by Every, Donna
“So tell me about yourself, Shari Goodwin.” So the “Goodwin” was back again.
“I would have thought you’d want to talk about yourself.”
“We’ll be doing enough of that. I’m curious to know why someone so young has a bucket list. What are you…twenty-five, twenty-six?” She nodded and gestured with her hand to indicate that she was around there.
“Don’t you have a bucket list?”
“I don’t need a bucket list. I’m living it. Sometimes I wonder what else there is to do and I’m only thirty-two.” He smiled ruefully.
Most people would love to have your problem, thought Shari unsympathetically. She would not let Nick Badley’s “poor me” comments fool her. She had experienced both his Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
Chapter 7
Nick settled the bill and left a substantial tip for the waitress who smiled her appreciation. Holding the door open for Shari, he gestured in the direction of the Riverwalk.
In spite of the brilliant sunshine, it was a cool day and the number of people sharing the walk was few. Shari sent up a silent prayer of thanks since that meant she would be able to talk to Nick without being overheard or interrupted.
They strolled along in a comfortable silence for a few minutes, enjoying the relaxing sound of the water cascading over the rocks. Shari paused to take a few shots with her camera for her own collection while Nick waited patiently, surprisingly for him. He seemed as relaxed as when they were watching the fountains at Bellagio and she fervently hoped that no one would intrude on this time.
“There’s a bench a little further along where we can sit and talk,” Nick informed her.
The bench was in a cozy spot overlooking the river. It was sheltered by some trees, giving it privacy. It felt a little too intimate for her liking, but she made no protest. After all, it wasn’t as if Nick was going to try anything.
"I'm going to record our conversation rather than rely on my memory, OK?"
"Good. Then there should be no inaccuracies." Shari didn't comment. Nick took every opportunity to make it quite clear how he felt about reporters.
"Why exactly are you so opposed to reporters?"
"How much time do you have?" He asked sardonically. "Since we have to get back for the concert in an hour or so, I'll give you the short version. They print lies and whatever will sell papers or magazines and they don't care who gets hurt in the process.”
She was almost sorry she had asked because some of the peace that the river had induced in him was lost as he responded to her question. However, having started down that trail, the journalist in her had to continue until she got the answer she was looking for.
"This is from personal experience, I take it?"
"Yeah, but I also know a lot of people in the business whose lives have been messed up by the media."
He focused on the river, apparently lost in thought. She waited patiently, hoping that the charge on her recorder would last. The sound of the river rolling over the stones was soothing, but she wasn’t here to make a Nature’s Sounds CD.
"My first wife and I got married quite young. I was about twenty-four and she was twenty. She's from the hometown I grew up in, Sonora. I was just starting out and beginning to get noticed in the bigger cities nearby. We'd been married for about three years when I got signed by my current record label and things really began to take off. My first tour was an unbelievable experience! I couldn't have dreamed it up. The crowds were amazing, the parties were wild and the women were easy. It went straight to my head.
"At first I resisted, but by the time the tour was halfway through it was getting harder and harder. Then one night, after too many drinks, I slept with another woman. I don't even know her name. She came on to me at a party and the rest is history. Pictures of us leaving the party were in the press the next day and my wife saw them. As if that wasn’t bad enough the media started hounding her, asking all kinds of stupid questions. She was trying to get away from a particularly persistent reporter when she crashed her car. She was two months pregnant and I didn’t even know. She was planning to tell me when I came home at the next break. She lost the baby.” He drew in a shaky breath and looked out over the river.
“I’m so sorry. I didn’t know,” Shari said quietly, turning off the recorder. This was too intimate to record.
“Not many people do. I left the tour and flew home but it was too late. If I hadn’t been living such a wild life, it never would have happened. I couldn’t even deny the story when she asked me about it. Not only did she lose the baby but I permanently damaged our relationship and it was too much for her. I didn't fight it when she filed for divorce.”
"I can understand why you hate the media but they weren’t the only cause of your marriage failing,” she pointed out fairly.
"No. You're right. I started it, they just put the nails in the coffin. But I was really trying with my second marriage."
"I’m surprised you got married again,” she commented turning back on the recorder.
"Why? Because I made a mess of the first? I actually believe in marriage. My parents have been happily married for thirty-five years and my sisters seem to have great marriages. I wanted to have that too. I still want to someday."
Shari felt a pang. She had wanted that too, but it didn't happen that way. At least she hadn't gotten as far as getting married. She was now grateful that Rob had walked out before it had gotten to that point.
"So, what happened the second time around?" she asked, coming back to the present.
"I married someone totally different from my first wife. She was in the business as well – a singer who was trying to get signed to a major label. We had a lot in common so I figured we'd do well together. I was faithful to her for the year we were married. More often than not she was on the road with me, but then I had a concert in London and she had the opportunity to record an album with a fairly decent label that I’d hooked her up with, so she didn't come."
"So you slept with someone else again?"
"That's the hell of it. I didn't, but the press published a photo of me and the singer who opened for me with our hands around each other as we walked out of a club. We were just high on the success of the concert and other stuff, but that was it."
"Your wife saw it?" He nodded. "And she didn't believe it was innocent?"
"No."
"She didn't give you the benefit of the doubt?"
"As much as it crushes my ego to admit it, I think she just wanted out of the marriage and used it as an excuse. I discovered later that she’d been sleeping with a good friend of mine when I was on tour. Or someone who I thought was a good friend. I’d helped to get her signed to a label so I had served my purpose." Cynicism coated his words but Shari could hear the pain and betrayal underneath it.
"Ouch! That’s brutal."
"You probably think I deserved it."
"No-one deserves to be betrayed like that," she empathized. "I know that break-ups are never easy, especially marriages, so I don’t wish that on anyone."
"You ever been married?"
"No. I came close, but it didn’t happen. Thank God." She didn't know why she told him that. “Your life hasn’t been as wonderful as it looks,” she acknowledged.
“You got that right.”
She was surprised that he’d revealed so much to her, probably more than he’d intended, so she wasn’t surprised when he said: “Anyway I've talked more than enough for the day. Have to save my voice for the concert."
How was she to argue with that? He’d trusted her with intimate details of his life that she would treat with the utmost of discretion. She’d discovered another side of Nick Badley. One that had experienced loss, hurt and betrayal. One that was very human.
"OK,” she said, turning off the recorder. “Thank you for sharing your stories with me. Contrary to your opinion about reporters, I will keep what you said in strict confidence. It won’t appear in the documentary.”
“I guess I must ins
tinctively trust you at some level to have shared that.” Shari smiled briefly in thanks.
“I was thinking to talk to Tim Benton next and get him out of the way first. I have to admit that he makes me a bit uncomfortable. He seems a bit intense."
"Tim has some anger issues, but I think he’s pretty harmless.”
“What’s he angry about?”
“I really don’t know. He has his own demons to deal with.”
“And you have yours.”
He laughed mirthlessly. “Mine probably make his seem like lightweights.”
“Don’t worry; my mother has added you to her prayer list. I mentioned you to her since she likes to know what I’m working on. I hope you don’t mind.” He shook his head.
“She doesn’t even know me and she’s praying for me? Thank her next time you speak. But warn her that my demons can only come out by prayer and fasting.”
“What do you know about prayer and fasting?” she asked in disbelief.
“Don’t sound so surprised. I’m not a total reprobate, you know. Are you praying for my sorry soul too?”
“I suppose I should be,” Shari said almost guiltily.
“Please do. I need all the prayers I can get.” He sounded almost serious.
“I’ll start, then. Getting back to Tim, do you think he’s jealous of you, in light what he said before he stormed out of the rehearsal in Vegas?”
"What's there to be jealous about? Some days I'd trade this life in a heartbeat. And other days I can't imagine anything else. I'm beginning to think I’m bipolar.”
“I’ve already come to that conclusion and I’ve only known you for a few days.”
He put up his hands as if to block a blow.
“You don’t pull your punches, do you?”
“Maybe this is my delayed reaction to the unprovoked attack in the limo today.”
“Whatever happened to ‘turn the other cheek’?”
Shari was immediately ashamed. She should know better.
“I’m sorry about that,” Nick apologized. “I have no excuse for lashing out at you like I did.” His apology was totally unexpected. She wondered how long Dr. Jekyll would be around this time before his alter ego showed up again.
“No, you don’t. I’ll put it down to your split personality and I know I’m supposed to turn the other cheek, but I’m not going to take your abuse just because you’re Nick Badley.”
Nick nodded. He had a new respect for Shari Goodwin. She was more straightforward than any other woman he had known before and he found that very appealing.
The drive back was thankfully uneventful. Nick managed to keep within the speed limit and seemed lost in thought. She assumed that he was mentally preparing for the concert and didn’t try to start any conversation.
They pulled into the driveway of the hotel and Nick got out, handing his key and a hundred dollar bill to the valet parking attendant who had opened Shari’s door for her.
“Look after her for me, buddy,” he said, giving him a knock.
“Sure thing, Mr. Badley. And thank you!”
“Nick,” he corrected.
“Sure thing, Nick,” the valet repeated with a smile. Shari smiled as well. She liked this Nick.
“Thanks for taking me on the drive and for sharing your stories with me,” she said again as they walked towards the elevators.
“No problem. I find you surprisingly easy to talk to. I have to remind myself that you’re a journalist,” he joked.
“We’re making progress, then. What’s this? We actually have to wait for the elevator? I guess you need to remind the universe that Nick Badley is back in the hotel and that you don’t like to wait,” she teased him. He smiled slightly.
“Is there a party after the concert tonight?” she asked, getting into the elevator that had finally reached the ground floor. Thankfully they had it to themselves.
“Nothing organized, as far as I know, but if there isn’t we’ll probably go to a club or something. You game?”
“I don’t think so. I think I’ll have an early night. Brian and I plan to go into town and do some interviews with your fans tomorrow. Find out what they thought of the concert, that sort of thing.”
“Well I hope they have good things to say.”
“I’m sure you can do no wrong in their eyes. If you guys are partying tonight I don’t think I’ll talk to Tim. I need to talk to him when he’s been sober and drug-free for a whole day.”
“I guess you won’t be talking to him at all, then. Maybe Steve is a better bet. He probably won’t be going to the party. He’s trying to be faithful to his wife and I admire him for that.”
Shari’s respect monitor crept up a notch.
“So, are you coming to the concert?”
“That’s what I’m here for.”
“I’ll look out for you in the crowd. You’ll be the one that’s not crying or screaming.”
Shari shook her head in amazement as she recalled the last concert.
“That freaked me out,” she admitted. The elevator came to a stop at her floor.
“It freaks me out too, sometimes,” he admitted, surprising her yet again for the day.
“See you later and break a leg, as they say.” She got out and started down the corridor, feeling his eyes on her. She felt compelled to look over her shoulder and was just in time to see the door closing on Nick Badley’s smile. Something had shifted in their relationship. She now knew things about him that very few people knew and that gave them a new level of intimacy that went beyond simply journalist and subject.
“Ladies and gentlemen, Nick Badley!”
Tonight Nick didn’t emerge from the bowels of the stage. He was lowered onto it on what seemed to Shari like a dangerously small platform which descended from about 40 feet in the air. While the crowd screamed in excitement, Shari unconsciously held her breath until his feet touched the stage. Only then did she respond to her heart’s demand for oxygen.
This time when the fans surged forward to get even closer to the stage, Shari was protected by one of the burly bodyguards at her back. She intended to stay for the whole concert and, after confessing her dislike of crowds to Lily, she had been assigned one of the bodyguards. She felt a lot safer with his towering presence behind her, sure that if she needed to get out of the crush in a hurry he would see that she did, even if he had to carry her over his head.
She didn’t know how people enjoyed these concerts. Granted, the show was amazing, but having to queue for hours and being surrounded by thousands of people was not her idea of a nice evening out. Most people weren’t even close enough to see Nick’s face, except on one of the mega screens around the arena. She could live without going to another concert, but, unfortunately, she’d probably have to attend a few more before the end of the tour.
She was actually looking forward to going backstage to get out of the crowd. She knew that some people would kill to get a backstage pass so she’d been pleasantly surprised when Nick remembered to tell Lily to arrange passes for the officer’s wife. Of course, he couldn’t remember her name so Shari had had to provide that.
She gave her full attention to the stage where Nick strutted about looking, she had to admit, very sexy in faded blue jeans and a black T-shirt that said “I’m with the band”. The light glittered off the diamond stud in his left ear as he came close to the edge of the stage where she stood. The crowd sang along with him to one of the top ten songs from the Moving On album. Shari found herself singing the lyrics along with the fans and realized that she must have subconsciously picked them up from being at the rehearsal.
Oh no, am I becoming a Nick Badley fan? She thought in horror. She could have sworn that at that moment Nick caught her eye and winked as if he knew her thoughts. What was worse, a thrill raced through her that he had singled her out in the crowd. As she watched him, that surreal feeling she had experienced in Vegas resurfaced. She had eaten with him, shared a private jet and limousines, he’d driven her in a Por
sche and talked to her about his personal life. The person on stage was unfamiliar, yet familiar. She found herself feeling, in some weird way, pleased with the way he held the audience in the palm of his hand. The only problem was that she seemed to be there with them.
Chapter 8
Shari cracked one eye open and looked accusingly at the alarm clock on the bedside table. She groaned as she tried to find the button to put a stop to its incessant ringing. Why did she set it again? Well, it wasn’t as if she was on holiday so she really should get up at a reasonable hour and do some work. Then again, she was working all hours of the night so she really didn’t need to get up before nine, she reasoned.
That reminded her of the concert last night. She had to admit that Nick had been awesome. Oh no, she was becoming a groupie. The last vestiges of sleep departed swiftly as she remembered driving back to the hotel while the others had gone on to a club. She’d felt surprisingly lonely in the empty limousine. Was she getting used to being in Nick’s presence all the time? That was a dangerous habit to start.
The events of the night replayed in her mind. They’d had a small gathering backstage with drinks and hors d’oeuvres for a select number of fortunate fans, people in the business and the band. He’d met Officer Patton’s wife and thrilled her by giving her a signed photo of himself to replace the ATM slip that her husband had given him to autograph. Shari actually felt proud of him for that small gesture which probably meant the world to Casey Patton.
Throwing off the sheet, she yawned and stretched as she headed to the bathroom. She wasn’t sure why she felt in such a good mood at seven in the morning, especially after going to bed around one. Several minutes later she began to mentally plan her day as she rummaged through her suitcase for something attractive and comfortable to wear downtown for her interviews.
Dressing in a knee-length black, white and coral patterned skirt and a coral sweater, she pulled on a pair of comfortable shoes as she would be doing a bit of walking that day. She was having breakfast with Brian and then they had arranged to go into town to interview people who had been to the concert the night before to get some feedback from them. She was looking forward to going out and seeing a bit more of Denver and hearing what Nick’s fans had to say about him.