Twisted

by Jo Gibson

  “Thank you, Santa.” Tracy reached out to shake his hand, and then she turned to face the camera again. “We hope to see you all tomorrow at the grand opening of the Crossroads Mall.”

  “Cut!” The field director rushed up to Tracy. “Great job, Tracy! I think we’ve got everything we need.”

  “But how about me?”

  Diana turned to look at Heather, who was sitting on her gold-cushioned chair. She was dressed in her angel costume, and she looked mad enough to spit.

  “I thought you were going to interview me!”

  The director smiled at Heather. “Don’t worry, sweetie. We’ve got you in the long shot, and you’ll be on the show.”

  “But you told me you were going to . . .”

  Heather’s objection was interrupted by a flurry of activity at the mall entrance. Four people came in, brushing the snow off their coats, and stomping their boots. Tracy turned to look, and then she nudged the cameraman. “Cover me, Paul. That’s Shane Winter!”

  Diana watched as Tracy and her crew hurried down the walkway to meet Shane’s group. There was a limo driver in full uniform, an older man carrying a leather briefcase, and a gorgeous brunette in a full-length mink coat. Shane was standing in the center of the group, and Diana gasped as he turned her way. He was even more handsome than he’d been when he’d lived next door to her!

  She was in such a daze, Diana didn’t even notice as the other elves got to their feet and raced over to stand in a circle around Shane Winter and his group. Cindy gave her a little nudge. “Aren’t you going to go over and say hello?”

  “No.” Diana turned to frown at her. “I told you before . . . he probably won’t even remember me.”

  Before Diana had time to object, Cindy got up and hauled her to her feet. “You can refresh his memory. Come on. Let’s go.”

  “But, I really don’t think I should . . .”

  “Sure, you should.” Cindy pulled her down the walkway, and shoved her to the front of the group. “Hey, Shane! Look who’s here! Do you recognize her?”

  Diana knew she was blushing beet-red. The bright lights were on and she knew that the Night News cameraman was getting this all on tape. She vowed to smother Cindy with a pillow when they got back to their apartment, and did her best to look calm and composed. “Hello, Shane. I’m sure you don’t remember, but I used to live . . .”

  “Little Red!” Shane grinned at her. “How could I ever forget you? You made my life miserable, all through high school.”

  Tracy laughed and pulled Diana closer, right into the glare of the lights. “How did she do that?”

  “Little Red lived next door to me. And she used to peek through the hedge and spy on me when I sat on the front porch with my dates. She made some of the girls so nervous, they refused to date me.”

  “Is that true?” Tracy turned to Diana.

  Diana thought fast. She didn’t want Shane to go into detail. She’d simply die if he told about the time she’d howled like a wolf to scare Shirley Mielke away. “I’m afraid it is. I practically ruined Shane’s love life. Of course . . . there was a lot of love life to ruin.”

  Tracy laughed, and so did Shane. And then Tracy started to ask him about his high school days. Diana took advantage of the opportunity to slip to the back of the crowd. She looked around for Cindy, but her roommate had made a quick exit to the other side of the crowd.

  “Nice job, Diana. You’ve got a real flair for comedy.”

  Diana whirled around to find Jay standing right behind her. He’d changed to jeans and a college sweatshirt, but the tinsel ring was still on his finger.

  “Thanks.” Diana knew she was still blushing. She wanted to tell him that she really hadn’t intended to be funny, but she remembered the article she’d read on accepting compliments gracefully, and she decided to compliment him, instead. “I thought you made a wonderful Santa.”

  “Really?” Jay looked pleased. “We drew straws to see who’d do the interview, and I picked the short one. When did you realize it was me?”

  “I’m not sure. I knew pretty early, though.” Diana grinned up at him. Jay didn’t seem to realize that the tinsel ring had given him away, and she wasn’t about to tell him.

  Just then the bright lights went out, and the field director stepped up to stand beside Shane. They had a brief conference that Diana and Jay couldn’t hear, and then he turned to the group with a smile on his face. “We’re going to tape one more segment. I want the elves on the floor by the Christmas tree. Shane’s agreed to sing a song, and they’ll be the audience. What are you going to sing, Shane?”

  “Let’s do ‘Blue Christmas.’ ” The man with the briefcase stepped up. “Shane always sings that to a beautiful girl.”

  “How about me?”

  Heather stepped forward to smile at Shane, and Diana almost laughed out loud. There wasn’t a shy bone in Heather’s body.

  “You’ll do just fine, honey.” The man with the briefcase smiled at her. “What are you? Some kind of fairy?”

  Heather shook her head. “I’m the Christmas Angel. If we wheel the baby grand out by the tree, I could sit on top.”

  “That’ll make a nice shot.” The field director looked pleased. “What do you think, Shane?”

  Shane shrugged. “Sounds good to me. Let’s do it now. The weather’s getting nasty out there, and Allison and I have plans for tonight. Right, Allison?”

  “Right.”

  The beautiful brunette in the mink coat gave Shane a very intimate smile. If Diana’d had any doubts about Allison’s relationship to Shane, that smile would have erased every one of them. But she hadn’t read anything about Allison in any of the fan magazines. Didn’t the press know that Shane had a girlfriend?

  It didn’t take long to set up for the segment. The boys wheeled out the piano and Heather climbed up on top. The field director spread her skirts in a perfect circle around her, and nodded for Shane to take his place at the piano.

  “Hold it.” The man with the briefcase hurried up to the piano. “We need a blanket.”

  Diana turned to Cindy, who was sitting next to her on the floor. “Why do they need a blanket?”

  “They have to mute the piano. Shane’s going to lip-synch his song. His manager told me he always lip-synchs his concerts.”

  Diana was puzzled. “Do you know why?”

  “I’m not sure, but I’m going to watch him like a hawk. Do you remember if he played the piano in high school?”

  Diana shook her head. And then something occurred to her that made her frown. “My parents were friends with his parents, and we used to go over to his house a lot. I don’t think they had a piano.”

  “Exactly! I don’t think he knows how to play. Maybe he doesn’t really sing, either.”

  Diana’s eyes widened “Do you think he’s pulling a Milli Vanilli?”

  “Maybe. Nan’s studying vocal music, and she told me his speaking range doesn’t match his singing range at all.”

  “But that happens sometimes, doesn’t it?” Diana looked a little worried. All her dreams would be dashed if Shane turned out to be a complete fake.

  “It happens, but it’s unusual.”

  Cindy was silent for a moment and then she reached out to pat Diana’s hand. “Will you be really upset if your idol turns out to have feet of clay?”

  “I don’t know,” Diana answered her honestly. “Maybe he won’t. And if he does, I’ll just have to deal with it somehow.”

  Diana watched Shane carefully as they got ready to tape the segment. When Allison was busy talking to the man with the briefcase, Shane slipped his arm around Tracy’s waist and said something that made her blush. They looked at each other for a long moment, and then Tracy nodded. But the minute Allison turned her attention back to Shane, he quickly dropped his arm and gave her an innocent smile.

  “I wonder what he said?” Diana was curious.

  “I know,” Betty Woo spoke up.

  Cindy turned to look at Betty in surprise. �
��But how did you hear from this far away?”

  “I read lips. It’s something I picked up when I was a kid. I used to sneak downstairs to watch television, but I couldn’t turn up the volume because my parents thought I was in bed. I didn’t realize it then, but lip-reading really comes in handy.”

  “Tell us!” Cindy began to grin. “What did he say?”

  “He said, I’m staying at the Portersville Inn, room 213. Be there at midnight. If you’re as good as you look, I’ll give you an exclusive.”

  “Are you sure?” Diana turned around to stare at Betty.

  “I’m sure. He’s very easy to read. Most actors are.”

  All during the taping of Shane’s segment, Diana did her best to hang on to her dream. When Shane’s song was finished, she turned to Cindy with a question in her eyes.

  “Sorry, Di.” Cindy gave a deep sigh. “I took six years of piano, and Shane didn’t play ‘Blue Christmas.’ It wasn’t even close.”

  “But . . . maybe he wasn’t trying to play ‘Blue Christmas.’ It didn’t really matter what he did. The piano was muted and they didn’t do any close-ups of his hands on the keys.”

  “Okay. Let’s put it to the test.” Cindy took Diana’s arm and led her over to the man with the briefcase. “Hi. Can you tell us where Shane’s staying? Her parents want to call and say hello.”

  “I’m sorry girls, but I can’t give out that kind of . . .” The man with the briefcase stopped, and stared at Diana. “Wait a second. Aren’t you the girl who used to live next door?”

  Cindy nudged Diana, and she nodded. “That’s right. I’m Diana Connelly.”

  “Then I guess it’s okay, but you’ve got to promise not to tell anyone else. I don’t want Shane to be mobbed by autograph hounds.”

  “We understand.” Cindy nodded solemnly. “And we promise to keep it a secret.”

  “We’re at the Portersville Inn until tomorrow night. Tell your parents to ask for Joe Harmon. I’ll make sure they get through to Shane.”

  “Thanks a lot, Mr. Harmon. We really appreciate it.”

  Cindy took Diana’s arm and pulled her over to a bench near the center of the mall. “You look sick. Wait right here. I’ll get you some water.”

  Diana sat down on the bench and sighed. She’d thought that she was in love with Shane, but she’d been caught up in a fantasy. Shane wasn’t the type of man she’d thought he was, and she felt like a silly fool for dreaming about him all these years.

  “What’s wrong, Di?” Jay walked up and sat down beside her. He looked very concerned as he handed her a cup of water, and he put his arm around her shoulder. “Cindy said you felt sick. Is there anything I can do?”

  Diana took a deep breath, and cuddled closer. Suddenly she felt much better. “I think I’m all right now. Thanks, Jay.”

  “You probably overdid it with the skipping.” Jay smiled down at her. “You gave me a scare, though. You looked so miserable, I asked Cindy if someone had died.”

  Diana nodded. Jay was right. Someone had died. Her dream of Shane had suffered a painful death, but now that the last of her illusions was gone, Diana felt free for the first time in her life.

  “Do you still want to go out for that burger? Or would you rather go home and rest?”

  Diana looked up into Jay’s concerned face, and gave him a radiant smile. “I’d love a burger. And don’t worry about me. I feel just fine now. I think it was just a case of delayed growing pains.”

  Four

  “Come on, you two.” Cindy ran up to the bench. “They’re getting ready to show the edited version of the tape.”

  “How did they do it so fast?” Diana was curious.

  “They’ve got an editing bay in the Night News van, and Paul let me watch. That’s why I sent Jay over with your water.”

  “Paul?” Diana began to grin as they got up and followed Cindy to the large monitor that had been set up by the Christmas tree. Cindy had dropped her bitch act completely, and she was already on a first-name basis with the cameraman.

  “Paul Murphy. He’s from somewhere right around here, and he’s a junior at the University of Minnesota, majoring in film studies.”

  “He’s a student?” Jay was surprised. “I didn’t know the Night News hired student cameramen.”

  “They don’t, not usually. Paul’s instructor got him a summer job there last year as a gofer, and he worked his way up.”

  “What’s a gofer?” Diana was puzzled.

  “Oh, you know. Paul had to go for sandwiches, and go for coffee, all sorts of stuff like that. But then he filled in when one of the regular cameramen got sick. And he did such a good job, they hired him to work as an extra cameraman on all of his school breaks.”

  Diana nodded. Cindy had certainly found out a lot about Paul in a very short time.

  “Hi, Paul.” There was a huge smile on Cindy’s face as she waved to the cameraman and led the way to the front of the crowd, where Paul was saving seats for them. “This is my brother, Jay, and my roommate, Diana.”

  “Santa.” Paul grinned at Jay. “Nice job, guy. Have you ever thought about turning pro?”

  Jay laughed and shook his head. “No way. That suit’s too hot.”

  “I bet it is.” Paul nodded, and turned to Diana. “You were great, too. I got a couple of nice shots of you. You’re almost as photogenic as Cindy.”

  “Uh . . . thank you.” Diana wasn’t really sure what to say. She’d never thought of Cindy as being photogenic. But she was saved from further comment when Paul grinned and held up the tape.

  “Catch you in a couple of minutes. I have to give this to Morrie.”

  Cindy watched Paul leave with a smile on her face. Then she turned to them to explain. “Morrie’s the field director. Well . . . ? What do you think?”

  “I like him.” Diana nodded. She knew exactly what Cindy was asking. “How about you, Jay?”

  Jay nodded, too. “Nice guy. As your older brother, I give you my blessings.”

  “Thanks a lot!” Cindy laughed, but when Jay turned to talk to Larry Fischer, who was sitting right behind them, Cindy leaned close to Diana and lowered her voice. “Wait until you see Heather. You’re gonna die laughing.”

  “Why?”

  “She looks fat!” Cindy nodded, as Diana looked dubious. “I’m not kidding. Paul told me that’s why no one wears pure white on television. It’s too contrasty and it makes you look as big as a house under the lights. Not only that, the camera adds about ten pounds.”

  “Did I look fat?” Diana was concerned.

  “Of course not. You look cute, you’ll see.”

  Just then the lights dimmed, and a moment later, Paul came back to sit next to Cindy. Then the large monitor next to the screen came on, and Diana began to smile as Tracy’s image appeared.

  Watching the tape was fun, especially when Jay whispered that her hair looked beautiful. And Cindy was right. Heather did look fat. Jay’s Santa Claus imitation was perfect right down to the last “Ho, ho, ho,” and Cindy looked absolutely gorgeous when she appeared on the screen. The tape had just finished when Cindy nudged Diana and pointed toward the entrance of the mall. Two highway patrol cars had just pulled up, and their red lights were flashing.

  There was a moment of silence, as everyone turned to look at the two officers who were getting out of their cars. Then Jay turned to Diana with a frown. “There must be something wrong. They don’t use their lights unless it’s an emergency.”

  The silence lasted for another second, and then everyone started to talk at once. Paul jumped to his feet, and turned to Cindy. “Later, okay? This could be something big.”

  They all watched as Paul grabbed his camera and headed off after Tracy at a run. A fire? A death? An accident? Diana felt her heart beat a rapid tattoo in her chest as they joined the crowd that was heading toward the entrance.

  “It’s okay, folks.” The older officer did his best to calm the crowd as he came in through the plate glass doors. “But the weather’s getti
ng real nasty out there, and we came out here to warn you.”

  The younger officer nodded. “The weather bureau just posted storm advisories. There’s a big one coming in, and it’s going to hit hard. We came to lead you out.”

  Tracy Thomas stepped up to the officers, and Paul was right behind her. “How bad is it supposed to get, Officer . . . ?”

  “Daniels.” The older officer answered her unspoken question. He didn’t seem to be fazed at all by the fact he was on camera. “They say it’s going to be a full-scale blizzard. We can’t let you drive out unless you’ve got chains or snow tires. The road out there is a mess. That means you’ll have to double up so we can evacuate everyone.”

  Shane stepped up to the younger officer. “How about four-wheel drive? I’m Shane Winter and I can’t get stuck out here. I have to fly back to L.A. tomorrow night.”

  “You should be able to make it, Mr. Winter.” The young officer swallowed hard. He was obviously flustered at being this close to a major star.

  The older officer frowned. “That depends. How heavy is your vehicle?”

  “It’s a Cadillac stretch limousine.” Shane’s driver spoke up.

  “You should be able to make it.” The older officer nodded, and then he turned to the crowd. “We’ve got another officer on the way, so let’s split up into three groups. If you need to get to Portersville, gather over here on my right. People headed for Two Rivers, line up on my left. Officer Goetz will take the group for Prairie Falls. We need to know the type of vehicle you have.”

  Jay, Diana, and Cindy moved to the Prairie Falls group, along with the rest of the college students. Cindy looked worried as she turned to Diana. “Sorry, Di. My car won’t make it.”

  “You didn’t put on the snow tires Dad bought for you?” Jay turned to Cindy with a frown.

  “I was going to take my car in last week, but I was so busy studying I . . .” Cindy sighed deeply. “Forget the excuses, Jay. I goofed. I should have done it right away.”