Popped

by Carol Higgins Clark

“Who’s Missy?”

  “I mean Honey.”

  “Honey, what is she doing here?”

  “She wants to do makeovers on your contestants at the end of the week. You know, before the big ceremony in the balloon.”

  “I don’t want her doing any makeovers!” Danny protested.

  “It might not be a bad idea,” Agony chimed in. “Our couples could use a little help in that department, if you ask me. Glam up the show.”

  Danny stared at Maddy in disbelief. “I thought you couldn’t stand her.”

  “She’s a lovely girl,” Maddy insisted. “Just so lovely.”

  “So lovely you couldn’t remember her name. Mom, you’re not fooling me. Tell me what’s going on.”

  “I can’t,” she protested. “I’ll get in more trouble.”

  Shep still hadn’t removed his hand from his forehead. Maddy looked to him for comfort, but he was in a trance thinking about the $40,000 that was about to say bye-bye to his bank account.

  “Mom, what’s going on? Tell me.”

  “Her friend Lucille heard us talking about the mail,” Maddy admitted, pointing at Agony and Heartburn. “She threatened to go to the press if you didn’t give Honey a chance to work on your show.”

  Agony clapped her hands. “Is this an old girlfriend?”

  “Yes,” Danny acknowledged with yet another sigh.

  “What an unusual way to try to get a guy back. Next she’ll be stalking you.”

  “She is persistent,” Danny agreed.

  “Oh, but she must love you,” Agony noted, resuming her role as advice giver. “She must want you back very, very much.”

  Maddy was about to get sick. It galled her to have this floozy back in her son’s life. But seeing her own name in the paper as part of a scandal would be worse. “Please, give her a chance.”

  “It seems I have no choice. I never liked that friend of hers, Lucille. Let’s get out of here. We have a lot of people waiting for us.”

  “Danny, please be nice to Lucille,” Maddy pleaded. “If she suspects anything…”

  “I know,” Danny relented as they walked out of the suite.

  Maddy turned to Shep. “Dear, what do you want to do tonight?”

  “Hit the casino. I’m down $40,000.”

  34

  H oney and Lucille were sitting in the lobby for what felt like an eternity.

  “Let’s go,” Honey suggested for the tenth time. “Danny must be putting up a stink with his mother.”

  “We’re not leaving,” Lucille insisted. “This is your only shot.”

  Honey’s lip started to tremble.

  “Don’t! If it doesn’t work, then you and Danny weren’t meant to be.”

  “But we are meant to be!”

  “That’s what the next to last finalist on The Bachelor thought. The whole country watched her get dumped by the man of her dreams and then get whisked back to the limo. If it were me, I’d have told them I’d call a cab.”

  “Lucille!”

  “It’s true. Bing, bang, boom. Move on. I’ve seen enough card games in this city where the guy loses everything. He leaves the table broke. But he ends up back, one way or another.”

  “How does he get back in the game?”

  “Usually by going to a pawn shop and selling his watch.”

  “Well, I just think we’ve been waiting a long time now. I do have some pride, you know.”

  “Swallow your pride, Honey. Just for tonight. Then we’ll see what happens. Danny’s mother is in deep trouble. I’m sure Agony and Heartburn aren’t too thrilled with her right now.”

  The elevator door opened.

  “Oh, my God, here they come,” Lucille said. “Now keep cool.”

  Maddy came right over. She looked somewhat bedraggled. “Danny is so thrilled to have you working on the show, Honey.” She turned around. “Danny! Honey is waiting.”

  Honey melted when she saw him. He was wearing the pair of jeans that she’d sewn the little heart on. It was underneath his belt. They’d joked that no one knew it was there except them. She had on the little red sleeveless dress that he’d always liked, with the matching high-heeled red sandals. Would it help? she wondered.

  Danny walked over and kissed her on the cheek. He nodded at Lucille. “Honey, my mother told me your idea about makeovers for the contestants. It sounds great. The hairdresser and makeup artist will do it free?”

  “As long as they get on TV and can promote themselves,” Honey answered breathlessly.

  “Of course,” Danny agreed. “What else is new? Can you set everything up for Thursday? You know what we’re doing, I guess.”

  “One lucky couple will renew their vows in a hot air balloon,” Honey noted, her voice cracking.

  Keep it together, Honey, Lucille thought. Keep it together.

  “That’s right.” Danny nodded. “So the makeover works at that point in the show.”

  Honey stared at him. She wanted him to take her in his arms. She wanted him to kiss her and tell her he missed her and couldn’t live without her. She wanted him to say he never wanted them to be apart again. “Thursday is fine,” she said.

  “I’ll call you Wednesday to make the final arrangements.”

  “Wonderful,” Honey uttered. At least it’s a start, she thought. Aunt Agony and Uncle Heartburn came over to say hello.

  “Make those girls look sexy,” Heartburn said to Honey. “Just like you.”

  “Thank you, Uncle Heartburn.” Honey glanced over at Danny and was disappointed that he didn’t seem to be paying attention to the conversation.

  “All right, we’re out of here,” Danny instructed his entourage. “Lucille, good to see you. Honey, we’ll be in touch.”

  The group disappeared out the door.

  Lucille looked at Honey. “Well?”

  “Lucille, you know how I’m a little psychic sometimes?”

  “Sort of.”

  “All of a sudden I’m worried. Like something bad is going to happen to Danny. I just feel it in my bones.”

  “Come on,” Lucille groaned. “Let’s go somewhere for a drink. You’ve got to line up the hairdresser and makeup artist. Don’t think about it.”

  Honey went running out the door.

  Lucille ran after her. “Honey, are you nuts?”

  Danny was getting into the driver’s seat of a Balloon Channel van. The others were already inside. Lucille grabbed Honey outside the front door of the hotel. “What are you doing?” she demanded.

  “I just want to warn him.”

  “About what?”

  “To be careful.”

  “Honey, you’re losing it.”

  “I have a bad feeling.”

  “Keep it to yourself. You’ve made progress with him. You’re going to ruin it.”

  Honey shrugged her off. “All right.”

  Together they watched as the van started to pull out. Together they heard the knocking of a flat tire, two flat tires. The van stopped before any harm was done.

  Honey turned to Lucille. “I could have gotten credit for warning him.”

  Lucille snorted. “I got you this far. You owe me a drink.”

  35

  A fter a quiet dinner at the mansion, Erene, Leo, Kitty, and Roscoe were enjoying espresso and dessert in the large dining room. “So what have you found out about Regan Reilly?” Roscoe asked Erene and Leo. A portrait of an expensively dressed man holding a cigar and a glass of brandy hung on the wall, but it had been a long time since the man had enjoyed such pleasures. He was the one in the slammer.

  “She showed up at the 7’s Heaven Hotel with a red wig on,” Erene reported.

  “I told you that if you made too much trouble it would backfire,” Kitty warned. “Danny called her in because of the problems. I just know it.”

  “We didn’t do it all,” Roscoe reminded her. “We’re just trying to make this a fun contest. So, Leo, who’s causing the rest of the trouble?”

  “I don’t know.”


  “Find out!” Roscoe yelled.

  “That’s what Regan’s doing,” Kitty noted practically. “I hear she’s a good investigator. She met her boyfriend when her father was kidnapped. It was such a romantic story. I remember reading about it in a magazine.”

  “How does Danny know her anyway?” Leo asked.

  “Beats me,” Kitty said. She broke a cookie in half and licked the chocolate from the middle.

  “We can’t let her get too close to our operation,” Roscoe continued. “She’ll ruin things. What can we do to keep her quiet—you know, that’s not illegal?”

  Erene was about to quote a study but clamped her mouth shut. Then she started to open it. “We could try throwing her off the trail.”

  “How?”

  “Maybe we should lay off Danny for a couple of days.”

  “Yeah,” Kitty said. “If all goes well, maybe she’ll go home before the end of the week.”

  “Having her around on Friday could be real trouble,” Roscoe said darkly.

  “Your big problem,” Kitty told Roscoe as she bit the cookie,

  “would be if someone really ruins Danny’s show. That’s what you should be worried about.”

  Roscoe whacked his cowboy boots with his riding stick. “What would Merv Griffin do?”

  “He’d have a good lawyer lined up,” Kitty announced.

  “I don’t appreciate that comment, Kathleen,” Roscoe growled.

  Kitty raised her eyebrows. She couldn’t wait for the week to be over.

  “We’ll keep an eye on Regan Reilly,” Leo promised. “We’ll keep an eye on everyone.”

  “I can’t wait to have them all here under one roof,” Roscoe said. “Batten down the hatches, as they say. The storm is coming! Yippee!”

  “It’s more like hide the silver,” Kitty muttered under her breath.

  “I’m feeling restless. Do we have any reservations tomorrow morning for ballooning?” Roscoe asked.

  “Negative,” Erene answered.

  “Then Kitty and I will go up tomorrow morning.”

  “Ohhhh,” Kitty sighed. “That means getting up so early. We have to be out there at six o’clock,” she whined.

  “I thought you liked ballooning,” Roscoe countered. His feelings were obviously hurt.

  “When we do it in the late afternoon. It’s getting up when it’s still dark that kills me.”

  “Balloonists have to be morning people. They have to like getting up before the sun. Coffee never tastes better than at that ungodly hour. Why, this week in Albuquerque, the roads are jammed before daylight. All those adventurous folks heading out to the field with their steaming coffee mugs in hand. All those balloons going up in the air at once. The mass ascension is so colorful, so exciting.” Roscoe’s eyes got misty. “I wish I could be there, but this show is more important. And the contest had to be done this week so that Danny could take advantage of the festival.”

  Leo suggested that Roscoe go down there with Danny’s group early on Friday morning.

  “Friday’s going to be very busy for us.”

  “They’ll be back before lunch.”

  “I don’t know, Leo. I don’t want to look as if I’m playing favorites by spending more time with them.”

  “See how you feel.”

  “All my friends are down there at the festival,” Roscoe remarked wistfully. “I’m sure they’ll miss having me there this week. I’m sure they’ll miss the Balloon Channel balloon. All the camaraderie. All the fun we have. Balloonists are the greatest people. But wait till they see what I do for the sport. The Balloon Federation of America will want to honor me, no doubt. They’ll write me up in Ballooning Magazine. They’ll put up a plaque in honor of me at the National Balloon Museum. The possibilities are endless—”

  “As long as Regan Reilly doesn’t find out what you’re up to and put the kibosh on things,” Kitty stated as she examined the assortment of cookies that remained on the plate. “I’ll have just one more,” she murmured.

  Roscoe whacked his cowboy boot again. “Erene, Leo, what are our priorities right now?” He started snapping his fingers before anyone could answer. “Come on, come on.”

  “It seems that our number one priority,” Erene replied, taking charge, “is to watch Regan Reilly. Let her keep things in order in Danny’s shop, so to speak, but keep her nose out of our operation.”

  “And all things must lead to a good show on Friday night!” Roscoe decreed as he stood up. He stared at the portrait on the wall. “I don’t want to end up in a cell next to him!”

  That’s all I’d need, Kitty thought. I’d have to go looking for a new boyfriend again. I couldn’t take it. She got up out of her chair. “Time for a good night’s rest so we can sail above the treetops tomorrow morning.”

  “Now you’re talking.” Roscoe smiled at Kitty. “And tomorrow night at this time we’ll be dining together with the troops! It’s going to be an exciting day!”

  “You’d go nuts in a jail cell,” Kitty noted as they started to walk out.

  “They should do a study on balloonists who end up in the clink,” Erene suggested. “To see if they have a harder time adapting to confinement. I have to believe that—”

  “Good night, Erene!” Roscoe said brusquely. “I am not going to end up in jail. If I do, it’s your fault and Leo’s fault! Remember that!”

  “Yes, sir.” Erene closed her file and said good night.

  “Good night, boss,” Leo echoed. Turning to Erene he whispered, “I hope we haven’t gotten ourselves in too deep on this one.”

  36

  “W here are you going to, lady?” the cabdriver asked Regan. He was an older man with hoop earrings and wisps of gray hair protruding from a black beret.

  “I’m not sure yet,” Regan answered. “I have to call a friend. Why don’t you drive toward the Strip?”

  The driver rolled his eyes. “Why not? You’re paying me.” He started to hum a song from Les Misérables.

  Regan dialed Danny’s number and put her hand over her left ear. Her chauffeur was obviously a frustrated entertainer. Regan had no doubt that it was only a matter of time before he ended up on a reality show.

  Danny answered his cell phone on the third ring. He sounded out of breath.

  “Danny, it’s Regan. What’s going on?”

  Danny exhaled loudly. “We just had to change two tires on the van.”

  “You got two flats at once?”

  “They were slashed.”

  “Oh, my God, Danny.”

  “The start of the dream date.”

  “Did you have Sam record the proceedings?”

  “Of course. This is a reality show. We’re always looking for surprises.”

  “It seems as though you’ve gotten more than enough of them. Where are you going now?”

  “The fountains in front of the Bellagio. The most romantic spot in town.”

  “I’ll meet you there.” She hung up the phone and leaned forward. It took a moment to get the driver’s attention. He was changing lanes and deeply engrossed in his humming. “Excuse me!”

  He looked in the rearview mirror. “You finally know where you’re going?”

  “The Bellagio. Drop me off in front of the fountains, please.”

  He nodded. “Bee-you-ta-ful!”

  Regan sat back and looked out the window. So now someone’s going after the Balloon Channel vans. Unbelievable.

  A few moments later they pulled up to the sidewalk in front of the hotel. Regan paid the fare, got out, and looked around. Suddenly what sounded like a sonic boom rocked the area. The fountains sprang to life with enormous jets of water whooshing upward from the lake. The theme song from the movie Titanic started to play over the loudspeakers as the gusts of water swayed to the music. It was a spectacular sight to behold once your nervous system had recovered from the initial roar.

  The sidewalk was crowded with tourists, many of whom were taking pictures. Regan walked among them until she finally spotted
the Love Above Sea Level group. The camera was trained on Vicky and Chip who were arm in arm, gazing at the fountains. They turned to each other to share a little kiss on the lips. Ain’t love grand? Regan thought as she walked over to Danny.

  “How’s it going?” she whispered.

  “Well, at least it’s going.”

  When the song was over, Aunt Agony stepped forward. “How do you two feel?” she asked.

  Vicky glowed. “I feel as if we’re on our honeymoon. We went to Niagara Falls. And here we are again, getting sprayed by water. It’s soooooo cool.”

  Chip smiled. “We’ll have to take another trip to Niagara Falls, honey. We’ll have to relive that special, special time.”

  Uncle Heartburn felt the need to participate. “Were either of you ever in love before you met each other?”

  Chip and Vicky both looked pained, but then Vicky laughed. “Not unless you count a bout of puppy love when I was twelve.”

  “And as for me,” Chip replied, “I never knew what love meant until I met Vicky.”

  These guys should be working on the sitcom, Regan decided.

  Agony was truly in her element. “It certainly sounds as though you two have found the spark again,” she told them.

  “It’s burning brighter than ever,” Chip assured her.

  “Cut!” Danny called. “Time to go to dinner.”

  They got into the van. Regan took a seat in the back. There was just enough room for everyone. Danny drove, and Sam sat up front with his camera. Victor, Agony, and Heartburn were in the second row of seats, and Chip and Vicky shared the third row with Regan. Was Regan imagining it, or did the lovebirds seem less lovey-dovey when they weren’t on camera? Chip didn’t have his arm around Vicky—they weren’t even holding hands. And to think they were just insisting it was like their honeymoon.

  “There is a small Italian restaurant just down the road that has agreed to give us a private room for all three dream dates,” Danny explained. “Agony, Heartburn, Chip, and Vicky will have dinner at a quiet candlelit table. After they’re finished, we’ll saunter through the casino at the Bellagio. Sam will be recording it all—right, Sam?”

  Sam nodded. “Like Candid Camera.”