Chapter 27 – What Are You Doing?

Dorian was ranting at the help about the plants and flowers needing to be watered as she found a prominent home for the bouquet R.J. sent her. "Ana, those live roses would have lasted at least another few days if you had used the preservative I showed you…." She waved her hand as the doorbell rang. "I'll get it."

She flung the door open. "It's about time," she smarted to David. "You called a half-hour ago. Where have you been?"

"Late lunch," he frowned, stepping inside.

She practically dragged him toward the sitting room by his arm. "Ana!" she called as she pushed him through the double doors and peeked around the corner into the kitchen. "Bring down David's things, please. Just leave them in the foyer."

David blinked at her as she turned to him. "What, you packed up the rest of my things?"

She smiled and raised an eyebrow at him. "You bet I did."

His frown deepened for a split second before he noticed the yellow envelope he had delivered to her on the table near the doors to the terrace and crossed the room to pick it up.

Dorian grabbed the envelope from his hand. "David! What did Todd say?" she demanded.

"You're not going to like it," he sighed at her, pulling the envelope back out of her hand and peeking inside.

She took it back. "Just tell me. I can handle it." She made a daunting face at him and gave him a serious nod.

"Four-hundred-thousand dollars," he stated, reaching for the package again.

A bit stunned, she allowed him to re-claim the envelope and look inside it. "Four-hundred … thousand?" she reiterated. "David, that's a completely preposterous amount!" She shook her head, disbelieving. "Todd may not like me, but he knows I'm not that foolish!"

He pulled a couple of the pictures out of the envelope and tilted them away from the glare of the windows to admire them. "He said it was chump change and that you'd pay it if you were serious about not wanting these published." David crinkled his nose and squinted one eye, looking up in thought. "It was something to do with advertising profits per edition … circulation, and how many people would buy a copy that had this picture on the cover." He grinned as he turned the picture that had her face in it toward her.

"Todd has apparently forgotten that I happen to know a little bit about publishing…."

Starr's voice came from behind them. "Uh…."

Dorian grabbed the pictures out of David's hands and clutched them to her chest as she turned. She flashed a sweet smile. "Starr, honey … I didn't hear you come in."

"…Not everyone yells when they come in the front door, Aunt Dorian. What's he doing here? And where's Amelia?"

"You first," Dorian told her. "Where's Langston?"

"Markko was going to help her study. What's going on?" Starr eyed David suspiciously.

"Don't tell me she is over at that apartment again," Dorian groaned. "You girls really, really, spend too much time over there. Next time one of you wants to see your boyfriend, why not invite him over here?"

David had to interject what he considered to be common sense. "Oh, come on, Dorian. Knowing your mother could knock on the bedroom door any minute doesn't exactly cultivate the mood to 'study.' And I use the term 'study' loosely. You know … like 'studying' physiology … and I use the term 'physiology' loosely…."

Starr glared at David as Dorian closed her eyes and sighed at him. "David, please," Dorian said. She opened her eyes, giving Starr a pleading look. "I think it would be respectful of Cole and Markko to come by the house more often – not just respectful to your family, but to you girls."

"Right … sooo … what's David doing here?" Starr shot him another accusing glance.

Dorian hesitated for only a moment before answering. "He just came to pick up the rest of his things."

"You couldn't have just sent them to him?" Starr crossed her arms, skeptical.

"We had a few last business matters to go over," Dorian explained.

Starr stepped closer. "Business matters that involve my dad's newspaper and whatever you're trying to keep me from seeing right now?" She gestured to the pictures Dorian was protecting.

David shrugged. "You might as well tell her Dorian. She'll just find out from Blair, anyway."

Dorian turned sideways so that David and Starr were on each side of her. "No!" she protested. "Blair can't know about this." She shook her head dramatically before pausing to look at Starr and then looking down at her own hands which were still holding the envelope against her torso. "I don't want Blair running to Todd and trying to get him to change his mind." She was careful as she slid the pictures back into their envelope. "Do you know when he plans to publish this?" She looked at David, who seemed either unaware or disinterested in the answer. "Oh, never mind. He'll probably wait until closer to Election Day. Just tell him … I'll be in touch."

David lowered his chin and his voice, eyeing Starr. "So you're going to pay it then?"

Dorian had not forgotten that David planned to get a cut of the money. "David, do me a favor and get out of my house," she told him.

Starr watched as Dorian followed David to the foyer. He gathered several bags from the floor at the bottom of the stairs, but Dorian stepped forward when he put a black cowboy hat atop his head. "I'll keep that, if you don't mind?" she asked him, reaching up and retrieving the hat with a charming smile.

David sighed and nodded at her. "Need something to remember me by?" He winked at her and turned to go.

Starr closed the front door behind him as Dorian tossed the hat onto the nearby table. "So what was that all about?" she asked. "Is my dad blackmailing you?"

Dorian retreated back into the other room, disgusted. "No, I think David is blackmailing me. Your father is just his cohort."

Starr pursued her. "So my dad is helping to blackmail you," Starr clarified. "And he's working with David? Is that what you and David were fighting about last night?"

"No." Dorian opened a bottle of sparkling water. "Sort-of."

Starr stood beside her and looked concerned.

"Okay, this is what it boils down to," Dorian confessed to her niece. "If David can't have me, then he at least wants to get his hands on some money. Todd's just looking forward to causing trouble – as usual."

"So what's in the envelope?" Starr asked, point blank. "Pictures – of what?"

Dorian poured a glass of water. "Nothing worth four hundred thousand dollars, I'll tell you that." She swigged her water.

"Four hundred … thousand?" Starr gasped. "Those must be some good pictures."

Dorian lifted an eyebrow and shrugged.

"What exactly are you doing in those pictures, Aunt Dorian?" Starr asked, half horrified and half amused.

Dorian considered her answer as she sat her glass back down on the tray. "David."

Starr's eyes widened. "Ugh, okay … sorry I asked. … What are you going to do? Pay him?"

Dorian sighed. "Starr, don't worry about it, okay, sweetheart? I've got it all under control." She tried to change the subject. "Are you still going on that shopping trip this weekend? I might have you pick up some things for the boys." She carried her water to the table and flipped open a catalogue. "I might have to order Christmas presents online this year – I've just been so busy with the campaign it seems I never find a minute to actually think about what everyone would like to have."

Starr knew that there was no going back to the conversation about her father at this point. Dorian had ended it as abruptly as a bolt of lightning ending an outdoor sporting event. "Sure," she answered, looking around. "I'd be happy to help." She stood and watched Dorian.

Her aunt looked up at her. "Starr?"

"Aunt Dorian, is everything okay? You're doing that thing you do."

"What 'thing?'"

"That thing where you pretend something isn't bothering you by talking about something you're not very worried about." Starr took a step closer.

Dorian blinked at her. "I just have a lot on my mind right now."

"Sure," Starr agreed with a shrug. "Soo… rather than work on the campaign … you're going to sit at home browsing a catalogue?" Starr thought back on Langston's theory that Dorian was lonely. "Did something happen?"

"You know," Dorian answered with a small smile, "I truly just needed some quiet."

Starr nodded and shrugged. "Okay." She took a few steps back and turned to leave Dorian to her thoughts.

Dorian looked up at her. "And Starr?"

"Yeah?"

"Please don't tell your mother about this situation with David." It was more a statement than a request.

"You mean the situation with my dad?" Starr shrugged, worrying her aunt. "Don't worry about it. I won't."

Dorian smiled and looked distracted until Starr was gone and then slapped her catalogue shut. She hid the pictures in a nearby drawer and decided she should head back to the campaign. Amelia had probably already had to reschedule some thing or another.

Dorian was surprised to hear someone come in the front door, and was going to be happily surprised if it was Langston. She walked toward the doors, but stopped when she saw Amelia in the foyer.

"What are you doing here?" she asked her campaign manager.

Amelia let out a deep breath. "I have a message for you."