Rookie

by JL Paul

  Not able to help it, her eyes shifted in Rob’s direction. He was smiling at Melanie as she placed a hand on his chest. With a shrug, he took that hand and led her to the dance floor.

  Sidney dropped her eyes as she took a long drink.

  Dylan and Nathan watched Rob escort Melanie to the dance floor.

  “Hmm,” Dylan said.

  Nathan looked at him and nodded. “I know, right?”

  “What?” Sidney asked, looking between the two of them.

  Clearing his throat, Ethan stepped closer. “They think that there is something going on between you and Rob. They think it’s odd that he’s dancing with another woman and not you.”

  Sidney’s cheeks burned as she finished her drink and ordered another.

  “What, do you guys have some sort of telepathic thing going on?” she asked, hoping to hide her uneasiness.

  “No,” Ethan said. “I think they’re on the right track, though.”

  “There’s nothing going on between Rob and me,” Sidney said, gulping her drink. The vodka was beginning to get to her head, making her a little dizzy.

  “Something is,” Nathan said with a tight smile. “I don’t know what, but there’s something.”

  “And it’s none of our business,” Dylan said, placing a hand on her shoulder. “So just ignore us.”

  Not sure what to say, she finished her drink and ordered another. All hopes of talking to Rob fled as she watched him hold Melanie close.

  Joey returned without Leslie, bouncing over to them, full of energy.

  “Leslie said to tell you that she’s working on that project,” Joey said, confusion clouding his eyes.

  “Huh?” Sidney asked.

  “I don’t know,” he said. “But after our dance, she left me to talk to Peter Winthrope.”

  “Oh, I know what project she’s talking about,” Sidney said, wishing she could muster a little more enthusiasm. She glanced to her left and found Leslie in deep conversation with Peter. She wished her friend well as she accepted another drink.

  Two hours later, Sidney stood outside, soaking up the fresh air in hopes of chasing away her intoxication.

  “Hey, Sid,” Nathan said as he held her arm. “Do you want me to take you home?”

  Sidney shook her head and regretted it immediately.

  “Where’s Leslie?” Dylan asked. “Didn’t the two of you come together?”

  “She left,” Sidney slurred. “She texted me. It’s fine, though. She’s hooking up, I think.”

  All humor had left Joey’s eyes as he leaned against a sign post, watching Sidney though slanted lids. “We’ll call you a cab.”

  “Yeah,” Ethan said. “One of us can ride with you; make sure you get home all right.”

  She opened her mouth to respond but Rob stepped out on the sidewalk, arms folded over his chest, Chad right behind him. “Everything all right out here?”

  His dark eyes fell on her face and held her gaze. Tears built up behind her eyes like angry storm clouds, waiting to open. Taking a deep breath, she stumbled toward him, Nathan catching her elbow.

  “It’s fine,” she whispered, her tongue twisting on the words.

  “You’re drunk, Sid?” he asked.

  She lifted a shoulder.

  “We’ll get her a cab, see that she makes it home okay,” Dylan said. Rob nodded, his eyes still on Sidney. Something flashed inside them, making her heart jump. She stepped toward him, wanting to say all kinds of things but not knowing what to say first.

  “Listen, Rob,” she said as the doors opened, spilling Lexie and Melanie out on the sidewalk.

  “What’s going on?” Lexie asked. She spotted Sidney and frowned. “Oh.”

  Melanie watched Rob watch Sidney before sliding her eyes to Lexie. “What in the hell is going on, huh? I mean, Lexie’s mad at Rob and Sidney. Rob and Sidney aren’t speaking. What happened?”

  Sidney’s eyes pleaded with Rob and Lexie, begging them to keep quiet. She didn’t want her dirty laundry dumped all over the street for everyone to see.

  Lexie spun on her heel and stomped back inside as Rob tore his eyes from Sidney to smile at Melanie. He took her hand.

  “It’s nothing,” he said. “Just creative differences. Let’s get back to the party.”

  “Want me to take you home, Sid?” Chad asked, his concern etched in his face.

  Not wanting to add to the drama, she shook her head.

  Rob tugged Melanie toward the doors but paused to look over his shoulder. “Get her home safe, huh guys?”

  “No problem,” Nathan said, wrapping a protective arm around Sidney’s waist.

  “Be careful, Sid,” Chad said before jogging to the doors.

  “Come on,” Nathan whispered as tears flooded Sidney’s eyes. “Let’s get you a cab.”

  Nineteen

  Sidney sobbed on Nathan’s shoulder all the way back to the cottage while Joey shot furtive glances at her from the front seat. Dylan and Ethan whispered to each other, things Sidney couldn’t hear over her misery.

  Once they were safely inside, Sidney bolted for the bathroom and made it just in time to expel the liquor she’d consumed.

  “Oh, Sid,” Dylan said from the doorway. “You okay now?”

  Flushing, Sidney stood and rinsed her mouth in the sink. “I’m sorry you guys. Thanks for looking out for me. I’m sorry you had to see me this way.”

  Dylan pushed from the door frame to embrace her. “I know we don’t know each other well, but I think it’s safe to say that we’re friends. And friends take care of each other.”

  Another torrent of tears threatened but she held them back. She didn’t want to fall apart again. She heard the other guys rattling around in the kitchen and decided at that moment that what she really needed was a strong cup of coffee.

  “Come on,” Dylan said, seeming to read her mind.

  They gathered in the kitchen where Ethan had started the coffee pot. Once the coffee was ready, he found five cups in the cupboard and poured some for everyone.

  “Do you want to tell us what’s going on?” Nathan asked.

  Clutching the mug with both hands, she shook her head as she stared at the dark liquid. “I’m sorry. I know I owe you an explanation, but I’ve already opened my mouth too much. That’s part of the problem.”

  “Rob said that you guys had creative differences,” Ethan said. “I think that’s bullshit.”

  Jerking her head up, she stared at him, slack-jawed. With a sigh, she took a sip and set her cup on the table. “You’re right.”

  “He usually is,” Joey said. “Were you and Rob romantically involved?”

  “No,” Sidney said. “No. But we were really close. We were best friends. And then I said some things to Lexie that I shouldn’t have – things Rob didn’t want Melanie to know.”

  “Melanie was the chick with Rob?” Joey asked.

  “Yeah. She’s his ex-wife. They’re trying to work things out,” Sidney said, trying to explain without giving away too much information. “And Lexie is Melanie’s best friend.”

  “Let’s see if I got this right,” Ethan said as he leaned over the table. “You told Lexie stuff about Rob. Lexie got mad at both of you because it probably had something to do with Melanie. Then, Rob found out that you told Lexie and now he’s mad.”

  Sidney gave him a rueful grin. “That’s about the gist of it.”

  “Wow,” Ethan said, returning the grin. “I thought I was through with drama after I graduated.”

  Slipping her hand in his, Nathan bumped her shoulder. “Well, whatever all this bullshit is, I still think he cares about you. He’s texted me a hundred times, making sure that we got you home safely.”

  Sidney nodded, not sure what to do with that information.

  Ethan finished his coffee and stood as a horn sounded. “That’s our cab. Sid, if you’re all right, we need to get going. You should get some sleep.”

  “Yeah,” Nathan said, giving her hand a squeeze before releasing it. He
, too, stood. “I got your number from your phone. I’ll give you a call tomorrow to see how you’re doing.”

  “Thanks, guys,” she said, following them to the kitchen door. “I appreciate it.”

  They walked out the door, Joey pausing to point at the alarm. “Be sure to set that.”

  “I will.”

  Grinning, he bent to place a kiss on her cheek. “He’s an idiot if he doesn’t see what he could have,” he whispered before dashing outside to climb into the cab. She waved once more before shutting the door and activating the alarm.

  Once the cab was gone, she headed to bed, hoping to put the whole night behind her.

  ***

  As June melted into July, work became a nightmare. One worse than what had haunted her dreams in the past. The job she’d once loved had turned into torture seemingly overnight.

  Sidney refused to hide. She refused to avoid. She decided to just go in and go about her business.

  Unfortunately, Lexie decided that Sidney simply didn’t exist.

  And Rob, he spoke to her only when necessary. Chad took over her career, mapping out things that needed to be done, but not with any warmth or kindness.

  The only thing she had to look forward to was the duet with Nathan. Peter Winthrope had called her the Monday after the party to inform her that they would be recording late Wednesday night of the following week. Sidney’s spirits rose slightly at the thought, knowing that Rob and Chad would be having a dinner meeting with the manager of a band they were trying to woo away from a competitor.

  Her video debuted on Hitz TV with moderate success. Rob grunted the news to her the next day in passing, quelling the excitement she’d had when she’d watched it at her cottage with Leslie.

  She’d managed to keep in touch with the Mystic Dash boys, but on a limited basis. They’d hit the studios on Monday with Rob at the helm. Sidney couldn’t summon the courage to pop in to say hi. She couldn’t stand to be in the same room with Rob.

  Peter emailed her the music and lyrics to become familiar and also an elaborate synopsis of the movie he was working on, asking her to read it so she better understood the song he’d written. She sat in Rob’s office, fighting back tears as she read about a girl moving to Hollywood to pursue her dreams, only to fall madly in love with a director. He breaks her heart, causing her scenes and scenes of turmoil, until the end when he realizes that he loves her, too, and they live happily ever after.

  She wanted to vomit.

  When Wednesday night finally rolled around, she returned to the empty studio and found Peter Winthrope waiting for her in the locker room.

  “Ready to get started?” he asked.

  She nodded, eager to work.

  They took the elevator up and when they entered the studio, he introduced her to his crew. A few minutes later, Nathan arrived. Giving her a fierce hug, he stepped back to smile.

  “Ready to do this?”

  “I am,” she said.

  “I’m sure we’ll get this in only a few takes,” Peter said. “If you’ve both been working on the song.”

  They nodded.

  “Great. Let’s get to work.”

  Relaxing, she was able to have fun as they belted out the lyrics, recording in the same fashion as Rob liked. It took a little over two hours for Peter to finally get what he wanted.

  The song was angsty but still positive. They sang together, their voices melding in sweet harmony, the words of love not quite lost flowing from their lips. Too close to home, the lyrics struck Sidney’s heart and soared through her soul. It took little effort on her part to nail the emotion intended when Peter wrote the song.

  When she followed Nathan into the sound booth once they’d finished, she wasn’t surprised to see Leslie, sitting close to Peter.

  “That was fantastic,” Leslie said, her eyes wide with awe.

  “It was.” The voice was soft and raw.

  Sidney looked up to see Rob standing in the corner, arms folded. Her heart seized as a tremble worked its way to her hands.

  “Thanks, man,” Nathan said. “I didn’t know you’d be here.”

  “Had a dinner meeting tonight,” Rob said. “When it was over, I came back here to finish some stuff. Saw Leslie in the hall and she told me what was going on.”

  “If you’d check your email once in awhile,” Leslie snipped, “you would have known that Peter was using the studio tonight.”

  “Yeah, well, my assistant used to do that for me,” Rob said, voice soft.

  Tension hovered like an enemy helicopter over the battleground. Sidney couldn’t take it.

  “Well, I’m going to head home,” Sidney said as she inched toward the door. “Peter, thanks. Let me know if you need anything else.”

  “Sure, dear,” he said. “And thank you.”

  “Hey, Sid,” Nathan said but Sidney waved him away.

  “I’ll call you later,” she said over her shoulder as she escaped the room and ran for the stairs. She had no intention of waiting for the elevator.

  Just as she reached the locker room, Rob called her name.

  “Sid, wait.”

  She paused, back to him.

  “I just,” he said as he stopped a few feet away.

  “Just what?” she asked as she spun to face him. “Yell at me some more?”

  “I never yelled at you,” he said. “And I didn’t come here to yell at you now.”

  Snorting, she pushed open the door and stormed to her locker. Fury boiled over as she spotted the piece of tape she’d thrown out stuck to her locker again. Upside down.

  “Why can’t you just leave me alone?” she whispered.

  “I…it was a joke,” he said.

  “Ha. Ha,” she said, ripping it off before opening the door to retrieve her bag.

  “You don’t have a problem laughing with your new friends,” he said in a snarky tone. “A little young for you, don’t you think?”

  Slamming the locker door, she turned to face him, uncontrolled anger welling up inside.

  “They’re my friends, Rob,” she said, teeth clenched. “Or did you forget what that means?”

  “Well, I, of all people, know what you ask of your friends,” he said. Immediately, his jaw dropped as he stepped toward her. “Sid…”

  She pushed him away, tears falling. “Get away from me. I quit. I’m done. Stay out of my life.”

  “Sid,” he called, running after her.

  “Leave her alone, Rob,” Leslie ordered, racing from the elevator to catch Sidney. But Sidney brushed aside the other’s girl’s efforts at comfort as she hurried to the garage, hoping that Moe or whoever was working could get her a cab and quickly.

  ***

  Sidney struggled through July, spending hours logged into the Internet, looking for a job. Sitting around the cottage all day either watching trashy daytime television or sitting on the beach wasn’t cutting it. She was used to staying busy.

  It wasn’t just the sitting around that was getting to her: It was the loneliness, too. Leslie called her sometimes to check out a movie or to just hang out on the beach. But time with her was limited now that she was seeing Peter Winthrope.

  The Mystic Dash boys had returned to their Chicago area homes once their recording was finished, but still managed to call her a couple times a week.

  What bothered her most was that Rob would be leaving any day with Melanie for the couples cruise. Although she tried not to think about it, images of Rob and Melanie strolling the deck, hand in hand, invaded her mind.

  Aliza called her once a week after Sidney finally spilled the entire sordid tale to her. But nothing the older woman said helped heal the gaping wound in Sidney’s heart.

  One morning, the last week of July, Sidney retrieved her mail from the box near the road. Once again it seemed as if she had nothing but a heaping load of advertisements, special offers, and subscription requests. All of sudden, the advertising world discovered that she was living in Woodbridge Beach and wanted to give her the chance to
take advantage of their services.

  Dropping the mail on her table, she wondered if the used car dealer where she’d purchased a shiny red convertible had sold her information to someone. She couldn’t understand how she’d become the focus of so many companies.

  Pondering this latest development, Sidney almost missed her phone ringing from somewhere in the depths of her bag. Running to the living room, she dug around until she located the instrument and answered.

  “Hello, Sidney,” a familiar voice said. “How are you?”

  Sidney’s heart filled with love as she sighed. “Mrs. B! How are you?”

  “Oh, I can’t complain. I miss you, though.”

  Sidney chuckled. “I miss you, too.”

  “Well, then, maybe you’d like to have dinner with me tonight?” she suggested. “At that little café down the street from Woody’s?”

  “Dell’s? Sure,” Sidney said. “What time?”

  ***

  Dell’s was a cute little café with indoor or outdoor seating. The steaming day had turned into a pleasant enough evening so that most of the diners elected to enjoy their meals on the deck. That left the nearly empty dining room to Sidney and Mrs. B.

  After they ordered, Mrs. B took a sip from her water glass and studied Sidney.

  “You look almost as bad as he does,” she said.

  Startled, Sidney’s jaw fell. “Huh?”

  “Let’s not beat around the bush, here,” Mrs. B said, folding her arms on the table. “We both know that you’re pining for him and he’s pining for you.”

  Sidney bit her lip as she looked out the window at the happy people laughing while they ate. She released a long breath, hoping to quell the tear storm threatening to brew.

  “Isn’t he on some cruise with his ex-wife right now?” she asked.

  Mrs. B snorted, causing Sidney to gape at her. “Sure, but do you really think he wanted to go?”

  “He did have a choice.”

  “Sure he did,” Mrs. B said. “And he chose to go. But not because he’s in love with that woman.”

  Sidney cocked her head, rethinking her decision to meet with Mrs. B. “Why else would he go?”

  “Guilt,” Mrs. B said as she lifted her water glass to her lips.