Forever and a Day (18 page)

Kylie came up to Halo then looked at Lewis who began straightening Halo’s dress with his hands, “Mister, did you make Halo’s pretty dress?”

Lewis smiled a big toothy grin at Kylie, “No child, it’s my job to help Halo pick out her dresses for special occasions and help her get ready. I do say your dress is gorgeous, little one! Did you pick it out?”

Kylie shook her head and pointed to her mother and giggled, “No, my mommy picked it out!”

“Well tell your mother she did a wonderful job! You look fabulous tonight!” Lewis laughed heartily.

“Hey, can I get a picture with Halo now?” Kylie asked.

Halo was listening and watching Kylie from the corner of her eye and spoke up, “Kylie, how about you go get the boys ready to take some pictures. Do you think you can get them to line up against the wall back there?”

“Ok Halo! I will!” Kylie said and headed off.

At Lewis’s all clear, Halo went over to the families and spent several minutes taking pictures with them all. John still wore his wide-eyed shock on his face but managed to smile for the picture. His wife joked with Halo that she doubted he would ever wash his hand again. John grinned and could only nod emphatically in return.

The goodbye with Chuck was heart wrenching, but Halo managed to not shed a tear through sheer willpower and with help from Chuck’s ear to ear smile. She promised him again she would see him and with a wave, she left them and headed back into the ballroom with JJ in tow. Halo stopped as she got to the door, “JJ! Could you get all their information please?”

“On it boss!” JJ replied and headed back in the hallway.

Halo gracefully glided to a smiling and waiting Robert and their table. He met her standing up and pulled out her chair for her. Sitting down she smiled up to him and breathed a sigh of relief.

Robert took his seat next to her and smiled, “My dear Halo. My compliments, you are one in a billion. I raise a toast to you and your caring heart. My God, where did that sweet beautiful voice come from? I thought it was your sister who sang?”

Halo felt a little blush coming on and fanned herself with her hand, “Thank you Robert.” She leaned a little towards him and gave him a wry smile, “With charm like that, you better watch yourself… I may and try and take you home with me.”

Robert chuckled and placed his hand on Halo’s, “If any woman could? It could only be you.” He winked and took a sip of his wine.

Halo smiled and leaned closer and gave him a soft peck on his cheek and whispered to him, “That should get them talking.”

Robert stifled a guffaw, “Ah, by the way Halo. You better check YouTube tonight when you get home…”

“Oh no… really?” Halo replied and looked around at the tables full of richly clothed people, some watching her and Robert.

“More than one or two phones caught your performance. Little Chuck will surely have his moment with you saved forever on the internet.”

Halo smiled, “Well at least for that.”

The ball ended up being a great success with Halo receiving a standing ovation when she went up for her speech. They guests opened their pockets in an amount that exceeded any other event they had held. Halo was ecstatic on hearing the news. The end of the extravagant evening brought them to Robert Montclaire’s home at his gated Condo community in Santa Monica.

Sitting together in the back of the limo, Robert took Halo’s diminutive hand in his and placed a gentle kiss upon it then looked into her big blue eyes and smiled, “Halo, you are beauty beyond compare and to top it all off you have a warm and generous heart. In this Hollywoodland, it is so rare.”

Halo smiled and gave Robert’s strong tanned hand a squeeze, “Thank you Robert…”

Robert cut her short and gave her a confused look in the dimly lit limo, “Halo? It is none of my business here to mention, but I must admit I am confused as to why you are and have been single. There has been talk…”

Halo cocked her head a little sideways at Robert’s look, “Oh?”

“My apologies, it is none of my business.” Robert quickly replied.

“No, no… please continue. What talk?” Halo urged.

“Ah… well? Rumblings in my community have you on ‘our side’ so to speak…” He glanced towards JJ who suddenly caught the drift of the conversation, which caused her mouth to fall open in shock.

Halo erupted out in a hearty laugh, pointed at JJ then herself and bounced her eyebrows at her longtime friend then turned to a smiling Robert, “Well Robbie? If I were on your side so to speak, yes I think JJ would make an excellent girlfriend, if we swung that way.”

Robert chuckled good naturedly, “Then why may I ask are you single? Or, do you have a secret lover locked away in that beautiful home of yours?”

“No…” She giggled, “But since you are off the market what is a girl supposed to do?” Halo joked. “In all seriousness, I haven’t met… well, I take that back,” She quickly caught JJ’s look, “I haven’t met a man who has struck my interest—that is available…”

Robbie frowned, “I am sorry to hear… Halo, may I give you a piece of advice?”

Halo smiled and patted Robbie’s hand, “I am all ears.”

“Life is so short… I sense we are both in our own self-imposed prisons of sorts. After this film is released, I do plan on making my partner known to the world and live our lives without having to keep living the lie.” Robbie sighed and took up Halo’s hand again and looked her in her eyes, “When you find love my beautiful friend, grab him or her with both hands and never let go… trust me.”

Halo stared into Robbie’s striking blue eyes for a long moment then nodded, “If I can, I will do that.” She gave his hand another squeeze, “Thank you Robbie and I wish you and your partner the all best.”

“Halo, I had a most wonderful evening, thank you for a marvelous time and I am sure Paul and Ari are grateful as well.” Robbie dryly chuckled then quickly kissed her hand and was out of the door. With a smile and a wave, he shut the door and the Larry the limo driver drove off and headed the huge limo towards Halo’s home.

“I know who you were thinking of, Halo.” JJ said breaking the silence.

“I know you did, maybe this Mystery man has a single brother…” Halo joked.

“Maybe…” JJ quipped back at her friend.

It was midnight when the large limo negotiated Halo’s circular driveway and came to a stop at her well lit home. Larry opened the door with a polite smile for Halo and JJ.

Halo discreetly handed Larry five one hundred dollar bills, she saw his eyes nearly pop out from his skull when he glanced down at the cash, “Miss Raines, thank you! Thank you!”

Halo patted his arm, “No Larry. Thank you for me being able to count on you.”

“Any time Miss Raines!” Larry tapped his fingers to his cap and escorted both JJ and Halo to their door before he bid them good night and returned to his limo and drove off into the warm California night.

At the old, double mission doors, “JJ put her hand on Halo’s shoulder stopping her, “Hey, are you going to fess up now or later?”

“What?” Halo giggled as she punched in a code to unlock the door.

“You canceled my town car request and had your Mystery man picked up in a limo. Didn’t you?”

Halo laughed as they both walked in. Halo casually walked over and disarmed the alarm on the nearby wall with a big grin. After doing so, she turned to JJ with a sheepish grin, “Of course I did, and why not? I really am going to need him, JJ. Trust me on this…”

“Whatever floats your boat, don’t forget that he’s—“

“Married! I know!” Halo rolled her eyes upward at JJ, “So, you going to help me out of this dress?”

JJ snickered, “Fine let’s go up to your bedroom so I can undress you…”

“Woo! You are such a tease!” Halo gasped jokingly.

“Yeah, baby… and according to Robbie, I am your closeted lover too. If Doug hears about this I am sure he would be very, very interested…” JJ smirked. They both laughed as they made their way upstairs.

“Dad! Dad, can you come up here?” Athena called down to her father.

Xander got up from his office chair and made his way up to his daughter’s room. He rapped lightly on her closed door, “Can I come in?”

“Yeah!” Replied Athena and in he went to find Athena on her bed with her laptop open and her finger pointing at it, “Dad! Did you see the pictures of Halo at the Children’s Charity event last weekend?”

“Uh no?” Xander replied and looked down at Athena’s laptop.

Athena patted her bed and moved her laptop over, “Well her date or boyfriend was Robert Montclaire! They looked rather cozy, here look!” Athena expanded the picture so it filled up the screen.

Xander saw in HD detail, Halo in her deep red dress, her blonde hair was in an up-do and held there with a gold and ruby comb, his heart did a little skip. “Wow! She is quite something, isn’t she?”

“Oh my God yes! Want to see more?”

Xander did his best to shrug nonchalantly. Athena scrolled over to more pictures. A tall handsome man with dark hair, a strong jaw, piercing blue eyes and a great chin filled up the screen. All man, and handsome… someone who Halo should be with, he thought.

“He is so good looking! Don’t you think?” Athena asked.

Xander smiled approvingly at his daughter’s idea of good looking. With a chuckle he responded, “Well he is that for sure. Tell you what! You look at this Montclaire guy and I’ll check Halo out?”

“Dad!” Athena blushed and gave him a playful little shove, “There is a YouTube clip of Halo singing to a little boy at the event. Wanna see it?”

“Sure, why not?” Xander replied and settled in more comfortably on the bed.

“Oh, I have to warn you, you better get a tissue ready…” Athena said seriously.

“Go ahead hit play already.” Xander chuckled.

“Dad, I know how you get…”

Xander gave his daughter his fatherly look and he watched her shrug as she hit play. Half way through the song, Xander felt his eyes begin to sting then the video went to a close up of Halo’s tears rolling down her face as she kissed the little boy on his cheek. He choked back his own sob and cleared his throat of its lump. He quickly wiped his eyes with his sleeves, and saw Athena do the same.

With a laugh and a sniff she pointed to her father, “I warned you dad! I’ve seen this four times and it still gets me.”

“Yeah you did. She sounded so good! Did you see that little guy smile? I thought his face would break!” Xander laughed.

“Sure did, poor little guy looked pretty sick. Did you see that he didn’t have hair under his hat?”

“I did…” Xander wrapped his arms around Athena and gave her a squeeze, “Makes you want to hold your own kid… you never know when it will be the last time. His poor parents…”

Athena returned her father’s hug and gave him a little kiss on his cheek, “It is sad. I love you daddy…”

Xander kissed his daughters head, “I love you too. More than you can ever know. Well, until you have children of your own. Then you will know… and that better be a long, LONG time away!” He gave Athena a playful shove.

“Dad!” Athena exclaimed.

Xander broke into a laugh then his face went slack as the thought of his baby having the name of a boy written across her heart and all it entailed…

“Hey dad!” Athena reached over and tugged his shirt, “Earth to dad!”

“I’m sorry. Just off in la la land.”

“You think you might get the part? Have you heard anything?” Athena tugged again at the hem of his shirt.

Xander frowned a bit, “No, it’s been two weeks since I left California. So I’m thinking it’s a no.”

“Well I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you; it would be cool if you finally met Halo. If you ever do, don’t forget to get her autograph for me!”

“Yeah right, I’ll probably stand there like some bumbling idiot trying to talk to her.” Xander mocked himself with a wide-eyed stare at the wall and began mumbling nonsense.

“Dad!” Athena laughed, “Hey, should I show Ma the video?”

“Uh, no. I think you best leave well enough alone.  I don’t think she will ever like Halo Raines, Robert Montclaire or not.”

Athena nodded, “Yeah... Ok, well you can go now!” She laughed, “Night dad!”

“Night, Koukleetsa.” Xander chuckled, left his daughter’s room shutting the door behind him, and went back down to his office. Sitting in his chair, he heard Evie starting the washing machine.

He moved his mouse back and forth, waking up his computer. He continued reading about Australia, and soon stopped to wonder where they were actually filming.

He thought to the pictures of Halo and Robert, maybe Athena should show Evie. Montclaire was the type of man that Halo would be with then maybe she would finally cut him some slack. Looking to his screen, he quickly lost interest in reading anymore about where he might have been filming. He shut down his computer first then his laptop and decided that an early night’s sleep was in order.