Talk of the Town by Lisa Wingate

Author:Lisa Wingate [Wingate, Lisa]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Published: 2009-09-25T05:14:00+00:00

Chapter 15

'Mandalaj 9Flofentino

As I wrapped up my conversation with Imagene, I experienced an emerging hope that Amber's hometown reveal would come off as intended. Our plan was clear and sharp-in my mind, at least. Tomorrow morning, after Amber and the crew arrived in Austin, they would leave the airport and drive straight to the home of Imagene Doll. Her farm would provide a secluded country location, where we could prepare for Amber's grand entrance without the curious eyes of townsfolk and the potential interference of one roving reporter, whom Imagene had also seen roaming around town. Imagene assured me that the reporter had sufficiently offended the townsfolk by asking smutty questions about Amber, and no one would give her any information.

With silence from the locals and some strategic planning, we could keep a lid on the story until after Amber's big reveal at the rodeo arena. Once word of that got out, things would probably become frantic before her hometown reunion concert at the Daily community building, but right now, I could only attack one Amber issue at a time.

Imagene had committed to arranging for a suitable horse trailer and truck to be waiting at her house. She would also procure Amber's brothers, and hopefully her grandfather. When Amber arrived at the farm, we would shoot family reunion scenes and interviews, using Imagene's place as a down-home locale. With a little ingenuity, and about a thousand pounds of luck, it would work.

If Ursula found out I'd confided in one of the locals, she'd have my head stuffed and mounted on her wall. I could hear her screaming, even now. Vhat? Vhat? Did you think these people couldt be trustedt, Mandee-lay? You leet-tle fool. Trust no one.

"This has to remain absolutely secret," I whispered to Imagene as we prepared to part ways. Two teenage girls had come in and were giggling in front of the mirrors. I waited until they left to say anything more. "If word gets out, there will be paparazzi everywhere and this whole thing will turn into a fiasco. It won't be about Amber's singing anymore; it'll be about celebrity gossip. The only thing keeping Amber on the show right now are the viewer votes. If public opinion turns against her, she'll be out of the Final Five before she even has a chance. This hometown show is important." I left out the fact that the network powers-that-be didn't like Amber. Warren Entertainment, the studio that awarded the million-dollar recording contract, didn't want to be saddled with, direct quote, "a gospel music-singing bumpkinette with decidedly poor judgment and a penchant for stumbling into controversial situations."

Imagene appeared to have a clear understanding of the problem. "That business in the papers about Amber and that awful Justin Shay isn't true, is it?" She watched closely for my reaction. "Sometimes a young girl can fool herself, thinking that a fella who's never done right by a woman before will do right by her. I'd hate to see Amber fall into that trap.

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