The Sweet Life

by Sharon Struth

  Gary studied her for a minute, then slowly nodded. “Sure. I get it.”

  “Thank you.”

  His expression shifted. “I heard you got Julian to go in a hot air balloon this morning.”

  “Yes.”

  “Good for you. He fought me like a wildcat when I asked. You know about his parents?”

  “Yes. He told me.”

  “And you still tried to get him on one?”

  “It helped us both, really.” She immediately regretted telling him too much. Gary was the type to use information to his advantage.

  “Maybe it’s a sign he’s coming to his senses.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “We want him back on the show. The producers will do whatever it takes. Even change the show format. The audience loves Eddie and none of the guys we hired did well in focus group studies.”

  Everything Julian had told her. “I’m not sure how much that’ll matter to him.”

  “He’s still saying no.” Gary glanced out into the distance. “But I’m not through with him yet.”

  She suddenly hated Gary and everything he represented. Selfish reasons really. A return to the show probably meant Julian would lead a busy life traveling all over the world with an aggressive filming schedule. She’d most likely never see him again. Even though he claimed to have no desire to return to his old life, that could change. Yet, given how Gary behaved, she believed Julian deserved better than what the producer or the show had to offer.

  He leaned over and picked up his water bottle. “I’m heading back to the pool. Stop by when you’re done.”

  “I will.”

  Gary nodded and walked back toward the path.

  “Gary?”

  He turned and raised a brow.

  “Remember, please don’t tell Julian about this. Let me tell him.”

  Gary smiled, but it seemed phony. “Not to worry. Your secret is safe with me, sweetheart.”

  Somehow, she wasn’t sure she believed him. The only way to prevent him from turning this into something bigger was to get permission to tell Julian herself.

  Chapter 21

  The van pulled into the driveway and parked after the successful visit to Orvieto. While the passengers unloaded, Julian opened his door and glanced around the compound for Mamie. Voices carried from the direction of the pool, so he got out and walked over. A large group, including Gary, hung out, but no sign of Mamie. He turned and trudged uphill toward the path leading to their villa.

  “Hey, Jules. Hold up,” Gary yelled, a smile on his face as he pushed open the wrought iron gate leading from the pool area. He jogged up the short hill.

  Julian had seen that strained smile a thousand times, usually before Gary was about to push him hard on what he wanted for the show. “Can you make it quick, Gar? I need to shower and don’t want to be late for tonight’s dinner.”

  Gary reached the driveway. “Sure, sure.” He took a second to catch his breath. “Listen, are you giving my offer any more thought?”

  “A little. But I haven’t changed my mind.”

  “I heard about your hot air balloon ride this morning.”

  Julian nodded. Everybody knew, the gossip chain amongst the group more reliable than most news medias. It bothered him to have the private moment out there, but only Gary and Mamie understood about his past and the full importance.

  “Big step. Now that you’ve done that, I figured...well, it was like a breakthrough. Right?

  “Spare me the psychoanalysis, Gary.” He moved closer. “I’ve found some peace of mind lately. I can now see I was doing the show for the wrong reasons and I’m not ready to jump in again. It’s not a firm no, but I’m not ready to rush and make a decision.”

  Gary stepped back and shook his head. “You’re crazy, man. They’ll give you whatever you want. It’s a deal of a lifetime.”

  “So? It’s my life. What’s in this for you if I return?”

  “I won’t lie. They’re making it worth my time to talk to you. But I genuinely think I made a mistake firing you. You know how hot-headed I am sometimes.”

  Acting reasonable. Another Gary ploy, aimed at weakening Julian’s stance. “Another reason to say no.”

  Gary shook his head. “You liked doing the show, didn’t you?”

  “I did. But my life has changed this past year and I’m not really sure what I want.”

  “Why? That girl you’re sleeping with?”

  Julian’s shoulders tensed. Blunt Gary, they used to call him. “Mamie. And yes, she’s part of it. But I like this job, too.”

  Gary looked away, his jaw drawn tight. When he snapped his gaze back to Julian, the tense lines of his face gave away frustration not visible until now. “I’m leaving tomorrow morning, when you and the others leave. Promise me you’ll think about it? Can you at least do that for an old friend?”

  With caution, he answered, “Sure. I’ll sleep on it.”

  Gary rested a hand on his shoulder. “Thanks, buddy.” He returned to the pool.

  Julian felt helpless as a man about to be drawn and quartered. Two very different paths stretched out before him. Choosing one over the other could either be the biggest mistake of his life or the best thing he’d ever done.

  * * * *

  Ring. Ring. Ring...

  Mamie sat on the bed’s edge, her heart beating wildly while waiting for Allison to answer the phone. Of all days, this was the worst to play phone tag with someone. Now, with what Gary had seen, Mamie needed to talk to Allison even more urgently. What if she missed her again this time? Julian would be back soon and Allison needed to know how Gary had connected a thin thread tying her to the Covert Critic. Especially since she didn’t trust the person who learned her secret.

  Allison answered on the fifth ring. “Hey, I got your message but it’s been hectic around here today.”

  “Thank God I got you. We’ve got a small problem.”

  She explained what just happened with Gary, including her lie that she wrote the piece for another publication. “My worry is he finds my name on our company website and draws his own conclusions.”

  “Shit. That’s not good. Are you certain he’s not trustworthy?”

  “It’s a gut read. He did say he’d keep it quiet, but he’s got a good reason to tell someone else.”

  “Oh?”

  “You know that fling we talked about?”

  “Uh-huh…”

  “Well, you should know, I’ve gotten close to the tour director, a man named Julian Gregory.”

  “Tour director? The very person whose tour you’re writing about?”

  “When you put it that way, it sounds so, well—”

  “Inappropriate?”

  “Kind of. What’s going on with him isn’t influencing my evaluation.”

  “The man who figured out your identity, does he know about you and the tour director?”

  “Gary’s his name and yes, he does. But I can’t stress enough how the relationship isn’t playing into my piece.”

  “Oh, Mamie.” Disappointment in Allison’s voice made Mamie wish she’d kept quiet. “I’m sure you think so, but how can you be certain? If Gary wanted to, once your guide is published, he could ruin the series reputation.”

  “I suppose, but I don’t think that he has motive to do such a thing. However, I worry about something else.”

  “What else is there?”

  Mamie talked about Gary’s relationship to Julian on the show Exploring the World with Eddie. “Gary said the show’s producers want him back.”

  “I’ve seen that show. Julian is Eddie? He’s a celebrity?” She groaned. “That makes this worse. Is Gary the type to leak any of this to the media? I mean, it could bring people to our books. Everyone loves a good scandal.”

  “I don’t think this qualif
ies as a scandal. Listen, I called, though, hoping you’d talk to legal, explain what’s happened.”

  “Yes. I’ll let them know you weren’t to blame for his discovery.”

  “Do you think I can tell Julian my role with the publisher? In case he finds out from Gary, I don’t want him blindsided.”

  “Absolutely not. At least until I talk to legal.”

  “Why not?”

  “One, Gary just may stay quiet. So why risk telling another person? And two, did Felix call you about his latest plans to leave his job and who he wants to replace him?”

  “He did. I’m honored he’d think of me and that the publisher is willing to take a chance on me. But—”

  “You’re the perfect candidate, and you’d get a significant raise in salary.”

  “It’s very appealing.” Mamie wanted to be as honest as possible with Allison. This week turned Mamie’s worldview upside down. True, a new path work-wise could be exciting. But a life on the road? She wasn’t certain that was right for her either. “I just need to make sure it’s right for me.”

  “All the more reason to stay quiet about what you’re doing on the tour. Nothing should point to you.”

  “But what if Gary tells him? He didn’t like one bit that I was doing this behind Julian’s back. A loyal friendship thing, I guess.”

  “Hopefully he won’t say a word. Hold on.” Some papers rustled in the background and Allison thanked her secretary, asking her to shut the door on the way out. “I’m back. We have to make sure your name doesn’t go public as a fill-in. Even if someone knew you were a sub, speculation might run wild that you held the job permanently. You’d better hope that Gary keeps his mouth closed.”

  “Here’s the thing, Allison. I like Julian and I don’t like lying to him.”

  An audible sigh carried over the phone. “It’s a chance you’ll have to take. You know the success of this whole series, for all these years, has ridden on the fact that nobody knows who does these reviews. It’s what gives the series five-star credibility. But sit tight while I get ahold of legal. But it may not be until tomorrow that they have an answer.”

  Disappointment slammed her chest. “Yes. I understand.”

  Just then, the villa door opened. The sound of footsteps coming toward the bedroom got louder.

  “I’d better go.”

  Julian stood at the doorway, smiling at Mamie.

  “Please, Mamie,” Allison said. “Promise you won’t say a word until I reach legal.”

  “I won’t.” She hung up and smiled at Julian. “How’d today go?”

  He talked about the outing. His relaxed expression reminded her how much she wanted to enjoy this last night with him this way... Happy and without the added burden of her secret.

  Or was that the excuse she needed to abide by Allison’s request, knowing deep down Julian might be angry if he learned she’d misled him?

  * * * *

  “Thank you, Tina.” Julian stood on the mock stage, a foot-high wooden platform at the patio. Above the stage hung a banner in bold letters reading Rock Out Talent Night. “Come on everyone, give her a hand.”

  The Wanderers clapped wildly over Tina’s rendition of Melanie’s “Brand New Key,” a quirky number Julian had never heard before about a girl who likes a boy.

  Tina blushed but took her bow. A band of flowers crowned her head and a colorful poncho covered her frame, making her look as if she’d time traveled to the new millennium from nineteen sixties Haight Ashbury.

  The skills he’d seen here tonight were impressive. One couple dressed as Sonny and Cher. Besides singing “I’ve Got You, Babe,” they did a few minutes of standup similar to the show from the early seventies, where Sonny played straight man to Cher’s zingers.

  Hopefully, he and Mamie could hold their own. She’d agreed to perform background vocals, complaining she wasn’t a good singer.

  Julian read the list to see who performed next. “After this next number, we’ll have an intermission to enjoy the dessert table. I saw a preview in the kitchen. It’ll be worth the wait. Without further adieu, let’s give a big hand to a group calling themselves the Three Amigos, who’ll be singing the Grand Funk Railroad hit “Some Kind of Wonderful.”

  Bernie, Bob, and Joel swaggered to the stage, all wearing identical Hawaiian shirts. Joel’s long-haired wig touched his shoulders and the other two men went from thinning gray hair to full heads of curls. Julian’s parents had owned a Grand Funk Railroad album, and he found the seniors’ attempts to mimic the band’s appearance commendable.

  He returned to his seat next to Mamie. Her seventies look came from a patterned gauze skirt she’d borrowed from Tina and a tight T-shirt worn with a lace choker necklace. An outfit she’d discussed in great detail with him while they got dressed, complaining that his jeans, sandals, and plain short-sleeved shirt didn’t really represent the decade.

  He draped an arm over the back of her chair and she moved closer to him. “You’re a natural as MC. All that training as a TV host probably helped.”

  “I spent many years preparing for tonight’s role. Not just anybody can host Rock Out Talent Night.”

  She chuckled. “Nope. It’s certainly not a job for just anyone.” She nestled against his side, and he tried not to think about her leaving tomorrow.

  Glancing across the patio, Julian caught Gary watching them as he leaned against the building’s stone wall. A cold stare. Julian shrugged it off. Yeah, Gary was pissed Julian wouldn’t commit to returning to the show. So what?

  What Gary didn’t understand was how a return to his old routine didn’t leave room for some new things he desired from his life. What that meant exactly, Julian wasn’t sure. Not marriage. But to let himself get close to another person—an unthinkable idea in the past—felt right now.

  Music poured from the two speakers attached to an iPod near the stage. Julian drew his attention away from Gary’s demands to enjoy this act.

  The upbeat opening had everyone clapping. Bernie stepped up first, singing about how he didn’t need money or a fancy car because he had everything a man could want, even more than he could ask for.

  He stepped back into the line and Joel took center stage. Looking directly at Tina, he crooned about how he didn’t need to run around or stay out all night. Pointing at her, he winked before belting out his lyrics about his lovin’ woman.

  Tina let out a whoop then blew him a kiss. The audience devoured their antics, swaying and clapping to the rock beat.

  As they got to the chorus, each directed their words to the women who they’d brought with them on this trip. Some married for decades, others finding love in their second marriage and dating. Yet all expressing affection for the women they cared about. An open display, regardless of their age or the passage of time.

  The bonds of love. A need for such closeness unexpectedly flooded Julian’s heart. A heart shut off because it hurt. Some Mr. Tough guy he turned out to be.

  These men were happy, caring deeply for women who’d been in their lives for years. Togetherness appeared to make their lives richer. Like what he and Mamie had shared this entire trip, especially this morning during the hot air balloon ride. A moment of growth, for each of them.

  He turned to her and she smiled. Leaning over, he kissed her with all the tenderness brewing inside his chest.

  She leaned back. “What was that for?”

  “For what you did this morning.” He took her hand. “I’ll have some time off touring soon. How would you feel if I came to visit you in the States?”

  A flash of conflict crossed her face, but she smiled. “I’d like that.”

  “Anything wrong?”

  “No. I just want to make sure I can take time off work.”

  “We’ll work it out.”

  She nodded and returned to watching the show.

  While
the men sang, Julian listened with a weightlessness he couldn’t ever recall feeling, finally aware of something those men on stage probably already knew. The fear of losing a person you cared about was a lousy reason to avoid love.

  Chapter 22

  Tables emptied when Julian announced intermission. He returned to his seat near Mamie. “We’re up after dessert. Think we should practice once more?”

  She frowned and stood. “I think what would help more is some tiramisù from the dessert table after a quick trip to the restroom.”

  “How about I get us both some dessert?”

  “Now you’re talking.” She rubbed his shoulder and walked away.

  He couldn’t take his eyes off her. The gentle sway of her hips, the long curve of her neck. Everything he’d noticed the first time he saw her, but somehow different. Even her slight limp was less noticeable. Maybe because she carried herself with more confidence than the day she’d arrived.

  He rose from his seat and headed for the long line at the dessert table. A car pulled into the compound entrance. The headlights shut off and someone got out. Julian bypassed the table and walked toward the car. Nobody else was expected here tonight.

  A tall, slender woman approached him. As she walked closer to a lamppost at the walkway’s end, Julian froze. Claudia? He’d never met his boss in person, but he’d Skyped with her enough times to know her face.

  “Hello, Julian,” she said, her German accent crisp and cool. A nearby lamppost cast its beam on her. In person, Claudia was prettier than he’d remembered, with a pert nose and wide eyes. Last time they’d Skyped, she had shoulder-length hair. Now the blond locks were short and layered.

  “What are you doing here?”

  “I got an anonymous call about this tour. Evidently, things aren’t going as I expect.”

  Shock momentarily held Julian’s tongue in check. The people he traveled with didn’t seem to mind his rule violations. So who would’ve called?

  Julian wasn’t about to hand over the problems until he fully understood why she came. “What isn’t going according to plan?”