Secret Love - Brenda Jackson [73]
“Thanks. It’s not my fans I’m worried about, Robin, it’s the media. You know how they can be at times.”
“Well, I think with Jacob Madaris by your side, you have nothing to worry about.”
After Diamond had hung up the telephone she took a long, deep breath, not understanding why she was feeling so nervous. She had done press conferences before, numerous times, first with her father, then later alone or with other actors and actresses. She and Sterling had done several in the past two years, denying rumors of their alleged affair. She couldn’t understand why she felt so uneasy about this one.
In her line of business, press conferences were expected. Whenever celebrities had major changes in their lives, the media felt they had a right to know about it. It was better to face a ton of them in an organized and formal setting than being cornered by them at the airport or on your front doorstep.
She and Samuel had done a press conference to announce their engagement the day before the Indy 500, in which he was a participant. They had done another press conference three months later to announce their marriage. The media had asked probing questions, which she thought were none of their business. But Samuel had answered them anyway. That had been the cause of their first argument. She had later learned that he enjoyed the media attention and that he would use anything, including the intimate details of their marriage, to get it.
Diamond took another deep breath. She needed all the strength she could muster for the press conference.
Jake had known exactly what he was doing in setting up their first press conference in Houston, where most of his family resided. It was decided it would be held on the campus of Texas Southern University in the Barbara Jordan Auditorium; an auditorium that Dex’s company, Madaris Explorations, had provided funding to build.
As expected the place was packed. Among the members of the Madaris family in attendance were community leaders, members of the Cattlemen Association and long-time friends. All had been specifically invited and were there to give their support.
Jake and Diamond walked into the auditorium together holding hands and appearing to everyone like the epitome of a picture-perfect couple. He was dressed in a dark gray suit, and she was wearing a very chic, very stylish tailored blue pantsuit and looking like she had just stepped off the cover of a magazine. Even before they had stepped in front of the microphone it was obvious that they had dazzled the members of the media.
The reporters went into action and began firing their questions amid the flashbulbs exploding all around them. Conrad Ammons, a reporter known for his tenaciousness and hostile interviewing skills, started off by asking, “Is it true that you and Jacob Madaris are married and have been for nearly a year and a half? If so, why did you hide that fact, and why did you and Sterling Hamilton deliberately make fools of the media by leading us to believe the two of you had a thing going on?”
Before Diamond could respond, another reporter asked, “And if you are married, how does your father feel about it since to this day he still maintains a relationship with your ex-husband?”
A third reporter requested, “And could you please give us details about that attack on you in your home in California.”
Diamond smiled up at Jacob and took a deep breath. When she faced the crowd to everyone’s eyes she looked totally ravishing and in complete control. “One question at a time, please,” she said in a deceptively calm voice. “First, to answer your questions, Mr. Ammons.”
She glanced again up at Jacob and gave him an adoring smile. He smiled back at her and tightened his arms around her. “Yes, Jacob Madaris and I are married and have been for eighteen months, four days, three hours and—” after glancing at her watch added, “—twenty-four minutes and twelve seconds.”
At everyone’s chuckle, she continued. “The reason Jacob and I decided to keep the news of our marriage a secret was to preserve our privacy for as long as we could.