Handle With Care - Book 4 in "What is Life" series

Chapter 22

As promised, Lauren and I met to have our marriage ended  the next day. This brought back so many memories for me from over the years. We've gone back and forth in our relationship many times and this wasn't our first rodeo.

"Thank you for being a gentle man," Lauren said to me as we sat waiting for the lawyers to call us in to sign the papers. We found out we were still in the grace period for an annulment and it was going to go away with the snap of our fingers, essentially.

I knew what she meant by saying this but I just sat there in silence. She continued to thank me.

"We haven't been a couple that fought or yelled or screamed and I'm grateful that there has always been a mutual respect."

"You are the mother of my children, I will always respect you," I assured her.

She smiled. I thought about telling her about how I proposed to Olivia last night but it just felt too soon. I figured we better let this divorce go through first.

"I was approached to do a tell-all interview," Lauren then said to me out of the blue.

This was shocking. Yes our lives have a lot of ups and downs and there will be much to discuss... but why now?

"Who wants this?" I asked.

"The BBC and ABC news both but I'm leaning more towards the BBC since we are here."

I paused to understand. She wanted to go through with this?

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" I asked her.

"My life story is special and I am sure that I want to talk about it. There's so much that has happened in the last twenty years," she said.

"Can we have the wedding first?" I suggested. This was the time leading up to Ollie's big day.

"Ollie is excited about this interview," she then said. The two of them were very close as of late with all the wedding planning she was helping with. His wedding is in two weeks.

"What exactly are you going to be discussing?" I then pressed the subject further. I almost wanted to protect her from the press. She knew how relentless they could be.

"About the things I've been through. Darry's death in the sixties, our marriage, the car crash, raising our kids, our divorce, witnessing Johns murder, Glyn.... Ethan...." She trailed off and wiped away a tear.

"We've always been so private about these things," I said to her, "I don't think it's a good idea."

She was silent and then the lawyers called us in... right on cue.

We walked in and they had us each sign a document and then it was over just like that. They explained that it was good we had a prenup for our individual assets and then they said we were free to go.

She nodded at me and gave a polite smile and started to leave.

"Lo?" I said trying to make her wait... I was wanting to discuss the interview further.

"I don't need your permission," she said and continued to leave.

I sat there in disbelief. She was being stubborn as always.

I went home to Olivia, Annie and Dhani and just collapsed into the sofa.

"I know today was hard for you," Olivia said gently.

"It was emotional," I admitted to her, "but it made me realize how big of a mistake it was to ever let you go and I don't want to ever be without you."

Olivia was my happy place. I didn't know how badly I needed her back in my life and was so grateful she wanted me after all of these years.

I told her about the interview Lauren planned on doing and she had her own thoughts on it.

"It might be good for her to let it all out and talk about it publicly," she said.

I thought about it, desperately trying to see her perspective.

"The whole world sees her as a supermodel that fell from grace... she can tell her story and regain her celebrity. She has always been tied to you."

"Now she will be tied to Tom," I said.

"And that's the next chapter of her life, so be it," she said.

She was right.

"What if I did the interview with her," I suggested.

This shocked Olivia.

"I could have my side of all of these events told...." I continued, "the world can know about Dhani this time but I can act as though I've known all of these years and kept it from the press."

"Our lives will change drastically," Olivia said nervously.

"You deserve to be just as important in my life in the eyes of the press as Lauren was," I said.

She agreed and I called Lauren immediately.

She was shocked that I had a change of heart but then thought the idea was perfect. She liked the idea of us doing this together even more than her being on her own.

....

Three days later we were letting a camera crew into my home to set up for the interview. Lauren chose what I was to wear and it made me smirk. She was back to being controlling over my sense of fashion and we weren't even together anymore.

"Ready to do this?" She asked me.

Tom and Olivia were both here for support and to watch on. 

"I'm ready," I nodded.

The interviewer was a famous journalist here based out of London named Natasha.

"It's a pleasure to meet the both of you," she greeted us as the producers sat us down.

"You as well," Lauren smiled happily. She really was a new person as of late... extremely full of life.

They started the cameras and Natasha explained how this would go.

"You've done interviews before," she looked at me, then to Lauren and back, "we are just going to do this like a conversation and move through the various stages of your lives in the public eye."

We both nodded to show we understood.

"...and we have editors to help mesh the whole thing together. So don't worry if you stumble on your words or say something you didn't want to... we will fix it," she continued.

"Ahhh the beauty of the edit," Tom said interrupting her from his spot with his arms crossed in the corner of the room and behind the cameras.

Olivia was sitting to the right of him in a more relaxed position watching on.

Tom was definitely a little nervous about Lauren getting to anything having to do with Glyn Johns. He was her one true love and we all know it was a huge mistake for her to ever leave him.

He loved her more than any of us ever could.

I shook off the idea and realized I was deep in thought and needed to get back to the present.

Right at the same time Natasha began with her first question.

"Let's go back to 1966," she said, "The Beatles come back from touring across America... and Lauren Woods comes on the scene.... how did you meet the Beatles and vice versa?"

I looked at Lauren as she began to speak, I didn't know how she was going to answer this after twenty some odd years.