Platinum

by J. M. Nevins

  Maxine started pacing in their room. “The suspense is killing me. I don’t know how you can be so Zen about this.”

  She shrugged her shoulders. “Because it is what it is. Positive or negative, I can’t change the result. It’s out of my hands.” She sat down on the edge of the bed and sighed. She glanced at her wristwatch again and then looked up at Maxine with pleading eyes. “I can’t look. Can you do it for me?”

  Maxine let out a long sigh and nodded her head enthusiastically. She squeezed Kit’s shoulder as she walked past her into the bathroom. She returned moments later, her hazel eyes wide.

  Kit looked up at her, unable to calm her nerves. “Well?”

  Maxine pressed her lips together and took a seat next to Kit on the bed. She put her arm around her and took a deep breath. “Honey, it’s positive.”

  She closed her eyes for a moment and let out a long breath. She couldn’t stop the emotions that flooded her. She buried her head in her hands and started sobbing.

  Maxine panicked. She wasn’t sure what to do or what to say. She rubbed her back. Alexa was usually the calm voice of reason in their trio when Kit wasn’t, but somehow an inner strength washed over her. “It will be ok, Kit. Remember, there are alternatives here. You have options.”

  She nodded her head and finally looked up. Her face was tear-stained, her eyes filled with fear. She sniffled. “There’s only one option as far as I’m concerned.”

  Maxine stared at her waiting for a response. “What?”

  She sniffled again. “I’m having this baby. This is Sully’s baby and despite our obvious disconnect right now, I still love him and this baby is a piece of him. This baby was made out of pure love. If I have to raise it on my own, I’ll do it with or without him, but I am not entertaining any other alternatives.”

  Maxine nodded and grinned. “Ok, then. I guess I’m gonna be an auntie!”

  Kit giggled. “I guess so.”

  Maxine smiled. “You’ve got my full support, Kit-Kat. I’ll help you in any way I can. And maybe Sully will come around. We both know how much he loves kids.”

  She chuckled and joked. “That’s because he is a kid.” Her face then grew serious. “Max, I don’t know if I’m going to tell him.”

  Maxine raised her eyebrows. “What? You can’t exactly go into hiding when you start showing. You’re GT’s manager. How will that work?”

  She sighed. “He assumed I was fucking around, so he’d just think it was some other guy’s and not his baby. And that’s fine. He can think whatever he wants to think. I know the truth.”

  Maxine shook her head slowly. “Kit, I dunno. I don’t think that’s a good idea. He’s the father. He has a right to know.”

  She gave Maxine a disgusted look. “He’s barely speaking to me. Even if I did tell him I needed to talk, he would blow me off. That’s what he’s been doing for weeks.”

  Maxine wasn’t about to give up. “So, lie and tell him it’s about the band.”

  “Already did that. And when I did I got a call back from Jimmy asking what it was and that Sully requested that I address all of them if it concerns the band. I made up something stupid in the moment, but I can assure you that strategy is faulty.”

  Maxine stood up. “I’m calling Lex. I don’t care what she and Wes are doing. She needs to be over here in this discussion.”

  Kit rolled her eyes. “No, Max. We’ll talk to her later. We can talk after the wedding tonight.”

  Maxine shook her head. “Fine. Suit yourself.”

  She wagged her finger in warning. “And no telling Sully or anyone in GT about this. Promise me, this information does not leave this room.”

  Maxine nodded and crossed her heart. “You’ve got my word. I’ll keep my trap shut.”

  The music for the procession started and Kit got into line, holding fast to her bouquet. She swallowed hard and kept her focus on the doors that had just opened. She watched as the bridesmaid in front of her started the procession. She was next and as she walked down the aisle, she smiled wide seeing Jimmy up on the altar in his tuxedo. Her eyes met his and he winked at her. Her smile faded though when she noticed Sully standing right next to Jimmy. He refused to make eye contact with her. She sighed and took her place on the altar watching the procession continue.

  Sully stood next to Jimmy and watched as the bridesmaids made their way down the aisle. When he saw Rachel, he grinned. She smiled back at him, but his attention on her was fleeting. He caught a glimpse of Kit out of the corner of his eye and glanced in her direction. She was focused on Diana making her entrance and held a sweet grin of admiration.

  Sully knew he should have his attention on the bride walking down the aisle or even on the girl he was dating, but he couldn’t stop staring at Kit. She looked absolutely radiant with a glow he had never seen, her hair swept up, in a pale pink full-length gown. The color reminded him of the dress she wore on that glorious night they were together in New York weeks before. His heart suddenly ached and he swallowed hard as he snapped out of his daze once Diana’s father gave her away to Jimmy. He knew he had to pay attention now. The ceremony was in full swing.

  Alexa and Maxine exchanged a glance with each other across their table while Wes remained unfazed. Before they could engage in conversation, the wedding party was making their way into the reception hall, being introduced by the deejay. They cheered loudly when Kit’s name was announced. She looked in their direction and smiled, but Maxine could tell the gravity of the day’s news and the wedding in close proximity to Sully was wearing on her.

  Kit took her place at the table designated for the wedding party and secretly wished she could be sitting with her friends. The other bridesmaids were nice, but she couldn’t seem to connect with them and being around Rachel, knowing she was involved with Sully, was making her heart ache.

  After all the traditional festivities of designated dances and long-winded speeches, Kit got up to mingle. She loved Jimmy and Diana, but was desperate for the night to be over. She noticed Sully at the bar doing shots of Jameson with Bryan. It seemed he had a drink or a shot in his hand from the moment he walked in. She knew that was a cover for his unhappiness. She shook her head and went in search of her friends.

  She saw Maxine in the distance gingerly talking with a portly man in complete cowboy gear: ten gallon hat, blue jeans complete with a large belt buckle and cowboy boots. Kit giggled at her thought. They were most definitely in Texas. She locked eyes with Maxine and saw her mouth “help me.” She wanted to burst out laughing, but refrained and headed across the room to come to Maxine’s rescue.

  She kindly led her away and Maxine let out a sigh of relief. “I cannot thank you enough, Kitty. He was talking my ear off about raising, herding and branding cattle. Ugh!”

  Kit laughed loudly. “Perfect conversation for you, Max, considering you’re a vegetarian.”

  She shook her head and looked around. “These people are crazy. I love Diana, but her family is well…” She sighed. “No comment.” She sipped her drink.

  Kit shrugged her shoulders. “I’m sure people would say the same thing about my family. I need some air. It’s stuffy in here and I really can’t stomach another round of listening to Y.M.C.A. Where did they get this deejay from?”

  Maxine giggled. “Well, we are in Texas, honey. Things are well, different here. I’ll accompany you. I’m afraid if you leave me alone, Mr. Ten Gallon Hat will seek me out.”

  Kit linked her arm in Maxine’s. I’ll protect you. Let’s go out to the terrace.”

  Alexa, Wes and a few wedding guests were huddled closely appearing to have a conversation that Alexa had no interest in. She noticed Kit and Maxine appear and excused herself, headed in their direction.

  Maxine grinned and pointed. “There you are! Where have you and Wes been hiding?”

  She rolled her eyes and motioned to the group of men a few feet away with her husband leading the charge enjoying a cigar and a glass of scotch with a new band of followers. She sighed. “Ne
ver fails. Anywhere we go, the rich people flock to him. The Pied Piper of Wall Street has struck again.”

  Kit giggled. “Water seeks its own level, Lex. Seriously, one look at him speaks volumes. He’s wearing a suit that probably costs more than someone’s car. It shows, honey.”

  Alexa shrugged her shoulders. “I guess. I’m taking a break. There’s only so much I can hear about hedge funds before I tune out. He’s got like three new clients right there in that huddle. Two of those guys are fat cat oil tycoons.”

  Before Alexa could continue, they heard the door to the reception hall open. Kit’s heart skipped a beat when she noticed who was walking onto the terrace. Sully was lighting a cigarette and looked up. He noticed Kit in one huddle and Wes in another. His eyes met Kit’s and he started making his way toward her when Wes called out to him.

  Alexa rolled her eyes as Sully joined the huddle of men. She shook her head, seeing Wes slap him on the back and laugh with him. She looked at Kit and noticed the disappointment in her eyes. “Sorry, sweetie.” She squeezed her arm. “Don’t worry, I know how to fix this. Wes is just bragging on Sully. Remember, Sull is one of his clients and he’s made him a shitload of money.”

  Kit frowned. This was news to her. “Huh? What the hell are you talking about?”

  Alexa’s eyes widened and Maxine stared in awe. Alexa pursed her lips. “I thought you knew. Sully started working with Wes a year ago after his Grammy win. Wes built up his portfolio, made some risky, but highly lucrative investments and put Sull in a very profitable position.” She motioned in their direction. “See, he’s singing Wes’s praises. I’m breaking up this boy’s club right now.”

  She marched over and inserted herself into the conversation in such an unthreatening way she was easily welcomed. Within minutes, she had managed to steal Wes away and bring him back to where Kit and Maxine awaited, with Sully following closely behind.

  Maxine grinned at Wes and teased. “You shouldn’t mix business with pleasure, sir. Your wifey wasn’t too pleased.”

  He gazed down at Alexa lovingly and grinned. “I know, I know. I’m sorry. I just love what I do and sometimes I can’t help myself. Guess I owe you a dance, baby.”

  Satisfied, Alexa smiled and nodded. Maxine exchanged a look with Kit and noticed Sully standing silently next to her. She knew her cue. She seized Wes’s other arm. “Me too!”

  He laughed and wrapped his arms around both of them. “Ok, ladies. Let’s go.” He glanced back at Kit and Sully. “If you’ll excuse us, I have a feeling I won’t live it down if I delay.”

  Kit called after them as they headed for the door to enter the reception hall. “Wes, you still owe me a dance too!”

  He smiled and nodded. “You got it, Kit-Kat. When you get back in, it’s on.”

  She giggled and glanced back at Sully. Their eyes met again and they remained frozen in their tracks. She was fully expecting him to make up an excuse and scurry away, but he didn’t. She forced a grin. “Nice night out here.”

  He nodded and grinned. “Yeah. The wedding was really nice. I think Jim and Diana will be happy.”

  “Yeah, absolutely.” She could tell he was about to go back in, but she didn’t want him to. She reached for his hand. “Sull, do you have a minute?”

  He turned to face her and she could see he had put his guard back up. He nodded. “Uh, sure. What’s up, Kit?”

  She gazed into his eyes. “Sully, I’ve been trying to tell you this for weeks, but you wouldn’t listen. I was not involved with Blake Templeton at all. I don’t know what he told you, but I never even went on a date with the guy. He was obsessed with me and convinced that we had something going. He’s totally delusional. He was spreading lies that I promptly put to a halt after the party when I threatened to sue him for slander and defamation of character.”

  Sully’s eyes suddenly lit up and a smile spread across his face as he started laughing. “Kit-Kat, are you serious?”

  She nodded and chuckled. “Yes, unfortunately. Remember those roses from the imbecile?”

  He nodded and snickered. “Uh huh.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Well, those were from him. Ugh. So disgusting. Anyway, I’m sorry for the confusion. I like where things were headed in New York. That night we had was really…”

  He smiled and nodded. “Amazing? I agree. I…”

  He was about to continue when Rachel came busting out onto the terrace smiling from ear to ear. “There you are!” She ran up to him, giggled and kissed him. “Babe, they’re about to do the garter toss! You have to get in there. You just may catch it.” She raised her eyebrows and giggled again. She looked at Kit. “Oh and they’re going to do the bouquet toss for us too!” She giggled and looked at Sully. “Fingers, crossed.” She tugged at his arm. “C’mon, sweetie, let’s go. You can talk to your manager any other time.” She looked at Kit. “Sorry, no more biz tonight, he has more important things to take care of.”

  As she pulled him away, Kit felt like she had been stabbed in the heart again. Sully looked back at her with pleading eyes, but she looked away struggling to hold her tears back.

  When Kit returned to the reception she was just in time to witness Sully catching the garter. She rolled her eyes and started a hunt for her friends. The deejay made the announcement for all the single girls to line up for the bouquet. Kit ignored the request and headed to the bar.

  She longed for a scotch on the rocks, but club soda would have to do. She remained at the bar watching as Rachel caught the bouquet, tackling three girls to attain it. She shook her head in disgust. She watched her run over to Sully and wrap her arms around him. She went for it and they ended up in a heated make out session on display in the reception hall. She looked at the bartender. “Where can I get a cab quick?”

  Maxine sidled up next to her. “Kit, don’t leave.”

  She shook her head. “You want me to stick around and watch that for the rest of the evening?”

  Bryan sidled up on her other side and put his arm around her. “I know. It’s pretty obnoxious. I don’t like her. She’s annoying. Don’t leave, Kit-Kat.”

  She looked at him. “Give me one reason to stay.”

  He smiled wide. “Dance with me.”

  She giggled. “Ok, that wins. I’m staying.” She patted him on the chest and gazed into his kind, aquamarine eyes. “Thank you, Bryan. I really appreciate it.”

  He nodded and held his hand out to her. “It’s my pleasure. Dancing with the woman that’s making me a multi-millionaire, oh yeah. No brainer!”

  She laughed and let him lead her out to the dance floor.

  Sully freed himself from Rachel for a moment and watched Kit across the room. She had been dancing with Bryan and now she was dancing with Wes. He grinned, noticing she was having a good time, laughing. He desperately wanted to resume their conversation, but whenever he attempted, Rachel got in the way. She was all over him, even more so after catching the bouquet. He was about to head over and crash Kit’s and Wes’s dance party, when Rachel found him again. He couldn’t break free. He was trapped.

  CHAPTER 9

  The stage alone was enormous and looked like a behemoth in the enormous rented rehearsal space roughly the size of a warehouse. Kit glanced up watching one of the riggers doing his job dutifully. She looked around in amazement. Gypsy Tango had jumped up to another new level—headlining.

  She silently wondered if she would run into Simon at some point that day. When they were scouting soundstages that would accommodate Gypsy Tango’s new set for the ‘Dangerous Curves’ tour, they only found two that met their needs—one was booked already by another artist and the other was located on the lot at East End Studios, where East End Pictures often shot productions.

  Sean Finley’s distinctive English accent quickly reeled in her attention. “Pretty insane, isn’t it? They’re almost finished with construction. You’re a little early. Band’s due in a half hour.”

  She glanced over at Sean and smiled wide. “Aw Sean, it’s so
great to see you.” She opened her arms and gave him a warm hug. She pulled back and chuckled. “Ready to do this rodeo again?”

  He nodded and grinned as he shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans. “And what a rodeo it is, Kit-Kat. Any crises heading into this that I need to be aware of?”

  She shook her head. “Not that I know of.”

  He took his hands out of his pockets, folded his arms in front of his chest and stared at her blankly. “Really.”

  She chuckled uncomfortably. His intense gaze was throwing her off. “Yes, really. Why?”

  His face melted into a grin. “Let’s just say we have a mutual friend, although your level of friendship with him is much different than mine.”

  Kit frowned. “Huh? What are you talking about? Or who are you talking about? You lost me.”

  He raised his eyebrows. “Simon Easton.”

  She smiled and looked away, giggling. She finally shifted her eyes back to meet his. “You know Simon, huh?”

  He nodded. “Yep. Simon and I go way back. Old schoolmate. Good guy. Went to dinner with him last night. He mentioned you.” He paused for a moment and Kit hung on his words. “I didn’t know you and Sully had split. Kinda took my by surprise. It’s none of my business, really, but I will tell you that you have nothing worry about with Simon. He’s cool.”

  Kit took a deep breath and felt a knot form in her stomach. Hearing Sully’s name and being reminded of their split was still a sore spot. Knowing she was carrying his baby only complicated matters. She forced a smile. She elected not to address the Sully situation, but focus on the positive. “Yeah, Simon is great. I’ve enjoyed his company. We’re going out later this week. Maybe we should all go out for a drink?”

  As the question escaped from Kit’s lips she automatically wanted to retract it. If Sean accepted, she would be in a pickle. Asking someone to join you for drinks and not drinking would be a difficult predicament to explain.

  Sean nodded. “Maybe. Let’s get these rehearsals kicked off, see how the kids are behaving and then decide. Deal?”