Falling in Love with a King [Elvis]

Chapter 13 - In Order To Be With You

I had to do it. I didn't want to, but I had to. If I got involved with Elvis Presley, then I could get fired. Was it selfish to reject him? He seemed pretty sad on the phone. But he understood since he had a similar rule to abide by. We were both following the rules... but it hurt. I told myself that I wouldn't be hurt because of another man, but here it was happening again, only in a vastly different way.

"Hey, Daisy!"

I jumped out of my thoughts as I sat at my corner desk near a window. I looked up and saw Doug standing near my desk, hand to my heart. "Golly, Doug..."

"Sorry. I just wanted to see how you're doing. You haven't had a smile on your face since the moment you walked through the door three hours ago."

He noticed that? Maybe everyone did. "Yes, I... Well, I suppose I feel a little stressed at the moment. I have all these articles for my column and the normal part of the paper to write."

"You mean about your time filming yesterday?"

"Yes. It was quite the experience, I just don't know where to start."

He sat one leg on the edge of my desk, making my pen jar rattle. His brown eyes turned thoughtful. "How about you run some things by me, and I can see if I can help any?"

I pursed my lips. My experience on the set included that kiss scene, and no doubt the people that were there and saw it would tell some random reporter about it. Doug would eventually find out, and then all of Memphis, and then on to the rest of the country, that Elvis had a little something going on with the new reporter actress. It would be true, and people would want us to be in a relationship, but we couldn't be in one. I groaned in frustration.

"Hey, relax," Doug said. "C'mon. Run some things by me."

I eyed his handsome young face and brown hair, skeptical. "You want to help me when you and David were in cahoots?"

He bit his bottom lip, and a guilty look came to his features. "Daisy, look, we... well, yeah, maybe I agreed with him that the boss was giving you special treatment because of your relationship with him and all, and because you scored that first interview with The King, but after what David did to you, going to The Memphis Tribune and producing a false story on purpose just to spite you and hurt you, I couldn't believe it. I promise, I had nothing to do with that. In fact, I'm glad that Gregory fired him."

Doug wasn't one to lie. While a lot of reporters wrote false stories, he told the truth, even if his articles were slandered. I nodded. "Okay, I'm sorry for accusing you of anything."

He waved a hand. "Hey, don't be sorry. I'm just sorry that you were hurt and embarrassed. And Elvis, too. It probably wasn't pleasant for him, either."

That made my heart jump. "Wait, what do you mean?"

He smirked and leaned in a little, his arms crossed. He had a twinkle in his eye. "C'mon, Daisy, the whole nation knows that he's crazy about ya. Why would he have gone to your rescue in the first place, huh?"

What Elvis said on the phone to me instantly came to mind... Daisy, I'm crazy about ya. You've been drivin' me crazy since I saw you sittin' on that bench in the hallway, messin' with your bangs.

"Am I right?" Doug asked. I cleared my throat. A lie would suffice.

"I couldn't tell you. Maybe. He's a good man who was just trying to help."

He shook his head. "C'mon, Daisy, I promise I won't say anything. Plus, stories have already been printed by other papers saying that he was surprised and had a hurt expression on his face when he first saw that picture of you and that Kenneth guy kissing."