Real Time

by Jeanine Binder

  “I should be angry about it. I gave him pretty direct orders,” Nick said, in a definite tone. “They don’t usually disobey direct orders.”

  “So why aren’t you angry then?”

  “Because all my anger went out the window with your touch,” Nick told her softly. “I lost this argument with myself last night; I need to know how you feel, love. Because I’m not going to open myself any further if this road is going nowhere.”

  “I like you, Nick,” Kate answered him honestly, her tone level and smooth. “More than just a friend or my boss. I almost couldn’t stand the calls from London – all I could hear was the hurt in your voice and I was powerless to help.”

  “You did more than you know,” Nick confirmed. “But let me ask you this – do you have the patience to wait another six weeks to sort this out? Right now I’m your boss and it’s the difficulty I’m having. I’ve already said and done more than I should.”

  “What’s going to be different in six weeks? I’ll still work for you,” Kate said. “Unless you plan to fire me when we get back.”

  Nick smiled at her. “I’m not going to fire you, Kate. But I barely know you – outside of the fact you like sugar in your coffee and don’t like to leave your hair down.”

  “It gets in the way when I play,” Kate said, amusement sparkling in her eyes as she teased him.

  “Good to know, love,” he said, laughing as he put the guitar back in the case. “Seriously though, are you game for this? I’ll tell you straight up I’m a difficult bastard most of the time.”

  “I know, Nick. But it’s only a mask you put on so people don’t get close.”

  “Letting people close only gets you hurt,” Nick answered quietly. “That’s why the way I feel about you is scaring the hell out of me. But I don’t want to spend any more time guessing whether you feel the same.”

  “I can handle six weeks,” Kate said, looking at him intently.

  Nick smiled broadly at her. “Ready to go back to the hotel?” He asked, standing up. He held a hand down to her and she stood up beside him.

  Nick released her hand, picked up the guitar, and started down the stairs with Kate beside him. They walked over to where Brock and Mike were waiting. “You weren’t serious, were you,” Kate asked, “about this is all you do at night?”

  Nick laughed, liking how she moved back into a generic conversation. “No, I was giving you all crap,” he admitted. “I’ve been spending a lot of time writing this song, but I spend most of my free time on the phone with the studio.”

  “Checking up on you?”

  “Not exactly,” Nick said. “I own half of it. I have lots of work to do there which has nothing to do with my music. Recording my own records and going out on the road, that’s what I do for fun.”

  “Wow,” Kate exclaimed. “I didn’t know you had so many irons in the fire.”

  “Keeps me busy, love,” he answered. “I do less thinking.”

  Nick didn’t have to say any more. He was glad they had this conversation; he had been a little nervous starting it, for fear she was going to reject him. And he was going to have to figure out how to get past the block he had as her boss if this was going to work. But he was really pleased she was willing to be patient with the whole mechanics of this odd relationship. Women in his past experience wanted his attention full time and were not patient about anything. This was a refreshing change for him and one of the things he liked about her.

  Chapter Five

  The next few weeks were smooth – everyone could feel the end of the tour looming and it was easy to see everyone was ready to have some time away. All the band members got along; it’s just hard to have the same people day in and day out in your face. Nick was making a subtle effort toward Kate, which didn’t escape her notice. Simple things like ending up next to her at dinner, being in the same limousine to each venue, or joining the almost-nightly poker game, she saw as him trying to spend more time with her. Kate asked Andy about it one night, wanting to make sure his behavior wasn’t unusual, and he told her Nick tended to be a lot more relaxed in the last shows. Andy’s opinion was there wasn’t as much chaos with only two or three weeks until the end.

  The final city of the US tour was in Monterey, California, and Kate wasn’t her usual energetic self. During the last two shows she was less outspoken, and tonight, she wasn’t saying much to anyone. Tomorrow they would be back in Los Angeles and the following day, Monday, they would be in the studio recording the song for the movie. Kate knew she was sick but was doing her best to keep it from the others and especially Nick. The fever wasn’t too bad but her throat was sore. She was glad she didn’t sing because tonight there would be no chance. Her voice was giving out – it was raspy now and she kept quiet to hide it. Hot tea, which was soothing, helped with the disguise. After the show, champagne came out and everyone was celebrating in the dressing room. When the others were well into the festivities, she pulled Brock away and asked him to get her a car back to the hotel. Brock questioned why she wanted to leave early and she was as straight as she could be, telling him she had a headache and didn’t feel good. It wasn’t a lie but the achiness was starting to drag her down. Lucky for her he complied, getting her into a limo and traveled with her as was normal. Kate went straight up to the fifth floor and into her room, putting on her lounging pajamas – the ones she normally wore before she went to bed. Kate slept naked as a normal rule, but she was chilled to the bone and wanted as much warmth as possible. She made another cup of tea with the hot water portion of the small coffee maker in her room and settled into the pillows watching a little television. No one had noticed she had left early.

  The ride back to Los Angeles was going to be about five hours. The tea she had been drinking, almost by the gallon, had restored her voice enough to sound almost normal. She told the others she hadn’t slept well and was going to crash for part of the trip. No one questioned her and she asked Brock to wake her up when they got within an hour of Los Angeles. Brock agreed – she wasn’t fooling him any and he knew she was sick. She knew he was fond of her and was willing to keep her secret as long as she didn’t get any sicker than she was. If this happened, then she knew he would have to tell Nick. At least he could understand her wanting to keep things quiet and not get anyone else involved.

  As instructed, Brock woke her up as they were passing though Santa Barbara, which was roughly an hour out. The nap had helped some, but Kate was aware she was going to have to stay focused to keep up the ruse. She stayed to the end of one couch, drinking a bottle of water and listening to the guys argue over which football team was the best. Since she wasn’t a football fan, she was content to be a bystander and not participate. Looking toward the front of the bus, she saw Nick sitting up in the front seat across from Mickey. He smiled at her when their eyes met.

  Before pulling into the studio parking lot, Nick reminded everyone to be at the studio in the morning by six so they would have the entire day to get the track done. Kate was thankful she would have today to sleep and possibly get on the other side of whatever this bug was. Putting her suitcases in the trunk of her car, she left for home without saying anything to anyone. Nick had gotten off the bus and gone inside the studio building with Mickey, so she had been able to sneak away quietly and without fanfare. The drive to her house was only about thirty minutes and Sunday traffic was light. Once inside her apartment, she turned the heater on because it was ice cold in the place. After making herself a comfortable nest on the couch, she fell asleep almost immediately.

  * * *

  She awoke to her cell phone ringing and the caller ID showed it was Nick. Kate thought about not answering it but knew he would get irritated if she didn’t. “Hello?”

  “Kate?” he asked his voice a little confused.

  “It’s me, Nick,” she said, her voice raspy again while she slept.

  There was a brief pause on the other end. “Why the hell didn’t you tell me you were sick, love?”

  N
ice, she thought. Now he’s worked up about this. “I didn’t tell anyone,” she said defending herself. “I didn’t want anyone to worry over me. I’ll be fine. I had a nap on the bus and have been sleeping since I got home. I feel better already.”

  “You don’t sound better,” Nick countered. “I’m coming over. What’s your address?”

  “Nick, you don’t have to come all the way out here,” she protested. “I’m fine, really.”

  There was another pause on the phone. “Kate, if I have to turn around and go back to the studio to look up your address, I’m not going to be a very happy person when I get there.”

  She sighed, knowing it was pointless to argue with him. “1818 Hastings Court. It’s in Huntington Beach.”

  “Fabulous, I’m almost there. I live above you in Sunset Beach.”

  Fabulous was not the word Kate was thinking of. One never knew what Nick was going to be sensitive over. Steve had been sick about three weeks into the tour and Nick never said anything special to him about it. “You don’t have to come over here,” she tried again.

  “Kate.” That was all he said. Then as an afterthought, “I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.” And he disconnected their call.

  Since all she had done since coming home was sleep, Kate took a minute to put her suitcases in the bedroom and made sure her hair wasn’t standing straight up. She never liked being fussed over when she was sick – leave her alone and let it run its course. This was one of the negative perks of starting a relationship with a man who was used to things going his way. He was not going to be happy until everything was how he wanted it.

  Almost fifteen minutes exactly, the doorbell rang and Kate got up to let Nick inside. She had seen this look on his face before but last time it hadn’t been directed at her. She knew he was at the very least irritated. She watched him as he looked around her condo; she had floor to ceiling windows in the living room giving an excellent ocean view. She kept watching his expression as he took in the room, seeing it was starting to soften it some. She was not feeling well enough to deal with any of his hard moods.

  “Nice place,” he commented.

  Kate went back to the couch and pulled the blanket over her. “You didn’t have to come over here,” she repeated, feeling like a broken record. Only this time, she got a stern look as Nick turned to face her.

  “With anyone else, maybe,” he answered. “But not you. I wanted to see for myself you were ‘fine’ and you sure don’t look it to me, love.”

  “I’ll bet you don’t look glamorous when you’re sick,” she retorted.

  Nick started to laugh. “That’s my Kate. Are you sure you’ll be okay tomorrow?”

  Kate nodded. “I’ll be fine. Not like I have to sing any of it.”

  “True,” he agreed, sitting down beside her on the couch. “Promise you will tell me next time? I almost had a heart attack when I heard your voice and realized I hadn’t dialed a wrong number.”

  Kate laid her head on his shoulder. “I promise.”

  Nick put his arm around her. “You’re running a fever,” he said, concerned.

  “I took some stuff for it after you called. Just have to let it run its course.”

  “Doesn’t mean I have to like it, love,” he replied, tightening his arms to hold her close.

  * * *

  By six the next morning everyone was gathered at the studio as scheduled. Kate didn’t feel much better than she did the day before; however, the dizziness was gone. She was hoping this would all go well so they could get out early and she could go back home and sleep. Nick had promised her yesterday they would try to lay her stuff down first so she could get out as fast as possible. And, as usual, things did not go so smoothly at first and it was after two before they got something Nick was happy with. The sound room played it into the studio for everyone to listen to and there were a lot of high fives and people cheering. The rest of the band started to file out of the studio and as Kate stood up, the dizziness was back. She put a hand on the stool to steady herself and started to take a step when the world went black. She fell to the floor.

  One of the sound guys yelled and the crowd came running back into the studio. Nick plowed his way to the front, trying to get to her. She was unconscious when he reached her and he scooped her up in his arms, taking her out into one of the waiting rooms where there was an overstuffed couch. Nick set her on it and tried to wake her up. Her eyes fluttered open and she went into a coughing fit as the panic of everyone there enveloped her. Nick motioned one of the public relations guys over and sent him up to his secretary to call the private doctor Nick used. If he wasn’t available, Nick would take her to the emergency room at the hospital, but he preferred to avoid that. Someone brought over a glass of water and handed it to Nick.

  “Drink this, love,” Nick said, putting her hands around the cup. She took a small drink and handed the cup back to Nick. Kate started to get up and he pushed her back down. “Stay down, Kate. We have a doctor coming.”

  “Since when do doctors make house calls?” she asked hoarsely, in between coughs.

  The PR guy came back and whispered something to him. “When you pay them enough,” Nick answered her. Nick stood up and tossed everyone out of the room but himself and Kate. She had closed her eyes again and Nick reached out, touching her hand. He was rewarded with her opening her eyes, which told him she was still there. “It’s okay, love,” he said softly. “We’ll get you looked at and then I’ll take you home.”

  Kate nodded her assent and Nick left the room. He let the rest of the band know she was okay, telling them she had been sick for a couple of days. They were a family and the guys were visibly concerned about her. Nick said he had a doctor coming for a house call and they weren’t surprised - they were used to Nick doing things most normal people didn’t do. They left reluctantly; most had planned vacations with their families during the break. Nick assured them he would take care of Kate.

  The private doctor, a longtime friend of Nick’s partner, Jerry, came quickly. Nick liked he was discreet and could be called out of the office. Nick tried to limit the amount of places he went and sitting in a doctor’s office for what seemed like forever, was not high on his list. The doctor looked Kate over, listened to her heart, lungs, and looked at her throat. He was a little concerned she was running almost a one-hundred-four degree fever but Nick assured him he was going to take her home and get it down. The doctor said he thought she had strep throat and was certain she had fainted due to dehydration and not enough rest. He prescribed some medicines and Nick sent one of the studio runners – kids hired to do menial tasks - to go pick it up from the pharmacy down the street. While they waited, Nick took five minutes to go up to his office to grab his car keys and his wallet; he normally threw both in a desk drawer when he got there each day instead of carrying them around. Once the runner was back, he helped Kate to her feet and she seemed able to stand and walk with him. He helped her outside and into his car.

  She was asleep before they got to the freeway and Nick drove silently to his house in Sunset Beach. There was no way he was going to leave her alone until she was over this. Once at his house, he picked her up off the seat and she stirred a little, but didn’t wake up. Nick took her upstairs to one of the spare bedrooms; the house had five bedrooms as well as the master. He laid her on the bed and realized she couldn’t sleep in the clothes she was wearing. Nick called for his housekeeper, Consuelo, to come help. She was an older lady from Puerto Rico he had hired over ten years ago. Consuelo shooed him out of the room and got one of his shirts from the closet for her to use as a nightshirt. She got her situated in the bed, then let Nick back in. Kate had never awoken during the process.

  “Who is she, Señor Nick?” she asked, as they walked out of the room.

  “She’s my keyboard player,” he answered. “She passed out on the studio floor and the doctor thinks she has strep. I brought her here to keep an eye on her.”

  “We will take care of her,” Consu
elo agreed.

  Kate slept almost constantly for the next two days. She woke up long enough to take the pills the doctor prescribed and to eat a little of the soup Consuelo had prepared for her. Kate had panicked when she woke up in a strange bed, but Nick had been reading through contracts in a chair close by and was able to calm her down. He had not left the house in the two days she was there. It felt strange to him to be caring so much about another person. It was an emotion he had not felt in a long time. Not since he thought the child Sharon had borne was his, but this feeling was significantly different. On the third day, she felt well enough to take a shower and Kate said she felt a lot better afterwards. Nick wasn’t allowing her out of bed for very long but he let her take a pillow and blanket onto the couch in the media room downstairs, so she could watch some television. She got settled comfortably and turned to look at Nick who had sat down on the coffee table across from her.

  “You scared me big time, love,” he started when their eyes met.

  “I didn’t mean to,” she answered quietly. “All of a sudden, everything went black.”

  “Do you think you will be all right for a few hours here with Consuelo?” he asked. “I really need to go to the studio but I won’t leave if you don’t want me to.”

  Kate shook her head. “Go, Nick. Consuelo will help me if I need. “

  Nick bent over and kissed her forehead. “I won’t be long,” he promised.

  Chapter Six

  Kate was upstairs brushing her hair when Nick got home. She was sitting on the bed, counting each stroke as she pulled the brush through the long strands. Although she wore it up in a ponytail most of the time, it flowed in a red river down her back, almost to her hips. Nick stood in the doorway watching, drawn toward her and wanting to touch her hair. He finally came over, sitting next to her and she smiled at him. As he pulled a strand of her hair through his fingers, his lips softly touched hers. Kate returned the kiss and it started to go from a gentle kiss to something with a lot of hunger behind it. Nick pulled away first and stood up, moving to the window. Kate sat on the edge of the bed watching him.