David Turner was standing to the side of the stage, already assembled were most of the executive team and several members of the board. Simon Kent was beaming as he walked to the podium. Lights popped and a silence filled the hallway.
“Good afternoon, ladies and gentleman of the press. Thank you for gathering on such short notice. I will make this brief and then open the floor to questions…”
Ripley placed Ian on his feet, “Want me to carry you up there sir?’
“No.” Ronnie said. “We’re Justyn men. We always land on our feet.”
“He’s right, Ripley. It has to be of my own accord, even if I have to crawl up there.”
The quick exchange drew Kent’s attention and he made the mistake of turning to look, making the crowd in the pressroom look as well. There was an immediate hubbub and the applause began. David Turner walked over to Ian’s good side and put his arm around his waist.
“Damn you have big old balls…”
“You have no idea, sir…”
“Let’s do this together, shall we?” Turner handed Ripley his cane. The two men, one young and black and blue, one old and slightly off balance, walked to the podium to a thunderous standing ovation.
Kent at first refused to budge and attempted to talk over the din. Finally someone in the front row yelled “Get off the stage, loser!” and Kent lost his determination enough to be shoved aside by the strength of the two men.
The applause and the cheers continued. Turner released Ian and stepped back, taking Kent with him. Ian grasped the podium and glanced at the agendas. As standard, taped to the left on blue paper was an itemized itinerary of topics to announce. To the right was a pink sheet with factoids needed to answer possible questions. When he looked up, silence over took the room.
He was moved, almost to tears. He took a deep breath and counted to three. On three he smiled and addressed the auditorium. “Never park in someone else’s space.”
The press roared and cheered. Someone quieted them, by yelling, “Why are you even here?”
Ian held tried to hold up one hand, but realized that he’d lose his balance and fall on his face. Ripley, Turner and Ronnie stepped up quickly behind him, Ripley and Ronnie on each side to support him, and Turner to encourage him.
“Go ahead son, just take your time. You win. Enjoy it.”
“Let me address that first and then we’ll get into the agenda set for today. I am here strictly to set the record straight. There have been a lot of misconceptions and untruths whirling around about what has happened, my condition and my future with HRT. First and foremost, HRT is about the truth, and that is all we care about. As you can see, I am neither hovering near death’s door nor hightailing it out of town. I am here to stay, and at HRT as long as they see fit to have me.”
The crowd cheered. “I’ll answer as many questions as I can later. First let me just say with pride that HRT has just signed award winning newsman Pearce Warner to an exclusive five year deal.” Mr. Turner took a black felt tip and crossed that off the list.
“Effective in thirty days he will be anchoring our morning news program, covering live events and in depths news stories.” Another line checked.
“In addition, we will be adding the alive part back into “America Alive!” with a new format and the help of Mr. Warner, by broadcasting at least two thirds of each of the three hour program from various locations around America, even the world should events so call for it.”
Ian smiled as lights flashed and furious notes were taken. “All of this will be covered in full detail at the conference you were originally scheduled for, but since these were my babies, I have stolen…”
Ian looked down at Ronnie who giggled and then back up, “…a little time to have the privilege of announcing it myself, along with the confirmation that HRT does in fact have the broadcasting rights to the best selling trilogy “Blood Kisses” that will debut this fall as HRT newest daytime drama.”
Only one check to go. Ian started to skip it, but he watched Turner circle it. Turner nodded his head. Ian started to read and noticed one name had been replaced with another. Ian smiled as he reported, “I will open the floor for questions in just a moment, ladies and gentlemen, but first I ask Mr. Simon Kent to join me here.”
Simon sheepishly took a step toward the podium. “Don’t be shy Simon, this is your time!” He finally stood beside Ian at the podium.
Ian cleared his throat. “I close this brief agenda by announcing with sad heart that this morning David Turner accepted the resignation of Mr. Simon Kent, after many years with HRT, effective immediately so he can spend more time with his family.
Simon’s face turned red. “I most certainly…”
Ripley leaned over and whispered in his ear, “I’ve been promised your head on a spit, don’t make me do it here…”
“…leave HRT with sad heart. But it’s time I step aside and spent some quality time with my lovely wife and grand children while I am still healthy enough to enjoy it.”
“Members of the community…Mr. Simon Kent!” Ian said and began to applaud as best he could. The room joined in and Simon smiled graciously and bowed, as he turned to step back, Turner took his arm.
“You leave the building the moment this press conference is over and I’ll let you walk to your car. You will never under any circumstance return and I’ll have your personal items
delivered by the end of the day.”
Simon shook his head and stepped back into a stunned board and executive klatch. Ian turned back to the press. “Okay, you’ve got about fifteen minutes before I am seriously in need of a Percidan, so let’s go with the questions….”
“Is it true that Blue Richards intended to steal Darla Hutton’s diary from your possession?”
Ian laughed, “Sir, the only thing I know about Darla Hutton is that she was one of the founders of this network and I happen to live in a house built on what once was her property. We will probably never know what poor Blue’s intentions were.”
“So you did know the man?”
“I had met him once before and he was the boyfriend of one of my staff, which is why he was at a Saturday casual work day I was having at my home. Many of the people behind me were there as well.”
“But what was he after?”
“Ladies and gentlemen, I will make you a deal. I will always give you every true fact I know about any question you ask. Count on that. All I know about that night was I was getting ready for bed, waved at a neighbor whom I could see from my bedroom window. The next thing I knew I was being used as a human trampoline. You will have to check with the police on any other details. May we please move on to the business at hand?”
“Will HRT be doing any in depth studies of the Darla Hutton legacy?”
Ian chuckled, “Well, that’s sort of moving along. Let me answer that this way. HRT is the Darla Hutton legacy. Let every one else speculate and examine the urban myths. We will only deal with the honesty and quality that her work stands for…and I hope when we reveal our fall line up, you and the public will see that in our work and come home to us, where you belong…”
David Turner smiled, and patted Ian on the back.
“Speaking of the line up, what about the rest of the daytime schedule. If you stand for quality surely that stinker of a soap is gone…”
“Decisions have yet to be made on that, but thanks for picking at a sore spot. We will announce the rest of the daytime lineup with the fall line up. We think that by promoting it with our fall campaign you’ll understand our renewed vision of quality and excellence will speak for itself, and that our daytime line up is a continuing equally important part of the Hutton Redfield Turner legacy…”
More applause… Ian was on a roll. Ian could have gone on forever, but the high was broken by the sound of a siren. “Well, I think my ride is here and I pretty sure I’m in trouble….”
The press laughed. “We love you Ian!”
“Yeah, yeah, you say that now, but what will you print about me in the morning? Okay honesty time...as they get ready to haul me off and tie me back to that damned bed. I take full responsibility for my escape; I just had to set the record straight.”
Ian didn’t resist as a stretcher was brought up to the podium and he was helped on to it. As two EMT’s pushed him off the stage he grabbed Kent’s tie and pulled him down to his face.
Ronnie put his hands on the tie and yanked Simon Kent until they were nose to nose. “You ever mess with my Papa again and you answer to me! Got it?”
Kent’s eyes got large as his face turned blue. Ronnie yanked the tie again. “I said, got it mister?”
Kent gurgled affirmatively and Ronnie let his grip go. Simon put his hands on his knees and gasped for air only to find he had put himself face to face with Ian, who grinned.
“Get ready cause this hayseed has just begun to dig. I’m getting to the bottom of this and I don’t care who hangs in the wake, as long as you’re fat ass gets burned.” Ian patted him on the cheek and he was hauled out to the ambulance to applause and cheers that could be heard as Ripley and Ronnie climbed in with him and the vehicle zoomed back to the hospital.
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