“Okay,” Kate said. “What’s going on?’”
“I have to tell you something and it’s not going to be good,” Nick started.
Kate’s first thought was something had happened to one of her parents and she could feel the tension starting in her stomach. But she had been with Nick long enough to know she had to wait until he found the right words to tell her. “Whatever it is, Nick, give it to me straight. Don’t try to wrap it up with a nice pink bow.”
“Kevin Miles committed suicide this afternoon.”
Kate was stunned. This was not what she was expecting and did not know what to say.
“And it gets worse, love. This is going to be all over the papers by morning and it’s going to be a hell of a mess before it is done.” Nick looked at her evenly. “Sam and the guys will keep the reporters off you as much as they can, but it’s possible they will get to you the next time we leave. You need to be prepared for the onslaught.”
“Suicide,” she said softly. “I can barely believe it.”
“The lead detective called Sam before the show. They found him hanging by his belt in the cell,” Nick said, trying to keep his tone level. “Because he was only in a holding cell and not an actual jail cell, they didn’t take away his belt, shoelaces or any other personal effects, other than his wallet. They also found a bunch of stuff in his apartment that indicates he’s been stalking you for the past six months. The detectives went over this morning to his apartment looking for any substantiating evidence as to why he attacked you.”
“Since New York.”
“And I probably made it worse then, although I didn’t mean to,” Nick said explaining. “I called the director of the London symphony the next morning we were there, and basically told them to pull Miles back to London, so there wouldn’t be a chance of any more encounters with him. I give lots of money to them as a charity donation - they didn’t want to lose that.”
“I knew he was angry I slipped away from him after the accident ten years ago,” Kate said, in an introspective tone of voice. “He tried to see me when I was in the hospital, but my lawyer was able to get a restraining order until the divorce hearing. I dropped out of sight after they discharged me – I didn’t use credit cards and paid cash for everything so I couldn’t be traced.” Kate smiled. “My lawyer even got me a fake ID with an address in Brooklyn so he would think I lived there. I would hate to think he stalked out the apartment building looking for me.”
“Kate, love, this is a lot to absorb in a short amount of days. Are you sure you’re all right?”
“I’m sure I will be,” she answered honestly. “Am I going to go do something stupid, like disappear or hurt myself? The answer is no. To be honest with you, Nick, I’m actually relieved. This is hard but I know there’s an ending and I don’t have to keep looking around corners for him.”
Nick motioned for Sam to leave. Sam opened the door and stepped out quietly. Nick stood up and pulled Kate up with him, putting his arms around her, holding her against him. “You can stay with me tonight,” Nick said softly, “If you want.”
Kate smiled, knowing she had been right -this broke the block. But she knew better than to act on it. “There is nothing I would like better; to lose myself in the warmth of your arms,” she answered. “But I’m not going to give any kind of ammunition to the tabloids.” She brought his head down to kiss her and the kiss seemed to go on forever before she broke off, stepping away from him and leaving the room.
In the morning, Sam brought copies of the morning paper along with a handful of tabloids. On the front of all of them was a photo-shopped picture of Kevin, brandishing a wicked looking knife and one headline was ‘Crazed Musician on the Rampage’. Kate rolled her eyes when she saw it and had to give a lot of credit to Nick’s security people. They had managed to keep her name out of the mess, although there were lots of references Kevin had attacked someone in Nick Marshall’s backup band who happened to be in London for some performances.
“I don’t know how this junk sells,” Kate said to no one in particular.
“Sex and violence,” Trent added. “Makes a story much more intriguing.”
“How can intelligent people read this stuff?”
“That’s the problem, love,” Nick chimed in. “Most of them are not intelligent. They live hard, boring lives and think this is entertainment.”
“I’m sorry to have brought it on,” Kate said. “Last thing I wanted was an episode from my past creating news.”
“Don’t let it bother you, Kate,” Andy said, coming over to put his hand on Kate’s shoulder. “I’m sure Nick can find something to bump your issue off the front page with.”
Nick threw one of the grapes from his plate at Andy and everyone started laughing. Kate knew Nick did his best to ignore what was written about him and made great strides to not do much in public so as not to fuel the fire. But it wasn’t unusual to see some false tidbit about him.
Chapter Ten
After finishing up two weeks in Great Britain, the group moved on to Belgium, France and Italy. The first two countries were uneventful and put them at the halfway point when they got to Italy. Nick’s music was immensely popular in Europe and it didn’t matter the shows were all in English. The music lineup was different here, as Nick was not using his own concert equipment, instead paying to use whatever was available at each venue. The songs which were dependent on the regular piano were cut from the program and others put in its place. It was not a hardship for Kate since she could sight read and Nick had given her his music after she had signed the master contract. Everyone kept their instruments with them at the hotel and the road crew would set them up when they arrived in each city. European tours were a little more difficult because Nick flew everyone from city to city in a private jet. He had learned the hard way not to have a truck full of stage equipment trying to pass security checkpoints. More than once, he had equipment confiscated by greedy officials and that inconvenience was difficult to work through - usually ending with him having to buy more at ridiculously high prices to make the show each night.
It was a slow, rainy day in Naples, Italy. They had done a show the night before and there was another one tonight, before heading to Rome. Even though the weather was bad, the rest of the guys wanted to go sightseeing and had left after breakfast. Kate didn’t like going out in the rain and opted to stay back. She was in the large sitting room they used as a general room, playing solitaire. She had the television on for noise, but the channels were limited and none she could find in English. She was enjoying the slow day and smiled at Sam when he came into the room. Sam was Nick’s main security, usually not too far from wherever Nick was, and he also seemed to be a really nice guy. Most of Nick’s security were large, imposing guys that normal people wouldn’t want to mess with and Sam was no exception, standing at six-foot-five and weighing about three hundred pounds. He was definitely not someone you would want to meet on a dark night. During shows, security did a good job of keeping the fans off the stage. Four would stand along the seating floor and two toward the back on the stage; no one got past them onto the stage.
Sam poured a cup of coffee and sat down across from Kate, watching her play. She stopped after a few hands and looked him over. “Something bothering you, Sam?” she asked.
“What’s going on with you and Nick?”
“Going on with what?” she asked, trying not to give anything away.
“Kate,” he said, pointedly looking at her. “I know Nick better than anyone, next to Mickey. He has been a different person these past few months and the only thing which changed was you.” Sam took a sip of his coffee, the cup seeming tiny in his hand. “Well, except for the tour we did last year. It was difficult because Marcus’s wife kept harassing Marcus, saying she needed him at home. Nick does not deal well with strife. This is different.”
“Is that why Marcus quit?” she asked, trying to divert him.
“Yes. Nick gave him a job as a studio musician so he
could be home with his family more. They had one of those ‘oops’ babies, when theirs were almost grown, and his wife couldn’t handle it. Nick doesn’t use hired studio people – all of his people record and tour with him, so this spot was opened. But you’re trying to change the subject.”
No wonder Nick liked this security company so well. They had the same bulldog attitude Nick did about stuff. It wouldn’t surprise her if Nick owned their company as part of the studio. “Maybe you should ask Nick.”
“I thought I would start with you,” Sam said. “At first, I thought you and Brock had started something. I’d never seen him be so protective before and I was a little worried - he has a solid marriage with a couple of kids. But it became apparent it wasn’t what was happening so I started to watch in a different direction, especially after the events in London. Come on, spill it.”
Kate didn’t know whether she should just tell him. She didn’t think that he would be indiscreet, but this was something she and Nick hadn’t made a decision on. “Brock’s a good guy. His lessons in self-defense were invaluable.”
Kate paused for a moment, putting her words together. “Nick and I were supposed to get married during the break. Unfortunately the whole episode with Jamie Garwood kept Nick too busy.”
“Married?” Sam asked, with an incredulous tone. “Nick proposed marriage?”
“You sound surprised.”
“I don’t know surprised even covers it,” Sam answered. “Stunned is more like it. Nick has been saying for years he had no intention of ever getting married again.”
“We fought it,” Kate admitted. “It started after the fiasco with my ex in New York. You know, stolen moments, an occasional kiss when no one was around. We knew for sure when he got back from London, emotionally all torn up.”
“Yeah, those few days were bad,” Sam concurred. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen him so messed up. I had to drag him back to the airport; he was so out of it.”
“I’m glad you were there, Sam.”
“You and me both. What escalated this,” he motioned, waving his hand through the air between them, “to where he would even consider marriage?”
“I was sick when we finished the first tour. I passed out in the studio when we were recording the movie track and he took me back to his place to take care of me. He and his housekeeper were my lifeline for two full days I still don’t remember much of. And, well, it just happened – we finally jumped the hurdle of he was my boss and we ended up in bed together. More information than you were probably looking for... I’d appreciate it if you didn’t tell anyone else that.”
“I won’t,” he said. “But now I’m going to ask the big question. Why aren’t you guys sleeping together now?”
Kate had the grace to blush. “Nick’s concerned about what the rest of the band would think. He sees it as no different as a boss bedding his secretary. It’s frustrating, I’ll admit. And if Nick has been more terse lately, it’s probably why.”
Sam started to smile. “Now, that sounds like Nick. And Kate –sorry if I was being too nosy.”
“It’s okay, Sam. I know you’re out to protect him.”
“It’s not a bad thing,” he assured her. “Nick has grown hard, distant, over the years and it’s nice to see him starting to relax some. Don’t worry, Kate. I won’t say anything.”
* * *
Sam smiled as he got up and left the room. He wanted to dance in the hall because Nick wanting to get married was like something out of a fairy tale. And he wasn’t about to let this get away because of a lack of time. He had a wild idea of something to do when they got to Rome but he had to confirm what Kate had been saying. Sam knew Nick was in his room on the phone with the studio, so he thought he would go relieve Mike and wait for the opportunity to talk to him. Mike was happy to be free to eat, and maybe see some sights, so he was out the door in a flash. Sam picked up a magazine on the end table to occupy his time until Nick got off the phone.
Sam coming in and relieving Mike didn’t disturb Nick. He never looked up. Security went in and out of rooms with him all the time. Sam was beginning to think Nick was glued to the phone more than he used to be. He knew that Nick made a lot of changes since buying into the studio, but the excessive amount of phone calls he was having to absorb had to be messing with his patience.
Once off the phone, Nick stood up, stretching his muscles. Sam saw he was finished and set the magazine back on the table. He got up and stood in the doorway. “Hey, Nick?”
“Yeah, Sam?”
“Can I ask you a straight question?”
“Sure, mate,” he said. “What’s on your mind?”
“Do you and Kate have something going on?”
Nick was harder to read than Kate, but he saw the flicker in his eyes. “What makes you think we have something going on?”
Slouching against the door frame, Sam started to laugh. “Nick, I’ve known you almost twenty years. I can smell when something is different. And the only change has been Kate.”
“It’s a mess, Sam,” Nick admitted. “I told myself when I hired her, I wouldn’t touch her. But I just can’t help myself.”
“How does she feel about you?”
“What are you, my therapist?” Nick asked. Sam kept smiling at him, his gaze never wavering, not at all affected by Nick’s cynical tone. “I want to marry her, Sam. And I would have during the break, if that bloody Jamie Garwood had kept it in his pants.”
“I have an idea how to fix this tomorrow - let me make some phone calls. By the way,” he asked curiously, “do you have a ring?”
Nick started to laugh. “Yes, I have a ring. But what makes you think anything needs fixing?”
“I have been watching you both and it’s obvious neither of you are happy,” Sam stated. “Oh, and make sure you bring the ring with you tomorrow night. You’ll need it.”
* * *
Sam left the room, apparently to go make his ‘calls.’ Nick shook his head as the phone rang yet again and, sitting back down in the chair, he answered it. It was the studio, of course, but this time it was just a couple of the PR folks in London with some questions. Those kinds of calls tended to take much less time. Once off that call, he started thinking about what Sam had been saying. He had no idea what he was planning, but it didn’t surprise him Sam had seen straight through the façade he and Kate had tried to build. And, if he had a way to expedite his marriage to Kate, Nick was all for it. He pulled the ring out of his pocket, looking at the way the diamond in the middle sparkled. He had brought it for no other reason than he liked what it represented.
His nerves had settled down since London. Suicide wasn’t exactly what he had been hoping for as a resolution for Kate’s ex, but he was glad that page in her history was done. And somehow they had managed to keep it low key in the press, because, after the initial morning of tabloid headlines, the story died down quickly. Also, the whole boss-employee thing had disintegrated but Kate had remained steadfast – she could have accepted his offer that night but had flat turned him down with no change in the six weeks which followed. Nick had mixed feelings about it – so he was glad Sam was going to put something together.
* * *
During break in the show in Rome, Sam found Kate as she was coming back from the ladies room. “When this is done tonight, make sure you get in the front car with Nick.”
Kate had no idea why he was so adamant but nodded her agreement anyway and got ready for the next half of the show. Nick did all his ballads in the first half so the second was hard rock and roll music and it was a lot more demanding. Nick usually did one encore – two if he was feeling really good, and as soon as they were done, Sam whisked Kate and Nick into the front car along with himself and the driver. The four of them drove off into the Italian landscape. And this was making Kate nervous - she had no idea what was going on. She had originally thought Nick’s security was trying to defuse some issue and wanted them out of the way quickly. The thought disappeared as they drov
e quietly through the countryside until they reached what looked like an old church. It was set upon a mountain top and in the daylight, Kate was sure you could see down into the city of Rome. At night though, it was dark with very little light in the courtyard. Sam opened the door for Kate and led the couple into the church proper.
“What’s going on Sam?” Kate asked.
“Well, I am here to fix what didn’t happen before we left LA,” Sam said, with a smile. “This is where I married my wife ten years ago.”
That was news to Kate; she had no idea Sam even had a wife. “And?”
There was a priest at the end of the pews toward the altar. “Father Giovanni is here to marry you two.”
“Marry us?” Kate sputtered. “Sam, this is craziness. I’m not Catholic.”
“Neither is he, “Sam said smiling. “This is a Greek Orthodox church.”
Nick started to laugh. ‘You’re something, mate,” he said. “I’d no idea this is what you were planning.”
“This is only the first part,” Sam answered mysteriously. “So let’s do this before you guys get cold feet.”
Sam herded them into the church and marched them down the aisle together. As Father Giovanni started his blessing, in English no less, Kate started to realize that this was truly happening. Nick hadn’t said much but had a tight hold of her hand.
The whole thing felt like a dream, with the priest going through the ceremony. She repeated her vows with a steady voice and was surprised when Nick pulled a diamond band out of his pocket. It had an upraised diamond in the center with smaller diamonds going down each side; the ring was small, dainty, and not bulky. Nick slid it on Kate’s finger, fitting perfectly, and the priest finished his blessing. As soon as he was done, Nick kissed Kate. They thanked the priest and Sam hurried them back into the car.
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