Holywood

Chapter One

Marisa Rivers held onto her low-down, dirty, cheating husband's hand for dear life, while coaching herself to look calm, but alert, smile and play the good wife. But 'how could she?' was the question that continued turning over and over in her head and churning in her stomach and up her throat.

The press room stank of guilt and sour watercress sandwiches. She wanted to throw up, but she couldn't.

She had no choice, plus the new High Defintion world would blast her blowing chunks all over the internet for eterninity. The thinning line between her hate for Garrett had blurred. A low voice in the back of her ear whispered. Remember whom you belong to? Marisa gripped Garrett's hand. She wanted to crush it. Perhaps she would feel better, if she did.

Taylor Johannson, the only reporter in the room whom she knew had her back, winked at her. Her smile widened. What a comfort? She was the one who called her moments before the scandal interrupted every local channel, including the Cindy Samuels Show, her favorite syndicated celebrity hot topics talk show.

Instead of revelling in the pleasure of Cindy's gossip, she should have been taking notes, because now she was on the other side. She wondered what Cindy would say about her standing here next to Garrett. She gritted her teeth at the thought of the answer despite knowing she shouldn't show any tension. Ten years as a political hack(how she met Garrett) she new better. But everyone knew the ugly truth about a life she thought she had built on solid rock. She clutched his hand tighter. The world knew more about her life than she did.

A question from some NBC affiliate brought her out of her reverie.

"Senator, do you still love your wife?"

Marisa talked herself into not rolling her eyes when Garrett responded with his weak Yes. Oops, she repented for the cursing. Lord, Jesus when would this be over?

She hoped this press conference would end as soon as her husband open his mouth, but he hadn't said anything yet. She rewound that thought. This fool hadn't said anything yet?  She couldn't squeeze his hand any tighter than the grip she already had, and she dared not turn toward him for fear of getting a rise out of the press. What was taking him so long to answer? She had to do everything in her power from keeping her free hand from coiling into a fist.

The reporter asked again, "Senator Rivers, despite your affair do you still love your wife?"

If she hadn't been standing there herself, she wouldn't believe that the only sound she heard in the room was Taylor's pin dropping on the carpeted floor.

Garrett cleared his throat. Her heart stopped. He only did that when he had bad news to tell her. He had done that the night after she found out about his affair along with the rest of the world.

"No."

His voice was clear, but weakened Marisa observed. Did that idiot just say...?

Before the reporter could ask again, before she could coach herself through crisis color red-zone her now coiled fist landed into Garrett's squared jaw. His body hit the podium floor around the same time as her five carat diamond wedding ring popped him on his balding head. No publicity firm would clean this maelstrom up with a ten foot mop, but Marisa knew one thing Cindy Samuels would throw her a Woot! Woot! on tomorrow morning's show.

Just as she was about to leave the press room Taylor caught her arm. "What are you doing?"

"Something I should have done a week ago, leave."