“Snow is exciting,” I said. “What do you care? You want to be with him, right?”
She stared at the floor. “What if he’s dead?”
“Oh, God, she’s hopeless,” I muttered. “We’re finished talking.”
“No! I thought we were friends.”
I walked away, chuckling.
? ? ?
Gerald Kingsley sauntered onto the set and all conversation faded.
He smiled at everyone he passed and waved to the few people he recognized. He shook hands and introduced himself to others. He was friendly and warm and acted like a politician returning to his hometown. Not in a bad way, really. I just wasn’t overly thrilled to see him under the circumstances. I was on Team Randy.
Tom came out to the center of the stage and introduced the crew and staff to Gerald. “I want you all to make him feel welcome, because he’s doing us a big favor, helping us out while Randolph recovers in the hospital.”
I waited until some of the crowd dispersed before walking over to introduce myself.
“Hello, Brooklyn,” he said, his voice clear and pleasant. “I’ve heard you’re doing great work.”
“Thanks. You know, you look so familiar to me,” I said, studying his face.
“I’m hearing that a lot today,” he said, chuckling. “Did you ever watch the show before?”
“All the time,” I said, and laughed. “That’s why you look familiar. You must get people telling you that a lot.”
He chuckled again. “Happens all the time.”
I could feel my cheeks heating up. That was how I knew I was acting like an idiot. “I’m sorry. Anyway, welcome back.”
A few minutes later, Angie called for quiet on the set, and they began to tape the expert collector segments. Gerald had done his homework and the questions were thoughtful and entertaining.
Edward was the third one to speak and he was so charming, he won everyone’s hearts. Even the toughened crew members were laughing at his recollections.
He had brought a few items from his vast array of vintage Mae West memorabilia, including one of her fashionable hats. He told stories about the movie stars he’d met and which of them had contributed their own personal items to his collection.
“I must tell you one last thing about the most fascinating book I saw yesterday,” Edward said. “It was The Secret Garden, a children’s book that was recently featured on this very show. Your book appraiser wanted to verify that Mae West’s signature was indeed on the book. And I was able to confirm that yes, the book once belonged to Mae. It was a sweet moment, and very special for me. I won’t be surprised if your appraisal price goes up a few more dollars after this.”
Edward winked at me again and I smiled. Feeling both gratified and self-conscious, I glanced around the set to see if anyone had noticed. And saw Minka snarling at me from twenty feet away. My smile grew even brighter.
“We’re clear,” Angie yelled.
“Simply wonderful,” Tom said as he rushed forward to shake Edward’s hand and congratulate him for an excellent segment.
“Thank you. Thank you so much. It was awfully fun. I hope I didn’t jibber and jabber too much.”
“You were fabulous,” Gerald said, standing and shifting into a more relaxed stance.
“So were you,” Edward said in a loud whisper. “Thank you for your insightful questions.”
“It was my pleasure.”
Edward looked around and laughed. “I don’t want to leave. I’ve had such a jolly time. Perhaps we can extend the good feelings.” He raised his voice to get the attention of the crowd. “I’d like to invite you all to a party at my home this Saturday night.”
Excited murmurs rose and spread and the crew moved closer to the stage.
“Let me explain,” Edward continued, his voice growing thready from shouting to be heard throughout the studio. “There will be many important people attending. You know the type. Movers and shakers, power brokers looking to make connections and raise money for their various causes. It can be such a bore!”
When the laughter died down, he continued. “I want to make sure I have a good time at my own party, so I’d like lots of fun people there. I hope you’ll all come.”
The entire group burst into cheers and applause.
“I’ll put a stack of invitations on the table near the coffeepot, so make sure you all get one. The directions are a bit tricky, but you all look smart enough to find your way.”
That garnered more chuckles and applause, and when Edward stepped off the stage, he was surrounded by grateful staff and crew members.
“A generous man,” Derek murmured in my ear. I hadn’t noticed him approach.
“He really is,” I said, smiling fondly at Edward before turning to Derek. “I know he’s eccentric, but I can’t resist his charm.”
“It should be an interesting party.”
“Yes,” I said. We wandered over to the side, away from the crowd. “I didn’t see you in the studio. Were you able to watch his segment?”