Face the Music (52 page)

Molly stopped and teetered on the edge.  “Can I jump in?”

“Wouldn’t you rather play in the shallow end, where it’s not so deep?” I asked, pointing to the other end of the pool.

“No.  I wanna go here.”

“Only if Allie or I are there to catc
h you.  Don’t jump by yourself
.
”
 

Emily dove in.  Molly stood on her tiptoes at the very edge, looked at her mom, and took a big
breath before finally jumping
. 

Her eyes were wide when I lifted her back out of the pool.  “Was that fun?”

“Oh yeah!” she said breathlessly.  “Come on, I’ll show you.” 

She took my hand, and we stood side-by-side on the edge.  “Ready, Aunt Allie?  One…Two…Three!”  She plugged her little nose and jumped.

I watched Emily catch her before diving in myself, and then swam under water to the other side.  The water felt so refreshing that I took my time coming back up.  When I did, I heard Molly giggle, but I couldn’t see her.

“Molly?”  I rubbed the water out of my eyes and looked up.  “Jake?” 

“Hey doll!  How are ya
?”  He offered a hand and pulled me out of the pool.  “Wow, look at you!”  His skin was a bit darker than the last time I saw him, but he wore that same, somehow charming
,
crooked smile.

I threw my arms around his neck.  “I can’t believe it!  What are you doing here?”

He hugged me back.  “I couldn’t wait to see you again.  You told me you were coming in that last e-mail, so I thought I’d surprise you.”  He held me out at an arm’s length and grinned.  “Surprise!
 
It’s only
about a four-
hour drive from L.A.
, you know.”

I still couldn’t believe he was really there.  “Oh, shoot!” I said, looking at
the front of
his shirt.  I’d drenched him.  “Sorry!”

He pulled me against his chest.   “I’d take on much worse fates than a wet t-shirt
if it meant I got to hug you.
”

Molly and Emily swam awhile longer.  Jake and I sat on the edge with our toes in the water.  When Molly finally tired out,
we
made plans for dinner.  We met up at a little steakhouse across from our hotel.  After eating, Emily took Molly back to the room to get her ready for bed.  Jake and I stayed behind and went for a walk down the strip. 

Having him close made everything seem okay, even if it was only temporary.  I didn’t have to fake being in a good mood.  We walked slowly, hand in hand, as the busy city blurred around us.  It was like everything moved at an accelerated rate.  Signs flashed, cars zoomed by, and people scurried, but Jake and I were content keeping our own, relaxed pace.

“Thank you for coming.  I can’t tell you how great it is to see you,” I said.

He smiled and squeezed my hand.  “You doing okay?” 

“It’s been an awful summer,” I admitted.  “But it doesn’t matter now.”

He stopped walking and waited for me to turn to him.  “You can talk to me, you know.  About anything.”

“I know.”

“Even the Superstar,” he offered. 

I hesitated
,
but ended up telling
him the whole, long story about my complicated relationship with Chris.  “So, after everything, I decided it was better for both of us if I ended it.”  I used my sleeve to wipe away a tear.

“Wow,” he said, shaking his head.  “I knew you two had called it quits, but I had no idea what happened.  I asked Sam about it once, awhile back.  I figured that since he and Chris were around each other so much
because of the tour,
he might know something.”

“What did he say?”

“He said Chris wouldn’t
talk about it.  He said he asked him, and all he did was turn red and
say something about it being her decision.
”

“When was that?”

“First part of June, I guess.”

“Well, I’m sure he’s moved on.  I saw him in May at a baseball game.  He and Cynthia looked pretty close.”

Jake scowled.  “I can’t even picture that.  Not that I’d want to.”  He gave me a longing look.  “What about you?  You ready to move on yet?”

I cared for Jake, a lot, but I couldn’t get romantically involved.  “Jake, you know…”

“Yeah, I know,” he cut me off and sat on a bench.  “I’m not the man of your dreams.  You don’t have those kinds of feelings for me.  Trust me, I know.”

I sighed and rested my head on his shoulder.  “You’re so good to me.  Too good.”

He put his arm around me and leaned back against the bench, looking straight ahead.  “Nothing is too good for you, Allie.”

Jake and I were inseparable over those next couple of days.  I felt bad because I told Emily I would help out with Molly, but I just couldn’t tear myself away from him.  I apologized for my continued absence.

“Don’t worry about it
.  It’s your vacation
,
too.  Molly and I are having a great time.”  She smiled.  “Besides, you’re the happiest I’ve seen you in months.  Go and
have fun
with Jake.  I don’t mind.”

***

The afternoon of the fourth, Jake, Emily, Molly, and I went to a park to join in the festivities.  The area was swarming with people.  Jake carried Molly on his shoulders so she wouldn’t get trampled, and Emily and I spread a blanket out under a shade tree.

A band was playing, and a small crowd had gathered in front of the stage.  Vendors were lined up for blocks, selling everything from corn dogs to cowboy hats, and beside us some kids were playing with fireworks.  Jake and Emily took Molly for a walk around the vending area.

I
lay
down, closed my eyes and enjoyed the warmth of the sun shining down on my face.  It felt good, as though it was melting away the last
of
that cold, unfeeling person I no longer wanted to be.

I opened my eyes when a shadow blocked my rays.  A man was standing there, talking to a group of people.  His
high-pitched
laugh gave him away.  “Eddie?”  I shaded my eyes against the bright sunlight.

He
looked down
and squinted
.  “Allison Banks?”

I stood up.  “Yeah!  What are you doing here?”

He laughed.
“Same as you, I suppose.  H
ere for the fireworks.”

“That’s just crazy!  Of all the places to be on the fourth.”  I shook my head.  “How’s your summer?” 

He excused himself from his
group
and settled down on the blanket next to me.  “Great!  I’ve been traveling, seeing the sights.  Living the easy life.  What are you up to these days?”

“Staying busy, actually.  Mostly work.”

“Work?  Show’s over honey, didn’t you get the memo?  What could you possibly have to do?”  He cocked his head and looked at me curiously. 

“School.  I’m taking a full load
.  And
I’m tutoring some summer classes and working in a research lab.”

“Busy girl.”

The conversation paused as a pair of fighter jets zoomed by.  The roar of their engines was deafening.

“I caught one of the Superstar concerts,” he said.  “In D.C.  It was really good.  Have you been to one yet?”

I shook my head.  I didn’t want to talk about the Stars.

Eddie either didn’t get it or didn’t care, because he went on.  “A few of us went out for drinks afterwa
rd.”  He named off a few people, including Cynthia and Chris.

I cringed.

“Cy
nthia is still Cynthia.  S
narky, that one!  A girl after my own heart.
”  He smiled reminiscently.  “
But I always
knew
Chris was the real talent.  I had him pegged from the start.”

I took my frustrations out on a blade of grass.  “He is talented.”

Eddie watched me for several seconds and then frowned.  “Oh, honey.  What happened?  You two were so cute together.  Why did you let him get away?”

The piece of grass lay before me i
n a pile of shreds.  “I didn’t
let him
get away
.  It was too good to be true.  He needed room to grow.”

Eddie gasped.  “What?  He said that?”

“Well, no, not exactly.
”

“Because from the way he’s been acting, I just assumed you were the one to break it off.”

“Wh
at do you mean?  How has he been acting?”  Edd
ie had sucked me right in.  Damm
it.

“He pulls off the new image well, but
it’s
not the same.  I preferred the happier version.” 

I was lost.  “New image?”

“He’s lost his sparkle.  H
aven’t you noticed?  He’s all dark and moody now.”  Eddie scratched his head and wrinkled his nose.  “I don’t understand.  Why did you do it?  Weren’t you happy?”

I
pulled
another blade of grass and started ripping it apart.  “It was the right thing.  I did it for him, for his career.”

“His career?  What does that have to do with anything?”

“He’s better off.”

Eddie raised his face to the sun and let out a dramatic yawn, patting his mouth in the process.  “What gave you that idea?”

I now had two piles of shreds and was starting on a third.  “Mr. Doveland advised me to do it.  And he was right.  Chris has been very successful.”

“Chris will be successful no matter what.  And Doveland?  Oh, Allison, don’t take advice from that old crank.  You do know why he went to Chicago in the first place, don’t you?”

“Of course.  For the show.”

“Ha!”  He slapped his leg.  “No.  A divorce, honey.  A long, nasty one, too.  I think ole’ Doveland’s a tad bitter.”  Eddie’s smile was
sad
.  “Such a waste.  What you two had was something special.  You didn’t do him any favors by walking away.  In fact, I’d say it had the opposite effect.”

For half a second
I imagined he was right.  A suffocating pain worked through my chest, but I pushed it down.  “No, it was for the best.”  I had to believe that, for my own sanity.  “Besides, it doesn’t matter now.”

“Why’s that?”

“He’s with Cynthia.”

Eddie laughed hard and stood up to leave.  “Oh, my.  Open up your eyes, girl!”

I watched in amazement as he walked away.  I knew he was trying to be helpful, but what did he know?  He wasn’t there.  Maybe Mr. Doveland was a bit resentful, who could blame him?  But he was still right.  Chris really was better off.

***

Jake saw us off to the airport Monday evening.  He squeezed me tightly and kissed me on the cheek.  “Take care of yourself.  I’ll see you in a few short weeks, okay?”

I hugged him back, pressing my head against his chest.  “Thanks for everything.  I’ll miss you.”