by Jackie Black
She was so keyed up to act at last that her disappointment was acute when Mrs. Mullins informed her that Sonny had left for Florida that afternoon. His retired father had had chest pains and was in the hospital for tests, and his mother had asked him to come. Maggie was with him.
“He would have called you, but you were in classes,” Mrs. Mullins explained, “and he asked me to call you, but your line has been busy. 1 was just about to try again when you rang up.”
“Yes, I’m sorry,” Elizabeth said absently. “Well, thank you, Mrs. Mullins, and if Dr. Strotherton calls in, tell him I’m sorry about his father.”
“Of course,” Mrs. Mullins agreed, “but he may call you directly.” I hope so, Elizabeth thought rather forlornly. Even though she had no intention of explaining anything to Sonny over the phone, especially when he must be frantic with worry about his father, she longed to hear his voice and give him what comfort she could.
It was the following evening before Sonny had a chance to call Elizabeth, and he was disappointed when she didn’t answer.
She s probably at the library, he thought wryly, feeling both proud of her dedication to her studies, and yet a little resentful that they took so much of her time. Well, I'll call her when Maggie and I get home tomorrow evening and tell her the good news about Dad, he decided as he hung up and returned to his father’s bedroom. The chest pains had been indigestion and his father was back home.
But the next evening, which was Friday, when Sonny again tried to call Elizabeth, she was at Danny’s small studio with the rest of the Foursome rehearsing for her next appearance as the Vixen.
Sonny kept calling all that evening, and finally went to bed around midnight, very much afraid of where she might be.
The next morning, Lissa didn’t hear the phone when Sonny called before leaving for the hospital to make his rounds. She’d been up until 3:00 a.m. rehearsing, and her fatigue from the hours she’d been putting in on her studies lately, as well as the emotional strain she’d been under, had left her tired to the point of exhaustion.
Therefore, it was Danny who answered the phone at six o’clock that morning, and the grogginess in his voice made it obvious to Sonny that the man answering Lissa’s phone had slept there the previous evening. The implication devastated him.
“Hello?” Danny repeated irritably when Sonny didn’t respond to his first greeting. “Who’s there?”
His face white, his eyes reflecting the pain and fury he felt, Sonny grated, “I’d like to speak to Elizabeth Farrell, please.”
Danny was tired and not thinking too clearly, and he automatically assumed the man on the phone was a fan of Lissa’s ... or rather the Vixen’s. It had happened before. A legitimate call would have come at a decent hour, and Danny, feeling tired and irritable, was in no mood to put up with a nuisance call this early. Therefore, he answered sarcastically in a way that wasn’t a lie, but might discourage the man if he fancied himself a would-be suitor of Lissa’s.
“Oh, you would, would you? Well, forget it, buddy. I kept her up late last night, and I have plans for her when she wakes up this morning. Now bug off and let us get some sleep, all right?” And he slammed the phone down in Sonny’s ear, turned over in bed, jerked the covers up over his shoulder, and went back to sleep.
Sonny, feeling like he’d just been punched in the stomach with a giant fist and wanted to hit back, instead hung up on the phone on his end and left his house, grim-faced, to make his rounds. He was too dedicated a doctor to neglect his patients in order to go punch out the man who’d just informed him that he was in bed with the woman Sonny loved ... or to pursue a woman who apparently had finally made up her mind which man she wanted.
“Danny, it will only take a minute,” Lissa insisted as they left the house to rehearse later that morning. “And it’s important. It’s not even out of the way!”
Elizabeth knew how tense Danny got on the day of a performance, but she was in no mood to cater to his nerves for the time being. After having called Sonny’s house and being informed by Mrs. Mullins that Sonny was back but had gone to the hospital, and knowing she would have no time to talk to Sonny before the performance that evening, Lissa had decided to leave him a note. She couldn’t explain anything in the note other than to say she desperately needed to talk to him, but she could at least do that much.
“All right, all right,” Danny growled, and grudgingly headed for the Strotherton household.
Danny and Jay sat in the black Ferrari out in the driveway while Elizabeth, note in hand, ran up to the front door and rang the bell.
When Mrs. Mullins answered the door, Elizabeth thrust the note at her. “Please give this to Sonny when he gets home, Mrs. Mullins,” she said. “I won’t be able to talk to him today, and I know he’s taking Maggie out this evening, but I do need to talk to him as soon as possible ... if not later on tonight, then in the morning.”
“Of course, Ms. Farrell,” Mrs. Mullins replied as she took the note. “I’ll give it to him just as soon as he gets home.”
“Thanks,” Elizabeth said gratefully. “Good-bye, Mrs. Mullins,” she added as she turned to run back to the car, leaving Sonny’s housekeeper to stare curiously at the black Ferrari, the handsome young black-haired man behind the wheel, and another man in the backseat.
That afternoon, Sonny listened as Mrs. Mullins handed him Elizabeth’s note and innocently described the car and the driver who’d brought her to the house.
“Thank you, Mrs. Mullins,” he said coldly, startling his housekeeper with his tone and the icy look in his blue eyes.
“You’re welcome, Doctor,” she said hesitantly and quickly made herself scarce, wondering what he was so angry about.
Sonny took the note out of the envelope, unfolded it, and read the brief message in a coldly cynical frame of mind:
“Sonny, I have something very important to talk to you about as soon as possible. I know it will be late when you get home from the concert tonight, and if you’d prefer, it can wait until tomorrow morning, but if you can see me tonight, I won’t mind how late it is. It’s important, Sonny.
“I’m so glad your father’s all right, and I’m glad you’re back.
Love, Lissa”
Sonny’s lip curled as he read the last sentence. How glad could Lissa be to have him back when she’d spent the night in her lover’s arms? Probably, she just wanted to tell him she wouldn’t be seeing him anymore.
No thanks, Lissa, he thought as he violently tore the note in two and threw it in his wastebasket. I don ‘t need to hear your news in person. I’ve already gotten the message from your lover.
He was almost finished dressing for the concert when Maggie, clad in a semi-punk outfit Sonny normally would have eyed with complete disfavor, came into his bedroom looking as happy as the cat who d caught the canary. When she caught sight of her father's face, however, her expression dissolved.
“Daddy, what’s the matter?” she asked anxiously. “Is Grand-dad sick again?”
Sonny made the effort to smile reassuringly at her. “No, Granddad’s fine, honey. Something’s bothering me but it’s nothing for you to worry about.”
Maggie looked doubtful, then curious.
“Does it have anything to do with Lissa Farrell?” she asked. Sonny hesitated. The wound was still too raw for him to want to talk about it, but he decided he might as well make Maggie happf with his news. It was her birthday, after all.
“Yes,” he nodded, turning away so that Maggie couldn't see his expression. “I won’t be seeing her anymore, Maggie.”
Maggie brightened immediately, and was about to ask her Dad why, but then she caught sight of his face in the mirror. The pair, in his eyes made her think about his side of things. In fact, she’d been thinking about his side of things off and on since she’d had that talk with Lissa, but she hadn’t been willing until now to accept that her dad really cared so much for Lissa.
“I . . . well, I’m sorry, Dad,” she said awkwardly.
&nb
sp; Sonny turned around to look at her, his expression grim. "No. you’re not, Maggie. We both know you couldn’t be happier that Lissa’s not going to be around anymore. Don’t pretend otherwise.” Maggie wriggled uncomfortably. “Well, I guess you’re right in a way,” she admitted. “It’s just that you look so unhappy, Daddy . . . and I don’t like you to be hurt.”
Sonny gradually relaxed, and he came to take Maggie in his arms. “Don’t worry about me, honey,” he said quietly as he held her close. “I’m all right.” At least, I will be eventually, Sonny added silent:.. “Now, let me finish getting ready so I can get you and your friends to that concert on time.”
Maggie smiled and kissed him on the cheek before she left him. and Sonny felt very grateful that he had her love. It felt like that was all he did have for the moment.
Despite the fact that there hadn’t been much advance notice for the concert, the hall was packed with teenagers and college students. As well as being reluctant to see the Vixen again, Sonny felt somewhat out of place among the rowdy group. But since he’d felt Maggie and her friends were too young to attend such a concert on their own, he was resigned to getting through the evening. He did wish, however, that their seats weren’t quite so good, because there was every chance the Vixen would spot him and Maggie. Should that happen, Maggie, of course, would be thrilled. Sonny’s attitude was the opposite. He didn’t want the Vixen to think he had come here particularly to see her and, as a result, perhaps embarrass him in front of his daughter.
You've got enough trouble without looking for more, Sonny, he told himself savagely. Chances are, the Vixen can't see the audience clearly because of the lights, and anyway, she's probably forgotten you exist.
Backstage, Elizabeth nervously finished putting on her makeup, taking more care with it than usual because tonight, of all nights, she didn’t want to be recognized ... not until she’d had a chance to talk to Sonny and explain things to him.
Danny put his head in the door and said, “Hurry it up, Lissa . . . let’s go,” before he withdrew again.
Elizabeth stood up and looked at herself in the mirror. The only costume that wasn’t being cleaned or mended had been the lavender camisole and dark purple miniskirt, and she was wearing the purple boa that went with them, black patterned hose and purple heels. So naturally she was also wearing the same lavender wig she’d worn the night Sonny had come back to her dressing room and kissed her. But her grimace at herself in the mirror said clearly that if there’d been other choices, she would gladly have taken them.
“Come on, Lissa!” Jay yelled at her from the door of her dressing room, and Elizabeth grabbed up her tambourine and followed him to the wings.
As the four of them waited for the backup musicians to finish the song they were playing as a warmup, Lissa stood where she could see part of the audience without being seen herself, and she blanched when she saw Sonny, Maggie, and two other girls Maggie’s age in the center row, only a few aisles back from the stage.
She would have given a lot for them to have been seated farther away, but since there was nothing she could do about it, she told herself not to worry. Surely her disguise would protect her one more time.
Then the backup musicians were playing the Foursome’s introduction, and Lissa allowed habit to guide her as she slithered onto the stage, thinking it was going to be a very long night.
The audience around him, as well as Maggie and her friends, was erupting into wild cheers and screams as the Foursome came running on stage to the accompaniment of throbbing music, but Sonny sat very still, his eyes focused only on the Vixen.
She was as wild-looking as ever, and he mentally shook his head, wondering how he’d ever been attracted to such a woman. As he realized she was wearing the same lavender wig and purple lipstick she’d been wearing the night he’d kissed her, he winced inwardly. Had he really been that hard up? he wondered incredulously.
But then a strange thought occurred to him. The Vixen might dress like a tramp, and she might have behaved like a tramp the night he’d visited her in her dressing room, but as he recalled the way she’d acted during the visit he and Maggie had paid her together, he realized she had made an effort to be a good influence on his daughter. So maybe she wasn’t as bad as he’d thought. At least, she was on her best behavior when it counted the most.
On the other hand, Lissa Farrell, who was outwardly every inch a lady, obviously had enough libido for two women, and no compunction about keeping two men on the string at the same time ... at least for a while.
Sonny frowned, feeling hurt and confused and thoroughly unhappy.
Lissa sang along with the group, and though she tried not to make it obvious, she found her eyes returning again and again to Sonny. She was looking at him when he frowned, and seeing the unhappy expression on his face, her heart went out to him. Maybe he’d had more bad news about his father. She wanted very badly to comfort him and erase that terrible unhappiness from his face . . . badly enough to take a risk.
When the first number was over, she caught Danny’s arm as he was about to make his introductory remarks and tiptoed to whisper in his ear. Danny frowned, but when Elizabeth gave him a pleading look, he finally shrugged and nodded, then grabbed the microphone.
“Hey, everybody!” he yelled at thfc audience, giving them his most charming grin. “It’s always good to be back in Boston, my own hometown!”
The audience cheered enthusiastically, and when they calmed down, Danny said, “Well, you guys didn’t come here to hear me talk, so let’s get to it!” The cheer came again and Danny held out a hand to Lissa, who joined him at the microphone. “Let’s hear it for the Vixen!” Danny yelled, to the accompaniment of another swelling cheer.
Danny made a gesture at the band, and mouthed a title to them, which caused Jay and Jerry to look surprised. But they shrugged and went into the introduction of “You’re the Only Man for Me,” and Lissa swayed to the music until the audience had quieted down enough for her to begin singing.
Sonny had stiffened as he caught the first few notes of the song and realized what they were going to play, and then he froze entirely as Lissa stared directly at him and began to half-sing, half-speak the words, her voice huskily sincere. “I lie awake all night remembering ... my heart and body find no peace nor ease. I want a man who loved me once with everything . . . then left me lonely when I somehow failed to please.”
A welter of impressions and emotions raced through Sonny’s mind as he stared back at the Vixen and accepted that she was singing that song to him and him alone. He couldn’t believe it at first. One kiss surely couldn’t inspire the kind of feeling the Vixen was displaying in her eyes and voice.
He also had trouble accepting how very moved he felt as he listened and stared and . . .
Sonny’s gaze sharpened as he focused on the Vixen’s eyes again, and at the same time strained harder to hear. Hell, I've only seen her twice, he thought, bewildered by his impression that there was something a great deal more familiar about the Vixen than should be warranted by their two brief meetings.
Elizabeth went into the chorus then, but instead of singing it the way she normally did, she spoke it directly to Sonny. Later, she would wonder how she could have behaved so foolishly. But at this moment, everything in her was focused on making him understand that there was truth in the words, and that he should trust her to mean what she was singing to him.
“Oh, Lord, what do I do . . . how do I make him see . . . that he’s the only man for me . . . the only man for me.”
As Sonny listened to Elizabeth speak the words in her normal voice, something clicked in his mind, but at first he wouldn’t accept it. He sat stunned, totally unable to believe that what his senses were telling him could be true. Those large violet eyes holding his own were Lissa’s eyes . . . the voice was too familiar to deny ... but it just couldn’t be Lissa up on that stage! It couldn’t be!
The expression of shock on Sonny’s face brought Elizabeth to her senses, an
d she felt a cold chilling shock of her own. How could she have been so foolish? she wondered in a panic as she broke eye contact with Sonny, turned her back on him, and continued the song automatically, hardly knowing what she was singing.
Danny saw the change in Elizabeth’s manner and heard the faint quaver in her voice. Since he was playing the guitar instead of the piano, he moved up beside her to catch her eye. He was alarmed when she gazed blankly back at him, and to cover the growing faintness of her voice, he joined in and made it a duet.
Elizabeth felt the burning intensity of Danny’s will focused on her, and was grateful that his joining in the song gave her a chance to gather her poise again. After a moment, her voice grew stronger and she could see Danny relax as she slowly got herself back together.
Meanwhile, Sonny looked from Lissa to Danny, realized that the voice on the phone that morning matched the one this young man had used in his introduction, and remembered Mrs. Mullins’s description of the man who had driven Lissa to his house that morning. And slowly, his mind and heart filled with rage ... a type of rage he’d never experienced before and which left him shaken. Lissa had not only kept her identity as the Vixen from him . . . she’d been involved romantically all along with her singing partner!
He was on his feet and heading for the aisle before he was even aware of his own intentions.
Elizabeth caught his movement out of the corner of her eye, and her voice faltered again as she watched Sonny stride out of the auditorium. His manner spelled out clearly what his departure meant.
Neither Sonny nor Elizabeth thought to look at Maggie. But if they had, they would have seen a look of shock on her young face as vivid as her father’s had been. She watched her father’s progress to the auditorium doors, and when he was out of sight, she returned her attention to the Vixen, and silently mouthed the words, “Lissa Farrell? Lissa?!”
And for the duration of the concert, two bright, sparkling ice-blue eyes eagerly watched every move the Vixen made and listened carefully to every word the Vixen sang.