Chapter 36

I found out how the next few days would go the next morning when I left the apartment to run at five o’clock. There was a reporter waiting at my front door. That interview was easy to handle, I just started running and didn’t stop. When I returned home there were five of them at the door. I gave up.

I told them, “Come on in, one of you put the coffee on while I take a shower.”

There were three men and two women. It was one of the guys that made the coffee.

Needless to say, I rushed through my shower and dried my hair using my prototype hairdryer. The women were curious about the noise from the bathroom when I came out, so I showed it to them. They about freaked when they realized what it was, and that I had patents applied for.

At this point, I had decided not to fight it. Be honest and see where it went. Actually, it went well when they realized they didn’t have to badger me to get answers. They all gave me a business card that showed they were for real. Well, one might argue about the tabloid that was represented.

Two of them had really done some homework. They had read up on my previous achievements, however notable they were. The guy from the tabloid was very open. He needed something that was either scandalous or newsworthy in a blow your mind kind of way.

I replied, “Well I don’t think my godmother will be really happy about all of this.”

I then went to my desk and pulled out my Eagle Scout presentation letter from the Queen. Before I showed it to him I asked the others if they could give him some lead time on this part of the story. You could tell they weren’t enthusiastic about it, but as one of them said.

“I’ve never seen such openness before. You know this could do you in.”

“I know but I will be hounded until all this comes out, I figure the sooner it does the sooner things will settle down.”

“You’re wrong, this is going to make you more newsworthy than ever. Others will chase you to the ends of the earth.”

“If I give you guys access will you advise me on how to handle things. I realize that it won’t be perfect but I really am a novice at this.”

“Sure and I’m the Queen of England,” said one of the women.

This set the man from the tabloid giggling. Yes giggling.

He said, “This is too good not to share.”

Then he handed her the card Queen Elizabeth had sent me.

“Oh my god,” the woman shrieked. “Yes, I will work with you.”

She was the first but all five agreed to answer questions and give me advice if I would take their calls.

Sitting at my kitchen table drinking coffee they each came up with their story. The tabloid would have the most depth which helped him because his deadline was further out. The others wanted something that day. It was kind of cool when they borrowed my typewriter and started editing each other’s stories. I was sworn to secrecy for if their bosses found out there would be trouble.

As one of the women put it, “They will wonder who I was sleeping with to get such clean copy.”

When I laughed she really blushed, “Oh lord, you’re just a kid, I forgot!”

They all agreed that Grant would have something not nice to say in reply to my performance on the Tonight Show. They agreed my timing was impeccable. When I shared that it was more by accident than the plan they all took it as inside information.

One of the women looked thoughtful. She asked me, “If Elizabeth is your godmother, who is your godfather.”

My answer almost brought the roof down. I made a point of telling the whole story then of how Mum was with Elizabeth in World War II as a helper on the ambulance and how things snowballed. That I had never actually met either Her Majesty or the President and didn’t think it would be fair to imply a connection that wasn’t there.

My press corps didn’t want to let it go that easy. They played with the story and twisted it slightly so that it appeared Paul Grant had no idea that he was dealing with the Head of State of two powerful nations. There was nothing untrue but I would hate to be Grant when he read it.