The Unexpected Life of Carnegie Lane (16 page)

Carnegie got in her car and began the drive from her home to Bargara, past the sugar cane, past the stores and pulled up out the front of his hotel. She text Nate just as she got out of the car to let him know she was there. He came down the elevator and met her in the foyer, just as they had planned. Then, they went to the café and ordered a cappuccino. Neither of them even looked at Tye when he arrived sitting opposite them. He was far enough away, yet close enough to hear their conversation. With a newspaper and what appeared to be a book on crosswords, he wrote down what he could, and snuck in occasional pictures. He knew so far the pictures he had were not worth much and really it was the gossip angle he was after. Neither of them had said much he could use to have a substantial story that would hold.

What he
did
understand was they were talking about books, publishers, and agents. Carnegie was discussing the outline for her next book, so he concluded that she must be an author. Together they got up, and went across the road to the beach, walking side by side, yet without physical contact. It was hard to make heads or tails of what was going on. Was there more to this than met the eye? Or were they simply acquainted. Tye called Richard from the café.

“Well, it seems she’s an author, or at least has written a book. They were discussing publishers in London, and agents. I think his sisters’ name, Kat was mentioned a few times. That might be something you could follow up from your end.”

“Did you get any photos of them together?” It was what Richard was most interested in.

“Well, yes although no contact. They were just talking.”

“Author hey?” Richard was thinking out loud. “Well, his sister is a literary agent. We will wait and see what we can get by the end of the day, then when I’m armed with more questions, I’ll email the agency and ask. Either way they will have to say something.”

Tye hung up the phone. He had no idea the hornets’ nest he was about to let loose, simply by following this the way he had. What Nate Bowman had done for Carnegie Lane was laced with a double edged sword. Her world was so far simple. It was broken, but it wasn’t complicated. Not anymore. He believed he had outsmarted the media. He should have known better, although this was such an unplanned thing. Nate never believed that one of the most ruthless media paparazzi’s had their hand already on the pulse.

Richard didn’t care whose lives he intruded on, or what the outcome for them would be. He cared only for the story and the money that came with it. It didn’t matter how much information he received from outside sources, he would choose his own headline even if it was based on speculation and deceit.

No matter how much he dragged up, he still wouldn’t know who Carnegie was, not really. How he presented her to the world, was up to him. It didn’t matter if it came from the truth, or came from a total other angle. If Carnegie Lane was an author, and was associated with Nate Bowman, the most practical angle was - she wanted his help with the publicity. If Nate Bowman’s sister was her agent, it was likely she was setting it up. The real Carnegie would forever remain a mystery. Taking photographs and finding out who her agent was would never tell you what mattered to her the most. All he could do was create a public profile. One that presented to the world something that wasn’t real. It was a very common thing.

At three o’clock that afternoon, Carnegie left to go back home, expecting the kids to get back from school anytime within the next hour. Nate Bowman expected his band to arrive late that day, along with the entourage that came with them. Then inevitably, the media would follow. They would give interviews, have their photos taken, be seen out and about and then tomorrow, the world would learn from him a small truth. That he had a friend in Bargara, and that was why he was here. His plan had been to tell it on his own terms. He walked back into his room, thinking exactly that.

Sobian and Olivia dragged their feet all the way home from the bus stop. Today had been a bad day. The girls had been taunted and picked on by just about everyone. It seemed to them that even the teachers didn’t say much when they were picked on in class.

“So girls, going to the concert tomorrow night?” One of them would say, the others would giggle.

“Maybe.” Sobian answered, trying to be a little defensive.

“Well, we were wondering if you could get Nate Bowman’s email address for us…oh wait…you already did that…didn’t you.” The class would erupt into laughter at their expense. Both of those girls just wanted to turn it around and tell them what they knew. They couldn’t do it. It would sound stupid and no one would believe them.

It was in maths, the last class of the day that the actual frustration had hit its peak. Their teacher had told the class that the reason the concert was being put on was to raise money for the school’s music equipment. That out of all the schools this one had been chosen. It was simply what he believed to be true. Then he laid down the guidelines for behavior and included making up rumors.

He looked straight at the girls when he said this. It hadn’t gone unnoticed and it became a free for all on both of them. Their teacher didn’t stop it, he just let those kids attack the twins.

Everyone was asking why they even bothered to make it up. Laughing at the fact their names had become mud - virally so, since it was on everyone’s Facebook and social media pages. It was made clear that a few of the year twelve students that the faculty believed could be ‘
trusted
’ would help with the set up of the stadium and would be able to personally meet and greet the band on behalf of the school. Both of them had been deliberately missed. Since they were both A students, and up until this mess, had never been even close to trouble in their lives, it didn’t seem fair. Especially since some of the ring leaders in continuing the bullying were going to be there.

All they hoped was that their mother could turn this around. They had to trust that she was much cooler than they ever thought possible. Their only saving grace was the phone call that morning, which they would have loved to scream out to the world, yet they knew it was impossible. Even if she did know Nate Bowman, by the end of that night, he would find out how hated they were. Those kids would make sure of it.

Carnegie was in high spirits when they walked in the door.

“Hi! How was your day?” She asked happily, not expecting the barrage of tears that followed.

“We don’t want to go mum… Please tell us that we won’t look like idiots if we do.” Olivia was beside herself. They gave their mother a complete run down of the day, including the teachers.

“Oh I can’t believe this. What’s the name of your math’s teacher? I’m so going to own his ass next time I go up there.” Carnegie was more upset at him than she was with those kids. Nate had already told her what he was planning on doing, so she had no doubt it would all be fine. It was just hard that there had to be one more day for the girls to suffer. It almost seemed unfair.

“You need to trust me. I promise this will all work out for the best...ok?” She tried to sound persuasive.

Sienna bounced in the door, her hair in knots scratching.

“Mum… did you get the nit stuff?” she asked genuinely.

“Oh no! I forgot all about it.”

“Well… it’s bad. We really need to genocide this lot, their city is out of control and taking over my skull.”

Carnegie looked at her twins. They were so sad. She walked into her bedroom, and sent a text to Nate.

Things are bad with the girls.

The insults even come from the teachers now.

I might not be able to convince them to come at all. Any ideas?

She sent it off, then grabbed Sienna and jumped in the car, heading uptown to the chemist. She wondered on the way if chemical nit spray, over time, would affect her brain. Although she also realized if it was going to happen, it already had so she was beyond worrying about it.

Driving home Carnegie put on the local radio station. The band had indeed arrived, and the local news, were there along with fans out the front, hoping for just a glimpse of Nate Bowman. Her phone beeped telling her she had a message. She waited till she got home to read it.

Frantic mess here at the moment. We are having dinner at a restaurant with the headmaster of the girls school, and the Presenters of the local radio show, not sure who else.

Dress the kids up, get yourself sorted, and come along. It will be good for them. See you here at 7. Don’t be too late.

Carnegie looked at her watch. It was now 5.30pm. The blood rushed from her head as she looked over at Sienna, scratching away.

“Come on Sie Sie, we have to run. We are going out tonight.” Carnegie hardly finished her sentence and was out of the car, running to the front door. She didn’t look to see what state the girls were in.

“Sobian, Olivia, one of you get in the shower now, the other get some good clothes organized. We are going out. Connor, find your good shoes. Sienna, come here let me throw this stuff in your hair.” She stopped talking long enough to see that no one was moving into military style action.

“MOVE! We have about an hour!”

“Where are we going?” Connor asked, shocked.

They rarely went out except through the McDonalds drive through, and it definitely didn’t mean wearing shoes.

“Out for dinner… To a restaurant.” Carnegie was furiously pumping the nit foam into Sienna’s hair.

“Why?” he asked innocently.

“Because we have been invited that’s why.”

“Mum…?” Sobian began to recognize the panic in her mother. “Are we going to the dinner with…?” Her heart began to race as her mother cut her off.

Carnegie looked at the girls and smiled. “Yes…now move!”

The Lane house became a frantic place of preparation. The shower was worked until the hot water ran cold. Sobian and Olivia were fighting over hair straighteners. Sienna was being difficult about her hair being brushed and put up so she resembled a girl. Connor was apparently dressed and was now playing his X-Box oblivious to the fuss, and Carnegie was throwing clothes on the bed, trying to decide what to wear.

Somehow, they figured out the best outfits from the new clothes and the old. Those two older daughters walked out of the house, followed by their mother and younger siblings looking like something from the pages of a Vogue magazine. It had been a long time since they had bothered to get dressed up like they used to. Some of their friends from Sydney had been models, and some came from families in the industry. If there was one thing they both knew how to do, it was dress for a crowd, although usually, it took a lot longer than this.

It was 7.20pm when they arrived at the hotel, fashionably late, but worth the delay. The paparazzi had settled down a little, although the fans and screaming girls hadn’t. They were everywhere. Carnegie parked the car around the corner, then texted Nate to let him know they were there and all of them walked around to the front of the hotel. The entrance was now blocked by burly looking security guards. As they walked up to the front, some of the girls called out.

“Hey Sobian, did you bring your entire family to stand with you did you? Maybe you will get a glimpse of him after all.”

“Getting all dressed up won’t get you in there.” Called out another, “It won’t get you his email either.”

The group laughed. Although how good those two girls looked certainly didn’t go unnoticed. Suddenly their taunts were distracted as Nate Bowman himself walked out into the foyer of the hotel, and then out the front behind the security. They screamed and yelled and waved, and some even had tears rolling down their eyes. Nate spoke to the security guard who was closest to Carnegie and the children. He walked over and grabbed both of the girls by the arm gently and walked them over to Nate, followed closely by Carnegie and the little ones.

“Hi.” He said to them both, winking. “You two ready to smile?” He gave them a hug, then turned with one of them on each side and stood for the cameras that were now clicking away. Carnegie turned and looked at the girls who had until this time, picked on them so much.

All of them were just standing there with their arms folded, or with their mouths hanging open. One looked at Carnegie, she just smiled at them, then turned walking in behind Nate and the girls with Sienna and Connor into the foyer of the hotel. After about five minutes of photographs, a limo turned up and Nate ushered the twins inside, followed closely by their mother and the little ones. He jumped in along with his assistant.

“What are you going to tell the press about the twins Nate?” Leonie, his assistant was already reading the text messages asking who the girls were.

“They are family friends, year twelve students at the school. That’s all they need to know.”

“We will see how that goes first I guess. It’s a bold move.”

“What do you mean?” Carnegie asked innocently.

Leonie looked up from her phone. “Media…we need to tell them something before they tell their own story. Last thing you want is a scandal involving your daughters… Or you. ”

“It will be fine Leonie, don’t scare them.” Nate said defensively feeling the twangs of guilt tugging at him slightly.

“Nate, I’m the one left to do the explaining.” She seemed a little angry, although she did well to hold it in.

“I hope we haven’t caused a problem.” Carnegie said, still unable to understand what the problem really was.

“No problem.” Said Leonie with a smile, putting down her phone.

She looked up at Nate who was silencing her with his eyes. As for the twins, they were just sitting there… staring. They were in a big car…with Nate Bowman and Leonie… his assistant. They just had their photo taken with him and were escorted by the security to do it.

There wasn’t much they could say, it was only what they could think. They had been given a stay of execution from their peers, in the best way imaginable.

Sienna was sound asleep before they left the restaurant, around 1am, and Connor was clearly withdrawing from lack of X-Box time when the limo, containing Carnegie and the kids, Nate bowman and two of the band members turned into her street. They pulled into her drive. Nate picked up the still sleeping Sienna in his arms and carried her inside.