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“Not too bad. I think things are dying down. Carlton has a statement he’s going to release to the press this afternoon. Do you want me to have him send it to you too so you can incorporate it into the wedding broadcast?” Adler asked.
Quinn realized that though Adler was smiling, she seemed fragile, like she was barely holding it all together. Quinn hugged her and Adler shook her head and put her hand up.
“Don’t. You’ll make me cry, and Nick and Dad will both want to know why... Like, honestly, if I have to tell them, will they even get it?”
“Sorry. Yes, have Carlton send it to me. Also, what do you think about you and Nick offering a personal little taped segment that deals with it? Just a quick it-was-a-surprise-but-whatever type thing?” Quinn asked. She was walking a delicate balance here because Adler was one of her best friends. Yet, as a producer, she’d be foolish if she didn’t try to get them to talk about the issue on camera. It was the kind of thing that would make viewers who were hungry for gossip tune in, and could be a ratings boon.
“Sure. Can we do it before the rehearsal dinner? We’ll both be dressed. Let me check with Nick on the timing,” Adler said, going to talk to Nick.
Quinn noticed that Toby had finished taking his shot and waved him over. “I’m making a little video gift for Adler and Nick. Would you mind giving me a message in the booth over there? Just whatever you want to say to them,” Quinn said.
“Love to, Q. But my girl looks like she’s about to shatter. Is she okay?” Toby asked.
“She’s as okay as she can be. I don’t know what to do to help,” Quinn confessed.
“Me neither. My gut is to do something scandalous to take the spotlight off Nick but...I’m finally with a woman who I think is the one. Is that selfish?” Toby asked.
Quinn shook her head. Toby had left a trail of lovers and scandals behind him and while Quinn knew she couldn’t really speak for Adler, she was pretty sure her friend wanted her dad to have the happiness he’d found with Sonia, his latest girlfriend. “She’ll be ticked at you if you do. She likes Sonia.”
“All right. I’ll just stay in a holding pattern for now. Where do you want me to do the taping?”
“That little area over there with the camera.” Quinn gestured at the booth. “My PA, Tillie, will take you over.”
As Tillie escorted him to the area, Adler came back over to Quinn. “Nick said if we could do the filming around four forty-five that would work with his schedule. He has to do something with his family at four fifteen. We’re going to be on a tight clock.”
“It will work,” Quinn said. “Go tee off.”
Adler went back to take her shot and Quinn managed to get Olivia over to the taping area after Toby finished. Nick stood to the side, watching Adler, and she saw a similar...well,fragilitywasn’t the right word for Nick, but he wasn’t okay either.
“Hey, Nick, how are you doing today?” she asked.
“Okay,” he said.
He reminded her so much of Logan in that moment. There was something about his smile that teased a memory at the back of her mind. The way he was using his natural confidence to mask the fact that there were many things out of his control right now.
“I guess that’s the best you can say,” Quinn added. She was tempted to mention something about Logan but then stopped herself. She’d had one night with her ex, and that was all it was. She didn’t need to try to help Logan become friends with his new half sibling and longtime business enemy.
“Ad told me you want us to discuss the announcement about my real father. What do you have in mind?” Nick asked.
“Whatever you both feel comfortable discussing. I figure we’d look ridiculous if we don’t address it. And it will give you both a chance to do it on your terms. Just whatever you want and, if you don’t like it, we’ll scrap it,” she said.
“Really? That doesn’t seem like it would be in your best interest.”
“It’s not, but Adler is one of my closest friends and I approach being a reality TV producer with an absence of malice. I don’t want to become successful and win the ratings because I hurt either of you and made your lives worse.”
“You’re one in a million, Quinn. I know Adler values your friendship and I can see why. I hope we can continue to get to know each other and become friends.”
Spontaneously, she hugged Nick. As the party left the hole, she wondered why Logan hated Nick so much. From everything that Quinn had seen, he was a decent man and one she thought Logan would respect.
Logan couldn’t help but chuckle as he watched Leo trying to be chill and failing miserably. It was clear to him that he liked Danni. Their mother was doing her charming thing and keeping the conversation moving but his brother was flirting for all he was worth and getting nowhere. As his mom and Danni went to get drinks for the four of them, Logan couldn’t resist needling Leo.
“So how’s it going with Danni?” he asked as they walked over to the tee to set up their shots.
“I think you know how it’s going,” Leo said. “And I’m sure it’s amusing to you.”
“It is,” Logan admitted. “After yesterday, it’s reassuring to see that some things never change.”
“How do you mean?” Leo asked.
