This time Wella’s purse began to jiggle. “I forgot to turn this thing off…” She found the jangling casing and started to turn it off. “Trish? What would she be calling me for…” she flipped open the phone. “Trish…actually I’m standing by his…okay, hold on…” she held the phone out to Ian, “she needs to talk to you, says it’s an emergency.”
Ian took the phone, and heard a joyous, “Is that you asshole?”
Ian responded with an equally loving, “Alive and well, bitch…”
“Yeah, yeah, love you too. Look trouble is no longer brewing, the witch has cast the spell…”
“Okay, Trish, too many drugs in my system to interpret…”
“Simon Kent has quietly alerted the press that he has a special announcement to make as soon as the press gets assembled.”
“What for?”
“You owe me BIG for this one. He waited until he was sure that Turner, the board and everyone else was busy putting last minute touches on the fall schedule conference. The press conference is to announce the cancellation of “Sebastian Manor”, the addition of one hour to “America Alive” sans Pierce Warner and the sad announcement that HRT is respectfully honoring your wishes and releasing you from your duties effective immediately.”
“That son of a bitch!”
“He is no child of mine!”
“Alright, I am on my way. Tell Blake to call David Turner…”
“David Turner…”
“Just have Blake call him and you explain what’s going on, hopefully he’ll arrive in time to stop this…now make that call!” He handed the phone back to Wella. “You got a car?”
She nodded her head. “Go fire it up, pull it out front and wait for me to figure out how to get to it…”
“Oh no, I’m not helping you escape not for any reason!’
“Wella, as we speak the employee of the month, Simon Kent, has called a press conference behind Davis Turner’s back to announce among other things my termination, at my request no less, effective immediately!”
“I’ll get the car.” She started to head toward the door. She fished in her purse and tossed Ian a second cell phone. “Here I found one you left office. I figured someone found the other by now and confiscated it.”
“Ripley! I need you!” Was all Ian had to say and the man was at his bedside like Dudley Do right of the Mounties.
“Yes, Mister Ian, sir.”
“No time to explain, just disconnect me and get me down to the car waiting out front.”
“Absolutely not.”
“Look I’ll give you a million dollars, just get me out of here. I’m coming back…I promise!’
Ripley put his mountainous arms on each side of Ian, pushed right into his face and growled, “You will not mess with me!”
“I am not messing with you…look…” Ian explained the situation as quickly as he could. He knew when he was half way through it and Ripley growled “I will break his neck” he was home free…then the cavalry arrived in the form of Tippy Shores.
“Where in the hell do you two think you are going, Baby Doll?” She demanded.
Ian started to explain, but Ripley put up his hand, “They are about to go behind Ian’s back and announce to the press that he’s being released from his contract immediately as per his own request. We have to get him to that press room.”
“No way!” Tippy said.
“Tippy, it’s a matter…”
“Save your breath, you’ll need cover. They are not just gonna let him carry you out of here and say come back as soon as you can. The moment that monitor slips off your finger all hell’s gonna break loose.”
She walked over to the far side of the bed. Okay hold still, Baby Doll, this is gonna hurt.” She pulled the needle out of the back of his hand that was attached to the drip bag.
“Shit!”
“Sorry. Okay….okay” She paced a bit. “We need another body, somehow.”
Just then Jesse walked in the door with Ronnie, who held a Styrofoam container that was steaming. “Jesse, Ian needs you. Get over here!”
“Huh?”
“Just do it!”
Tippy grabbed Jesse arm and drug him over to the far side of the bed. “Okay honey…this is so much fun, just like an episode of ‘Mission: Impossible’ I did. I still don’t now why they hired that Lesley Ann Warren as a regular and not me...oh well…hold your hand right like this Jesse.”
He did. “Okay, Baby Doll, on three you are almost home free…one...”
“What is going on?” Jesse demanded.
“Two…shut up sweetly I’ll explain later…three!” In less than a beat Tippy had switched the monitor clip from Ian’s finger to Jesse’s. “Okay, there is just that sweet man at the desk. Thank God m’gaydar didn’t go off on him. Give me two minutes; I’ll open the door when the coast is clear….Ronnie you run out and push the elevator button. When it opens hop inside and press the lobby button, but hold the door open until Mr. Ripley gets in there with your Papa.”
“Are we breakin’ Papa out?”
“Something like that, now scoot.”
Ronnie giggled and was off in a flash. Tippy stood at the door.
“Okay, Ronnie’s at the elevator. Ripley be ready on my signal. She headed for the door. “Wait!” She reached down the front of her dress and yanked out her bra. “There” she unhooked two top buttons and was gone.
“You ready, sir? I’ll be as gentle as I can.” Ripley hoisted Ian up off the bed effortlessly and headed toward the door.
It was less than a minute when the door was thrown open and Tippy whispered…”the elevator is open….run!”
Ripley ran almost effortlessly to the waiting elevator.
Ian looked down at Ronnie. “Okay, Puppy, when the door is open, run ahead and hold all the doors open for us.”
“You got it.” Ronnie agreed.
It wasn’t until Ripley was slipping Ian into the back seat of the car that people started yelling and running toward them. Ripley jumped in the front seat and Wella slammed on the gas before he even got the door shut. Ripley turned around and spoke to Ian. “You okay, boss?”
“Not bad.”
“You’re not gonna feel too fine, once your body starts to realize it doesn’t have a steady Percidan drip.”
“Let’s just concentrate on the neck your gonna break.”
Ripley turned around and slammed his fist into his palm.
Red lights were run and collisions barely avoided but somehow they all made it alive to the press room. Ripley gently picked up a shaken Ian and followed by Ronnie and Wella who pushed buttons ordered people to look out and finally guided them to two heavy double doors. She threw them open with all her might and like a twisted version of “Officer and a Gentleman”, Ripley carried Ian toward the already bright lights.
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