Falling Star

by Laura DeLuca

  Buzzzzz. Buzzzzzz.

  Drew’s phone vibrated a few seconds after he finished the last page. Misty grudgingly leapt from his lap as he dug into his pocket. His left foot had fallen asleep, but it was definitely worth it. The only downside was the long hours of eyestrain had worsened his blossoming migraine. Once he freed his cell and the phone number flashed alongside the time, he also realized getting so engrossed in his girlfriend’s prose didn’t help him remember to keep his prior engagements.

  “Lainey? Shit, I’m sorry!” Drew started in with apologies before even saying hello. “I know I’m late, but I’ll be there in ten minutes.”

  Lainey chuckled at his anxiety. “It’s okay. I just got here a little while ago myself and they put me right to work. I’m just letting you know your bunnies are here waiting for you, Mr. Hefner.”

  “I promise not to keep them waiting long,” Drew vowed. “But I do need to get changed. I completely lost track of time while I was reading your book and—”

  “Wait,” Lainey interrupted. “Did you say you were reading my book? As in my manuscript?”

  “Yep.” Drew nodded proudly even though Lainey couldn’t see him. “Finished the first installment in one sitting.”

  “Oh my gosh.” He heard her swallow hard, even over the music in the background. “Do I want to know what you think?”

  “That’s not a conversation we can have right now,” Drew told her. “Especially not when I have to change into my robe. But I’ll tell you this much ... you have an amazing talent, Lainey. You need to stop sitting on it and share it with the world.”

  “You r—really think so.” There was a catch in her voice.

  “Absolutely,” Drew assured her. “Now let me go so I can get over there. I can’t wait to see you in your bunny outfit.”

  “Okay, but you know this is going to drive me insane all night.”

  “Then we’re even,” Drew teased. “Because being near you and not being able to take your clothes off drives me crazy every night.”

  “You’re so bad.”

  “What else would you expect from Mr. Hefner?”

  Drew grinned as he disconnected the call and was glad his costume was fairly simple. He was able to toss the crimson robe on over his clothes, but also took the time to hide the Vampire Allure movie script back in the bottom of his suitcase. That was something that would be difficult to explain if Lainey noticed it lying around.

  Before long, he was on his way to Woody’s. Finding parking proved more difficult than he expected. It seemed as though the whole county had come out for this event. Drew had to park five blocks away and jog through the cold. He cursed himself for leaving behind his jacket as well as forgetting to pop a few more aspirin in his haste. The robe didn’t provide much protection from the chill air and running made his headache worse. But he still paused across the street when he got to the corner.

  “Damn.”

  Drew muttered under his breath when he saw the throng of reporters mingled among the pedestrians in costume loitering outside the bar. There were even a few television station vans parked out front. Drew should’ve realized such a big event would draw statewide attention at the very least. He hadn’t even remembered to grab his sunglasses and he doubted his gray wig would be adequate camouflage. Luckily, the cameramen were busy filming the mountainous pile of donations as the volunteers loaded the bags into trucks. Drew hoped if he moved quickly, he’d be able to sneak past them without being noticed. He almost succeeded too. His hand was on the push bar of the door handle when he heard a familiar voice calling his name.

  “Drew? Drew is that you?”

  Had it been anyone else, except perhaps Lainey, Drew would’ve pretended not to hear them and kept moving into the safety of the dimly lit bar. But he couldn’t turn his back on Blanche. His mother raised him to show respect for his elders and if he walked away from those values, he’d be just as bad as the people he was trying to avoid. Forcing a smile to his lips, Drew turned to greet the old woman, only to find her completely decked out in a glorious blue Victorian gown complete with thick wool shawl and a muff for her hands.

  “Wow, Blanche, that’s some costume.” Drew bent over so she could kiss his cheek. “I feel like I’m hobnobbing with royalty.”

  “This is no costume,” Blanche exclaimed in mock offense. “This is a reproduction of an authentic Victorian gown. I’m a member of the Cape May historical society, you know, and we often host reenactments and we like to dress the part.”

  “You look beautiful,” Drew gushed. “But I have to admit, I wasn’t expecting to see you here. I didn’t figure you were into the bar scene.”

  “Don’t be silly.” Blanche waved her hand and gave a good-natured chuckle. “I was just here to help with the donations. I can’t lift much, but I can hand out the vouchers for the drinks, and I wanted to do my part. What’s that new phrase going around these days? Pay it forward? After all you and the girls did for me, I needed to give something back to the cause.”

  “You’re settling in okay at the townhouse?”

  “It’s lovely. Like being on vacation.” Blanche laughed. “I’m not used to the luxury of having a cleaning lady come by, but I could get used to it. That’s for sure. In fact, I’m heading back there now. I was about to call it a night when I saw you and ... wait a minute.” Blanche paused and waved down one of the other volunteers. “Haroula! Haroula, dear, can you come here for a moment? You too, Billy!”

  Drew wished he could sink into the ground when a dark-haired woman jogged toward them, followed closely by a man wielding a large, professional-looking camera. It took Drew a moment to put together the name with the face, but once he got a good look at her, he remembered Haroula was the woman Lainey had introduced to him on the boardwalk—the one who owned the Hot Spot. Lainey mentioned she was pivotal in setting up the event, doing most of the footwork while Trevor provided the location since her restaurant was closed for the season.

  “Drew isn’t it?” Haroula reached out a gloved hand, which Drew accepted. Her coat blew open for a second and he caught a glimpse of a red flapper gown complete with matching boa beneath the heavy material. “You’re Lainey’s man, right? I remember meeting you last month. If you’re looking for her, she’s inside setting up the gift baskets for the raffle. She’s been busting her rump since she got here.”

  “I wouldn’t expect anything less from her.” Drew admitted, his teeth chattering as he spoke. He pulled the robe tighter around his waist, but it didn’t make much difference. “She gives everything her all.”

  Drew avoided the gaze of the cameraman as he spoke. It might’ve been paranoia, but it definitely seemed as though the lanky guy with red hair and abundant freckles was giving him the once over. Even small town reporters were trained to spot a story, to take in every detail. And Andy Palmer hanging around outside a bar in Wildwood in a robe would definitely make interesting copy. Tabloids always had a way of making even the most innocent things into a scandal. He’d been the victim of exaggerated rumors and out-and-out lies on more than one occasion. The way the guy sized him up made Drew nervous, and he was glad the dim streetlights helped to conceal at least some of his features.

  “This is the young man I was telling you about, Billy,” Blanche announced, taking the photographer by the arm. Everyone really did know each other in this place and they were all on a first-name basis, which meant Drew would stand out even more as an outsider. “He’s the one who gave up his home for me until my house is fixed. Costing him a pretty penny too, I’m sure, but he refused to let me pay a dime.”

  “It’s really not a big deal,” Drew insisted. “I was only renting it for a few months and it’s not like I didn’t have somewhere else to go.”

  “Don’t be so modest! It really was very generous.” Haroula raised an eyebrow in the photographer’s direction. “Don’t you think this would make a great segment for your story?”

  “Definitely!” Billy agreed, speaking for the first time in a vo
ice that sounded like he hadn’t completed puberty. “Blanche, let’s get a shot of you and the Good Samaritan. You get in it too, Haroula, but first...” He pulled a small notebook from his pocket. “What did you say your name was again, sir? Wanna get it right in the caption.”

  “Ummm.” Drew paused. “It’s, uh, Drew.”

  “Drew DiPalma,” Blanche added. The poor thing thought she was being helpful.

  “Do we have your permission to take your photo for the County Herald, Mr. DiPalma?”

  Drew swallowed hard, unsure how he could possibly get himself out of his predicament. Haroula and Blanche were all smiles as they smoothed their hair back for the photo. If he refused, it would raise even more red flags. Besides, he’d also look like a first class ass. So with a timid nod, Drew laced his arm around Blanche and offered up one of his most professional Hollywood smiles.

  “Say cheese!” Billy ordered.

  The flash went off. The lens clicked a few times in quick succession, but despite his huge grin, Drew’s headache had gotten ten times worse.

  It was definitely going to be a long night.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Lainey adjusted her bunny ear headband as she admired her handy work, nearly knocking the blonde wig right off her head. One whole side of the bar had been transformed into a tombola table lined with baskets and gift cards donated by local businesses. Haroula scouted out most of them, but many others lent a hand as well, including Lainey and her friends. Sharon contributed a selection of her clay work with everything from handmade coffee mugs to garden statues. Erin had coerced her dad into giving one lucky winner a year of free auto insurance. Elisa had even gotten her cousin to toss in a few vouchers for haircuts at a local salon. With over a hundred prizes and tickets going for one dollar a piece, the volunteers hoped to bring in a pretty penny, all of which would be donated to The Red Cross for the hurricane victims.

  “Looking good!” Trevor came up and patted Lainey on the shoulder, accidently knocking her in the head with a bundle of white balloons in the process. Always on the tall side, Trevor appeared even bulkier than usual in his Eagles jersey, complete with shoulder pads and a touch of black paint under his eyes. He cleared his throat, his cheeks turning red when he glanced down at Lainey’s costume. “Um, the tombola table, that is.”

  Lainey shifted her feet and the water balloons propped inside her top jiggled. Like all the other men who’d crossed her path that day, Trevor’s gaze strayed momentarily to her ridiculously inflated bosom. The whole thing was another of Erin’s ingenious plans. Since she didn’t feel they were well enough endowed to masquerade as sexy models, her friend had insisted they add a little extra padding, using liquid to make them feel more authentic, though the gods only knew who she expected would be feeling them.

  Lainey had always considered herself a good sport—she’d even dressed up as one of the male executives the previous Halloween, but Erin pushed her limits with this one. It was hard enough for her to trade Boho skirts for a denim mini and fishnet stockings, both of which she had to borrow from Elisa. Of course, it could’ve been worse. Originally they were supposed to wear nothing but the skimpy bunny corsets, but thankfully Stephanie backed Lainey up and agreed they needed something more appropriate for office hours since they weren’t all related to the head honchos. So they added the skirts and attached the bunny tails to their belt loops. As a result, Lainey felt only half-naked instead of entirely so.

  “Yep, it’s all ready to go,” Lainey agreed, forcing Trevor to make eye contact. “One of the other girls from my office will be selling the tickets, and you and Haroula can pick the winners whenever you’re ready.”

  “Looks like you finished up in the nick of time. The evening crowd is already arriving.” Trevor nodded back to the entrance where throngs of people in costumes ranging from a giant banana to a pirate complete with parrot sidekick had already seated themselves at the bar. “We’ll probably start the drawing around seven. Some people are only coming out for the raffles and the rest will be too drunk to see their tickets if we wait much longer. Besides.” He raised the balloons, which were attached to an overnight mailer. “I have another announcement I need to make around that time, so we might as well get it all out of the way at once.”

  “What’s that all about?” Lainey raised her voice when Chuck the deejay pumped up the volume on the music. She could feel the bass thumping beneath her feet. “Do you have something else for me to add to the tombola table?”

  Trevor shook his shaved head. “No, this arrived a few hours ago. There’s a sealed envelope inside along with strict instructions. We aren’t supposed to open it until seven o’clock.”

  “Hope it isn’t a bomb.”

  Elisa stalked up behind them, with her arms crossed and her head tilted to the side as she examined the package, narrowing her smoky shadowed eyes. Her lips and nails were painted as black as the slinky, fitted cobweb gown she wore. A mini-witch hat was clipped into her short black hair. She was stunning and sexy as always, and much more graceful in her three-inch heels than Lainey could ever hope to be.

  “I don’t think anyone can fit a bomb in an envelope,” Trevor teased. “I’m assuming it’s some kind of donation. I could open it now, but I thought it would be fun to play along. Anything to make the night more successful, you know? And speaking of which, I better move along and make sure the bar is fully stocked for the night. From the looks of things, we’re going to have a pretty big turnout.”

  Trevor vanished into the kitchen, leaving Lainey and Elisa alone to examine each other’s costumes. Elisa’s lips twitched into half a smile as she studied Lainey’s exaggerated breasts.

  “Slut.” She deadpanned.

  “Right back at ya.” Grinning, Lainey gestured to Elisa’s low cut neckline. “Subtle choice, by the way. A witch?”

  Elisa snickered good-naturedly. “I decided to come as myself for Halloween this year. Sharon did, too, though she opted for a slightly more traditional approach.”

  Elisa pointed across the bar to where a green-faced witch with a huge pointed hat was clutching an old-fashioned broomstick and mingling with some of Lainey’s co-workers, including a pair of big-busted bunnies. The gang was all there, except for one very important person. Lainey scanned the crowd and then squinted down at her watch. Drew had promised to be there in ten minutes. Already twenty had passed and there was still no sign of him. Though she certainly wasn’t one of those controlling girlfriends who needed to know where her man was every second, she still bit her lip with anxiety. Lainey always worried when people were late, especially when they were driving. It was one of the residual effects of the car crash that killed her parents. The irrational fear of losing someone else in the same terrible way always lingered close to the surface.

  “You guys look amazing!” Sharon gushed as the two parties met up at their favorite table.

  “Definitely super model material.”

  Erin yanked over an extra chair to make room for Stephanie, the only bunny who hadn’t required a wig to complete her get-up. Lainey was a little envious. The blonde wig made her head itchy and sweaty, and pieces of her real hair kept poking through the sides and tickling her nose.

  “I’d rather have gotten witchy with you and Elisa,” Lainey confessed. “But this was our office theme, and it didn’t make sense to change when we were all coming out together after work.”

  “My dad was originally going to dress up as Hugh Hefner,” Erin continued. “But he drove up to Ocean County to handle some of the larger claims personally. Luckily, Drew agreed to step in for him this evening.”

  “Real handy, that guy,” Elisa mumbled under her breath. “What would we do without him?”

  Lainey frowned. She wasn’t sure why Elisa still gave Drew the cold shoulder. She knew her friend could be overprotective, but it had never taken her so long to warm up to anyone before. Of course, since the four of them had bonded, none of them had really had a serious relationship, except for Elisa and that h
ad ended with a restraining order. Lainey supposed Elisa had good reason to be leery of newcomers after everything she’d been through.

  “I think what Drew did for Mrs. McLaughlin is really amazing!” Stephanie gushed. “He’s definitely a better catch than any of those guys on Matchmaker.com.”

  “But I do miss going through the pictures,” Erin lamented with a giggle. “That was the best de-stressor after a long day at work.”

  “You could always sign up, you know,” Stephanie challenged, pushing a thick curl behind one ear. “Of the three of us at the office, you’re the only one who’s still single.”

  Erin sniffed. “And planning to stay that way, thank you very much.”

  “That’s what I’m talking about.” Elisa exchanged high fives with Erin across the table. “Who needs to be tied down with just one man? Playing the field is so much more interesting.”

  Erin shook her head. “That’s not for me either. I’ve sworn off men altogether. Never again.”

  Lainey sighed. There was no surprise there. Erin was another one with a bad track record when it came to men. She hadn’t gotten involved with anyone since she broke things off with Nate’s father. It was completely understandable that Erin was tentative about beginning a new relationship, but at the moment, Lainey was more concerned with where Drew was than with bashing the male population, even if in some cases it was justified.