“No, I don’t. I think you’re beautiful. I think beautiful is different to everyone. Nothing about me is beautiful right now and that’s my opinion. It’s a stupid name.” She took another sip of water. “About the pictures…I was in college and wearing a bathing suit. Most regular college students go to the pool or beach and have pictures taken.” She shrugged. “Mine just happened to be broadcast on TV.”
Diane swiftly changed the subject. “When you woke up in the hospital, who was with you?”
“George and my parents,” she answered easily.
Diane smiled kindly at Stella. “When you mention George, your entire face lights up.”
“My entire body lights up when I think about George,” Stella agreed.
“Now, there has been some speculation that you two have been on the rocks since you left to go to Atlanta. You guys still going strong?”
“Yes. He is the purest soul I’ve met. I’ve been lucky enough to be loved by him and he’s ruined me for anything that comes next.”
“What does that mean?” Diane prodded.
“It means George is it for me; he’s the only man that I ever want to be with. If he decides he doesn’t want me around, I may buy the house next door to him,” she chuckled, “simply to be in his presence every day.”
“Wow, Stella. You are in love.”
Stella nodded. “Utterly and completely.”
“So you and Jesse?”
“Are very close friends, just like Patrick, Millie and Billy.” Stella smiled up at Millie; they’d gone over this answer. “The friends that I have are so important to me; they’re the family that I got to pick. They’ve been there for me through all this and are still with me. You can’t even imagine some of the things they’ve had to put up with.”
“Like what?”
“Well, Millie helped handle all the media inquiries after I was shot, on top of her job at the Department of Education. Patrick and Billy helped me get through the worst time in my life after Jamie’s funeral. Jesse has been there for me every second after we met and he is a forever friend, one that will stick with you.”
“So there’s never been anything between you and Jesse.” The statement was a question.
“Do you mean did we ever date?” Stella said, shifting uncomfortably in her chair.
Diane nodded.
Stella breathed out in relief. “No, we never dated.” That was true.
Diane smiled. “There are rumors that you two had an affair. Let’s just clear the air. Did you ever have sex with Jesse McIntyre?”
Stella looked down at her hands. She could say she wouldn’t answer, which would be an answer, or she could just answer the fucking question.
“When I wasn’t with George, Jesse and I were involved, but we weren’t dating. He’s turned into a very good friend of mine,” Stella cleared her throat, “and George’s,” she added as an afterthought.
“George is okay with you being friends with someone you had sex with?”
“Diane, I don’t mean to sound rude, but this is going off in a direction I wasn’t planning on talking about.”
“Okay...okay.” Diane put her hands up in surrender. “Changing the subject just a little. It seems like you’re surrounded by men taking care of you. Feminists have called you ‘the anti-strong woman.’ What do you think about that?”
“I like that name better than ‘FBI Beauty,’ that’s for sure.” Stella shrugged and let out a breath; she was getting tired of this interview. “I mean, I’m lucky. I have a best girlfriend, but I just happen to have more guy friends than girlfriends. I’m sort of guyish… I guess. I drink beer and cuss. I don’t do girly too much. So it just fits.”
“You look pretty girly now.” Diane laughed and pointed at her tight dress and black tights. Stella had also borrowed Millie’s trendy black and grey necklace; she didn’t own anything like it herself. Diane looked down at Stella’s shoes, just noticing them. “Whoa, look at those shoes. I’m going to stay over here.”
“Oh, well that’s the ‘girly’ thing I’ve discovered lately—I love heels. I got these especially for this interview and riding on the back of George’s motorcycle.”
“Put your foot up so everyone can see these.” Diane pointed for the cameraman to get a close-up of Stella’s heel.
Stella raised her right foot and looked at her black six-inch heel with silver spikes shooting out of the toes. She shook her foot a little bit. “You like them?”
“I actually love them and love that you wore them here. Though I hope you don’t kick me.”
“I won’t,” Stella laughed. “Unless I’m provoked, of course.”
“Let’s talk about your tattoos. How many do you have?” Diane asked.
“Three.”
“Okay, everyone knows about your back. What else?”
“I have ‘I’m the hero of this story’ on my back as well and ‘fighter’ on my ribcage,” Stella confirmed.
“What’s the fascination with tattoos?” Diane asked.
“I don’t know, but I love having my tattoos. The one that’s so big on my back is a regret that I have, but in a way it’s a reminder. I used it initially to warn people from talking to me or getting close to me. It worked for most people,” she smiled at the thought, glad it hadn’t worked on everyone. “It memorializes a place in time and reminds me how far I’ve come, you know?”
“Do you plan on getting more?”
“Have I planned my next one?” Stella asked. “No, but I usually get tattoos when I feel like I need them. They’re similar to jewelry to me, except they’re permanent. They’re beautiful and have deep meaning to the people that have them. I can see myself getting more.”
“Well, I’m sure we’ll hear all about them when you do.” Diane laughed.
“I hope not. I’m looking to get away from that sort of scrutiny,” Stella said sincerely. “I’m hoping that this interview answers all the questions people have for me and then they can get back to what’s important. Real news.”
Diane cleared her throat. “So, changing the subject a bit… Stella, you woke up to a totally different life than before you were shot. What’s the one thing you wish you could change?”
“I don’t know if I could just name one, Diane. Things have settled down a bit, but the media is always around our house. I couldn’t run with Cooper for a while; I’m just getting to where I can do that again. I have a constant pain in my upper torso from all the injuries I sustained from the shooting, but I’m slowly getting back to normal. I’m slowly getting my life back, but I’ve had to fight for it all. I’ll continue to fight because I just want normalcy.”
“Everyone is touting your testimony as the reason the Defendant was convicted so quickly. Was it difficult to face your attacker?”
“He was just one of three attackers and I’d much rather face the attacker than be like Trey Williams, Jeffery Riggins, and Peter Richardson, who died during the attack. It was a very difficult experience because I’m used to coming at it from a different perspective. Attorneys are the worst witnesses, I’ve been told.” Stella laughed. The three men that died during that explosion were always lingering in her mind; she never got closure because the funerals were held before she woke up. She could’ve easily died with them. Stella didn’t really know any of them, but felt a sort of kinship with them.
“Let’s take a quick break.” Diane got up and walked over to the table for a bottle of water.
Stella stood up and walked over to Millie. “Am I doing okay?”
“You’re doing great,” Millie confirmed.
After a quick bathroom break, Diane launched back into questions about her parents, law school and her job.