Chapter 11

Tara hung up from talking to the production agent at SportsNet. She frowned.

"They don't have anyone available until later tonight," she said. "Almost all their crew is down in San Diego for the All-Star Game. I forgot that NET has the TV rights."

"You're available," Chastity said.

"I don't actually work for them," Tara replied with a smile. "That means I can't use their studios."

"Randi has a makeshift studio in her basement," J.C. put in. "At least she did last year."

"She does?" Brock asked. "Why?"

"She's a kid with too much money," J.C. replied succinctly. "Since she was using the pool here, they put in a small studio in her basement. It has sound mixing equipment, cameras, lights, the whole thing. I'm surprised she hasn't shown it to you. She was pretty impressed when she got the stuff."

Mel gave a snort.

"I think she was more interested in showing Brock some other impressive stuff that's popped up since then," she said with a laugh.

J.C. frowned in puzzlement before recognition hit him.

"Oh, yeah," he said. "Thank God she didn't try to show me things like that. I probably would have freaked out."

Brock, for his part, simply blushed. Then he stood and started for the door.

"Where are you going?" Chastity asked.

"Next door," he said with an evil grin. "I'm going to turn the tables for once. I'm going to stand outside and ring her God-damned doorbell until someone answers."

"It's why I just gave her a key," J.C. said with a laugh.

"Brock won't even let her in the house without a chaperone," Mel said. "Christ, if she had a key he'd wake up one afternoon with her snuggled up next to him."

"Oh, just stop," Brock said. "She's actually a nice kid. And I'm like her big brother – not her creepy uncle."

"Believe what you want," Melanie joked.

Everyone was still a bit surprised when, despite what he'd just told them, Brock did, indeed walk next door and ring the doorbell until someone answered. Sadly, it was Randi's mother.

"Brock?" she asked, wiping the sleep from her eyes.

"I need to speak to Randi," he told her.

"She's asleep," Darla told him. It was unnecessary information. Brock figured anyone even halfway sane was still asleep.

"It's important or I wouldn't have bothered you," he said earnestly. Still half asleep, not that Brock noticed much difference from her normal demeanor, Darla Darby closed the door in his face. He waited for a moment and was about to ring the doorbell again when Randi showed up – bed-headed and bedraggled. She was wearing a pink, fluffy robe and bunny slippers.

Brock couldn't help but smile. He wished he had his phone so he could snap a quick picture to sell to the tabloids.

"What?" Randi asked irritably.

"Now you know how it feels," Brock replied with a smile. "Seriously, we need your help."

"My help?" Randi asked. "Who?"

"Uh, Chastity," he said. "I'll explain it once you're awake. But, point is, we need to use your studio for a while this morning. Is that possible? Do you know people who might help us?"

"Maybe," Randi replied. "Give me a minute, Brock. I was totally zonked."

She closed her eyes briefly as though she planned to go back to sleep standing in the doorway. She appeared to have processed the information when she opened her eyes.

"OK, better," she said. "Sure you can use the studio. What do you need it for?"

"An interview," Brock replied. He briefly explained what the story coming out of Colorado Springs was saying and why they needed Randi's help.

"I can do most of it," she said. "I might need your help when I set the lights. It isn't hard. It's a small area. The only thing I've really done for real down there is a pilot for a teen talk show I wanted to pitch. It won't take 10 minutes to reset."

"A teen talk show," Brock said. "That actually sounds like it might be worthwhile. Uh, when can we use it?"

"Anytime, Brock," Randi said. She smiled up at him and only then realized how she must look. Quickly she tried to smooth down her hair. She blushed when she realized what she was doing.

Brock leaned down and kissed her on the forehead.

"Thanks, Randi," he said sincerely. "I am really sorry about dragging you out of bed but Tara is going to do this for SportsNet but she can't use their studios. I think it's a union thing."

He paused.

"We won't have that problem will we?" he asked. He knew Hollywood was a huge union town. Everything was dictated by what the shop stewards said could be done. He had to join the Screen Actors Guild to appear in product endorsements.

"It's registered as a private studio," Randi replied. "Besides, I've got my SAG card and I'm sure Tara does, too. It'll be fine."

"OK, in about an hour or so?" Brock said. "And I'm sorry for waking you."

"It's cool," Randi said. "I'll see you in an hour or so."

The next hour and a half at Brock's house greatly resembled the Keystone Cops.

Randi apparently called to drag Meredith out of bed because she arrived 20 minutes after Brock left the Raver/Darby household. She joined Jen and Susan in helping Chastity pick out the proper clothing and in fixing her hair and makeup.

Tara was used to doing her own styling so she worked on the questions she wanted to ask while Chastity was being groomed.

Melanie formulated a contract for use of Randi's studio and one that was sent to SportsNet and Tara's employer in Indiana to ensure she had sole rights to the footage.

Louisa Bond arrived, with her boys in tow, almost exactly when Chastity was finished in the bathroom. Jen, Susan and Meredith pulled Louisa in to get her prepared. That left Brock to watch the boys, which he didn't mind. He took them out back to the pool and kept them entertained.

J.C. wanted to stay around to help out but he had an early appointment with his orthopedist that he couldn't miss. Next door, Randi and Darla Darby put together a set that resembled an intimate meeting place. The furniture was still in place from Randi's pilot and Darla ran out to get some fresh flowers to put into a vase on the small coffee table that rested between a small settee and a high backed chair.

By 8:30 a.m., the whole group was ready for the interview session to begin. Sadly, only two people could fit in the set. Randi was going to work one camera and she appointed Meredith to work the other. One of the crew from her KidsTV set agreed to edit the video – for $250 an hour – and promised he could have a workable promo ready in two hours.

Brock was just as happy to sit in his backyard with Tate and Drew Bond while everyone else did what needed to be done. Belatedly, he remembered that Al and Esmi Perez were supposed to come over in a few hours for a cookout and he had nothing at all to prepare.

He was preparing to call them when Esmi called him.

"Brock, have you seen ASN?" she asked urgently. "What they're saying is total bullshit."

"Yeah, I caught it bright and early this morning," he lamented. "Actually, dark and early this morning, Chastity and Louisa are in a studio right now putting together a rebuttal. I was about to call you to let you know that we might have to push the picnic back a bit. You're still welcome to come over, of course. In fact, I'm hanging out with two boys about same age as your girls. If you and Al want some alone time, bring them over."

"I'm an old married woman, Brock," Esmi said with a laugh. "I've had all the alone time I ever want with Al Perez. But I think we'll come over to lend some moral support. What time do you think they will be back?"

"I have no idea," Brock admitted. "They're next door. I guess Randi has some sort of makeshift studio in her basement. Or hell, Esmi, it could rival Paramount Studios for all I know about Hollywood."

Esmi laughed.

"I tell you what," Esmi decided. "I'll drop Al and the girls off and then I'll go get everything for our get-together. We'll all work together and everything will turn out fine."

"Thanks, Esmi," Brock replied. "I didn't really plan for you to have to do anything. But I'm glad you're around to help out when I need it. It's nice to have friends like you."

"It's nice to have a friend like you, Brock," Esmi replied. "We'll see you in a little while."

Sure enough, by the time Chastity and Louisa returned – with Tara, Meredith, Randi and Darla in tow – Al and his daughters, Maria and Faith, had joined Brock in the backyard. The kids were taking a break from the pool – required by Brock for safety's sake – and were playing with some toys each had brought along.

Tara, Louisa and Chastity went inside to change clothes and wash off their makeup. Randi and Meredith went inside to change into swimsuits, leaving Darla to join the men at the poolside.

"Your friend Tara is very good," Darla told Brock. It was, perhaps, the first intelligent sentence he had ever heard the woman utter. "I was really impressed at how she kept the interview on track. She didn't lob them softballs either. This wasn't a PR piece. It was journalism – or at least it was what I've always thought journalism should be. I think SportsNet is going to be highly impressed."

Brock was actually less worried about Tara getting a new job than about Chastity and Louisa setting the record straight. He would probably have preferred a PR piece.

"But they got their message across, right?" he asked.

"Oh, yes," Darla replied. "Both players are very well-spoken. They answered the hard questions as readily as they answered the easy ones. Your attorney friend suggested affidavits from all the affected players. Those started arriving by e-mail midway through the segment. Tara did a great job of changing up her plan when she saw them."

"Now if SportsNet will just run it," Brock said.

Darla nodded sadly.

"If they don't, I'll buy air time on KTLA - prime time," Al said. "People are going to see what's really going on. I promise you that, Brock. I'm not sure I've ever seen Esmi that mad – and it wasn't even at me."

He smiled to show he was (mostly) joking.

"If it comes to that, I'm sure you can count on Randi and me to chip in," Darla said.

"J.C., too," Brock replied. "Of course you know you can count on me."

"Speaking of J.C.," Al said.

"He had an errand to run," Brock told him.

"How bad is it?" Al wondered. The only reason for J.C. to stop in L.A. was for an injury assessment.

"He's finding out today," Brock said.

As if on cue, Brock's cell phone jangled. Al said he would watch the kids while Brock answered. It was J.C.

"How did it go?" Brock asked.

"I was going to ask you the same question," J.C. replied with a laugh. The fact he could chuckle meant it couldn't be too bad, Brock supposed.

"Things here just wrapped up," Brock informed him. "From what I hear, it went well."

"You didn't watch?" J.C. wondered.

"I had a better job," Brock said. "I got to watch Louisa's two boys. Al is over with his daughters. Now all we have to wait for is SportsNet. If they won't air it, we're thinking about buying a primetime spot on KTLA."

"Count me in," J.C. said. "That was total crap. I told you what I think of amateur athletics. Well this is just another reason for me to lump the administrators in with bankers and lawyers – don't tell Mel I said that."

Brock laughed.