She pointed to the other side of the aisle. “And my mom’s brothers, who are usually not very nice, but helping kids with GUD makes them a little nice.”
Chuck fought to hold back his smile. It wasn’t easy. As the sour looks on the faces of Ross and Aldrich were priceless.
“And my friend Billy and my Aunt Dana, who aren’t here. They said they’re in a traffic jam, but they’re probably just kissing. They are always kissing.”
More laughter from the audience. Kids will say the funniest things … unless they’re talking about you.
Dr. Soos took back the microphone before any further damage could take place, and announced that there were cupcakes and other refreshments in the back of the room, which he encouraged the crowd to take advantage of before the official ribbon cutting ceremony was to take place.
He didn’t have to ask Carolyn twice. “Then what are we waiting for? I’m starving!”
Chapter 3
Billy Harper pulled the car into the parking spot and rushed to remove his seat-belt.
Dana Boulanger didn’t join his hurry. She remained seated, staring at him. He’d seen that look before. Not that it was a bad thing, but they were seriously late.
“Are you coming?” he asked.
She continued to stare. “Have I ever told you that I love when you wear that tweed jacket with the glasses—you look very author-y.”
“You have, and perhaps we could discuss it inside.”
“They think we’re off somewhere making-out, anyway, so what do you say we first do some self-fulfilling prophesying?”
Before he could answer, Dana had grabbed him by the jacket and pulled him over the center console, and onto her. And they began kissing.
“I’ve wanted to do that since we left Providence,” she purred upon coming up for air.
Billy ran his hand up her stocking-covered leg and underneath her short skirt. Dana gnawed on his bottom lip, which was always the signal to keep going … and preferably a little faster.
But she suddenly stopped. “We can’t do this.”
“We can’t?” he asked, trying to catch his breath.
“I mean, in the front seat of your car—what are we, in high school?”
“We can move to the backseat if it will make you feel more comfortable.”
She appeared to be thinking about it. “Not sure that will work. It’s a little crowded back there.”
The backseat was stacked with the latest in the Peanut Butter & Jelly children’s book series—the leftovers from the signing.
“I could toss them out—no big loss,” he said, effectively killing the mood, and opening himself to unwanted psyche-analysis.
“Okay, that’s the third mention of that this week—what’s wrong? You always wanted to be a best-selling author, and now that you are, you’re acting like you’ve been sentenced to doing hard labor in a prison camp.”
Billy inhaled a deep breath and slowly blew it out. “It’s not that I’m not grateful, but I always thought I’d get to tell the stories I wanted to tell. These books were just a way to stay connected to my children, not something to sell.”
“If I may speak as your agent, Peanut Butter & Jelly is getting your name out there. It has allowed me to step through doors I otherwise couldn’t have, and when I’m in those rooms I can bring up your other work.”
He flashed her a skeptical look.
“And you know as well as I do, we could never publish your manuscript for ‘Ain’t No Senator’s Daughter’ due to your agreement with LaRoche, which allowed you to get Anna and Maddie back.”
Billy couldn’t believe he was forced to make a concession to the man who tried to steal his children like they were bargaining chips.
“And we all agreed to not publish the story of Carolyn and Operation Anesthesia—The Painless Princess—to keep her name out of it.”
“I know. And I took your advice to write another story.”
“The Old College Try” was about a star college quarterback, whose life became a living hell when he chose academics over football at a major university. It was semi-autobiographical.
“There haven’t been any bites yet, but you know I’ll keep pushing it. In the meantime, if you could add some vampires or zombies to the story, it would really help in this book market,” she said with a smile.
“If publishers aren’t interested, maybe we can self-publish it—it’s been all the rage lately.”
She kept smiling. “But then you wouldn’t need me anymore … and I’d lose my 15%.”
He smiled back. “I’d still keep you around for the cooking and sex.”
“I can’t cook.”
“Good point.”
Their kissing resumed.
But round two ended with the same result. “I’m sorry, but a day like this I just need a little more romance … and candy … not that those two things are mutually exclusive.”
His expression turned puzzled. “A day like this?”
“Don’t play dumb with me, mister—you know it’s Valentine’s Day.”
“I think you mean Hallmark Stockholders Appreciation Day.”
“You are so very cynical.”
“I don’t need a holiday to prove I love you.”
“Says all the guys sleeping on the couch for forgetting Valentine’s Day. And besides, you’re a very bad liar.”
Billy was actually a good liar. It came from hiding his pain for as long as he did when his life came crashing down after his children were taken from him—a survival instinct. But in this instance, he had no idea what Dana was talking about.
“Well, that and I’m a snoop. Which isn’t very challenging with you, since you never close anything—you left open the Internet when you were searching for restaurants for tonight. Some of my favorites by the way. Well done, Mr. Harper.”
“I did check for dinner reservations, that is true, but I gave up when I realized it was Valentine’s Day. Most of the places in Boston were already booked. So I was thinking our best bet was to go back to the hotel, order some room service, and watch the chick-flick of your choice.”
There would be no round three. She pushed him off of her and got out of the car—stepping into the cold afternoon, a sprinkle of snowflakes falling.
Billy watched as Dana shook her long, curly dark hair and adjusted her skirt. He’d never seen someone so perfect—and it wasn’t just her physical beauty. As much as Carolyn had taught him how to live again after his crash, Dana was his reason to live. He’d never felt so grateful for anything, and he had no plans to let her down tonight.
Chapter 4
“Billy!” Carolyn exclaimed as she ran toward him, her mouth half full of chocolate cupcake.
“Look—it’s Princess Carolyn of New Canaan. What brings you to Boston, my fair lady?”
Carolyn looked disappointed. “I thought we talked about this, Billy—I’m Supergirl now … not princess.”
There had been so many changes in her the past year that it was hard to keep up. Carolyn’s attention moved to Dana, while pointing to the Mickey Mouse watch on her wrist.
Dana got the point. “I know, I know … late to my own funeral. Now get over here so I can hug you.”
Dana twirled her around as they embraced, her breezy smile returning. “So did we miss anything?” she asked upon setting the girl down.
Carolyn spoke with excitement, “Only that we got free umbrellas and cupcakes! And I got to go on stage and talk into a microphone! And I got to meet my favorite children’s author ever … Dr. Seuss!”
“Hey, what am I chopped liver?” Billy asked, feigning annoyance.
Carolyn laughed. “Chopped liver sounds icky.”
“My favorite children’s author is Billy Harper,” a voice said, approaching them from behind. “At least he’s my nieces’ favorite, and that’s good enough for me.”
“Donovan!” Dana said, and hugged him with the same zeal she did Carolyn. They looked like lovers embracing after returning from war.
After breaking the hug, the man extended his hand to Billy, introducing himself as Dr. Donovan Soos and they shook.
“But he’ll always be Little Donnie to me,” Dana said and grabbed hold of the doctor’s cheek like an Italian grandmother.
“I brought a couple of books with me, hoping you could sign them for my nieces. I hope you don’t mind,” he said.
“Sure, not a problem,” Billy answered, as he gauged the doctor.
Dana had spent much time working with “Little Donnie” as they spearheaded the Boulanger Wing project. He was a childhood friend whom she contacted after Carolyn became determined to make this a reality. Of course, Billy had been expecting someone bookish and socially-awkward, more Dr. Seuss, less Dr. Zeus.
“It looks like my mother is going to be devastated,” he said to Billy, who was confused by the comment.
“I’m not sure I understand.”
“She’s always believed that Dana was the woman for me. The future Mrs. Soos. But now I have to tell her that I could never compete with her current beau. I mean a football star turned children’s book author—that’s not a real person, that’s a Nicholas Sparks character!”
Billy decided that maybe he had rushed to judgment—he didn’t seem so bad.
“Once a charmer, always a charmer,” Dana said with a laugh, and lightly rested her hand on the doctor’s arm.
“You doubt my sincerity, Ms. Boulanger? I say we put it to a vote. I’m willing to bet that the women of Boston think just as highly of your Billy.”
“And how exactly would we do that?” Dana said smiling, enjoying the theatrics.
“Do you two have plans tonight? I don’t want to be presumptuous, being that it’s Valentine’s Day.”
“Since one of us doesn’t believe in Valentine’s Day,” Dana sent a lighthearted glare in Billy’s direction. “We are free. What do you have in mind?”
“We’re holding an auction to raise money for our oncology department—win a Valentine’s date with some of Boston’s most dashing bachelors. We have sports stars, business leaders, news anchors, you name it.”
“And you want Billy?” Gwen asked with a snicker.
“Are you kidding me? I’ll bet I can get an extra thousand for that dimpled chin alone.”
Billy didn’t like where this was headed. “I’m really flattered, but we’ve had a long day, and there’s only one woman for me. I wouldn’t feel comfortable going on a date with another—that would be false advertising.”
“I’m fine with it,” Dana said.
“I just think …”
“He’s in,” Dana cast the deciding vote.
With important business settled, Dr. Soos wanted to introduce Dana to a few hospital executives, whom were thrilled to take her money.
“Can I come? It was my idea,” Carolyn asked.
“You’re Supergirl—who am I, a mere mortal, to dictate terms to a superhero?” Dr. Soos said with an exaggerated look of disbelief.
“You make a lot of sense,” Carolyn said, and followed them.
Billy made his way to Chuck, hoping to find a more receptive audience.
“So how’d the book signing go?”
“My agent tells me it went great.”
“Sounds like she just sold you to the competition—well played by her. This way, when you go off on your date, she and the perfect doctor can cozy up.”
“That’s not funny.”
“Wasn’t meant to be. Did you know that when he finished medical school he moved to an impoverished part of Africa, where he saved an entire village?”
“I really need to get out of this auction.”
In a matter of seconds his entire plan had been thrown off course. Story of his life.
Chapter 5
The ribbon-cutting ceremony took place to smiles and applause, as Carolyn did the honors.
Most were genuine, but some forced—Ross and Aldrich came to mind. Billy still couldn’t believe Dana was able to convince them to donate the money to the cause. He knew firsthand that she could push all the right buttons when she wanted something, and was near impossible to turn down, so he would never discount her persuasiveness. But more likely, the Boulanger brothers saw a way to capitalize on the good publicity that Carolyn had generated with her unique story … not to mention a tax write-off. And maybe they thought if they tossed Dana a bone, she might stay out of future, and bigger, family business. But as someone once told him, he could be a little on the cynical side.
As soon as the photo-op ended, the brothers were heading for their limos for a return to Greenwich. While the remaining group took a tour of the facilities they’d funded.
Dr. Soos led the way, with Carolyn nipping at his heels, hanging on his every word. As was Dana, who was also laughing at all the good doctor’s jokes like she’d gone way past the two-drink minimum in a comedy club.
The Boulanger Wing looked for the most part like a normal hospital floor, but with a less clinical feel to it. Billy could tell that Carolyn was starting to grow skeptical of the “house, not a hospital” mantra.
There was still construction in progress, so they had to wear hardhats in certain areas, which predictably thrilled Carolyn. Dr. Soos showed off the work that was being done, and introduced them to the first wave of patients. Their rare maladies included Leigh’s Disease, a severe neurological disorder that affects children in the first year of life. And the particularly insidious, NPC1, a form of Niemann-Pick Disease, in which the body is unable to breakdown fatty substances called lipids, leading to a virtual death sentence, often during what should be the carefree teenage years.
They also came across diseases and disorders that made Carolyn’s CIPA seem almost normal, such as Hypertrichosis, also known as “Werewolf Syndrome,” and SCID, a disease where those afflicted are essentially born without an immune system, which became well-known due to a 1970s movie known as “The Boy in the Plastic Bubble.” Witnessing the suffering these children and their parents were going through was tough to take for Billy, but it also made him even more proud of Carolyn for her leadership in trying to make a difference.
Many hospital staff members came up to her and thanked her for what she had done to make this possible, and she humbly replied with adult comments like, “It’s my pleasure,” and “It’s the least I could do.”
Billy couldn’t help but to smile. She’d had a tough year-and-a-half, dealing with her mother’s death, and frustrated that his schedule didn’t always allow them to “stick together” like he’d promised. But while her likes and interests might have changed, at her core, she was still the same fearless, joyful girl who had taught him what is was to really live.
And she had so embraced her condition that when they told her that this donation might one day lead to a cure for CIPA, she questioned whether she wanted to be “cured.” She viewed her painlessness as her superpower, not a handicap.
As Carolyn continued to interact with the GUD kids and their families, Billy got a moment alone with Dana, and made his case, “I don’t really think this auction is a good idea—I was hoping we could spend the night together.”
“We will be together … at least until you go off with your date.”
“Which will free you and Dr. McDreamy up to spend Valentine’s together.”
“Please tell me that you’re not jealous.”
“Let’s just say, he’s not what I’d expected. And I thought your description of him left out a few key important points.”
“You are jealous. What if I got upset every time one of those women flirted with you at your book signings? You do notice that they dress like their headed for the club, and rarely bring their husbands along, right? Do you think they dress like that for Stephen King?”
“I don’t even know those women. You and the doctor have a long history together.”
“Yeah, we rode bikes together and played in the sandbox, real romantic stuff.”
“What if I told you I really do have dinner reserva
tions, and I wanted to surprise you?”
“I think that you missed your chance, bud. And besides, you don’t need Hallmark telling you what to do, every day is Valentine’s Day for you, right?”
He wasn’t going to win this one.
The tour continued, and Carolyn began to drag a little. Chuck took notice, so when they passed the hospital cafeteria he suggested they grab a bite to eat—something a little more nutritious than the many cupcakes she’d engulfed—which Carolyn could wash down with her favorite, strawberry milk.
She sighed. “Strawberry milk is for kids … I drink chocolate milk now.”
Chuck was also having trouble keeping up with the many changes in his daughter’s likes and dislikes. “So you’re like an adult now?”
She thought for a moment, giving the question serious thought. “I guess I’m still a kid, but I’m kinda an old-young kid.”
To know her, the statement made complete sense.
Chocolate milk it was. Father and daughter stepped into the cafeteria, trailed by Billy, while Dana and Lindsey stayed behind so that the doctor could regale them with tales of his brilliance, and send them into sidesplitting laughter with his jokes, probably.
Carolyn burst through the door, and almost toppled a man headed in the opposite direction.
The man wobbled, but maintained his balance, all while saving his tray of food.
Accident diverted, but Chuck still scolded, “What did I tell you about slowing down? And watching where you’re going?”
They had been over this with her numerous times, but despite her words to the contrary, she just never grasped the concept. It was completely foreign to her. To Carolyn, life had one speed—Mach-12 with your hair on fire.
“What do you say, Carolyn?” Chuck continued.
She looked up at the athletic looking man, his bushy hair graying at the temples. “I’m sorry for going too fast and almost knocking you over.”
The Carolyn Chronicles, Volume 1 Page 2
