Chapter 95: Strategies

Their phones stared ringing off the hook almost immediately. They were never shy about communicating to the press, especially with the well known figure skating writers--people like Jared Hurstell of the NY Times, Fred Rausch of the Chicago Tribune, Tina Bowman of USA Today, and Jim Pitman of their hometown Boston Globe. All these people, and others, had Warren and Sophia's phone numbers. And, those who didn't were calling Stephanie Langson, the USFSA's director of media relations--and she was calling Warren and Sophia.

"Listen, Steph, this is what we should do," Warren told her. "Set up a press conference for Friday, the day after we arrive in Switzerland. Tell all the writers we'll answer anything they want to ask, but not now. We've got to get ready to go, and that, for us, includes straightening out our classes."

"Gotcha," said Stephanie. "If you commit to a press conference, I can hold them off until then. You guys need a PR person, or an agent, or something!"

"No thanks!" Warren laughed.

"Anyhow, Warren, I have to ask you--how much of the Enquirer story is true?"

"Some of it. We'll explain more at the press conference. We need to decide, between the two of us, what to talk about and what to evade. At least they don't know about Sophia's pregnancy yet, that we get to spring on them ourselves."

The phone went silent for a minute. "What? Sophia's pregnant?" Stephanie finally asked.

"Yeah. They didn't tell you? We told Curtis, and the medical staff." Curtis Ingalls was the president of the USFSA.

"Nobody told me!" Stephanie explained. "Jesus, Warren, if the media want to portray her as a slut, she just gave them more ammunition. Does she have any idea who the father is?"

"Goddammit, Steph, you should know better than that! I am the father, of course!"

"Are you sure?"

"Stephanie, except for the two months we were broken up last year, Sophia has not slept with another man besides me for five years," Warren said, and it was almost true--and Warren didn't worry about the whole Jessie/Crash thing getting out.

"OK. Well, I'll set up the press conference, and you guys decide what you're going to say."

"We've got the press conference scheduled," Warren said to Sophia as she entered his room.

"Good. I've talked to Jessie. That whole thing never happened, and if the few people that know about it bring it up, Jess and Crash will deny it. Outside of that, we're going to more or less tell the truth."

"Well, sort of. We're going to leave Alexa and Liz out of this, because nobody but the two of us, Alexa, and Liz know."

"Right," Sophia agreed. "Warren, do you think Liz had anything to do with the Enquirer finding out I had a lesbian affair on tour?"

"I'd be surprised."

"So would I, but who else knew?"

"Evan and Shawna."

"But I had the affair with Shawna? Why would she tell?"

"Notice no names were mentioned, Sophia? They only said you had a lesbian affair, not who with."

"True."

"Plus, Liz has no motive, not even potentially."

"And Shawna does?"

"Sure. Jealousy that she couldn't steal you away permanently, or trying to throw us off stride competitively."

"Aaah."

As it turned out, when Sophia and Warren changed planes in NYC for the flight to Switzerland, Liz ended up sitting right behind them.

"Guys, I'm glad I ran into you," Liz said. "I want you to know I had nothing to do with that article."

"I hope not," Sophia said.

"Really," Liz said. "I like you guys too much for that. Both of you. Whoever did this sucks."

"That it does, but we've been through worse," Warren smiled at her.

"That is true, isn't it, Snugglebear?"

"It is true," Liz agreed. "And you've survived, every time."

"Now we get to see if we can survive a rabid press corps, and trying to skate in the Olympics with morning sickness," Sophia said to her with a wink.

"Morning sickness?" Liz asked. "You're pregnant?"

"Yup. We wanted to wait until we saw you in person to tell you," Sophia said, beaming.

"We've only known for a couple weeks," Warren said.

"Congratulations!" Liz said, then looked at them. "Um... should I be saying that?"