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"We've phoned and texted. You ignoredus."
"Yes," she leveled, taking another sip of water, trying not to be drawn into the argument she should behaving.
"How dare you! We need to strategize for yourinterviews!"
"We have all week for that. Opening night isn't untilThursday."
"I'm not talking about opening night." The tone of voice the elder woman chose to use assured Khloe she didn't want to ask the nextquestion.
"What interviews?" Khloe pressed, glancing sideways at Ricky, her personal assistant. If she had appointments set up, it was his job to prep her. The guilt on his face wasn't a goodsign.
Bernie finally injected, "Don't think we're going to let you lose thisopportunity."
"Opportunity?" Khloe was genuinely confused until Bernie set herstraight.
"Your stalker, of course. You can't pay for this kind of exposure. It gets you visibility and sympathy from the fans. So far your disappearance has enhanced the story, but we're at the end of the window now. We have an exclusive set up with ABC at one this afternoon. They need time for production to prep the segment for the evening and late night news. This is excellent freepublicity."
"Free publicity?" Khloe asked incredulously. "Are you fucking kidding me?" Her shout made Ricky jump. "This is my real life we're talking about, not mymovie."
Bernie lectured her as if she were a naive child. "You're an actress, Kalina. You have no real life. The day you hired us and asked us to get you Oscar winning roles, you took the stage. We turned you into Khloe Monroe, and you have a responsibility to your fans... to share what's happening in yourlife."
Like always, his use of her birth name was meant to remind her how far she'd come since she started modeling as Kalina Monawski the summer after she'd graduated from high school. They conveniently always forgot that she'd only hired them two years ago. The first six years of her career she'd launched Khloe Monroe on herown.
That's when it hit her. "It was you. You called the media and leaked the story of the break-in in Manhattan." She hoped she waswrong.
Natalie's haughty "Of course we did," was the final straw forKhloe.
She pushed to her feet and shouted, "Everyone out! Now!" The crew at the other end of the trailer bolted to the door as if they'd been shot out of a cannon. When Ricky looked lost, she added, "You too, Ricky.Out."
His relief was palpable. He followed the hair stylist out and closed the door behindhim.
Khloe took a deep breath before turning back to face theKaplans.
Bernie didn't wait for her to speak, jumping on the attack first. "We only did what you pay us to do. It's thatsimple."
Khloe’s body vibrated with energy she was so angry. "There is nothing simple about this! I have a lunatic stalking me. The messages are coming faster and getting more aggressive." A new thought came to her in her rant at them. "In the three days since the break-in, you've left me voicemails and text messages. Dozens of them between the two ofyou."
"Yes, and you were rude enough to ignore them all," Nataliecountered.
"Funny, out of all of those messages, not a single damn one asked how I was doing. Not once did you say you were sorry for all I was going through or offer to help me get to safety. No offers to send over new clothes or personal items since everything I owned was now part of a criminal investigation. No flowers, card or hell, not even an email to let me know you were worried about me and hoped I was feeling better after my ordeal." Khloe was on a roll. Her uncharacteristic rant had effectively stunned the Kaplans into silence, allowing her to continue. "I'm just a Goddamn paycheck to you. You'd run me over with your car and then back up and run over me again if you thought it would get more publicity and a bigger payday."
Her words had hit home, yet the crusty old couple was too jaded to take her concerns seriously. "You're being melodramatic and emotional. Are youPMSing?"
"Are you fucking kidding me? Did you just ask me if I had myperiod?"
Bernie visibly blanched, "Okay, I might have taken that a little too far. All I meant was you are being overlyemotional."
For the first time in her life, Khloe wanted to reach out and slap someone. Not someone. Bernie Kaplan. Her ears were ringing from the effort it took for her to keep from losing hershit.
"Get out. I don't want youhere."
Natalie tried to smooth things over for her husband. "Let's not overreact. Bernie didn't mean anything by his insensitive comment. We really do need to prep you for this afternoon'sinterview."
"There is no interview this afternoon. I'm not going to use the illegal stalking by some crazed lunatic as a publicity stunt." An inkling of doubt made her add, "And if I find out either of you have had anything to do with these threats, not only will I fire you, but you can bet your ass I'll be giving interviews then to every news outlet that will listen to make sure they know what kind of bullshit you would go to for yourclients."
"Why... I never..." Natalie wasspeechless.
Trevor's voice cut through the space. She'd missed him coming into the trailer. "You heard Khloe. She needs some privacynow."
