Page 38 of The Christmas Fix
“I’ll take it into consideration,” Noah said, grudgingly. There were reasons he was the way he was. Reasons he’d never really delved into with Mellody.
Mellody laughed. “You know this is a partnership, right?”
“I do vaguely recall it being something along those lines. But if I find our daughter in a tube top and big hair talking about manicures and greased up pool boys, I’m blaming you forever.”
He heard the distinct sound of fake static. “What’s that? I can’t hear you. … going through… tunn—”
His ex-wife the comedian.
Noah tossed his phone on the seat next to him and headed toward Merry. He’d spent his lunch hour and the better part of his afternoon in New Haven meeting with state officials who marched through what aide Merry could and couldn’t expect. There were dozens and dozens of federal programs that dealt with recovery. And now it was his job to parse through the thousand pages—barely an exaggeration—of resources and figure out which programs fit Merry’s recovery needs and which ones they could qualify for.
It wasn’t ideal, but at least Merry could count on something outside ofA Soggy, Sad Christmas of Destructionor whatever the hell moniker Cat’s network decided on for the show.
He spotted the fleet of production vehicles parked all over Mistletoe Avenue. He could add parking etiquette to his list of issues to discuss with Cat, Noah decided as he slid out of the vehicle and slammed the door.
Tired and frustrated, he was spoiling for a fight, and he knew Cat would give him what he wanted.
He spotted that mass of caramel colored hair spilling over a forest green vest. She was sitting on the front porch steps next to April. Pretty as a picture, of course. Because that’s what her life was. One big show for the cameras. His Sara was on April’s other side, her slim arm around her friend’s shoulder. April was crying.
What had been a slow, churning anger exploded into full-blown temper.
“Babe, it’s okay to feel upset,” Cat was saying to a twelve-year-old in her infinite TV star wisdom. “It’s tough to see your house like this and watch your parents worry. But you know I’ve got your back, and Sara does, too.”
April nodded, tears still sliding down her round cheeks.
“It’s gonna be okay,” Sara announced confidently. “Cat’s going to fix it all.”
That unwavering faith in a woman who had just made her best friend cry for the cameras made him snap.
“Sara, go wait in the car,” Noah snapped. His daughter’s eyes widened, but she recognized the temper in his tone and, after squeezing April’s arm one more time, high-tailed it down the sidewalk.
“I need a moment,” he said pointing a finger at Cat.
She rose, and he thought she deliberately put herself between him and April as ifhewere the one the girl needed protection from.
“April, why don’t you go on inside while I talk to Mr. Yates for a minute?”
April sniffled and nodded. “Okay.” She plodded up the stairs and into her ruined house where the ruckus of an entire production team throbbed.
“What exactly is your problem?” Cat demanded, hands on hips. “Are my permits expired? Did I look at someone sideways? Did I get too much work done?”
“Don’t give me that bullshit,” Noah said coldly. “You’re the one who just made a twelve-year-old cry for the cameras. How do you sleep at night? Doesn’t it bother you? Using people to get where you want to go?”
“Excuse me?” He saw fire ignite in those hazel eyes.
“You drag this kid through her soggy, moldy childhood home and make her cry on camera. Oh, I’m sure the heart strings will be singing, but you just emotionally scarred a child. Where are her parents? Do they even know you have her?”
Cat stepped up to meet him, the toes of her dirty work boots brushing his loafers. “Do you see any fucking cameras out here?”
Noah blinked and spared a glance around the sidewalk. There was no camera crew, no sound guy with a boom. No director watching playback. He opened his mouth, but Cat held up a hand.
“Don’t bother. There are no cameras out here because we took a break because April was feeling emotional. Shevolunteeredto give the cameras a house tour. And yeah, I was all for it because the audience loved her two years ago, and she’s only gotten cuter and smarter since then. I need people to connect with this story emotionally or your goddamn Christmas Festival will look like a half-assed Easter Egg hunt in a trailer park. I’m not going to apologize for doing my job.”
“Your job involves taking advantage of real people. I’m not letting you turnmy townandmy citizensinto a bunch of pitiable victims.”
“You’d better back up right now, Noah, if you value that pretty nose of yours,” Cat fumed. She drilled a finger into his chest. “I’m giving your neighbors a safe space to tell their story and giving complete strangers the opportunity to care.”
“Don’t dress it up, Cat. You work for reality television. You’re one step up from an ambulance-chasing personal injury lawyer promising his clients a fortune for their slip and fall.”
