Part 17 (1/2)

”Oh, just some viewer e-mails I wanted to share with...”

Before I could finish the sentence, he was playing with his phone.

I bet he's president of NBC some day, I thought.

”Good morning, Waverly.” The sound of Wendy's voice made the hair on the back of my neck stand up.

I slowly looked to my right. ”Hi, Wendy, how are you?” d.a.m.n it.

She nodded politely, her hair as blonde and stiff as ever. A few staff members trailed in behind her, followed by Scotty, who was carrying a big pink box and a pile of napkins.

”Are those what I think they are?” I quickly stood up.

”If you think they're granola bars, then the answer would be no.” He set the box in the middle of the conference table and opened it. We all pounced and grabbed doughnuts; some people grabbed two. I snagged an old fas.h.i.+oned glazed, my favorite.

”So did everyone have fun at the party?” Scotty said. ”Anyone still hung over?”

I looked up at him. ”Still hung over? It's Wednesday.”

”This is New York, Waverly. When are you going to realize that you live in New York?”

”Touche.” I laughed and took a bite of my doughnut.

”Those aren't going to help your figure,” Wendy said under her breath.

At least she was back to normal.

a a a Wendy didn't mention my encounter with Gary during the meeting, and she left as soon as it was over. I relaxed in my chair for a few minutes, glad it was over, at least for now. I looked at my notepad in front of me, full of new ideas for Honey on Your Mind. I had a ton, but I still hadn't come up with one for the New Year's Eve show, which I knew had to outs.h.i.+ne the rest.

I closed my eyes for a moment and thought of everything I had on my mind: Meeting Jake's family at Christmas, Andie's visit in a couple days, my dad's wedding, Paige and Gary, Wendy and Gary, the New Year's Eve show, the growth of Waverly's Honey Shop, and everything that came with it, including a fear that it would all explode in my face.

Then, of course, toss in regular sleep deprivation and the stress of having a boyfriend who lived in another state and traveled for work even more than I did.

I took a deep breath.

Could I handle it all?

I didn't feel like I had any choice.

a a a Late that afternoon I called Jake, even though I knew the chances he'd be able to chat were slimmer than a teenage runway model. I hung up when I got his voice mail. I needed to talk to someone though, so I decided to try McKenna on the off chance she would answer her phone.

Again, no luck.

Sigh.

I really had to talk to someone.

Andie was coming to town in two days. What was I going to do? Should I tell her that her favorite cousin's sweetheart of a new boyfriend was, in fact, married to my psycho boss? I never kept secrets from Andie, and I knew she wasn't super close to Paige, but still, who was I to get involved? The same went for Scotty. Since he worked with Wendy, he was off-limits too. I had to stay professional, no matter how freaked out I was.

In a last-ditch effort to find someone to confide in, I called Kristina, whose busy schedule rivaled that of all my other friends. Surprisingly, she answered on the second ring.

”Waverly! How are you?”

”Hey, Kristina! Actually, I'm in semi-crisis mode.”

”Uh-oh, that doesn't sound good.”

I sighed. ”I really need your level head right now. Any chance you're free to lend me an ear?”

”I'm at the hospital now but get off at eight. Would that work?”

”Yes! I'll come to you. Just tell me where.”

We made plans to meet at a coffee shop called Daisy's Cafe on the Upper East Side. A couple of hours later, I was sitting at a table across from her, a huge brownie on a plate in front of me. I'd just finished telling her all about Paige and Gary, hoping she could help me figure out what to do.

”So that's the story.” I picked up the brownie and lifted it to my mouth. ”As you can see from the thousands of calories I'm about to inhale, it has me a little stressed out.”

She laughed. ”That's definitely intense.”

”I know. I hate being in the middle like this. What do you think I should do? Should I tell Paige?”

”You want my honest opinion?”

”Yes! You know way more about the celebrity world than I do.” It had been several years since Kristina had won her Olympic silver medal in figure skating, but she still got looks of curious recognition nearly everywhere she went. And being married to Shane Kennedy? I couldn't even imagine what it was like when they were together.

”Honestly, I think you should say nothing, do nothing,” she said.

”Really?”

”Really. The thing is, you have no idea what's going on in that marriage. She may know all about his cheating and want to stay with him anyway, even if he is a total sc.u.mbag.”

I nodded. ”That's what Jake said. But if she does know, it just sounds so...so...seedy. Who could live like that?”

”You'd be surprised. Shane and I see it all the time. People put up with a lot to live the lifestyle of the rich and famous.”

”I just feel so bad for Paige, and for Wendy too. I mean, don't get me wrong, I still sort of hate Wendy, but it must be awful to know your husband is out there cheating on you. And Paige is such a kind person. She deserves better.”

”I can't imagine what that must feel like, for any of them.” Kristina and Shane had met years before they became famous, which she often credited for the success of their marriage.

I broke off a chunk of brownie. ”And even if Wendy doesn't know, I still feel bad, because I know.”

”Maybe she's cheating too.”

I shook my head. ”That's what Jake said, but I doubt it. The way she talks about her huuusband is so over the top. I don't see how you could fake that.”

”Maybe there's a reason it's over the top.”

I raised my eyebrows. ”I never thought about it that way. So you think she knows?”

”I have no idea. I've never met her. But people have their reasons, and you never know what's going on behind the scenes.”