71: Handling Pressure

The shoot on Friday went perfectly. Three tabloids had various photos of Heaven and Adam. They always seem to use the worst photos they can dig up. "Adam cast out of paradise," one headline screamed. "Broken-hearted Heaven betrayed!" said another. "Football star had relations in the locker room." "How Heaven is coping with betrayal." "Rampaging model banishes gay 'boyfriend.'"

LARA: Oh, my goodness, Heaven! Look at these tabloids! You poor thing.

HEAVEN: Oh, don't let those bother you, Lara. They print that kind of stuff all the time. I guess it's my turn for fifteen minutes of public sympathy. Did you know that one once offered photographers $20,000 to follow me around and get a nude picture? They'll do about anything.

LARA: But you mean it's not true? Adam isn't gay?

HEAVEN: Oh yes, he is. But I'm not upset, broken-hearted, rampaging, or betrayed. I've always known Adam was gay.

LARA: I don't get it, Heaven. If people said things like that about me, I'd be way past upset. In fact, it's the things people say about me that made me want to meet you and get a new outfit. I want to break my image and make people stop talking about me.

HEAVEN: Lara, people will still talk about you. Granted, you won't be presenting an image that begs to be a target, but many people won't let it go that quickly. People will still be talking about these headlines in a week or two or whenever there seems to be a lack of something to feel angry about, outraged over, or sorry for. It's entertainment for many people.

LARA: They use newspapers for entertainment?

HEAVEN: Oh, these aren't newspapers. They're printed on newsprint, but they aren't news. They are entertainment. Certainly, there are some things in the stories that are true. Adam's gay. We intended to come out with that information this spring. The stories would have been the same even if he and I stood side by side holding hands when he came out. I'm most sorry that some rather unsavory people made money by embellishing the story. But that's entertainment for some. It's like watching a sitcom or a soap opera on TV. There might be things that are true in the story, but nobody thinks of them as news, or documentaries, or real life. We know it's just entertainment. People forget that these tabloids are just entertainment. It's not like they actually report news.

LARA: Did he really have relations in the locker room?

HEAVEN: I hate to question the level of literacy of either the writer or the editor, but there is actually a difference between the words 'relations' and 'relatives'. Adam was so excited when his cousin came to watch him play in the Old Oaken Bucket this year. He got a tour of the whole sports facility. Including the locker room.

LARA: But they cancelled your show because of it.

HEAVEN: No, they cancelled the show because they had another more wholesome fashion show already in production that they needed the timeslot for. Remember, even us talking together is just entertainment for them. Like the tabloids, when they have something they think is more exciting, sexier, more dramatic, or even just cheaper, they run to it. You need to remember that, too. People don't talk about you because you are news. They talk about you because that is how they entertain their tiny minds. And that's the first key to your new look. You don't need to dress like an Amish woman to combat the image you have. You just need to rise above it. Let's go shopping.

It was beautiful.

As we predicted, there were several reporters who tried to crash the taping. Some were legitimate and some were just paparazzi, including the guy who'd stalked Heaven whenever he could, looking to capitalize on the story. Lamar and Amy told them in no uncertain terms that they were welcome to watch the taping quietly, but if anyone interrupted the shot, everyone would be removed. One look at the two of them and you couldn't doubt they were serious. Of course, they were also promised a few minutes to interview the star after the taping. One or two were dancing foot to foot with a deadline for the noon news. Everyone obeyed the rule, though.

"Heaven, the scene you just shot looked like you expected the tabloid stories today. This didn't come as a surprise to you?" asked a reporter for the local newspaper.

"No, Karen. And it's nice to see you again," Joanne said. "We knew when the network cancelled our show last Sunday that something was up. When the Hoosier Daily broke the story on Monday that Adam was gay, we knew the tabloids would be all over it. We had plenty of time to plan the scene. It just worked so nicely into what we had planned for this episode. It's all about reputation and how appearances can be deceiving."

"But why are you filming if LWN has canceled your show?" asked another.

"You are?"

"Sorry. Chase Sanborn of the Independent Reporters Network."

"Freelancer, Chase? I never got your name when we kissed last year!" Joanne laughed. It was the scum-bag paparazzo who was stalking her when we were working two years ago. That's when we decided to create Redress. "That's okay. I'm sure you report only the real story without any embellishments. We're filming because we contracted for twenty-six episodes. Even though the show is currently not being shown on LWN, they still have to pay for twenty-six episodes and we have to deliver them according to our agreed schedule. This one will be released next Sunday."

"It seems like such a waste of time and money," said one. "Sorry, Natalie Jordan of The Memphis Flyer. Doesn't it make you mad that you were summarily replaced?"

"Not me. The ones you need to worry about are the viewers—the fans. They are the ones who will be mad. Fortunately, we've got them covered. We'll be restarting the season in our normal timeslot this Sunday in thirty major markets—including here in Memphis on WLMT-30. Yes, there will be a few weeks of reruns as we gear up to produce for the new market, but in two months or so, all the programming will be new. So you don't have to watch Dress for Success, At Work, At Play, and In the Bedroom if you don't want to. I'm sure some people will want to watch the racier show on LWN, but at least you have a choice."

"Heaven, are you really not upset about Adam coming out of the closet?" Karen asked again.

"I could watch that man come out of my closet all day long!" Joanne laughed. "Oh, look! He's coming out of one now!" There was laughter and then people saw Adam approaching from the side. "Hi, Adam!" Joanne said as he approached. She ran to hug him. There were lots of flashes and the TV cameras were still running.

"I'd have been here earlier but traffic was a bitch," Adam chuckled. "How are you doing, girlfriend?"

"Great! These nice people have been asking about our relationship."

"Are you going to stay together?" asked an unbelieving Chase Sanborn. He was probably hoping for a hair-pulling fistfight.

"Of course," Adam said. "I love her."

"There's really nothing better than a gay boyfriend," Joanne said. "We might not live together and we might even have other lovers. Gasp! But we never even pretended we were sleeping together. Whose business is that?"

"Folks, we have to move along now," Maggie said. "Thank you, Heaven and Adam, for taking the time to answer everyone's questions. But we're on a production schedule and need to get rolling. If you will all excuse us."

Donna and Jess led us to the back of the store where we went into the receiving area. Jess packed his camera and went back to collect the lights. As soon as Lamar and Amy had people out the door, they'd help Jess pack up. Maggie, Adam, Donna, and I surrounded Heaven and gave her a hug. Then Joanne reached for Lara and hugged her.

"It's not always easy, Lara," Joanne said. "But you have to know that there are people who see you for who you really are."

We hung around in the back of the store and one of the employees brought all the remaining copies of the tabloids back to us. Adam and Heaven autographed the covers of all the tabloids and she drew a little heart on each one. Then they went back out on the sale stand. By the time we were packed up, all the copies had been sold.

Taking John and Bea to Mishawaka on Sunday was really no problem. Cassie rode with us and the hardest part was that John rode in the front seat while Cassie and Bea rode behind. Still, we had a great conversation and it was obvious that John and Bea were excited to move down to Bloomington.

"We signed a purchase agreement, Brian," John said. "We overpaid for farmland, but it wasn't too bad when you consider that we want an airstrip."

"Does that mean we'll have planes overflying the ranch all the time?" I asked.

"I don't think so. With the orientation of the runway, people will approach from the north or the south. You shouldn't have any more air traffic than from BMG. And we are planning to position the strip on the far side of the property from where you are," he said.

"I'm amazed they sold to you," I said. "They don't seem like very nice guys."

"Oh, they aren't," John agreed. "And they really dislike you—meaning all of you at the ranch and village. You foiled their plans."

"That Dick Randall guy?"

"Yes. We kept our identity secret and bought the property as a corporation. Rex helped us arrange a local attorney as our representative in the dealings. Did we tell you that we figured out who he was?" John asked.

"No. You mean he's someone we should know?"

"I didn't figure this out. It was Rex and the attorney down here. It seems that Dick Randall is an independent insurance adjuster. In fact, the same one that tried to rule that the fire at your original house was an arson and prevent a payout. There's no proof of any wrongdoing, of course. But Rex's speculation is that he hoped that by forcing a small payout, Anna would have to sell the property and his consortium would offer a generous buyout," John said.

"You mean they burned our house down to try to get the property? And there's nothing we can do about it?"

"No. Rex says there is no evidence they had anything to do with the fire. The inspectors they called in from Indianapolis agreed that it was not arson. It was simply an overloaded circuit and some bad wiring," John said. "The consortium just saw the opportunity and went for it. It was a costly move on their part as it damaged not only their plans, but also lost Randall one insurance company as a client. Other companies have limited him to automobile claims."

"Well, good for him," I said.

"What is secret gets revealed," John said. "It's why we strive to live a life above reproach." I shuddered.

On the way home that afternoon, Cassie made up for having been separated on the first trip. She fastened herself into the center seat in front and cuddled as close to me as possible.

"There's a rumor that there is a park between here and home that is pretty private," she said as she ran her hand up the inside of my thigh.

"It's kind of cold for running around naked out in a park," I laughed.

"Don't you think we could fold down the backseat?" she asked. "I've also heard about how you've used that space." I laughed.

"Cassie! Are you asking to have sex in the backseat of my car?"

"Brian! What an awful thing to say. A nice Christian girl like me would never suggest such a thing. I was thinking of a little time to celebrate my love for my handfasted cónyuge." She grinned at me. But it was really too cold for the park. I drove to the south side of Indianapolis and checked us in to the Holiday Inn. "You're taking me to a motel?" she gasped.

"Oh, no! Cassie, I would never do such a thing with a nice Christian girl like you. What kind of man do you think I am? Look at the name of this facility. A holiday is a form of social celebration. This place provides space for those celebrations to occur. I wish to celebrate my love for my handfasted cónyuge and this location has given me the place to do so." I closed the door behind us. Fortunately, you don't have to walk through a central lobby here to get to your room, so no one commented on the fact that we had no luggage. I pulled Cassie into my arms and kissed her deeply.

"Let's celebrate," she whispered.

We didn't go home until Monday afternoon. It was Martin Luther King Jr. Day and there were no classes. We spent most of Sunday night and Monday morning connected. I don't think Cassie and I had ever had such a marathon sexcapade. We were both a little bedraggled when we finally got to the ranch. There were mixed tears and laughter when we got back home. Whitney was up and on crutches but trying her best to make her leg work. The first loss dealt to the Lady Hoosiers the day before had angered her. Of course, she blamed herself. They had a perfect season with eleven wins straight until they met OSU. I tried to comfort her, but she wanted to fight. I just backed off and said "No!" She finally got herself arranged on the sofa so we could all watch Elaine's show being broadcast.

During the show, the business phone rang. We have an extension in the house simply because we can't always be in the studio. Since we were watching Elaine and Rhonda's show, I answered the phone.

"Hearthstone Entertainment," I said.

"Hello! This is Roslyn Knightly of E! Entertainment Television. I'm calling to get a comment from Hearthstone Entertainment on the Heaven scandal." I looked at the phone and then put it back to my ear. We had a pretty solid strategy for dealing with this type of call which usually meant no comments. But in light of what we'd done over the weekend and Elaine's show being broadcast, we could have some fun with this.

"Oh, no! Has she been involved in a scandal? What is it this time?" I moaned.

"Oh ... Well ... Uh..."

"I'll bet this has to do with her $100,000 donation to Riley Children's Hospital, doesn't it? It was supposed to be an anonymous donation. I don't know how you got hold of the information already," I continued. Actually, it hadn't been anonymous. We'd just asked the hospital to delay announcing it for a week.

"She donated a hundred grand to a hospital?"

"Yes. You didn't know? Oh, man. I let that one out."

"Who am I speaking with? Can I quote you?"

"This is Brian Frost, executive producer for Redress. Yes, you can quote me. Better that than having it come up on some gossip show. If it wasn't the donation you were calling about, what scandal did you have in mind?"

"The uh ... thing with her boyfriend being gay," Roslyn said.

"Really? That was kind of last week, you know. She's on Chick Chat with Elaine Frost right now. You know that show gets taped way in advance, right?"

"Yes," Roslyn sighed. "We're watching it. My producer told me to get straight out and get a soundbite."

"Okay. Well, let's work together on this and get a good one for you, Roslyn. May I call you Roslyn?"

"Yes, of course."

"Are you an E! reporter or have you been sent by someone else? An independent?"

"Oh. I'm just beginning here. I'm on the Late Night beat. The producer just handed me a phone number and said to get a comment. I think he expected you'd just say no comment or not answer the phone so we could say 'couldn't be reached.' Something like that."