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“Sure.” Now Ellen’s face betrayed uncertainty. Megan rarely put her hand up to ask for things. Usually, she was the one offering. Which had been what she’d signed up for. It had beenfine.
“You know this fundraiser I’ve gotten involved with?” She didn’t pretend that the family phone lines hadn’t been buzzing all day with judgment for her sudden social media fame. “They’ve now sold so many tickets, they’re out of space in their building.”
“Wow. How long did that take?”
“I don’t know how long the tickets have been open, but the other night they were less than half filled.”
“I’m impressed. Maybe I should steal you over here.”
“Well, that was kind of what I wanted to ask you. I don’t suppose The Rosette has a big room available next Friday night?”
Ellen ran events at one of the most prestigious hotels in Boston. The kind of space a struggling community center in Allston could only dream of.
“It just so happens that yes, we do. How big?”
“Um… I think they said they were hoping for two hundred people. Maybe I could rent a room for three hundred? They’re getting more donations for the auction, too, so they’d need lots of space.”
“What do you mean, you’d rent it?”
“I mean, I’ll pay for it.” Megan coughed to give herself an excuse to look away from the camera. She didn’t want to spell it out. Ellen knew her finances as well as her husband. Even with Megan’s love of good clothes, she couldn’t spend nearly what Kane had husbanded for her and her sisters. Her trust fund had been waiting for her to figure out what to do with it for years.
“Meg,” Ellen said slowly. “I don’t think you know what you’re offering. You want it catered as well? Decorated?”
“I do know,” Megan said firmly. “I want to do it for them. If they’ll accept it.”
The Studio might have reasons to stay local. The Rosette was all the way over on the other side of town. Megan would have to follow Etta and Susie’s lead. But she couldn’t make the offer without first finding out if it was possible.
“Well then, yes.” Megan knew Ellen had the hotel’s event schedule memorized. “We have a banquet room that can seat three hundred and give you space for tables for the auction items.”
“And a stage. There are presentations or something.”
“Right. I think I heard somewhere that Alessandro Rosselli is going to be there?”
Megan felt the thump of guilt in her chest again. “Ellen, I really am sorry about all that. This morning was a surprise, and I just thought—”
“I’m teasing you,” she said and gave an un-Ellen-like snigger. “Kane’s a little shaken up, but he would be.”
Megan groaned. “That’sexactlywhat I’ve been trying to avoid. He doesn’t need—”
“He needs to take care of the business he has now. Not the one from almost ten years ago.”
“Are you afraid?” Megan asked. She hadn’t checked the media all day, not wanting to know what she’d started this time.
Ellen paused before she answered. “Look. I’ll admit I don’t like it much.”
“Ellen, I’m—”
“I know, I know. Stop apologizing. You told Kane you didn’t plan that photo, and I believe you. This morning’s video… that was different. You opened the door with that one.”
“I guess I did. They were taking my picture already. I figured I may as well get control of the situation.”
“Something Kane and I didn’t do back then.” Ellen rubbed her forehead.
“How could you?” Megan knew this role. This, she could do in her sleep. Encouragement. Support. Smoothing the wrinkles of her family’s lives. “You guys were incredible. I remember when that picture of you flipping the paparazzi the bird came out.”
Ellen choked. “Oh yeah. That was a great idea. It just made them more rabid.”
“And you dealt with that, too. Look at your lives now. Your marriage and your kids are the best revenge you could ever get. It could so easily have gone the other way.”
