“Christine will send the ticket over this morning. Are you sure you won’t be too tired tonight?”
“No, I’ll probably just nap during the concert if you don’t sing enough rousing pieces to keep me awake.” Laura laughed at the sudden silence from the other end of the line. “I’m kidding, Taylor. I already planned to take this afternoon off and take a nap. I’m looking forward to this evening.”
“So am I. Let me send the car for you tonight. I’ll be going to the theatre early; then my driver can pick you up. I really should have thought of that last night. My dad always taught me to see a lady to her door.”
“Fine, Taylor. That would be easier. Parking on the campus is a major problem. Do you want the address now, or should I call Christine?”
“Give it to her now. She just walked in. I’ll see you tonight.” After Laura gave her address and fixed a time with Christine, she hung up and turned to her research on the charities story. It was time to organize some of her notes so she could see where the gaps were. Resolutely, she put the coming evening out of her mind and got to work.
* * *
The editorial meeting seemed to drag on forever. Robert wanted her to do both a follow-up and a review of the evening’s concert. Her charity story was being expanded and moved to next Sunday’s edition to capitalize on the current interest brought about by Taylor’s concert. “And, Laura, see if you can do some more personal stuff on the guy. Today’s article had that quality. Do it again. Now get to work, all of you.”
Laura glanced at the clock. 9:30. Time to meet with Beth. Just what was she going to tell her, anyway?
* * *
“So, tell me all of it. Do not leave out one single thing, missy.”
“Beth, there’s not that much to tell. I sat in Popejoy for two hours watching him rehearse; then we went back to the hotel and had dinner and talked.”
“Talked? You were with the sexiest man alive and you talked? Laura, I raised you better than that!”
Laura laughed. It was almost true. She and Beth had been friends since they were thirteen years old. They had practically raised each other, through first dates and makeup and prom and broken hearts. There was nothing they didn’t know about each other. Had it not been for the marked differences in their appearance, people would have thought them sisters, but tall, copper-haired Laura was so different from petite, blonde Beth that it was obvious that it was heart, not blood, which bound them to each other.
“Beth, we talked. About everything and nothing. It was…well, it was like being with Tomás again. Talking with Taylor felt a lot the same way, like I had known him forever and he had always been a part of my life. Tonight I’m going to the concert, then to the reception with him. Tomorrow he’ll leave and go back to his life. I’ll go on with mine. Nothing to get excited about. Now, I have to get some work done. I want to take this afternoon to go home and sleep. You know that I can’t take two late nights in a row.”
“I’ll let you off the hook—for now. Lunch tomorrow with all the details?”
“You are relentless, Beth. Fine, lunch tomorrow.”
* * *
Cary got to the station at noon. Since he was scheduled to co-anchor tonight, there were no pressing assignments for him. He decided to try Laura again. She’d been in a meeting when he’d called earlier, and he’d been at the gym since then. He listened as her phone rang repeatedly before her voice mail picked up.
Where was she? And why had she been with Morgan last night?
Carla James, the regular co-anchor, stopped by his desk to remind him that they needed to tape the news brief spots. He nodded and waved her away as he picked up the phone again.
Carla shook her head as she walked away. At least he hadn’t hit on her this time. Maybe he’d finally gotten the message that she wasn’t interested…nor were most of the other women at the station who’d seen him in action. If it was female and attractive, Cary presented himself as God’s Gift. It didn’t take long to figure out that there was nothing giving about Cary. Somebody needed to tell Laura Collins that.
* * *
Laura woke from her nap with plenty of time to get ready for the concert. Savoring the quiet for a few moments, her thoughts turned to Taylor Morgan. She hadn’t exactly told Beth the whole truth. She did find Taylor attractive, and she allowed herself to fantasize about what it would be like to kiss him… and more.
Still, she wasn’t willing to set herself up to be a one-night stand in his road show, so they would be friends tonight, and then he’d be gone. She could tell her grandchildren about it someday and listen to them say, “Who? Taylor Morgan? Who was he?” Laura laughed as she got up to get ready.
* * *
Taylor had spent the day reading, with a short nap in the afternoon, followed by his daily vocal exercises. Now, in his dressing room at Popejoy, he finished tying the bow tie that went with his tux.
“A man should be able to tie his own bow tie, Taylor.” His mother stood behind him, watching in the mirror as a teen-age Taylor struggled to tie his. “There’s a lot of truth when they say ‘clothes make the man’.” She smiled as he turned to her, the tie conquered and in place.
There was a knock at the door, drawing Taylor back to the present, his mother’s smile still playing in his memory. Christine poked her head through the doorway. “Five minutes, Taylor. Need anything?”
“No, thanks, Chris. Wait, did Laura get here all right?”
“Front row center, Taylor, just as you ordered. I’m on my way out front to join her. Any messages?”
“Tell her I hope she can manage to stay awake.”
Christine shook her head and left the room. Taylor was usually so concentrated on the coming performance that nothing else entered his mind. Laura Collins had certainly made an impression on him.
* * *
“Taylor said to tell you he hoped you could stay awake.” Laura laughed as Christine delivered his message.
“If I hadn’t taken the afternoon off to take a nap, I wouldn’t have. My friends are all amazed that I am planning two late nights in a row. I’m not exactly known for being a party animal.”
“Neither is Taylor. On those rare nights he has off, he tends to retreat with a book, or he logs on to the computer. He has a pretty broad range of friends on the Internet.”
“Really? He’s not besieged by fans?”
“He logs on under another name. No one knows who it is.” She lowered her voice so only Laura could hear. “He’s even a member on his own fan site. Usually, I monitor it for him, but he likes to browse through it when he has time.”
“Hmm…might be an interesting story,” Laura murmured, then saw the look on Christine’s face. “Oh, sorry! Not Taylor incognito, but his fan list. Can you put me in touch with his fan club?”
“Sure. I’ll send you the address before we leave town in the morning. I’ll give you my address, too. I’d like to see the article when you get it done.”
The two women fell silent as the pianist entered and quietly took his seat. The stage was bare except for the highly polished black grand piano. Soft lights fell on the scrim behind it, and the audience quieted as the pianist began to play. Before he could be seen, Taylor’s voice was heard from offstage, and a short spattering of applause greeted his appearance when he entered and stood next to the piano. Laura caught her breath at the sheer beauty of the man and the voice that was even richer than the night before.
* * *
After two encores and a number of curtain calls, Taylor finally made his exit. The audience was in high spirits, even though some of his songs had left them in tears. His ability to communicate a range of emotions in his music was phenomenal. Laura hadn’t been prepared for the emotional rollercoaster his concert had turned out to be.
“Come on, Laura. Taylor gave me orders that you were to be brought backstage right away. We’ll go th
rough here,” Christine said as she led Laura through a door near the stage and back to the dressing room. Taylor’s security man was waiting outside the door. He knocked, then opened it for them, giving Laura a wink as she went past him.
The room was quiet after the crush outside. Taylor was nowhere to be seen, but Christine indicated a closed door. “He’s probably changing clothes. He won’t wear the tux to the reception.” She raised her voice, “Taylor? Laura’s here. I’m going to go check on the arrangements, and I’ll be back in a few minutes.” She seemed satisfied with the mumble that came through the door. “Make yourself at home, Laura. He’ll be out soon.”
Laura looked around the dressing room. There were small touches here and there that said something about the occupant. A number of cards and packages, teddy bears and flowers, were stacked to one side of the room, gifts from his admirers. Laura smiled at a few of the more exotic offerings. Two pictures on the make-up table caught her eye. She picked up the first silver frame and recognized a younger Taylor with two people she assumed were his parents. He bore a marked resemblance to his father, but his smile had clearly been inherited from his mother. The second picture was of a petite, blonde woman with a dark-haired little girl; she assumed they were Annie and Megan. She didn’t have long to study it before she heard Taylor ask, “So, did you stay awake?”
Laura replaced the picture and turned to look at him. “I had no choice! Your fans kept waking me up.” She smiled at him, and he laughed.
“They can be pretty enthusiastic. But I couldn’t do what I do without them.”
“It was wonderful, Taylor. Thank you.”
He looked at her for a moment, then simply said, “You’re welcome.” He reached for a jacket hanging on the clothes rack. He had changed into dark slacks and a turquoise, banded collar shirt with a silver button closing the collar. With the black jacket he was putting on, he looked elegantly casual.
“Nice look, Taylor. Are you dressing this way for us Westerners or is it your own look?”
“What? Oh, the turquoise. No, I just happen to like the color. And I hate wearing the tux anytime I’m not performing. Think people will freak out at the party?”
“No. If anything, you’ll probably still be overdressed. We do tend to be a bit casual even on dressy occasions.”
“You look pretty elegant.” Taylor took in the copper-colored silk broomstick skirt and matching velvet shirt. Her hair was piled on top of her head in unruly curls and she wore simple gold earrings and no other jewelry.
“Ah, but that’s the difference, Taylor. Women like to get dressed up no matter where they live. Men take every chance possible to dress down.”
Their sartorial argument was interrupted as Christine came back in. “Ready, Taylor?”
He made a face at her and held his hand out to Laura. “Ready as I’ll ever be. Let’s go see if we can impress ‘em.”
* * *
Taylor was greeted with applause as he entered the crowded reception hall. The movers and shakers of Albuquerque and Santa Fe were all in attendance, not so much because they believed in the charity but more because they believed in being seen. The local charity director immediately drew Taylor away to introduce him to the mayor, the governor, and the other politicos in attendance. Laura spotted her paper’s editor across the room and decided to try to be invisible for a few minutes longer. Taking a glass of champagne from a passing waiter, she moved across the room to the windows that overlooked the city.
Taylor watched her as he made small talk with the governor and his wife. Laura was a beautiful woman, and his eyes were not the only ones drawn to her. He realized he would have been attracted to her for her looks alone, but now that he was beginning to know who she was, he was even more drawn to her. And there was only tonight to find out more. He excused himself and made his way to the window where she stood.
* * *
Cary arrived late to the reception. The production meeting after the ten o’clock news had run long as they discussed some technical glitches. Cary had waited impatiently, almost bolting from the room when the meeting had finally ended. He hadn’t been able to reach Laura all afternoon, and he had a suspicion that she would be with Morgan again tonight. He’d just located her when he saw Taylor excuse himself from the group he was with and head straight for her. Cary took a glass of champagne from a passing server and watched as she turned to smile at Morgan.
* * *
“Penny for your thoughts.”
Laura turned when Taylor spoke. “They’re probably not worth that much,” she laughed. “Truth is, I’m hiding from my editor, but I’m not doing a very good job of it because here he comes.”
Taylor turned just as Alaniz reached them. “Taylor, this is our editor, Henry Alaniz.”
“Nice concert, Mr. Morgan. My wife and I enjoyed it.” Without waiting for comment, Alaniz continued. “Are you on my time or yours tonight, Laura?”
Laura replied, “My time tonight, Henry. But it should be good for another article.”
“Glad to hear it. Glad you could make a stop here, Morgan.” As Alaniz turned and left them, Taylor asked, “Is he always that abrupt?”
“Henry? That’s just Henry. You get used to it. He’s got the proverbial heart of gold under that gruff exterior. If we checked the list of contributors for the charity tonight, Henry A. Alaniz would be up at the top.”
The charity director came to claim Taylor again, taking him off for photos with the bigwigs. Laura joined some friends, and they were separated for the rest of the evening.
* * *
Cary stayed out of Laura’s sight, chatting with people he knew, always keeping an eye on her. He didn’t want to talk to her. He just wanted to see what would happen next.
As the reception started to break up, Taylor saw a chance to leave. He thanked the charity director again, then claimed Laura. “Let’s get out of here,” he said as he took her hand.
Cary watched as they left together. Not again. Morgan would not win this time. He waited a few minutes, then left the party. He’d call Laura when he got home, and she’d better be there tonight!
* * *
“What a zoo,” Taylor said with a smile as he removed the silver collar button. “Don’t misunderstand. They’re all very nice and I appreciate their contributions to the charity, but I get tired of the same questions over and over again.”
“I can imagine. How many more of these do you have?”
“We’re on for the next ten days with only one day off. We’ll end up at the Tampa Performing Arts Center, and then this leg of the tour will be done.”
“Then what? Where does Taylor Morgan go when he’s not onstage?”
“Good question. Actually, we scheduled this leg of the tour to end in Tampa since I have a place there. It’s quiet and warm, and I’ll be able to celebrate the holidays with Annie and Meg.”
“Tampa’s home, then?”
“Home? No, not really. Home is a place that doesn’t really exist for me anymore. I wander here and there, a typical theatre gypsy.”
The limo pulled up in front of Laura’s apartment complex. As the driver opened the door, Taylor got out and then helped Laura before walking her to the security gate.
“Thanks for making this stop a lot more interesting, Laura. I’ve really enjoyed it.”
“Me, too, Taylor. It was a fascinating glimpse into another world for me. I don’t know how you do it.”
“Laura, would you mind if I called you sometime? Just to talk?”
“I’d enjoy it. Christine told me you spend a lot of time on the Internet. So do I.” She pulled one of her cards from her purse and handed it to him. “There’s my e-mail address and the work phone. Wait,” she said as she took it back from him and wrote on the back, “that’s my cell phone. Call anytime.”
He took the card and put it in the pocket of his jacket. �
�I guess, then, the only thing left to say is good-bye. Take care of yourself, Laura.” He took her hand, gazing into her eyes. Laura’s heart beat a little faster as he leaned toward her, but he only kissed her cheek before returning to the limo. He turned and waved then disappeared into the limo that drove away in the dark.
The phone was ringing as she entered the apartment. She picked up the phone and said, “I just walked in Beth. Give me a break!”
“It’s not Beth, Laura. It’s Cary.”
“Cary? Why are you calling so late?”
“Actually, I’ve been calling all day. You were never in.”
Laura sat down and kicked off her shoes. “It was one of those days, Cary. You know how it goes.”
Turning on the charm, Cary said, “I guess I got a little worried when you weren’t home this evening. I know you’re not crazy about late nights.”
“I was working again. A follow-up to the story I was working on last night.”
“Must have been important.”
“Important might not be the right word, but it was pretty interesting.”
“Any hints, or do I have to read about it in the paper?”
Laura laughed. “You wouldn’t bother. Just a concert review. Cary, I’m beat. Was there something you wanted?”
“Just wanted to set up another dinner date. It can wait.”
“Goodnight then. I’ll call you tomorrow.”
She hung up the phone and shivered a little. Something had made her keep Taylor out of the picture. He’d be gone tomorrow. Cary would still be here, and nothing had happened that he needed to know about.
It took Laura a long time to go to sleep. Bits and pieces of the concert and the party kept playing in her head, especially that moment when Taylor admitted he had no “home”. She couldn’t imagine it. She’d always lived here in Albuquerque. The idea of wandering like that was unsettling to her. As she remembered the look in his eyes, she had the feeling that Taylor felt the same way.
She resented that he was being removed from her life after being so briefly a part of it. She wondered if he would ever get in touch or if this would only be some vague memory for him. It was early morning before she fell asleep with the memory of Taylor’s voice singing in her head.
Timing Is Everything Page 4