He rose to his feet, laughing. “Holy shit!” She did a little spin for him. “Check, please?” he joked, his voice squeaking.
She laughed. “I take it you approve?”
“Oh, I more than approve.”
“I don’t know.” She rotated again in front of a set of triple mirrors. “I’d definitely get sent home from school for wearing this,” she murmured.
“And that’s a bad thing?” he questioned with a growl, pulling her into his arms.
She slapped at his hands. “Hands off. We’ve got to get going, remember?”
“How mad do you think Roger would be if we, say, just didn’t show up?”
“Furious, you little reprobate.” She laughed, again disengaging herself from his arms.
“We’ll take it.” He handed the saleslady a card. “Do you need anything else?”
“Well, she picked out jewelry and shoes and a purse, so I think I’m good. I’m going to pay you back for this with my next check.”
“Absolutely not. You wouldn’t even need this if you weren’t going to the opening with me.”
A second saleslady was circling Beth, removing all of the tags with a small, sharp pair of scissors. “I think you’re all ready, dear.”
Fifteen minutes later, the limo pulled up outside of a new night club. “Just stay there,” Chad said. “I’ll get your door.”
Beth’s mouth dropped when she peered out of her window. People were crowded behind roped-off lines and a red carpet led to the club’s entrance. Photographers held their cameras poised, ready to snap celebrities’ pictures. Before she had time to even take it all in, the door opened and he offered his hand, smiling as he helped her out of the limo. Immediately, lightbulbs began flashing like fireflies on both sides of the carpet.
A reporter shoved a microphone in his face. “Chad, who’s your lady friend?”
“This is my girlfriend, Beth Donovan. You may have heard her sing with Roger and me in Kansas City.”
For a moment the concentration was taken off Chad as all heads turned to the newcomer. “Ms. Donovan. What’s it like dating a rock star?”
“Oh”—she shot Chad a look—“it’s full of surprises.” His hand on her back, he rushed her down the rest of the carpet without having to field any more questions. They got inside a set of double doors. “Why didn’t you tell me this was a red carpet affair?”
He paused with his hand on the inner door. “Because I thought you might freak out like you’re doing now. Believe me, this is the less painful method.”
“Just remember, Evans, paybacks are hell.” Under her breath, she muttered, “I need a drink.”
He simply smiled and opened the next door. “I think I can accommodate you.”
The lighting was low, but she could tell the club was already full of people who were milling around with drinks. Chad led her to the bar and found an empty stool for her while he ordered. The rocker handed her a glass of wine and held up his bottle of beer tentatively. “Are you really mad at me?”
She eyed him for a minute, giving him a chance to sweat a little, and then clinked her wine glass with his bottle. “I guess I forgive you.”
“Good.”
Before he could say anything else, a familiar face appeared out of the crowd. “Chad.” Stan Mikas clapped him on the shoulder with enthusiasm. “Hi. Beth, isn’t it? Nice to see you again.” He shook her hand amiably. “Chad, can I steal you away from this lovely lady for just five minutes? There is someone I promised to introduce you to.”
“Stan, can’t it wait until Michelle and Roger get here? I don’t want Beth to have to sit here alone.”
“I’m fine, Chad. Go on.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’ll just sit here and sip my wine, and try to catch my breath. We’ve been running since I got off the plane. I’ll be here when you get back.”
He bent to kiss her. “I’ll be right back.”
The two men moved off through the crowd, Stan saying, “I don’t blame you for not wanting to leave her. She’s a knockout.”
Chad glanced over his shoulder to where Beth sat alone. She was perched on a high stool, with one foot on the crossbar beneath. The other leg was crossed over the first, that foot bouncing to the beat of the music. With her heels on, her legs looked incredible. She somehow managed to get her short hair up (he would never understand how women did that), and a few wispy tendrils lay invitingly along her neck. No, he wouldn’t be leaving her for long.
He did his duty and chatted for a few minutes with some execs from the record label and their wives. After exchanging pleasantries and answering a few questions, he excused himself to return to Beth. He could see her from across the room, sitting in the same position, foot still bouncing. He smiled and watched her as he weaved through the crowd, though his view was cut off from time to time by people crossing in front of him. That was why he didn’t notice the woman approaching until the very last second.
“Julie.” Her name sounded like a death knell as it came out of his mouth. He paled. He hadn’t been expecting to see her here. His eyes shot to Beth at the bar. “What are you doing here?” he inquired darkly.
“Well, last time I looked, this place didn’t say ‘Chad’s’ outside,” she huffed, her face a mask of haughtiness.
Chad studied her. Julie was even more emaciated than when they went out, and she was little more than a pencil then. She was nearly as tall as he was with her stilettos on, and she still wore her dark hair straight, cut above her shoulders. Her forehead looked even wider now that her face had thinned into nearly a point at her chin. She was still pretty, he guessed, in that she had high cheekbones and perfectly arched eyebrows over her wide hazel eyes, but somehow he couldn’t help thinking of an alien when he looked at her.
“I guess you heard.” Julie shoved a gargantuan diamond ring in his face. “I’m getting married to Edward Julien.”
Julien was a prominent New York City politician. Chad hadn’t heard and he didn’t care. Though, it amused him that soon her name would be Julie Julien.
“You look good,” she continued appraisingly when he had nothing to say. “And I can see you’ve moved on with your life, too.” She waved a hand in Beth’s direction. “She’s pretty.” The model paused, running a finger around the rim of her glass while Chad stared at her coldly. Without prefix, she threw her arms around his neck, purring in his ear as she did so. “When she finally wises up and discovers what an ass you are, give me a call. I cheat on Edward all the time, and you were always good in bed.” She gave him a squeeze and a kiss on the cheek, and then strutted away in the opposite direction. He watched her leave, wondering at how ballsy she could be for a woman.
When he turned his attention back to Beth, Chad saw a dark-haired man was leaning on the empty stool next to her and talking to her, his foot resting on the rung of the stool casually. As Chad got closer, he saw her laugh about something the stranger said, and he could feel the anger beginning to boil inside of him.
“I leave for a few minutes and you just hit on my girl?” he snarled.
The guy threw up his hands in a gesture of innocence. Dwarfed by Chad, he sputtered, trying to convince him of his blamelessness.
“Chad,” Beth cut in, “we were just trying to figure out how to get the bartender’s attention.”
The blood in his veins seemed to burn him from the inside out. “No offense, Beth, but you wouldn’t know a guy was coming on to you if he came up to you and licked your palms.”
The smaller man finally found his voice, “Dude, I was not hitting on your girlfriend, I swear.”
The bartender appeared from out of the blue, saying, “I’m sorry. I wasn’t trying to ignore you, it’s just so busy. What can I get for you?”
Chad felt foolish. “I guess I’m sorry then. Your drinks are on me.”
“Hey, man, no problem.” As he passed Chad, he acknowledged in a low voice, “If I had a girl as hot as that, I’d run off any guys I could, too. But I wasn�
��t hitting on her. She’s way out of my league.” The man left them in an uncomfortable silence. Chad leaned with his back against the bar, chugging his beer.
Beth tried to figure out what had just happened. Chad seemed fine when he left. She saw a woman approach him, and a strange expression crossed his face.
“Who was the girl you were talking to?”
Chad seemed surprised by her question, perhaps relieved she wasn’t reaming him out for his actions. “Julie.” He took another hit from his bottle. “We dated.”
“You dated her?” Beth asked in surprise. The girl was gorgeous. She thought she recognized her. A model? A light dawned. “Wasn’t she the model in that perfume ad?”
“That’s the one,” he muttered.
Beth fiddled with her cocktail napkin. “How long did you date?”
“Three or four months,” he replied. He turned around and rested his forearms on the bar. “She’s the one ‘Jigsaw’ is about.”
“Jigsaw” was the song that launched them to stardom. A line went through her head: “You left me like a jigsaw puzzle, pieces spread across the floor/And I’ve lost the picture on the box now/so I can’t put myself back together anymore.” So, obviously this was someone who meant something to him at one time. After a bit, she inquired, her voice wavering slightly, “So what did she say to you?”
“She said you were pretty. Then, she offered to sleep with me,” he pronounced matter-of-factly. “Bartender, can I get another beer?”
Beth was so shocked she didn’t know what to say. She stared at her wine glass, totally taken aback. They sat in silence until the bartender shuffled off. She couldn’t help but feel insecure in this environment. Models, politicians, movie stars, and who was she? A lunch lady from the Midwest dressed up in a fancy dress.
“Do you still love her?”
He thought about this. “I’m not sure I ever did. I thought I did, for a while.” Chad saw a shadow cross over her face. “But no, I don’t love her. To tell you the truth, she makes me sick.”
“But sometimes bitterness conceals feelings—”
“Beth,” Chad interrupted, taking her hands and looking her in the eyes, “whatever feelings I may have had for that woman at one time, it has nothing to do with you and me.”
“Okay.” She sighed, unable to hide her relief. Chad hugged her and they held on to each other for a minute.
He drew apart with a wry expression on his face. “Now, are you going to dance with me, or what?”
It had been so long since they’d been together—well, long enough—and she didn’t want to let anything interfere with them having a good time tonight. Her lips lifted and she spun off her stool. “Lead the way.”
Having cleared things between them, they relaxed and actually ended up having a blast on the dance floor. But after about twenty minutes, a song came on they didn’t recognize.
“Arghhh. You can’t dance to this trash,” Chad muttered in disgust. “I need to run to the bathroom for a second, anyway.”
“Okay, I’ll go get us some more drinks. Meet me by the bar. You want a beer?” Chad nodded and they separated.
As she waited for the bartender to bring back the drinks, a young man approached her. “Excuse me. I hope I’m not being too much of a bother, but is that Chad Evans you’re with?”
“What?” Beth yelled. “I’m sorry. I can’t hear you above this music.”
He moved closer to her so he could talk directly into her ear.
“Oh yes. It’s Chad Evans.”
“I’m a huge fan of Trapped Under Ice. Do you think he would give me his autograph?”
Meanwhile, Chad was returning from the bathroom. He saw a dark-haired man at the bar lean into Beth intimately. The guy actually came back to hit on her! It wasn’t enough he’d tried it once, but as soon as he saw Beth alone, he came back to try again. Talk about ballsy. Chad might have believed the guy’s excuse the first time around, but he was not about to be made a fool of now. He tried to talk himself down from the ledge, but he went from zero to sixty in about two seconds. Without saying a word, he marched over to the guy and punched him in the face. A fraction of a second before contact, he had the sudden realization this was not the same guy as before.
Beth screamed as the guy fell into her. “Chad. Stop. He’s just a fan wanting an autograph for God’s sake.” Her voice was shaking. “Oh my God, are you all right?”
“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine,” the guy claimed, though he seemed to be trying to appear a lot tougher than he probably felt.
“Shit! I’m sorry, man.”
The nightclub owner came over. “What’s happening here?”
The fan was brushing himself off. “Nothing. It was just a misunderstanding is all,” he avowed, peering at Chad.
The owner glanced at Chad, too. Recognition sparked in his eyes. “You’re Chad Evans. A friend told me if you were going to be here tonight, I should get rubber stools. Now I know what he meant.” He licked his lips. “Look, we don’t want any trouble in here.”
Stan bustled up to take charge of things. “There won’t be any trouble. Chad was just about to take his lady friend here home, weren’t you Chad?”
Chad studied Beth. He could see how upset she was and he was kicking himself for having done it to her. Yes, their evening was definitely over.
Somehow Stan got the limo to drive up outside. He hustled them into the back, reassuring Chad he would take care of everything. He’d give the guy some tickets or some money or whatever it took, and the club owner, too. He would smooth things over.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
It was a short, silent ride to the apartment Chad kept for whenever he was in town. When he tried to hold her hand, Beth brushed him off. He could see she was on a low simmer, getting closer to a boiling point with each block. When the door closed on his loft apartment, he made an attempt at conversation.
“Beth—”
“Don’t say anything, Chad. Just don’t say anything. I’ve got to think. I’ve got to get out of here for a second.” She moved to the door. It got about two inches open before Chad slammed it shut again, his hands on either side of her to keep her from moving. Fire dancing in her eyes, Beth turned on him. “Dammit, Chad, let me out
of—”
He kissed her.
She pulled away. “Chad, don’t!” she spat angrily, but he kissed her again. She pushed on him. “Chad. Sex is not going to solve our problems.” He moved his hands from the door to her back, and pulled her into him. “Chad, please.” Her voice was weak.
And that was the end of the argument.
***
Beth woke up naked on the couch next to Chad, feeling guilty somehow for giving into him the night before. She extricated herself from his arms and scouted around for her bag, pulling out the clothes she planned for the day. She realized, with regret, she forgot to pack a second bra. Her eyes roamed over the items of clothing flung here and there, searching for the bra from the night before. She saw her dress, one stocking, her heels, and there it was, under Chad’s left shoulder. Cursing fate, she pulled on the rest of her clothes. She would have to wait until he woke up.
The morning sun was pouring in the windows, and she crossed the apartment to gaze out at the new day dawning. After a while, she glanced back at him, crammed onto a sofa much shorter than he was. She felt the surge in her heart she went through whenever she observed him.
What am I doing? I’m living in a fantasy world here, sleeping with a rock star and…and what? Would this ever work between them? He on the road, she at home. And what about these fights he was starting? Did she really know what was driving him to do these things? Did she know him at all? After all, the first time they met, he was punching somebody. Maybe that should have been an omen. She sighed. But he did that to help me, so maybe it was a good omen.
Then, there were the other questions. Can I really love a man again? Maybe this is only an attraction, like Cali says, simply two people who are hot for each other. Her hea
rt was muddled. Then why do the feelings I have for him terrify me so? She peered at him again, alone on the couch. Maybe I should just end this. We’re so different, he and I. I should just save myself the pain. But the very thought made her feel sick and caused tears to come to her eyes.
How odd that, at a time like this, Beth’s thoughts turned to Paul. It was then the tears really came, coursing down her cheeks. Oh, God, Paul! How I wish you were here sometimes. I counted on your advice so much. She started laughing through her tears, realizing how asinine it was for her to ask her late husband for advice on her new boyfriend. I’m freakin’ losing my mind. She wiped furiously at her tears. Would Paul have liked Chad? Her immediate thought was, no. They were so different. But wouldn’t he see the same things in Chad I do? How funny he is, and how sweet, when he’s not punching things. And there was that unexplainable something, the pull he had on her heart. It was the age-old dilemma.
A line from a song drifted across her mind, The Clash singing, “Should I stay, or should I go, now,” She knew she had a decision to make, and it wasn’t going to be easy.
***
Chad woke up in his apartment on the couch, naked and alone, covered only by a thin blanket. He lifted his head to hunt for Beth. She stood by the window wearing jeans and a soft, thin, yellow sweater. She was leaning against one of the brick walls surrounding the apartment, staring out one of the three large windows taking up most of the one outside wall. The sun shining in through the windows gave her an almost magical luminescence. She had one hand across her chest; the other arm was bent up as she was chewing on her fingernails. He sat and regarded her for several seconds without speaking.
After awhile, she felt his eyes and she turned her head. He could tell she had been crying. She trudged over to him, her arms crossed over her chest. That was when he could see she had no bra on.
TRAPPED UNDER ICE (ROCKING ROMANCE COLLECTION) Page 19