Breakdown 12-1-22 #2
{{Friday, November 25
Kenner, LA}}
The day after Thanksgiving, commonly called Black Friday, is a day where almost every business that sells anything whatsoever has a sale. Retail, electronics, car accessories, book stores... I even got an ad in the mail from the vet, half-price spay/neuter if the appointment is booked today. It's absolutely ridiculous. Listen, I like to shop just as much as the next woman – okay, maybe a liiittle bit more. But I'm not about to go fight people over mass-produced and poor quality items. I fight enough at work.
So, I decided to spend the day in my pajamas, reading. The weather is absolutely disgusting, Misty rain, 99% humidity, and chilly. Just UGH.
SCW took an unscheduled break for some reason, they're being very secretive about it, so there was actually no Breakdown last night. That really upset me at first, the show was supposed to be here in New Orleans, and it would have been my first appearance as Adrenaline Champion following Under Attack. It would have meant a lot to me to do that in front of my hometown crowd. HR did assure me the date would be made up in the new year, but it wouldn't be the same. Anyway... Dom made me feel better by reminding me this meant that I get to spend Thanksgiving with family. So last night Dom, Heath, and I went to Wyatt and Amy's. We had a great time, Jaina and Loki took turns entertaining Heath, Wyatt cooked the turkey outside in a large smoker, and Amy did everything else. She made me take at least a third of the leftovers home. So, me and Dom's lunch today was a turkey sandwich with green bean casserole on the side, and a small blob of peach cobbler for dessert. Yes, lunch can have dessert, especially when the weather is gross. I'll burn it off in the gym.
Anyway, it's after lunch and I am back in the library, on my big ugly yet comfy brown sofa. Heath is laying in a playpen I have near the window. He's sitting up and watching the gross rain. I have my kindle out and I'm reading a book Amy suggested to me about using chakras to aid meditation. I had told her about my anxiety and she thinks this could help. So far it seems interesting and like it could be very relaxing. I hear the door open behind me, and turn to see Dom coming in, carrying a mug.
“Hey, thought you might want some tea.”
“You're my hero. Thank you.” I sit up straight as he walks around the sofa, then hands me the mug. It's my favorite tea, chamomile and lavender. Dom sits next to me and gestures to my kindle.
“Anything good?”
“The chakras thing Amy told me about last night.”
“Oh, I remember. What do you think of it?” I can tell Dom is super skeptical about it.
“It sounds good so far. I might try the first exercise tonight before bed.”
“Great, I'd love to know how it works out.”
I smirk over my mug. “You think it's bullshit, don't you?”
He holds one hand up, defensively with his palm out. “Hey, hey... I can't say anything about something I haven't read. If everything Amy said is true though, then it's a great thing.”
I giggle. “How non-committal of you.”
“I just don't want to discourage you from anything you think might be helpful.”
“I appreciate that baby, thank you.”
Dom smiles. “Of course. You mind if I stay in here with you while you read?”
“Nope, in fact I prefer it, as long as you let me lean on you.”
In response, Dom puts his arm up on the back of the couch. I take the invitation and scoot over, leaning on him just like I wanted. I have my man, my tea, and my book, with my baby in sight. Who needs good weather with all this? Dom grabs his own tablet from the side table and we both sit in silence and read.
A good twenty or thirty minutes has gone by when the peace is broken by Dom's phone ringing. He doesn't have it loud so it doesn't startle either me nor Heath, but it's still annoying.
“Ugh. Whatever it is can wait.”
“Actually, it can't. It's Lisa.” Shit. I sit up and turn to face Dom as he answers. “Hey Lisa.... no I'm not busy, just relaxing with Bree.... oh really?.... uh, okay, sure.” Dom pulls the phone from his ear. “She wants me to put her on speaker so you can hear too.”
“That doesn't sound good.”
Dom shakes his head no, agreeing with me, as he taps the screen, then sets his phone on the coffee table in front of us. “Okay, you're on.”
“Hi Bree, sorry to interrupt your afternoon.”
“It's okay babe, I know you wouldn't if it wasn't important.”
“Yes, exactly. I'll just get right to it. I've had a call from a contact at TMZ.” Both Dom and I groan. They had largely left me alone after the whole Julian LeBlanc incident, only reporting actual news rather than speculatory garbage. “I know, but you'll like them this time. I spoke to a lady named Sandra. She called to give me a heads up. There is a man, he isn't giving his name, but he's calling and emailing all the tabloid papers and sites claiming to have a photo of your son.”
“What?”
I sigh and close my eyes. “Let me guess... with Dom and dogs?”
“Actually.... yes.” Lisa sounds surprised that I knew.
“I knew it....”
“You saw someone taking pictures?”
“Kinda... we were at the park last week and there was a fair, and it was like a dog-petting zoo, so I took Heath in and Bree was snapping pictures... it didn't occur to either of us til later that someone could have done exactly this.”
“I even kept the stroller shade pulled most of the time, I thought I was doing everything right...”
“You can't blame yourself, Bree. I hate to say this, but it was bound to happen eventually.”
Dom looks up at me. “She's right, cakes.”
“I wanted at least a year before the vultures started to pick away at him. But no... some asshole with a camera phone took a shot of a family moment and is literally trying to sell it to the highest bidder. He's trying to sell my son!” I can feel angry tears coming. This is everything I wanted to protect Heath from and he's not even a year old yet before I failed.
“Bree.... listen to me. Are you listening?”
I nod, then realize Lisa can't see me. “Yes.”
“This is why Sandra at TMZ called me. They flat out refused to even consider buying the photo.”
“Wow... really?” Dom looks at me shocked. “I had no idea my threat a few years ago still held weight.”
“It's not that... they have a new news director. He's moved them more towards real news and away from the sensationalist content they used to run.”
“Thank God for that. Did this Sandra lady know who else the man contacted?”
“She wasn't sure. He only told them 'several.' From what she's been able to find out, there are three who bit, and they're negotiating the payout.”
I shake my head. “I just can't believe this is happening with a picture of my son. Like he's... he's... just a piece of art or something!” The irony of the fact we're getting this terrible news on Black Friday, the biggest day of commercialism in the year, isn't lost on me.
“Bree, it'll be okay. We'll-”
“How? How is it gonna be okay?” I'm yelling. I don't care. My son's picture is on an auction block. I feel violated.
Dom sighs. He doesn't have an answer. After a few seconds, Lisa speaks. I had forgotten she was still on the phone.
“I actually have an idea. I don't know if you'll be up for it, but....”
“What?”
“Well... this man is clearly looking to make bank over this picture, if he's shopping it around to all the rags. If you don't want him to make profit from your son, you take away the appeal.”
“I don't know what you mean.” I shake my head, as if she could see me. Dom nods though.
“I get it. We release our own picture of him, before any of the rags buy that one.”
“That's right.”
I scowl, and glance over to the playpen where Heath is. He's fallen asleep while we've been in the library. “I don't know.... he's just a baby, he can't tell me if he wants his picture out there. Dom and I chose public life. He didn't ask for this.”
“No, he didn't. And I agree that it isn't fair. But it's either you do it yourselves and have some sort of control over it, or this guy makes a couple hundred thou over a picture he didn't have permission to take.”
I look up at Dom. He gives me a slight headtilt, as if to say 'she's right.'
“You think this is a good idea, baby? I mean, really?”
“I'd rather be in control of it, like Lisa said. Wouldn't you?”
“I guess...”
“And think of it this way, if we do it ourselves, you won't be so worried all the time about someone trying to steal a shot. It won't be a big deal anymore, they'll stop.” What he means in between those lines is... it could help at least some of my anxiety.
“That's a good point....”
“Are you in agreement then? If so, I have an idea that will buy you some time to sort things out.”
“I'm not saying yes yet... but what's your idea?”
“Well, it's actually Sandra's idea. She suggested that she gives him a call back, and says TMZ has changed their minds, and make him an offer. A ridiculously large offer. This will lead to him calling the others back and relaying this offer, trying to negotiate for more. Either someone offers more, which we doubt, or he takes the TMZ offer. Ideally, then you would release your own picture, and TMZ would withdraw the offer, because its no longer an exclusive.”
“And he doesn't get rich off my son.”
“That's right.”
Dom clears his throat. “Wait, why would TMZ offer to do this?”
“Sandra says the new director feels it would be a way to make up to you for everything the company did to you years ago.”
“Bu that was before he was in charge.”
“Think of it as a goodwill offering. That's what Sandra said.”
“Sounds like you had quite the conversation.”
“I've actually known her a long time. Calling me about this at all was a huge courtesy.”
I keep looking back and forth between Dom and Heath. I turn back to Dom and sigh. “What do you think, baby? I don't really trust myself to make the right call here.”
“I think we should do it. This guy is trying to screw us over by profiting off invading our privacy. This would ruin his profit. Or at least most of it. Someone may still buy the picture but it won't be worth nearly as much.”
Dom makes good points, but something he said gives me an idea. “Lisa.... what if someone were to buy the picture, but then just not release it?”
“What, you want me to ask Sandra to have TMZ actually pay out?”
“Yes. And I'll bankroll it. Anonymously of course.”
Silence. Finally Dom nods. “That might be an idea."
“Actually, it's terrible. It won't solve the underlying problem. Every paparazzo wants to be the first one to get a picture of your son and sell it. If you buy it yourself and never release it, there's still room for someone else to get another one. You'll go broke playing whack-a-mole with these guys.”
I hit the coffee table. “Dammit!” She's right. “I guess we don't have a choice, then.”
“Are you sure?”
“No. But you are, and that's enough for me.”
Dom smiles at me over the table. “Alright. Lisa... make it happen.”
“You mean the TMZ deal?”
“Yeah. And find out how much time this is gonna buy us. If we're putting out our own photo of Heath, I want it to be a good one, professionally done.”
“I will find out. I'm really sorry you had to deal with this.”
“No, thank you for calling as soon as you heard. Better to figure things out as soon as possible.”
“Dom's right. I always knew I wouldn't be able to hide him from the world forever... I just thought I would have more time. I feel like I failed him.”
“You did nothing of the sort. What we're doing, is actually protecting him. People want what they can't have. If we give it to them, it won't be so imperative that they get more. Make sense?”
“It does. I don't have to like it, though.”
“You certainly don't. I don't, I'm upset for you. But trust me, this is the best way to deal with this.” Lisa usually speaks curtly, no-nonsense. But those words were soft and compassionate. It makes me feel a little more okay with all this.
“Okay. I'll trust you along with Dom. You've always done right by him. Both of us.”
“That's kind of you to say, thank you.”
“It's just the truth.”
“All the same. Alright, I'll call Sandra back, and I will keep in touch. Enjoy the rest of your day.”
“We'll try. Thanks Lisa. You continue to be the best.”
Dom taps his phone screen, ending the call. He then sits back on the sofa and pulls me close, wrapping an arm around me.
“I know you hate this, but it's the right thingt.”
“I know it is. I thought I had an idea but Lisa was right. There's no other way around it. I just really, really hate it. I'm being forced into doing something I don't want to do....” I look up at Dom, and I can tell by the look in his eyes that he understands exactly what I mean, how I feel.
“I can understand that. But by doing what we're doing, you're actually taking the control back.”
“I didn't think of it that way. That helps.” I smile a little.
“I'm glad.”
Heath starts fussing from his playpen. I start to get up, but Dom stops me. “Sit, I got him.” I watch as Dom gets up and goes to the playpen, picking Heath up out of it. I smile at the way Heath leans into Dom's shoulder. “Whatcha want, big guy? Huh? Is it dinner time?”
“I think it's second lunch.”
Dom then makes a face. “No.... I think it's dirty butt.”
I laugh. Hearing me makes Heath look towards me, then laugh too.
Maybe it's not such a bad thing for the world to see that beautiful face, after all.