Hiding in the Spotlight

by Karen Booth

  His pure, electric smile caused her breath to seize up in her chest. His pull on her was magnified, a force she eagerly surrendered to when he cupped her shoulder and urged her to her back. Bliss overcame her once he was inside. Perfect.

  Her eyes remained open, his heartbreaking face inches from hers, his lips against her cheek now and then. His eyes fluttered open, meeting her adoring gaze. Happiness washed over her, in a way it never had before. She had everything she’d waited for, from the person who had waited for her.

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  David and Alex remained in bed after making love, snuggling and talking. He still found it hard to believe she’d said the words he’d been waiting for. She said she should’ve said it weeks ago. He breathed deeply and pulled her closer.

  The doorbell rang. Alex popped up on to her elbow.

  David crinkled his brow. “That’s weird.”

  “Who would come straight to the door?”

  “It would have to be someone who knows the code for the gate.” His pulse raced. A sizable group of women knew the gate code. “It’s Tuesday, right? Marcella isn’t coming to clean until tomorrow. And she has a key.” The bell rang again. “I’ll get it. Stay here.” He hopped up and put on his jeans. “Don’t get dressed. I’m planning to get rid of this person as quickly as possible.” He snapped up his shirt from the floor and turned it right side out.

  “Good.” She clutched the sheet to her chest. “Hurry.”

  He walked down the hall and the bell rang a third time. The only person he could think of who was so pushy and impatient was his last girlfriend, Tanya. I worried this might happen. I knew she was a psycho. As he stepped into the foyer, he could see a sliver of the person through the sidelights next to the door—tall, with a beefy arm. Definitely not Tanya. He flipped the deadbolt and reached for the doorknob. As he turned it, the hair on the back of his neck stood up.

  David’s heart sank into the pit of his stomach as the man turned to him. He was considerably tanner than the last time David had seen him, with light streaks through his normally black hair.

  “Hey, man,” he said, swiping off his sunglasses and not hesitating to step inside.

  David moved aside, but then stood frozen. “Glenn.”

  He hugged David, clapping him on the back with both hands. “How the hell are you?”

  “I could ask you the same thing.”

  Glenn chuckled. It was a dismissive sound, as if he was already trying to play off everything he’d done. “Can I come in?”

  David’s heart pounded. Alex, please stay in my room. Don’t come out. Especially not half naked. “Uh, yeah, of course. Let’s go in the kitchen.”

  Fuck, fuck, fuck. David followed Glenn. His brain felt as if it were in a blender, a confused, whirling vortex

  “You want a drink?” David asked.

  “Do you have any green tea?”

  What the fuck? “When did you start drinking tea?” David put the kettle on to boil. His mind raced. Alex will wonder why I’ve been gone so long.

  “It’s part of this new regimen I’m doing. Trying to take better care of myself. Helps me clear my mind.” Glenn sat at the center island on one of the barstools.

  David frantically tried to find a plausible reason for going to his room, alone. “I take it you decided to come back to the band.”

  “You know, I gotta be honest. I didn’t totally believe what you said about the movie at first. But then I saw a few things on the Internet that sounded promising. Then I opened the door to my room at the resort the other morning and there’s a big story about it in USA Today.” He dug his thick fingers through his hair, his forehead a deep bronze, but tired, like old leather. “I’d have to be a fucking idiot to pass up a chance like this.”

  Don’t worry, dude. You’re still a fucking idiot. David bit his tongue. As much as he wanted to unleash every shitty opinion he had of Glenn, he was also supposed to be the peacemaker—the rest of the band was counting on him to make their blissful reunion happen. “Believe it or not, you have perfect timing. I’m going to meet with Marty and do a conference call with the rest of the guys later today. You should be there if we’re going to do this.”

  “Awesome. Right down to business.” He clapped his hands. “Let’s get this baby off the ground again.”

  David rolled his eyes at Glenn’s response as he poured the steaming water over the tea bag. He handed Glenn the mug. He didn’t know what to say next—he was stepping through a minefield of hidden agendas—Alex, the band, him. They all wanted something and Glenn was the asshole on which everything hinged.

  Glenn set down his cup and did something that vaguely resembled meditation, closing his eyes and angling his head downward, holding his hands open and in front of him. He took a deep breath and his eyes opened slowly. “So, do you know where Alex is? Because she let some dipshit film company turn our house into a movie set.”

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Where in the hell is he? What if someone broke into the house? Wait—do burglars ring the doorbell?

  Alex hopped out of bed and wrangled on her T-shirt. She crept to the door and inched it open, then peered down the hall, listening for clues. She first heard the whistle of the teakettle and immediately after that, a sound like tinfoil across a cheese grater—Glenn.

  Oh, shit. Her first reaction was to close the door and lock it. She cringed. She winced. Glenn. He’s back. Her heart zipped around in a million circles in her chest. She opened the door again and this time she heard David.

  “Alex and the boys have been staying here. She rented out the house because she needed the money.”

  “Are you shitting me?” Glenn boomed. A barstool scraped against the wood floor. “Is she here now?” His voice grew louder.

  “Whoa, dude. You need to sit down. I’ll go and get her. She’s not exactly your biggest fan right now.”

  Alex cowered behind the door, her heart beating an erratic rhythm akin to free jazz. David poked his head in and whispered for her.

  “I’m right here.” She latched the door behind him and retreated to the comfort of his arms. “Oh, my God. I can’t believe it.”

  “I know.” He rubbed her back, leaving her better equipped to breathe. “Listen, you need to decide what you want to do. Do you want me to tell him to leave and come back later? Or do you want to get it over with and talk to him?”

  “How about come back never?”

  “That’s not one of your choices.”

  “You sound like me with Ty.” Alex had an irrational longing for the ability to turn back the clock and relive her morning with David a few hundred times, the part before Glenn turned up and ruined everything.

  “Well? Which is it? It’s only a matter of time before he comes storming down the hall.”

  Alex straightened and looked at David. He was so damned handsome taking charge, being protective. “Give me five minutes to get dressed and psych myself up.”

  “You’ll do great. Don’t let him get to you.” He tightened his embrace and gave her a tender kiss, rubbing his thumb along her jaw as he cradled the back of her head.

  She closed her eyes, her mouth still hovering near his. “You give a hell of a pep talk,” she muttered.

  “I try.”

  Alex deliberated about what to wear the instant he was gone. She didn’t want to look like a total slob, but that only pertained to David. It might seem like she actually cared about Glenn if she dressed nicely. She put on a clean top and jeans, tied her hair back in a ponytail, skipping the comb and making only a passing glance at the mirror.

  She stalked down the hall, reminding herself to keep it together. It will just make everything more complicated if I kill him. The boys don’t need the trauma of seeing me in a prison jumpsuit. And orange is so not my color.

  She rounded the corner into the kitchen and both David and Glenn turned in her direction. A split second of eye contact with Glenn and her stomach turned. She focused on David, he smiled, and her should
ers relaxed.

  “Alex.” Glenn stood from his seat at the center island.

  “Look what the cat dragged in,” she replied. “How was Mexico? I bet it was awesome. Which bimbo did you decide to take with you?”

  She slid a glass out of the cabinet and filled it with water from the fridge door.

  “I should catch up on a few things in my office,” David said.

  “No, David, don’t leave.” Alex turned and narrowed her eyes on Glenn. His face was slightly less nauseating the second time. “I’ll feel better about it if you stay.”

  “I didn’t take anyone. I was by myself. And you’re not exactly in a position to ask questions. You rented my fucking house to a movie studio. What in the hell do you need that kind of money for? Clothes? Going out to lunch with Lisa?”

  “First off, it’s our house. And I rented it because you left your sons and me with no money. Someone had to pay tuition for next year and make sure we didn’t go into foreclosure.” Alex twisted her lips to keep from exploding. “And somehow, I don’t really believe that you were in Mexico by yourself. I don’t know if you’re capable of being alone.”

  “I was going to take care of the house when I got back. And there’s money in the money market account.”

  “What money market account? What happened to our money in the first place?”

  He groaned. “It’s the account I set up last year. Remember, I gave you the password to access it online? And there’s money. I’ve just been moving it around.”

  Alex frowned. She vaguely remembered him telling her about it, but had no idea where she put the password or how to access the account.

  “Why in the hell did you have to drag David into this?” He continued his diatribe, his eyes flaming in anger. “Like he wants to deal with all of your bullshit. Couldn’t you have stayed with one of your friends?”

  David cleared his throat. “Glenn, man, it’s fine. Don’t worry about me. It was my suggestion and the movie thing is my doing too. I hooked Alex up with the production company.”

  Glenn pointed his stare at David. “Well, I’m sorry you got stuck trying to help with our mess. I’m sure it’s been a pain in the ass with Alex and the kids here.” He shook his head in Alex’s direction. “You always do this. Why do you have to take one little problem and turn it into fifty?”

  She felt her blood pressure rising, her jaw tightened. “There’s way more than one little problem and you know it. I did the best I could. I had no idea if you were ever going to come back. You left your wedding ring in the fucking soap dish. Remember?”

  “So, that’s where that went.” He rubbed the ring finger of his left hand. “I wondered about that.”

  Alex stared at him. Seriously? “I’m supposed to believe you meant to take your wedding ring?”

  “Darling, I’m not concerned with what you want to believe. Right now, I’m trying to figure out where I’m supposed to stay tonight. I want to sleep in my own bed.”

  “Not my problem.” She set her glass in the sink. “You officially revoked your right to sleep in our bed when you left us.”

  “Jesus, Alex, you make it sound like I fucking deserted you. You didn’t honestly think I was never coming back. What kind of a father would I be if I did that?”

  Her insides boiled, rolled to the top, bubbles popped at the surface of her skin. “Great question. What kind of father would you be if you took off and left your kids without saying goodbye?”

  Glenn looked down in his lap, his jaw clenched. He took his sunglasses from the counter and put them on. “I want to see the boys. Tonight.”

  “You don’t get to make demands right now.” It annoyed Alex to no end that all she could see now was her own reflection in Glenn’s sunglasses. She could even see that part of her hair was sticking up. Fuck.

  “If you care about my relationship with the boys, you’ll give me this one thing. I’m not asking a lot.”

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  David bobbed his leg and flipped through the pages of Rolling Stone, relieved Glenn didn’t seem interested in catch-up. The elevator ride up to Marty’s office alone had been interminable. What was I supposed to say? Hey, Glenn, while you were in Mexico your wife and I started sleeping together and we’re in love. That was a good way to wind up flat on your back with a black eye.

  Marty yammered on the phone, tilting back in his high-backed leather office chair. He gnawed on the end of a pen, a disgusting habit he’d picked up when he’d quit smoking. His thick head of salt-and-pepper gray was too long for a guy in his late fifties, but nobody had the guts to tell him.

  Marty was a smart and highly efficient guy, part of the reason David insisted they keep him, even when the band had begun their decline. Glenn, an easy mark for any full-of-shit band manager looking for clients, had wanted to can Marty on multiple occasions. Management hopefuls would stroke his ego, drop big names, promise him the world, and Glenn was ready to sign on the dotted line. David had the none-too-pleasant job of talking him back down to earth before he could do something stupid.

  Marty looked David in the eye and shook his head. “I don’t give a shit. Just get it done.” He slammed the phone into the cradle and grinned. “Sorry about that. Fucking agents.”

  David tossed the magazine on to the table next to his end of the tufted leather couch and crossed his legs. He glanced over at Glenn, who was still wearing his sunglasses. We get it. You’re the rock star. Now take off your damn Ray-Bans.

  “Juliet,” Marty yelled.

  She leaned into his doorway a split second later. “Yeah?”

  “Get Nick and Tony on the phone.” He looked at David and Glenn. “You guys want anything? Diet Coke? Water? Jack on the rocks?” Marty chuckled.

  “Sparkling water,” Glenn said. “The kind with the small bubbles. And a wedge of lime.”

  Jesus. Small bubbles? “I’m good,” David answered.

  Juliet nodded, likely accustomed to ridiculous requests. “Got it. I’ll let you know when I have them on the line.”

  “So, Glenn,” Marty said. “You look great. Rested. Are we ready to get to work? We had another offer this morning for a gig in Vancouver. Sixty grand. Of course, I told Phil to stop being such a pussy and get us seventy-five.”

  Juliet appeared at the door again. “Nick and Tony are on two. I had to send someone out for your water, Mr. Halford.”

  Glenn groaned and shifted in his seat.

  Marty slid his phone to the center of his desk and pushed a button. “Gentlemen.”

  Nick and Tony shouted out their hellos to David, Marty, and Glenn. Nick had settled in the Bay Area with his wife and daughter a few years ago and Tony, twice divorced, was often on the road, filling in on drums for any touring band that would take him.

  Marty slid on a pair of black-rimmed reading glasses, picked up a legal pad and leaned back in his chair. “All right, let’s go through the dates so we can accept these offers and start talking about rehearsal.”

  Within thirty minutes, the shows were a go. Marty called Jimbo, the band’s tour manager, and gave him the green light to start hiring crew and putting together back-line. Juliet would book rehearsal space and coordinate travel. Marty’s main objective was to work with the film studio on cross-promotion with the movie and put a rush on new T-shirt designs. All the band had to do was show up and play the best gigs of their career, in order to win back their old fans and seduce the new ones.

  They could easily be setting themselves up for disappointment. Some of these shows were in big venues, places they hadn’t been able to fill in years, places that would look shitty with a bunch of empty seats. People are buying the music, but what if they don’t buy tickets? What if the movie dies in a week? What if we suck? Chemistry was a legitimate issue. The four of them weren’t the close-knit unit they’d been a decade ago, at the band’s peak.

  Glenn was bouncing off the walls during the elevator ride down to the lobby. “Damn. I am so ready to get back on the road,” he said, as
they strolled out into the parking lot. “I can’t wait to be on that stage in front of the fans. The way it used to be.” He clapped David’s back, gripped his shoulder.

  “I know. Can’t wait.” His voice dragged. He was about to spend a lot of time with Glenn. Being on the road with him was like babysitting a bundle of explosives. A delicate balance was required to keep him happy, on an even keel and focused on the band. The worst of it was that time with Glenn would be time away from Alex.

  They stopped at Glenn’s custom silver Hummer.

  “See you later?” David asked.

  “Yeah. I’m going to run to the condo and get settled before I come back to your place to see the boys.”

  “Condo? I thought you’d end up in a hotel.”

  “Yeah, well.” Glenn turned and looked down for a moment.

  David held his hand at his brow to block out the sun. He would have sworn Glenn was checking himself out in the reflection from the window of the next car. “What?”

  Glenn turned back. “Alex doesn’t know this, but I own a condo downtown. I bought it a few years ago for Amber after her lease ran out. Had to give her the boot when we broke up.”

  Broke up. Good one. You were married, asshole. “You kept it all this time?”

  “Tried to sell it, but the market tanked. I guess it was pretty smart of me to hold on to it, huh?”

  You’re a real genius. “See you tonight.” David walked to his car, wondering how this would all shake out. Glenn was going to blow his stack when he found out about Alex and him, and once that happened, it was anyone’s guess as to whether the band would survive. And if Alex changed her mind, it wasn’t necessary to guess whether David would survive. He knew he wouldn’t.

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  “Here we go, two chocolate milkshakes. Extra chocolate.”

  “Mom, since when do we get a milkshake for an after-school snack?” Page looked up from his math book.