “No, it’s about her.” She slid her hand down until their fingers intertwined. Chances for happiness didn’t come around all that often. “I want her.”

  “And she’s already got me. So you better say yes, because you have no leverage,” Casey added, squeezing Amy’s hand tight.

  Knight plopped down on a chair, completely deflated, his anger rushed out of him. “For Christ’s sake. You have got to be kidding me.”

  “Well, if I am, your joke is my reality. Do we have a deal? The contract in exchange for stopping Rob in his tracks? I can stop the blackmail or whatever he’s up to.”

  “We could always do our own investigation, Ms. Kimball.” Horowitz’s tone wasn’t dismissive, though. He looked at Amy with real respect.

  “You could. And probably do it better than I can. But can you do it in five minutes? Rob’s on his way, and I have direct evidence.” The phrase jumped easily to her lips; the one pre-law class in college wasn’t a total waste after all.

  “She’s got us by the short hairs,” Knight said sorrowfully to Horowitz.

  “Yes. She always was a little too smart for this game, and we need to put those pictures to bed more than we need to put Diego in bed with her,” Horowitz said.

  “Agreed. But I don’t like her running the show.” They talked over the heads of Amy and Casey as if they weren’t there.

  “Let’s see what she’s got,” Horowitz disagreed. “But we’re not going to tear up the contract until we have a full confession.” Horowitz expression turned steely as he pinned his gaze on Casey. “There’s my leverage, young lady.”

  “Okay. That’s fine,” Amy said, hoping that she sounded surer than she felt. The rest of the plan was decidedly less solid than what had just transpired.

  As they waited for Rob to arrive, Rachel fetched the contract in question which Horowitz ceremoniously placed in the center of his blotter. He then picked up the phone and spoke in quiet tones to someone giving explicit and lengthy directions. Knight sat sulking on his cell phone, leaving Amy and Casey to their own devices. They drifted over to the huge glass window that overlooked the entire Valley.

  “Can you really stop the blackmail?” Casey leaned in close. “Did you get something else?”

  “No, I lied, and I’m going to have to keep on lying if this is going to work.” Their heads touched like a couple of schoolgirls whispering during a class lecture.

  “Isn’t that exactly what we’re trying to get out of doing?”

  “I know. You’re right. But at this moment a lie to be able to live the truth seems like a fair trade,” Amy said, though her thoughts rolled the opposite direction. She knew that lies had a way of exploding right in the liar’s face.

  “Does it?” Casey asked. “Are you sure that’s a trade you want to make?”

  “I don’t know. But this whole thing has always been so messed up. And now Diego’s MIA. That’s why we have to get out. Can you think of a better way?”

  Casey shook her head in reply.

  The door flew open.

  “I’m suing Diego Torres for assault!” Rob’s entrance was aggressive. He banged the glass door so violently it jammed open. The unflappable Rachel trailed after him.

  “Mr. O’Brien,” she announced as if Rob had just entered a ballroom, “and Mr. Wallace.”

  A greasy, little man trailed after Rob. He wore a cheap polyester suit and a bad comb-over.

  Rob pointed to a purple bruise that was just starting to form around his eye. “Look what he did to me. You think he’s going to be able to ignore me now?”

  “Please join us, Mr. O’Brien. And Mr. Wallace, you are?” Horowitz came out in front of the desk offering Wallace his hand.

  “I’m representing my cousin. I mean Mr. O’Brien. I’m his attorney.” They shook, and Wallace puffed out his chest. “I’m afraid we have a very sticky situation on our hands.” He was getting off playing with the big boys.

  “And it’s about to get even stickier.” Horowitz leaned against the desk, giving Amy the floor. “Your show, Ms. Kimball.”

  “Hello, Rob.” Amy began haltingly. The antagonism on Rob’s face threw her.

  “Why are you here?” he snapped. “Haven’t you done enough damage?”

  Oh, we’re just getting started. She slid the doctored picture of Diego out of the envelope and held it up. It shook in her hand. Rob was going to have to take them the last few yards himself.

  “I’ve never seen that picture before in my life.” He crossed his arms.

  Amy let out a breath she didn’t even know she was holding. Rob had shown all his cards with his choice of words. He had exposed his jugular, and now she had to go for it.

 
“I think you have. I think you stole the original, created this, and then sent it to these gentlemen here.”

  “Where’s your proof?” He was belligerent, unware of the trap closing in around him

  “Casey?” Casey had the video clip set up and cued. She played it for Rob and Wallace. Amy didn’t watch the screen like everyone else. Her gaze was riveted to Rob’s face. She observed him flinch, and when he saw himself pull the framed photograph out of his bag, he paled. When the video clip ended Amy let the reality of the situation settle on him for a moment.

  “You’re lying when you say you haven’t seen that photograph before.”

  “I haven’t seen that photograph before.” He persisted in digging himself in further by pointing to the picture in her hand. “All you got is that I look at Diego’s stuff and sometimes carry it around with me in my bag when I’m at his house. You can’t prove I take anything off the premises.” He shrugged. “Okay, so it’s weird. Last time I checked, being weird wasn’t illegal.” He glanced over at his cousin who had the audacity to wink back.

  Amy dropped the photograph back onto Horowitz’s desk. The moment was here. All she had to do now was tell one simple lie to trap Rob. The problem was that regardless of whether it worked or not, just by telling it, she joined the ranks of Knight and Horowitz. Liars by trade and choice. Her lie was for a good cause, but the second she said it out loud she’d be no better than they were.

  The real truth, which had been circling around her for weeks, landed hard in her thoughts. There was no easy way out for any of them. Parents died, knees tore apart, the men you loved didn’t love you back. Casey was right: everyone had a hard luck story. She needed to grow up and realize that as difficult as the next couple of minutes would be for her and Rob, this was the only way out. For all of them.

  Amy looked over at Horowitz, who watched her with real encouragement. She threw a quick glance at Casey who nodded back. Finally, she turned to Rob who was shaking his head back and forth, firm in his denial.

  “You don’t have anything on me. And, frankly, Diego’s the one in the hot seat and he’s going to pay.” He touched the bruise on his face.

  “Come on, get over yourself, Rob. You know I saw you both in the gym today.”