T Novan - Exposure Season 4

"No problemo." He takes Collin, retreating from the room, and I take a seat. I direct dial Harper’s office number.

"Kingsley."

"Hmm, imagine that. I was dialing 1-900-HOT-BABE," I tease.

"I can do that too. What do you need, Sexy?" Harper drops her voice to its lowest register.

Oh, yeah, that too. My mind begins to wander with all the possibilities. Okay, back to the subject at hand. "Your son just told me he would like to buy you lunch. You free?"

"I knew getting him that Amex would get us into trouble. And how soon can you three get here?"

"I think we can be there in about forty minutes or so. Uncle Brian is getting everyone ready. We only need to wait for the car to come. Hopefully, the press will have been chased out of the garage by this time. Did you have any problems leaving this morning?"

"Uh, don’t watch the six o’clock news today."

I rest my head in my palm and lean on my desk. "You know, if you keep antagonizing them, they’ll keep bugging you. You need to learn not to tease the animals, Harper. God, how long have we been in the business? You should know this."

She’s quiet for a moment. She knows I’m right, and she hates it. I can almost see her sticking her tongue out at the phone. She says, "My opinion of the Fourth Estate is slipping rapidly. I rather feel like a hypocrite these days."

"You too, huh? Hard to be objective when the shoe is on the other foot, isn’t it?"

"I don’t think the shoe is on my foot, chér, I think it’s up my ass."

"Hmm, sounds like a hard day." I sigh and trace my finger across my desk. "How about we come take you for a little Cajun lunch and a couple of beers, and then you can decide if you want to call in sick this afternoon."

"I’ll take you up on the lunch and some lovin’ from you and my kids. But I better show up here for the afternoon. Langston would pitch a fit if I don’t come back."

"Okay, Stud, that’s your call. We’ll be there in a bit. Love you."

"Love you tons, darlin’."

The Delta Grill has become our favorite place for lunch lately. Good music, cute waitresses, and Cajun food. Not much more one could want in a place. The server greets us by name and leads the four of us to a round table. Our bodyguard discreetly goes to the bar and takes a seat there.

Our waitress then brings over two infant seats, and we get them set up for the twins. I am holding Brennan and Collin and don’t intend to let them go until I have to.

"They’re getting so big," the pretty southern actress-to-be coos. She drops the menus off on the table, but they are unnecessary, we know what we like. "I’ll be back in a minute to get your order."

"I missed you all this morning," I confess.

Kels reaches over and takes Brennan into her arms. "We missed you too. Fuzzy was all kinds of bent that you weren’t home when he woke up."

The comment stabs me to the heart. I wanted to be home. I kiss my son’s forehead. "I can relate. I was cranky too." I pause and think back to my conversation with Langston. "Of course, I wasn’t the only person at the studio in a nasty mood."

"We figured a mini Mama rescue was in order." She deposits Brennan in her chair after we order lunch. Pan seared salmon and blackened steak. "So what else is new? Who was pitching a fit this morning?"

"Langston. He wants to know when you’re coming back."

"Ah, that’s the million dollar question. Or, as Beth would tell me, that’s the four million dollar question, isn’t it?"

"What’s the four million dollar answer?"

Kels hands a rattle to Brennan and takes a deep breath. "I don’t know."

"You’ve worked a long time, paid a lot of dues, fought hard to get to where you are. Do you want to walk away?" I see her about to object, so I quickly add, "It’s not that I don’t know you can do anything you want to, but do you really want to have to start over again?"

"I don’t see it as starting over, Harper. I see it as trying something new. How long do you think it’ll be before the network simply decides that they don’t want a dyke on the air and fires me anyhow? I may as well walk away on my own terms."

Collin begins gumming on my shirt button. "I hate to see that happen, chér. That’s all."

"I know, but with the trial coming up, you know what kinds of things are going to be said. It’s not like we can walk in there and deny any of it." She rubs my arm gently. "They still frown on perjury the last time I checked. Besides, I’m tired of living in a closet. I’m sorry I drug you into it with me in the first place."

"Darlin’, I enjoy small, enclosed spaces with you." I reluctantly place Fuzzy in his chair, careful to strap him in tightly. "It’s your career, but it’s our family. What shall we do?"

"What did Langston say about you? Is there any indication that you’re in trouble? Because you know I want you to continue doing what you want, regardless of what I decide to do."

"I don’t want to decide them separately, though, Kels. Personally, if you leave, I think I should leave. Then we can get out of this town and go back home. If you stay, I stay. And everyone who doesn’t like it can kiss my ass."

"Harper, you are an award winning producer. You’re at the top of your game before the age of thirty. I don’t really want to be the one you look at in five years and say, ‘I gave it up for you.’ I’m openly admitting that I’m ready to give up my career because it feels right for me. To be honest, I don’t think it’s right for you. You’ll miss it too much. You’ll regret it, then you’ll resent it, and, in the end, you’ll resent me."

I reach out and take her hand in mine, intertwining our fingers. "I am not thinking about retiring, chér. I know me too. I love adrenaline. I love a good story. And I can’t see me sitting home, as much as I would love to be with the kids. What I am saying is there are jobs in lots of cities. Who knows? Maybe a New Orleans station is looking for a news director."

"When this whole ugly mess is over, I want to go home, Harper. I want to take our family and leave. But, in the meantime, you can tell Langston I’ll come back to work next week."

I lean over and kiss her cheek. "Is New Orleans home?"

"You know it is." She nudges me playfully.

I bump her back. "How’d I get this lucky? A woman who loves New Orleans, Cajun food, my family and me? Never thought I’d hit four for four."

Kels grins. "New Orleans is beautiful, Cajun food is terrific, your family is wonderful, and, as far as you go," she pauses dramatically, letting me anticipate her teasing remarks, "well, what’s not to love?"

I am surprised. I thought I was being set up here. I puff up a wee bit and enjoy my moment. "Exactly. That’s what I’ve always said."

Kels snaps her fingers. "That’s where I heard it."

Collin and I are on the living room floor together. I stand him up and watch as his feet flail around to discover the floor. Once they make contact, he briefly is able to bear his own weight, still supported by my hands. "Oh, good boy!" I praise him. "You’re such a big boy!"

Drools runs down his chin and onto his shirt.

"You are!" Mindless of the drool, I lean down and press kisses to his cheek and neck. He, of course, wraps his little hands in my hair.

"Will you never learn?" Kelsey asks from the couch.

I was thinking the same thing myself. "No," I mutter, my voice muffled by my boy’s skin. He turns his head and begins gumming my hair.

"That’s attractive." I hear Kels place Brennan on the floor and come over to us. "See, Brennan, this is why when you have babies, you will need to tie your hair back before you go near their grabby hands."

"Little help, less lecture."