by Laura DeLuca
“Agh!”
“Grab the flashlights.”
“Crap!” This was followed by a loud thump.
“Everyone okay?”
In sudden darkness and slight panic, all the female voices blended together, making it hard to tell who said what. Being unfamiliar with the surroundings, Drew stayed put in his seat until Sharon located her flashlight and switched it on. That led to a chain reaction of flicks that filled the room with moving beams of light. Drew finally stood to pull his own flashlight from his pocket and added it to the array. The five rays together were almost the equivalent of the overhead chandelier. Thankfully, the game of Truth or Dare was completely forgotten as the girls scrambled to light the long glass candles that dominated every corner of the dining area.
“I should go check on Blanche,” Lainey announced, sounding worried. “I’m not sure if she brought a light upstairs with her. I don’t want her to have any trouble if she tries to get up in the middle of the night.”
Though she sounded completely sober, Lainey swayed when she jumped up from her chair too quickly. Drew reached out a hand to steady her, but she was in protective mode and already moving toward the staircase. Drew had to assume she could take care of herself, because now that he stood, he realized how full his bladder was. The need to relieve himself was suddenly overwhelming, so he tapped Sharon on the shoulder.
“Can you point me in the direction of the facilities?” He tried his best not to do an adult version of the wee-wee dance while he waited for her answer.
Sharon used her flashlight to gesture. “It’s down the hall to the left. You can’t miss it.”
Drew nodded in thanks and took off at a quick trot. Along the way, he almost tripped over an orange tabby he guessed was Phoenix. The cat meowed loudly and curled itself around his ankles, demanding an ear scratch before finally allowing Drew to pass. He only barely made it to the bathroom in time and felt like he stood there for an hour while the wine and coffee he’d consumed that day made its exit.
“Whew.” He breathed a sigh of relief as he zipped up his fly.
Once business was taken care of, Drew washed his hands and took a moment to study the room. Even Sharon’s bathroom held an uncustomary charm. Drew admired the old claw foot tub and the variety of what appeared to be homemade soaps and lotions based on the unmarked bottles. Even in there, the walls were littered with shelves of antiquities from vintage Halloween decorations to tribal masks. As he dried off, he made a mental note to check into getting one of those awesome tubs for his new home in Cape May Point. Thinking about how surprised Lainey would be when she found out made him smile to himself, but the good feeling didn’t last long. As he hung up the towel, his cell buzzed. Wondering who would be calling so late, he pulled the phone from his pocket.
“Dammit.”
Drew cursed under his breath when the familiar name flashed across the screen. A part of him wished he hadn’t asked Sharon for a spare outlet to charge it a few hours back, but he knew he needed to take the call. With the storm picking up momentum, he had no idea how long he’d have service and unfortunately, they did have business to discuss. Drew sighed and hit the talk button.
“Yeah, Paulie.”
“Don’t ‘yeah Paulie’ me!” The irate voice screamed so loudly, Drew had to hold the phone a few inches from his ear. “I’ve been calling you for days! I left dozens of messages and must’ve sent at least thirty emails. I can’t figure out if you’re trying to kill me or your career. Maybe you’re hoping for a double homicide. So, what do you have to say for yourself, Andy? Why the hell don’t I have those papers back?”
Drew paced into the kitchen and listened quietly to Paulie’s rant, knowing his agent was at least partially justified this time around. Drew promised to get the signed contracts for Vampire Allure back to him as soon as he received them. But although Paulie bragged about having the producers eating out of his hand, negotiations had taken longer than they originally anticipated. Only after several weeks did they finally come to a mutually beneficial agreement. On Thursday, the contract had been delivered to Drew’s inbox and he promptly printed it out with every intention of reading it over and sending back the signed copy the next day. Then Friday morning the migraine hit and he never thought about the agreement again.
“Listen, Paulie.” Drew pinched the top of his nose. “I would’ve gotten the papers back to you, but I wasn’t feeling well and—”
“Oh, cry me a river,” Paulie interrupted. Drew could visualize his agent’s chest puffing out with indignation. “You sound perfectly fine now. Besides unless you were in a goddamn coma that is no kind of excuse!”
“You never cease to amaze me with the extent of your empathy.”
“Screw you and the wisecracks, Andy,” Paulie snorted. “Just get those papers back to me and do it yesterday!”
Drew moved his fingers to his eyes as the light pounding increased to a harsher thump. The wine wasn’t helping either. In retrospect, getting half-stewed probably wasn’t the best idea coming right off a migraine.
“I’d love to send you the contract, Paulie, but the fact is, it’s not possible at the moment,” Drew explained. “We’re in the middle of a hurricane here and I was evacuated from my rental. Even if I could get online, even if I had a printer handy, we’re in a state of emergency and no mail trucks are running. And you were pretty clear about needing my original signature, so scanning it back to you is out.”
“Hurricane? Evacuation?” There was a long pause. “Last I heard that was going down over on the East Coast. Flying a little far from the coop, aren’t ya, Andy?”
Damn that wine.
Drew never would’ve made such a stupid mistake if he hadn’t been drinking. He was slipping way too much this evening and getting himself into trouble because of it. Of course, the East Coast was still a big place that encompassed far more than the small island of Wildwood, New Jersey. Drew hoped Paulie hadn’t been honing his super-sleuth skills while he was away. If he thought to talk to Drew’s lawyer or accountant, they might innocently slip something about the house he was buying. It was imperative Drew’s location remain a secret from the Hollywood sect, at least until he had a chance to explain things to Lainey.
Tell her tonight. Stop being such a pussy.
Drew pushed his guilty conscience to the side to focus on his conversation with Paulie. “As soon as the storm passes, you’ll get the contract. I’ll have it sent overnight mail. In the meantime, tell the studio I’m unreachable for a few days.”
“You’re getting a little too big for your britches, kid.” Paulie grunted out another tired idiom. “You could be off in Ethiopia spoon-feeding starving orphans and no one in Hollywood would give two craps if it interfered with their schedule. And you know what? I agree. Screw the orphans. Do you expect a multi-billion dollar organization to sit around with their thumb up their ass waiting on you? They’re the ones who make and break careers, Andy, and yours is getting too brittle to ask for special favors.”
“I need a few more days. That’s all,” Drew promised. “I’m sure you can talk them into waiting that long.”
“I’ll do my best, but if this works out, I’m getting twenty-five percent,” Paulie insisted. “And don’t you dare try to nickel and dime me on this.”
“Deal.” Drew would’ve agreed to fifty percent if it got his agent off his back. “Sounds more than fair to me.”
“Damn straight it’s fair.” Paulie snorted. “You’re making me earn every penny of that commission. I’ll tell you what, Andy. You’d better get your priorities straight. You need to come home and get your ass in gear.”
Drew shook his head. “My priorities are straighter than they’ve been in a very long time.”
“Maybe your cock is straighter,” Paulie challenged. “But no chick is worth trashing your career, no matter how big her tatas are.”
Drew’s face flushed. He counted to ten before the alcohol made him say something he might regret later. “This conv
ersation is over. You’ll have the contract as soon as possible.”
Disgusted, Drew hit the end button. Why did his agent have to be such a dickhead? Was it a prerequisite for the job? For the first time ever, Drew wished he had one of those old-fashioned dial-up phones from his childhood, just so he could slam down the receiver and adequately convey his frustration. He had to settle for punching the countertop, which hurt more than he expected. He cursed as he shook his bruised fist.
“That sounded pretty intense.”
Drew jumped at the sound of Sharon’s voice. That woman moved like her felines—stealthy, agile, and without sound. He had no idea when she’d entered the kitchen or how much she’d heard, but at the very least, Drew was mortified she’d caught him abusing her counter.
“Sorry for the interruption.” She shook the bag of cat food she had in one hand while her other adjusted her flashlight. “I was checking to see if the cats needed more food. I didn’t mean to eavesdrop.”
“Hey, it’s your house.” Drew shrugged and rotated his stiff neck. “Do you think I could bother you for some aspirin?”
Sharon finished filling the pet bowls and lit a few candles. In the firelight, she appeared almost waiflike as she glided across the kitchen to open a cabinet, even though her hair was pulled back in a ponytail and she still wore jeans streaked with clay. After squinting into the dark and moving a few things around, she grabbed a bottle. As she handed the medicine to Drew, she studied him with sincere concern.
“I’m not trying to be nosy.” She offered him a glass of water to go with the pills. “But I’m sensing an awful lot of tension in the room. Is everything okay?”
Drew tossed a few pills in his mouth and washed them down. “Just business. Always business.”
Sharon pressed her lips together in sympathy. “Having a career we love is an important part of life, but its only one fraction of the whole. There has to be a balance of work, friends, love, family, spirituality. If you used to love your work, but you’re not enjoying it anymore, than something is off-balance. But fixing it doesn’t always have to be drastic. Sometimes you just need to rearrange the pieces to make them fit better.”
Drew smiled. “Have you ever considered writing greeting cards? Or maybe those fortunes inside of Chinese cookies?”
Sharon gave a jovial laugh. “Tease me all you like, but remember ... happiness is only hard to obtain when we make it hard. We all have the power to improve our situations, but you have to make the conscious choice to fix things. The first step is facing our challenges head on. Drew, I know we don’t know each other well, and your life isn’t any of my business, but you’re dating one of my dearest friends, a woman I consider a sister, so I have to say this...” She placed a hand on his shoulder that sent an odd tingle up his arm, as though even that simple gesture were charged with an unseen power. “Whatever you’re dealing with ... running away isn’t the answer.”
Drew was glad the candlelight hid the sudden blush that rose to his cheeks. “What makes you think I’m running away?”
“What makes you think you’re not?” She patted his arm. “I think Lainey is looking for you.”
Drew actually shivered when Lainey turned the corner a few seconds later. She’d made no noise and given no indication she was coming their way. Drew began to wonder if Sharon could read his mind. And if she could, would she reveal everything to Lainey? Either way, Drew suddenly had the desperate feeling time was running out. If he didn’t come clean soon, he could lose any chance he had at happiness.
Lainey narrowed her eyes. “What are you two up to?”
“Nothing, honey.” Sharon smiled as she sashayed out of the kitchen. “I was just feeding the kitties.”
Lainey wasn’t convinced, especially when she noticed the aspirin bottle still clutched in Drew’s hand. She rushed across the room and wrapped her arms around his waist, her expression bordering on panic. One hand touched his forehead. “What’s the matter? Are you sick? You told me before you left that you were okay.”
“I’m fine,” he assured her, but he couldn’t resist pulling her closer. “Just fighting off a headache. It’s nothing to worry about.”
“I wish I wasn’t drunk.” Smiling, her eyelids half-closed, Lainey leaned into his arms. “When I’m not impaired I’m actually pretty good with my hands.”
That made Drew laugh out loud. “I have a feeling, drunk or not, you’d still be pretty good with your hands if the opportunity arose.”
Lainey giggled and smacked his shoulder. “That wasn’t what I meant, pervert. You see, I’ve taken classes in holistic massage and Reiki, which is a sort of spiritual healing. I’ve been told I’m pretty gifted at it. If I wasn’t so out of it, I could definitely make you feel good.”
“Again, you’re not having any issues in that department.” Drew bent his head to kiss her neck. “You’re already making me feel good just by touching me like this. It’s a shame I can’t take you somewhere where I could reciprocate the favor.”
“I wish.” Lainey moaned.
She stood on her tiptoes until their lips touched. Drew gently probed with his tongue, and she lifted one hand up to run her fingers gently through his hair before coming to rest on the back of his neck. She kneaded the tight muscles with expert fingers even as their kiss deepened. Normally, that sweet but seductive touch would have wiped away all other thoughts, but at that moment, having her so close intensified the guilt pangs that plagued him all night. When they finally parted, Drew met her silly but loving expression with a serious frown.
“Lainey, we need to talk.” He took a deep breath. “There’s something important I have to tell you.”
Her grin instantly vanished. “Uh-oh. That’s never a good start to a conversation. I’m thinking it’s even worse when it comes in the middle of a make-out session. If you’re planning on breaking up with me, you might want to wait until we aren’t stranded in my friend’s living room.”
“No! Definitely nothing like that.” He kissed her forehead as though it would dispel any doubts. “This is about my job.”
“You got called into work? You have to leave?”
He shook his head. “No, not yet. But I want to tell you more about what I do.”
Lainey let her hand linger a little lower down on his anatomy. “I like it when you do me.”
Well, that was distracting. Drew moaned—a sound that was half pleasure and half frustration. “You really aren’t making this very easy on me.”
“I’m sorry.” Lainey cleared her throat and gave him a ludicrously somber look. “I have my serious face on now.”
“It’s really nothing bad,” Drew promised her. “I mean, at least I hope you won’t think so.” Seeing he had her rapt attention, Drew charged on. “The thing is, I do more than handle the lighting on the movie sets. The truth is, I’m an act—”
“Aghhh!”
The ear-piercing scream was superseded by a thump that rattled the whole house. Both Drew and Lainey sobered up immediately and darted for the living room, everything else forgotten. They found almost everyone, even Nate, perched up beside the large bay windows. Only Blanche still slept up in her room, oblivious to the loud crash. Drew was pretty sure Erin was the one who screamed, but all the girls had turned chalk-white as they stared out the window.
“What happened?” Lainey demanded. “What was that?”
“A tree just came down in the yard.” Even Elisa’s normally sarcastic voice trembled.
“About an inch from my car!” Erin added. “And the hurricane hasn’t even officially arrived yet!”
“Come on. We should really get away from the windows,” Sharon urged, scattering her friends. “The winds are picking up, but try not to worry too much. That tree was always a little shaky, but the rest are pretty secure.”
“At least we have something going for us,” Elisa mumbled.
As they stepped back from the windows, the overhead lights sputtered back to life, and Sharon clapped her hands together. “S
ee that. That’s two things going for us. And on that note, I think I’m going to head upstairs while the lights are still on so I can see to brush my teeth.”
“Sounds like a plan to me,” Lainey agreed with a loud yawn. “Now that the excitement ... and the buzz from that wine are wearing off, I’m totally ready for bed.”
Being that it was after two a.m., even Elisa and Erin were in agreement. Soon sleeping bags were laid out across the length of the living room and Lainey was curled up with Drew on the couch. Though her eyes were heavy, she still raised them enough to look at him with so much affection and trust, it made his heart ache.
“I’m sorry. I almost forgot in all the excitement,” she said through a loud yawn. “What did you want to tell me?”
Drew considered telling her the truth for barely half a second. They were both exhausted and more than a little tipsy, not to mention in the middle of a major crisis. Drew had no idea what he’d been thinking, but this certainly wasn’t the right time for any big revelations for the sake of easing his own guilt. Maybe he was only making more excuses—running away like Sharon said, but it really wasn’t the right time.
“Nothing. It wasn’t important.”
Happy to accept that answer, a very worn out Lainey burrowed deeper into Drew’s arms. The fire started to fizzle out, but the embers crackled and the soothing warmth was quickly lulling everyone to sleep.
Everyone but Drew.
Chapter Fifteen
Lainey awoke to the familiar sound of Misty purring in her ear. Even away from home, her furry baby was a reliable alarm clock. Lainey scratched the cat’s ears while Misty nuzzled against her neck, kneading her shoulder and sucking on the ends of her hair. Sharp claws pinched her skin, but Lainey didn’t mind. When she finally pried her eyes open, Drew was beside her with his mouth half-open and his long legs dangling over the edge of the short couch. She could’ve stayed there curled up with her pet and her boyfriend forever, but the scent of bacon urged her forward. Even though she didn’t eat meat, the aroma made her belly rumble.
