Duchess (19 page)

“No, I suppose you couldn’t,” Katie conceded, and Chase suddenly felt like a stray dog they had found on the side of the road. 

"Hey, I'm a big boy," he said. "I can handle this. I'll just go out there and explain to everyone that it was just a big misunderstanding. No big deal."

He started to walk away, but Katie called out.

"Wait! You can't do that. They won't care what you say. They’ll see you coming out of Duchess’s house, and that's all the confirmation they’ll need to believe the rumor. So unless you want to make it worse, you’ll stay right here."

"So what's your plan? Do you think Duchess will just show up and tell everyone to go away, and it will all be better?" His voice was rising, but he didn't care.

"No." Katie paused for a moment, but then looked excited. "I know! I'll call Kyle and see if he and Duchess can go to dinner together. Then the media will be looking at Kyle instead of you."

That reminded Chase of something. "Weren't you and Duchess supposed to be out to dinner with Kyle tonight anyway?"

"I told him no thanks. But maybe I'll have to change that answer." She picked up her phone and started texting Kyle.

"But Katie," Shirley chimed in, "how is Duchess going to get there? She would need you to help her get ready."

Chase watched Katie's triumphant smile fade. "True. Plus I need to figure out a way to get the media to follow me so Chase can leave." She paused for a moment before continuing. “I know. I’ll wear one of Duchess’s wigs and sunglasses, and they’ll think I’m her.”

He nodded, but he didn't like this plan. And why did Katie have to go?

"Don't worry, Chase will keep me company. Won't you?" Shirley asked, and he couldn't help but smile. He wished his mother had been more like Shirley, but wishes were like clouds, always evaporating when you reached for them.

"Of course. Who else is going to keep you in line?" he teased.

"Who indeed?" Shirley answered him.

Katie didn't appear to be paying attention to the conversation. "Good, that'll be good," she said, distracted. “I guess I'll get going. First, I need to pick out what Duchess can wear tonight."

"Ooo! I wanna help!" Amber exclaimed.

Chase watched as Katie left the room with an animated Amber on her heels. He stared at the closed door as the feel of Katie’s lips against his tortured his mind. Why did doing the right thing feel so wrong?

“Are you gonna just stand there gawking?” Shirley’s voice brought him out of his thoughts.

“Of course not. I was just wondering if there’s a special place in hell for people who beat old women at poker.” He crossed over to the table by her bed and picked up the deck of cards that were lying there.

“But you would be doing me a favor, ’cause I’m pretty sure there’s a special place in heaven for little old women who humble cocky young gentlemen like yourself.”

“Oh, it’s on, Shirley! Deal the cards.” Sitting down, Chase let their banter wash over him. He’d missed their interaction since Shirley had stopped volunteering.  They got caught up in the game, and Chase lost track of time. The ringing of his phone startled him. It was Katie.

"Hello?"

"Chase? I think you can go now. I'm pretty sure they’re gone." Katie's words sounded rushed.

"Okay. Um, where's Amber?" She hadn’t come back since they both went to pick out a dress for Duchess to wear.

"Oh, I left her in Duchess’s closet. I wouldn't be surprised if you never saw her again. She was trying on everything." Katie chuckled, and Chase couldn't help but smile.

"Well, thanks for … um … everything." He paused. Why did he feel like he wanted to say more? What more was there really to say? “Goodbye.” He hung up the phone before she could respond, and told Shirley what was going on.

"So you're leaving me?" she asked.

"Just for now. Hopefully, people can forget all about me and Duchess."

"I don't know. I think you would make a great boyfriend for her." Shirley looked at him pointedly.

"What?" he exclaimed. "No way! I can't stand the woman."

"You don't even know her. She's really a great person," Shirley said.

"Does anyone know her? She's built her whole career based on some mystery. How is that healthy?" Chase didn't understand why Shirley was defending Duchess.

"I'm sure it's not healthy, but I can tell you that Duchess has her reasons for doing what she does. So don't judge her too harshly," Shirley cautioned.

Chase just shook his head and gave Shirley a peck on the cheek. "Take care, beautiful," he said with a wink and left the room in search of Amber.

Katie was right. He almost couldn't find her amongst all the ball gowns and wigs and shoes. He had to threaten to drag her out kicking and screaming. She knew he would have done it—that's why she finally agreed to leave on her own.

Amber looked out the door first, and when the coast looked clear, she waved at him to come over. "I think they're gone." She started down the stairs.

"Let's just hope the ones outside my apartment are gone too." He looked around the empty driveway.

He started to follow Amber, but a man with a big camera suddenly jumped out of the bush next to the front door. The bright flash blinded Chase for a moment, causing him to misstep. He tripped on the stair and fell down with a thud.

"Were you visiting Duchess? How long have you two been dating?" The photographer punctuated each question with a flash from his camera.

Chase just sat on the stairs and tried to shield his face with his arm.

"Hey!" Amber came running up the stairs toward the cameraman and began hitting him with her purse. He backed up out of swinging distance. "Leave him alone! Can't you see he needs help?"

Amber held out her hand. What Chase really wanted to do was slap her. Why would she announce to this photographer that he was a cripple? But he didn't want to sit on the stairs forever either, so he took her outstretched hand and let her pull him up.

"Are you okay?" Amber asked like a mother hen. Her hands went down to his pant leg to check to make sure the prosthetic didn’t twist his knee, like she did any time someone fell at Veterans’ Aid. About that time, there was another camera flash, and Chase smacked Amber's hands away from his leg.

"I'm fine," he insisted.

"Are you sure?" Amber just wouldn't leave him alone.

"Let's go." He walked down the stairs, grateful the cameraman was too afraid of Amber's purse to get any closer.

Getting in the car, Chase slammed the door behind him.

As they drove away, Amber kept the icy silence that had enveloped them. He could already imagine the picture of his robotic leg plastered all over the media. Now the whole world would get to pity him. His chin jutted as he stared hard out the window of the car. At least now he knew he’d done the right thing by pushing Katie away, even if the thought of that kiss kept him up all night with regret.

Chapter Twenty-One

Katie woke with the memory of Chase's lips on hers. The dream melted away, leaving her empty on the inside. Touching her lips, she thought back to the evening before. Chase's kiss overshadowed everything else. For a moment, she’d allowed herself to believe that he could care about her, maybe even love her. That word caught her by surprise.
Love
. Images of his bright eyes swam in her vision, and a dopey smile camped out on her face. Could she love him?

A gasp slipped out as the possibility hit her full force. If only he hadn't apologized. The half-smile slid off, and she moved her fingers away from her mouth. No matter what her feelings were, he’d made it clear he thought it was a mistake. Struggling to ignore the heaviness in her chest, she determined not to let Carter Chase any closer to her heart.

The rest of the day flew by as she immersed herself in work. Walking into her mom’s room for their nightly viewing of TMZ, she prepared herself to see the clip of Duchess and Kyle eating together. They’d gone through a lot of trouble to make sure the media got an eye full. He even held her hand and gave her a kiss. Compared to Chase’s kiss, Kyle’s was like a wet plunger over her lips.

What she hadn’t been prepared to see was a picture of Chase sprawled on the front steps of her home with his fake leg splashed across the screen. Katie usually found the show entertaining. She and her mom usually exchanged retorts and laughed at the humorous commentary, but neither of them found the program funny that evening.

“Our mystery gal, Duchess, seems to be involved in her own little love triangle,”
said the man Katie had nicknamed Larry, after the Three Stooges. As he spoke, a side-by-side picture of Chase catching Duchess and Duchess kissing Kyle flashed onto the screen.

“We know that her dining companion is from her record label. But do we know who this other mystery man is?”
Larry aimed his question at the many other commentators who sat at computer screens sipping coffee.

“As a matter of fact, we do,”
the reporter she called Moe answered as he leaned forward, ready to dish out all he’d learned. “His name is Sergeant Carter Chase, and he lost his leg fighting in Afghanistan. Now he volunteers at a charity called Veterans’ Aid. The same group that is putting on a charity concert next month. And guess who their main act will be?”

“Duchess, of course!” Larry answered, like it proved something.

“Wait,” the woman Katie called Curly interjected. “How do we know she’s even dating this sergeant? Maybe he really did just catch her.”

“Yes! Thank you, Curly!” Katie called out to the TV in front of her.

“Then why was he seen leaving her house, and why is Duchess suddenly doing a concert for his charity?” Moe asked. “And not only is Duchess the main act at the concert, but her manager has been trying to recruit other bands as well. It’s just too many coincidences, if you ask me.”

“Nobody asked you!” This time, it was Shirley’s turn to yell at the television.

“I just don’t buy it,” Curly insisted. “Why would Duchess kiss that record label guy if she could be with Sergeant Hunk instead? I mean, have you looked at those arm muscles?” The other woman on the screen nodded her head in agreement.

“I don’t know,” Moe admitted, “but maybe he lost more than his leg in the war.”

The TV screen went black, and Katie looked over at her mother’s stern face and outstretched hand that had clicked the off button on the remote.

“They don’t know what they’re talking about.” Shirley put the remote down next to the side of her bed.

Katie stood up, walking away from the TV like distance would take away the bad taste in her mouth. “How did that happen? Now they think Duchess is two-timing one of our nation’s heroes. Are you kidding me? And did you hear those awful things they said about him?”

“Calm down, Katie.”

“I can’t calm down! This just keeps getting worse. Now what am I going to do?” Katie continued pacing.

“You’ll do what you always do, Katie Bug.” Her mother smiled. “You’ll come up with a solution because that’s what you do best.”

“My solutions always blow up in my face!” She made a mock explosion with her hands, complete with sound effects.

“I didn’t say they were all good solutions,” her mother said with a smile and reached out for Katie’s hand. “But you will eventually find the right one.”

“I don’t know about that.” Katie mumbled as she gave her mom’s hand a soft squeeze, but she didn’t have time to sulk because her phone rang. Seeing Kyle’s name on the Caller ID, she sighed.

“Hello, Kyle,” she said without enthusiasm.

“Did you see that? What is that man’s problem? Is he purposely trying to ruin everything we worked for?” Kyle’s rant didn’t make her feel better.

“Kyle, it’s not his fault he was seen with Duchess in the first place. If you hadn’t planned that stupid signing when I told you I was busy, we wouldn’t be in this situation.”

Kyle sighed into the phone. “Now, let’s not go placing blame,” he lectured, and Katie rolled her eyes. He didn’t want to place blame if it meant the blame was his. “We’ve got to run some damage control.”

“I don’t think there’s anything we can do. Everyone is convinced that Duchess just shunned an amputee. He instantly has all the sympathy, and Duchess is the bad guy. I don’t think anyone can recover from that.”

Kyle was silent for a moment. “You’re right. He has all the sympathy.” He said it like that was the solution. “That’s why he’s going to be Duchess’s new boyfriend!” His voice was triumphant.

“What are you talking about? Nobody’s going to buy that now that Duchess kissed you last night.” She shuddered thinking about that kiss.

“You’ll have to make them buy it!” The underlying threat didn’t need to be verbalized. 

“Chase will never agree to this.” Katie shook her head at how many times she’d humiliated herself in front of Chase already.

“Just tell him it’s free publicity for that little charity of his.” Kyle’s voice was so condescending, she wondered at ever thinking he was a nice guy.

Katie decided to try a stall tactic. “Let’s give it a few days first, Kyle. You know how fickle the media is. If this doesn’t blow over in four days, Duchess will have Sergeant Hunk as a boyfriend.”

“Fine,” Kyle replied, “but you have two days instead of four. And if I were you, I would use that time to convince Sergeant Lover Boy that Duchess is his dream come true, because I don’t see the media bloodhounds letting go of this bone anytime soon.”

As the phone clicked off in her ear, Katie wanted to scream. She couldn’t tell Kyle the real reason she didn’t want to be around Chase as Duchess. Who was she kidding? She couldn’t even be around him as Katie. Again, memories of his kiss haunted her. She ran her hand through her hair, as if that would wipe her thoughts away.

Katie hated it when Kyle was right. Her two days had come and gone, and the media had chewed on the news of Duchess shunning an American hero like a mad dog. It was time to go to Veterans’ Aid and beg for Chase’s help. As she walked toward the building, she noticed the media camped out front of the door. She pushed through the crowd and ran smack into two tall men she could only assume were bouncers.