by Laura DeLuca
“I’ll be right back. I have to grab a few things from the bedroom.”
Drew was quick to make a hasty retreat—as quick as possible given his condition. Thank God they didn’t try to follow him. He wanted to say goodbye to Wildwood—and some of the best days of his life—without interruption. Even though he had bought the house in Cape May Point, he wasn’t sure if he would return now that Lainey had called it quits. Seeing that place would only remind him of her and what would never be. He supposed he could put it back on the market. He’d have to sell the colonial for a fraction of what he paid if he wanted to unload it, but that was a bridge he’d cross when he got to it. Now all he wanted was to remember the good times.
“Lainey.”
Drew snatched the picture of the two of them on the roller coaster from the mirror frame. In spite of their wind whipped hair and silly expressions, they both seemed so happy in that image. That was the first time Drew had really let go and stopped worrying about looking over his shoulder. He’d felt free. The fact that later that evening they’d made love for the first time was the icing on the cake of a perfect day.
Drew smoothed out the surface of the photo. He had other pictures of Lainey stored on his phone but this was the only printed version. He caressed the miniature replica, allowing his fingers to run along every inch of her body. He could almost feel her soft hair and her smooth-to-the-touch skin. It made him sad to think this was the closest he’d ever get to really touching her again. With a sigh, he placed the photograph on the top of his carry on bag. Next, Drew picked up a scarf Lainey had forgotten on one of her visits. He’d never had the heart to give it back. When he held it up against his nose, he could still detect the vague aroma of lavender and vanilla. It was almost more than he could bear.
“I love you, Lainey,” he told the empty room. “I’ll always love you.”
It didn’t take Drew long to sort through the rest of his belongings. There wasn’t much left since most of his clothes had been at Lainey’s house. When she showed him the door, he’d thrown his suitcases in the trunk of his now totaled rental car, and Paulie had reclaimed whatever was salvageable. The last thing he grabbed was Lainey’s holy stone. Drew rolled it around in his hand and found he couldn’t pack it away. He considered it a token of that last magical night up on the widow’s walk. Everything had been so perfect in that moment in time. Lainey had even been okay with work calling him away for a few months. If only he’d managed to utter those last few words about what his job really entailed, all of this drama could’ve been avoided. They might still be together.
No point in dwelling on that now. What’s done is done.
Drew tossed the stone in the air, catching it easily with his good hand. Good thing he’d started out as a lefty and learned to be ambidextrous or he’d have been in trouble the next few weeks while he waited for his broken wrist to heal. Clutching the rock firmly in the palm of his hand, Drew headed back to the foyer, firm in his resolve to hold onto the memories as long as he could. He was about to call out that he was ready to go, but the angry whispers he heard when he reached the hallway stopped him dead in his tracks.
“I cannot believe you let him call her!” Catherine fumed, but not before checking over her shoulder to make sure no one was around. Drew was able to duck behind the wall in time to avoid being seen. “You do realize that could have ruined everything. Why even bother having his number changed if you were going to foil your own plan?”
Paulie threw his hands up in defense. “What did you expect me to do? The kid was determined. He would’ve gotten the number with or without my help. It would’ve seemed suspicious if I tried to prevent it.”
“Humph.” Catherine crossed her arms. “You are lucky I was around to handle things when the little tramp showed up at the hospital. If I hadn’t, your whole paparazzi scheme would have been ruined. I’m sure she was ready to forgive him for everything when she saw him lying in that bed looking so terribly pathetic.”
Drew listened, growing more and more furious with every word they spoke. If he was grasping what they said correctly, Lainey had visited him in the hospital and they kept it a secret. Even more appalling, Paulie had somehow been involved with leaking his location to the press. It made sense. After all, the reporters showed up the very same day Paulie had arrived in the area. He should’ve realized it was too big of a coincidence.
Drew didn’t think he’d ever been so angry in his life. His hand gripped the small rock so tightly, he was amazed it didn’t crumble to dust from the pressure. Part of him wanted to chuck it at Paulie, but it wasn’t big enough to do any real damage. Instead, Drew did something even he hadn’t expected. He lifted the opening to his eye.
“My plan had nothing to do with the girl,” Paulie insisted. “She was collateral damage. I only wanted to blow his cover so he’d smarten up and come home.”
Catherine grunted. “We both know you wanted her out of the way so things could go back to normal. In fact, I think you wanted it more than I did. After all.” She leaned in close to straighten his tie. “I told you the only way to win my contract was to make certain Candy became a reality instead of a tabloid ploy. But you keep telling yourself whatever helps you sleep at night, love.”
“I got a Vicodin prescription to help me sleep at night,” Paulie admitted. “In this business, you can’t have a heart if you want to come out on top.”
Drew observed the exchange through the eye of the stone. He was still pumped full of painkillers, so he could’ve blamed the vision on that, but he had a feeling Lainey was right about the rock’s magical properties. Through the opening, he saw Paulie and Catherine in a different light, as though the masks of beauty and professionalism were stripped away. What was left was a distorted version of themselves with elongated faces and coal black eyes. They were hideous, almost demon-like. Blinking, Drew lowered the stone and attempted to get his bearings again while the conversation continued behind him.
“All I know is, I’m glad this ride is over,” Paulie continued, wiping the sweat from his brow. “By this time tomorrow, all this garbage will be behind us, and I’ll have two golden contracts on my desk.”
“And what exactly are we putting behind us, Paulie?” Drew finally stepped out of his hidden corner and faced his deceivers. “All the lies? All the false platitudes?”
“A—Andy!” Paulie sputtered. “Damn you’re quiet. I don’t know what you heard, but you definitely got it wrong.”
“Oh really?” Drew raised an eyebrow. “So you didn’t send the paparazzi after me? You didn’t try to make me think Lainey had deserted me when instead the two of you were plotting to scare her off for good?”
“Well, now, I don’t think you understand the circum—” Paulie began, but Drew interrupted.
“No, I think I finally do understand, Paulie. It wasn’t enough for you to run my career. You had to play God with my personal life too.” Drew raised his good arm and gave a bitter laugh. “Because what does my happiness matter as long as the big checks keep rolling in?”
Drew must’ve looked as enraged as he felt because as he inched closer to them, Catherine stepped behind Paulie, as though the buffoon offered some sort of protection. “Andy, dear, you really are being unreasonable,” the actress pleaded. “Paulie had your best interest at heart.”
“Unreasonable!” Drew screamed so close to her face, he sprayed Catherine with spittle, causing her to flinch, probably the first honest emotion she’d shown since they met. “The two of you plotted to sick the paparazzi on me. You did God only knows what to my girlfriend to turn her against me. To me, that sounds unreasonable. In fact, it’s downright sociopathic!”
“We were only thinking of you.” Catherine wept. Big tears rolled down her cheeks, but Drew was unimpressed. He knew her methods too well.
“No, Cat, you were thinking of you.” Drew challenged. “It’s not even like you wanted me because you care about me. You just want to put on a show. Tell me, Cat, is your real life so damn e
mpty you need to live a fantasy even when the cameras aren’t rolling?”
“That is not fair,” Catherine claimed. “It wasn’t like that at all.”
“Oh, calm yourself, kid,” Paulie soothed. Now that the shock was over, Drew’s agent was ready to retake command. “Let’s go back to the limo and talk this over. I think we got our wires crossed somehow, but we’ll figure it all out on the way to the airport.”
“No.” Drew crossed his arms. “No, I’m not going anywhere with you. I’m not leaving New Jersey at all.”
Catherine was stricken. A dramatic hand fluttered to her heart. “B—but what about the premiere? Masked Secrets is opening tomorrow night! “
Drew could only gape at her. “You know what Cat? It can make its debut without me. Some things are more important than fame and fortune. Maybe someday you’ll figure that out. For your sake, I really hope you do. But it’s not going to be with me. Now go. Get the hell out of my house. The two of you deserve each other. You’re both self-indulgent narcissists.”
“Now wait a second!” Paulie huffed. “I’ve been indulgent with you, but I’ve had enough of your bullshit! You’re getting in that car and coming with us right now or you’re gonna watch your career go straight down the toilet!”
“I don’t think you get it, Paulie. I’m finished. I’m not taking orders from you. You’re not my agent anymore.” Drew walked right up to the pudgy man and peered down so they were making eye contact. “You’re fired.”
“What!?” Paulie’s face turned six different shades of red and that vein in his head began to throb again. “You can’t fire me. We have a contract!”
Drew snickered without any mirth. “Somehow I think consorting with the press and giving them my personal information is a breach of the ethics clause. I’ll have to remember to thank my attorney for thinking to add that loophole.”
“You won’t get away with this!” Paulie waved a fist in the air. “I made you, Andy, and don’t you forget it.”
Drew shook his head, seeing things clearer then he had in a very long time. “I made myself what I am today, Paulie, and without you I can only get better.”
With that, Drew stepped to the door and pulled it open. Both Catherine and Paulie stalked out, acting as though they were the injured parties. Of course, Paulie couldn’t leave without having a parting word. “If you go through with this, I swear to God I’ll sue you for every penny you have.”
Drew exhaled. “You do whatever you feel is necessary. For once, I’ll be doing the same.”
He slammed the door behind them as soon as they cleared the threshold, making sure the deadbolt was in place. Drew leaned against the doorframe until he heard the limo pull away, and checked the clock in the kitchen. It was close to three-thirty. If he hurried, he might be able to catch Lainey before she left work for the day. Of course, he didn’t have a car and there was no time to find another rental. Pulling his cellphone from his pocket, Drew called information and got the number for a local company called Flamingo Cabs. Once they patched him through, he waited impatiently for an answer.
“Hello,” he said once an operator came on the line. “I need a ride from Wildwood to Cape May.”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
“Trevor, I need a drink.” Lainey pounded her fist against the bar for emphasis. “Give me a shot.”
Trevor raised a blond eyebrow. He knew Lainey rarely drank and never hard liquor, but he still complied with her request. His lips twitched into half a smile as he laid an empty shot glass in front of her. “A shot of what? There is more than one option, you know.”
Lainey huffed. “I don’t care. Something strong. And sweet,” she added as an afterthought. “It has to taste good or I’ll never be able to swallow it.”
Trevor snapped his fingers. “I think I’ve got just the thing. Give me a second and I’ll whip it up.”
The bartender snatched his glass back and grabbed a few bottles, making certain his back faced them so his magic brew would be a surprise. As she waited, Lainey tapped her fingers to the beat of the music, a fast-paced rock song. It was only happy hour but already the place was filling up quickly. It was going to be a busy night. Hopefully busy enough to keep her mind off other things. She checked over her shoulder to see if there was anyone there they knew while Erin gave her concerned glances Lainey attempted to ignore.
“Have you ever done a shot?” Erin asked her dubiously. “Because you can barely handle a glass of wine without getting all giggly and ridiculous.”
Lainey twisted her lips into an uncharacteristic scowl. “So what if I haven’t? Have you?”
“Ummm, yeah. More times than I care to admit.” Erin frowned. “But that was back in college, before Nate was born. These days, I take it slow because kids don’t really care if mom is nursing a hangover in the morning. They still get us up at five a.m.”
“Then I guess I’m lucky I don’t have any children. Besides, I’ve been taking it slow and letting people walk all over me my whole life, but that all changes tonight. No more whimsical little Lainey. I’m hardening my shell.”
“If you think drinking is gonna toughen you up, you better think again,” Erin advised. “Again, let me remind you—drinking brings out the obnoxious giggles in you.”
Lainey glared at her friend and tried to think of a nasty comeback when Trevor returned with her shot. “Here you go. A Swedish fish. Made from vodka, cranberry juice, and a splash of Black Haus.”
Trevor laid the drink down on the table, and Lainey instantly understood how it got its name. It was the same red color as the gummy fish she’d loved when she was a kid. Trevor had even tossed one of the candies in the bottom of the glass for good measure. It wasn’t nearly as intimidating as Lainey had anticipated. Raising the glass, she flung her head back and downed the whole thing before she had a chance to change her mind. Aside from nearly choking on the fish, it went down pretty easily—perhaps too easily. She could lose track of how many drinks she had when shots tasted like candy.
Lainey slammed the empty glass down on the bar. “Give me another one, please.”
Trevor went to retrieve the glass, but Erin intercepted. “Actually, we’ll each have a light beer. In fact, make it three. Elisa will be in any second. She ran out to the car to get something. Once we have those, we’ll head to our regular table so Lainey stops hounding you with special requests.”
Lainey was affronted, but Trevor chuckled and drummed his hands against the bar. “Three beers coming right up, ladies.”
As soon as the bartender was out of earshot, Lainey turned on Erin. “What did you do that for? I can handle my liquor.”
Erin cocked her head to one side and gave Lainey one of those you-can’t-fool-your-best-friend looks. “Honey, you can’t even handle your caffeine. And remember whose car you’re riding home in tonight. I just had it detailed this week and I don’t need you messing up the upholstery.”
Lainey was tempted to argue, if only to save face, but as much as she hated to admit it, Erin was right. She already felt the effects of the Swedish fish. Her limbs were heavy and her head somewhat fuzzy. It would be easy to drink herself into oblivion with the sweet taste masking the potency of the alcohol, but aside from numbing her heart for a few hours, all she’d get for her trouble was a headache in the morning. Best to slow down and concentrate on having a good time instead of getting drunk and making a fool of herself. One public humiliation was enough for one week.
“Three light beers.” Trevor placed the bottles in a row on the edge of the bar. “And I’ll tell you what—this round is on the house. I heard all about Drew’s accident and ... everything else on the news. I know it’s been a rough week.”
Lainey groaned at Trevor’s sympathy. “Oh, God. Everyone knows already. I’ll never be able to show my face at our high school reunion.”
“It’s really not that big a deal,” Trevor consoled. “It’ll be old news by then. I have to say though, a lot of things made sense once it was all out in the ope
n. I always knew I recognized Drew from somewhere, but I couldn’t pinpoint it. But Andy Palmer right here in Wildwood? Who’d have thunk it?”
Lainey sighed. “Not me. That’s for sure.”
“Now my wife, I bet she would’ve guessed right away if she’d met him,” Trevor continued as he wiped down the bar. “She watches all those chick flicks and she’s actually a pretty big fan. Say,” Trevor’s face lit up with inspiration, “do you think you can get me an autograph for Alexis?”
Lainey actually banged her head against the bar a few times. That shot must’ve been kicking in because she was suddenly torn between bursting into tears or uncontrollable laughter. If Trevor had said one more word about Drew, she might’ve done both simultaneously, but luckily Elisa came to her rescue.
“Dude, what kind of bartender are you?” she demanded, pulling up a chair next to Lainey. “You need to reread the handbook. You’re supposed to make people feel better. Not throw their problems in their faces. I mean, take a look around. Do you see Drew hanging around anywhere?”
“Oh.” Even in the dim bar light, Lainey could see Trevor’s cheeks turn red. “Damn, I’m sorry, Lainey. It never occurred to me that things might’ve ... well, I’m just sorry. I guess I owe ya another round of drinks now.”
“No, it’s okay, Trevor. Obviously you aren’t up on your current celebrity gossip. Drew ... Andy is on his way back to Hollywood with the lovely Catherine Beaumont for some fancy Hollywood shindig.” Lainey took a long swig of her beer. “So yeah ... it’s too late for autographs.”
“Wow.” Trevor scratched his shaved head. “Would it help if I offered to kick his ass if I ever see him again?”
“Stand in line, buddy.” Elisa grunted. “And give me that beer.”
Trevor did have other customers to attend to, so once they all had drinks in hand, the girls let the bartender off the hook and sojourned to their regular table to await Sharon’s arrival. Despite the detour, they’d gotten there fairly early. Happy hour would be wrapping up shortly to make way for karaoke night. Already Chuck, the deejay, was on the miniature stage setting up his music equipment. Recognizing the regulars, he gave them a brief wave before getting back to work. Around them, other tables filled quickly. The group of guys talking too loudly at the booth next to them were obviously trying to get their attention. While Erin and Elisa both took the time to check them out, Lainey concentrated on her beer. No more men for her. That was for damn sure.