News ,” she said, her on-air voice deeper than her normal one. “The mysterious interloper who called himself Kyle Stillwater vanished into the lake behind me, but his disruption of what should have been a celebration has left many involved red-faced.” She stopped, silently counted to three, then said, “Betsy Basker, Channel Twelve News ,” as a tag for the story when it was edited together.
Rachel stepped aside to let the newsmen past. They would no doubt descend on Garrett Bloom next. She wondered if they would try to interview Ethan as well. Then she scowled, remembering that he had his own personal news reporter these days. Julie would cover him in every sense.
Through the din of murmurs, Rachel heard a nearby woman’s voice distinctly say, “ Artemak is here.” She said it with such wonder and feeling that Rachel scanned the crowd for its source. She spotted a tall woman with dark hair standing at the front of the watchers, her face hidden from Rachel’s position. Something told her this was the source, but before she could pursue it, the woman vanished back into the throng.
The crowd dispersed back to its carnival, leaving only a few people, all women, staring out at the water. Rachel headed back to the stage area to locate Patty.
JULIE SCHUTES STOOD in the shadow of a tree, scrolling back through the pictures on her camera. Kyle Stillwater was almost unbearably handsome, and just looking at his digital image made her insides quiver a little. It had been weeks since she’d been intimate with anyone, and that occasion had been nothing to write home about. But even her undeniable physical attraction to this trespasser didn’t overcome her reporter’s instincts. Who the hell was he, and why would he show up in nothing but a glorified jockstrap at this public occasion? If he really wanted to stop Bloom’s little project, his choice of method left a lot to be desired. So what was he really up to?
She put the camera in her bag and took several deep breaths. The desire did not diminish, though. There was only one thing to do, and that was to find someone to help her satiate it. She knew, of course, exactly who she wanted to try first.
GARRETT BLOOM GLARED at James Red Bird and hissed, “What the fuck was that all about?”
“I don’t know,” Red Bird said with equal urgency. “It wasn’t the script I gave him!”
“He’s a damn activist, isn’t he? Swimming here in his underwear ! I tell you to get a goddamned actor, and you get Crazy Horse!”
“That’s a racial—”
“Don’t change the subject! The plan has now gone down the crapper. So what are we going to do about it?”
Red Bird shook his head. “I don’t know.”
“Well, you better pray I come up with something. And in the meantime, find that idiot and keep him out of sight!”
Red Bird, clearly annoyed at being the target for Bloom’s rage, said sarcastically, “I’ll tie him up in my wigwam.”
“Whatever. And don’t speak to the press about it. I’ll handle them today and get a prepared statement out tomorrow.”
Red Bird walked away muttering to himself. Bloom shook his head, then turned and let out a startled yelp. Ethan Walker stood right behind him.
“Was that a friend of Jim’s out there?” Ethan said.
“What? No, it’s—” Bloom took a deep breath, pasted on his best smile, then put a hand on Ethan’s shoulder. “Ethan, I’m really sorry. I guess we’ll have to skip the whole ground-breaking thing.”
“Why?”
“Well, for one thing, half the media’s gone. They’re all rushing back to file stories on that half-naked jackass.”
Ethan nodded but made no effort to hide his skepticism. “Yeah, I guess they would be. Did you know anything about it ahead of time?”
“What? Of course not! Why would you say that?”
“Your whole spiel about getting around any Indian troublemakers. It seems like you might’ve suspected something was going to happen. Was that why you were reading Jim Red
Rachel stepped aside to let the newsmen past. They would no doubt descend on Garrett Bloom next. She wondered if they would try to interview Ethan as well. Then she scowled, remembering that he had his own personal news reporter these days. Julie would cover him in every sense.
Through the din of murmurs, Rachel heard a nearby woman’s voice distinctly say, “ Artemak is here.” She said it with such wonder and feeling that Rachel scanned the crowd for its source. She spotted a tall woman with dark hair standing at the front of the watchers, her face hidden from Rachel’s position. Something told her this was the source, but before she could pursue it, the woman vanished back into the throng.
The crowd dispersed back to its carnival, leaving only a few people, all women, staring out at the water. Rachel headed back to the stage area to locate Patty.
JULIE SCHUTES STOOD in the shadow of a tree, scrolling back through the pictures on her camera. Kyle Stillwater was almost unbearably handsome, and just looking at his digital image made her insides quiver a little. It had been weeks since she’d been intimate with anyone, and that occasion had been nothing to write home about. But even her undeniable physical attraction to this trespasser didn’t overcome her reporter’s instincts. Who the hell was he, and why would he show up in nothing but a glorified jockstrap at this public occasion? If he really wanted to stop Bloom’s little project, his choice of method left a lot to be desired. So what was he really up to?
She put the camera in her bag and took several deep breaths. The desire did not diminish, though. There was only one thing to do, and that was to find someone to help her satiate it. She knew, of course, exactly who she wanted to try first.
GARRETT BLOOM GLARED at James Red Bird and hissed, “What the fuck was that all about?”
“I don’t know,” Red Bird said with equal urgency. “It wasn’t the script I gave him!”
“He’s a damn activist, isn’t he? Swimming here in his underwear ! I tell you to get a goddamned actor, and you get Crazy Horse!”
“That’s a racial—”
“Don’t change the subject! The plan has now gone down the crapper. So what are we going to do about it?”
Red Bird shook his head. “I don’t know.”
“Well, you better pray I come up with something. And in the meantime, find that idiot and keep him out of sight!”
Red Bird, clearly annoyed at being the target for Bloom’s rage, said sarcastically, “I’ll tie him up in my wigwam.”
“Whatever. And don’t speak to the press about it. I’ll handle them today and get a prepared statement out tomorrow.”
Red Bird walked away muttering to himself. Bloom shook his head, then turned and let out a startled yelp. Ethan Walker stood right behind him.
“Was that a friend of Jim’s out there?” Ethan said.
“What? No, it’s—” Bloom took a deep breath, pasted on his best smile, then put a hand on Ethan’s shoulder. “Ethan, I’m really sorry. I guess we’ll have to skip the whole ground-breaking thing.”
“Why?”
“Well, for one thing, half the media’s gone. They’re all rushing back to file stories on that half-naked jackass.”
Ethan nodded but made no effort to hide his skepticism. “Yeah, I guess they would be. Did you know anything about it ahead of time?”
“What? Of course not! Why would you say that?”
“Your whole spiel about getting around any Indian troublemakers. It seems like you might’ve suspected something was going to happen. Was that why you were reading Jim Red
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