Reality Check by Kelli London

Author:Kelli London
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Kensington
Published: 2013-01-25T16:00:00+00:00

11

The cameras were flashing and Charly was smiling. She’d never done what Mr. Day had called a press junket, but she’d seen one or two played out on television and at the movies, and it was nothing like the real thing, she thought. Nor was it as huge as she’d imagined. She’d pictured an audience full of reporters with raised hands and microphones and just as many cameras as there were people. Her imagination had told her that a junket was like a scene at the White House when the president makes an announcement, or like the media circus right before a professional boxing match, when the boxers weigh in and toss threats at each other. Her idea was all wrong. Charly shook her head, then glanced down at her hand, which Liam was barely touching.

“So we heard you ran away, Charly?” a reporter asked.

Charly was just about to answer yes, when she felt Liam’s leg bumping against hers. He quickly put a fist in front of his mouth, then cleared his throat. She took his leg bumping and sudden cough as signs not to answer. “Excuse me?” she asked the reporter, avoiding the question and buying time.

The lady reporter smiled. “Well, I received word that on your way here to Chicago, you ran away from your tour bus just so you could ride with Liam on his bus. Is that true?”

Liam’s cough turned into a laugh, and he shook his head no. “Well, actually Charly didn’t run away. I did. I did that Star Trek thing and had myself beamed onto her bus by Scotty. I believe that’s what you guys call him. Scotty, right? It was all quite American,” he finished, making everyone laugh. “Seems you really can get anything you want in this country. I’m glad I came over here to work.” The audience of reporters laughed even louder, and so did Charly. “Otherwise I wouldn’t have met Charly here, and discovered she loved this popcorn so much.” He reached down, then held up one of the large bags of popcorn he’d given her, opened it, and tossed a few kernels into his mouth. “Oh my!” he exclaimed, widening his eyes at Charly and nodding. Again, the reporters laughed, most approvingly and knowingly, and a couple of them yelled out that they loved that popcorn too.

“I told you it’s delicious,” Charly said, then nudged her leg against Liam’s as a way of thanking him for saving her. She wondered how the press had found out so quickly about her riding with him, then shrugged her shoulders. It really wasn’t a big deal, at least no more of a big deal than her having a bus driver who didn’t know where he was going—but she’d never tell that. Snitching just wasn’t in her.

“And so are you, love. So are you.” Liam flirted, winking and playing it up for the cameras.

Mr. Day, standing in the back of the tent, waved his arm high in the air to get her attention, then held up his index finger.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.