“Are you saying there is someone in your life? You’re gonna break some hearts if that’s the case!”
Keith nods, his smile widening before dimming by half. “Well, yes . . . but there’s more to it. You see, when that story broke, I did have a young woman in my life, but not the way everyone thought. I’m not much for dating. It’s kind of hard to do when you’re . . . a single father.”
The host plays it well. She can’t have been that stupid to not see the similarity between Keith and Carsen, but to anyone at home, you’d think she’d just been kicked in the gut she’s so shocked. Her mouth gapes open and closed a few times like a fish before she speaks. “A father? Oh, my.”
Keith nods, his voice gaining strength as he gets into his tale. “You see, for a long time, my daughter, Carsen, and I have been a team, along with my sister, who’s the biggest help ever. Carsen has been my number-one priority, and part of that responsibility was keeping her safe. I felt that the best way to do that was to keep her out of the public eye. She’s a twelve-year-old girl. She deserves to have a normal childhood, and that’s what I’ve worked damn hard to give her.”
The host nods supportively, her eyes cutting to Carsen as I see a production assistant tap Carsen on the elbow. “So your daughter, Carsen. Is that the young lady I see off-set here? Carsen, would you like to join us?”
Keith nods, turning to look at us, and Carsen bravely walks to Keith, sitting down next to him on the couch as the host looks on with a smile.
“Wow, so very nice to meet you, Carsen! It must be awesome to have the one and only Keith Perkins as your dad.”
Carsen smiles, looking at Keith and taking his hand. “I guess. To me, he’s just Dad though. He makes me do my homework, clean up my room, all that stuff.”
The host laughs, turning her attention to Keith. “So, you’ve kept Carsen a secret for all these years. What’s changed now?”
Keith smiles, but it’s bittersweet. “Well, after that article came out, my record label got the brilliant idea that I should do a series of interviews so a reporter could write an all-access story about me. Maybe you’ve seen them?”
The host nods, totally engrossed in every word of Keith’s story. “Of course I have. Actually, I have printed copies of them backstage in my dressing room. Maybe you can sign them later?”
Keith chuckles. “Sure. I’d be happy to do that for you. So, the interviews were going well, but the real news wasn’t what was in the articles. It was the reporter, Elise Warner. During the process of the interviews, I fell in love with her, and she fell in love with me. We’ve been dating for a little while now. Carsen and she get along well, and we’re just trying to find our way.”
For the first time, the host looks genuinely shocked, and she looks over at me, her eyes a mix of go, girl! and I hate you, bitch! She looks back at Keith, her grin still mostly professional but at the same time, she’s eating this news scoop right up. “Wow! A daughter and a new love interest! Can Elise come out too?”
I squeeze Sarah’s hand, wishing I could take her with me, but we’d decided that it’d be best for her to stay off-camera. It’s not her style, and besides, it’s good for at least one of us to stay unrecognizable.
With a shiver of nerves, I head over to sit beside Carsen. Keith stands up and gives me a hug, which eases my nerves a little bit. And when we all sit down, he stretches a long arm out along the couch back, marking us both as his.
“Welcome, Elise! I must admit, I’m a bit jealous and I imagine there must be thousands . . . I take that back, millions of women with shattered dreams right now. Tell us, how’d you claim this one?” She smiles as she points at Keith with a thumb.
She laughs a bit, but as far as I’m concerned, she’s right. Keith doesn’t give me a chance, though, leaning forward and shaking his head. “I’m the one who needed to claim her. Elise is a great woman, and I’m lucky she puts up with my grumpy ass.”
Carsen giggles and looks over. “Dad, you can’t say ass on TV!”
We all laugh a little, and the host jumps in. “Don’t worry, we’re on a ten-second delay. So . . . wow! What an announcement! We appreciate your sharing with our viewers this morning. What prompted you to come forward and not stay mum like usual?”
Keith’s smile falls, and his face clouds as he lets a hint of his anger pierce the happy buzz of this morning’s announcements. “Well, that’s the bad side of this business. Most people have been nothing but positive and are happy to read stories about my background and music. I’ve tried when I do go out to perform to give back to them, because I know if it wasn’t for them, I’d be still working honky tonks out in Boise. But there are others out for blood and dirt and any juicy tidbit they can find. Vultures, that’s what I call them. And they take that information and exploit it, looking for a way to make a buck off someone else’s life. I was recently given an ultimatum to either pay three point five million dollars hush money to one of these people, or he would publish a story exposing Carsen’s existence. Total blackmail.”
The host gasps, and I can see the crew members’ shock and disgust. These people might like a little titillation themselves, but they’re legit journalists, not tabloid bottom-feeders. “Oh, my gosh, that’s awful! I’m so sorry.”
One of the camera guys adjusts his angle to get what I assume is a full-frame close-up of Keith as he continues. “This man had his mistress, who is also a reporter, follow us . . . me, Elise, Carsen, and my sister. She took pictures of all of us, both in public and in private, using a telephoto lens, which is illegal and feels like such a personal violation. He was counting on his belief that he had all the power because he knew about my desire to keep Carsen out of the public eye.” Keith pauses, his eyes meeting Carsen’s with an apology obvious in the stress on his face. “So my choices were to pay him off or let him publish the story, which would let him get richer from clicks and sales. I couldn’t let that happen. Schemers like that shouldn’t be rewarded for their misdeeds.”
The host nods. “So, by coming forward on your own, you preemptively cut him off at the knees?”
Keith nods. “I just want the opportunity to tell the truth of my story. I have a daughter, who is an amazing young woman, and I’m in love with Elise Warner, who through some stroke of luck is actually in love with me too. And as much of a bombshell as I know this is, I hope everyone will be respectful in their handling of this news and not overwhelm my family.”
Keith looks at Carsen, then me, and I can feel his gaze like a physical touch, knowing that he’ll protect us no matter what. The host is obviously trying to think of a next question, and when she touches her ear, I know that someone in the booth is feeding her words because she’s so stunned.
Finally, she gets it together. “Wow, Keith. That’s horrifying, and I’m so sorry that’s happened, but I’m glad you came to Good Morning! to dispel any rumors before they got started.” Her voice takes on a more serious tone as she asks, “Can you tell us who attempted to blackmail you?”
There’s a sense of breath-holding suspense as I see more than one person lean forward, eager to see if Keith is going to name names. While all of them show some signs of disgust at the idea of blackmail, they’ve all got the secret shame that they’re just as gossipy as the next person, wanting to feed on someone’s secrets. To some degree, it’s human nature to be nosy, but this is well beyond curiosity.
“Yes, the man who tried to blackmail me is Donnie Jardine, the editor-in-chief at The Daily Spot. The reporter who took the illegal photos and was complicit in his plan is Francesca Knauss, also of the The Daily Spot.”
The host’s eyes snap to me, her eyes widening. “Elise, isn’t that the online magazine you work for? The one who’s published your articles about Keith?”
I nod, knowing this was something we’d have to answer. “Yes, it is. Donnie Jardine is my boss.” I look directly into the camera. “However, effectively immediately, I quit.”
Chapter 26
Keith
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nbsp; My strength holds out until we get backstage, where in the dressing room, I’ve had enough. I sag into the couch, too exhausted to even unbutton my shirt.
“Enough . . . no more,” I say, leaning back. “Tell the whole world to piss off.”
“Once we get home,” Elise says, kneeling next to me. “You can let us take care of you . . . family.”
I nod, leaning back and attempting to relax for a second. I shouldn’t be so tired, but that was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. I’ve spent so long keeping quiet about Carsen, and serving her up on a fucking platter for the morning news went against every code of honor I have. But I have to trust that it’s the right call.
Carsen’s privacy is a fucking impossibility now, though, because as we’re leaving the studio garage, the driver and bodyguard are talking up front in code. But I know what they’re saying.
There are paparazzi right outside the garage waiting for us. How the hell did they get over here so damn fast? After the interview, we whisked through the back halls and were out in minutes.
But they’re already here like vultures, waiting to snap and pick at the remains of our privacy even after I’ve literally given them everything I have and more than I ever wanted to.
“Just get us home safely,” I call up front, leaning back into the leather seats. “I can’t do any more publicity today.”
“Of course, sir. Make sure everyone’s buckled up back there . . . sometimes, I have to punch it.”
Carsen seems to be handling it well so far, still smiling, and it brightens my mood just a little.
As we drive out of the garage, the paparazzi swarm the SUV with their cameras and phones and faces pressed up against the glass. They’re knocking and slapping at the windows, their yells a jumble of noise I can’t understand except for my name over and over. Carsen cringes, the fun of being a ‘celebrity’ temporarily snuffed out, and she gets her first scary lesson in the price of her new identity.
Donnie, if I do see you again, I’d love to shove my fist so far up your ass people would think you’re a puppet. Damn you for doing this to my little girl, I think in anger toward Donnie, even as a wave of guilt washes over me at the part I might’ve played in this mess too.
I realize the driver is barely rolling and look out the front window, seeing a group of daredevil cameramen standing in front of the vehicle, their lenses zooming through the untinted front windshield to try and get a shot of us in the back.
“Mother truckers,” I growl, censoring myself at the last second. I’d say run them over but that’s probably not a good idea. “Should we just keep rolling or do we need to stop?”
The driver and guard don’t even respond to me. They’re too busy doing their thing. It makes me glad that they’re here and that they’re well-trained for these situations.
Deciding I’d be better served by not distracting them, I turn my attention to my family sitting around me. Carsen and Elise both look horrified while Sarah just looks disgusted, but all of their heads are whipping back and forth, taking in the swarm still calling out and banging on the vehicle. Hearing a particularly hard slap behind me, I whirl around to see several reporters behind us too. We’re completely surrounded on all four sides, barely inching forward as the horde moves step by step with us.
“Oh my God, Keith! I had no idea. I’m so sorry . . . is it always like this?” Elise asks, her voice small, but there’s an undercurrent of anger. That’s my girl.
I can feel Carsen’s eyes on me, wide with fear, and I try to reassure them. “No, it’s not usually like this at all. Maybe at some kind of awards show, where there’s lots of media coverage and cameras flashing, but even then, it’s nothing like this. Especially not in my daily life. No one usually follows me around, desperate to get pics. Still, might be a good idea to lie low for a bit until this whole thing dies down. Guess it’s a good thing the house is stocked with everything we need for a few days.”
Elise finally tears her eyes away from the chaos surrounding us and looks at me. “Right. I guess that Plan W-T-F is going into play?” she deadpans, but there’s still a touch of fear even as she tries to joke.
A small smile plays at the corners of my mouth, even though we’re still in a rather precarious situation. I reach over and hold Carsen’s hand, giving it a little squeeze.
“It’ll be fine, honey. I promise.”
After a few more minutes of tension-filled progress, we make our way into the street and the driver is able to find a hole in the human shield surrounding us, speeding up and getting us out of the area by punching it through a yellow light. Once we hit the highway, we all breathe a sigh of relief, the pressure ratcheting down as we put miles between us and the studio.
There are several idiots gathered around the house as we approach, but they’re outside the gate and they move out of the way as we go on through. As bad as it was, I know it could’ve been much worse, but thankfully, we’re home safe and sound now.
Heading inside, I see Elise and Sarah already getting out the coffee for us and hot chocolate for Carsen. Carsen is pulling off her ‘fancy’ clothes as soon as she steps inside, eager to get comfortable.
“I don’t know if I want to be a celebrity,” she says, looking out the window. “Guess there won’t be too many girls-only shopping sprees in the future.”
“Oh, I don’t know about that. If we need to, maybe we can get a cool female bodyguard, like our own personal Wonder Woman,” Elise says thoughtfully, giving Carsen a comforting smile. She turns the stove on, pouring milk in a pot to warm it. “Come on. Hot cocoa with marshmallows always make everything seem better.” I appreciate the calm and sweet way Elise is handling this with Carsen, helping her find a moment of lightness even as we’re all freaked out.
Carsen smiles back, but it’s weak and I know she’s pretty shaken up by what happened. There’s a big piece of me that wants to just gather her in my arms and run away where no one would be the wiser, keep her safe and secret forever. But that ship has sailed and now, we adapt, grow stronger. It’s going to be tough, but looking around the kitchen, I know that Carsen has the best support system a little girl could ask for. Still, I go over and hug her tight.
“You did great today, honey. Did you know the first time I had to go on live TV for an interview, I got so nervous I puked all over the green room?”
“No way!” Carsen exclaims. “But you did it?”
“I did. And you were a pro today in comparison. You’ve already got me beat.”
She laughs a bit more fully at that, which soothes the anger still coursing through my veins like a salve. We look up as Sarah sets a cup of coffee in front of me and hot chocolate in front of Carsen.
The four of us sip at our cups, sitting quietly on each side of the table as our minds replay the morning’s events in a comfortable few minutes of silence. We’re all just taking the day in.
Always the planner, Sarah finally jumps in, setting her mug down and breaking the silence.
“So, now what? We can’t just hide out here forever. We got as far as the morning show interview, but we haven’t really made a plan for what happens now. Keith, what are you thinking?”
I hum, still wishing I could wake up and this all be a nightmare. For it to not be real. I drain the rest of my coffee, promising myself that after yesterday’s overload, I’m not going to have another cup, and think for a moment before answering.
“Well, I need to check in with Todd. I told him I’d do that the second we got back here. Just taking a moment. I’m sure he was watching, but he needs to know about every detail and the ride home after.” I intentionally don’t say the word paparazzi, not wanting to bring it up any more than I have to in front of Carsen.
“After that, I do think we’ll need to be a bit scarce for a bit. No coffee runs or errands for me. And Carsen, you’re going to have to take a few days off school. I’ll call the school. I’m sure they understand and can have your homework sent here.”
“Aww, Da-ad,” Carsen say
s, then stops when she sees my face. “How long, though? I wanna talk to my friends.”
“You can, honey. We’ll just be a little more reserved until all of this dies down. It won’t be long. There will be something else they’ll be buzzing over soon enough. Maybe after a few days, we can see if any of your friends want to come over.”
Carsen’s eyes twinkle. She’s never had her friends here. She always has to go to them. “Really?”
“Really . . . but let’s not rush things. First, we need to see what we can do. Elise . . .”
I look at her as I say her name, and I see that she’d been staring at Carsen with a sad look on her face as I told her no school.
“I’m sorry, Carsen,” she whispers. “Really, I am.”
Carsen, who’s probably already in her head planning a sleepover with her best friend, smiles at Elise. “No apology needed. This isn’t because of you. It’s that jerk boss’s fault.”
Carsen gets up from her spot at the table, hugging Elise around the neck. I can see the shock on Elise’s face as she pats Carsen’s back. Elise’s eyes are bright with unshed tears as she whispers into Carsen’s hair. “Thank you, honey.”
It’s a heart-warming sight, and even though the situation sucks ass, I’m glad that Elise and Carsen are bonding so much. It eases the knot in my gut about bringing a woman into my life while my little girl is still so young.
As Carsen sits back down, she ducks into her hot cocoa, obviously not wanting any more attention right now. I smile, knowing she’s going to be okay. She’s a tough cookie, that girl of mine.
“Elise,” I say, waiting for her eyes to meet mine. “We need to stay together, not be spread out across the city. You should stay here for a bit while this dies down, not just overnight.”
“Oh, Keith, that’s not necessary. I don’t want to intrude,” she says, looking pointedly at Carsen. I know she’s trying to say she shouldn’t stay over if Carsen is here, but fuck that. I want her here with me, where I can keep her safe . . . and fuck her whenever I want.
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