Shit Hits The Fan

Just after lunch Daniel sat at his pristine desk going through proofs for the next issue. But something caught his eye; every time he lifted his eyes from his work he found some employees staring at him through the glass wall. They weren't just looking, they were obviously talking about him and he knew something wasn't right. Just then Betty chose the perfect moment to pop into his office.

"Betty, thank God you're here. Maybe you can tell me what's going on."

"What do you mean?"

"Betty, something isn't right. People are staring at me."

"People? What people?" Betty asked, her voice rising two octaves.

"They are not just staring, they are pointing and…saying things. What is it?"

"Daniel…I…I don't know?...Daniel, you just tend to over analyze things sometimes. It's just a normal day here…with no secrets of the past..."

"Betty, have I told you before how bad a liar you are?"

"Daniel, I really…really don't know what…"

"Betty, tell me now."

"Okay…Quincy Combs is releasing a book."

"Oh what, another celebrity trasher? What is it about?"

"More like a celeb tell all novel of some sort. He was quoted saying it's the untold love story. Apparently the information about the characters is from a reliable source and the book is promising to a best seller."

"Okay. Now what's so…"

"It's about two people…in the fashion industry. They...hate each other now but they used to be lovers." Betty trailed off. Daniel's heart beat faster and faster and he swallowed hard not wanting to believe that this was happening.

"Oh, uh…come on…it's Quincy Combs. He could be talking about…anybody. He could be making it up."

"Well the two people happen to be co-editors-in-chief of a major fashion magazine. How many fashion magazines in the country that have two Editors-In-Chief?" His eyes widened

"Betty…"

"Is it true?"

"Betty…Betty where did you hear that?"

"It was on Suzuki's website"

"I guess my next question which would be 'Is it public yet?' is irrelevant." He hurried towards his TV set and switched in on tuning into Fashion Buzz.

"Drama alert at casa del Meade. Remember when you thought the drama at Meade Publications was over after Cal Hartley stepped in rescued the sinking ship? Think again, because drama at the house of Meade is never really over.

Quincy Combs, the bitchy queen who lives to bash, trash and expose celebrities has written a new book…and it is GOOD. The book features what I'd like to call the most shocking news of the decade. Who is it about? You might ask. Well, the book is entitled Willie and Danny: The untold love story. That's right, you guessed it, the two co-Editors-In-Chief used to be lovers.

When asked to comment, Quincy Combs who claims that his book is from a very, very reliable source only promised that the book is not just a celeb trasher. He said the book will make you laugh, make you cry and do what Quincy's books do best…EXPOSE.

The book promises to be a great seller as it will explore a steamy love affair between the two. And it will provide the answer as to why La Slater hates Danny boy so much. If you love soap operas and telenovelas, I promise you this one is better than any other you've ever seen. It has been reported that a reliable source came forward with a journal belonging to Daniel. Apparently the 'playboy' documented the…"

Wilhelmina switched off the TV and looked at Marc whose mouth formed an O. They sat there in silence for a few moments not knowing how to approach the situation. Marc was scared of Wilhelmina's wrath over this ugly rumor…it just had to be rumor, he told himself. 'There's no way that Wilhelmiester would even dream of touching Pasty Face.' He was sure that Quincy Combs would rue the day he decided to ruin the 'good' Slater name. As he was imagining the things Willie would do to Quincy to make his life a living hell,

"Oh, my God." She whispered

"I know, Willie this will do damage to your public image…"

"Oh, my God."

"Willie, don't worry any sane person knows this isn't true. You can deal with Quincy Combs by suing him for slander or something. C'mon there's no way that you and Daniel…" He stopped mid sentence and took a good a look at her and saw the color draining from her face. She let out a shaky breath "Willie? It's not true right?" She gave him a look that said it all. "Willie?...you and pasty?"

"It was a long time ago, Marc. A really long time ago. Excuse me." She shot up from her seat and vacated the office, heading to Daniel's. "This isn't happening. This can't be happening." She mumbled as she strutted toward his office. Daniel was brought back to reality by his banging door.

"What the fuck, Daniel?" Wilhelmina asked, not paying attention to Betty who she assumed knows as she could see the younger girl's expression.

"I don't know, Wilhelmina. I really don't…"

"How could you let something like this happen? How could you write about…THAT? And let someone print…"

"I didn't let anything happen…"

"THEN WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU DO, DANIEL?" She screamed

"Yes! Please, enlighten us. Phones have been ringing off the hook for the past 40 minutes. The press wants to know what's going on." Cal explained as he and Claire walked into the room

"Explain to all of us. What the hell is going on?" Claire chimed in

"Is this true, son?" asked Hartley

"Of course it's not true, Cal. This is just a crazy rumor started by that snake to make money and increase ratings for his show. There's no way that my son and this bitch…"

"I'M RIGHT HERE!" Willie retorted

"And your point is?" Claire deadpanned causing Wilhelmina to roll her eyes

"Mom…it's true, okay? It was a long time ago. Yes, we were together…"

"Together? What? What does that mean, Daniel?" Claire asked not wanting to believe what she was hearing.

"We used to date, Claire. You know when two people get involved…in a relationship?…has it been that long that you totally forgot the concept?"

"Bite me, Wilhelmina!"

"Wow I can't believe that you two were together once. How did this Quincy man know about this? How did he get hold of your journal or whatever?" Cal asked

"I…I may have written….I wanted to write a book. It's actually a manuscript…but I never meant for it to be released. That's why I never changed the names. I…I…"

"Oh, my God." Wilhelmina threw her hands in the air in defeat

"Just how did this…thing you two had find its way to that snake?" Claire asked in anger, directing the question to Wilhelmina.

"Why are you looking at me while you're asking that? Are you… Are you seriously asking me that? How the fuck should I know?" Willie asked in irritation that the bony bitch would even think something like that.

"Maybe you provided him with the information?"

"And why would I do that?"

"I don't know…for publicity? Paint yourself as the victim? You know it wouldn't be the first time..."

"Fuck off, Claire! Now I have done a lot of things to you and your family but one thing I will never even dream of doing is resurrecting a relationship that has been dead for the past 16 years."

"Then who the leaked such confidential details?" Cal asked obviously annoyed by this scandal that can threaten his investment.

"I don't know. I had no idea that…I didn't know…someone must have…" Daniel stammered

"What? Found it, stole it and sold it? Shocking." Wilhelmina scolded sarcastically

"Wilhelmina…" Daniel warned

"YOU…you wrote about that relationship, a private matter that could ruin us right now. You hid it…in a place where it could be found by anybody. Why?"

"Wilhelmina…"

"Did you…did you write about everything?" He nodded "Great. Just fucking great." And she made her way out of the 'crowded' office.

"Wait, where are you going?"

"To do damage control, Daniel. That's what people do when they are involved in situations like this. I'm going to call my publicist and my lawyers. I'll do everything in my power to make sure that fucking book never sees the light of day." With that she stormed out and all the employees who had been watching through the glass wall scattered and scampered.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU ALL LOOKING AT?" She headed back to her office finding a still flabbergasted Marc sitting on the same spot she left him in. When she started collecting her belongings, Marc became a little concerned.

"Willie, are you okay?"

"Marc, do I look okay? Really?"

"Sorry, stupid question. So…you and pasty face used to…do it?"

"And the son of a bitch wrote a book about it."

"Daniel wrote?...a book?"

"Actually it's a manuscript. It got stolen and found its way into Quincy fucking Combs' office."

"Where are you going?"

"To meet with my Lawyer, see if we can stop that bitch, Quincy. Cancel my meeting for the afternoon."

"So when will…"

"I'm not coming back."

Daniel went to see Molly immediately after work as he's been calling nonstop all afternoon trying to explain and but she didn't take his calls. Instead she cancelled their dinner through a text and Daniel knew it was because of the news about the damn book. He had to see her and explain somehow. He knocked on her door and she reluctantly opened it but didn't let him in.

"Molly, look I know you're mad…"

"You have no idea how I feel, Daniel." She answered. She was in her usual calm nature but he could tell she was upset.

"Molly, look I know I should have told…"

"Yes you should have! Instead you lied and played me for a fool!"

"I didn't know how."

"Daniel I asked. And you could have said 'Yes there was something between us.'"

"I know."

"And you lied…right to my face."

"Molly, I was…trying to protect you. I…"

"From what? I know you were thee playboy Daniel Meade. I know you have a history, even with some of the women you work with but with her…you kept it from me. Why?" When she didn't receive an answer "Daniel, please just go."

"Molly"

"I need to be alone. I need to think."

"Molly this is crazy. What happened between me and Wilhelmina was a century ago. The reason I didn't say anything about it is because…I didn't think it was important."

"You wrote a manuscript about it, detailing your relationship. That seems very important to me. Why did you lie?" Daniel looked down guiltily as he tried to find his words.

"I…I…"

"That's what's scaring me. This is all new to me, I've never dated a famous person nor have I paid attention in celebrity gossip but when my boyfriend lies about his history with his business partner and I hear about it from some Isuzu guy...it scares me 'cause I think you're hiding something. I'm not insecure, Daniel but this…"

"What are you saying Molly?"

"I'm saying I need to be alone tonight. I need to think things through…"

"Molly?"

"You owe me that much, Daniel." Then she closed the door in his face.

When Daniel walked in his loft, he was met by emptiness he hadn't felt in a while. He has been sort of living with Molly through her illness, taking care of her and accompanying her to chemo. And now he had to face the music and think about his relationship with a woman who loathes him. A part of him wished that this was a nightmare; that he would wake up any minute now. But a part of him knew that it was happening as Betty stated not too long ago that secrets have a way of coming out. But this was a secret he didn't wish for to come out, this is a secret he believed he had buried in a lockbox in the loft.

He went to his lockbox to look for his manuscript. 'There's a chance that this is a rumor.' His brained reasoned. 'Why haven't we thought of that before? We could have been panicking for nothing.' He hurried and opened the box that contained his deep dark secret but he was he disappointed as the manuscript was gone. Instead he was met by a younger Wilhelmina staring back at him with a smile he hadn't seen from her in at least 10 years. He ran his hand on the crystal frame that used to occupy his now empty bedside table. He found the next photo and his heart broke, it was a picture of him and Wilhelmina. Suddenly he felt his eyes begin to well up as he looked through the many, many pictures that were hidden in the box. His mind was forced to back to a place it hadn't been in a long time; back to where it all began…

She didn't know what possessed her to do this but she found herself in her home office looking through her filing cabinet. Most of the drawers contained every magazine she's ever been on; USA, French, British and Italian publications were all in this big filing cabinet. But what she was looking for was the file that contained her deep dark secret, a secret she hoped no one else would ever know about. And she found it. For the first time in years, she opened the file and was met with a photo of her and the man she loathed, leaning on each other with huge smiles across their faces.

She thought about how the years seem to go by so quickly as she paged through the document containing the photographs. She couldn't believe that there was a time that she was this happy…with him. She smiled to herself as she thought about how there was a time that she would do anything for him and how now she would do anything to him. She slowly fell back in her high back chair as her mind began to wander. She sat and reminisced about when and where it all began…