Cardinal (23 page)

Dean and Caleb start to talk about tonight’s
show, so I take the opportunity to disappear. I step around them and head to my
original destination: the balcony. I find a spot between some people and lean
against the railing to stare out over the city. A smile forms on my lips as I
remember sitting on the fire escape and doing the same thing with Latson. I
don’t know which direction I’m facing right now, but I pretend it’s east. I
telepathically send my thoughts to him, letting him know I miss him and things
are getting complicated here.

I take my time and finish my water before heading
back inside. The party is going strong, but I don’t feel the need to socialize.
Ariel’s secret has me feeling a little melancholy, so I decided to find out if
my bedroom door has a lock. I don’t need Caleb finding me again, or, God
forbid, Heidi. There’s nothing more I can say to either of them that hasn’t
already been said.

When I reach my room and investigate the door
handle, I smile when I see there
is a lock. I twist it and shut the door;
Roxanne will just have to knock when she wants in. I sit on the bed and lie
back on the pillows; I would change my clothes but not while there’s a bunch of
people here. Lock or no lock, no one needs to see me in my pj’s. My phone
vibrates against the nightstand where I left it to charge, so I pick it up. Immediately,
worry sets in. There are a ton of alerts – all from Latson. I click on the text
messages first, even though there is voicemail, too.

We need to talk. Where are you?

I left you a message. Did you get it?

Answer the phone please.

Are you avoiding me?  Call me as soon as you
get this.

What is going on?  Quickly, I go to my
voicemail. Latson sounds pissed:

“Jen. I just talked to you. How could you not
say anything?  I had to find out from Dean?  What the hell?”

Then, twenty minutes later:
“Damn it!”

And then, seconds ago:
“I’m sorry. I’m not
mad. Just … call me.”

My stomach sinks as my head spins. I jump off
the bed and leave the room, bent on finding Dean. What could he have told
Latson to upset him?  I make my way around bodies, even pushing a few out of
the way so I can see. I spot Dean near the center of the room; he’s still
talking to Caleb. I march in his direction, then grab his arm without saying a
word and pull him to the side.

“What the –?” He frowns. “What’s the matter?”

“What did you tell Latson?”

He looks confused. “I didn’t tell him anything.
Why?”

“He’s pissed at me for something you said.” I let
him listen to the message.

Dean looks legitimately confused and pulls his
phone out of his pocket. “I haven’t talked to him since early this morning.”

I look at my phone and tap Latson’s number,
then hold my breath as it rings in my ear. He answers almost immediately.

“Jen.” He sounds defeated, even sad.

“Hey.” I wrap my free arm around my waist. “I
just got your messages. My phone was charging. What’s wrong?”

He lets out an annoyed breath. “You’re still at
the party?  Really?”

Damn the music. “Yes. Why does it matter?”

“Because –” He stops talking and changes his
tone. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Tell you what?”

He’s silent for a moment before he asks, “Are
you really going to play this game?  Why can’t you be honest with me?”

I’m so lost. I wish he’d just come out and say
–

Dean taps me on the shoulder. When I turn
around, he looks white as a ghost. He holds up his phone, so I can see the screen.
It’s his text message thread with Latson, and the last thing sent is a picture.
My breath catches when I realize what it is. It’s a picture of a positive
pregnancy test followed by the words:

Look what I found in your girlfriend’s bathroom.
Congrats, Dad.

“Heidi,” Dean and I say in unison.

“What?” Latson’s voice sounds in my ear.

I open my mouth to explain as Dean says, “I’m
on it.” His eyes flash before he turns and walks away.

“Jen?  Are you there?”

“Yes, I’m here.” I start to make my way back to
my bedroom. “Let me get out of this noise.” I weave my way around bodies, and
then shut the door behind me. “It’s not what you think,” I say when I’m alone. “I
saw Dean’s phone. He didn’t send you that text.”

“Then who did?”

I get sarcastic. “The one and only Heidi.” God,
that woman is a bitch. Not only did she invade my personal space, she involved
Dean.

“Are you telling me there isn’t a pregnancy
test in your bathroom?” Latson sounds like he doesn’t believe me.

“No, there is.” I start walking in that
direction. “But it’s not mine.”

He lets out a heavy sigh. “What is going on?”

I flip the light switch and see the test on the
counter, next to the sink where Ariel left it. I don’t feel right sharing her
situation, but, then again, Latson knows she came to see me earlier. “Remember
the last time we talked?  Who interrupted us?”

“Ariel. So?”

“So?” I frown into the phone. “Put two and two
together. The test isn’t mine. I’m not pregnant.”

Latson’s silent, so I decide to elaborate. “Heidi
and I … we got into it tonight. She must have snooped around my room. I was
with Dean and Caleb when she asked to borrow Dean’s phone. I should have known
she was up to something by the look on her face.” I pause, thinking about it. “I’m
sure she thinks she caught me hiding a secret.” Well, I am hiding a secret. Just
not my own.

Latson still doesn’t say anything, and I start
to feel uneasy. I wait a second or two before asking, “You believe me, right? 
You know there’s no way the test is mine. We’ve been safe every time.”

He finally responds. “Sometimes things fail.”

His tone makes me wonder if he wants me to be
pregnant. “Are you disappointed?”

“Yes.”

My mouth falls open. “What?”

“Why were you with Caleb?” He clips his words. “Why
is he there?”

So that’s what he’s disappointed about. “I
wasn’t
with
him,” I explain. “I had no idea he was here until he pulled
me aside and asked me not to bring up the past to Dean. He’s worried you’re
filling my head and I’m sharing the details. I told him you weren’t and I
wasn’t.”

“I don’t like him talking to you,” Latson says.
“I don’t want him anywhere near you.”

I want to tell him I can hold my own, but
instead I say, “I’ll try to avoid him, but I never know when he’s going to be
around. He seems determined to sign Dean.”

“I’m sure he is,” Latson snaps.

I wonder why Caleb wants Dean so badly, but I
don’t ask. Latson’s agitated enough for one night. I wish he were here, so we
could get lost in each other and forget the outside world.

“I’ll make sure Heidi’s taken care of,” Latson interrupts
my thoughts. “I meant what I said before. I can get her kicked off the tour,
and I will. There’s no reason for her to mess with you like this.”

“I think Dean may have beat you to it,” I say. “He
went to find her.” I’m quiet before I add, “She’s in love with you, you know. That’s
why she acts the way she does. She wants you.”

Latson scoffs. “Her actions aren’t love. They’re
infatuation and greed.”

I can imagine her reaction when she’s forced to
go home. If she’s kicked off the tour, I’m sure she’ll pay Latson a visit. Or
two. Or three. “Maybe it would be better if she stays here and far away from
you,” I say.

“Do you think I’d let her get to me?”

“I don’t know,” I tease. “She was all over your
lap the first time I met her.”

Latson doesn’t think I’m funny. “Seriously? 
You’re going to throw that in my face when you’re surrounded by guys?”

Whoa. “I was kidding.”

“No, you weren’t. You’ve brought this up
before, when you thought Heidi and I were dating.”

I get defensive. “What did you expect?  She was
all over you.”

“What was I supposed to do?  Shove her on the
floor?  I told you I was numb.  I didn’t care about anything back then, other
than work and Oliver.”

My stomach starts to knot. How did we start
fighting?  “I’m not doing this,” I say.

“Not doing what?”

“Fighting with you. Heidi sent that picture to
start crap and it’s working.”

Latson sighs and I picture him rubbing the tension
from the back of his neck.

“I shouldn’t have tried to joke about Heidi,” I
say. “I just know how she is around you.”

He’s quiet for a moment. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t
have snapped.”

Suddenly, there are three loud bangs on the
bedroom door. I walk over and open it to find Dean. “Jen.” He walks toward me
with sympathetic eyes. “I can’t find Heidi, but when I do her ass will be gone.”
He wraps me in an unexpected hug. “I can’t believe she violated your privacy
like that. I’m so sorry. How are you feeling?”

He sways a little, so I know he’s still buzzed.
“I feel fine. Why?”

“Is that Dean?” Latson asks through the phone.

“Yes,” I respond.

“Because you’re pregnant.” Dean steps back and holds
me at arm’s length. Then, he smiles. “I’m going to be an uncle again.”

Oh boy. “No,” I shake my head, “you’re not. The
test isn’t mine. Heidi’s confused.”

Now Dean looks confused. “But …”

“Let me talk to him,” Latson says.

I hand Dean the phone. “Your brother would like
to speak to you.”

While Dean talks to Latson, I plop down on the
bed. How did this night get so out of control?  First Ariel, then Heidi. Now
Latson and I are snapping at each other, and Dean thinks he’s going to get a
new family member.
I’ll take a do-over for $1,000 please, Alex.

“Well, yeah. I agree.” Dean paces back and
forth. “Do you think I wouldn’t?  Yes, I promise. What?  That’s out of my control.”
He stops walking. “What do you mean?  How’s she involved?” His eyes grow wide. “Oh.”

I tap my fingers against my leg and start to
wonder how Ariel’s chat with Zach went. She hasn’t come back in tears, so I
assume things are going okay.

“Yeah. I’ll call you later. Yes … yeah. Here’s
Jen.” Dean hands the phone back to me with a scowl. “I need another drink.”

He really doesn’t, but I don’t say anything. As
he leaves I put the phone to my ear. “Hello?”

“I wish I were there,” Latson says, his voice
more relaxed.

“Me, too.”

“Heidi should be gone soon. You won’t have to
worry about her anymore.”

“I’m not worried now. As long as you know everything
she says is a lie, I don’t care what she tries to pull.”

“You shouldn’t have to care about her at all.”

I hear something shut. “What are you doing?”

“Checking on O. He’s been faking sleep for
Shark Week. I’ve caught him watching recorded episodes twice already. Both
times it was after two a.m.”

“It’s summer.” My expression softens. “You
should let him watch the sharks.”

“Easy for you to say. You don’t have to deal
with his grumpy butt the next morning.”

I look at the clock. I wonder if there are any
shark shows on now. “You know I’d be happy to deal with him if I were there. Tell
him I’ll try to watch some episodes so we can compare notes. What channel is it
on?”

“The Discovery Channel. He’ll like that.”

I look around the room for the television
remote and catch the time. I didn’t realize it was so late. “It’s almost three
a.m.,” I say. “I’ll let you go so you can get some sleep.”

“Now that I know I’m not going to be a father
that should be easy.”

I frown. Is he being sarcastic with me?  “I’m
sorry about tonight. Trust me. I’ll always be honest with you.”

“Don’t apologize. What happened wasn’t your
fault.”

“I know, but I still feel bad.” I swing my legs
off the bed and sit up. “I’ll call you tomorrow, before we head to the arena.”

“Alright.” He’s silent for a second. “Hey,
Jen?”

“Yeah?”

“I …”  He stops. “I want you to know if you
were pregnant, we’d make it work. I would respect any decision you made. I
wasn’t angry about a baby; I was angry about being the last to know.”

My heart skips a beat. He wouldn’t be upset if
I got knocked up?  “I understand. But, just to be on the safe side, I think we
should still be careful.” A small laugh escapes me. “I don’t think I’m ready to
be a mom.”

His voice is quiet. “Well, for what it’s worth,
I think you’d be great.”

He sounds disappointed, but before I can ask why,
he says goodbye. “I’ll talk to you tomorrow,” he says. “Sleep tight.”

~~~~

A week later, we’re wrapping up our set in New
Orleans.

“Thank you Louisiana!” Dean shouts into the
mic.

The fans cheer, putting a grin on my face. The
three of us join Dean for our usual wave goodbye, and, out of habit, my eyes
dart to the groupie section near the front of the stage. The usual girls are there
minus one. True to Latson and Dean’s word, Heidi was kicked off the tour the
day after she pulled her little prank.

I didn’t see it go down, but I was told
security escorted her out with Roxanne’s help. Apparently Rox freaked when Dean
told her Heidi was sneaking around our hotel room. She said if I see Heidi
again I’m supposed to report it. So now, every time we play, I look for her. I
don’t expect her to show up, but you never know. She could actually pay to
attend a concert for once.

As we head off the stage, Dean falls behind
Drew and Paul to walk next to me. His eyes dart around before he asks, “Has she
said anything?”

He doesn’t have to tell me who “she” is. He’s
referring to Ariel. He knows she’s pregnant because Latson told him the night
of the text message. She hasn’t made a formal announcement yet, and Dean’s
worried about the tour. I don’t blame him. He’s got a lot riding on it.

“Nothing specific,” I say as I stop to get
stripped of my gear. “I know she’s made a doctor’s appointment. That’s all.”

Okay, that’s not really all, but Dean could
care less about her relationship with Zach. Since our trip to Dallas, Ariel has
permanently moved to our bus. She travels with The Union and confides in me.  She
told me Zach supports her, but they’re not in love. What happened was a one
night stand, a drunken mistake, and Ariel still isn’t sure what she’s going to
do. All she has decided on is an appointment when we get to Tampa. She grew up
in Florida and has a local doctor there.

“You’d tell me, right?” Dean hands his guitar
to a crew member and pulls out his ear piece. “If it’s bad news, I need to know.
I hate being blindsided.”

“You and me both,” I say, and it’s the truth.

When I’m free of equipment, I follow the guys out
of the backstage area. I don’t know what their plans are, but I want to grab my
stuff and head to the hotel. I’m hungry, and a hot shower and room service sounds
like perfection. We’re headed down the hallway to our dressing room when a
small crowd gathered outside Ariel’s door catches our attention.

“Interesting,” Dean says as we get closer. He
cocks a questioning eyebrow, and I shrug. It appears some dancers, along with some
arena staff, are anticipating something. We pass the group and I try to
eavesdrop. Unfortunately, everyone goes silent as we walk by.

“That was weird,” Drew says when we enter our
room.

“Think Ariel’s having a diva moment?” Paul
jokes, opening the mini fridge.

I doubt she is. I’ve haven’t seen her be rude
or demanding toward anyone. Then again, I’m not around her when she performs.

Grabbing my bag, I open it to find my phone. There’s
a message from Latson:
How’d it go tonight?

I type back
Super fantastic as always
and hit send. Then, I hear an unfamiliar voice. “Jen?  Jen Elliott?  Where’s Jen?”

I look up. Ariel’s manager, Mason, looks stressed
as he pokes his head into our dressing room. “That’s me,” I say, doubtful. I’ve
never talked to him before.

“I need you,” he says and rapidly gestures for
me to follow him. “Bring your guitar.”

“My acoustic?”

“Whatever you have. Just move!”

“Go,” Dean says as he picks up my instrument
and shoves it into my hands. “This doesn’t sound good.”

Confused, I do as I’m told, pulling the strap
over my head as I follow Mason’s tall, lanky frame down the hallway. We speed
walk to Ariel’s dressing room.

“I’m here. We’re here. Let me through,” he says
as he parts the bodies standing in front of the door. He opens it and ushers me
in ahead of him. When I step over the threshold, I look around Ariel’s posh
set-up and feel a pang of jealousy. Comfy couches, an adjacent room filled with
racks of costumes, a counter filled with catered finger foods, and bottles of
champagne complete the area. We’re lucky if we get a bowl of pretzels and an
extra folding chair.