“I hated thinking of you home alone. Did you come through it okay?”
“Sort of, y–yes. What fun, huh? All that wind and rain.” Melissa made a face. No, she didn’t consider the storm all that fun. “I bought all the tropical storm food you suggested—M&Ms, cookies, fruit.” Add one prince and his protection officer and she had herself apar-tay!
Corina smiled on the inside. It was a rather outlandish situation. Funny in a sad sort of way.My husband the prince stopped by for a chat.
“Okay . . .” Melissa moved to her desk. “Just as long as you hadfun. Some of us are going to River Rock tonight, if you want to come.”
“Sure, why not.” Corina tried her tea again. Still too hot. So she powered up her Mac and launched e-mail, then the Internet, making her way through her morning list of newspapers. She had a few minutes before her nine o’clock meeting with Mark.
Suddenly Gigi perched on Corina’s desk. “How are those roses doing?”
“Blooming.” Corina blew over the surface of her tea.
“And you?” Gigi said. “Are you blooming? This business with Mark isn’t getting you down?”
“Getting me down? No. This is just a blip in the road. Listen, Gigi, I have a meeting with speak-of-the-devil in nine minutes. Do you need something?”
“You, darling.” Gigi floated a gold embossed invitation through the light and onto the desk in front of Corina. “Your first road assignment.”
Corina read the script on the heavy card stock.
On behalf of His Majesty and the Royal House of Stratton
You Are Cordially Invited to the Gold Carpet Premier of
King Stephen I
14 June, 8:00 p.m.
RSVP to His Lord Chamberlain
“What is this?”
“An invitation. See right there. ‘You are cordially invited . . .’ I want you to cover the premier.” Gigi was in full-fledged media-mogul form. “I’ve also spoken to the film’s star, Clive Boston, and he’s agreed to do an exclusive with us.” She grinned with a wink. “He owes me one.”
“Clive Boston owes you one?” The boisterous but reclusive star hadn’t given an interview in ten years. “Do I want to know why? Or how?”
“No, trust me. Anyway, I want you to—”
“No, Gigi. No.” Flat out. No. Corina handed Gigi the invitation. “We’ve got stringers in London who can go down to Cathedral City to do the job.”
“Fine if I wanted a piece on tourism or the opening day of the summer season in Cathedral City, but this is a royal invitation to a movie premier. I’m not sending just any ole body in my stead. I’m sending you.”
“You’re sending me all the way to Cathedral City to cover a movie premier? That’s a mighty expensive junket.”
“Don’t forget Clive. The fact we’re getting an interview, my dear, is what separates the big dogs. Who gets the scoop, the inside story, is the one everyone will turn to for their news. Anyway, I had to sweeten the deal with Clive, so I tossed you into the bargaining. Told him you’d be doing the interview.” She gave Corina a hard stare. “You need to leave by the end of the week.”
“Gig, did it occur to you to ask me? Clive Boston? He’s an arrogant blowhard.” Corina had crossed paths with the iconic actor in years past—when she traveled with Daddy to L.A.—but they had nothing more than a “Hello, how are you?” relationship. Certainly not enough to lure the actor to the interview couch. “He’s notorious for not showing up.”
“He seemed really keen on seeing you. Said he’d always wanted to know you more. He’ll be in Cathedral City for the premier next week, so you can do your interview there. Two birds, one stone.” Gigi slapped a sticky note to the desktop. “Here’s his information. He said texting works best. We need this scoop, Corina. TheBeaumont Postis due for a scoop, a righteous exclusive.” Gigi stood to leave, jerking the hem of her suit jacket. “Don’t let me down, shug.”
“Corina?” Mark stuck his head into the bull pen from his corner office. “You coming?”
“She’s on her way, Mark,” Gigi said.
“Just a sec, Mark. Gigi,” Corina called after her with arighteoushiss, gathering her notes for her meeting with Mark, “I’m not saying yes to this.”
Cathedral City? She couldn’t go to Cathedral City.He, the man she was married to, lived there.
