Lilly and Reed: A Kensington Family Novel

by Allie Everhart

  Chapter Eleven

  Pearce

  "Hello, Dean," I say when he answers. "This is Pearce Kensington."

  "Pearce." He sounds surprised and a little alarmed. "Is something wrong? Did something happen to Reed?"

  "No. He's fine. He left a half hour ago."

  He sighs in relief. "You had me scared for a moment there. You've never called me so I immediately thought something was wrong."

  "I'm sorry to have alarmed you. I was calling because I'll be in L.A. on Wednesday and wondered if you'd like to meet for lunch. Rachel and Lilly are going to an event so I'm dropping them off and thought it might be a good time for us to get together."

  "Unfortunately, I have a meeting during lunch that day."

  "Would you have time in the afternoon? I could stop by your office."

  "Just a moment. I'm checking my schedule. I'm not used to all these meetings." He laughs a little. "It seems like all the executive team does is sit in meetings all day."

  "Yes, I suppose that's quite a change from your touring schedule."

  "It is indeed. I'm not quite used to it yet. Okay, it looks like I have three-thirty to four open. It's not much time but would that work?"

  "It's fine. I'll see you then."

  "Oh, Pearce, before you go, how was the Fourth of July? I'm sorry I couldn't make it. Something came up."

  "It was good. My grandchildren were here for the day." I chuckle. "I think they might've worn out your son. He had a hard time waking up this morning."

  "I'm sure he didn't mind. Thank you for having him. It's good for him to be around a big family like yours. He's never had much for family, other than his mom and her brother, and me when I was around. But he always wished he had more than that. Anyway, I hope he wasn't too much trouble."

  "Not at all. He's a nice young man."

  I'm not just saying that for his father's sake. Reed really is a nice young man. This past weekend, he pitched in and helped as if he were part of the family. He even cooked breakfast this morning.

  He seemed happy when he was here, and although I know part of that is because of Lilly, I think Dean is right in that Reed liked being around the family. The children adore him because he always plays games with them or races them in the pool. And I think Reed sees Garret as the big brother he never had. They talk sports and toss the football around. Then there's Rachel, who tends to mother Reed because that's just what she does, not just with him but with everyone. But I think he likes someone treating him that way, given that his own mother neglected him growing up.

  Reed's had a rough life so I shouldn't give him such a hard time but I can't help myself. It's my fatherly instinct kicking in. When I caught him on Lilly's bed with her, I wanted to strangle him. In my mind, she's not old enough to be doing those things, even though I know she does them at college.

  The other issue I have with Reed is that I think he's pushing Lilly to get more serious, to think about marriage and the future, and I don't want her making those kinds of decisions right now. She's still a teenager. She's way too young to be mapping out her life.

  "So I'll see you on Wednesday at three-thirty?" Dean asks.

  "Yes. See you then."

  The next day as I'm doing some work in my office, my phone rings. It's Katherine. She never calls me so I'm curious what this is about.

  "Hello, Katherine," I say in a curt tone. "What do you need?"

  "What I need is for you to tell our daughter that she is meeting me on Wednesday as planned."

  "She doesn't want to see you. She's told you this, many times. Perhaps it's time you finally listened to her."

  "She doesn't get a choice in the matter. I'm her mother, and if I want to see her, I will see her. You need to have a talk with her, Pearce."

  "Lilly is old enough to make her own decisions, including her decisions regarding you. And I support her decision not to see you. She shouldn't have to put up with your abuse."

  "Giving her advice or sharing my opinion is NOT abuse. Lilly is being completely disrespectful and I will not tolerate it. I am flying all the way to California to see her and I expect her to be at my hotel at five."

  "She's not going to be there. She will be with Rachel all day and then the three of us will be going out for dinner."

  "I want her away from that woman!" Her voice is so harsh and shrill I have to hold the phone away from my ear. "That woman is NOT her mother!"

  "We're not going to fight about this. Lilly is not going to meet you at your hotel so I suggest you make other plans. Why are you coming out here anyway?"

  "To see my daughter. Weren't you listening to what I just said?"

  "You wouldn't fly all the way out here to see Lilly." I pause, wondering if I should just come out and ask her what she and Phillip are up to. But it's a risky move and might make them cover their tracks better so I decide not to. "Are you coming here for a charity event?"

  She sighs. "If you must know, yes, it's for an event, but the event isn't until the fall. We're still in the planning stages. I'm on a committee and I have to attend a meeting."

  When she said 'committee' I immediately thought of the organization. Obviously she means a different committee but the thought reminds me of Phillip.

  "So do you like having your sister nearby?"

  "How do you know about that?"

  She knows the answer. She's just playing games. So I play along.

  "I attended a meeting. He didn't tell you?"

  "I'm not allowed to be told such things. You know that, Pearce, so why would you even ask?"

  "You and Caroline have always been close. I assumed she would've told you."

  "We have better things to talk about. So why did you attend a meeting? You're no longer required to."

  "How do you know that? Didn't you just say you're not allowed to be told such things?"

  She clears her throat. "My father told me. Years ago. Before he died. Or if we're being truthful here, before he was killed."

  "Are you implying something?" I ask, a touch of humor in my tone. To this day, I don't regret killing Leland. Not even a little.

  "You know what you did," she spits out.

  "As do you," I say, referring to her killing my father.

  "And yet I was the only one punished! Not only did you take my old life away, you also took my daughter, but I promise you, Pearce, I will get her back."

  "And how will you do that, Katherine? Are you going to drag her to a cotillion, kicking and screaming? Because that's the only way you'd ever get her to go to those types of events. Maybe you should focus on your son instead. I've heard he's making quite a name for himself at various New York society events." I dropped a hint, but will she take the bait? She loves to brag and this is an opportunity for her to do so, and if she does, there's a chance she'll let something slip.

  "Since when do you follow society news?"

  "My mother told me she saw him in the paper. She said he's quite handsome."

  "And tall. Like you." She pauses. "Your mother always said you were tall at that age."

  "How does Lyndon feel about his son partaking in these events?"

  "He couldn't be happier. Unlike you, Pearce, he actually wants his child to have a bright future."

  "Lilly's future will be whatever she desires. I'm not going to dictate her future the way our parents did with us."

  "Our parents did what was right. You can't expect a child Lilly's age to know what's best for her. She's too young. Too inexperienced."

  This conversation is going nowhere. She's not going to tell me anything and I feel my temper rising the longer we talk.

  "I need to get some work done," I tell her. "I'll let Lilly know that you called."

  "Make sure she is at the hotel on Wednesday."

  "For the last time, she will not be there. Goodbye, Katherine."

  On Wednesday I arrive at the record label at three twenty-five and take the elevator to the top floor.

  A woman at the reception desk greets me. "
Pearce Kensington?"

  "Yes. I'm here to see Dean Ashford."

  "He's on the phone. He'll be out in a moment. Please have a seat."

  Instead I walk over to the wall of windows and look out at the city. I feel a man staring at me and look over.

  "Pearce Kensington?" he asks, his brows raised in surprise.

  "Yes." I try to think if I know this man but I can't seem to place him.

  He walks up to me, his hand extended. "Curt Shankle. VP of Finance. We met at a speech you gave in New York last year."

  I shake his hand. "Yes. Forgive me. I meet a lot of people and I'm not the best with names."

  "It's no problem. So what brings you here today? Are you wanting to make a record?" He chuckles.

  I smile. "No, I'm afraid my musical skills are lacking. I'm actually here to see Dean."

  "Oh," he says, sounding perplexed. "Is this about business?"

  "No. It's a personal visit. Dean's son is dating my daughter."

  "Reed." He smiles. "He's a talented young man. I've seen some of his work. He's going to go far with a talent like that."

  I check that Dean's door is still closed, then say to Curt, "So how is Dean liking his new position? I haven't talked to him since he received the news."

  "I don't know if he likes it. You'll have to ask him yourself." He lowers his voice. "But just between you and me, I'm disappointed they chose him for the job. They had many more qualified applicants."

  "It's my understanding that Mr. Ashford has worked here for almost thirty years. That has to make him at least somewhat qualified."

  "Dean is a tour manager and has been for his entire career. That's all he knows. He was a music major back in college. He doesn't have a business degree. No experience in marketing. Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying the man doesn't have skills in other areas. I certainly admire his ability to handle our musicians and manage them on tour. Many of them act like children so keeping them under control is a skill that many people don't possess. They get fed up and quit. Dean is one of the rare few who has been able to do this for years and still keep his sanity. But as for taking over marketing and promotions, he's in over his head. He never should've been given the job."

  "Maybe they wanted to promote from within. Give him a chance to prove himself."

  "He lacks the education and experience to do so. He doesn't know the first thing about marketing. The other day in a meeting, we gave him the latest analysis of our target demographic and he didn't know how to interpret the data."

  "Pearce?" I hear Dean's voice behind me. I turn and see him waiting at the door to his office. "Sorry for the delay. I was on the phone."

  "It's no problem." I turn back to Curt. "It was good seeing you."

  "You as well." He returns to his office.

  "Do you know Curt?" Dean asks as we take a seat on the leather chairs next to his desk. He has a very large office with a sitting area on one side and a long table meant for meetings on the other.

  "He attended one of my speeches. I don't know him personally."

  He nods. "Can I get you something? Coffee? Water?"

  "No, thank you."

  "So...what brings you by today? Was there something you wanted to discuss or were you just stopping by to say hello?"

  "A little of both, I suppose." I clear my throat. "As I'm sure you've noticed, the relationship between our children is becoming more serious, so I thought it would be a good idea for us to get to know each other better. I know we don't have much time today, but since I was in the area I thought I'd come by so we could talk."

  "About the kids?" he asks.

  "Or anything else you'd like to discuss."

  I wait for him to respond but he doesn't, his eyes glazing over as they drift to the floor.

  "Dean?" I say, trying to get his attention.

  His head pops up. "Yes. Sorry. I'm a little distracted. I have a meeting later and I'm—never mind." He straightens up in his chair. "What were you saying?"

  I'd planned to just make small talk and discuss the real issues later but I don't know how many more of these encounters I can take. Dean is likely a nice man, but for some reason, he grates on my nerves. Maybe it's his constant fidgeting. He's doing it now with his hands. They're in his lap but he keeps twisting them around each other, like he's nervous about something. Maybe the meeting he has later.

  "I'm just going to be direct," I say. "I have some questions that may offend you but they need to be asked and I'd appreciate it if you'd answer honestly."

  "Of course." His hands twist faster in his lap. He notices me watching him and stops, placing his hands at his sides. "Go ahead."

  "I imagine that going on the road with musicians involves certain activities. Activities that may be considered appropriate while on the road but are not appropriate in everyday life." I look directly at him. "Drugs. Prostitutes. Excessive alcohol. Perhaps even some bribes to law enforcement to cover up the unlawful behavior of your musicians."

  He rises up from his chair and walks to the wall of windows, his back to me. "I don't see why that's any of your business."

  "It's my business because I don't want my daughter around those activities."

  He whips around, facing me. "She's not. I would never—I don't do those things anymore."

  "I asked you to be honest with me. You may not think this concerns me, but when it comes to anything that even remotely affects my daughter, it most definitely concerns me."

  He goes and sits behind his desk, his head down, his hands fiddling with a pen. "Then yes. I occasionally do those things you mentioned. Even when not on tour." His head rises. "But not the part about the police. I'm not doing that. My musicians might, but not me." He stands up and walks over to me. "Pearce, I'm sure you're aware these things go on in this industry. It isn't considered a crime. Booze, drugs, women. That's the music industry. Hell, it's the whole entertainment industry. Go to any party in L.A. and you'll get exposed to that and more."

  I stand so I'm at his level. "I'm aware of that. My concern is for Lilly. I don't want her exposed to any part of that world."

  "She won't be. She hasn't been. I promise you."

  "Are there drugs in your apartment?"

  He hesitates. "Yes. In my dresser. But I'll get rid of them. And as for alcohol, I keep it in my room, but Reed has never touched it, and never will. As you know, he doesn't drink."

  "Let's sit down." I motion to the chairs and we sit, facing each other. "The other concern I'd like to discuss today is Reed and his plans for the future."

  "I don't...I don't know what his plans are, but I can tell you he has a...a very bright future."

  Dean's stammering is troubling, as are his furrowed brows and his hands, which he's now wringing together to the point it looks painful.

  "Is something wrong, Dean? You seem stressed."

  "Do I?" He forces himself to relax his hands. "I guess it's just been a stressful day."

  "Your stress level seemed to rise when I mentioned Reed's future. Any reason why? Are you keeping something from me?"

  "No! No, of course not. Reed has told me the same thing he's told you."

  "Which is what?"

  "That he wants to sell his paintings in a gallery and do commercial art to supplement his income."

  It's the same plan Reed told me. It's good to know he didn't just make that up to appease me. But Dean's reaction to my question has me wondering what else he knows. What he's not telling me.

  "Is Reed planning to move away after college? Leave California?"

  "Not that I know of. He was born and raised here. I assume after college he'll come back to L.A.."

  Dean's answer seemed truthful. No anxiety-ridden body language that time.

  "Pearce, I think we're getting ahead of ourselves. The kids are just dating, not getting married." He laughs, but it's a nervous laugh.

  "What's so funny?" I demand.

  "Nothing." He threads his fingers together, his thumbs tapping rapidly against each other.
"It's just the idea of our children getting married seemed a little humorous. They're still so young."

  "My son, Garret, got married at the age of 19. It's entirely possible for Lilly and Reed to do the same."

  "Maybe, but I don't think they're ready for that."

  "Has Reed said that to you? Or are you just surmising this based on your own beliefs?"

  "He hasn't said anything about it but I know he's not ready. Reed loves your daughter but he's not ready to marry her. Not while he's still in college. And I'm sure Lilly feels the same way."

  Once again, Dean's answer seems truthful, so what's making him so nervous? Maybe it has nothing to do with Reed. Maybe it's something completely unrelated. Something that has nothing to do with this conversation. Maybe he's just stressed about work.

  "Pearce, I hate to cut this short but it's getting late and I have some work to do before I head out for the day."

  I stand up. "Yes, I need to be going. I need to pick up Rachel and Lilly." I don't want to invite Dean to dinner but Rachel is making me do so. "Would you like to have dinner with us this evening? We'll be picking Reed up at six. You're welcome to join us."

  "I'm sorry, but I already have plans." His words are rushed, and as I watch him go behind his desk, I see a thin line of sweat dripping down the side of his face. It's not warm in here. In fact, I'd say it's on the chilly side.

  "What are your plans?" I ask, curious if these plans are what's causing his distress.

  "It's a business dinner. I'm meeting with some clients about a...a new opportunity." He scoots his chair up to the desk and rapidly types on his keyboard. I watch his hands. He's not typing actual words. He's just trying to look busy, wanting me to leave.

  "How do you like the job?" I ask.

  "What?" He looks up from the computer.

  "The job." I smile. "Your new position. Are you enjoying it?"

  "Yes. Yes, it's fine."

  He didn't sound sincere that time. So he doesn't like the job, but I know he likes the perks. Reed told Lilly his father has already been spending the money that came with the promotion. He bought a new car and some new suits and joined a country club.