Undercover Heat (2 page)

“I will on the way.”

“You know, this is precisely why you get in the gossip magazines.” Manny scolded from a few paces behind. “Running naked through a five star hotel is a bigger story then a Paris Hilton sex tape.”

“I wouldn’t have had to if you had gotten me up earlier.”

“I thought I was doing a favor letting you sleep. Looks like you had pretty interesting company las
t night. I just saw her leave.”

Ty chuckled and shook his head. “You can tell me about it later, right now, I’m in a hurry.” When he got to the elevators, Ty pressed the “down” arrow and waited in between for the nearest available car. The doors to his right opened first, and two older ladies stepped out and gasped
.

Ty winked. What the hell?

“Can you at least put your pants on before we get to the lobby?” Manny pleaded. “You’ll cause a riot.”

“Sure.” Ty shed the towel just as the elevator doors behind him opened. Jaws dropped and women applauded. He smiled when the
camera phones flipped open.

“That’s what I mean
,
” Manny said over the feminine squeals. “Behavior like that is what gets you in trouble.”

“Manny, this is
New York
. People run aroun
d the city naked all the time.”

“Well you aren’t ‘people.’ You’re Ty Hollister. Moments of tact would do wonders for your image.”

Ty zipped up his jeans and stepped into an empty car. Manny held open his leather jacket.

“Didn’t you bring a shirt?”

“Oops.”

Ty knew where this scene was going. He could feel a classic Manny “I-am-not-your-nanny” speech coming on. An emotionless monologue that he knew by heart and hated, because it was the truth. Ty braced himself and leaned back against the elevator wall.

“This is self-destruction. Pure and simple.” Manny pressed his thumb and middle finger against the bridge of his nose. “I mean, I know you’re going through a divorce and all, but this behavior of yours.” He shook his head. “This is why God invented therapists.”

“Where I’m from Jack Daniels and Jim Beam count as therapists.”

“Where the hell did you ever find the discipline to do a TV show? Eighteen hour days, six days a week, almost year round.” He sighed and stared at the panel of lights above the doors. “Thank God, you’re a big movie star now. No one would put up with all your bul
lshit otherwise.”

Ty let the words roll off. No point in disputing th
em. The assessment was correct.

“I called ahead to the studio. Carrie Ann is there, and I guess if you don’t make it she can do the interview herself.”

“I’ll get there
.
” Ty pushed himself off the wall. “I don’t want her to do it alone.”

“What do you care? Less work for you, right?”

Ty took a sideward glance at his disgruntled assistant. Jesus, he could nag. But to his credit, he never ever judged, and that was a huge reason why he hired the kid in the first place. The wild and crazy lifestyle wasn’t something they learned in the Business Management classes at Yale, and he could tell the kid secretly didn’t mind the on-the-job training.

“Look, maybe I can clear your schedule next week
,
” Manny grumbled. “You were invited to that thing in
South
Beach
. It would be a shame to miss it.”

“I’m not skipping out. I have an obligation.”

Manny looked at him and flicked his earlobe as if adjusting a hearing aid. “I’m sorry, but did I just hear you use the word ‘obligation’ in a sentence?”

The car lurched to a stop. Ty squeezed through the elevator doors before they completely opened. He dashed through the lobby, out to the line of cabs in the front loop. The late November chill made him regret he didn’t wear a shirt. Remembering his shoes would have been nice, too. His
bare feet numbed in the slush.

“I’ll head back to the suite and pack up your clothes and stuff
,
” Manny said as they piled into a yellow cab. “You can’t go all day half-dressed.”

“Entertainment Now Studio, please.” Ty told the cab driver. “And there’s an extra grand in it for you if you put a rush on it. Ten minutes ago would have been great.”

“Ty...
”

“Just drive!”

Carrie sat on the leather greenroom couch going over her “To Do” list for the third time. Usually her daily lists filled almost a whole legal page, but leaving her sister, Lizzie, in charge of the bed and breakfast required one or two more at least. She gnawed on the end of her pencil, wondering if she should call. If she did, she’d just get a lecture. Lizzie’s usual “stop being a Control Freak” mantra.

A check of her watch told her the interview was already an hour behind schedule. Not surprising, given the world of show business thrived on always being “fashionably late.” One of the many reasons why she didn’t miss her old career. It made her appreciate the freedom of making her own schedule. One she needed to get back to ASAP. Again, she looked at her watch. At this rate, she wouldn’t be back upstate until after dark.

She stood up and paced, stopped mid-step when she glanced in the full-length mirror. A short, redheaded antithesis of
Hollywood
glamour stared back at her.
She probably should have let the “Entertainment Now” stylists fix her hair down instead of pulled back like she had it. And maybe the short black tank dress wasn’t the best wardrobe choice. But wearing if felt like a declaration that all the old demons were no longer present. Who cared that her calves looked thick and hopelessly unattractive. It wasn’t normally an issue given her daily attire of baggy overalls and knee-high boots. No need for micro-minis and three-inch heels when you chopped wood and shoveled snow.

Closing her eyes, she stepped away from the mirror, making a mental note to hide her calves from the glare of the camera.

“Carrie, are you still in here?” The door flew open, revealing the panic stricken face of Earl Simmons, the Executive Producer and mastermind of “
Undercover Heat.
” At forty, he looked every bit his age, plus an added ten for stress, and another five for his chubby build and practically bald head. Carrie was glad to see he
had given up on the comb-over.

He slammed the door behind him like someone chased him, and beads of sweat formed on his shiny scalp. “Thank
G
od, you haven’t left,” he panted. “At least I have one star for the interview.”

Carrie held her hand out to him. His clammy palm stuck to hers. “Earl, you have to calm down. This isn’t
good for your blood pressure.”

“I’m so glad we aren’t live. Can you imagine if it was live? I’d really be in trouble.”

“Earl, no one is in trouble. It’s just an interview.” She led him to the couch and sat down beside him, trying not to cringe at the pit stains the size of dinner plates, soaking his shirt.

“Has Ty called you?” he asked, with a whine that could rival a five-year-old’s. “Tell me you know where he is! Tell me he has some incredible excuse why he’s late.”

“Earl, calm down. I’m sure he’ll be here.”

“How do you know? Really? Maybe he decided not to show.”

“Maybe he got stuck in traffic. There was a fire truck down-”

“Maybe he got stuck under last night’s fling.” Earl put his head on Carrie’s lap and took a pill bottle from his shirt pocket. “This is why I have heart problems. This guy is going to kill me.”

“Well, even if he doesn’t show, I can do it myself.”

“I hate working with movie stars,” Earl said. “I’m glad you’re a nobody again, Carrie. You were always so good to me. You’re like a
really nice, sexy, babysitter.”

She smiled. “Thanks, Earl.”

“Really, when I first saw you dance in the Nutcracker, I knew you were a gem. God, you were still a teen when I hired you, but I had a hunch you could act. I have good hunches, don’t I Carrie?”

“Yes, you do.”

“Boy, was I upset when you were sick, even if it did end the show. Who knows, maybe now that you’re better, this release will steamroll into other things.”

“Maybe,” she said through gritted teeth. Earl had hinted to her over the phone at the possibility of a reunion movie. A two week press tour with Ty was one thing, but being in close quarters for months playing his romantic partner was something
she’d had enough of years ago.

Earl rolled over and looked up with moon eyes. “Carrie, what time is it, honey?”

She checked her watch. “Ten forty.”

“Over an hour. God, he better be dead. If he’s not,
I’ll kill him myself.”

There was a soft knock at the door before it opened. “Entertainment Now” host, Sally Hartman, peeked in, extending her hand to Carrie when she saw her. “Well, well, well, Carrie Ann Langley. How wonderful it is to see you again.”

Carrie took her hand, amazed how Sally’s forehead didn’t move when she smiled. Her blonde hair plastered her head like a helmet, and Carrie made out the faintest purple incision marks right on the edge of her temples. “Good to see you again, Sally.”

“I’m glad you’re here, but I wish I could say the same about your co-star.”

“He’ll be here,” Earl said and dragged a handkerchief across his brow. “He si
gned a contract. He has to be.”

“Well even so, I’d like to have you on the set in five minutes. I’m doing a piece on celebrity dogs for tomorrow’s show, and I’m due at the ASPCA in an hour.”

“No problem.” Earl held the greenroom door open for the three of them. “We’re ready.”

“Great, and if Ty shows up, even better. Now that the divorce is final, I’d like the scoop on the whole ‘Layla-Ty’ breakup.” Sally winked at Carrie. “That’s the biggest story in
Hollywood
.”

Carrie followed Sally down the stairs, with Earl lumbering behind her. Taking her place on the soundstage couch, she glanced around the darkened studio. It had been a long time since she’d been in front of a camera. Acting on a TV show was one thing, but unscripted interviews were quite another. Pretending to be someone else offered a strange sort of protection. Any flaws or shortcoming could be assigned to the character. She took a deep breath, reminding herself to hide her fat calves close to the couch. Couldn’t blame Lexie Love
for Carrie Langley’s cellulite.

Sally smoothed her hair and stepped up on to the stage. She took her seat beside the couch and thumbed through her papers. “Okay, you remember how this goes, right? I’ll ask a few questions to prompt you, but otherwise just keep talking.”

Carrie adjusted herself on the couch, watching the people move around her. Her face powdered, her hair sprayed, and someone set a glass of water on the table beside her. The director said something then stepped behind the camera. A green light suddenly snapped on, alerting Carrie’s attention.

“Hi, everybody. Sally Hartman with an exclusive. We’re here with two-time Emmy winner Carrie Ann Langley, star of the hit TV show “
Undercover Heat.
” The DVD release of the series hits stores next week, and we’re glad she’s here to tell us all about it.” Sally turned to her and smiled, touching her arm as if they were old friends. “So
TV Weekly
has just named you and Ty Hollister
‘
The Most Romantic TV Couple of All Time.
’
How does that feel?”

So that’s why Lizzie hid it when it came in the mail. “I’m really flattered,” Carrie said. “We worked hard on the show, and it’s great when the audience responds. I can’t wait to get the cast and crew back together again.”

“There were mumblings that you wouldn’t participate in the DVD release given your abrupt departure from the show.”

“I wouldn’t dream of missing it!” Carrie laughed and nudged Sally’s arm for good measure. “That was five years ago, and everyone’s in a different place now.” She congratulated herself for the response. Vague and polite and suitably bubbly that went along with her Lexie Love Persona. Maybe she still had the acting
chops after all.

“What about Ty Hollister? Are you looking forward to working with him again?”

From the corner of her eye, she noticed the studio door open. An entourage of people filled in. Security, some guy with headphones and notepads. Crew members whispered and dispersed, meeting the newcomers behind the camera. She turned back to Sally, forgetting she was speaking. “Of course I’m looking forward to it.” Her voice cracked. “He’s a wonderful actor.”

“So is there any truth to the old rumors about you two?”

She took a breath. These were questions she had fielded a million times, but being out of practice they were hard to navigate. “No, not at all. We’re just really close friends. Ty and I worked side by side everyday for five years. We got to know each other very well.”

“But no romantic connection?”

In that moment something came over her. A presence. Something heavy and thick that seized her insides. When she looked t
oward the camera, she knew why.