Т Нован - Exposure Season 3

Dr. Radson places a reassuring hand on Harper’s shoulder. "I very much doubt it. Your eyes needed time to heal and for the swelling to go down. Unless you suffer another injury, I think you have a lifetime of vision to look forward to."

Harper’s gaze shifts to me and she looks at me hungrily. I know I am blushing. She’s never looked at me quite that way in front of another person before. "Harper," I chastise, for propriety’s sake only.

"I want you to see a friend of mine up in New York," Dr. Radson continues, seemingly oblivious. I think she just has good manners. "She’s an excellent ophthalmologist and she’ll make sure everything continues to go well."

"Thanks, Doc, for everything." Harper hops off the exam table and saunters over to me. She extends her hand and helps me to my feet. Soon I’ll need a crane to help. Of course Kingsley babies are big. Everything else about the Kingsleys is larger than life.

"Good luck to you both."

I smile in reply. Things are looking better and better already.

Harper and I are at the breakfast table. She’s being quite silly this morning and I’ve nearly choked on my juice three times. The gradual improvement of her eyesight has made her just plain dippy these last few days.

"Okay, if you didn’t like that one," she says, referring to her last bad joke, "how many fingers am I holding up?" She holds up one that Mama would snap off at the knuckle if she caught her.

"Harper!" I laugh, swatting her hand down. "Behave; before your Mama comes back in here."

"What?" She puffs up a bit, wiggling her eyebrows at me. "I’m not afraid of my Mama."

I bite my tongue to keep from bursting out laughing. Mama is now right standing behind her. For her little boast, Tabloid gets a playful slap to the back of the head.

"You’d better be. I can still turn you over my knee."

Harper flinches with the slap, then levels her glare on me. "You set me up."

"Nope. You did it to yourself, Tabloid." I sip my juice.

"This came for you, Kelsey." Mama passes me a large yellow envelope.

It’s from Langston. This can’t be good. Damn. What a way to ruin my day.

"What is it, Kels?" Harper’s tone is very serious.

I tear open the package and remove a videotape and a note. ‘Thought you would want to see this. We will discuss upon your return Monday.’

"Kels?" Harper intones again.

The tape distracts me. It definitely can’t be good. "It’s a video from Langston," I inform her and then I read his note to her. Her eyesight isn’t still quite good enough for reading.

"Any label?" She means on the tape.

I swallow hard before answering. "Yeah, it says True TV." Harper’s old show before joining me at KNBC. I really don’t like it.

"Let’s go see what it is." Harper carefully gets to her feet, holding her hand out to me. Her vision is blurry enough for her to need a little help getting around without any problems. Together, we go to where the VCR is.

Once there, Harper and Mama take a seat on the couch as I slip the tape in and switch on the TV. I stand there wondering what could be on this tape that Langston would send it down here. The tape starts and I prepare for the worst.

"Celebrity moms-to-be: who is and who isn’t." The male anchor gives a phony smile to the camera and I drop my head.

Oh God.

"Kels, come here." Harper pats the couch. Without taking my eyes from the screen, I back over to where she is. The report ‘profiles’ various members of the media and Hollywood, everyone from Madonna to Rosie. Then it hits home in a big way.

"And let’s not forget the shocker of the new century." The correspondent’s voiceover is way too chipper. I’m going to find out who he is and kill him. "In case you haven’t noticed, on CBS’ hot news show ‘Exposure,’ correspondent Kelsey Stanton has been shown in a lot of tight shots lately. Well, True TV found out why. It would seem that Miss Stanton, shown here leaving a posh NY eatery, has also decided to join the ranks of moms-to-be."

I simply cover my mouth, hoping it’ll keep me from being sick long enough to finish watching the tape. Harper’s hand is on my back, alternating between rubbing it and giving me gentle scratches.

The shot on the screen clearly shows my pregnancy. No hiding that. I am as big as whale. I close my eyes. I know when they got that film. It was right before our vacation. Harper was working late. Brian and I had gone to dinner to make sure my schedule was clear before we came home.

"You might remember Kelsey lost longtime boyfriend Erik Collins in a personal tragedy earlier this year. But the engagement ring on her finger, and her obvious pregnancy indicates she has apparently managed to get on with her life."

"Christ," I mumble, dropping my head even further. They didn’t need to bring Erik into this. I open my eyes and stare back at the screen as they cut back to the two fools sitting behind their desk.

"Well, I, for one, think — " Well, there’s a great big shocker. I’m surprised the bleached blonde has the ability to do anything without a teleprompter. "It’s great Kelsey is recovering so well. I hope she’s happy." Bite me, bitch. "We all wish her, her baby and whoever the lucky guy is, all the best." Well, at least Langston should be happy I’m heterosexual.

Her dimwitted co-anchor continues, "Stay tuned to True TV. As further details — and stomachs — develop on these famous moms-to-be, we’ll keep you updated." Please Lord, save me from more brainless banter between these two. I use the remote to stop the tape.

Leaning back, Harper slides her arm around me, pulling me into her shoulder. Her lips press against my forehead.

"I’m sorry," I whisper. I don’t know if I should cry or be mad. I have a real feeling mad is going to win out very shortly. Right now, I only need to be with Harper.

Guess I better start polishing up my resume.

If anyone will have me.

"Can I ask you a question?"

I smirk. "You already did. Want to go for two?"

Kels shakes her head. "I always walk into that one." She comes up behind me and slides her arms around my waist, resting her head on my shoulderblade. "It’s nice being here."

I glance over my shoulder. "Is that a question?" We spent the night in our house last night. It seemed easier since we had been over celebrating my returned eyesight with Robie and Rene until late in the evening. I can’t wait until we live here full-time.

"No, silly, it’s not." She scratches my stomach. "Why haven’t you gotten your Harley back from Robie yet? We have a garage now, too."

I take a deep breath. "Nah, no need. Robie likes taking it out every now and then." I try to step away, but Kels won’t let me.

"Wouldn’t you like to take it out? When your arm heals and your eyesight is back to normal, why don’t we come down here for a weekend road trip?" She chuckles. "For you, of course. I will be as big as a trailer tractor."

I shrug. "I don’t know if I want to ride it anymore." There. I said it.

"Why not, sweetheart?" She asks the question softly, still holding me.

I bite my lower lip. I really don’t want to get into this right now. Even thinking of it brings up far too many memories. Memories of when I almost lost Kelsey. I take a deep breath and force back tears which threaten to spill out. "I just don’t."

"No good, Tabloid," Kels whispers and she begins turning me around to face her. Her eyes turn a deeper shade of green when she sees my expression. "I want to talk about this. I think we need to."

"It’s just a stupid motorcycle."

"Right. A stupid motorcycle that was your baby up until the time I was kidnapped." I flinch as she hits the nail on the head immediately. "Talk to me, sweetheart."