“Oh, Harry, did you hear that? Athena Goddess wants to have dinner with us!”
Harriet has both hands on her chest, and you’d think she just won the lottery. Harry is behind her and shakes his head, looking slightly frazzled at his wife.
Looking around the airport, I see a man holding a sign with my name on it.
“How are you two getting to your hotel?”
“Shuttle,” replies Harry.
Harriet frowns and shrugs. “He might be a gentleman, but he’s a cheap gentleman.”
“Frugal. They want a small fortune for a cab, the shuttle is cheaper.”
“Why don’t you come with me?”
Harriet squeals, and Harry looks pleased.
“Yes, yes, yes. Thank you so much,” gushes Harriet.
Harriet once again links her arm with mine, and we walk toward a man who’s holding up a sign that says Goddess.
“Ms. Goddess?”
“Yep, that’s me. Is it all right if we drop my friends off at the Hampton Inn?”
“Of course.”
The driver grabs my bag, and we follow him outside to the limousine.
“The last time I was in a car like this was when we got married.” Harriet looks at Harry, and I think she’s about to burst with excitement.
The driver puts our bags in the trunk, and we begin the journey from Newark Airport to our hotels. It shouldn’t take more than thirty minutes but that, of course, depends on traffic.
Harriet has no problem filling in the time with endless questions about my books, me, and anything else she can think of. She’s adorable, and her love for my works is humbling, I think Harriet knows my characters better than I do. By the time we get to the hotel, she’s organized a dinner with twenty of her book friends and me on the Thursday night before the signing.
As I climb out of the limousine, Harriet follows and hugs me tightly. “Thank you so much. You have no idea how excited I am to meet you.”
I’m pretty sure everyone in a ten-foot radius can see how excited Harriet is to meet me.
“No, thank you for organizing the dinner. I’ll see you then.”
Harriet kisses my cheek, giggles, and climbs back inside the car. The driver gets my bag out of the trunk, and I smile at him.
“Thank you for driving them.”
“It’s my pleasure, Ms. Goddess.”
I nod and walk into the hotel. It’s very lavish, and a member of the staff instantly welcomes me. “Welcome to The Langham. How may we be of service?”
Someone must have been looking out for me to have put Harriet in my path. It’s not until now that I realize I’m alone in New York, but unlike the terror that threatened to engulf me on the plane, I’m at ease.
Smiling at the staff member, I say, “Athena Goddess to check-in.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
Kris
It’s past midnight by the time I land in New York. The book, Lost, is definitely about us. Sure, she changed the names of the people in it and the place, but the language Athena used in the book is us. The way the hero describes her to all his friends as ‘my girl,’ there’s no doubt in my mind. It’s a good read, poignant. The hero realizes he screwed up toward the end of the book and does everything in his power to win the girl, which is exactly what I’m going to do.
I don’t have any luggage, so I walk from the plane to the taxi rank. Before I get into a cab, I check my messages on my cell to see where my assistant has me staying.
Climbing into the first available cab, I say, “Ritz Carlton, please.”
“Holy shit, you’re Kris Livingston.”
Smiling, I nod. “You got me.”
“Wow. Nice to meet you, man. I’ll have you there in no time.”
The cabbie asks me a few questions, and I’m happy to answer them even though I’m wiped. Thinking about Athena and why she would run to this city of all places, I can only assume she must be either furious or not thinking straight.
Even at this early hour of the morning, New York is alive. The streets are filled with tourists and locals alike. When the cabbie stops out the front of the hotel, I pay him and also tip him fifty dollars.
“Oh, wow, thanks, Kris. That’s super nice of you.”
He’s obviously a New Yorker with his thick accent.
“All good. You have a safe night, yeah?”
“Always do.”
As I walk into the hotel, I try Athena’s cell one more time, and it goes straight to voice mail.
“Babe, I need you to call me back. The time doesn’t matter. I’m in New York.” I close my eyes and picture her face. “Athena, call me back.”
As I enter the hotel, the night staff recognizes me, but they are used to famous people or people who like discretion.
“Mr. Livingston, nice to see you. I’m Tyson, if I can do anything to make your stay more pleasurable, please let me know.”
Opening my wallet, I hand over my credit card. “Tyson?” He nods expectantly. “Could you send someone out to buy me some clothes?”
“Certainly, sir. If you would please just write down what you require, we’ll do it immediately.”
“Thank you. Is room service still open?”
“Yes, Mr. Livingston, it’s twenty-four hours.”
I nod, and Tyson hands over my room key and a piece of paper. There are only a few things I need—jeans, a black t-shirt, and underwear. The rest I can get myself after I’ve spoken to Athena. Tyson holds out his hand, and I give him my requests. He glances at it and nods.
“We will add this to your room.”
“Thanks, Tyson, you have a good night.”
I begin to move away from him.
“Mr. Livingston?” I stop and look back. “Do you require these tonight?”
“Nah, man, I’m tired. I’m going to order room service, then sleep. But if they could have it to my room by eight, I’d appreciate it.”
“Very good, sir.”
***
The Ritz Carlton overlooks Central Park. My room is on the twentieth floor where my assistant has booked me a suite. Last night, I barely noticed the view, but this morning as daylight filters in through the windows, it’s beautiful. Picking up my cell, I check my messages, nothing from Athena. There’s a knock at my door. Rolling out of bed, I put on a bathrobe and answer the door.
“Good morning, Mr. Livingston. We have the items you requested.”
Tyson walks in with another staff member, and they put three bags on the coffee table in the living room.
“Thank you.”
“Would you like to make sure they are to your liking?”
Shaking my head, I say, “They’ll be fine.”
Tyson does a slight bow, and they both leave the room. I dial my assistant, Gabby.
She answers on the third ring. “Kris, it’s five o’clock in the morning.”
“Aww, shit. Sorry, Gabby.”
“Buy me a present in New York, and you’re forgiven.”
I chuckle into my cell. “Deal. What did you find out?”
“Well, there’s some woman on Facebook who has pictures of Athena and herself all over some group page. She says Athena is staying at The Langham.”
“You’re the best.”
“Don’t forget my present.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
Athena
I ordered room service for breakfast. The thought of facing people right now fills me with a sense of dread. My cell phone is dead, and I left my charger at home. The front desk sent up a cord, so it’s now charging beside the bed. Picking up the hotel telephone, I dial my parents.
“Hello,” my dad answers.
“Hey, Dad.”
“Athena? Thank God. Why are you in New York?”
“How did you know I was in New York?”
I hear his sharp intake of breath. “Are you okay? Do you need me to come? Has Kris found you?” He fires the questions at me one after the other, barely stopping to take a breath.
“Dad, I�
�m fine. My publisher is here. I have a meeting with them today. Is Kris here?”
“With Raquel?”
“Yes, Dad. Did you say Kris is here?”
I hear mumbled voices, then Mom gets on the line. “Athena, honey, we’ve been so worried.”
“Mom, I’m fine.”
“No, you’re not. Has Kris found you? He must have phoned us a dozen times last night.”
I glance at my cell phone. “My phone died, and I didn’t have a charger. The hotel just brought one up, so it’s on charge now. I didn’t mean to worry you.”
“Honey, are you okay?”
“Yes, I’m fine. Did Dad say Kris was here?”
There’s a pause, and then she says, “Honey, he didn’t leave you. Kris was filming for that new movie of his. He didn’t leave you.”
Mom’s words settle into my soul.
He didn’t leave me.
“Athena?”
“I’m here, Mom. Do you know where he’s staying?”
“The Ritz Carlton.”
“I’m sorry I worried you.”
“Your father has his bags packed, do you need him to come?”
I smile to myself. “No, Mom. I’m okay. I should have told you what I was doing, but I was just…”
“Angry.”
I nod. “Yeah. Kris and I had a fight over Sophia, and I lost my temper.” I tuck my hair behind my ear. “Then when I went to apologize, Mr. Mortimer at the motel said Kris and Sophia had checked out. So, I assumed they’d gotten back together.”
“No, honey. The photographer sent through a few shots of the wedding this morning. I’m going to send one to you. Are you sure you don’t need us?”
“I’m fine. There’s a book signing this weekend, and I’ve already met a fan who has organized a dinner for me to attend. She’s lovely, you’d like Harriet.”
“Harriet?”
“Yeah, she and her husband, Harry, came with me to the hotel. In a way, they looked after me. They seem like good people.”
“I’m so relieved. When do you have a meeting with Raquel? And when are you coming home?”
“I have today to myself. Tomorrow Raquel has meetings planned, and I was supposed to ring her when I landed.”
“You haven’t done that?”
“No, my cell died, remember?”
“If you’re sure you’re okay, I’ll let you go.”
“Yes, Mom. I’ll be fine.”
“Wait! Your dad wants a word.”
Mom must have put her hand over the receiver as I can only hear muffled voices.
“Athena, I-I want you to have a good time,” says Dad, but it feels strained as though he wants to say more but isn’t.
“I love you, Dad.”
“I love you, too, buttercup,” his words come out thick with emotion.
“I’ve got to go.”
“All right, buttercup. Call us tonight.”
Dad ends the call. I can picture them hugging each other and Mom trying to comfort him. My father is a big man, but he’s a softie underneath. Picking up my phone, I have fifteen messages and ten texts. All of them are from Kris except for one text from Mom. I open that, and it’s a picture of Kris and me. There’s nothing special about me, I’m staring straight at the camera smiling, but Kris is looking at me with so much love and devotion, you’d have to be blind not to see it. And I guess that’s what I’ve been. I couldn’t see for looking, and I was looking in the wrong place.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Kris
I’m standing in the lobby of The Langham. The hotel manager keeps telling me that there’s not an Athena Boswell staying here, but I know it’s not true. Right now, I’m eyeballing him, trying to will him to give me her room number. The fucker wouldn’t even take a bribe.
“I understand the privacy of your clients is paramount, and believe me, if I ever decide to stay here, I’ll remember that, but she’s my girlfriend, and I need to see her.”
“And we at The Langham look forward to the day that you do stay with us, but I’m sure, Mr. Livingston, you wouldn’t check in under your name.”
A fucking lightbulb goes off over my head as I understand what he’s trying to say.
With my hands on the desk, I hang my head then look him in the eye. “Athena Goddess.”
Why the fuck didn’t I ask for her pen name earlier?
“Ah, yes, Ms. Goddess. I’ll dial her room now.” He nods and gives me a tight smile.
Scrubbing my hands over my face, I close my eyes and look up at the ceiling of the lobby. It’s a nice hotel. Someone taps on my leg, and I look down to find a child. He might be five.
“Are you Kris Livingston?”
“Who wants to know?” I ask with a grin.
“I’m Robert.”
“Good name. Bobby for short?” The kid shakes his head. I look around the room, and apart from the odd on-looker, I can’t see his parents. “Where’s your mom?”
“Heaven.”
Fuck.
The honesty of children.
“Your dad?”
Robert points to the check-in counter where a man is arguing with the staff, his face is bright red.
“So, are you Kris Livingston?”
I nod. “Yeah, Bobby, I sure am.”
“Cool! I saw The Time movie.”
I frown down at him and raise my eyebrows. “You saw The Time?”
It’s an R-rated movie with lots of violence and sex. It’s not meant for children.
“Yeah! My dad let me watch it with him.”
Crouching, I ask, “How old are you, Bobby?”
“I’m seven and a half.”
It’s funny, the older we get, the more we cling to the age we are, no halves or months. But when you’re under twenty-one, it’s always important.
“Do you know what R-rated means?” He nods with a big grin on his face. “So, you know that means you shouldn’t have watched The Time, yeah?”
“But my dad was there.”
Robert sucks in his bottom lip and shrugs.
“I know. But sometimes we grown-ups screw up, and your dad screwed up.”
His eyebrows come together, and he pouts at me.
“Robert,” yells his dad.
I stand and hold up a hand and point down. At first, he’s angry as he walks toward us, but the closer he gets, I can see the anger bleed out of him as he recognizes me. I hold out my hand, and he takes it in his and pumps it up and down, his lost son forgotten.
“Kris Livingston. You’re Kris Livingston!”
Smiling broadly, I nod and look down at Robert. “Bobby and I were just saying hello.”
“He said you screwed up, Dad.”
The smile falls off his face, and he stops shaking my hand. “How’s that now?”
Pulling my hand out of his grip, I gesture to Bobby. “Bobby told me you let him watch The Time. I only pointed out that it’s R-rated, and he shouldn’t have watched it.”
He frowns and smacks his lips together. “Who the fuck are you to tell me how to raise my kid?”
“Whoa! Buddy, mind the language in front of your son.”
Roughly, he grabs Robert by the arm and pulls him behind him. “His name is Robert, and you can fuck off.”
The man’s voice is loud enough that the whole lobby is now staring. He drags his son out of the hotel, and I’m left standing there feeling like an asshole.
“Mr. Livingston?”
I turn, and the hotel manager is there.
With my lips pressed together, I put my hands in my pockets and rock back on my heels. “Yep?”
“Ms. Goddess isn’t answering her phone.”
“Fuck it all to hell,” I mutter, hand to the back of my neck as I rub it furiously.
Shaking my head, I pull out my cell phone and dial Athena. It rings three times, and the line goes dead.
Shaking my head and holding out my cell to the manager, I say, “She hung up on me.” I’m so angry I could throw the device across the
room. Turning sideways, I look the man in the eye. “Can you believe that? She hung up on me! I travel here in the middle of the night because she’s the most important person in the world to me and she hung up. On. Me.”
I’m bending at the waist and glaring at the hotel manager, who keeps his cool and only nods. Then he tilts his head and stares past me. Twisting my head, my gaze lands on Athena, who’s smiling.
“I’m the most important person in the world to you?”
“W-What?” I splutter.
“You said, I’m the most important person in the world to you?” Athena takes a step toward me.
Nodding, I continue to stare at her. She’s wearing jeans, a black blouse, and a pair of Chucks. If you didn’t know better, you’d think we dressed the same on purpose.
“Am I?”
“Depends. Are you ever going to answer your fucking phone?”
Athena launches herself at me, and I catch her. She wraps her legs around my waist, and my hands go to her ass, holding her up.
“Am I?”
“You fucking know you are.”
With her eyes open, Athena kisses me, sucking on my bottom lip. “You mad?”
“What’s your room number?”
“Nuh-huh. I want to go shopping and explore New York.”
“Later. What’s your room number?” I repeat.
“Kris, come on. I’m here all week.”
A camera flash goes off, and we both turn and look at the man who yells, “Thanks, Kris!” as he snaps more pictures before running from the building.
“Fuck.”
“Was that bad?”
I kiss her nose and shake my head. “They’re going to expose you to the world.”
“They’re going to expose Athena Goddess to the world. Athena Boswell is a nobody. Athena Goddess has a following, and they’re going to exploit that.”
And she’s right. My small-town girlfriend is nothing compared to a USA Today bestselling author.
“Hmm, I think we should celebrate. Room number?”
Slapping me on the shoulder, Athena tries to get me to put her down.
“Put me down.”
“Room number?”
Athena throws her hands in the air. “Kris!”
Powerful: A Driven World Novel (The Driven World) Page 15