Forever Blue (33 page)

    
“So what's next for you?” I asked, taking a sip of wine.

    
“Well, I'm going to be on Jay Leno tomorrow. I have to go down to the studio to tape in the afternoon. Then, I'm on a flight out to Sweden to finish the production of my new album.”

    
“Wow, Sweden. For how long?” I asked.

    
“A month. Don't worry—we'll keep in touch. I promise,” he reassured me. “Let’s just enjoy the time we have together as of this moment.”

    
I wondered
how I would survive a month without Carter now that he was back in my life.
I could see the reason why so many celebrities broke up. The long periods of separation had to be unbearable that it wreaked havoc on the relationship.

    
“I'll miss you,” I said softly.

    
“Hey, cheer up. It's only a month.”

   
I leaned forward and shot him a weak smile. “Thirty days will seem like thirty years.”

    
The moment we stepped foot outside the restaurant,
the paparazzi bombarded us once again. Quickly but prudently, we reached Carter's car safely with the help of his bodyguard.

***

    
Carter drove to a remote, deserted parking lot somewhere in Hollywood.
He
put on a beanie and sunglasses
before we got out of the car.
He didn’t have any problem walking the streets like he was any regular old Joe. As we strolled along the dazzling city streets of lights and glimmer, Carter pointed out different landmarks and celebrity homes.
We passed dozens of homeless people begging for spare change
on the way downtown.

    
“Oh my God! It's Aiden Storm,” someone shouted.

    
Carter turned his head away from the passerby and continued walking along like he hadn’t been noticed. Within seconds, swarms of fans, onlookers, and paparazzi gathered around him.

    
Carter stared back at me warily and then grabbed my arm, pulling
me out of the suffocating circle and into a coffee house. Once inside, we exchanged looks of apprehension. The facility was crowded, but we weren’t sure if we’d exactly blend in.

    
“It might be a while. I’ll get us some coffee,” he said.

    
I sat nervously at a little round table
as he went to the counter,
awaiting his return.

    
Carter came back with two steaming cups of coffee in
hand. “I got us lattes.” He sat
himself in the chair beside me, and
said, “Sorry about all the madness.” He tore open a packet of sugar and dumped the contents into his coffee. “I was sure I would be able to go unnoticed tonight.”

    
“Don’t worry about it.” After I took a sip of coffee, I looked up and caught Carter’s ambivalent stare. “Carter?”

    
“Yeah?”

    
“I’m glad we’re hanging out.”

    
“Me too.”

    
“Thank you for tonight,” I responded, placing my hand on top of his. “And for coming back into my life.”

    
“I just wish I didn’t have people up in my business all the time.”

    
A
flood of sympathy washed through me
at the sight of dejectedness in Carter’s eyes.
  
“Hey,” I said, pinching one of his cheeks. “No sad thoughts tonight.”

***

    
The first streaks of dawn were visible by the time I arrived back at Carter’s place. Although, I hadn’t bothered to care, I really needed get home.
I held Carter in a sweet embrace as I stood in front of his doorway saying goodbye.

    
“Thank you for a wonderful evening. I really needed it,” I said.

    
“Anytime.”

    
I propelled my body close to Carter and explored his face with my fingertips. I couldn’t wait much longer, and after a deep breath, my mouth crushed against his. An impulse of hidden emotions swept me away like a crashing wave.
My lips traveled all over his mouth
as my fingers ran though his hair.

    
“Wow,” Carter said, virtually out of breath. “This gets better each time.”

    
“And each time I feel guiltier. Carter—”

    
He put his finger on my lips. “Shhh. No more talking.” A trace of amusement lit his eyes and he kissed me again. “Just kissing.”

***

   
I immediately made my way to the bedroom, assuming Scotty was already in bed. All I could do was pray that he would forgive me for missing his awards ceremony in the morning.    

    
“Alexa?” Scotty stood in the hallway still dressed in his business suit.

    
My heart stopped for one beat
at the sight of him.
“Oh, you scared the crap out of me.”

    
“Where have you been?” he asked, rather calmly. He switched on the hallway light and stood with his arms crossed in apparent disapproval.

    
“I just got off work. It’s been a really crazy night.”

    
“Really, huh?”

    
“There was just no way I could get out of work,” I lied. “On top of that, I’m beat. Can we talk about this in the morning?”

    
“I called Isabella,” he announced suddenly.

    
I almost stopped breathing
at his sulky tone.
“Oh? What for?”

    
“I was concerned.”

    
“Well, here I am, good as new. Let’s go to bed.”

    
His muscular frame blocked me from entering the bedroom. “Funny thing, Isabella didn’t know where you were either.”

    
I was rendered speechless.

    
“Listen, I don’t know what is going on, but you have better explain yourself.”

    
I took a deep breath and braced myself. The truth was going to come out sooner or later. I figured I might as well get it over with right then.

    
“I showed up late to the movie set a few weeks ago and—”

    
“And what?”

    
“And I got fired. I’ve been keeping busy with small side jobs until I find
something more permanent.”

    
“So you’ve been going behind my back
all these weeks? Wait a minute—” He grabbed me by the
arm and pointed at my fur coat, which
I had foolishly forgotten to take it off. “Where the hell did you get this from?”

    
“It’s just a prop from the project I was working on. I was cold, so they let me wear it home. I have to take it back tomorrow.”
Lying to him had become
far too easy.

    
“Pretty fancy prop they let you borrow, huh?”

    
I needed to change the subject before something slipped out. “So Isabella didn’t tell you anything else?”

    
“No, she was vague. Obviously, these jobs are minuscule enough that you could have found some way to be with me tonight.”

    
“Scotty, it’s not the end of the world, okay?”

    
“Do
you know how embarrassed I was—not having a clue as to
my own wife’s whereabouts?” he asked, raising his voice.

    
“It’s always about you, isn’t it, Scotty? God forbid I miss one of your stupid dinners. Isn’t this like the sixth one this year?”

    
“Stupid? All I wanted was my damn wife at my side.”

    
“Come on. There are more important things in life than being “Broker of the Year,” Scotty.”

    
He smirked. “You’re such a child.”

    
“Well, you can sleep without this little girl tonight because I’m out of here.”

    
“Don’t you walk away from me, Alexa.”

     
An ominous change had stolen my elated disposition, and
things were about to get disastrously worse.

Chapter 17: A Double Life

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“I’m
sorry for standing at your door this early in the morning, but Scotty and I had a huge fight. I didn’t know where else to go.”

    
“Are you okay?” Ruth asked with a speculative look.  “What’s going on?”

    
A
muscular bare-chested man showed up behind her, just before I could explain the situation

    
“Everything okay? He yawned as he
ran his fingers through his thick dark hair.

    
“Uh—I see I caught you at a bad time. I’ll just go.”

    
“Alexa, no, it’s okay. This is Daniel.”

    
“I’m sorry for the intrusion,” I said.

    
“It’s no problem,” Daniel replied in a deep husky voice that sounded like the growl of a distant storm.

    
“Daniel, can you give me a minute?” Ruth asked.

    
“Sure.” He smiled kindly and went on his way.

    
“It’s okay.” Ruth gently took me by the arm and pulled me inside. “You’re more than welcome to stay here.”

    
“No, I shouldn’t. You have company.”

    
Ruth pulled out pillows and blankets from the linen closet
any without hesitation,
and dressed the living room couch for me to sleep on.

    
I awoke
a few hours later
to the sound of the
doorbell buzzing
and several hearty knocks. After a long period of silence, I heard whispers coming from the front.

    
“You have a visitor,” Ruth said.

    
I made my way to the front door, knowing I had nowhere else to hide.

    
“Alexa, we need to talk,” Scotty said. He was dressed sloppily in a black hoodie and faded blue jeans.

    
“How did you know I was here?”

    
“I had a vague premonition.”

    
“Well, I think we did enough talking last night.”

    
“Look, I’m sorry. We both got caught a little over our heads and said some things we didn’t mean.”  Scotty took my hand and looked at me with sad puppy dog eyes. “Let’s just go to breakfast somewhere and have a civilized conversation. Please?”

    
I surrendered after I allowed my stomach to do most of the thinking at the image of a heaping plate of pancakes, slathered in maple syrup. It was too tempting to resist, even if my marriage was falling apart in the process.

***

    
The drive to the coffee shop was uneventful, with little conversation along the way. A dozen people stood around restlessly waiting for a seat. The smell of fresh coffee wafted through the air and snuck its way up into my nose. My stomach growled with just one sniff.

    
“Two please,” Scotty said to the hostess.

     
The hurried hostess sat us down at a booth across from a screaming baby.

    
“Can I get you two something to drink?” asked a petite brunette waitress.

    
“Two coffees please,” Scotty said.
He
gently grabbed my hand
in one quick reach, and began, “Alexa—”

    
“Scotty, I don’t feel like being touched right now, okay?” I quickly removed my hand from his. “Please.”

    
“You know I hate fighting with you. It breaks my heart.”

    
“I know,” I said softly. “It doesn’t make me feel good either.”

     
“The fact that you felt you couldn’t tell me about losing your job—well that really hurt me.”

    
Time had given me a different prospective on the situation, and frankly, I didn’t care anymore.
Lately, lying to Scotty had become so
routine that I began to believe the lies myself.

    
“It had nothing to do with you, Scotty. It was more about my pride.”

    
“Two coffees?” asked a busboy.

    
“Yes, thank you.” After I took a sip of the hot liquid, every nerve in my body tingled as it warmed my insides.

    
Scotty poured creamer into his coffee and stirred it slowly with a spoon. “I’m really sorry you felt that way.” He loved me unconditionally—that was always painstakingly clear.

    
“Are you two ready to order?” asked our waitress.

    
“We’ll have two mega breakfasts with fried eggs and bacon,” I said.

    
Scotty spoke again
once she had left us alone.
“Alexa, you can tell me anything. I don’t want you to feel embarrassed or ashamed, no matter what the situation is. You make me out to be this self-absorbed guy who only thinks about himself,” he explained. “I just wanted to show off my beautiful wife last night. I felt so empty, so alone, without you.”

    
My cell phone vibrated in my purse
before I could reply to Scotty’s comment.
Carter’s phone number flashed on the caller I.D. He always
had a habit of calling
at the most inopportune moments, but God, I was dying to talk to him.

    
“I have to use the ladies’ room. Be right back.” I hurried to the restroom to answer my phone. “You rang?” I asked, suddenly feeling lightheaded.

    
“Just wanted to make sure you got home safe last night.”

    
There was no legitimate reason to mention the string of events that
had
happened after I returned home, nor did I want to. “I’m great. Everything’s fine.”

    
“Good. All that matters is that you got home in one piece,” he said. “Oh, don’t forget to watch Leno tonight.”

    
“I won’t,” I responded. “You’re getting on a plane soon?”

    
“Yeah, but there’s been a change of plans. I’ll only be in Sweden a week.”

    
“I want to see you the day you’re back in town.”

    
“We’ll definitely make that happen.”

    
I hung up and made my way back to the table, feeling as though I was on cloud nine.

    
“Wow. What happened? This isn’t the same Alexa who left the table
just minutes ago,” Scotty said as he dug into a
tower of butter-drenched pancakes. “You must be feeling better.”

    
I took a bite of bacon and said, “Well, since we’ve cleared the air, I think I should tell you the news. I have an interview for a new job.”

    
“That’s wonderful. For what?”

    
“It’s a permanent job for a new television drama in the works,” I said, shoveling a forkful of fried eggs into my mouth.

    
“Alexa, that’s fantastic. This is what you’ve always wanted.”

    
“I know, but I don’t want to get my hopes up just yet.”

    
“With your talent, it’s already a done deal.”