AKA Lexi Frost (Lexi Frost Series)

by Tori Brooks

  “I agree. So if Dev doesn’t want to do this, I’ll talk to Kenny, Jackson, and Oskar, okay? Don’t worry about the fallout, I’ll take care of it.”

  “Thank you.” Teri moved her chair closer and leaned against him. Paul slipped an arm around her.

  “Honey, that’s if Dev doesn’t want to do it. Kenny’s had all afternoon with him.” He felt her body sag under the truth of the statement.

  “I know.”

  “It doesn’t have to be difficult, and it doesn’t have to be long term. He’s fifteen. He loves his skateboard, his guitar, and his computer, not necessarily in that order.” Paul referenced the obscene amount of time Dev spent on his computer that Kenny nagged should be spent writing songs.

  Teri rewarded him with a small laugh.

  “What I’m saying is, one thing Dev doesn’t seem to like is being chased by girls, which is the focus of this ad campaign. I suspect it’ll get old. He’ll have a contract to fulfill, and that in itself might be a good learning experience. It might give him a broader view of life.”

  “I bet you were a great dad. Too bad your kids didn’t appreciate it,” Teri whispered.

  Her confidence in him touched something deep inside Paul and he hesitated, unsure how to respond. He always tried to do what he thought was best for his kids, but it went so horribly wrong in the end. Maybe this time it would be different.

  Dev’s arrival signaled the end of their private discussion. He looked at Paul suspiciously as he sat, then briefly to Teri still leaning against Paul for support.

  “Tim told you,” Dev addressed his mother carefully. Paul searched his face for clues to his feelings about the offer and wasn’t surprised to see mostly anxiety there.

  “Yes, we got the high points,” Teri sat up straight with a sigh. She looked at Dev, then at Paul. Teri’s hand was still in his, resting under the table on his leg. She gave it a gentle squeeze. Paul took the cue and carefully took point.

  “Dev, the question on the table is what you want to do. We know Kenny’s stance. What do you want?”

  “I’ll do it,” Dev responded instantly.

  “Not that you want to do it, just that you will? It sounds like Kenny’s got you convinced you have to. You don’t.”

  “I know,” Dev bristled. Paul recognized the warning signs. This is why he failed with his own kids, he thought. He just didn’t know how to talk to teenagers. Paul refocused his thoughts and tried again.

  “Teri mentioned you’re used to having your picture taken. Given she and Allen were both photographers, I imagine it’s second nature for you.”

  Dev shrugged, his hostility now tinged with confusion on where Paul was headed. Paul recognized the small win and proceeded carefully.

  “Of course your annoyance with girlish behavior is why you reacted the way you did, and why Oskar wants you specifically. You won’t have to put on an act, just be yourself. Teri mentioned once that you enjoy skateboarding and you frequently compete?”

  “Yeah.”

  Paul noted more confusion, and now curiosity pushed Dev’s hostility aside. The waiter came back and Paul considered sending him away, but he had already lost momentum.

  “I ordered in the other room,” Dev told him. The waiter nodded in affirmation and turned to Teri.

  “I have no idea,” she looked to Paul. He smiled at her.

  “She’ll have the orange duck and I’ll take the herbed lamb, chef’s choice on appetizers and sides,” Paul ordered easily.

  “And to drink?”

  “Dr. Pepper, in a wine glass for Ms. Giles please,” Paul answered. Teri giggled but the waiter, to his credit, didn’t bat an eye.

  “A martini for you, Mr. Lovett?”

  “With extra olives, please.”

  The waiter nodded and turned back to Dev. “I’ll have your drink and meal brought out here.”

  Paul focused on Dev as soon as the waiter left. “Kenny supports your skateboarding competitions despite the risk of injury, why is that?” Paul knew why, but he wanted to see if Dev knew and, more importantly, if he’d be honest about it.

  Dev shrugged. “I don’t like crowds. I can play okay when we’re in the basement, but when someone’s watching I get all tense and sometimes I mess up. It’s not like that when I’m competing. I have to block out the crowds or I’d be a smear on the pavement.”

  Teri whimpered at Dev’s statement. Paul pulled her close, giving her a little squeeze. Dev didn’t try to evade the question and he was honest about it. Paul was grateful he wasn’t dealing with one of his own sons.

  “Does it help?”

  “Maybe a little. Maybe I’m just getting used to it. I don’t know,” he shrugged. “Why do you care?”

  “For a few reasons, Dev. Teri cares, obviously, that makes it important to me too. Also, the first time I was in Seattle and met all of you, I asked about backup plans, remember?”

  “Yeah, you pissed Kenny off.”

  “Dev!” Teri admonished. Paul gave her a little hug to silence her.

  “He did,” Dev looked mildly reprimanded but defended his choice of verbs.

  “Yes, I did, and I don’t think that this modeling job counts as a backup if you’re wondering. Where I was going with that was I got to talk to Kenny a little later and I’ve thought about some of the things he said. He’s driven, Dev, like few people really are. I really can’t attest to talent, your band is outside my area of expertise. But I do recognize the ambition and I’m not going to try to stand in your way. I’ll even help where I can.”

  “Like sending us shopping.”

  Paul nodded. “Like sending you shopping to give you ideas for an image. Ordering a separate limo so you boys can get a taste for what it feels like. Eating expensive dinners, staying in expensive hotels. There are rewards for hard work and success. I was going somewhere else with this. Kenny wants you to be comfortable in front of a crowd, which is why he supports your skateboard competitions.”

  “I suppose.”

  “And he wants publicity, which is why he wants you to take this modeling and spokesman job.”

  “Yeah.”

  Their drinks appeared on the table as the waiter came and went unobtrusively.

  “You’re fifteen and still in school. Flying back and forth to New York for the ad campaigns will get you some personal exposure that may or may not help with the band. It will also take time, and that’s going to cut into your skateboarding. You’re already comfortable in front of a camera, you were raised that way. You have to ask yourself if trading getting you more comfortable with crowds for your picture in magazines is really the best thing for you or the band.”

  Dev looked stunned. Teri shifted and looked up to Paul. He gave her a small squeeze and she settled back down.

  “You don’t want me to do it.” Dev’s hostility was starting to surface again, but Paul expected it this time.

  “While we were waiting for you to join us, Teri and I talked about it. She wants to support whatever you want to do and so do I. The problem is separating what you want from what Kenny wants. If you want to do this, fine. I’ve got resources to make sure it’s done right and that no one will take advantage of you. If you would rather continue with your skateboarding competitions instead, I’ll handle Oskar and Kenny. There are other ways to gain exposure.”

  “Mom doesn’t like me skateboarding anyway. She’s afraid I’ll break my neck.”

  Paul chuckled lightly. He wasn’t touching that particular problem. “She mentioned that. Dev, you don’t have to make a decision tonight. You can have time to think about it. The point is, we want this to be your decision based on what you want to do. Understand?”

  “Yeah. I guess.”

  Silence blanketed the table for a moment, Paul watched Dev fidget with indecision and discomfort on his face out of the corner of his eye.

  Teri sat forward and put a smile on her face. “So did you have fun today?”

  “Um, sure. Can I go now?”

  Teri sighed.<
br />
  “Go ahead, we’ll redirect your dinner,” Paul waved him off. Dev didn’t wait to see if his mother agreed. He left immediately, walking as fast as possible through the tables to the private dining room.

  “I didn’t mean to diminish your authority, honey, I just thought the kid needed a break. I don’t think he’s comfortable with me and our little chat didn’t help.”

  “You spun that pretty good. I can see why you’re paid the big bucks.” Teri leaned against him and plucked an olive out of his martini.

  “Just remember to drink your water before your Dr. Pepper.”

  “Thanks for the reminder,” Teri ate the olive. “And thanks for taking over. I was having a hard time finding a better way to say ‘Dev, honey, I know you’re a big boy now but Kenny’s manipulating you.’ I’d get an undesirable reaction.”

  “I don’t think that would have gone over very well,” Paul agreed. “What do you think he’s going to do?”

  “I think he’ll do it.”

  “Any particular reason?”

  “He loves skateboarding and, from what I hear, he’s good about tuning out the crowds at his competitions. I guess that’s helping with playing in front of crowds. Maybe. A little anyway. In the end, he won’t want to disappoint Kenny.”

  “Would you like me to have a talk with Kenny? I’ve been meaning to anyway to make up for my earlier blunder. Perhaps a compromise to ease up on Dev.”

  “Dev can stand up to Kenny, believe me. No, you’ve given him something to think about and let him know that we’ll support his decision. I should really have been the one to do that.”

  “Maybe this is good. A bonding experience.”

  “Maybe.” Teri plucked another olive from Paul’s martini. She sat forward and turned to look at him, making eye contact as she slowly sucked the olive off the pick.

  Paul grinned and signaled the waiter. “Another martini please, with double the olives as the last.”

  “Yes, Mr. Lovett.”

  Tim leaned against the wall in the hall outside Paul’s apartment the next morning. He stood and straightened his suit jacket as Paul’s door opened.

  “You were waiting in the hall? In ambush? I’m already concerned,” Paul frowned as he walked past Tim and pushed the call button for the elevator. Tim took his place beside him.

  “Flynn Peterson,” Tim said, adopting his typically direct approach. He heard Paul suck in his breath. He had his attention now.

  “Three things. First, he filed for divorce and got an apartment here in New York. He’s keeping it quiet. I had to look specifically before I found that information.”

  “It was bound to happen,” Paul nodded.

  “Indeed.”

  The elevator door opened and Tim followed Paul in, both nodding a hello to the attendant, Karl. Tim knew Karl was reliable. In this building all the staff was carefully screened. Armed security disguised as an unnecessary elevator operator made Karl nearly invisible. He must hear interesting things, Tim mused.

  “Second, I suspect he’s hired a private investigator to follow you and Teri.”

  Paul looked at him sharply. “Suspect?”

  Tim shook his head. “I know he hired a private investigator to get information on Dev’s band. He slipped up and our . . . a friend of mine caught him at it. I only suspect he’s looking at Teri’s relationship with you.”

  Paul faced the elevator door and seemed to consider this. The elevator stopped and an expensive escort who frequented one of the other tenants joined them. Tim knew about Georgia. He knew that wasn’t her real name and, more important, that bought and sold secrets. He warned Paul about her months ago, but stiffened his posture and fixed his gaze straight ahead as a hint. Paul was either so lost in thought over the threat Flynn posed the conversation was on pause anyway, or he recognized Tim’s reminder. Either way, they reached the lobby and walked out to the waiting limo in silence.

  “Teri understands my marital dilemma,” Paul said as soon as the door closed behind Tim. “She said she doesn’t even blame me, so I think Flynn’s return to bachelorhood won’t be a swing factor. We’re doing okay.”

  “And the boys?” Tim asked, knowing this would be a problem and sensing Paul didn’t want the reminder that women changed their minds. There was a pattern of women showing poor judgment where Flynn was concerned.

  “I screwed up with Kenny and Dev. I think I’m accidentally on the right path.”

  “Supporting the want-to-be-a-rock-star dream? No offense, but you can’t offer what Flynn can.”

  “I know. I need to show Kenny I can be an asset before Flynn knocks on Teri’s door. I had a good talk with Dev last night, although I still sense some hostility there.”

  “How far will you go? With this little fantasy I mean?” After spending the day with Dev and his friends, Tim had doubts about the boys’ chosen career. To begin with, he wasn’t convinced it really was Dev’s chosen career. Only Kenny seemed driven enough to get anywhere; the others were dead weight and immature. Well, Jess and Dev were immature, it might not be fair to lump Bryan in that category. He seemed more introspective, but he was so quiet Tim had a hard time getting a good read of his character.

  “As far as it takes for them to make it, or realize they’re not going to I suppose.” Paul hesitated. “What I need is to solidify my relationship with Teri, at least in her mind.”

  “Move in together,” Tim suggested immediately, then realized it wasn’t time yet.

  “Has to be Teri’s decision and she’s not ready. Not yet.” Paul shook his head. “The way she’s raised the kids, she might balk at that. She’d be worried it would send the wrong message.”

  Tim found himself considering arranging Sara’s untimely demise again. If Paul couldn’t divorce her, it was the only way to free him. Paul wouldn’t agree, so Tim never mentioned the idea. He just fantasized from time to time.

  Paul shook himself, concerning Tim about the effect this information had on him. It was a black cloud looming on the horizon, a hint of a storm that may or may not come.

  “I’ll watch the situation,” Tim promised. “Flynn can’t approach her until his divorce is final. That gives you time to get the boys on your side, the girls already are.”

  “I need to close that window of opportunity,” Paul agreed.

  “And you need to make sure Teri loves you completely. So much that she can’t think of living without you,” Tim reminded him.

  “I can do that.”

  Teri and Paul had barely sat down for breakfast in the restaurant’s private dining room before Tim appeared and whispered in Paul’s ear.

  “I should take this call, honey,” Paul explained to Teri as he stood. “Hopefully I won’t be long.”

  “I understand.” Teri patted him on the butt as he turned away. He turned back briefly and smiled at her before walking toward the door.

  “Tim?” Teri stopped the messenger from making a getaway.

  “Yes?” Tim’s face was carefully neutral, which Teri found suspicious.

  “What’s up?”

  Tim didn’t give anything away with his expression as he watched Teri. “Are you asking to be social or specifically fishing for something?”

  “The call, it’s about Blaine?”

  Tim sat in Paul’s vacated seat. “Yes,” he said quietly. “How did you figure that out?”

  “I was expecting Sara to call and negotiate on Blaine’s behalf. When I asked Paul, he said he hadn’t heard from her.”

  “Chad and Olivia were out of the country. They just got back and got the memos on the revised rules,” Tim explained.

  “Is that her?”

  Tim gave a slight nod.

  “You’ve been dealing with Sara for years, right?”

  Tim gave another nod. Teri looked down the table at the kids. They all seemed to be involved in their own conversations, ignoring Teri and Tim for now.

  “So, how is this going to play out?”

  Tim managed not to flinch at
her question. Teri suspected he knew it was coming. The man was just too good at – well, everything. Her mind wandered briefly into a fantasy about trying to hook him up with Nicholas, but she dismissed it. Not that she questioned Tim’s orientation, she was fairly sure he was just stuck in the closet like her old friend. But Tim was so efficient and organized and Nicholas was . . . not.

  “She’ll argue they’re not children and he has no right to treat them as such,” Tim continued the conversation, interrupting Teri’s small daydream. “Tell him he’s a bad father, remind him they chose to go back to Arizona for a reason. He’ll remind her that he controls the purse strings so he can make the rules.”

  “But Arizona is a community property state. She gets half.”

  “Only if she divorces him. She doesn’t have access to his accounts. He gives her an allowance too. The only thing he asks is that she stays out of his life. Technically he could cut off the kids and she could support them, but he made sure her generous allowance isn’t quite generous enough to allow that without sacrifices from all of them. She’ll play ball in the end.”

  “But it’ll ruin his day.”

  Tim didn’t answer.

  “I don’t know what was on the schedule for today, but I’m pretty sure Paul and I could be excused.”

  “You haven’t seen the kids’ haul from yesterday yet,” Tim pointed out.

  “I can do that later. Someone needs to keep Paul company and cheer him up,” Teri smiled. “He’ll probably need tomorrow off too.”

  “And you’ll need to keep him company then too, I suspect. Will he need tickets to that Broadway show you wanted to see?”

  “I don’t fool you for a second trying to convince you that what I want is in Paul’s best interest, do I?”

  “No, but as it happens you’re in Paul’s best interest right now, so I’ll play along.”

  “Does that mean I’m going to get my way more than you’d like?”

  Tim hesitated and stared at Teri. “Yes. And I really wish you hadn’t figured that out just yet.”

  “Sorry, I’ll be good now.”

  “I’ll arrange for the tickets, but you still need to have dinner with the kids. Deal?”