“Because?”
He gave her a sardonic look. “I spend most of my time dealing with the fall-out from my clients’ bad behavior and poor choices.”
“Ah.”
“Yeah. Once the money flows, the crazy multiplies, especially in rock.”
“I’ll bet. I’ve seen a few episodes of
Behind the Music
.”
He grinned. “Then you know exactly what my job is like.”
“I did a quick search on you online.”
“I hope you didn’t see the sex tape.” He winked.
She felt the heat start up her neck and wash over her face. He stared at her with a fascinated air that made her blush more and turn away.
“You do that a lot.” He gestured to her face, with that sexy half-grin.
“You’ll be happy to know I didn’t encounter the video. Even if I had, I wouldn’t watch it. I’d never be able to look you in the eye again.”
“So now you know I used to be perpetually screwed up.”
“I only had time to read the Wikipedia entry on you and Reeking Bliss. No music anymore?”
He touched his chin, brow wrinkled. “No.”
“Oh.”
“I got out for a good reason.”
“I can understand that. People, places, things. Right? But that was ten years ago.”
“Yeah.” His body was rigid. Clearly, he didn’t want to discuss it.
“Well, you seem to have conquered your demons.”
He gave her a sharp look. “You’re a nurse. You know how it goes with that.”
“I do. You can never get too comfortable. Do you think you’ll get back into music?”
“No, but who knows?” He quoted her words back at her with a smile.
Interesting. He didn’t care for his current job but he wasn’t sure enough of his sobriety to risk returning to music.
She opened her magazine and read until the words blurred. Pulling off her jacket, she stuffed it up against the window. The vibration of the plane, the drone of the engine, were the last things she noticed before nodding off to sleep.
The intercom crackled. “We’re beginning our approach to Kennedy, folks.”
She blinked and stretched, then pulled on her jacket.
Alec glanced over at her. “I envy your ability to fall asleep.”
She nodded. “You learn quickly when you work nights to take the sleep when you can get it.”
He handed her a bottle of water.
“Thanks.”
Kate and Alec arrived, disembarked and made their way through the terminal.
She glanced around. This airport was enormous.
Biting her lip, Kate chanced a look at Alec, pulling his carry-on beside her.
“Uh, Alec?”
“Yep.”
“How are we getting to the hotel? Is there a van or — ”
“Nah. The show is taking care of transportation. There should be a driver holding up a sign with our names near baggage claim.”
Oh good.
Should she tell him now? No. At the hotel. She’d tell him at the hotel. But then he’d try to talk her into it. Tomorrow. First thing.
Kate gripped the rail on the escalator. Alec’s tall form was slightly ahead of her and easy to track in the crowd. She spotted a thickset man in a black suit with a sign near the bottom of the escalator that read: “Alec Sawyer”.
Alec approached the man, shook his hand and Kate wheeled her bag up to them.
“Ready?” the man in the black suit asked, gesturing to the exit.
Kate smiled and nodded, sliding up next to Alec. They had almost reached the automatic doors when a voice called out, “Alec Sawyer?” Alec’s body brushed against hers as they walked and she felt his body tense. He turned, and with a polite smile, faced the man who hailed him.
Kate glanced from Alec to the well-groomed businessman, shuffling his feet.
She stayed close to Alec. His body was still stiff, smile polite, distant.
“Yes?”
“
The
Alec Sawyer? The guitarist for Reeking Bliss?”
He took two steps toward Alec, radiating excitement. Alec moved forward and away from the doors.
“Yes.”
They shook hands, as the man, “a big fan,” introduced himself.
Alec looked over his shoulder at Kate. “Will you excuse me a minute?”
“Sure.”
Did he know all these people?
Two more men moved closer to Alec. Kate watched wide-eyed as more and more people gathered to get pictures and shake Alec’s hand.
The people and their requests kept coming. Alec was getting swallowed up in the little crowd. She moved forward to get a better look. His expression was friendly, but not open the way it was with her. People asked him about Bliss.
“Will you guys get back together?”
“Are you here in New York to perform?”
He shook his head, smiling. People took surreptitious pictures of him with their phones. Other people around her murmured, wondering who he was.
“Is he an actor?”
“Who is that?”
A group of girls younger than Emma giggled. “God. He’s hot.”
Kate grinned. She had to agree.
Two statuesque brunettes whispered excitedly to one another before approaching him. They asked a bystander to get a photo of them posing with Alec. Each put an arm around him. One kissed his cheek and the other chatted him up. The taller brunette pushed a piece of paper into Alec’s hand.
Smiling slyly, he tucked it into his jeans pocket.
Kate’s mouth dropped open.
Good Lord!
Was it that easy for him? Yikes.
He allowed a few more pictures and autographs before he backed away, she heard him making excuses.
He rejoined her and the driver and the three of them made their way to the town car.
“Does that happen often?” she asked.
Alec wasn’t exactly besieged, but she was surprised people recognized him.
“Not often, no.” He held the car door for her, as the driver loaded their bags into the trunk. She scooted across the leather seat.
“Most people don’t remember what I look like since I’ve been out of the public eye for a number of years. Occasionally, a real die-hard Bliss fan will want something signed. Hold up a sign with my name at a New York airport?” He smiled, glancing meaningfully at the driver, who was pulling out into traffic. “Yeah, some Bliss fans come out of the woodwork. That’s okay. I only mind when they show up at my house.”
Kate’s hand went to her throat. “Oh, my God.”
“I had to install security systems in my homes in Los Angeles and Cielito.”
“Geez.” She sat back and peeked up at him.
“It was worse back in the day. Bliss had a real cult following, but Cooper got the brunt of the crazies.”
He hadn’t even played for ten years. When he told her on the phone that his past followed him around she hadn’t understood what that meant. Not until now. Something a lot like sympathy bloomed inside her.
Because of rush hour traffic, it took ages to get from the airport to the hotel the show had booked for them, but Kate didn’t mind. She rolled down the window a bit and got a good view of the skyline. Alec worked, tapping out texts and emails on his phone, but she caught his amused glance.
She smiled widely. “Am I gawking?”
“It’s cute. It’s fun to be with someone who’s experiencing New York for the first time. I don’t even remember my first visit.”
“No? It’s incredible. The smell — ”
He laughed. “The smell?”
“It smells different here, the trees — ”
“All I smell is exhaust.”
There were dropped off in front of one of the most expensive, exclusive hotels in the city off Central Park. Horse drawn carriages waited across the street. The lobby was elegant and understated with wood paneling, recessed lighting, and old style lamps. Alec and Kate took the elevator up to their floor. He followed, making sure her key card worked. He pushed her door open and she walked past.
“Wow.”
The room was opulent and elegantly understated, with stunning views of the skyline. She felt a twinge of guilt and bit her lip. The television program was paying for all this and she wasn’t even going to go on.
Alec glanced around. “Nice. Let’s switch rooms,” he offered. “They put me in a suite and you’ll need the extra room with your sister staying. It’s right down the hall.
“Oh, no. I can’t let you do that. If yours is bigger — ”
“Sure you can.” He handed her his key card, and slid hers from her fingers. “You’ll spend more time looking out the window than I will. Guaranteed.” He left his bag in the room and she followed him down the hall to the opposite side of the building. He used his key card to open the door and indicated she should enter. His suite was much larger, with views of Central Park and a telescope for bird or people watching.
“Thanks, Alec.” The guilt surged up and she knocked it down. It couldn’t be helped. Kate checked her watch. “Emma’s train arrives in half an hour. She should be here soon.”
“We have to be at the studio around six
A.M.
tomorrow morning.” He headed for the door. “Meet in the lobby at five-thirty?”
“Great.”
With a jaunty wave, he pulled open the door and disappeared though the doorway. The heavy door closed soundlessly behind him.
“Emma.” Kate rapped on the bathroom door. “We need to go. We’re going to be late.”
They
were
late. Alec was probably cooling his heels in the lobby. Damn it. Of all times for Emma to be running behind.
Emma opened the door grumbling. “Keep your shirt on. Geez.”
Kate checked her phone for the third time in five minutes. Should she tell Alec now? She didn’t want to have to go to the studio.
“We’re officially late.” Kate grabbed the key card and her bag. “You can meet us down there or take a cab.”
She needed to get to the lobby and tell him she couldn’t do it. That way he could go without them. Now they had made him late.
“No, no. I’m ready,” Emma replied, scuttling around the room, collecting her things from where they were strewn on the floor and over various items of furniture.
Kate twisted her hands together in the elevator and took a deep breath. Would he be angry? She hoped not. He’d been so nice, giving up his room and everything.
Alec was standing in the lobby near the concierge when Kate and Emma arrived.
“Ready, ladies?” Alec asked with a cheerful smile.
“Uh … actually, Alec … I,” Kate said.
Alec put a hand behind her back and steered her toward the doors, Emma trailing behind. “Can you tell me in the car?”
Kate bit her lip. What should she say? This was
hard
. He was so nice. And Emma was going to be really disappointed.
Tough.
Kate sat next to Emma on the wide leather seat, across from the glass partition separating the driver.
She glanced at Emma.
Emma caught her eye, nodded to Alec and mouthed “hot.”
Kate widened her eyes, shaking her head. She adjusted her neckline, her fingers searching for, but not finding the locket.
Emma’s hazel eyes narrowed. “Where’s Mom’s locket?”
Alec looked up from his phone, eyebrows raised.
Kate bit her lip. “I lost it.”
“You
lost
it? After all this time? Where?”
“On the beach.” Kate frowned at her sister with a small shake of her head.
“Oh, Kate!”
“You lost your mom’s locket on the beach that day?” Alec asked, giving her a direct look.
Kate waved a hand airily. “It’s okay. It wasn’t valuable or anything.”
“It was invaluable,” Emma insisted. “You haven’t taken it off since Mom died, not even to
shower.”
Kate blew out a breath with exasperation. “Yes. It sucks. It really sucks, but it’s
gone
.”
“Did you try — ” Emma said.
Her throat thickened and she stared up at the roof. “Emma. Please. Not now.”
Emma pressed her lip together mutinously, but remained silent.
The limo pulled up to the studio.
“Wait. I … I can’t.” Kate said.
Alec and Emma stared at her.
“Can’t what?” Emma said.
Kate took a deep breath. “I can’t do this.”
The driver opened the door. Kate scooted over and closed it.
Alec put a hand out to her.
“It’s normal to be scared. You can do it, trust me. You’ll be nervous but you’ll loosen up.” He shot her a crooked grin.
Kate shook her head. Once. Hard. She met Alec’s gaze evenly. “No.”
Emma started to protest. “But, Kate — ”
“I mean it. I’m not going on the show. I’m sorry.” Kate’s eyes filled with tears and she covered her face with her hands.
Raising her head, she whispered, “Please.”
Alec sighed. “All right. I’ll explain. You sit with Emma in the studio audience. Will that work?”
Kate let out the breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. “Yes.”
Emma was staring at her wide-eyed. “Kate, what the hell?”
Kate ignored her. Alec opened the door and they filed out. Once inside the building their group was hustled into elevator and up to the studio.
An assistant took Emma to her seat in the front row. Kate followed and took the seat next to her. The woman looked down at her clipboard and frowned.
“I’m only supposed to seat the sister,” she said. “Who are you?”
“I’m the other sister.”
She cocked her head. “The one who made the rescue?”
“Yeah. I’ve decided not to go on.”
The woman raised her eyebrows and her lips twisted. “I’ll have to get the okay on that. You can sit there in the meantime.”
She strode away.
“I can’t believe you, “Emma hissed. “What’s wrong? Why don’t you want to go on?”
Kate glanced at her, settling herself onto the padded seat. “I don’t want to be on television.”
Emma frowned. “Then why did you come?” Her eyes widened. “Oh. Free trip to New York. Brilliant.”
Heat rose in Kate’s cheeks. “No, I … I thought I could. But I can’t.”
Emma shrugged. “Whatever. After this we can spend the day together.”
Kate and Emma sat through endless news updates. Finally they showed clips of the town of Cielito and surfers riding waves.
Alec walked out, glanced at Kate in the audience and gave her a little wave. He shook hands with Bethany Lucas and Jim Robinson, the co-hosts, before taking a seat on the couch. Alec’s dark gray suit fit him perfectly, only his longish hair kept him from looking outrageously conservative.