13 Facing Judy

Bailey paused with her hand on the doorknob. She hated the scenes like the one awaiting her. There was no way Chase and Ren hadn't told Judy about the scene in the office. It was by far the most disturbing confrontation Bailey had ever faced, except for maybe Marcus Reyes trying to take advantage of her. Both incidents were related to MGM, which should be a big flashing neon warning sign, but she doubted Judy would see it that way.

She mustered her courage, schooled her expression, and opened the door. Bailey expected to see Judy staring holes through her from the couch. Instead, she smelled shepherd's pie. If Judy was feeding her carbs, then she wasn't upset. How was that possible?

Wandering into the kitchen, Bailey found Judy filling sundae dishes with fresh fruit and whipped cream. The shepherd's pie was on the counter. Two place settings awaited their meal.

"Oh, there you are," Judy said as she topped the layered fruit and whipped cream with mint springs. "I thought we would celebrate together."

"Celebrate?"

"Yes, I don't know what you said to the CEO, but we are headed back to the studio tomorrow."

Bailey was confused. What was Chase up to this time? "Oh really? He didn't say anything about it when I was there."

"Not a lot really. Ren Wei called and said we were going back to work, and he had a sponsor lined up already. If they didn't say anything to you about it while you were there, it must have been a last-minute deal breaker to secure them as a new client. It's pretty impressive that The Happy Homemaker endorsement means so much that they would pull us off suspension."

Judy served up the food, and the women sat side-by-side at the counter to enjoy it. As usual, Judy's cooking was flavorful and reminded Bailey of home and her parents. Their mom was a good home cook, but she was so much more. She was the glue that held the family together, a skilled artist, and an organizational wizard. She kept meticulous notes in dozens of diaries. These diaries were the basis for developing The Happy Homemaker.

"So, if you didn't talk about lifting the suspension, what did you talk about?" Judy asked.

"We talked about it, but he hadn't made a decision by the time I left." It was only a partial lie. "Who is the sponsor anyway?"

"A pharmaceutical company wants us to promote the First 2 Know pregnancy kit."

Bailey dropped her fork with a loud clatter as it landed on the plate. I'll kill him.

"Are you ok?" Judy asked.

"Yes. Just lost my grip. Sorry."

"I thought we could do a planned pregnancy theme. You know, with a reminder of what factors should go into when to grow a household. We could then amble into tips and tricks on how to get pregnant and wrap up with a question-and-answer session with a company representative."

Bailey nodded. While she knew this was a slap in her face, Lori Laker could make this pregnancy kit sponsorship work without compromising their traditional format and theme. "What directions were you thinking for the questions?"

"I'm sure the company will have some standard questions to start us off, but I was thinking about how soon to test? What is the shelf life of a kit? What medical conditions or medications could affect the results? What do you think?"

While Bailey wasn't nearly as excited about returning to work as Judy, she had to admit Judy had jumped into with both feet and come up with some good ideas. And the ideas were not only because they made sense for the show and the client but because they suited the Lori Laker persona.

They continued to hash out details about the upcoming show as well as thoughts for future episodes. It was the most pleasant conversation the sisters had since the suspense, maybe longer than that, but it was too good to last.

"You apologized to Mr. Meadows, right?" Judy spooned the last of the strawberries and cream into her mouth.

Bailey shrugged her off. "We talked it out."

"Bailey, I know you too well. You didn't, did you? I sent you there for one thing, and you didn't even do it."

"Judy, don't start. I'm an adult. I read the room, and I handled it."

Judy slammed down her fork. Bailey flinched.

"I gave you specific instructions. Why can't you just do what you're told?"

"Maybe because I'm an adult capable of having my own thoughts."

"You can think all you want as Bailey Gallup, but when you represent Lori Laker, your actions reflect on both of us."

"It isn't your face on the screen." Bailey shook away the instinct to defend herself. This was her sister and the closest thing to a parent she had. "Forget it. I'm going to bed."

"With all those carbs in your stomach? You know the camera adds ten pounds."

Bailey's step faltered. "Did you feed me shepherd's pie just to remind me of that?"

"No. I thought you would enjoy it. You've always liked my shepherd's pie, and I wanted to celebrate with you." Anguish washed over her features. "Honest, Bailey, I'd never hurt you intentionally."

Judy must be the clumsiest person with someone else's feelings on earth. Bailey shook it off, though. "You could join me."

"Now you're saying I'm fat?"

Dealing with Judy was exhausting. Everything was a dispute. Even the slighting comment could become a point of argument lately. It was never that way back when they were starting out.

"That isn't what I meant. Exercise is a good stress reliever." Bailey avoided reminding her that the carbs she needed to burn off were the same carbs that Judy had consumed as well. "It was a thought. You don't have to."

"Go ahead. I'll clean up the kitchen. Then I have to prep for tomorrow. I'll probably still be working long after you go to bed."

There was nothing like a little jab about all the long hours she had to put in like Bailey didn't put in some of the same hours many days when Judycouldo rest early.

"Suit yourself." Bailey didn't want to work out with Judy. Asking her to join had been a courtesy that she would extend to anyone. Judy's lack of physical prowess made her feel like she had to play down her own abilities. She found herself running slower, quitting sooner, and talking about how hard it was to lift, stretch, and punch.

The reality, though, was Bailey excelled at physical activities. More importantly, she enjoyed working out, not that she would want to do it all the time. Ideally, she would work at home. Her job would allow her to set her schedule, so she would have time to train as she saw fit. She would never be in the limelight, and on the occasion when she had to deal with people, it would be on her terms.

Jerks like Chase Meadows would be a thing of the past, and Judy would get her act together and front her own show.

She debated working out at home until she heard Judy talking to herself. Only Judy wasn't talking to herself. She was giving Bailey the lecture she'd held back on when they were face to face. This was the same passive-aggressive behavior she had exhibited since they were kids and arguing over whose turn it was to ride their one and only bicycle. If called on it, she'd fall back on the excuse of talking out her frustrations, and the conversation was for her ears only. Oddly, though, those conversations always seemed to occur within Bailey's hearing.

That covert lecture gave her the push she needed to change and head to the gym.

Maybe she would get lucky and find someone there to spar with. Perhaps a few punches to the head would clear the stubborn wall she had built against all the demands against her that felt so out of her control. She wished that wall didn't exist, didn't need to exist. Her parents' death had taught her otherwise, and life as an orphan had reinforced that need to the point she had bricked and mortared an entire room around her heart. Some days, Bailey felt lucky her blood still had clearance to pump through her body.

The gym was a real gym where people sweat more and flirted less than in the popular spots. Bailey liked it that way, but her real reason for going there was no one knew her. She didn't have to be nice or polite. No one cared what she wore or whether she cursed when overexerted herself. No one cared what shampoo she used or whether she owned a luxury car. And absolutely no one cared whether she apologized to that horrid Chase Meadows or his trained monkey Ren Wei.

If she never saw either of those men again, it would be far too soon.

Bailey turned the corner to stash her gear in the locker room and walked straight into a male chest. She mumbled an apology before she looked up and did a double take.

"You!"