CHAPTER TWENTY
My hands shook as I held my phone. I didn’t want to talk to Kennedy, not right now. She had warned me that Aiden couldn’t be trusted. I tapped on Lauren’s number and waited as it rang.
“Hello?” Her voice sounded so comforting it instantly sent me into a sobbing fit. “Claire, are you okay?” she asked frantically.
I managed to utter, “Yes,” and then continued to sob. She was frantic on the other end of the phone, confused by my meltdown and becoming more and more concerned the longer it took me to answer her questions.
“What’s wrong, Claire?” she asked sternly. “Are you hurt?”
My heart was hurt, but mostly my pride. I wasn’t physically hurt in any way, so I knew I had to pull it together and tell her what was wrong before she hopped one of Asher’s private planes and started her search for me across the country.
“I’m fine, it’s Aiden,” I managed to say.
Claire was silent on the other end of the phone. Then she asked, “Claire, where are you?”
“Kansas.”
“I’ll come get you if you need me to,” she offered.
I sniffled hard. “No, I’m fine,” I lied.
“Please tell me what happened,” she pleaded.
I took a deep breath and explained the entire sordid story, the tabloids, how sweet Aiden had been and how I really started to fall for him. When I told her I found him in bed with Elle, she gasped.
“Isn’t she the one you became friends with?”
“Yes, the only one I had,” I sobbed. “I’m so foolish.”
“No, you aren’t,” she snapped. “They’re nasty people, and I just don’t understand what they were gaining from this.”
I didn’t know either. I was hoping that Lauren might have an opinion about the situation, but she seemed to be as confused as me. It was all too weird, too twisted, too vindictive.
“What are you going to do?” Lauren asked.
I blew my nose into a tissue and thought about her question. “I’m in the final two, against Aiden. Should I just leave?”
Lauren immediately turned into a pit bull, demanding that I do no such thing. “Don’t let that piece of shit win, Claire,” she ordered, yelling into my ear. “Take him down!”
I laughed at her gusto, and the release of the sound felt wonderful. “I have a week off,” I said, my mind finally clearing. “I just need to be alone and get my head together before the finale.”
“I agree. Do you want to come home?”
I shook my head, even though she couldn’t see it. “No, I would rather be alone, somewhere quiet. I may go to Texas since the finale is in Austin.”
“I understand. Let me make some phone calls and I’ll call you right back. Pack up and be ready to leave.”
I looked at my bags. “I’m ready.”
“I love you, Claire,” she said softly.
“I love you too,” I replied and hung up the phone before my tears began to fall again.
The crew was cleaning everything up outside, and I knew they would be ordering me to leave shortly. I fell onto my mattress and wiped away the last of my tears, deciding that it didn’t matter why Aiden and Elle had betrayed me, it was over, and I was going to be fine. I just needed out of here!
A knock on my door pulled me up, and I quickly opened it to Gretchen. “Are you okay, sweetie?” she asked.
“Yes, I’m fine,” I said, this time not lying.
“We’re finishing up the final teardown and need to load the campers, but if you need more time…”
She glanced over her shoulder to where I was looking. It was Aiden and Elle, getting into a black car together, Aiden’s hand guiding the small of Elle’s back into the back seat.
“I’m so sorry,” she said. “Is that why you were so upset earlier?”
I nodded and fought back the tears that burned behind my eyes. Even though Gretchen was generally a sweet woman and now appeared to be concerned, I remembered how she acted over the tabloids and how she expected me to further ruin my reputation for ratings.
“Men are all bastards,” she said coolly. “You’re better off without him.”
I smiled as best I could and walked out of the camper. Knowing they were gone made it easier to come out of my tin cage. “I’m waiting on a phone call, but I could use a ride to the airport.”
Gretchen smiled and motioned towards the black car at the end of the drive. “That’s your driver, he’ll take you wherever you want to go.”
I gripped my bags and walked towards the car. I glanced around the farm and looked for Shep, but he wasn’t anywhere to be seen. My heart ached for his comfort, but I knew I should just leave. I’d been terrible to him. I’d turned him down, defended Aiden, and didn’t believe his warnings. He didn’t need to see me.
I recognized my driver as one of my favorites. Tall and with a thick beard, he always had a smile on his face. He took my bags and placed them in the trunk, giving me a look of concern. “At least you made it this far, that’s more than most can say,” he consoled me with a pat on the shoulder.
“I’m actually going on to the finale,” I said.
His eyebrows rose, and his lips curled into a smile. “Really, you could have fooled me with that sour face of yours,” he said with a chuckle. “Whatever it is, a week of relaxation will wash it all away. Where would you like to go?”
“The airport please,” I replied and climbed into the back seat. He closed the door to secure me inside.
Lauren’s face popped up on my phone, and I quickly slid the bar to answer her call.
“Claire, I talked to Jackson, and he’s putting you up in one of his resorts in Dallas,” she said before I could even say hello. “It’s a beautiful place, very relaxing and near Austin, so you won’t have to travel very far.”
I practically melted into the seat in relief. “That sounds perfect. Thank you, Lauren, and thank Jackson for me.”
“Of course, so where are you? Can you get to the airport?”
I looked out the window at the passing scenery. “I’m on my way now.”
“Tickets are waiting for you, and yes, they’re first class,” Lauren said with a chuckle that made me smile.
“Well, I certainly hope this wouldn’t be the time you make me travel coach, or worse yet, in the belly riding in a dog cage,” I teased, even though I wouldn’t have cared if I were strapped to the top of the damn thing as long as it took me anywhere but here.
“I’m glad to hear you laugh, Claire. Call me when you arrive at the resort. Love you.” And she was gone.
The leather seat was cool against my back, and my head felt so heavy I knew I could fall asleep if I only closed my eyes. The driver wouldn’t let me, his voice loud and abrasive as he asked me about my plans for the week.
“I have a friend setting me up in their Dallas resort,” I explained.
He let out a “woohoo” that made him sound like he was from New Orleans, not Kansas. I had to ask him where he was from.
“Louisiana, of course.”
I laughed, and he kept me entertained and my mind off Aiden and Elle while we rode to the airport. He was working here to save up money to fix his restaurant that had been destroyed in the Katrina flood. He still owned the building, and he had been working on it himself for years, but he still wasn’t close to reopening.
“What’s the name of your restaurant?’ I asked.
“Big Jake’s,” he said proudly. “That’s me, Jake.”
Our conversation turned more serious when he asked why I’d looked so sad earlier. After he’d taken my mind away from the pain, I realized it wasn’t nearly as painful to talk about.
I explained the situation, even including the love triangle with Shep. His eyes flicked to me often through the rearview mirror, and I could see his compassion for my dilemma.
“My momma always told me, people that try to take you down dirty, aren’t deserving of your anger, your pity or your praise. So hold your head high, play fair and win fair.”
“Your momma sounds like a wise woman.”
He nodded and met my eyes again. “Sounds like Shep may have been privy to information about this Aiden character that you just didn’t want to hear,” he said. “Maybe it’s time you hear it.”
I was a little disappointed when we pulled into the airport. I was enjoying my talk with Big Jake. He got out of the car, pulled out my suitcases, and handed them to the attendant on the sidewalk before opening my door. I stepped out and was surprised at my reaction. I opened my arms and slid them around him, squeezing his round belly and pressing my head against his chest.
“Thank you,” I said softly.
Big Jake held me tightly, then brushed my hair from my face. “You win this thing. Play fair. Win fair.”
I went through airport security without a hitch and made it to my gate with plenty of time to spare. The airport bar was across from my gate, so I grabbed my carry-mon and found a seat in the corner. The bartender was a sweet blonde girl named Kelly.
“What can I get ya?” she asked with a southern accent.
“Iced tea.” It was still early, so I wasn’t ready for anything stronger, but my throat was so dry from crying that I needed something cold and wet.
The television was on, and a news story was running about the show. It was scheduled to air next week, after the finale was filmed. The tabloid pictures of me and Shep came onto the screen, and Kelly turned to look at me. “Isn’t that you?”
I nodded and sipped my iced tea.
“What’s Shep like in person?” she asked, her eyes fluttering like a backstage junkie.
I kept it simple. “He’s a really nice guy.”
“Is it true? Are you two a thing?” she pushed.
I smiled, pushed my iced tea towards her, and placed a ten-dollar bill on the table. “I have to catch my plane.”