Hiding in the Spotlight

by Karen Booth

  “So he’s not really thinking about doing a rock opera about his life?” Lisa folded the magazine and tucked it under her arm.

  David snickered. “Oh, no. That part is true. He’s been talking about that for years.”

  “I wonder if this will mess up the Double Damage tour.” Lisa plucked a grape from a bowl of fruit on the kitchen island.

  “I doubt it. Those guys are going gangbusters.” David nodded. “Good for them. The other guys in the band are very happy. Of course, Glenn knows that they’re reporting to me on his behavior. That might be part of what’s keeping him in line.”

  Lisa shook her head and stepped closer to David, smoothing her hand across his shoulder. “Stupid, stupid Glenn.” Her voice came out as a deep purr. “Alex, darling. You clearly upgraded. I’m happy for you.” She winked at David, cocking her eyebrow.

  “You’re always flirting. Even with an engagement ring on your finger.” Alex slipped a black cardigan over her bare shoulders, covering the open back of her halter dress.

  Lisa wagged her titanic, sparkly ring in the air. “Once a flirt, always a flirt. But it’s all in fun. I’m head over heels with JT.”

  “As you should be. He’s wonderful.” Alex admired the look on Lisa’s face—the unforced smile, the now ever-present glint in her eye. It was such a welcome sight, even if Alex was a bit jealous.

  At least Lisa knew where she stood with her guy. In the month since David had had his showdown with Glenn, he still hadn’t said anything about their future together. As near as Alex could tell, they were dating, which was nice, but she could admit she wanted more.

  “Did I mention he wants to take me to Fiji for the honeymoon?” Lisa asked. “Hello tropical drinks and massages on the beach. I can’t wait.”

  David placed his arm around Alex’s shoulder, tugging her close. “Sounds amazing.”

  Alex stifled a sigh. Getting away with David like that would be a dream come true. “I’m sure you guys will have an amazing time.”

  “I’d love to take you on a trip like that some day.” David squeezed her closer.

  “You would?” A shiver of delight ran up Alex’s spine.

  “Of course I would.” His deep soulful brown eyes found hers, making her forget lots of things—time, place, that Lisa was still in the room. Their lips connected in a soft kiss.

  “Hey. You two. Keep it in your pants. There are kids upstairs.”

  Alex shook her head to clear it. “Sorry.” Why do I ever question the way he feels about me? Do I really need some grand demonstration? A kiss is more than enough. “The boys are in the bonus room. I already said my goodbyes. We won’t be late.” She glanced at David. The devilish twinkle in his eyes sent another wave of warmth over her. “Midnight?”

  “Don’t worry about me.” Lisa headed for the staircase to the second floor. “Stay out as late as you two lovebirds need to.”

  David grabbed Alex’s hand. “Let’s blow this popsicle stand.”

  A light breeze filtered through the night air when Alex and David stepped outside. He opened the car door for her and she climbed into his SUV. “Did you end up making a reservation for dinner?”

  David popped the car into gear and headed down the steep driveway. “Not exactly.”

  “What does that mean? Did you forget we were going out tonight?”

  “I most certainly did not forget. Trust me. I promise you’ll be very happy with everything.”

  Alex studied his profile, noticing how he refused to make eye contact. “David Callahan, are you up to something?”

  “Maybe.” He smiled wide, still not looking at her. “You’ll have to wait and see.”

  She settled back in her seat, not wanting to ask another question when he might have a surprise in the works. He’s probably taking me to that new place in West Hollywood, the place you can never get a reservation. She reached for his hand, staying quiet. Better to wait and see what the night held, even if patience was not her strong suit.

  After fifteen minutes, it was apparent he wasn’t taking her to West Hollywood. She changed her guess about the evening’s plans. I bet he’s taking me to Henry’s Bistro over in his neighborhood. He loves their steak frites. Rather than pry for details, she simply turned up the music, her favorite George Harrison song, I’d Have You Anytime. “I love this song so much.” In fact, she’d had fantasies of undressing David to this very song.

  David glanced over at her. “It’s a good one.” He took the right onto his street rather than continuing on to the restaurant.

  “Did you forget something at home?”

  “Not exactly.”

  “You’re being weird, you know.”

  He laughed and turned into his driveway, pulling into the garage, which also surprised her. If they were just running by the house, he’d park by the side entrance into the kitchen. He snatched his keys up in his hand. “Let me open your door for you.”

  She watched as he rounded the front of the car. So damn handsome. And confusing. “Do you want to tell me what’s going on?”

  “We’re spending our evening here. Alone. Where no one can bother us.” He held his hand out for her when she hopped out of the car.

  “Why didn’t you just say that?”

  “Do I have to tell you everything?” David keyed his way into the kitchen and disarmed the house alarm.

  “Sometimes it’s nice when you tell me what your plans are.” Maybe he’ll take that hint. Alex stepped inside and saw a bouquet of white roses with a wide satin bow around the vase on the kitchen island. A smile crept across her face. “Aww. Roses. For me?”

  He snaked his arms around her waist and placed a soft and gentle kiss on her lips. “White symbolizes new love.”

  It also symbolizes secrecy. Goosebumps spread across her back when his hand slid underneath her cardigan to the bare skin of her back. “There’s nothing better than a man who puts some thought into what he’s trying to say with a gift.” She kissed him back with a new intensity as his other hand skimmed her thigh. “Maybe we should just skip dinner tonight. Spend our time in your room.”

  “I like where you’re going with this, but I did plan dinner. It’s kind of a surprise.”

  “Chinese food? I definitely didn’t see the caterer’s van outside.”

  He grasped her hand and led her to the refrigerator, which held a large, flat cardboard box. “I ordered pizza from Tinucci’s. They sent it overnight.”

  Alex clasped her hand over her mouth. The familiar logo of one of their favorite haunts in school decorated the top of the box. “Oh my God. I haven’t been there since high school. What a fun idea.” Her stomach grumbled. “I’m really hungry too.”

  With a quick sidestep, David slid the box onto the island and turned on the oven. “We still have to bake it, so it’ll be a little while until we eat. Until then, I thought we could have a beer.” He turned and pulled a six-pack from the fridge.

  “PBR? Again, something I haven’t had since high school.” She smiled, but then realized what he was trying to do. “David, honey, we can’t keep doing this. We can’t keep reliving the past.” She looked into his eyes expecting hurt, but he seemed just as happy as he had a minute before.

  “I’m not. I’m really not.” He took her hand. “I’ve thought about this a lot over the last month, ever since you sent me that email. You were right. We can’t wish the past was different, and I don’t. I truly don’t.”

  “Are you sure? Because when you do this stuff, it makes me wonder if you do.”

  His hair flopped into his eyes when he shook his head. “I’m thankful for the past because it brought us into each other’s lives. It brought us to this moment. And I don’t need anything more than what is here, right now. You and me.”

  Tears misted Alex’s eyes. “That’s very sweet.” She wanted to say more, finally ask him about what he saw in their future, but was hesitant to push when it seemed like he’d finally started to make peace with all of this. She’d been through a lot of c
hanges, but he had too.

  “I’m the luckiest guy on the planet to have you in my life, Alex. I was then and I am now. There is no difference. Even when you were only my friend, even when I wanted you for more than that, I was still lucky.”

  “You mean that? Because I think our friendship is one of the best parts of our relationship.”

  “I couldn’t agree more. You make me happy. You make it seem like a good idea to get out of bed in the morning.” He cocked his head and arched his eyebrows. His white-hot smile electrified her from head to toe. “I mean, unless I have the opportunity to be naked with you in that bed. Then it seems like a better idea to stay there.”

  Alex laughed quietly. I need to relax. Putting labels on things and defining a future meant very little when he was willing to put his feelings into words. “I love you so much.”

  “I love you too. That’s why I want to ask you something.” He opened a drawer and pulled out a small white box with a silver satin bow tied around it. “Here. This is for you.”

  Holy shit. Alex’s hand trembled as she took the box from him and held it in the palm of her hand. Is he proposing? Is this why he waited to talk about our future?

  “Are you going to stare at it or open it?” David’s eyes were wide and eager.

  “Oh. Sorry.” Her head filled with thoughts of everything she wanted—to know David was hers, forever. She tugged on the ribbon and lifted the lid. Disappointment rushed from her lungs when she saw what lay nestled inside—a key. Not proposing.

  “Now that things fell through with buying your neighbor Peter’s house, I don’t want you to look for something else. I want you and the boys to live with me. So we can start building a life together.”

  Alex’s heart took residence in her throat. “Live together. Oh, okay.” Don’t be disappointed. This is a huge step forward.

  “We already know that the four of us do great under one roof together.”

  The oven beeped behind them. “We should put the pizza in.” Her stomach may have been growling, but she wasn’t hungry. She was merely reacting so her brain could adjust expectations. He’d taken his time getting around to the topic of the future, but at least he’d arrived, even if it wasn’t quite everything.

  He laughed and tugged her closer. “We’ll worry about dinner in a minute. I believe we have a question on the table.”

  “Of course I want to live with you. I love you. But, I need to know that you’re in this for the long haul,” she blurted. “I can’t handle another heartache.”

  A hint of a smile played at the corners of his mouth. “Well, you should know that it’s not nearly as big as the step I was prepared to take tonight. But I figured you needed to go slowly.”

  “The step you were prepared to take?”

  “Come here. Let me show you.” He took her hand and guided her through the living room and opened the French doors that led outside.

  Alex gasped when he flipped on the pool lights and she saw the setting—the dark of early evening, dotted with hundreds of white roses in containers surrounding the pool. She wandered out onto the patio, and David followed her, the night air sweeping against her skin. Beyond it, the stage was set for one of their outdoor sleepovers by the fire. “David. It’s stunning.”

  “Lisa is watching the boys for the entire night. I made plans with her. I thought I would recreate that first night we spent together. It meant so much to me.”

  He’s incredible. Hold on to him. Tight. “I would love to live with you. I’m sure the boys will be ecstatic. They miss their nightly swims with you.” She turned and her breath caught when she saw the look in his eyes.

  “I haven’t had better news in, well, forever.” His thumb caressed the back of her hand. “I had originally planned to ask you to marry me tonight.”

  Another gasp left Alex’s mouth. “You did?” Wait a minute. He did? “What changed your mind?”

  “I didn’t change my mind. I still want you to marry me.” Aside from her hand in his, Alex was otherwise aware of only the tenor of his voice and the warmth of his gaze. “But I want to wait until you’re ready. Truly ready.” He smiled and his warm fingers raised her chin, his eyes reminding her of the many ways in which he left her breathless. “What would you have said if I’d asked?”

  She fought a smile. “I would have said yes. I would have said a million times yes.”

  “I sense a but coming.”

  David wore a look of complete assurance, something she hadn’t seen on his face since the day he’d had it out with Glenn. He was right. There was a but.

  “But I probably would’ve said that it was too soon. That I needed some time.”

  “Well, good, because timing was my only concern. When I said that I wanted the time to do this the right way, I meant that. And even though we’ll be living under the same roof, I still want the time to romance you. To help you see how you’re the only thing I want in life. When someone has been taken for granted, they need to see how much they are appreciated. That’s you. I cherish you, Al. I want you to know that, no questions asked.”

  A tiny tear rolled down Alex’s cheek, but she didn’t have words that came close to matching the generosity in David’s heart. “You won’t feel like you’re putting your life on hold?”

  “I want you to have the space and time to figure out everything you want out of life. Let’s face it, I’ve got career stuff to figure out too. Personally, I’m hoping I can convince you to open a book store.”

  “Are you sure? Everybody knows there’s no money in books.”

  He laughed. “Do you have a better idea?”

  I do. “I want to go back to school, finally get my degree. Maybe library science.”

  “Perfect. You’ll make the sexiest librarian ever.”

  The tears started for real, each drop of moisture another weight lifted. Feeling cherished and supported made her new life with David a fresh start. “I love you so much. You’re being so patient.” Her finger traced the collar of his gray shirt and she slowly shook her head, holding on to every sweet word and gesture.

  “I love you too, but you should know that this is purely selfish. Being with you is the greatest reward.” He kissed a tear away from her cheek. “I feel like I’ve finally given myself permission to be happy.”

  She swallowed back the unrelenting flood of emotion, soaking up the adoration on his face. “I think I finally figured out how to do the same thing.” She pressed her lips against his and dug her fingers into his hair, breathing in his unforgettable smell as electricity spread like wildfire over the surface of her skin. “So, how do you want this to work?

  His arm tightened around her waist. “Well, first you take off my pants.” He rooted around in her neck, leaving a trail of warm kisses. “Then we move over there to the bed.”

  She giggled, feeling lightheaded. Perhaps it was because her heart could only swell. “I was asking about moving in together, but we can talk about the more immediate future if you prefer.”

  “We’ll do this however you like, as long as we make it happen as soon as possible. This house is dreadful when it’s empty.” His finger grazed the skin at the base of her throat, over the strap of her dress, teasing the cardigan from her shoulder. “We can talk about that tomorrow. I do have a fridge full of beer and a pizza we need to do something about.”

  One by one, she began to dispatch his shirt buttons. “Right now, I don’t want anything but you.”

  “I thought you were hungry.” His stubble prickled against her skin as he kissed her bare shoulder and pulled on the tie of her dress, telling her his very last concern was pizza or beer.

  She knocked her head to the side, with a smile too strong to contain. “I’m insanely hungry, but you’re all I need.”

  THE END

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  Hiding in the Spotlight would not have been possible without the following people.

  My husband, Steve, and my children, Emily and Ryan. Sara Young, my tireless cheerleader.
Karen Stivali, my stupendous critique partner. Heather Todd, my grace-under-pressure alpha-beta reader. Fellow authors who are always generous with advice and support: Sarah Dessen, Celia Rivenbark, Elisa Lorello, David Menconi, Bobbi Ruggiero, Piper Trace, Megan Frampton, Suzi Parker, Elisa Nader, Sam Stephenson, Tom Maxwell and Margaret Ethridge. Mandy Pennington for swift beta-reading. Smudge for incredible insight and plot-fixing. Everyone who took the time to tweet, send an email, call, or write me a letter about one of my books. The talented women of Turquoise Morning Press, especially Kim Jacobs, Shelley Rawe, Wendy Williams, and my patience-of-a-saint editor Suzanne Barrett. Michael Rank and Dewey McCafferty for ultimate, gear-head knowledge of guitars and muscle cars. Jared Resnick for serving me the vast majority of my wine knowledge. My friends far and wide. You know who you are.

  ABOUT KAREN BOOTH

  Karen Booth is a Midwestern girl transplanted in the South, raised on 80s music, Judy Blume, and the films of John Hughes. An early preoccupation with Rock ‘n’ Roll led her to spend her twenties working her way from intern to executive in the music industry. Much of her writing revolves around the world of backstage passes and band dynamics.

  When she’s not creating fictional musicians, she’s listening to everything from Duran Duran to Otis Redding to Superchunk with her kids, honing her Southern cooking skills (she makes some mean collards), or sweet-talking her astoundingly supportive husband into whipping up a batch of cocktails. You can learn more about Karen at karenbooth.net.

  Also by Karen Booth

  Bring Me Back

  Back Forever