Laura's gaze lifted to her gray T-shirt, which fit snug across her breasts. She reached up and loosened the material, unaware that her backpack had pulled it so tight.
Her black leather belt cinched her roomy jeans around her waist. Aunt Jane had called Laura's body scrawny.
Studiously she focused on her face and eyes, shadowed from her cap. Her aunt had told her that God gave her a simple, ordinary face. What would be considered extraordinary?
Laura squinted her eyes and conjured up an image of her face decorated with lipstick and eye makeup. Then remembering Will stood beside her, she shifted her attention to his reflection.
"How come you didn't let the bellman take your luggage?” he asked, wishing instead that he could tell her she was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen.
He'd watched her survey herself in the glass-paneled doors of the elevator. It hadn't been done like women usually do those things, with aloof approval in the eyes. Instead, her expression had looked far away, locked in a long ago memory.
She switched her duffel bag from her right hand to her left. “I'd rather handle my own stuff."
"We're on a year long tour and that's all you have?"
"I travel light.” At the soft ding, she looked up at the lighted floor number.
Will let her step out first, then followed behind. He waved to the bodyguards posted at the elevator and stairwell. “Our manager tapes our name and key to our assigned room. Come on, let's find yours."
"Are guards necessary?"
He half laughed. “You have no idea what kind of crazy stuff fans will do to get into our rooms."
"Maybe ... you can tell me about it some time."
Will smiled at the hesitancy in her voice. She'd given him a small invitation to further conversation.
They found her room located at the opposite end of the corridor from his. He took her key, and as he fit it into the lock, the door across from hers flew open.
"Good, Laura, you're here,” the production manager rattled. “They want us at Madison Square as soon as possible. You ready? We can share a cab."
"Yeah, let me throw my things in here, and I'll be right out.” Laura took her key from Will, gave him the sweetest, shyest smile he'd ever seen, and disappeared inside.
He watched her door close, her smile lingering in his brain. Never had a woman left him so dazed. He turned, strolled down the hall to his suite, and as he neared his door, he heard Laura and the production manager speaking.
Will glanced over his shoulder to see them waiting at the elevator, both of their heads bowed in deep discussion. Laura looked up at him then, and he held her stare from the opposite end of the corridor. She diverted her eyes and nodded at something the production manager said.
Will stepped inside his room and closed the door. Damp palms. Ninth grade all over again.
* * * *
The alarm sounded at six the next morning. Laura turned it off and threw the covers back. The entire Tourist entourage had been given the day off. After a morning run in Central Park, she'd shower and have breakfast, then play sightseeing adventurer for the day.
She dressed and pulled her hair through a ball cap, left the hotel room, and walked down the carpeted hallway toward the stairwell. As she neared Will's suite, she slowed. Would he be awake by now or still in bed? Did he plan on running this morning? What would he do with his day off?
The door across from his flew open. Laura gasped and jumped back, landing with a thud against Will's suite.
"Baby, you were hot last night,” the lead singer groaned, stumbling over the threshold with a giggling brunette straddling his waist. Her black panty hose dangled around his neck. A red leather mini-skirt rode high on her thighs.
She ran her fingers through his hair while he kneaded her butt. “Tell me you'll dedicate a song to me,” she whined.
He pressed her against the wall and ground against her. “You come back tonight, and I'll think about it."
The little dark haired woman dug her spiked, black heels into his backside and made him moan. With a satisfied smirk, she shifted her neck to give his sucking mouth better access. Then she opened her eyes and caught Laura's stare. “Hey, honey, you like to watch? How about a threesome?"
Will opened his door. Laura fell backward onto the floor in front of him. “Larry, man, why do you have to do that crap in the hallway?"
Laura shot up from her sprawled position and bolted down the hall toward the stairwell.
"Hey, honey, where ya going? Things're just getting interesting,” the brunette yelled after her.
"Shut up,” Will snapped.
Laura fled down the stairs, her heart thumping, and face hot. She burst through the front doors into an overcast New York City morning. She closed her eyes and took some deep breaths.
"Hey.” Will strode through the doors. “You alright?"
Laura bent into a hamstring stretch. “I'm fine."
Out of the corner of her eye she saw Will watching her. From her skittish reaction upstairs, she suspected he knew she wasn't fine. He sat on the concrete beside her a few seconds later and began putting on his shoes. He'd run after her, down the stairs and through the hotel, in his socks.
She levered the balls of her feet on the edge of the hotel's steps and leaned back to stretch her calves. One of Will's socks had a tiny hole. A dark skinned toe peeked out. She moved her gaze up his legs to his shorts, caught a glimpse of Bugs Bunny boxers.
"I'm sorry if I woke you,” Laura mumbled, looking at his sleep-tousled hair.
Will knotted his laces and stood. “I was already up. Don't worry about it. How about running in Central Park?"
"That's where I'd planned to run."
He grinned. “Well, what a coincidence."
Laura tucked her T-shirt into her runner's shorts. “Aren't you afraid someone might recognize you?"
"Usually I wear a hat and dark glasses, but I was kinda in a hurry when I left.” He started walking. “We'll see how it goes. It's early enough, probably not many people out at this hour."
"I can wait if you want to run back up to your room.” The accommodating statement came out so naturally and quickly it startled her. She never made offers like that.
He laughed. “Come on, don't worry about it."
Laura hurried to catch up and fell smoothly in step beside him. They crossed over Madison Avenue and walked up Fifth. They passed Saks, Liz Claiborne, Gucci, and Rolex, all closed at such an early hour. Workers in long white aprons swept and washed their storefronts. A little coffee shop advertised homemade bagels and Colombian brewed beans. Laura's stomach growled at the smell of fresh baked bread. It would be a nice treat after the run.
"Smells good, doesn't it?” Will asked.
"Yeah."
"I heard your stomach growl. Can you wait ‘til we finish exercising?"
"I'll have to. I'll get sick otherwise."
Will stopped at the corner. “Well, there it is, Central Park. Kinda crazy there's a big park in the middle of the city."
The sky thundered. Laura looked up. “Looks like rain's coming."
"Not ‘til later in the afternoon. We'll have plenty of time.” They crossed Fifth Avenue and entered the south end of the park. “Let's go this way,” he pointed, “toward the Wollman Memorial."
They started with a slow, warm up jog, then built their pace. Wide, paved trails held marked lanes for bikers, joggers, roller bladers, and walkers. Green lawns spread to trees, and beyond them, towered the New York City buildings. A retreat from the hustle and bustle.
A few minutes later he pointed to the left. In the distance sat a large, paved, circular area. A statue stood in the middle surrounded by a stone wall. A tall, slender, dark haired woman skated backward around the circle. Laura watched as the woman gracefully lifted her arms and leapt from the ground to spin in the air.
Will stopped their progress and jogged in place. “She's beautiful, isn't she?"
Laura looked over at him, surprised he found bea
uty in something so simple. “It looks like she's on ice."
"Yep, it does."
They watched the skater a few seconds longer, then picked up the pace again.
A few wet drops hit Laura's face and arms. She disregarded them, thinking it morning dew from the overhead trees. But when the splatters became more frequent, she looked up at the sky. Black clouds rolled across. “You said it wasn't suppose to rain until later."
Will chuckled. “I guess I don't make a very good meteorologist.” He pointed to a white object in the distance. “There's a gazebo straight ahead. Come on.” He took off with a sprint toward it.
Thunder boomed and rain began to fall in full force. Laura followed behind Will, squinting against the pellets hitting her face. With a splash, she landed in a puddle.
Aunt Jane never allowed me to play in the rain.
Laura looked for another and jumped in it, curling her toes in her squishy, wet socks. She glanced at the grass ahead and hopped from one muddy puddle to the next.
Look at me now, Aunt Jane.
Laura stopped and closed her eyes, tilted her head back. Rain splattered her cheeks. She took her hat off and let the water stream through her hair and along her scalp. Smiling, she inhaled the scent of fresh cut grass and turned a lazy circle.
A crack of lightning jerked her from her reverie, and in a quick flash she saw Aunt Jane, some twenty-five feet away, hidden in the woods. Laura held her breath, waiting for another bolt of lightning to illuminate the gloomy trees. It couldn't be Aunt Jane. There was no way she knew where Laura was.
I'll kill you if you ever run away.
Aunt Jane's venomous words ricocheted through Laura's head as another thundering streak lit up the sky. She stared hard into the woods, her gaze snapping from tree to tree, searching for her aunt ... Laura had conjured up her image. That had to be it. Had to. She'd been thinking of her and created her likeness in the woods. It had happened before. It could happen again.
"Laura,” Will called from the gazebo, alarmed at her sudden change in demeanor. One minute she'd been playing, and the next she'd been frozen stiff, staring off into the woods.
She ran up the grassy slope and ducked under the shelter.
"You okay?"
Laura nodded as she continued to scrutinize the thick clump of trees. While she studied the trees, he studied her. Couldn't make himself not look at her, in fact. The rain weighed her ponytail down and plastered it to her head. She hadn't bothered to wipe the wetness from her face or the tiny drops clinging to her lashes. Dripping wet, and she was still the most beautiful woman he'd ever met.
But her eyes weren't dancing like they'd been when she was playing. Her face showed no excitement, inquisitiveness. The pleasant curve of her lips had disappeared.
"Another minute and you would've been a piece of sizzled bacon,” he joked, hoping to bring her good mood back.
She smiled a little at his humor.
"You should do that more often."
Laura switched her attention to him. “What?"
"Smile."
As soon as he said it, he wished he wouldn't have. Her face faded to an emotionless line. She didn't physically put space between them, but it felt like she had. Miles of it. He glanced at her lips, desiring beyond imagination to pull her close and kiss away the trouble, confusion, and worry in her eyes.
Instead, he reached out to smooth some wet, blond strands from her cheek, and she tensed. He paused his hand in midair, then slowly lowered it back to his side. Laura turned, folded her arms across her stomach, and stared out across the wet park.
Will studied her profile for a few seconds, then took a seat on the gazebo's bench. “I'm not like the other guys, if that's what you're thinking.” When Laura didn't respond, he continued, “Ya know, what you saw back at the hotel. I'm not a partier, Laura, or a womanizer.” He preferred his sexual encounters discreet and private. “I'd like for us to be friends, no pressure."
He'd never justified his actions to a woman before now, never needed to. And probably had taken that for granted. He'd smile, cut a few jokes, and women would warm right up to him. He'd throw them a signal or vice-versa and the game was on. It had always been easy, light-hearted, unemotional. Nobody ever got hurt.
Rain drizzled now and scattered sunbeams snuck through the tree limbs. A few joggers resumed exercise on the paths below.
"You ready to head back?” she asked without looking at him.
Will sighed. Why hadn't she responded to what he'd said? He pushed off the bench and deliberately walked out the other side of the gazebo, trying to give her space. “We'll circle around the other side of The Mall and head back that way."
They jogged in silence. The warming sun made the pavement steamy, birds fluttered and chirped, and Will replayed the gazebo scene over and over again in his head. Had he said or done anything wrong? Why was Laura so guarded? What could he do to get her to open up?
They crossed to Fifth and slowed to a walk, navigating the now crowded streets.
"Will?"
He glanced over at her, taken aback that she'd spoken, and what he saw beyond her gave him a hard jolt. He grabbed her arm and took off in a run.
She tugged on his grip. “What are you doing?"
"They found me.” He yanked her around the corner. High-pitched screams pierced the air. Will took another quick look at the crowd of fans running after them.
Laura followed his line of sight. “Oh my God,” she gasped.
Will rounded the next street. “It'll get worse. Can you keep up?"
"Yeah."
"Let's go.” He released her arm and took off in a sprint, weaving in and out of people and zigzagging the streets of New York. The hotel lay three blocks ahead.
He peeked over his shoulder. Good, Laura was keeping up. She sent him a reassuring nod. Energy and a hint of challenge flashed in her eyes. Will almost laughed. She was enjoying this little adventure.
The hotel sat a half block ahead. He turned, grabbed Laura's hand, and bolted into the lobby.
"Security!” he yelled.
The guards stepped forward and blocked the entrance as the mob crowded around trying to catch a glimpse of him.
Laura braced her hands on her knees and gulped in deep breaths. Will waved to those who had gathered outside the hotel's doors. The people jumped up and down, screaming and waving back.
He looked down at Laura. The exertion had reddened her face. Both their bodies gleamed with sweat. They'd slide right over each other's slick skin if they were naked.
"What were you going to tell me back there before we got mobbed?"
She straightened from her hunched position. “Your offer of friendship, I'd like that."
"Well, friend, would you like to spend the day together seeing the city?"
Laura hesitated, and he got the impression that if she accepted it would be a big step for her.
"Sure,” she finally agreed. Then a camera flashed, and Laura spun in the direction of the bright light. “Damn,” she hissed and dashed toward the stairwell.
Now her picture would be plastered all over tomorrow's paper. Or worse, on the front page of those gossipy tabloids Aunt Jane read.
Three
* * * *
"Laura,” Will yelled, chasing her into the hotel's stairwell.
Laura leaped the steps two at a time, ignoring the man behind her. What a fool she'd been.
If you ever try to run from me, I'll hunt you down. You won't live a day past our reunion. I'll make you suffer.
Aunt Jane had issued that threat many times over the years, and Laura didn't doubt for a second that her aunt would carry it out. She'd seen her close to that snapping point more times than she cared to remember.
Will grabbed her arm. “What's wrong?"
She pulled free. “Listen, I changed my mind. I'm gonna stay in my room today. I ... I'm not feeling well.” She needed to be alone, time to think.
"Liar. You feel fine. What was that all about in the lobby
?"
"What?"
Will's jaw tightened. “You know full well what I'm talking about."
Laura turned and continued climbing, this time at a more subdued pace. “I don't like my picture taken, that's all.” Maybe taking this job hadn't been such a good idea. It placed her too much in the public eye.
"Why?"
She needed to talk to Bizzy, see what she thought. Bizzy was the only person Laura could trust.
"Why?"
"None of your business.” It was a bitchy response. She knew that. Maybe he'd leave her alone then. Move on. She was difficult anyway. Had too much baggage. Nobody liked dealing with baggage.
"Coward."
Coward? She whipped around. He took a step up, putting them at eye level, their noses and chests a mere inch apart. Challenge and defiance flicked in his eyes.
"The last thing I am,” she gritted out, “is a coward.” If only he knew the things she'd been through ... but she really was a coward, for running. Did she really think she could hide from Aunt Jane forever? Maybe. But she had to face her past eventually.
One of his brows arched, as if her bristly demeanor meant nothing. “Prove it."
Laura narrowed her eyes. “I prove nothing to no one.” She turned and continued up the stairs. She'd spent her whole life trying to conform to Aunt Jane's standards. Not anymore.
"Coward."
Slowly she came back around to face him, knowing he was baiting her. “What do you want from me?"
He looked up at her from five steps below. “I already told you. Spend the day with me. We'll wear dark glasses and hats. No one will recognize me. No cameras. Take a chance."
Take a chance. Bizzy had said those exact words to her during their last conversation regarding Laura's job offer from Tourist.
She pivoted, climbed the last two steps, then opened the door to their floor. Take a chance. “Fine."
"Be ready in thirty minutes,” he called up to her, an obvious note of victory in his voice.
"I'll be ready in twenty."
* * * *
Laura stood in front of her bathroom mirror braiding her wet hair. An hour ago she'd been standing under the gazebo with Will in Central Park, the most intimate moment she'd ever shared with a man. He'd wanted to kiss her, that much she figured out. Why couldn't she have reacted like a normal woman and received his kiss? He probably thought she was a freak.
Laura's Secrets Page 3
