A Face in the Crowd (21 page)

Oliver smirked. “When did you get so smart?”

“Don’t be ridiculous. I’ve always been the smart one.”

They laughed and some of the weight on Oliver’s shoulders slipped away.

After what seemed like hours, the friendly nurse unhooked Bailey from the machine and went over the instructions and side effects which would most likely begin to plague him in the next two days.

“Are you sure you’re good?”

“Yes, I’m fine. I’ve been sitting for the past three hours.” Bailey nudged him toward the elevators. “Now shut up and let’s go find Lexie.”

When they reached the Bone Marrow Unit, they scanned the hall and looked for Lexie among the nurses moving from room to room, but there was no sign of her.

“Can I help you?” asked a voice from behind him.

“Do you happen to know if Lexie’s working today?”

“Sorry, she’s not. Is there something I can help you with?”

“No, thanks,” he turned and headed for the parking garage unable to shake the sick feeling beginning to take hold. She wasn’t at work. She wasn’t returning his calls. God damn Andy. Oliver was sure he’d said something. “Hey, do you think Andy’s changed in the last couple of years? You know, more agitated, more eager for us to go on the road.”

Bailey shrugged from the passenger seat. “I don’t know. He’s always been a little high-strung.”

“Yeah, I guess so.”

When Oliver turned into Lexie’s apartment complex and spotted her car, he breathed a sigh of relief. If he could just talk to her, he was sure he could undo whatever damage Andy had done.

“I’ll hang in the car,” Bailey grinned, “you go.”

Oliver nodded and climbed the stairs leading to her door. “Lexie,” he said as he knocked. “Hey, I know you’re here. Talk to me.” He waited silently for a moment, but she never responded. “Listen, about last night. I just want you to know that it was one of the best nights of my life, but I have to go back to L.A. Something’s happened with the label and I have to go out there to take care of some legal issues.” He let his head fall against the door. “Lexie, come on and open the door.”

A shadow moved past the bottom of the door, proof she was listening.

“I have to catch a plane now, but I want you to know I’m coming back for you. You’re the one for me and the sooner you get onboard, the sooner we can start our lives together. I don’t care if it’s here or in L.A. Wherever you want to be is fine with me. I just want you.” He banged his head against the door lightly at her continued silence. “Please understand.”

Lexie squeezed her hair with a towel as she stepped out of the hallway in her robe. As promised, and dreaded, Donna was still there.

“Why are you standing at the door? Was someone here?”

Donna spun on her heal and smiled too brightly. “Nope, I just thought I heard something. What should we do for lunch?”

Chapter 21

As the lawyers situated around the oversized, mahogany table droned on around him Oliver glanced at his phone. Four days. It had been four days since he’d left and still there was no word from Lexie.

He turned his phone face down on the table and found his gaze coming to rest on Andy who was seated across from him. A bead of sweat shone under the florescent lights at Andy’s temple. Why was he sweating?

“But, what you’re saying doesn’t have to be true,” Andy cut in almost frantic. “We can negotiate a new deal, a new contract everyone can agree on. There’s no reason to end what’s been a successful relationship for everyone involved.”

“Successful yes, but we’re ready to take a break, an extended one. And, that’s something your boys aren’t ready to accept. They also want a new album by next year and we aren’t sure that’s going to happen, either.” Oliver sat up straighter in his chair and tapped the documents in front of him with one hand as he spoke. “Bailey needs the time off.”

In Oliver’s mind that was enough. Bailey’s health came first and to hell with everything else. Granted, Bailey had made it clear he would understand if the guys needed to pull in a filler guy on guitar for a while, but they’d agreed it wasn’t going to happen. Bailey was as much a member as anyone else and he wasn’t going to be replaced for any amount of time. Besides, David was on the verge of proposing and he deserved to have some time off with his woman.

“The label isn’t willing to wait two years for a new album nor is it willing to wait for another two to three years for another world tour. The time to strike is now while the spotlight is on you guys.”

Leo sucked in a breath beside him and stood so fast his chair shot out behind him in a rare showing of temper. “We aren’t going to use Bailey’s situation to sell more albums. What kind of assholes do you take us for? Of all the—”

Oliver reached out and set a hand on Leo’s wrist. “We’ll pay the amount we agreed on to get out of the remaining year of this contract and not a penny more. If you try to take us to court, we’ll fight you and chances are we’ll win. No one is going to look at the millions of dollars we’ve made this company and think we haven’t held up our end. To the outside world, you’ll end up looking like the overpaid, selfish pricks you are.”

The CEO of the label stared at him with his mouth pressed into a firm line.

“From now on, it’ll be up to us what new music to release, and when, and for how long we’re willing to tour.” He turned his attention to his team of lawyers. “You guys can hash out the details. I’ve had enough.” He scooped his phone off the table and headed for the door with Leo and David following close behind.

As the door swooshed closed behind them, the weight of a hundred amps tumbled from his shoulders. They were taking their lives back.

“You kicked ass in there, man,” Leo slapped him on the shoulder. “I mean, if I had to sit there one more damn day, my head was going to explode.”

“Are you kidding?” David said as they stepped onto the elevator. “I think it did.”

Oliver smiled as he leaned against the glass wall where the tall buildings and scattered palm trees of L.A. donned the scenery of their descent. With the label handled for the most part, it was time to go get Lexie and make her see reason. He wasn’t sure what it was going to take, but he was willing to do it, whatever it was. What he needed was a plan of action. A way to get her to listen. To make her understand he was for real.

“Hey, Leo?”

“What’s up?”

“Do you still have Simone’s number? You know, Lexie’s friend.”

Leo’s face broke out into a boyish grin. “Sure do.”

“Uh-oh, Oliver’s up to something.” David eyed him as they stepped off the elevator and continued outside into the California sun. “How much of our pride is this going to cost us? Which by the way, you still owe me for the little singing telegram.”

“Believe me, I haven’t forgotten, and if it means you want me to dress like a chicken and serve you dinner when you propose, I’ll do it.”

“Oh, I know you will.” David punched him in the arm. “A man’s only as good as his word, right?”

“Exactly, which means I’ve got to run.”

Leo offered a final thumb’s up as they left him by his car. “Go get her, man.”

Oliver nodded. That was exactly what he planned to do and he wasn’t going to let anyone get in his way. He opened his text from Leo and pressed the phone number. When Simone answered on the second ring, he took a deep breath, “Hey, this is Oliver,” there was a pause while she questioned him. “Yes, that Oliver. I need your help.”

Lexie flopped down onto her couch and had an internal debate about turning on the TV. Some mind numbing comedy sounded good, but the remote was across the couch. After a week with Donna, she was so exhausted she wasn’t sure she could move that far. Between the shopping, salon appointments, lunches, dinners, nagging, and constant critiques, her mind was on the verge of a meltdown.

The alarm on her phone buzzed to remind her it was time to get online. Groaning, she sat up and reached for her computer and logged onto Skype.

“Hey, stranger,” Simone said as her face came into focus.

“Hey, yourself.” Lexie couldn’t stifle a yawn. “How’s the show coming along?”

“Fine, busy. Today was the first day I’ve seen sunlight in a week. There was a major plot overhaul and we had to rewrite a huge part of the storyline. But, I guess that’s what happens when one of the stars checks into rehab. How are things with you?” Simone’s nose and then eye filled the screen as she pressed her face too close to the camera. “You look beat. Is it work?”

“Not exactly.” Lexie sighed. “Donna’s here for a visit.”

“Are you shitting me? Donna’s there?” Simone’s face appeared too close again as she tried to see beyond Lexie and into her apartment. “Why?”

“Another marriage bites the dust.”

“Lexie,” there was compassion in Simone’s voice since she knew what a visit from Donna entailed. “You have to make her leave.”

“I can’t just throw her out.”

“Why the hell not? Isn’t that what she did to you for, wait, which one was that? Was it husband number three who didn’t want a kid hanging around? Or, was it four? I have a hard time keeping them straight.”

Lexie smirked. It was mean, but true, which was why she’d spent most of her senior year of high school living with Simone and her mom.

“And, how about money? Has she paid for anything since she showed up or is she going to leave you with an empty checking account again, when she decides she’s had enough bonding time?”

Lexie winced.

“Damnit, Lexie. Make her leave. Better yet, point the computer in the right direction and I’ll make her leave. Don’t make me get on a plane.”

Lexie laughed for the first time in a week at the thought of Simone busting through her door and throwing her mom out on her ass, because she would actually do it.

“How about Oliver? What’s going on with you two? I bet your mom’s already planning your wedding.”

“She doesn’t know anything about him, but that’s because there isn’t anything to know. He’s gone. Back to L.A. and his life there.”

“That’s it? He just left? He didn’t call or stop by or text . . . nothing?”

“He called a few times, but I haven’t talked to him. It’s easier this way. A clean break.”

“Lexie.”

“No, I don’t want to talk about it.” She swiped at her eyes and cursed under her breath when tears pooled. “Let’s talk more about you.”

When the door opened a few minutes later, Lexie said goodbye to Simone and closed her computer. Simone wouldn’t hesitate to yell at her mother through the screen.

“Hey, sweetie. You’re going to die when you see the sweater I picked up for you at Saks. It is beyond gorgeous.” Her mom dropped two stacks of shopping bags on the floor and then brushed her fire engine red nails through her blown out hair. Lexie hated to admit Donna looked good, but a couple more times under the knife and she feared her mother would look more feline than human. There was only so much pulling one face could take.

“So, what should we do for dinner tonight? Do you want to go out?”

“Honestly, I’m beat. I think I’ll stay in tonight.”

Donna put her hands on her hips and tapped her foot. “How are you ever going to meet a man, if you stay in all the time? You need to get out there.”

“I’m not going to meet the man of my dreams in a bar.” Lexie hated nothing more than hanging out at bars. She wasn’t good at small talk and the truth was, she’d already met the man she wanted. Or, at least, she thought she had.

“Don’t tell me you’re still pining over that guy you’d been seeing. I thought that was just a thing, not the one.” Her mom marched to the cabinet to get a wine glass and filled it. “I mean, it was so pathetic the way he poured is heart out when he . . .” Donna stopped abruptly and gulped down some wine.

Lexie tilted her head to the side and stood. “What are you talking about? When did he pour his heart out?” She hadn’t listened to any messages while her mom had been around. Hell, she hadn’t said a word about him.

“Oh, come on, Alexis. You’ve been mopey all week.” Donna turned and crossed one arm over her stomach, the other still gripping her glass. “Now, I’ve done my best to distract you, but you’ve been so boring. Don’t think I don’t know what it looks like when a woman has gone soft over a man. Trust me when I say you’re better off without him. They’re all jerks in the long run.”

“Weren’t you just trying to get me to go out so I could meet a guy like two seconds ago?”

“I meant for you to meet one who is rich. Someone who can take care of you and who you can control. The guy at the door was not that man. Whoever was at the door was in love with you and that’s fleeting. Bullshit. Empty promises.” She laughed, “Haven’t I taught you anything?”

Lexie’s stomach flipped. “He was here? When?”

“The same day I got here, but honestly, Lexie, it doesn’t matter. You’re better than him.”

Her mouth fell open in horror as she stared at the woman standing before her. He’d been there. He’d tried. He hadn’t left with only a phone call after all. And, Andy . . . why had she listened to him? She’d also made the mistake of letting her mother get into her head, and instead of giving Oliver the benefit of the doubt, she’d turned her back on him.

Her hands shook as she balled them into fists at her sides. “What did he say, exactly?”

Donna waved an uncaring hand in the air and drained the rest of her drink. “I don’t remember, something about he’d be back, but as you can see he hasn’t been here. So, there you go. He’s a liar, too. Just like the rest of them.”

But, he wasn’t like the rest of them. The men she’d dated over the years, Mike included, none of them could compare to Oliver.

A flash of images flitted across her mind. Oliver waiting for her with coffee. Oliver calling her when he’d needed someone he could trust. Oliver cooking dinner for her. Lying beside her. Showing up at the hospital to ask her out. Playing his guitar when she’d needed to grieve. Laughing with her.

“Donna, you need to pack your things and go.” She cleared her throat when her words came out in a weak tumble and said it again, this time with more force. “You need to pack your things and go.”

“What are you talking about? We’re spending time together.” Her mother came around the couch and gripped her upper arms, her nails digging into Lexie’s skin. “I need you.”

“I don’t care. Not anymore.” She jerked her arms free of her mother’s grip. “It’s time for you to grow up, Donna.”

Her mother stepped back, her eyes hard. “You’ll regret this, Alexis. One day this guy will toss you to the side and you’ll need me.”

“No, I won’t. I stopped needing you when I was about ten years old. You see, Donna, that’s what happens when you abandon your child. They find a way to make it on their own.” She crossed her arms to keep from bursting into a million pieces as the adrenaline of finally standing up to her mother threatened to devour her. “Now, please get out.”

Head held high and with a toss of her hair, Donna marched to the back of the apartment and packed her bags. Neither of them spoke again until Donna paused with her hand on the door. “I won’t forget this.”

“I hope you won’t.”

The door slammed shut between them and no sooner had the reverberations stopped than Lexie had her phone in her hand. She found her favorites in her phone and hit Simone’s name.

“Simone, I did it. She’s gone.”

Simone let out a whoop on the other end of the line and laughed maniacally. “Thank, God. What made you finally do it?”

Lexie told Simone everything that had happened, careful not to leave out any of the details.

“He was there? Oh my gosh. That’s so romantic.”

“Simone, I love him.”

“I know. I probably knew before you did.”

“I’ve been such an idiot.” Lexie buried her face in her free hand. “What am I going to do? Should I just wait around for him to come back? Should I call him? I’m freaking out over here.”

“Neither. I think it’s time you came out for a visit. It’ll give you a chance to make a plan and get your thoughts in order. Unless you think he’s going to show up at your door again tomorrow?”

“I doubt it.”

“I mean, you not only survived a week with Donna, you tossed her out. We should celebrate. The producer has to go to some film festival next week, so we all get a few days off. Come out.” At Lexie’s silence, Simone pushed. “It’s been a month. I need my Lexie fix. Plus, I want to show you all the fun spots out here.”