(1)

A World of Hurt

He’d been afraid of something like this, only a matter of time before the Paparazzi found him. He didn’t have Jan’s clout now with the media. Kyle found it online and called him in to view the pictures. He was aware the impending divorce was all over the net, he’d been photographed coming and going from the Sydney apartment, on the docks in Sydney and now in Coffs.

“It’s done, nothing I can do about it now,” Travis ran his hand through his hair.

“You want to put out a statement?”

“No, I’m not commenting at all.” But he would have to call Toni and let her know.

“Um Travis I think maybe I need to increase security around you, just to keep the hounds at bay.”

“This is ridiculous, I don’t want it. I live here for fuck’s sake and I’ll damn well come and go as I please. You’d think I was some celebrity or something, I’m just a cattle man, nothing more.”

“You had your time in the spotlight, when you won all that money and then took up with Jan. I remember seeing your picture in the paper all the time.”

“That’s old news,” Travis got up and walked out of Kyle’s space.

Travis checked his watch as he walked down the hall through the lounge and into his office; it was after nine, probably safe to call, though it was Saturday.

Toni was having coffee in her Dad’s apartment; he wasn’t there when she woke in the guest room and so she helped herself in his kitchen. Her purse began to ring and she opened it, it was an unfamiliar ring, Travis.

“Travis?”

“Good morning honey, can you talk?”

“Yes.”

“There’s something you need to know luv. Are you close to a computer?”

“I’m actually at my Dad’s and yes if I can figure it out.” She moved over to his desk and moved the mouse, it came on. “It’s on... what are we doing here?”

“Just type in my name and Coffs Harbour…are you there?”

“Images…oh shit. Travis…”

“I know, I should have warned you, I live with it and ignore it, I thought I might have left them in Sydney but they found me and they found you. They don’t know who you are yet but they will soon.”

Toni couldn’t breathe, there were pictures of her and Travis before they boarded the boat, holding hands, another when she was leaning on the railing, Another of them on the docks. “I can’t deal with this, they’re calling me the other woman, broke up your marriage…oh my God.”

“It’s all fucking lies Toni, you know that. You need to show this to Richie before somebody else points it out.”

“I…I can’t…it wasn’t like this…I can’t show this to him, I didn’t tell him about being with you and Tee yesterday.”

“You should have, tell him now and don’t start hiding stuff from him, be up front and honest. If you’ve got nothing to hide don’t start behaving like you do. I’m sorry about this Toni you’ve got to know I would never even have approached you yesterday if I’d known these sleazebags were about but I know now. It won’t happen again.”

“Travis I am in deep shit here, there is no way Richie is going to look at these pictures and think this was a harmless little jaunt out on your yacht. They don’t include Tee, it looks like…”

“I know what it looks like…you say you’re at your Dad’s?”

“Yes, I spent the night here; I needed to talk to him.”

“How long are you going to be there?”

“I don’t know I’ll probably go home today. After he sees this I might be back tonight, this is not good.”

“No, it’s not good for you at all honey if I can do anything let me know, I’ll talk to him if you want me to. Call me Toni and let me know, will you do that?”

“When I can.”

Toni was still staring at the photos when Michael Stanley came in and walked over to his desk.

“Hmm, you have some explaining to do, would you like for me to go home with you Toni?”

“Yes, I would Richie is going to kill me.”