Between the Lies (Between the Raindrops #2)

by Susan Schussler

  Isaac sat at the table looking up at Sarah. “Sorry, I have a lunch date, but I’ll see you both tonight at the wind down party.”

  “See you later, Isaac,” stated Sarah as she and Nak headed down the sidewalk.

  Isaac called after them as they walked away, “Talk to Jon.”

  They walked about a block before Nak got a big smile on his face and asked, “Does Jon really have a heart-shaped birthmark on his ass?”

  “No…I was just messing with Isaac…but I am going to have the best time watching him at the Demigod premiere as he scours the screen for that birthmark. If you see me laughing hysterically during the love scenes, you’ll know why,” she confessed, and they both broke out laughing.

  “Oh, he so deserved that,” proclaimed Nak.

  “He did, didn’t he? Thanks for the coffee, by the way,” Sarah uttered as they crossed the street. “I didn’t know you could speak French.”

  “I am Canadian. We spoke English in Manitoba, but my mother is from Québec. We weren’t allowed to speak anything but French at my grandparent’s house. My grandparents spoke English too, but they were really strict about the language spoken in their home. I think it was their way of ensuring we learned French.”

  “Canadian…I knew there was a reason we got along so well. Have you ever brought Leslie up north in the winter?”

  “Yeah…she visited for Christmas once.”

  “I missed winter this year. It was mild and we didn’t have much snow before Christmas. Then I moved to LA and it was like winter never came. I think I’m going to miss the snow living in LA.”

  “You can go to Tahoe or Vail. Doesn’t Jon have a condo up there?”

  Did Jon have a condo in Colorado? Sarah thought back to how Jon had planned on asking her to marry him in Vail and how his plans got shot down by her car accident. Why would he keep that from her? Maybe Nak was mistaken. She’d just have to add it to the list when she finally found the nerve to ask Jon about Mia’s baby.

  They walked several more blocks before they spotted the hotel where they had left Jon and Leslie. A large sign sat on a wooden easel outside the entrance announcing the Third Rung press junket. On the sign Jon and his costars’ faces ghosted out in front of a 1960s red fire engine surrounded by flames. A crowd of people stood outside smoking, and a cloud of gray haze lingered in the air around them. Two men with cameras leaned against one of the posts that held up the blue awning above their heads, and they spoke softly to each other as their eyes followed Sarah and Nak.

  Sarah could tell by their gaze that they recognized her and Nak, so she mentally prepared for the attack. She pointed them out to Nak just before the photographers advanced on them and the cameras began to click. Sarah and Nak smiled and waved as they walked into the hotel lobby. The photographers hadn’t said anything as they snapped pictures, which helped Sarah feel a little more relaxed.

  When they reached the security desk, Sarah set her purse on the table to retrieve her pass. As she pulled it out and slipped it over her head, someone touched her shoulder. She looked up to meet the eyes of the French journalist, Christophe.

  “Sarah,” he said as he squeezed past her on his way out. His eyes lingered on her in an apologetic way. Sarah didn’t know what to think, so she just smiled back. He would write what he wanted anyway.

  Once past the security desk, Sarah and Nak made their way down the hallway toward the second security checkpoint. They slipped through the door silently and flattened themselves against the back wall to observe the rest of the interview already in progress. Within twenty seconds Jon’s eyes met Sarah’s. His whole face brightened and a huge smile grew on his lips.

  “How would you compare your character Jason in this film to the character of Perseus in the Demigod saga?” asked the journalist next to Jon.

  There was a short pause of silence. Jon looked back at the reporter and asked, “I’m sorry. Can you repeat the question?” He smiled back at Sarah as the reporter restated what he had asked. “I think they are both just trying to figure out where their lives are going and how they can make a difference in the world. Jason is so in love with Justine that he is blind to all that is going on around him. Perseus doesn’t find true love until the second movie and is more realistic about the evils of the world.”

  “Which character do you relate to more?” asked the reporter.

  “I can definitely relate to Jason. When he realizes his actions put Justine’s life in danger and she may die, he felt so helpless. The guilt dragged him down so low that…he would have done anything to switch places with her. It’s the worst feeling in the world,” he admitted, making eye contact with Sarah for a second before returning his gaze to the reporter.

  “You sound like you know that feeling firsthand. Would you share the story with us?”

  A quiet voice came from next to the camera, “Quickly, we’re almost out of time.”

  “Where do I start?” Jon pondered. “Last December, my fiancé ended up in a coma after a car accident caused by a paparazzo who was chasing her because of her involvement with me. It was the longest four days of my life…so I can definitely relate to Jason’s situation. My life is crazier than fiction.” It wasn’t the story Sarah expected Jon to share, and it brought up all kinds of feelings as she put herself in Jon’s shoes. She expected him to link it to Jack’s death, not her accident. She decided Jack’s death was probably still too hard for Jon to talk about.

  “Time is up,” the voice next to the cameraman called.

  “I would have loved to continue with this subject matter and I appreciate your openness. It was great visiting again,” the interviewer acknowledged.

  “Hope your wife is feeling better, Ted,” Jon stated, being his normal charismatic self. He must have known the guy. Gosh, he knew a lot of people.

  Jonathan

  As the interview set was being readied for the next journalist, Jon made his way toward Sarah. When he reached her, he playfully kissed her on the cheek. He felt so relieved to have her close to him again. He had been worried not just about her safety, but also about the questions the press surely asked her. The news about Mia’s pregnancy had broken, and the press was full of conjecture. Mia hadn’t identified the baby’s father, and one journalist blatantly asked Jon if he was the father. Remi called out from off camera, “This is ridiculous…He’s not answering that. Keep to the movie, please,” so the journalist returned to the proper interview subject matter. Jon knew how much questions about Mia bothered Sarah. Questions about Mia made his very stable girlfriend irrational. He didn’t want Sarah harassed, and he expected it was only a matter of time before the press would be swarming.

  “How was your morning? Did the paparazzi bother you?” he asked her, watching her face for changes in her expression.

  “No,” she answered. “There were a couple of photographers outside the front of the hotel, but other than them we didn’t run into any. Isaac found us, though. I’ll tell you about it later.”

  No strained expression on her face—she must not have heard the news yet, he thought. Jon still had time to protect her, at least for now. He had a plan, and Leslie was already working on it. All he would have to do was find a secure exit from the building and make sure the last journalist interviewed didn’t mention Mia’s pregnancy.

  “I have to talk to Remi really quickly before the last interview. Stay right here. Don’t go anywhere, OK?” he said before kissing her cheek again. He rushed over to Remi and whispered in her ear. Then he pulled his phone out of his back pocket and sent a quick text to Leslie as he slowly walked back to his interviewing seat. The journalist from CA Entertainment entered the room with Remi at her side. Jon made eye contact with Remi, and she nodded slightly. Good. It was all set. He stood up and greeted the journalist, working to smooth over the warning he had Remi impose.

  After the interview Jon enlisted Sam to help them escape without running into the paparazzi. Jon knew it would involve going through the kitchen or a service entranc
e, as it often did. First, Sam cleared the hallway leading to the elevator and they made their way down through the kitchen. It was still lunchtime and the kitchen was in a busy, chaotic state. Flames shot up in a sauté pan as the chef swirled it over an open flame in front of them. They could feel the heat of the flames as they rushed past. The back door was open and they could see the car waiting for them in the alley.

  They settled in the car and Sarah look at Jon questioningly. He wove his fingers with hers and smiled back at her with a sigh of relief. She watched his face as he erased his expression and turned on a carefree look.

  “So, what was that all about?” she questioned.

  “I’m just tired of dealing with the press. I reached my limit and couldn’t do any more,” he answered. Was she suspicious already?

  “Where are Leslie and Nak?” Sarah asked.

  “Leslie is helping me with a surprise I’m setting up for you,” he said, raising his eyebrows and attempting to look innocent. “She’ll meet us back at the hotel.” Jon was relieved to be past the first line of the press. He knew they could sneak into their hotel without problems. Sam had mapped out the best route the day they arrived. Jon was sure if his plan worked, Sarah would forget all about the Mia gossip. It just wouldn’t matter anymore. He smiled smugly thinking about her surprise and looked up to see Sarah staring at him.

  “What is it?”

  “You’ll have to wait and see.” He tried to shrug off the suspicion in her tone. He just needed to escape with her alone. Tonight could change everything.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Jonathan

  THE AFTERNOON PROGRESSED as Jon planned. He and Sarah ate a late lunch on the balcony of their room alone. It was the first time in days that they were alone together for any length of time. Sarah shared her experience meeting the French journalist at the café, and Jon tried to reassure her she hadn’t given away any important personal information. Christophe hadn’t mentioned running into her, so she shouldn’t worry about the journalist. Nothing she said would cause them problems. She didn’t need to worry about such trivia. What he had planned would be life-changing.

  After eating, Jon called Leslie and disappeared into the bathroom with his phone, closing the door so Sarah couldn’t eavesdrop. He didn’t know how Leslie was able to do what she did. He thought nothing would be available for hundreds of miles, but she was a miracle worker and well worth her salary.

  When he returned to the room, Sarah was lying across the bed on her stomach, wearing just a T-shirt and her panties. She looked up from her journal when she heard him groan.

  “Hmm…Oh, man…I wish we had more time. You look so hot,” he said, setting his phone down on the table and stalking toward the bed, her behind sticking up perfectly just asking to be fondled.

  She capped her pen and smiled up at him as she closed her journal. He sat down on the edge of the bed, trying not to look at her unconscious invitation. He didn’t have time to act on it. But when she wrapped her body around his from behind and started distributing sweet, hot kisses across the back of his shoulder slow enough as to not tickle him, he almost gave in.

  “I didn’t know what to wear. You haven’t told me where we’re going yet,” she whispered between kisses.

  “Hmm,” he groaned again. “Leslie and Nak are going to be here in five minutes,” he lamented.

  “There’s a lock on the door,” she stated the obvious and continued kissing him.

  “No…Sam will be with them. He has a key. You better get dressed,” he said, standing up and turning to face her.

  “In what?”

  “How about your burgundy dress, the one you wore yesterday on the boat…and bring a sweater or a jacket. It may be windy where we’re going. I asked Leslie to pack you a bag. It’s going to be an overnighter.”

  Sarah looked in the closet and declared, “I don’t think she had a chance to pack anything. All my clothes are still here.”

  “She picked up a few new outfits. This is a working trip for her.”

  Sarah took a red-colored, flowing sundress off the hanger. It’s style similar to the burgundy one he liked so much. “Is everyone coming with us?”

  “Just the three of them,” he declared, picking up his phone and sunglasses off the table and sliding them back into the pocket of his loose-fitting, tan cotton pants.

  There was a quick rap on the door. Sarah grabbed her dress and scurried into the bathroom, closing the door behind her.

  Jon sauntered into the main room and opened the suite door. He greeted the three and walked to the closet as he spoke. “Everything is set, right?” He pulled his empty carry-on bag out of the closet. “Everything?” he reiterated. He still had to pack. He was more nervous about tonight than the night he asked Sarah to marry him. It had to go just right.

  “Yes,” Leslie assured. “It will be perfect.” She smiled at Jon and handed him the bag she had for Sarah.

  Sam cleared his throat. “I’ve got good and bad news on the stalker.” He pulled out his phone and brought up a picture of a woman, showing it to Jon. “Do you recognize her?”

  Jon shook his head. She didn’t look familiar.

  “They caught her inside the courtyard, with her face pressed up against one of the guesthouse windows. Luckily the doors had already been secured for the evening and she only got into the courtyard.”

  Jon took Sam’s phone and examined the picture again. The woman looked like dozens of other women he had seen before. There wasn’t anything distinctive about her medium-length blond hair and brown eyes. He still didn’t remember her. “Do you really think she could be our stalker? She doesn’t look familiar at all.”

  “The good news is you probably won’t recognize her. Someone hired her to sneak in and take pictures. We don’t know who, but we will.”

  “So it’s only a matter of time before we find the stalker?”

  “Just a matter of time, Jon.”

  Sarah returned, her smiling face glowing with anticipation. The red dress flowed almost to her knees, but he knew those legs and didn’t need to use his imagination for his breath to hitch.

  “Great news, beautiful. They have a good lead on the stalker. It won’t be long before the restraining order is written up.” He knew it wouldn’t make much of a difference anyway. Like paparazzi, stalkers never got what they deserved. Unless they got violent, the police couldn’t do much to protect the victims, and sometimes by that time it was too late. They had talked enough in the last week about stalkers that Sarah knew this, and he didn’t feel he needed to bring it up again.

  ***

  Once the boat was in open water, Jon began to relax. The yacht was surrounded by the beautiful blue sea, and the land was shrinking smaller and smaller from view. Jon knew they were too far out for the cameras to film them from the coast. All they would have to worry about was other boats. They were heading for a secluded side of an island that would provide even more privacy. The tall rocky cliffs of the island were impassable and would provide shelter from any watchful eyes. Jon was excited to put his plan into action. He was sure Sarah would agree and once she did, nothing the press said about Mia could hurt them anymore. As he contemplated, Sarah peered around the corner hanging on to the brass rail that surrounded the boat’s edge. She had been getting her things settled down in their cabin below the deck. Sarah was laughing about something when Jon spotted her, and she had a huge smile on her face.

  “What’s so funny?” he asked as she approached.

  “Leslie. I don’t know if she was bragging or if she was making sure that I knew she and Nak wouldn’t be bothering us, but she made it quite clear they would be in their room for at least the next hour,” Sarah shared with a chuckle.

  “Only an hour…that doesn’t leave much time.” He smiled and pulled her flush against his body as he wrapped his arms securely around her. “I guess we’ll have to get right to it, then,” he chuckled before wetting her lips with his. They continued to kiss as Jon’s hands found
their way up her thighs. He picked her up, and she wrapped her legs around his waist as he carried her to the large, blue, padded lounger in the center of the deck. He spun around and plopped down on the lounger with her on his lap. She squealed and clung to Jon tighter so she wouldn’t topple over. He started kissing her again as his hands roamed across her body. He was so relaxed. He loved that they were outside and didn’t have to worry about voyeurs.

  Sarah pulled back from his kiss and eyed him questioningly. “What are you doing?”

  Jon smiled at her and responded, “I thought I was being pretty obvious, especially for someone college educated like you.”

  “Out in the open?”

  “You can leave your dress on. I’m confident I can work around it,” he chuckled as he eyed her bare thigh.

  “What if someone sees us?” she questioned.

  Jon handed her a tall flute of champagne that he had staged next to the seating area. He raised his glass and toasted, “To our first sex tape.” She glared at him as he sipped from his drink. “I’m kidding. I asked the crew to leave us alone for the next two hours. Sam is in his quarters. Leslie and Nak are busy, and there is no one in sight. Why not?” he questioned with his most enticing voice. “It reminds me of the week at your parent’s lake…no one around. We did what we wanted, where we wanted.”

  She blushed. He could tell she was running out of resistance. She looked into his blue eyes and wrapped her arms around his neck.

  “If you’re sure no one will see us.”

  Jon’s hands smoothed up Sarah’s thighs until they reached her tiny panties.

  “These aren’t your favorite pair, are they?” he asked, tugging on her underwear.

  “No,” she whispered, as if she was worried someone other than him would hear her confession and know what was going to happen next.

  “Good,” he said as he shredded the fragile fabric between his fingers and tossed it to the floor. His hand slid over her silken skin as she unbuttoned his pants.

  But just as Jon and Sarah were starting to get really comfortable, an unmistakable thrumping sound began echoing through the sky. The noise resonated all around them. They couldn’t tell what direction it was coming from. It filled the air. Jon stood up and fastened his pants. Sarah straightened her dress and curled her legs up, wrapping her arms around them. They looked up at the sky and waited, hoping it would pass right by. They could tell it was getting closer. The noise was getting louder and louder.