Hiding in the Spotlight

by Karen Booth

  The first time she’d ever laid eyes on David, he was in swim trunks for PE. It was her first day at her new school, and she’d been horrified by the thought of having to wear a bathing suit in front of so many boys she didn’t know. Skinny, gangly and flat chested, she’d failed to entice any boys at her old school, and there was no reason to think anything would be different at the new one.

  David had caught her eye right away, and she looked at him off and on for the entire class. Later that day, he’d waved at her in the cafeteria, or at least it seemed like he had. When he and Glenn sat with her at lunch the following day, her heart pounded so fiercely she could hardly think. She was drawn to David. He was heartbreakingly cute and funny, and she felt like she might melt whenever he smiled at her.

  Glenn was good-looking, too, and tons of girls had wanted to go out with him, but she was mostly nice to him in hopes of spending more time with David. Glenn let his intentions be known a few days later and was persistent about it. Eventually, the girl who had once wondered if she’d ever have a boyfriend was wooed by the guy who was smooth and had taken interest. He was the guy she fell in love with.

  “I don’t like to think of myself that way, but thanks.” David hopped up and grabbed his shirt from the chair. “Back to Page. I’m happy to talk to him for you, if you want, about school, his friends, girls, whatever. I’m not trying to step in for Glenn or anything, but I’d like to help. I think I could make a difference.”

  Alex chewed on her thumbnail and looked over her shoulder at him. “That would be really nice. He needs something, or somebody. A man.” Technically, we both need a man.

  ****

  Alex drove the boys to school the next morning and was surprised to see her divorce attorney sitting in David’s kitchen when she got back to the house. “John, hi.” She rushed forward and shook his hand before dropping her bag on the kitchen island. “Am I late?”

  “No, I was a few minutes early.” He flashed a smile more worthy of the red carpet than a courtroom. “Just acquainting myself with your friend David here.”

  David smiled and winked at Alex. “We talked about basketball.”

  John laughed. “We’re already at odds about it. I’m a Lakers guy, but he’s apparently a lifelong Knicks fan.”

  David nodded and John opened a leather-bound folio, pulling out a chair at the kitchen table for Alex.

  “Thank you,” she said, noticing John’s eyes were an interesting shade of hazel, a captivating swirl of green and brown.

  John took the seat next to hers and scooted closer, draping his arm across the back of her chair. “These are the papers we talked about on the phone. Nothing has changed, so we’ll just go over the high points.”

  David cleared his throat. “I should probably go in the other room.” He began to walk away.

  “David, no. You can stay.” Alex looked to John for approval. “I mean, it’s not anything you don’t already know about.” She turned back to gauge David’s reaction and saw an odd look of agitation on his face. Men and sports.

  “No. It’s cool. I have stuff to do.”

  Chapter Eight

  David took a quick shower to cool off. What is that guy’s deal? He’s her lawyer. He shouldn’t be putting his arm around her like that. He went to his closet and opted for a gray dress shirt instead of a tee. Sifting through a stack of jeans, he found a pair with a dark wash, free of holes. He dressed, having a hard time deciding whether the shirt should be tucked in. Standing in front of the full-length mirror in his bedroom, he decided only lawyers have to wear their shirt tucked. He cracked his bedroom door and craned his neck, groaning when he heard their voices. Great. He’s still here.

  David raked his fingers through his hair and stepped into the hall. Alex’s laugh echoed. He wondered what the legal ramifications were of killing a lawyer, perhaps running him down with his Escalade, if the punishment might be less severe because they’re so annoying. He heard John laugh and he’d had enough.

  When he turned the corner and got his first view of John and Alex, he felt as though he’d been sucker-punched. It wasn’t that they were sitting too close, or really that anything much had changed, it was Alex’s body language. She faced him, leaning in, smiling. He’s probably hypnotizing her with those teeth.

  “I’m just getting a glass of water.” David rushed past Alex and John to a kitchen cabinet. He turned and filled his glass from the fridge door dispenser.

  “We were finishing up.” John closed his folio and slid it into his briefcase. “I’ll give you a call after I talk to the private investigator. It should only be a few days until he tracks down your husband. Then we can serve him with the papers and get this moving along.” John stood and handed Alex an envelope. “Here’s your bill to date.”

  Alex flapped the fat paper bundle against her other hand. “Sounds great. Thanks for coming by the house today.”

  “My pleasure.” John held his hand out for David. “Nice to meet you, Daniel.”

  Asshole. “My name is Derwood.”

  Alex eyes expanded and it looked as though she might burst.

  “My apologies.” John shook his head. “I’m usually very good with names. It was nice to meet you, Derwood.”

  “I’ll walk you out,” Alex said, doing a horrible job of squelching a titter.

  “Is Mr. Smiley supposed to be a good lawyer?” David asked, when Alex returned. “Because he looks more like a weatherman.”

  Alex finally unleashed her laugh and David soaked up every second of it. Her eyes are incredible when she isn’t so stressed.

  “Mr. Smiley? Is that what we’re calling him?” She pushed in the chairs at the kitchen table, still giggling, and carried the coffee cups to the sink. “And yes, he’s a good lawyer. Lisa thought he was great.”

  “Your friend, Lisa? She was probably just looking to get some.”

  Alex crossed her arms and gave David an incredibly hot, disapproving look. She stepped closer and reached for the placket of his shirt. “You clean up pretty well. Hot lunch date?” She smoothed her hand across his shoulder as though she was brushing away lint.

  David swallowed. Hard. “No plans. Unless you want to be my hot lunch date.” He paled at the thought of what he’d said, worried he’d crossed the line he’d considered crossing every time he’d been around Alex since the eleventh grade. Some days he felt like burning the damn line.

  “I don’t know how hot I can be, but I’m definitely up for lunch. Let me grab a quick shower and then we can go.”

  Alex turned and David couldn’t pass up the chance to watch her ass in her black yoga pants as she walked away. He lazed over the mental image of her in the shower, dwelling on a few particularly sudsy parts. Holy shit. We’re going to lunch.

  ****

  David felt as though he’d won the lottery when he handed his keys to the valet. He and Alex had never gone somewhere socially, together, alone. Ever. He felt even luckier when she ordered a ham and cheese panini with fries and a real Coke. No salad with the dressing on the side, a diet, and a plate of lemon wedges.

  He’d asked for a booth so they could have some privacy. It’d been a good five years since the last Double Damage hit, so he generally didn’t have a problem with fans, but he didn’t want to take a chance. This didn’t work exactly as planned. The three women at the table across from them began whispering, pointing, and giggling as soon as he and Alex sat down. One of the three, an admittedly attractive redhead, batted her eyes at David, twirling her hair with the ends of her fingers, running her hand along the neckline of her blouse. There was a time when he would’ve thought nothing of sauntering over to the table, whispering in Redhead’s ear and escorting her to the ladies room for the most exciting ten minutes of her life. Not anymore.

  Alex had been quiet in the car and was even less talkative after they ordered, swirling her straw in her Coke while she peered into her glass.

  He reached for her hand, feeling her tremble beneath his touch. “Thinking again?
You gotta stop doing that.”

  Her lips fanned into an off-kilter grin. “Yeah. I made the mistake of opening the lawyer’s bill before we left for lunch. He told me how much it was going to be, but it’s different seeing it on paper.” She took a sip of her drink and set her hands in her lap. “The money from selling the car is going to be gone before I know it, and there’s not much left in the one account I can access. John has his guy searching for off-shore accounts, but I guess that’s a long process.”

  “I think you already know that I want to help, but I get the impression that you don’t want me to.”

  “I feel weird about the money thing. I guess it’s just the way my dad raised me. And you’re putting us up in your house and you’ve helped so much with Page and Tyler. I already feel like I could never repay you for everything you’ve done.”

  David’s voice caught. The chance to sit with her in some restaurant he couldn’t even remember the name of and have a lousy sandwich felt like more than enough in repayment. Maybe that was the product of seventeen years of wishing things were different, of wishing he hadn’t let Glenn get to her first, of wishing he could start over again. “I don’t ever want you to feel like you owe me anything. You don’t. I would spend the rest of my life with you three in my house and be perfectly happy.”

  His pulse throbbed in his ears. He’d let the words expose what lived in his head and heart and now they buzzed around them, able to wreak whatever havoc they could. Of course, only he knew what those words really meant. For Alex, living at his house might not be anything more than an unavoidable complication of having a husband who had decided to take an extended vacation from her and her children.

  Alex hung her head and David wondered if he’d managed to say the stupidest thing ever. There were tears when she looked at him. They made her eyes clear, like crystal, and he felt as though he peered inside the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen, full of life and hurt, love and misery. “Thank you,” she croaked, her voice feathering away.

  The waiter interrupted with the arrival of lunch. David and Alex sat in uncomfortable silence until he left.

  “I’m here for you,” David said. “Whatever you need. Let’s leave it at that.”

  Alex lifted her chin. Her tears had slowed. “You’re amazing. You know that, don’t you?” She beamed.

  “Of course I’m amazing. Did I miss a memo? Were we questioning that?” He winked and took an enormous bite of his sandwich.

  With the mood lightened, they ate, and David felt as though he was on a bit of a high. He’d let go of some of his feelings and the world hadn’t ended. In fact, she’d seemed happy to hear what he’d said. She had no idea what he’d really meant, but still, it was hard to be anything less than relieved.

  Alex’s cell phone rang and she wiped her mouth with her napkin before plucking it from the inner recesses of her purse. “Oh crap, it’s the school. Sorry, I have to get this.” She got up from the table, rushing outside with a finger in her ear.

  David went back to his lunch, but Redhead materialized before him within seconds.

  “Hi.” She dropped a single finger onto the table and traced circles on the white linen. “You’re David Callahan, aren’t you?”

  “Afraid so.” He forced a smile.

  She pouted, using his gruff response as an excuse to show off her full lips. “I love Double Damage. You were always my favorite.”

  “Thanks.” David craned his neck to see Alex through the windows at the front of the restaurant, flipping her cell phone shut and tugging the door to come back inside. “If you’ll excuse me, my lunch date is coming back.”

  Alex hurried to the table, appearing flustered. She stared at Redhead in confusion for a moment. “Excuse me.” She reached into the booth for her purse. “I have to go. It’s Page.”

  Chapter Nine

  “Nice meeting you, David,” Redhead said, sliding a business card across the table with a talon-like fingernail.

  Alex rolled her eyes. Groupies.

  David scrambled from the table, leaving the card behind. “Yeah, nice to meet you.” He pushed past a bewildered Redhead and clutched Alex’s arm. “Let’s go.” He handed the hostess a hundred dollar bill when they reached the front of the restaurant. “Make sure our waiter gets this.”

  Outside, David slapped his ticket into the valet’s hand. “There’s an extra twenty in it if you get back in less than two minutes.”

  The valet tore off down the sidewalk.

  “Okay. What’s going on?” he asked.

  “The principal called. Page got into a fight.”

  “Is he hurt?”

  “He might be when I’m finished with him.”

  David’s car careened around the corner, screeching to a halt in front of the restaurant.

  David opened Alex’s door and ducked around the front of the car, stuffing a wad of cash into the kid’s hand. “Thanks.” He flipped a U-turn in the middle of the street, narrowly avoiding a convertible that had zipped into traffic. “Wait. Is this the right way to the school? I’m all turned around.” His disorientation was charming considering he’d been so quick to take control of the situation.

  Alex sighed. Thank God for David. “No, you’re going the right way.”

  “What kid would be stupid enough to pick a fight with Page?” David whipped his head around, glancing over his shoulder before he sped up and passed a car in the other lane. “He’s got to be a head taller than everybody else.”

  “You don’t understand. Page got into a fight because he started it.”

  “Oh.”

  ****

  Westview Academy was the typical private school in LA, full of the kids of the rich and famous, but distinctly unglamorous as the tired facilities dated back to the early 70s. A fake ficus loomed over her as they sat outside the principal’s office, sprinkling bits of dust whenever she moved too much in her chair. She scooted closer to David, surprised when he patted her hand. He smiled reassuringly, another of his sweet gestures reminding her yet again he was her savior. She blushed as their shoulders touched, and when he looked down at his phone resting on his leg, his profile with his stubble-covered jaw and thick, dark hair, was enough to make her forget about Page for an instant.

  Ms. Layton, the school principal, emerged from her office. “I’m sorry to keep you waiting, Mr. and Mrs. Halford. I had a very talkative parent on the phone.”

  Alex glanced at David as they both stood. “Uh, this is Page’s uncle, David. He’s not really their uncle. He’s, well, he’s a family friend. We were having lunch when your office called.” Alex bristled at her long-winded explanation.

  Ms. Layton motioned them into her office. “Please, come in. I apologize. I guess hadn’t met your husband.”

  “Glenn doesn’t tend to come to school events.”

  David pulled Alex aside as Ms. Layton remained in the doorway talking to a teacher. “I can wait for you in the car if you want. I don’t want to intrude.” He whispered, his breath hot against the side of her face, leaving Alex light-headed. His commanding grip on her arm made her want to cement his feet in place so he couldn’t go anywhere.

  “No. I want you to stay.” Their eyes connected and his warm hand brushed hers as he let go.

  “Should we get started then?” Ms. Layton asked. “Page will be down in a few minutes. He’s been in the guidance counselor’s office.” She eased into her chair and swiveled to face them, folding her hands on her desk. Her graying hair was pulled back in a fussy bun, her kelly green Chanel suit hung from her bony shoulders. “There was an incident in the cafeteria today. Page engaged another boy in an argument. I don’t know exactly what was said, but at some point, Page became angry and pushed the other boy and then threatened him. Things escalated from there.”

  There was a knock at the door and Page was ushered into the room by a tall, reedy woman with bushy blond hair. He’d untucked the navy polo shirt of his school uniform. Alex rushed over to him and peered into his eyes, but his
face held no expression, only a blank stare. “Page, honey, why would you do this? What’s gotten into you?”

  “Please, Mrs. Halford, let’s let Page sit so we can discuss this.”

  As an adult, it felt even more embarrassing to be admonished by the principal. “Oh, of course. I’m sorry.” She and Page took their seats and David shot her a sympathetic glance.

  “Perhaps Page would like to fill us in on the details of what happened.”

  Page sat in silence, staring at his lap.

  “Page, sit up. Answer Ms. Layton’s question,” Alex said.

  Page glared at his mother with his jaw held tight in defiance. “I don’t remember.”

  “You must remember something.”

  Page rolled his eyes and groaned. “I don’t remember.”

  Alex felt David shift in his seat on the other side of her. She glanced and saw him run his hands through his hair before he let out a rumble of frustration.

  “Page, I think you and I both know that you didn’t forget.” Ms. Layton tapped a pen on the desk. “Please tell us so that we can all get on with our day.”

  Page crossed his arms across his chest. “Yes, Ms. Layton.” He cleared his throat. “Um, a bunch of guys were talking at lunch about music, and I was telling them about the stuff I recorded with my dad a few months ago. Matt White was a total douche about it.”

  “Page,” interrupted Ms. Layton.

  “Oh, sorry. I mean Matt was being a jerk. He said that my dad was lame and that his dad said that Double Damage was just a bunch of girls jumping around in tight pants.”

  Heat bloomed on Alex’s face out of embarrassment for David. Luckily, Ms. Layton likely had no idea he’d been in the band, too.

  “And then what happened?” Ms. Layton asked.

  “So, I shoved him and then he shoved me back and then it kind of got out of hand.”