WLUV Box Set: Ignited, Consumed, Burned (38 page)

Macy
assured Fawn that she wouldn’t have to go on the air and that she’d be
surrounded by the people at WLUV she trusted. Even Wes would be on scene,
helping where needed, for the live coverage. Fawn remembered he’d done the same
during the winter’s worst snowstorm. For a business mogul, he had a surprising
taste for being in the middle of breaking news.

Wes drove
the news van, Mac was assigned to photograph the news conference, and Bernie
was ready to go as the oldest cub reporter in the land.  He was even wearing a
tie. It was his job to go in there and ask the questions, appear impartial, and
somehow report the truth. Shelby would anchor the live coverage from back at
the station. This was a big moment for her, since all eyes would be on WLUV.

The
Associated Press, the newspapers, and pretty much every other station in
Michigan, had decided this was the event to attend. “Michigan Mayor in Hot
Water over Tryst with News Anchor,” was a headline that just about everyone
wanted a piece of. The picture of the couple hugging was splashed everywhere.

Macy came
along to orchestrate the live coverage. She didn’t want anything going wrong or
to be accused of not following the story because it involved WLUV. Fawn hovered
inside the back of the van, hidden by a ball cap and glasses, deathly afraid of
being recognized. While Mac ran cable for the live feed, Macy stood inside the
open van doors, coaching Bernie.

 “Listen,
Bernie, they’re going to want to talk sex sex sex. I want you to talk money
money money. They may be interested in Fawn and Brick, but I want this town to
know that it was not a tax-funded sex romp, no offense Fawn.”

Fawn
put her head in her hands. This
was miserable; if Bernie hadn’t begged her to come too, she’d still be hiding
out in his house with Debbie. But she owed Macy, Bernie, and well, she owed
WLUV. If she wasn’t going to cover this story herself at least, she could
support Bernie and make sure he did his best for the station too.

“What’s
the name of his Chief of Staff again?” Bernie asked.

“John Delany,”
Fawn answered. “Here, your hair needs to be smoothed down.”

Bernie
leaned into the van and Fawn reached out to comb what little hair Bernie had.

“You look beautiful,”
Mac said dryly.

“I know!
Let’s go Mac, when we’re done here, I’ve got a lead on a salsa dancing story. I
teach hot Mexican women the language of my hips and you shoot it. It’s just the
kind of story that got you and Shelby that Emmy nomination. Maybe I’ll get one
too!” Bernie wiggled his hips.

Mac was
not amused. “Let’s go old man.” 

Fawn had a
lump in her throat as she watched Bernie walk away. She knew he was going to do
everything he could for her reputation today, and she couldn’t be in better
hands. But Macy and Wes, that surprised her. She had to know why they hadn’t
canned her. She had them alone in the van and she summoned to courage to ask
them point blank.

“So I have
to ask. Why are you guys sticking up for me? Why are you here? And really, why
do you want me to stay here?”

Wes spoke
up first, “You’re part of the WLUV family. When someone attacks our family, we
draw ranks and defend.” He patted her on the shoulder.

“Thank
you. I just, well—I’m not used to having a family.”

“P’shaw.
Let’s not forget that I want Gordon Chancelor to burn in a fiery hell. I’ll
friggin buy popcorn and we can watch that together, Fawn.” Macy turned to the
bank of monitors in the van and began to check the signal for the live feed.

“She’s a
little scary. I’d be super nice to her.” Fawn said to Wes.

“I know,
right?” Wes gave her a wink. These two were so different than her days with
Alder, they were so supportive, it made her want to cry. They gave her hope
that people could be decent. Even in the middle of this mess.

Fawn
looked at the monitors feeding the live picture of a podium with the Grand City
Seal affixed to the front. The mic flags of the local stations, WLUV, WBPN, and
WGTN, crowded in, along with some she didn’t recognize, and then Mayor Brick
Cooper stepped up to the mic. There was an impressive group standing behind
him: Chief of Staff John Delany, Director of the Grand City Zoo, Paul Adrian,
Economic Advisor Doug Forrester, Press Secretary Kristie Chalmers, the heads of
several area labor unions, and his sister Dara.

Brick

Brick
tried to speak but questions came at him like machine gun fire and he was
drowned out. He’d never blinked in the line of fire before, and he wouldn’t
now.

“Alright,
well I had prepared a statement, but let’s just get to your questions.”

“Was the
trip to Belize a romp on our Grand City Tax payer’s dime?” It was Bernie,
pitching the ball Macy told him to.

“No. It,
in fact, was funded entirely by private investors and my own personal savings.
The expense report is being passed out by my Economic Advisor, Doug Forrester.”

Several
more questions fired off and Brick answered each of them calmly. He refused to
get drawn into a fight and instead took the opportunity to explain the jobs,
the ongoing benefit of the investment, and the next phase of his plans to bring
business to their town.

“Creating
a hub for transportation and energy is going to position us for the future.
Next month I’m traveling to Washington D.C. to meet with billionaire Adam
Grubman. Grand City is in the final stages of becoming the site of his
multi-billion dollar high-speed rail technology institute and a hub for its
eventual implementation.”

There was
a murmur in the crowded field of reporters at that one. Grubman was about as
famous as billionaires got. His high-speed rail plan was huge and could bring
in five times the jobs and commerce that the sugar refinery would. That would
get ‘em off the scent of his sex life.

But Gordon
Chancelor was not going to let the mayor go that easily. “Are you going to be
taking Fawn Clawson along for sex on that trip?”

“I don’t
appreciate you speaking about Miss Clawson in a disrespectful way.”

“Really,
respect? That’s what she was doing with you? Respecting you?” Gordon made a
little motion with his hand, which he’d balled loosely into a fist.

“Mr.
Chancelor, you are a pig. But now that you’ve brought up Fawn Clawson I’d like
to make an announcement if you’re all done with the serious questions?”

No one
said a thing. They were hanging on his words now, hoping to get to the juicy
stuff.

“I have
been in love with Fawn Clawson since the day I met her, some fifteen years ago.
There is no other woman as intelligent, beautiful, and honorable as she is. Not
only does she deliver the news here to Grand City with integrity every night,
she cares for her very ill mother every day. That is not something she does for
attention or because she wants to have pity. She does it because she is the
highest quality of person on this earth and Grand City is lucky to have her
here.”

He paused then
and turned towards his sister Dara, who handed him something. “Fawn, if you’re
watching, I’m sorry—I didn’t want to do it this way, but you won’t return my
calls. Fawn Clawson, wherever you are, I’m going to track you down and give you
this.”

Brick held
up the item he’d collected from his sister. It was a small blue box, and he
opened it. “This is my grandmother’s engagement ring. Both my mother and my
sister believe that I need to apologize
big time
for being a rather
terrible choice as a husband and say that you’re going to need this ring, and
my constant effort, to be worthy of you.”

Reporters
scrambled over each other, trying to get a better shot of the ring. Brick
looked straight into the WLUV camera.

“Fawn,
will you marry me?”

The room
was silent but for the click of cameras.

“Well, let
me see the ring a little closer.”

Bernie
stepped aside and there, wearing jeans, a Michigan State University sweatshirt,
and a ball cap was Fawn. She looked like one of the interns assigned to run
cable or hold tripods. She’d slid in among them, right behind Mac and Bernie,
without being noticed. Her trademark hair hidden, her casual clothes a perfect
disguise.

Brick
moved away from the microphones and the horde of photographers and reporters
parted. Even Secor Comstock got out of the way.

He made it
to Fawn and dropped down on one knee. Brick then presented the ring. She
glanced at it. “Pretty nice rock, your grandfather had good taste. Maybe
there’s hope for you yet.”

“Answer
the question. I have a deadline here.” It was Bernie, whispering loudly into
Fawn’s ear.

“Yes,
Brick Cooper, I’ll marry you.”

Brick put
the ring on Fawn’s finger, the cool Fawn Clawson’s hand was shaking, but he
managed it.

And then,
in front of the rolling cameras, on live television, the mayor pulled Fawn into
his arms and leaned her down into a dip worthy of the one Shelby and Dara had
taught him. Her ball cap went flying off, revealing her trademark hair to the
rest of the people in the crowd who didn’t recognize her in casual wear.

Brick
kissed her, live on the air, and on the lips.

“Show
off,” she said.

He kissed
her again, just because he could.

When they
cut back to Shelby Virtue, she was crying, even though there was no crying in news.

It was
hard to resist being moved by the marriage proposal, even for an anchorwoman.

**

Across
town, Betty Claussen, looked up from her plate of mac and cheese, at the
television mounted on the wall of her room, she only watched WLUV.

The nurse
came in right when the handsome mayor was kissing the pretty anchor lady! Betty
clapped, “Look at that anchor lady. Finally she’s smiling. I am so happy when
she smiles. Fawn’s my favorite. I hope my daughter grows up to be just like
her.”

“She will
Betty, I promise.” The nurse made a mental note to tell Fawn about her number
one fan.

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