Face the Music (34 page)

He opened his mouth to say something but then froze, and in a very low, serious tone, whispered, “
D
on’t move.” 

“What?”  I asked, alarmed.

He stared at me, his face frozen, eyes wide.  “There’s a spider.”

I jumped up and felt my face turn white as I scanned the table for the
horrible eight-legged monster.

Chris laughed hard enough that his eyes filled with tears.
 

“That’s not funny!”

He grabbed my hand and tried his best to appear somber
,
though he barely managed to hold back a grin.  “Sorry, I couldn’t resist.” 
He wiped at his eyes
.  “But
,
there really was one.  I got it though.”  He offered me his crumpled napkin.  “Want the evidence?” 

I jumped back and nearly knocked over my chair.  “Ewww, no!  Chris!”

He roared with laughter, but I failed to see the humor.  I just lo
oked at him and shook my head. 
“
R
emember,” I said calmly after watching him squirm
under my glare
, “paybac
ks are a bitch.”

The amusement that spread across his face had been worth every second of torture.

Someone across the room announced
that
it was time for cake.  Jake stood by me as we sang
Happy Birthday
.

“Did you get the note about the
meeting on Thursday?” he asked as Chris blew out the candles.

“What meeting?” 

He filled me in on the details.  Apparen
tly there was a mandatory, full-
staff meeting scheduled for eight o’clock Thursday night to discus
s the final weeks of the show.
 

“That’s dumb,” I complained.  “Why do I have to be there?  I only have one student.”

“I don’t want to go either,” he said.

  “Maybe I can claim ignorance.  You kno
w, since no one ever told me.”

***

Unfortunately
,
that plan was blown when I found
the email in my inbox
.  The word ‘mandatory’ was bold and twice the size of the other font.  I’d have to skip my class
that night
.

I arrived at the meeting room a few minutes prior to eight and spotted Jake sitting with some of the guys from the camera crew.  He waved me over.  Chris and the remaining Stars were at a rectangular table on the opposite side of the room.  Cynthia had her seat pulled up close to Chris’s.  She was nearly in his lap.

Jake gave me a tedious smile.  “I hate meetings.”

“Me too.  I still don’t know why we all have to be here for this.” 

Mr. Doveland
, the producer,
stood and called the meeting to order.  He made some announcements, thanked us all for coming, and hoped we would be comfortable as final plans were discussed.  “Help yourselves to the appetizers,” he said.  “
Don’t be shy, t
here’s plenty to go around.”

“Hungry?”  Jake asked.  “
I’m going to fill a plate.  Want anything?”

I looked through the options, deciding on a mini cheeseburger, a couple of stuffed mushrooms, and a handful of chips.  I spotted a platter of chocolate covered strawberries, took two, and dabbed a dollop of whipped cream on the side. 

Jake and I sat back down as the assistant producer went over ratings.  I suppose the information was important, but I didn’t pay much attention.  It’s not like any of it affected me.

The burger was tasteless, so after only a bite I pushed it to the side of the plate.  I picked up a strawberry, smeared some whipped cream across it, and took a bite.  Juice dribbled down my chin, and I hurried to catch it with a napkin before it dripped on my shirt.
  Jake
reached over and wiped some whipped cream off my cheek.

I picked at the rest of my food and sat quietly, pretending to pay attention to whoever was speaking, but
,
in all honesty
,
I didn’t care
,
and soon was lost in
my own
thought
s
.  I was thinking about that kiss when a blob of whipped cream landed on my nose.  I looked up, surprised, to see Jake quivering with silent laughter. 

I casuall
y wiped it away with my finger.  When he turned his head
,
I smeared it in his ear.  Giggles erupted from our table, but
,
thankfully
,
we
didn’t cause too big of a disruption.

My face was sticky, so during our break I went to the restroom to wash up.  I almost hit Jake with the door on my way out.  “Jake!”  I shrieked.  “
Watch out!
”

“Trying to plow me over, huh?  Gee, thanks.”  He leaned in closer and examined my face.  “You missed some.” 

I reached up to find the stowaway food
,
but was instead surprised when Jake bent forward and kissed me.  It wasn’t anything big and
wasn’t even in the same league as Chris’s
, but it was still a kiss.  He pulled away and tilted his head.  The corners of his mouth pulled up into a small, playful smirk. “Got it,” he whispered.

Without thinking, I reached up and touched my lips.  I wasn’t angry, but I certainly didn’t want to encourage
any more surprises like that.

“D
on’t say anything,” he said, trapping me
in between his arms
against the wall.  “Let me go first.  There’s something I need to tell you.”

He looked up and down the hall before settling his eyes on me.  “We started something a few months back, between us, I mean, and I thought it was going great.  And then it all just kind of fizzled out, and I can’t figure out why.”

I leaned my head against the wall and took a breath.  “Things just didn’t-”

He pressed a finger to my lips.  “Let me finish. 
I want to pick things back up.  I’m sorry for whatever I did that turned you off, and I want you to give me another chance.  You’re the greatest, and I really think we could be amazing together.”

This was one of those rare times when Jake was being totally serious, and I wasn’t sure how to respond.  I liked Jake, a lot, but I didn’t have romantic feelings
for him.  “You didn’t do anything wrong
,” I said slowly.  “It just wasn’t right for me.  I like you, but not in that way.”

“Why
not
?  Because I’m not a Superstar?”  Resentment tainted his voice.

“Don’t be like that.”

“I’m being totally serious.  Any fool can see that
you’re head-over-
heels for that guy, but I don’t s
ee why he’s so great.  You and me
, we’ve got a history.”

“A very b
rief history,” I reminded him. 
“
Besides,
what about
all those
other girls?”

“Like who?”

I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to remember the name of that girl he’d been so eager to tell me about
after the card party
. 
Mandy?  Melissa?  I couldn’t remember. 
“It doesn’t matter.  Please, Jake, try to understand.  I really want us to be friends, but I can’t promise you anything more than that.”

“I want all of you or none of you,” he stated, folding his arms across his chest.

I stared at him for several seconds, angry tears well
ing
up in my eyes.  I didn’t want to lose Jake as a friend, but I wasn’t about to give in to an ultimatum.  “Well
,
I’m really sorry you feel that way.”

I left after that, skipping out on the second half of the meeting. 
I didn’t care if anyone noticed.  What would they do, fire me?

Chapter 18

If there was a lesson to be learned from
Jake’s confession
, it
was the importance of being straightforward with the people you care
d
about
.  I needed to set t
he record straight with Chris.  And I needed to do it soon.

I tried calling several times
over the weekend,
but he never answered or called back.
 
W
ho
even
knew if any
of my messages had gone through?

Monday I set out to f
ind him.  I searched the studio,
the rehearsal rooms, the snack bar, even the recording booth, but he was nowhere. 

I did
,
however
,
find
Jake pacing one of the long hallways.

“
Hi.” 
I offered a
tentative
smile.

He
didn’t
even look
at me.
  He just stood there, drooping shoulders, clenched jaw, lower lip jutting out.

Good Lord, he’s
pouting. 
What
is
he, three?

Determined not to allow my irritation to get the best of me, I kept my voice gentle. 
“Can’t you even talk to me?”

He closed his eyes and blew ou
t a long breath.  “I don’t know
.  I don’t know what else there is to say.”  His gaze was f
ixed on the space above my head, his thumbs hooked in the belt loops of his jeans
.

I
risked taking
a step closer
. 
“I want you to be happy.  If you can’t do that with me in your life, as your friend, I understand.  But no matter what, I’ll always care
about you
.”

His expression softened, but he
still wouldn’t look at me.

I stared at him for several seconds, hoping he’d say
something
, but he remained quiet.  “You know where to find me if you change your mind.”
  I turned to resume my hunt for Chris.

“I know I’m being difficult,”
he call
ed after I’d taken a few steps.  “
I want to be a part of your life. 
You’re just not an easy one to get over
.  I’m sorry.”