Star Struck (20 page)

Garrett asked, “Who is Sandy Blair?”

“She had a fixation with Parris and
Casper’s relationship. She ended up getting in a horrible accident. Nobody thought she would survive it, but she did. The whole ordeal was a big mess. I’m surprised you didn’t hear about it. It was all on the news.”

“I don’t listen to gossip.”

Hailey rolled her eyes. “Well, anyway, Sandy is the last person I want to talk to.

Garrett got up and answered for her. “Ms. Barnes is not talking to the press right now.”

Hailey’s house phone rang. She answered, although the number didn’t come across on the caller ID.  “Ms. Barnes, would you like to give your statement…,” a male voice asked from the other end. Hailey slammed the phone down.

The phone kept ringing back to back. Hailey turned the ringer off.  “The calls won’t stop coming.. I’m surprised it took them this long. Every time I get my number changed, they figure out what it is. That’s why I don’t even bother changing it now.”

“Must be tough being you.” Garrett sat on the bed next to Hailey.

“It can be, but I wouldn’t trade my life for anyone else’s. All of this just comes with the territory.” Hailey meant what she said. Life right now was frustrating, but overall she wouldn’t trade her life for another.

“Your attitude has definitely changed. I remember when we were in college you would punch a photographer out if he tried to snap you.” Garrett picked up her foot and began to massage it.

“After being labeled the bad girl of modeling one too many times, I decided to turn a new leaf,” Hailey said. “Yes, right there,” as she leaned her head back and moaned.

“Now you’re just cut-throat behind the screens.”
“And you know it,” Hailey said, winking her eye.

~ 34 ~

“I’m sick and tired of this phone,” Jackie said, the following day, as she sat on Hailey’s couch.

“You and me both,” Hailey added.

“Why don’t you let me call the phone company and get the number disconnected?” Jackie asked.

“Not an option. I’ve had my number changed numerous times and I refuse to do so again.”

“You can be so stubborn,” Jackie commented.

Hailey held up her hand. “I think someone is crossing the line.”

Jackie retreated. She knew how far to go with Hailey. “I’ll just keep telling everyone who calls—no comment.”

“Thank you dear. Oh can you call Garrett and ask him to bring me my favorite dish from Silvia’s?” Hailey asked, but was really making a demand.

“He said, he’ll be here soon,” Jackie responded, a few minutes later.

Hailey let Jackie handle her phone calls. She spent the evening lounging with Garrett. She did her best to ignore the gossip blogs and entertainment news on television but it was to no avail. She was the talk of the town.

“Look at it like this, every body is talking about Hailey,” Garrett said, trying to cheer her up.

“But not the way I want them to. Especially now that they know Trevon is the man in question.”

“It was bound to get out,” Garrett said.

“I’m surprised you haven’t heard from him,” Hailey commented.

“He’s been screening his calls from what Caroline tells me,” Garrett said.

“Enough talk about Tre. I’m just glad to have you here with me,” Hailey assured him.

Garrett’s arm got tighter around her. “There’s no other place I want to be.”

Hailey gave Jackie the remainder of the week off. She allowed all of her house phone calls to go to voice mail and Jackie would check them remotely; calling Hailey on her cell phone; only if it was an emergency.

***

The following Monday, Hailey practically got mobbed as she tried to make her way inside the studio.  “When do these people ever sleep?” she asked, as Garrett tried to block her from the media as much as he could as they sped into the studio doors.

“I’m so glad I’m not a celebrity,” Garrett commented.

They ran into John in the hallway. “The phone lines have been jammed,” John said.

Jackie added, “I’ve been offered thousands if I give them the inside scoop.”

Hailey looked at her. “I hope you told them what they could do with their money.”

John said, “The way you talk to her sometimes, I wouldn’t be surprised if she did leak some stuff.”

Jackie cleared her throat. “Excuse me, but I’m standing right here.”

Hailey stood with her arms crossed. “Well. I’m waiting on your answer.”

“No okay.” Jackie looked Hailey directly in the face.

John addressed Garrett. “You have to ignore them. They have this love hate relationship going on.”

“I got to experience it last week,” Garrett said, as he watched their exchange.

Everyone followed Hailey into her office. Hailey went into survival mode. “Okay, here’s the plan. Garrett work with Bach to make sure no press gets access into the studio audience.”

“Yes ma’am,” Garrett responded.

She turned and looked at Jackie. “Call a press conference for five o’clock today. Tell them I’ll make a statement then and not before.”

Hailey looked at John. “John, doggone it. I don’t have anything for you to do.”

They all chuckled. “I’ll get our PR person on writing your press release.”

“Send them to my office. I already know what I want to say, so I just need them to make sure I word it correctly.”

The rest of the morning went by quickly as everyone went about their tasks. The studio audience cheered for Hailey as she came out on stage. Hailey normally went over her questions before going out on stage with her guests but with everything going on, she didn’t have time.  John had to remind Hailey in her earpiece several times when to ask questions. This was not one of her best shows but no one had noticed but her and John it seemed. Fortunately, the topic of the day kept the guests talking, thus making Hailey’s job easier.

John said in the earpiece, “Wrap it up.”

Hailey ended the show with her normal monologue. Instead of mingling with the studio audience and signing autographs like she normally did, she sped from the stage and headed to her office with Jackie fast on her heels.

Jackie said, “I’ve made sure all the key folks have been notified. It should be a packed house outside at five.”

“Thanks for setting that up. When things calm down around here, expect a week vacation to Hawaii on me,” Hailey said, as she thumbed through her text messages on her Blackberry.

“Wow. Hailey. I don’t know what to say.”

“Thank you would suffice,” Hailey said, without looking up.

“Thank you.
Hawaii, here I come,” Jackie sang, as she left Hailey’s office.

Hailey smiled. It brought her joy to make other people happy. Her life was in turmoil but it didn’t mean everybody else’s needed to be.

“Knock Knock,” Garrett said, from the entrance of the door.

Hailey looked up. “Come in. Thought you had abandoned me,” she said, as she rose out of her chair.

Garrett walked towards her. They met half way in the room. He swept Hailey up in his arms as their lips connected. For the time they kissed, Hailey forgot about all of her problems. Nothing or no one else in the world mattered. This new feeling was foreign to her, but she loved it. She loved Garrett.

“I’ve missed you,” Garrett said, after releasing her.

“I can tell,” Hailey teased, as her hand grazed the front of his pants.

Garrett adjusted his pants to hide his excitement. Jackie walked in the room. “I didn’t mean to interrupt, but here’s your lunch.”

She handed Hailey two bags. “Well, looks like y’all were busy, so I’ll check in with you later.” Jackie retreated out of the room and closed the door behind her.

“That’s never happened to me before. Normally, I’m more in control,”

Garrett admitted.

“Jackie didn’t notice anything,” Hailey said, as she removed the sandwiches and pasta salad out of the bags.

“Oh she noticed. Did you see that huge grin on her face.”

“Garrett, you’re just paranoid. Here, eat up,” Hailey said, as she handed him a tuna sandwich.

“Five o’clock is getting here quick,” Hailey commented, as she and Garrett sat at the table in her office eating tuna sandwiches.

Garrett took his napkin and wiped around the corners of her mouth. “You missed a spot.”

Hailey couldn’t help but smile. “Thanks for being here for me.”

“I’ll always have your back.”

After eating, Garrett made phone calls while Hailey rehearsed her speech. Jackie pranced in talking on her cell phone. “The crowd is forming outside already,” Jackie said.

“Tell Bach, I’ll be out at exactly five o’clock. Inform the masses.”

Mo stepped into her office. “I just came by to see if you needed a retouch of your make-up or hair.” He took his hand and slid it down her hair to make sure not a strand was out of place. “Perfect. I’ll be watching from in here.”

“I just need a few minutes alone and then I’ll be out.”

Everyone left except for Garrett. He said, “Does that include me?”

“Yes dear. I just need a little me time.”

Garrett looked a little disappointed, but Hailey needed to go over her speech one last time by herself. After everyone had cleared out of her office, she shut the door. She leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes. She said a silent prayer before going over her speech one last time. Her Blackberry’s alarm went off. She had just enough time to walk down the corridor to the waiting media. She wasn’t surprised to see Garrett waiting for her outside her office door.

“Can you be with me out there? Just in case I need someone to lean on,” Hailey said, as they walked down the hallway.

“Like I said earlier. I got your back.”

Hailey put on her dark shades and opened the door. Lights were flashing as soon as the door opened. The noise level increased as soon as they recognized it was her. Garrett spoke out first. “Please hold it down. Ms. Barnes is ready to speak now. Once she does, she may open it up for question and answering.”

Hailey placed the pre-prepared speech on top of the podium and scanned the audience. It was quiet as she stepped up to the microphone to speak. She said, “I know a lot of people have been speculating on what’s been going on with the threatening fan mail. I want to set a few things straight.”

She looked from one reporter and camera to the next before continuing to speak. “I was advised not to talk in details about this ongoing investigation. I would like to thank GT Securities and the police department for working together and identifying the person who has taken it upon herself to harass me.  Although I was not scared of their threats, I am relieved to know the culprit has been identified.”

Hailey spent five more minutes talking to the audience before wrapping it up. She said, “Now I’ll answer two or three questions.”
She pointed at the young female reporter dressed in her favorite color—red. “Did you ever suspect Shareeka Johnson before her arrest?”

“No. I was surprised,” Hailey answered quickly. She pointed at a tall reporter she recognized from the evening news.

He said, “Is their any truth to Ms. Johnson’s reports that you were messing with her fiancé?”

“Chase. That’s your name correct?”

“Yes.”

“Chase, Ms. Johnson has it twisted. Her fiancé and I used to be an item, but that ship passed a long time ago.”

“So she’s delusional. That would explain her actions,” he added.

“I’m sure she will get the help that she needs.”

“When did you start feeling like the letters were a threat?” one reporter asked.

“My team recognized the letters first and alerted me to the situation,” Hailey responded.

The same reporter asked, “Will you be releasing any of the letters to the public?”

“No. There’s no need to.”

Sandy Blair blurted out, “Shareeka Johnson said you attacked her at her home. Is that true?”

“
Sandy, I suggest you get your facts straight before asking questions. Next question please.”

Hailey pointed at a female reporter to the right of
Sandy.

She asked, “Are you and Trevon still seeing each other?”

“You and Sandy must be friends,” Hailey said.

The crowd laughed. Hailey went on to say, “Trevon and I have not been an item since we were in college.

Hailey could tell the questions would get out of hand so she said, “Ladies and gentleman that will be all the questions for today. God speed.”

The reporters were disappointed and started shouting out questions. Garrett placed his hand on the small of her back as they walked back into the studio. She turned to look at the audience one last time. That would be the shot seen across the newswire that night.

Hailey said, “You would think with the state of the economy folks would be more concerned about it than what’s going on in my personal life.”