Mythe: A Fairy Tale (45 page)

Richard thanked Curt and Jen for their help, then told Josh and Mikey that they would be back to the suite later and guided Manda to the creative area where they could talk privately. Manda sank gratefully into the comfortable familiarity of the sofa, slipping off her shoes and closing her eyes. She sighed with pleasure when Richard’s fingers found the knotted muscles of her shoulders and began to massage away the tension there.

“Relax, sweetie,” he soothed. “There’s no need for you to worry about anything. You don’t have to do any of the stuff they were just talking about. I told you before; you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do. Forget what everyone else says or thinks. Forget about publicity for the foundation. You tell me what
you
want and what
you’re
comfortable with, and I’ll take care of it. I promised you that I’d make this as easy for you as possible and I meant it.”

Manda laughed a quick, ironic laugh. “What I want and what I’m comfortable with are seldom the same thing. If I didn’t allow myself to be shoved out of my comfort zone every now and then I wouldn’t have most of the best things in my life. I wouldn’t have my job; I wouldn’t have my house; and I wouldn’t have you.” She opened her eyes and smiled up at him. “I never even would have let you into my house that first time. Let’s face it; if you always keep your feet firmly planted in your comfort zone and never stretch yourself, you never grow.”

“So, you’re saying you want to do this?” Richard asked. His hands still expertly kneaded her shoulders. Manda took a deep relaxing breath, hoping he would keep doing that for the rest of her life.

“Being stretched is never easy, but it’s usually worthwhile,” she sighed.

“As long as you don’t stretch to the breaking point. I just want you to be happy, sweetie.”

Manda reached up and stroked one of his hands as it caressed her neck. In the face of Richard’s anxiety, Manda had been keeping her own doubts carefully closeted, but her uncertainty peeked out a bit when she responded.

“I am happy. This can’t change that. You’ll help me though, right? I think I might need all the help I can get.”

“I will always be there for you,” Richard promised. “I’ll always take care of you.” His hands continued their soothing work and for just a little while Manda forgot all about everything else and pretended that in all the world there were only the two of them.

Chapter 31

O
ver the next several weeks, Manda was often overwhelmed but, as promised, Richard was always there for her to lean on. The day after their meeting with Curt, Richard sent Mikey to install a small pet door from Manda’s backyard into her garage. He strategically positioned it behind a large evergreen shrub and flower
bed, where it was hidden from prying eyes. He also brought a set of Richard’s clothes and stashed them inside a cabinet in the garage.

“In spite of the plan to put ourselves on public display, sometimes we just may not want to deal with the humans,” Richard had explained on the phone that morning. “This will let me sneak in and out without being seen. But don’t worry. I won’t make a habit of dropping by unannounced and I promise to knock.” He’d called to ask her if the door would be okay and Manda had agreed at once. After the gauntlet of reporters she’d had to run in order to get in and out of the hotel the previous day, she was convinced that her mental health might depend on some quiet downtime at home with Richard—preferably
off
of the media’s radar.

While he was at Manda’s, Mikey “enhanced” her internet security, implementing the same system for her that Richard and Josh used.  He also set up a new, secure e-mail account for her, as well as new home and cell phone numbers.

“I don’t have to tell you not to share your contact information too freely. Only give it to family and friends you can count on not to share with anyone else.”

Not long after a call from Mikey letting him know that the hidden door into the garage was installed, Richard arrived. Manda was startled by the knock on the door to the garage, then delighted when she opened it to find Richard waiting next to her car wearing the clothes that Mikey had left in the cabinet for him. For the next hour, he and Mikey walked her through the “security improvements” they wanted to make. Manda thought their suggestions were sensible precautions, and with a few caveats (“No moats, no sharks, and no nuclear weapons”), she gave them blanket approval to do whatever they thought best. Richard had complained that her limitations ruled out plans A, B, C, and D before wrapping her up in his arms and whispering a thank you in her ear.

“The safer you are, the better I’ll sleep at night, and you’ll never even know it’s there unless you need it.”

The new system was in place in three days, quicker than Manda would have thought possible, and as promised it was effectively invisible to Manda. Also as promised, Curt arranged interviews with a select handful of respected and nationally known reporters who he trusted to be fair. Each of the interviews felt more like a chat with a friend than the interrogation Manda had feared, and she was grateful to Curt for his choices. Richard had done most of the talking at first, but with each successive interview Manda contributed more and more, gaining confidence until by the last interview she was flying solo while Richard sat nearby for moral support. The resulting stories about them had been honest and frank, but generally complimentary. Richard had thanked Curt for his help in the matter.

“Not all interviewers are that fair and gracious,” he explained to Manda. “Curt did us a huge favor. He’s really looking out for you.”

Allowing herself to be dragged out of her comfort zone was, by definition, uncomfortable for Manda. By mid-March she’d been to so many awards ceremonies that the red carpets, beautiful dresses, and famous faces had all started to blur together, yet the only part she had truly enjoyed had been watching Richard and Josh accept their three Grammy awards. Well, the gowns that she’d worn had been nice, too. She’d felt like a fairytale princess each time, complete with a handsome, tuxedo-clad Prince Charming by her side, and she had said as much to Richard.

Emily and Katie put together a scrapbook of her newspaper and magazine clippings, as well as any stories Katie found and printed off from the internet. The speed with which the book grew, even with Katie editing out any false or unkind stories, seemed to indicate that their attempts at saturation-level publicity were working. The photographer that Jen had hired for them was very good. He had worked for two former presidents and knew what kind of pictures the press loved. Richard and Manda gave him extensive access to their lives and edited the resulting images with great restraint. By making the resulting comprehensive library of photos freely available, the number of photographers plaguing Manda dwindled quickly. Curt had been right—publishers and television outlets weren’t willing to pay for images when they could get better ones for free. Rewarding the most respectful and courteous of the remaining reporters and photographers with her cooperation also had a profound impact on their behavior. The frenzied mobs all but vanished, replaced by more orderly and manageable groups that waited
for Richard and Manda in the places where they had proven to be the most receptive…outside the hotel, at public events, or in the plaza in front of the Aronson office’s building. They quickly learned that her home was out of bounds and provided few or no photo opportunities. There were exceptions though, and one notable incident at her home highlighted the value of the security system that Mikey and Richard had arranged. She and Richard had been enjoying one of their “off of the radar” evenings at her house when the alarms had gone off. Richard had reacted immediately. Instructing Manda to lock the door to the garage behind him and then stay away from the windows, he transformed into Rigel, shook off his slightly torn clothes, and dashed into the garage with a warning growl for Manda. Manda collected his clothes, silenced the audible alarm, and waited nervously for some news. Adrenaline had her on edge and she paced impatiently. When the phone rang, she jumped and her heart skipped a beat. It was the security service Richard had hired for her, checking on her safety and letting her know that the police were on their way. A short while later the doorbell rang just as Richard scratched on the garage door and barked. When she let him in, he nudged her toward the front door.

“Is it the police?” she asked, just to be sure. He nodded his shaggy head and then stood close by her side as she opened the door. Two police officers stood on her front porch. At the curb, another officer stood watch over a handcuffed man who was seated on the edge of the sidewalk, while a fourth officer was talking with a man in a jogging suit and taking notes.

As one of the officers on the porch explained the situation to her, Manda’s hand found Richard’s thickly furred shoulder beside her. He leaned against her leg, offering his silent encouragement. The man now in handcuffs had apparently tried to get in through one of Manda’s basement windows. The alarm had frightened him off, but the man in the jogging suit had heard the alarm and seen the would-be burglar jumping her fence as he fled. Jogging man, who Manda now recognized as a new neighbor who had moved in across the street and down the block a few months back, had tackled the fleeing man and held him until the police arrived.

After ascertaining that Manda was indeed safe and unharmed, the police on the front porch split up—one checked the outside of her house while the other checked the interior. Manda trailed after the inside officer as he examined her windows and doors, while Richard remained glued to her side. The graying officer noted the high-end alarm system with an approving whistle.

“You have an excellent system, Miss Jensen. We don’t see many of these, but if I could afford it this is what I’d get for my daughter. Between this and your friend there,” he gestured at Richard, “you’re in pretty good hands.”

Manda caressed the top of Richard’s head. “Yes, he takes very good care of me.”

“Well, we’ll be in the area for the rest of the night too, just in case,” he said with a smile. “If you notice anything unusual or have any more problems, we can be here in just a few minutes. We’ll keep an eye on things throughout the night anyway.”

One of the other officers updated them on handcuffed man, who was by all indications a self-styled investigative reporter looking for something he could sell for a quick buck.  After the police left with handcuffed man, and jogging man had gone home, Richard/Rigel made his own, more comprehensive inspection of her house and yard. When he was finally satisfied, back in his own form, and clothed once more, he made a surprisingly brief phone call to Mikey, then slept on Manda’s sofa all night. He stayed until Mark arrived the next morning to take her to work, yet still managed to be waiting for her when she stepped out of the car downtown. She envied him for not having to put up with the slow-moving morning traffic, as she now did.

The character of her daily commute had changed drastically. Richard had vetoed her use of public transportation, so Mark had been assigned the responsibility of getting her back and forth to work every day. The exception, of course, was when she and Richard had plans after work…which was often. The few nights when they didn’t have plans were almost always “off-the-radar” nights, when Richard would visit her house in secret via the hidden dog door. Her birthday was one such night.

David had told Josh about Manda’s birthday, and Josh had in turn told Richard, who confronted Manda accusingly.

“Were you not planning on telling me?”

“No, I wasn’t,” she replied tartly. “And I’ll have to punish David for opening his big mouth. He had very strict orders to keep it shut.” She glared at the owner of the offending mouth.

“Ooo, I’m terrified,” David responded sarcastically. They were all eating lunch at the table in the creative area and David stuffed several French fries into his mouth to punctuate his complete lack of concern.

“You know, this only leaves me a couple of days to find the perfect gift,” Richard complained. “Luckily I have a few ideas. I love that your birthday is on Valentine’s Day. It’s like you were God’s Valentine’s gift to me.”

“All I’ve ever gotten was a pair of boxer shorts with red hearts on them,” David lamented.

“That’s still more than I’ve ever gotten,” Josh countered, doing his best to look pathetic and sad.

“Oh, please!” Richard snorted, ruining his brother’s little ploy for pity. “Women from all over the world send you presents and love letters every day, and it’s ten times worse around Valentine’s Day. I’m sure you’ve got a big bag of mail waiting for you right now!”

Josh abandoned his forlorn act and winked at Manda. “It’s true, but it’s not the same as getting something from someone you care about, and don’t let him fool you. He gets as much stuff mailed to him as I do…and it’s not always G-rated. One time someone…”

“Josh!” Richard interrupted. “I
really
don’t need you telling my girlfriend about my X-rated fan mail, and you know I never even look at that stuff.

“Sheila and Marta take care of it,” he added in an embarrassed aside to Manda. “They work for the record label.”

“I’ll take care of it for you for free,” David said with an over-the-top leer.

Manda threw a French fry at him. “Remind me to send Sheila and Marta a thank you card,” she said with a comically disapproving and prim expression, “for protecting my boyfriend’s virtue. Maybe you
should
do it, since we all know you don’t have any virtue left. But then again, it’s probably better to have somebody discreet handling it, and you obviously can’t keep your mouth shut!”