What Now?

by Every, Donna

  “Thank you, Nick. Same to you.”

  He waited while she tore the wrapper off the box and gave it back to him. Nick teased her that she didn’t open her present like most women did by carefully peeling off the scotch tape to preserve the paper. She slapped him playfully on the shoulder for teasing her and carefully flipped open the lid to find a beautiful diamond bracelet nestled on a bed of black velvet.

  “Wow! Nick, it’s beautiful, but this is far too expensive,” she protested.

  “OK, I’ll take it back and get a refund.” Nick pretended to take the box from her and she laughed in delight and pulled it away from him.

  “Thank you so much. I’m not too proud to accept diamonds.”

  He hugged her to his side and dropped a kiss on her neck in the spot that he seemed to favor.

  “I wonder what this is?” he said, shaking the box like a child. He, too, tore the paper off and opened the box. “A compass?” he asked.

  Shari smiled and explained. “What do you give to someone who has everything? I decided to give you a compass because I wanted you to remember that if you’re ever feeling lost or not sure where you are or who you are, you can be assured that there’s always a reference point, a North, and that’s God.”

  “That’s beautiful, Shari. Thank you. I’m beginning to hear the lyrics to a song about that.”

  She smiled at Nick and basked in the closeness of the moment.

  Christmas lunch was a boisterous affair. Shari fit in as if she had always been a part. The eight-seater table was exactly the right size for the adults and the children shared their own table nearby. Shari could see why Nick had bought the house for his parents; they definitely needed the space for family gatherings.

  She’d been delighted to see him playing and romping with his three nephews when they had finished in the kitchen and went to join the men on the deck. She still remembered the warm feelings that stole over her when one of his nieces, who was about three, crawled onto his lap and put her arms around his neck when she got tired playing with her toys.

  Nick had hugged her to his chest and closed his eyes as if savoring the moment of closeness, making Shari think that he would have been a great dad. Her heart felt a twinge of sympathy for him as she remembered the child he had lost. He had opened his eyes unexpectedly to catch her looking at them with a wistful smile on her face and she saw that it reflected on his. Shari felt a shift in their relationship as if they’d both come to the same conclusion about something, but she wasn’t sure what. All she knew was that she was seeing yet another side of Nick and that was Nick Badley, father. And she liked it very much.

  “Uncle Nick, my friend Michaela says that you’re into alcohol, sex and drugs because you’re a rock star.” Nick’s thirteen year old niece, Haley, stunned the entire family into silence with her announcement.

  “What’s sex?” piped up Jessie, who had climbed into his lap the day before. Everyone ignored that.

  “Tell your friend that every rock star isn’t into those things, Haley,” Nick instructed her. My God, he thought, is there nothing that kids didn’t know these days? Had Haley seen any of the things that had been printed about him in the media? Nick looked at her innocent, trusting face and shame and guilt consumed him.

  His lifestyle didn’t only affect him; it impacted his whole family. While his sisters and parents didn’t boast about their connection to him, his niece would use the fact that her uncle was Nick Badley to gain status with her friends. He’d never thought about it before, but as she and her friends got older, and into singers and movie stars, his life and what he did would affect her.

  “And for the record, I don’t do drugs, Haley. You can tell her that as well.”

  He wouldn’t be a hypocrite and say that he didn’t drink, but at least he could say with all honesty that sex was not a part of his life; at least not at the moment. He groaned silently at the thought. Glancing at Shari next to him, he found that her eyes were fixed on her plate and she looked suspiciously as if she was trying not to laugh, while Jen, Haley’s mother, looked accusingly at him. He had no defense, especially with Shari, who knew the depths of his depravity, sitting next to him. Shame filled him again.

  “That’s what I told her, Uncle Nick. I know that you’re not like some of those other rock stars, even if you have tattoos.”

  Her trust nearly undid Nick and he vowed there and then not to make a liar of her.

  “Thanks, Haley. I love you. Come and give me a hug.”

  “Me too,” said Jessie, scrambling out from her chair. Both of them came over and shared a group hug with Nick. Shari felt tears prick her eyes at the sight and knew without a doubt that she loved Nick Badley.

  Chapter 28

  Shari and Nick folded themselves into the Porsche after saying their goodbyes to his family. His sisters’ husbands had taken turns driving it around the town and declared it to be the ultimate driving machine. Nick invited them to borrow it anytime that he was on tour so that it would at least get driven.

  The time had gone by so fast that it was only the day before they left that Shari had sat down to do the interview with Nick’s parents. She had almost forgotten that that was the reason she was there in the first place. Nick’s father regaled her with tales about Nick and his obsession with cars which he admitted came from him. He told her how Nick had sneaked out his mum’s car one day when he was about fifteen and gone for a drive around the neighborhood with a friend. His mum had come out to go to the supermarket only to discover that her car was gone and called the police thinking it had been stolen. Shari smiled thinking that Nick’s encounters with the police and cars had started at an early age.

  His mother fondly recalled his love for music from an early age and the excitement he’d had when she gifted him with his first guitar, which he still had. She reminisced about how excited they all were when his band began to get noticed and hired to play at events in the town and then in the county and, finally, in the state until they got signed with a record label.

  She sighed as she shared that sometimes she wondered if it was the best thing for Nick or if he’d gained the whole world and lost his soul. She confided that she still prayed for him every day to turn away from his wild lifestyle and live as the Lord wanted him to. Shari encouraged her by saying that both she and her mother were also praying for him and she knew that it was only a matter of time because already she was seeing changes in him. She would have liked to ask his mother to pray for them as well to resist the temptation that was a daily battle, but she kept that to herself.

  The drive back seemed to take less time than it had to get there and to Shari it almost felt like a homecoming to see Nick’s villa come into view. She barely had time to wash and dry the clothes she had worn at his parents’ and get dressed before they had to rush to the airport to catch a plane to Miami which was scheduled to leave just before 10:00 that night and arrive early in the morning. From Miami, they would take the morning flight to Barbados. She began to get excited as the reality that she was really going to Barbados set in.

  Nick reclined his seat as soon as the seatbelt sign was turned off and closed his eyes. Shari was busy listening to the recording she had made at his parents’ and making notes on her tablet. He felt incredibly sleepy, considering that on the road this was the time that he’d be winding down a concert before heading out on the town. He could truthfully say that he didn’t miss that life. Since coming home, he’d been relaxing, swimming, reading and writing music and, more often than not, he’d be ready for bed by 11:00.

  The flight to Miami would last almost five hours which would give him a good catnap. Contentment stole over him at having Shari sitting close to him, even though she was engrossed in her work. He went over the memories of the last few days in his head as he waited for sleep to come. They’d hardly had any time alone, which was probably a good thing, but he’d enjoyed himself more than he could remember doing in a very long time. Shari fit into his family perfectly and just join
ed in when his sisters ganged up on him since she’d already done it naturally before.

  At least he’d have her to himself in Barbados, kind of. In the end, he’d invited Steve and his wife to stay at the villa with them as well as Brad and his wife, Michele, whom he liked a lot. She would keep Brad in line and stop him from discussing work. He thought it best to have some chaperones in the house and to help entertain his guests for the big New Year’s Eve party he was planning. He’d given Lily the list of people to invite and arranged with the property manager of the villa to alert the staff that they would need to cater for about 100 people as well as arrange for security and music. Most of the guests would be musicians so nobody would want to play on the last day of the year anyway.

  He was looking forward to seeing Barbados again. While he was at home, he’d started doing a little research on the island, in light of what Shari had told him about her ancestors, and he’d been surprised to find that the island had in fact colonized Carolina back in 1667.

  Shari turned off her voice recorder and turned to look at Nick. He was fast asleep and partly turned towards her. She smiled at how young and relaxed he looked in his sleep, even with the sexy stubble that he hadn’t bothered to shave that evening. Walking through the airport with him had been an experience. People constantly stared at him, and by extension at her, but at least they didn’t approach him for autographs or selfies. Maybe the travelers passing through LAX were accustomed to seeing celebrities in the airport.

  She put away her voice recorder and mini tablet in her cavernous handbag that Nick had teased her about and took out her journal. She hadn’t written in it over the entire holiday season as she was constantly on the go and simply fell into bed exhausted at the end of the day. She looked at Nick again to make sure that he was asleep. The last thing she wanted was for him to discover the things she had written in it, especially about him. She cringed at the thought. Satisfied that he was in a deep sleep, she opened it and began to write.

  December 28

  Once again it’s been a while since I’ve written anything. I’m on an airplane with Nick heading to Barbados to stay at a villa! I can’t believe it. Nick is paying for the trip so obviously we’re in first class, although, after flying in a private jet, I’m not as impressed as I would have been. I need prayer!

  I just spent four days at his parents’ house and it was great. I felt like a part of the family and it’s hard to imagine not being a part of it in the future. I don’t know what Nick’s intentions are, but, whatever they are, one thing is for sure – he has to be on the same path as me. Speaking of which, we’ll have separate rooms at the villa, of course, and Steve and his wife and Brad and his wife will be there. I have to confess that a strong attraction between us lurks just below the surface, but Nick has been very good. Too good! He never even kissed me at his parents’ house.

  He gave me the most beautiful diamond bracelet for Christmas which made my gift of a compass pale in comparison. But what do you give to someone who has everything? Anyway, he seemed really touched by it and I know it’s not the price of something but the thought that counts.

  I’m also looking forward to seeing my mum since our visit will overlap by a few days. She is staying with some distant relatives of ours who will be interesting to meet. I am so looking forward to seeing some of the historical sites and taking in some of the attractions. I can hardly wait.

  Shari put her pen between the pages of the journal and put it back in her bag as her eyes began to feel heavy. After all, they had been going all day and she was beginning to feel it. She eyed the complicated looking controls to adjust her chair and fiddled with the buttons until her feet came up and her chair slid back into a reclining position. Turning away from Nick in case she drooled in her sleep, she closed her eyes and within minutes drifted into a light sleep.

  She felt as if she’d been asleep only a few minutes before she felt someone shaking her awake. Cracking her eyes open, she turned around to see Nick leaning over her.

  “Wake up, sleepy head. They’ve just turned on the seatbelt sign and asked us to bring our chairs up because we’re almost in Miami.”

  “Already? I feel as if I just fell asleep.” She rubbed her eyes and brought her seat back to the upright position.

  “You can catch some more sleep on the way to Barbados.”

  “I’ll be too excited to sleep,” she insisted.

  “I should have woken you up earlier to see if you’d changed your mind about joining the mile high club.” That earned his a slap. Nick smiled. He loved to tease Shari.

  The second leg of their trip was just an hour or so shorter than the first and since they were now both awake they used the time to plan what they would do on the trip.

  “I’d love to see some of the old plantation houses that look so much like the ones in South Carolina. I think there are one or two that were around from the 1600’s. There is St. Nicholas Abbey and the other is Drax Hall.”

  “I saw St. Nicholas too. I noticed that they also have a small rum refinery so I put it on my list of places to visit.” Nick added.

  “Why am I not surprised?”

  “I’m at your disposal so I’ll do whatever you want to do, my love.”

  “Aww, how sweet.”

  “I’ve been trying to tell you that I’m sweet, but you came with these preconceived notions about me.”

  “I did not. OK, yes I did and they were right; at least most of them. I’m glad that Lily suggested that I go to your parents’ house, though, because I did see another side of you. A side that I really like.” That was an understatement.

  “Thank you, Shari. That’s the first nice thing you’ve ever said to me.”

  “It is not,” protested Shari. “Is it?” She tried to remember any other compliments she had paid Nick, but she had to admit that they were few and far between.

  “You’re right, Nick. I’ve been very judgmental and critical of you…”

  “I was joking, Shari. I’ve probably done everything you thought about me, probably even worse, but you can trust me when I say that I’m not the same.”

  Shari remembered the song he’d sung in New York.

  “I don’t think I thanked you for writing that song, Nick. No one has ever written a song for me before.”

  “I should hope not!” he joked. “Seriously though, when Haley said what she did at lunch, I suddenly realized that I can’t live for myself; my actions impact other people and will affect my nieces and nephews as they get older. Suppose one of those garbage papers had seen those two women leaving my room and printed that? I’d lose Haley’s respect, not to mention that I’d be a terrible role model. That really gave me a wakeup call.”

  “I’m glad.” Shari picked up Nick’s hand and held it against her cheek. It was the first time that she had ever initiated contact with Nick and it pleased him more than the most intimate contact he’d had with other women in the past.

  “I have to meet your mother. How long will she be there?”

  “She’s leaving the day after tomorrow.”

  “We’ll have to see her tomorrow, then. She must be an amazing woman.”

  “She is.” Shari agreed.

  “She certainly has a wonderful daughter.”

  Shari beamed at him and kissed his hand. Better and better, Nick thought.

  “Ladies and gentlemen, please bring your seats to the upright position, stow your tray tables and make sure your seat belts are securely fastened. We’ve started our descent into Barbados.”

  Shari released Nick’s hand so that they could obey the stewardess. Once they had brought their seats up and buckled their seatbelts, Nick joined hands with Shari again. Nothing had felt so right in a long time.

  Nick and Shari stepped out of the air-conditioned comfort of the arrival lounge into the Barbadian heat. The afternoon was bright and sunny and, after the cool temperatures of Sonora, the 87oF welcomed them to the tropics.

  “Are we being picked up?” Shari asked
him, looking around for someone with a sign.

  “Should be. The villa sends someone.”

  Before the words were out of his mouth properly, a tall dark gentleman came up to them, greeted Nick by name and invited them to follow him to his taxi.

  No need to hold up a sign for Nick Badley, Shari thought. They know him even in Barbados. But, then again, it wasn’t exactly the backwoods, was it? They had produced Rihanna and she’d had a concert here a few years ago so obviously they would know Nick. She hoped that that wouldn’t interfere with their holiday.

  It was a relief to get into the air-conditioned car. The driver took them on to a highway which ran through the countryside. They soon turned off the main highway onto roads that could do with some repaving. Sugar cane plants lined these roads for part of the way, waving in the breeze. They soon gave way to a few houses which became more frequent as they headed back to the less rural areas and eventually came back to the main highway, passing a number of businesses along the way.

  Within half an hour they were entering the gates of a beautiful coral stone villa with a fountain in the courtyard. Excitement stirred in Shari. She was in Barbados and an adventure was about to begin.

  The villa looked deceptively small from the front, but Shari remembered that Nick had said that it had six bedrooms. Palm trees framed the covered porch and contrasted beautifully with the pale olive green of the walls and the white painted accents.

  They were greeted by the house staff – all six of them – and shown to their rooms. Nick’s room was next to Shari’s and both overlooked a stunning swimming pool with a large deck area and cabanas on either side. It would be the ideal place for the party.