Stuck On You (24 page)

When he saw Bob Night’s name on the display, he wanted to curse again. He’d been a real pain in the neck-neck for the past week because they’d sent the first six shows to the Travel Network executives for review two weeks ago and hadn’t heard anything back. Like everyone else in Hollywood, Bob needed the work. And his anxiety added to KT’s. He’d sent his own proposal for another show, something different, something he thought the new KT would really enjoy, at the same time. And there’d been no answer.

KT answered, “I haven’t heard anything yet, Bob. I swear I’ll let you know something as soon as I do.”

Bob cleared his throat. “All right, all right. I’m sorry. Sorry to bother you. Where are you?”

KT leaned against the SUV and then quickly stepped away. It was May but it was Memphis. And it was hot.

“Listen, I can’t talk now, Bob. I’ll be back home at the end of the week to look at the cut for Contraband Days and I’ll call you if I hear anything from Travel.”

Bob sighed. “Okay, okay. Bye-bye.”

KT laughed as he picked up his duffle and then waved at the valet. The attire had changed to Hawaiian shirts apparently. Much more appropriate for the weather. Misty flapped an ear from her spot in the doorway to Viva Las Vegas and . . . Laura was standing behind the front desk. He nearly dropped his bag out of surprise.

She smiled. “Welcome to the Rock’n’Rolla, Mr. Masters. We’re happy to see you again.”

He did drop his duffle next to the desk and then leaned against it. “Well, Lola, it’s quite a shock to see you here. I’ll have to get used to the new uniform.” He tilted his head slightly. “It’ll take some adjustment.”

Her eyes were warm and laughing when he looked up. He said, “I do miss the showgirl uniform.”

She nodded sadly. “Yes, it’s just gathering dust in my closet now, the tiny top hat abandoned on the shelf.”

He clenched both fists on the desk and stifled the urge to hoot in sheer happiness.

He did wish he’d asked about Holly first, before things headed into the sexy flirting zone. She’d been worried about her algebra grade the night she’d sent him the photos. He thought she was too young for algebra. As he recalled, he’d been driving before he’d had to face it. A textbook had gone flying from the window of a Mercedes before he’d managed to bluff his way through.

Asking now might seem creepy and weird. He’d almost e-mailed her the week after just to find out, but he’d still been working on convincing himself to quit them cold turkey then. He decided to damn the consequences. Today was a day for getting answers.

“How’s Holly? Passing algebra?” He hoped he appeared benignly interested. Laura nodded. He could see the question on her face but she had a small smile when she turned back to checking him in.

Laura click-clacked on the keyboard. “I have you in the Hawaii wing again, Mr. Masters. Your room is right next door to your grandmother’s. I hope that’s satisfactory.”

He rubbed his chin. “Well, uh . . . you don’t have anything a little farther away, do you?”

Laura click-clacked again. “Let me check. Is she a terrible snorer?”

“Naw, I just don’t want to keep her too well informed of what happens in my room late at night. I’m hoping to find a showgirl to show me her hula moves, you know?”

The color that swept over her face was beautiful. And awesome. Standing here, he had no idea how he’d made it through the four weeks he’d been home. And he was just about certain there was no way he’d try it again.

“I do have another room available on the same floor but it has a strict no-showgirl policy. Will that do?”

He sighed. “I guess so. But I’ve just spent a week surrounded by pirates in a self-imposed rum-free zone. I really deserve a treat, you know?”

Laura started to say something and the look on her face said it was going to be a doozy, but his grandmother interrupted. “Kevin, you’re early! I didn’t expect you until tomorrow. Willodean, Holly, and I are headed down to Tupelo as soon as she gets out of school. I can’t even believe I’ll miss your first night.”

“No worries, Gram. Got a text so I pushed up my travel plans.” He shot a quick look at Laura before he wrapped his arms around Gram’s neck. “I could sleep for three weeks straight. Too much walking the plank and sleepless nights. I was anxious to get here. I forced Bob to finish things up. He’s making me nuts with his questions about the show. We needed a damn break from each other.”

Arlene tilted her head. “What’s wrong with the show?”

KT picked up the key that Laura slid across the desk. “Nothing, I hope. We just haven’t heard anything from the Travel execs one way or the other.” He sighed. “Bob’s a damn worrier.”

He looked from his grandmother to Laura and back. “So, I guess you guys have had a chance to talk, then?”

Laura shrugged. “Sure.”

He had no idea what to make of that. And he didn’t even know how to ask for clarification. Gram shook her head as his phone rang. “I swear, if this is Bob Night again, I will ring his neck.”

He dropped the duffle, yanked his phone out of his pocket and checked the display.
Rick Stevens.
Finally. The Travel guys were calling him back. “Hey, Rick, it’s good to hear from you.” KT wandered away to the dense foliage in the corner and crossed his arms over his chest. “Have you had a chance to watch the footage yet?”

After a loud harrumph, Rick Stevens said, “Ah, you bet. Loved it. Think it’ll make a great addition. Looked over your pitch for the next series too.”

KT clenched the phone so hard that he thought he heard a crack. “Hit me with it.”

“Like your voice, your point of view. Show about the eccentricities of the South, including myths, legends, superstitions, claims to fame, great stories, and off-the-beaten-path places is something we don’t have. Let’s do it.”

He’d built the whole proposal on the idea that there was no better place to work a show like that than here in Memphis. One of his problems was solved. KT took a deep, relieved breath. “I think I can swing that. Eight more shows?”

“Twelve, with an option for four more. Can you fill that?”

KT laughed. “I can probably fill that without leaving this hotel.”

There was silence on the other end.

KT said, “I’ll call Bob and see what he thinks, then get with you on scheduling.” He rubbed his forehead. “And I’ll be producing again, right?”

“Not broken, not fixing. Budget’s good. Call me tomorrow.” The phone beeped twice and KT was back in the real world. And his audience was growing.

As soon as he hung up, Willodean wrapped her arms around his neck. “KT Masters, I thought you’d never get here!”

KT patted her back and winced when she stepped back. She was wearing green shorts, a light green T-shirt, and shiny green tennis shoes. “It’s been a month, Willodean.”

She nodded and looked over her shoulder at Laura. “But we’ve missed you so.”

He tilted his head. “Right. Really?” Laura didn’t look his direction. The hotel phone suddenly needed dusting. He flipped through his contacts and punched her number. When “Let Me Be Your Teddy Bear” played, heads swiveled to watch Laura fumble to turn off her cell phone. He ended the call. “I just wanted to make sure it still worked.”

Laura raised her chin and met his annoyed stare. “I texted you. Twice. Did you expect me to call?”

“Why would I have given you a phone otherwise?” KT could hear the irritation in his voice. If he couldn’t the amused looks on Willodean’s and Gram’s faces would have been enough to give him a clue.

She rolled her eyes. “Oh, I don’t know, maybe it was some kind of work bonus or for my own safety, one of those reasons you gave me.”

KT grimaced. “Come on. I loaded it with pictures. Set my own ringtone. That’s got to count for something.”

Holly walked over to lean against the counter. “I think she just meant the phone works both ways. She says that to me a lot. About you.” She waggled her eyebrows.

Laura’s lips twitched and her eyes said
shut up
but Holly missed the message.

KT laughed. “All right. I get it. How’s algebra?”

She twirled a strand of dark hair. “I’m probably gonna ace it.” She blushed a little as she said it. He wasn’t sure if it was pleasure that he’d remembered or embarrassment or pride about what she’d said. She needed someone to teach her to expect people to remember her and what was important to her. And she needed to understand that being smart was definitely something to be proud about. He wished he’d gotten smart sooner. The past month would have gone so differently.

Willodean sniffed. “Well, you got here just in time, KT.”

“I know. Gram said you guys are leaving for a trip to Tupelo. I guess you’re headed to Elvis’s birthplace?”

She nodded once. “Yeah, quick trip because Holly’s got school and tests next week, but that’s not what I meant. Miss Laura has a date tonight. With the liquor distributor. Pretty sure it’s going to be a love match too.”

He was pretty sure it wasn’t. He was pretty damn sure he was going to put a stop to it before it got started. And then Tony Ortega walked up and said, “You’re back.” There was no misinterpreting how he felt about it either.

“Oh, good, Tony. Laura’s going to head on home now to get ready for her date.” Willodean hit the last word with plenty of bite and a hard glance KT’s direction. “Holly, Arlene and I are ready to hit the road.”

When the three of them picked up their bags, KT waited for Laura to give them instructions. She just came around the desk and hugged Holly. “Have a good time. Take lots of pictures.” Holly nodded and turned to follow Willodean out of the lobby. She looked over her shoulder at him, and KT couldn’t stop it. The words rolled off his tongue. “Y’all be careful. Follow the speed limit. Don’t stop for strangers. Buckle your seatbelt. Call me when you get there so I know you made it.”

Gram looked like he’d started singing “Jingle Bells” in Swahili. It was unusual; she was usually the one at home while he was off for an adventure. Holly looked pleased. And Willodean chuckled and clapped her hands. When she finally got a hold of herself, she wrapped an arm around Gram’s and Holly’s shoulders. “Let’s go, girls. I think KT may have solved that last problem all on his own.”

Tony said, “Show him his room.” When Laura’s mouth dropped open, Tony shrugged. “I’ve got this.”

KT and Laura were quiet on the ride up in the elevator and walking to his room. She opened the door and turned, no doubt to give him a well-rehearsed but completely unnecessary listing of the hotel’s amenities but before she could say a word, he had her face in his hands, his lips pressed to hers, and was guiding them deeper into the room. He kicked the door shut and swung her around to lean against it. “God, I’ve missed you.” He pressed hard, desperate, quick kisses on her lips and leaned closer to feel her pressed against him. “So much.”

When she wrapped her hands around him to press against his back and urge him closer, he smiled and gave her a sweet kiss, his tongue flirting with hers. And when she whispered, “God, me too” he nearly exploded on the spot.

He leaned his forehead against hers. “Why didn’t you call me? Damn it. You’re the smart one. Why didn’t you ask me to stay here? This letting me figure things out on my own could have led to disaster. Thank God for Gram.”

Laura looked miserable and said, “I couldn’t. I couldn’t beg you to stay here with me. I mean, I just . . .”

“You’ve just gotten used to depending only on you.”

She nodded. “I couldn’t ask you. I couldn’t need you. I’ve done that, begged and wondered what would happen when a man let me down. I couldn’t do it. You had so much to go home to. And . . .”

“You didn’t believe in me enough to ask.”

Laura shook her head. “No, I didn’t believe in
me
enough to ask.”

They were quiet for a moment while they reconnected. Finally, she pulled back. “Those texts were big for me.”

He sighed. “I know.” Laura nodded and rested her head on his shoulder.

KT ran his fingers through the loose length of her hair. “I do like your hair better with this costume.”

Finally, KT stepped back and pulled her closer to the bed. “I always wondered about people who got married on the beach. It seems like a good way to ruin one of your favorite spots.” He looked around the room. “But now I kind of get it.”

Laura was frozen, speechless. When it looked like she’d stopped breathing, KT held out his hand. “Breathe. I’m not proposing, not a wedding at least. If you want to have sex on the beach, that I can totally get behind.” When the color came back to her cheeks, he got serious. “But here’s where I am. That phone call? That was a job. In television. That I can do from right here in Memphis. I dreamed it up, built a good proposal. And now I’ll produce it. That’s the new KT.” He rubbed his forehead. “From what I saw in the lobby, Gram’s going to move here whether I do or not. She seemed damn happy to have a new family.” He shook his head. “There must be something magic about this place. It makes families where there were none.”

Her lips trembled and she smiled. “You understand why I couldn’t leave it.”

He nodded. “So I’m crossing problems off left and right.”

Laura wrapped her arms around her waist. “And you seemed to know all the parental advice. Asking about her algebra grade was unexpected.”

He said, “Here’s the thing. I thought about you all the time when I was away. I dreamed about you. I picked up that damn phone who knows how many times. But at the same time, I wondered about Holly, how she was doing in school. She’s really easy to like, Laura. She reminds me so much of you.”

Laura smiled. “Moody and too smart for her own good?”

He held up both hands. “I am not touching that one. Ever.”

Laura laughed.

“I don’t have a ring because there’s just too much still to figure out, but I do know you’re the first girl ever that I’ve considered what shape and setting that ring will be.”

“Will be?” She raised both eyebrows.

“Will be.”

She pursed her lips and then nodded once. “Yeah, okay, well . . . there’s only one thing to do then.”

He tilted his head. He wasn’t prepared when she rushed him, but they both fell on the bed laughing. She said, “Sex on the beach, sex on the beach, and sex on the beach. In that order.”