She glanced up at him. “Okay,” she finally said. He bent for a kiss and another long hug.
By Friday they had not only prepared a press release and a press conference, but they had hired an assistant to help Andy so she wouldn’t have to rely so heavily on Graham. He understood that her first few months of pregnancy had left her isolated, so they decided she would need an ally who could help take care of her while Vanni was working. This new assistant could run interference whenever she needed to call for Graham’s assistance on security or even the show’s production, and since she had been independently hired would have a loyalty to the couple, rather than Graham and his label. In fact they had steered purposefully away from Graham’s label, his security personnel and even his P.R. firm where Gwen worked in order to find an assistant, recommended instead through an employment service that dealt with the special concerns and demands of celebrities.
Kelly Coletti was young and energetic, a dark-haired college student of Italian descent who hailed from San Diego, California. She was a communications major, who had decided to pay her mountain of bills by becoming a personal assistant. She needed a flexible schedule, and Andy needed a confidante sufficiently outside of their professional circle. Though she was an attractive girl, Vanni seemed uninterested in much contact beyond the practical. He doted on Andy. His main concern was that Kelly would do likewise.
Kelly’s first order of business was to find a list of houses for them to look at over the weekend. They gave her a list of what they wanted, so she stayed on the laptop in the corner of Andy’s office while Andy did her job developing relationships with sponsors for the show. Kelly was close enough if Andy needed her, and her presence seemed to discourage Graham from spending too much time in her office. He’d bring her lunch, but Kelly had already taken care of it. He’d stop by with water or juice, only to find Kelly was on top of any of Andy’s practical needs. If he wanted to talk about the show, Kelly was always in the background as a deterrent for things to get too personal.
By the time their press conference rolled around, Graham realized with a sinking heart they fully intended to go public with their happy news. This would wrench Andy even further out of his life and cement her permanently into Vanni’s. He himself was snippy and irritable as he tried to juggle his label’s commitments and the new production.
He wasn’t needed on the studio lot, but he found himself there at least a couple of hours a day. Maggie sometimes accompanied him, especially since his hectic schedule was doing a number on his recovery. Maggie suspected that had more to do with his souring mood, but she didn’t say anything as she basically stayed in the shadows until she was needed – like a true employee.
If Graham was being honest with himself, he’d have admitted that was part of his problem. He had gone from having a comfortable friendship with a loyal roomie, and now he rambled around his huge mansion feeling colder and lonelier than before. It made all the aches and pains stand out more than they might have otherwise.
It was almost like going through a divorce without the benefit of marriage. And Maggie wasn’t giving an inch. If he tried to adopt a more teasing, playful tone, she’d grow more sullen and quiet. She was there to do a job, and she reminded him of that at every opportunity – in word and in deed.
It was hard to believe it was only a few months back when Andy, Maggie and he had cooked a Thanksgiving dinner together and spent the holiday as a pseudo-family of misfit orphans. Now he was the only orphan left in the giant white mausoleum he called home. He started drinking to numb himself to the pain, and had even begun to forsake his valuable therapy whenever Maggie wasn’t there to bark orders at him like a drill sergeant.
What difference did it make?
When Vanni appeared at the press conference at an outdoor high-scale mall in West L.A., Graham couldn’t help but show up. He had toppled over a masochistic hill. It made perfect sense he’d want to watch the entitled asshole who had taken the woman he loved away from him pound the last nails into the coffin of that long-dead relationship.
He was surprised that Maggie showed up as well, as if she sensed he needed her. She stayed toward the back out of sight, as she always had done, and they waited for Vanni to break the news.
The crowd that had accumulated to see the breaking news went crazy when Vanni walked on stage and greeted the celebrity journalist who hosted. Behind him were banners with the logo for the new show, along with several faces of the hopeful contenders who would compete. “Welcome, Giovanni,” the host said as he motioned to a tall chair on stage.
“Thanks for having me,” Vanni said amiably.
“So tell us about your new project,” the host offered on cue.
“It’s a talent show called Fierce, and it allows those contestants to succeed based on talent and audacity alone. We’re not looking for a product we can package. We want to find true role models and idols that other generations can look up to for all the right reasons. Dixie Entertainment and Baxter Mega-Worldwide Media Corporation have partnered together to find the next superstar from unexpected places.”
“How is this different than other talent shows on air?”
“We’re committed to giving everyone the same chance, no matter who they are. We don’t want some paint-by-numbers process or paper doll, one-dimensional contestants already hand-picked using some tired casting criteria. Once you see our judging process, you’ll understand. It’s very thorough and completely fair and unbiased. There are several stages our contestants must go through before they get to the live shows where America can vote for their favorites, and each judge has his or her own vocal and professional standards for a contestant to advance. We make these choices based on gut instinct alone, not because a crowd tells us to or another judge influences our initial reaction. We’re completely focused on giving each contestant the opportunity to wow us.”
“Who are the judges?”
“Allison Ewing, who, I don’t have to tell you, was a country diva from the 1980s. She enjoyed several crossover hits, so she knows what it takes to succeed in several markets. Most of all she tells it like it is and she’s fully committed to finding a new face, and voice, for women in music for the 21 century. We are joined by Ryder Reed, a record producer from New York. His work with several club DJs and electronic music has an eye on the future of how music is packaged for the public. And finally there’s me.” He smiled wide. “Just a boy from Philly who got lucky enough to make a living in this business. I get where these kids are coming from and I am totally committed to making sure they catch the stars they’re reaching for.”
“We’re a little surprised you would lock yourself into this kind of commitment when you are still a top-selling artist on the charts. Will you be putting your own singing career and your band, Dreaming in Blue, on hold for the show?”
Vanni remained congenial, when essentially the host had just asked him if he was selling out. “I have commitments much closer to home that require my attention now,” he offered.
The host went off the spine a bit, and asked what all the tabloids wanted to know. “Is this because you are a daddy-to-be?”
He hadn’t come out in public and admitted that he was the father of Holly’s child, so he resented – deeply – this interviewer would go there when it wasn’t on the list of topics to cover. It was sensationalism journalism at its finest, hyping rumor and conjecture to sell magazines and pump up ratings. He ambushed him to get Vanni off his game, but Vanni had come prepared, with a few more aces in his pocket.
“As a matter of fact,” he said with a slightly clinched jaw, “it is. My fiancé, Andy Foster, and I will welcome our first child in July. We found out we were expecting in December, so we wanted to find a project close to home while we wait for the blessed event. Actually she’s working with us on the project. We really couldn’t be happier or more excited for both developments.”
He felt somewhat gratified that the news took the interviewer off guard, much more than his own question
had done to Vanni. And it was a live show; there was nothing he could do to re-edit the tape. “Congratulations,” the host stammered. “And best of luck on your new show,” he offered, in a closing line to get Vanni off the stage.
“My pleasure,” Vanni said as he shook the other man’s hand.
And he truly meant it.
After Vanni left the stage for the next guest on the entertainment magazine’s show, Maggie turned to where Graham stood off to the side with the other suits. She could see that this news was not as shocking to him as it was to her. She wondered when he had found out, because he had said nothing to her… even when she had left the house.
She wound her way through the crowd to get to Graham, trotting behind him as he turned from the press tent and headed toward the parking garage. “Graham!”
He turned back to face her. His eyes were deadened with pain he couldn’t express. Now the whole world knew that Andy and Vanni had been together, even when she had lived with Graham. If Maggie’s math was correct, Andy was pregnant from the time she moved back into the house in October, after his pneumonia scare. That meant every time he had taken her into his bed, she was already carrying another man’s child. How her heart ached for him.
“I’m sorry,” she said.
He shrugged. “It’s over now,” he said in a low, defeated voice.
She silently walked over to where he stood and took him into an uncharacteristic hug, which he allowed. He rested his face against her hair. She felt like home. He hadn’t realized until that moment how much he missed her. Not just as a stand-in for Andy, but as the friend she had become. He reluctantly ended the embrace. “I guess I should get home,” he said as he pulled away.
She took his hand in hers. “Then let’s go,” she said with a smile.
They dismissed the company car so that she could drive him home. The house was closed up and stale, something she had missed when she had been in her self-pitying stupor for the last week. There wasn’t even any food in the kitchen; it was like everyone had disappeared on Graham when he needed someone the most. She got him settled into a therapeutic whirlpool bath before she set off for the store. She stopped to get her bag and check out of the hotel. She hadn’t asked him if she could move back to the house, but she decided to make an executive decision. He was clearly floundering. She was going to fly in on her merry, magical umbrella and save the day.
That’s just what people did when they loved someone. More importantly, that was what Maggie Fowler did when she loved somebody.
While at the store she bought fresh flowers. It hadn’t escaped her notice that the carcasses of her last batch sat withered in their vases scattered across Graham’s house. She stopped at a restaurant to get a meal already prepared, something hot and steaming fresh, and then headed back home.
She carried the bags into the kitchen, and noticed that Graham had finished with his whirlpool bath and was sitting on the deck in his wheelchair, wearing only a robe. He fended off the cold with a snifter of brandy as he stared into the inky darkness of the Pacific.
She placed the bags on the counter before she headed out onto the deck. He didn’t even turn around when she walked over to where he sat. “I brought dinner,” she said.
He tipped the glass to his lips. “Not hungry,” he muttered.
She grabbed the glass from his hand. “Don’t care. You need something more substantial than alcohol. I can tell by looking at you that you haven’t been exercising. We have to keep those muscles strong.”
He sighed as he slumped against the wheelchair. These days he only used it when he was tired. And today he was exhausted. It had been a rough week, both physically and mentally. He felt Andy pushing him aside and he didn’t like it. It was convenient to blame Vanni but the truth was she had made her choice. Graham was back to fighting the world on his own. As far as he could peer into the future, he’d be fighting it on his own. Was there really a point in staying strong? He’d hit all his professional milestones. He built his label from the ground up, and now it ran like clockwork even when he was playing hooky at a studio lot, chasing after Andy like a forlorn puppy. He was seriously contemplating the idea of retiring and moving the hell away from Los Angeles.
He’d finally accepted, especially hearing Vanni proudly proclaim Andy as his wife to be, that there really wasn’t anything there for him anymore.
It was the same kind of self-defeating attitude Maggie had pulled him out of when they first met. He was feeling mighty low then, too, when he didn’t see the point of therapy because he couldn’t yet move his legs.
For being so successful, he had a hard time moving past setbacks – at least since Andy had come into his life. It made Maggie resent her even more.
She walked around to face him, giving him something more to look at than staring blindly toward the ocean. She put one hand on her hip. “Don’t tell me I have to start over from scratch with you. You get your heart broken and all of a sudden you’re willing to throw in the towel? That’s not the Graham Baxter I know.”
He wore an ironic smile. “And who is the Graham Baxter you know, Mags?”
“He’s one of the strongest and smartest and kindest guys I have ever met. He’s got more determination in his little finger than most people do in their entire bodies. Not only did he build a multi-media corporation, he willed himself to walk again after a paralyzing gunshot wound. And he certainly wouldn’t sit here on this deck, drinking like a fool over some idiot too stupid to know what’s good for her.”
He shook his head. He knew that she was unhappy with Andy’s choices, but he didn’t want her trashing her like that. She wasn’t a fool. She was just young. Everyone was allowed to be stupid when they were young. “You don’t understand,” he offered.
“Then explain it to me.”
“I love her, Mags. Right or wrong. I’ve loved her since the very first moment I took her in my arms and asked her to dance. She fit just like the missing piece of a puzzle. Without her…” he took a deep breath. “Without her, I feel incomplete.”
She sighed. Then she put the snifter down on the table beside his wheelchair. She turned back to him with an outstretched hand. “Dance with me.”
Confusion knit his brow. “What?”
“Dance with me,” she repeated.
He hesitated for only a moment. But he had come to trust Maggie over their long year together. It was too late to question her methods now. He struggled to his feet, cinched his robe and walked into her arms.
She pulled him close and they began to sway, with nothing but the melodic rhythm of the ocean to guide them. “Close your eyes,” she whispered as she laid her head on his shoulder. He complied. She continued, almost hypnotically. “Feel my arms,” she instructed as she circled him in a strong embrace. “Feel my body,” she whispered against his ear.
His eyes were closed so using only the sensation of touch he concentrated on every curve of her body that touched his. She was warm and supple in his arms.
“Love is a circle, Graham. You get what you give, like the ebb and flow of the tide. It restores and renews the parts it takes away; otherwise it’s not really love at all. In every other case it’s just a dance. Two bodies responding to each other until the music has ended and they have to move on.” She pulled back again and his eyes opened to stare into her face, illuminated by the moonlight. “It’s time to move on,” she said.
He didn’t say a word as his eyes traveled across her face. Ultimately they landed on her parted lips, and for a crazy moment he wanted to know what her kiss would taste like. It was crazy. She was his nurse… his friend… but she was also a very real woman standing in the circle of his arms. He could feel her heart thunder against her breast, which was pressed so firmly against his solid chest.
Even more remarkably he felt himself stir for her. It was as if he was seeing her for the first time. She was rewriting his history by erasing the ghost of Andy and penciling herself in the empty space. And somehow, he didn’t find it that ob
jectionable. She was right; they were two bodies responding to each other, both free of any other obligations that would prevent them from enjoying it.
Andy had been the pot at the end of the rainbow he would endlessly chase but never quite catch. Maggie was the one who, at the darkest moments of his deepest despair, would show him a flicker of light at the end of the tunnel. “Mags,” he whispered as his head began a most imperceptible tilt towards her own.
Her eyes widened as she read the intent in his darkened eyes. For an infinitesimal moment she had found herself reaching back, almost out of some primal instinct to respond to the man she’d grown to love. But before their lips could meet she wrenched herself from the embrace. She was many things, but a substitute she had sworn to herself never to be. She cleared her throat and headed toward the house. “Dinner’s getting cold,” she said as she disappeared into the kitchen.
Graham was left to catch his breath in the cool night air. His robe had loosened and his body betrayed him, so he waited a moment before he followed her inside.
He was contrite once he faced her. “I’m sorry, Maggie. That was totally inappropriate.”
She shook it off with a wave of her hand. “My fault entirely,” she said. “That’ll teach me to go off the spine,” she added with an embarrassed grin.
He walked over to where she stood, preparing their plates to keep her hands and her thoughts busy. He turned her to face him, taking both her hands in his. “You helped more than you know,” he assured her.
She nodded, but she wasn’t completely sure she hadn’t just thrown her heart away. If he had kissed her, she strongly suspected she’d never get it back.
The rest of their evening was quiet and comfortable, with no further mention of what had almost happened on the patio.
But that night, when he retired to the privacy of his bedroom, he couldn’t stop thinking of how her body felt in his arms, or the look in her eyes before they almost kissed. Every time he closed his eyes he could feel her, and his hungry body responded in kind.
The Complete Groupie Trilogy Page 66
