The Gingerbread Boy

by Lori Lapekes

  “Will you please come?” Penny asked, casually flipping her hair, “It’s Friday night, so you don’t have to worry about classes tomorrow. Besides, it might be fun. You can listen to the band, meet people ”

  “How can you talk to people over the noise of a band?” Catherine asked. “It doesn’t sound fun to me.”

  Beth threw her arms into the air. “Then meet that guy and leave. This is my last offer. Either say yes, and come with us, or say no, and miss out.”

  There was a period of silence as the three girls looked back and forth from one to another. Catherine wished Joanne was around to offer support. Walking into a nightclub sounded paralyzing. Yet apparently Daniel wanted to meet her there. Why there?

  At last Catherine pulled herself to her feet. “Okay, I’ll go. I hope the place isn’t too bad.”

  “Daniel LaMont and The Front wouldn’t play in a dive,” said Penny. They’re a classy band, and the lead singer is getting famous. I saw him on television doing an interview promoting their album. If you go tonight, you won’t only be meeting some hot guy, you’ll also be witnessing history in the making. That group is going to be big.”

  But Catherine’s mind had already wandered off. She was once again waltzing with Daniel in that abandoned ballroom, enjoying the warmth of her hands in his and his breath brushing across her neck.

  ****

  Daniel had left his red scarf with Catherine the night they’d met, and Catherine hoped he’d forgotten it as an excuse to see her again to get it. She hadn’t told Joanne about the scarf, because the idea was so romantically idiotic that Catherine was embarrassed to hope it was true. But she had brought the scarf with her tonight, and, as she, Beth and Penny stepped out of the car at the nightclub, Catherine realized she had wound it into knots around her hands.

  She’d never been so nervous. And it wasn’t merely because of Beth’s lunatic driving. It was the thought of seeing Daniel again. Catherine’s anxiety deepened as they hurried across the slushy parking lot toward the enormous brick building with huge arched windows and a deck surrounding it. She was glad Beth and Penny were caught up in their own conversation and didn’t speak to her, for Catherine was sure her voice would give away her terror. By the time they walked up the steep concrete stairway of the nightclub a man asked for her ID and cover charge, and she was embarrassed to find she’d twisted the scarf around her hands again. Beth turned her way and rolled her eyes as Catherine wormed her way out of the scratchy red wool.

  “Why on earth did you bring that old rag, anyway?” Beth asked as Penny looked on, blinking innocently.

  “The guy I’m meeting loaned it to me and I want to give it back,” Catherine muttered, shoving it into her purse. “He’s had it for years. His sister gave it to him when he was twelve.”

  “Odd, he didn’t look at least a hundred years old, like that scarf does.” Beth said.

  Catherine eyed her coolly, but remained silent. She handed the doorman his cover charge and showed her driver’s license. A dull feeling of regret settled in her chest as they ambled past a display of the gigantic, ceiling-tall vats of homemade beer the bar was famous for brewing. Perhaps she should have driven her own car tonight and come alone. Her scrappy old car wasn’t much compared to Beth’s luxurious German beast, but at least then she could have left if Beth became too annoying.

  Too late now.

  The next thing Catherine knew, Beth was herding her and Penny through a dim but bustling room filled with the remarkably pleasant smell of cedar. White Christmas lights twinkled above the circular bar. Figures jostled around them as Beth lunged for a table by the stage near the back of the room. Catherine took off her coat, hung it on the back of her chair and sat down, ignoring another couple of huge beer vats behind her, blocking her view of the patrons in the rear of the bar. She desperately hoped Daniel would see her before she got the courage to look around more obviously. She was too stiff with fear to do much more than sit and stare down at the tabletop. It was still early. There was at least an hour left until the band started, and Catherine felt doubtful Daniel was there already. Beth and Penny’s crazy infatuation with this singer was making her miserable. She wished they would talk about something else, anything else, but that seemed an impossible task that night.

  “Wow. Just look at the people lining up,” Penny said, craning her neck to see out a window. “They are all the way down the steps and winding down the sidewalk. We got here just in time. It’ll be standing room only in a little while.”

  “No kidding,” said Beth, glancing dreamily up toward the stage. “This place will pack them in with The Front playing.” She looked at Catherine. “Quit sulking. Even miss straight-laced Catherine might like this band.”

  “I’ll try not to let my gloominess disturb your delicate constitution,” Catherine replied.

  “Good.” Beth said, not picking up on the sarcasm. Catherine wondered how anyone could be so dense, yet she felt relieved her fear had been mistaken for moodiness.

  If only she had the courage to look around. Her eyeballs seemed to be stuck in one position staring at the table. It was a strain just to glance at the people around her.

  Penny’s head, however, bobbed and turned like a cork in water. “I don’t see that guy who came over today, Catherine,” she said. “But don’t worry, we’ll save a seat for him. He was pretty good looking didn’t you think, Beth?”

  “He was okay.” Beth replied, resting her chin in her hand.

  Just okay? Catherine wanted to ask.

  A few minutes later a waitress came over to take their order. Beth and Penny looked at Catherine with bulging eyes when she asked for orange juice. Catherine ignored the silent stares. Her own father, what little she remembered of him, had been an alcoholic. There was no way she wanted to become like him. She liked to think that the only thing she’d inherited from the man was her coarse dark hair, hair her mother use to tease her endlessly about, saying she practically needed wire-cutters to trim.

  Catherine tried to ignore the fact that a lot of men around them were eyeing their table like vultures. Daniel wasn’t like those guys. He couldn’t be. He was soft-spoken and kind. She remembered how gentle he had been when he’d wrapped the scarf around her neck in the ballroom. Any thought of him being anything less than an old-fashioned gentleman was intolerable.

  Time passed, and the nightclub grew noisier. Much noisier. Beth had already brushed off several men; apparently she was only interested in the mysterious singer. Penny toyed with her fingernails and downed drink after drink, which made her behave like a kid. Meanwhile, Catherine sat quietly, twisting Daniel’s scarf on her lap, waiting for a tap on her shoulder. But all she got were obnoxious looks from strangers.

  More time passed. The waiting became excruciating, almost more than Catherine could bear. Her stomach churned and her skin prickled with anxiety. She felt so out of place in this place. There were a lot of places she just didn’t fit in, and this had to be the worst. How in the world did Beth convince her to come here? If she didn’t do something soon, like leave, she was afraid she’d get sick.

  Suddenly she knew it. She had to go. If Daniel wanted to see her, then he’d have to come back to the house someday. But just as she began to rise the lights dimmed, and silence fell over the room. She glanced around, perplexed.

  “What’s going on?” she whispered to Penny.

  “Just watch!” came the excited reply.

  Someone began a slow, rhythmic clapping. More people joined in. Soon the place was shaking in the thunderous drone. Catherine felt the vibrations come right up through her chair.

  All at once beams of light swirled in dizzying circles around the room. Catherine let go of the scarf and clutched the edge of the table, fighting vertigo as cheering and clapping assaulted her ears. Sensing movement, she looked at the stage, grasping the tabletop so hard her knuckles turned white. The crowd went wild as several figures came into focus behind the lights and took their places at their instruments, then sud
denly a final figure dashed to the front of the stage from someplace behind it, and the whole nightclub was on its feet.

  The cheering roared and music exploded. Catherine raised herself in her chair to watch the show, but could see nothing with so many people standing or moving to the music. Even Beth and Penny had long since forgotten her and joined the mob.

  Curious, Catherine pulled herself to her feet, but was too short to see anything except brief flashes of the singer’s white shirt and dark hair. She was surprised to find she liked the singer’s voice. Although the music was loud, his voice was silky and strong. It raised and lowered elastically to the unfamiliar beat. For the first time in years, Catherine resented her height, or the lack of it. Was this suffocating feeling the reason she had begun hating crowds at such a young age? She shook her head, readying to sit back down, when she glimpsed the singer’s face. Her heart went into her mouth.

  It couldn’t be.

  Catherine got out of her chair and climbed on it to get a clearer view of what she hadn’t really seen, of course she hadn’t seen. Then her face went ashen.

  The handsome young man gallivanting on that little corner stage, crooning into the microphone with that wonderful voice… was Daniel.

  Catherine gulped for breath. She had to be hallucinating. Either someone had put something nasty in her drink, or the singer had to be some flamboyant look-alike!

  She pressed her eyes shut and recalled what she knew about Daniel. He was gentle and mysterious. He liked classical music. He caught snowflakes on his tongue. He liked to joke around. At one time he had been in a bowling alley when he saw a pair of lady’s pantyhose fall out of a someone’s pants. A bowler wasn’t some egomaniac that made people cheer and shout!

  She re-opened her eyes, and there he was. Again! Whirling, smiling, dancing. Having the time of his life. Catherine glanced down to see his scarf trailing from her hand onto the floor. This couldn’t be the same Daniel who owned an old scarf that his sister gave him! Tears pricked her eyes as she scrambled off the chair, snatched her coat and stuffed the scarf halfway into her purse. Then she frantically pushed toward a side door, her head spinning so wildly she could barely keep a thought in it.

  This was unacceptable! If Daniel was the guy who’d come to see her today, why hadn’t Beth and Penny told her? Why hadn’t they warned her instead of slobbering all over themselves just at the thought of him? Catherine glanced back. She could no longer see the stage clearly but she did see Beth. She was entranced, staring at Daniel and licking her lips. Disgusting! Catherine fought her way to the door, heaved it open, and lunged into the freezing night air. The door shut in a muffled thud behind her, and the music and clapping reduced to a dull hum. There! It’d only been her imagination. Had to be! Maybe her mind was rotting from all the toxic chemicals in horse lab.

  Catherine stood alone in the dark, shivering. She pulled her coat over her shoulders as she glanced around, dismayed to find herself caged in a large patio area the bar probably used in the summer. She stared solemnly at the beat-up scarf hanging out of her purse like a tongue. A tear slipped down her cheek. A few weeks ago, Daniel LaMont had been someone who might possibly like her.

  Now it seemed the whole world liked him.

  Why had he wanted her to come here tonight? To impress her? That didn’t make any sense, he knew this wasn’t her type of entertainment.

  Still, she thought, straining to hear his voice behind the heavy door, he was enormously talented. She tried to pick out the lyrics, something about truth on the other side. What did that mean?

  It didn’t matter. Daniel hasn’t time for a nobody like you, said Beth’s familiar voice in her head. He’s flashy and popular and charisma oozes out of him. You’re dull and ordinary. The only thing good about you are your eyebrows and thick lips.

  Gulping for air, Catherine stared toward the ground. This wasn’t right, wasn’t fair! She shrugged her coat over her shoulders and began to hurry toward the rail, willing to scurry over it, trying not to cry. Then from behind her, the door squealed open. A blast of music gushed out, then was silenced as the door thudded shut.

  “Eastie, come back.” called a familiar voice.

  Eastie. Who had recently called her that? Slowly, Catherine turned around.

  A tall, gangly man was staring after her.

  “Joey?” she whispered.

  He bowed. “Joey Thayer the Third, at your service.”

  Catherine stared wordlessly at him, wiping the wetness from her cheeks.

  “Why are you leaving?” he asked.

  Catherine gazed up at the black sky. She took a shuddering breath, and tried to regain her composure. When she finally spoke, her voice trembled.

  “Daniel is a singer,” she said. “In a ridiculous rock band.”

  “No.” Joey said calmly. “Daniel is an excellent singer in a wonderful rock band.”

  There was an uncomfortable silence.

  “Can’t you accept anything besides waltzes?” Joey asked.

  Catherine gazed steadily at him. “He didn’t tell me, Joey. He never told me he was… was…”

  “Famous?”

  Catherine lowered her eyes.

  “He’s not exactly famous. Not yet, anyway. But he certainly is a genius.” Joey dug his hands into his pockets for warmth. He looked uneasy as he continued. “Don’t you think he might have been afraid to tell you? You’re not exactly the nightclub type. I nearly fell over when I saw you standing on that chair a few minutes ago.”

  “If he was afraid just to let me know he was in a band, then why did he come to my house today and invite me here?” Catherine asked.

  Joey looked confused. “That doesn’t make any sense. We’ve been in Chicago for two weeks, and we didn’t get back until a few hours ago. We barely had time to do a sound check before the bar opened.”

  It was Catherine’s turn to look confused. Her face burned with embarrassment. Obviously it hadn’t been Daniel at the house today.

  Stupid kid, said the voice. Of course it wasn’t Daniel at your house! Why would a man like that come to see you? It was probably some guy from horse dissection lab.

  Catherine shook her head. “I guess I made a mistake. My roommates said a guy came to the door today, asking for me, and I thought it was…” her voice dropped off. “Never mind, I have to go.” With that, she lowered her head to hide watering eyes and began to scurry away. How stupid she’d been! What an idiot.

  Joey’s voice called across the crisp air. “Catherine! Don’t go. Daniel talked about you the whole time we were away. I got so tired of it, I felt like clobbering him!”

  Catherine turned. What did he say?

  Joey raised his arms, frustrated. “Come back inside. Trust me, Daniel will be thrilled to see you here. I’ve got to get back in before someone messes up the sound board, but I’ll tell Daniel you’re here when the group takes a break.”

  She unabashedly gaped. Daniel would be thrilled she was there?

  “Come back inside. Please.”

  “You’re sure he’ll want to see me?”

  Joey made an X across his chest with his hand. “Cross my big, southern heart, Eastie. Come on,” he added, turning toward the door, motioning her inside. “Let’s warm up.”

  Catherine’s feet moved beneath her as if on their own accord. She gazed wordlessly at Joey as he opened the door into the welcome heat. It was calm inside now, Daniel was singing a soft tune and most people had taken their seats. Despite herself, Catherine felt a mounting excitement. As the door shut behind them, Joey leaned to whisper in her ear, “Listen closely to the songs before you judge Daniel and the band. It might not be classical music, but it might not be what you’re thinking it is, either.” Then he blended into the crowd.

  She rubbed her arms and stared at the stage. It was easy to see Daniel now. He seemed so relaxed. Soft shadows moved across his face, and she could see his eyes shining with that strange coppery glow she remembered from the ballroom. His dark curls draped across h
is shoulders as he sang, holding the microphone as though he were kissing a woman’s hand. Her heart swelled. She listened to the music as Joey had asked.

  “…searching for answers left long behind, answers elusive to questioning minds…”

  The more she listened, the more her heart opened. “…When I’ve learned all you will allow me to know, I’ll slip into your loving arms and go…”

  Maybe this wasn’t just some shallow rock band. This was not trash. How could she have pre-judged Daniel so?

  She swallowed against the lump in her throat and threaded through the people to get a bit closer to the stage. Thankfully, people were still moving around enough that she could slip in closer without being conspicuous. She sidled up to a rail near the dance floor and rested there. She didn’t care that men were ogling her, or that her feet were sticking to the floor where someone had spilled a drink. She didn’t care if Beth and Penny wondered what happened to her. It didn’t even matter that Daniel was the guy Beth was hopelessly entranced by, and that Beth always got what she wanted.

  She was mesmerized by Daniel’s voice.

  The song ended. There was a roar of cheering and the noise didn’t stop until Daniel gestured for silence. As he looked out over the crowd, Catherine lowered her face, suddenly afraid to be seen.

  “Thank you all for coming tonight,” Daniel said, flashing the mischievous grin Catherine remembered. “My name is Daniel LaMont ” A resurgence of clapping and whistling made it hard for him to continue. He lowered his eyes, humbled, and Catherine smiled at that. When the applause died down, he introduced the rest of the group. The lead guitarist, bass, keyboard and drum players were introduced by name, allowing time for applause after each. Catherine studied the other band members. They all looked somewhat scruffier than Daniel. They smiled easily though, and each had an intelligent face. Catherine wondered how long they’d been together, and how popular they really were. Joey had called Daniel a genius; apparently he masterminded the band. And whether he intended to or not, Daniel stole the show. She wondered if that was why he took so long to introduce the rest of the band, to give them the recognition he unintentionally stole from them.