Take Me As I Am (12 page)

“Want to take me up on the raincheck?” he asked. He nodded toward the highly polished silver gray motorcycle.

Thea laughed softly and shook her head. “Sorry. I’m going to have a tour of the city on one of the open topped buses.”

The young man rubbed the stubble on his chin. “Are you meeting someone or could I accompany you? I’ve never been on an open top before.”

Thea glanced into his face, saw sincerity there, and grinned. What harm could it do? It’s a public place and she’d like the company. “Okay, what about your machine?”

“Where are you going to catch the bus?”

“Two blocks north. I haven’t seen the north part of town yet.”

“A good choice. That’s where the heart of Nashville really is. Tell you what, how about I give you a ride to the terminal and I’ll park my bike there.”

Choices, choices what should I do?
He was a stranger and Joanna had warned her about strangers taking advantage.
Once I’m on the bike, he can take me any place.
The feeling that told her Joanna was a friend it told her that the young man wasn’t going to hurt her. “I’ve never been on a bike before.”

Blue eyes lit up and his grin made the man even more handsome than before. “First time for everything.” He held out his hand and shook hers. “Calum Rowlands, at your service.”

Thea chuckled and took his hand. “I’m Thea Danvers.”

Thea was surprised that she was giggling like a teenager as she walked with him to the bike. He handed her a helmet. “Has the machine a name?”

Calum strode to the bike and held out his hand to help her mount the rear seat. “Absolutely. Rebel Rouser.”

Thea laughed and settled in behind Calum and clutched his jacket instinctively as he revved up the engine. She would decide if Rebel Rouser was a fitting name later.

“Thea Danvers, welcome to my world.” Calum grinned. “You might want to put your arms around me instead of gripping my jacket. It’d be safer.” Then the motorcycle roared forward.

Unable to answer, Thea sucked in a shocked breath as they set off at what felt like was a hundred miles an hour.

†

“Jo, I’d like you to meet Lee Weston. Lee, this is Jo Lackerly, my rising star.” Jack grinned as he introduced them at the meeting table in his office. It had been set for an informal buffet.

“Hi. Nice to meet you, Lee.” Joanna was pleasantly surprised to see a very handsome, well turned out man, who was probably her age, smile slowly at her in a genuine welcome. He stood and held out his hand.

“Hello, Ms. Lackerly.”

The quiet but politely cultured English voice resonated in her ears. It was one accent she was quite happy to listen to all day. “Jo, please.”

“Jo it is, then. Jack has told me a lot about you.” He motioned for her to sit opposite him.

Jo scowled at Jack as she sat opposite the man. “The conversation must have been short then, since Jack knows squat about me.”

Gray serious eyes glimmered with laughter and Lee chuckled. “You’re right. Jack doesn’t know that much about you personally but professionally he’s done nothing but rave about your talent. Perhaps we can right that personal information at lunch and then if we haven’t finished, would you care to join me for dinner later? At a restaurant of your choice, of course.”

Jo eyed him for a moment trying to determine if he was one of those charming handsome men who thought every woman older than fifteen fell for him. “Sure, why not. Jack will call the best in town for us later, won’t you, Jack?”

The door to the office suite opened and two servers from a nearby restaurant brought in the lunch and placed loaded platters in front of them.

“Yep, I will.” Jack motioned for a server to pour the light sparkling white wine and nodded approvingly as Jo declined.

“So, Lee, what brings you into town and why here?” Jo asked.

†

“You have some mustard on your chin,” Calum said.

Thea laughed and wiped her chin before continuing to munch on her second hot dog

“Where do you put all that food?”

“I’ve always had a big appetite. My dad used to say he couldn’t take me any place where there was food, unless he hit the bank first.” Thea turned to look at one of the plaques on one of the older buildings that they were passing.

“Yep, my pop says exactly the same. Even now.” Calum smirked before biting into his second burger.

“Are you a Nashville boy, Calum?” Thea continued to walk along the sidewalk.

“Nope, I was born in Hawaii. My mother is a native of the island and Dad met her while stationed there in the army. They moved around for several years until we settled here about ten years ago.”

Thea heard the affection in Calum’s voice when he spoke about his mother but there was a slight aggressive tone when he mentioned his father. It didn’t sound like a major disagreement though.

“What about you? Where are you from? Obviously you’re not from Nashville or Tennessee.”

“I grew up in Danvers, a small town in the Midwest.” Thea answered. “My family basically owned the town a century or two ago. After my dad died, I was the only Danvers left in town. I tried to keep my motel going so I could continue the family legacy but it failed in the end. I left there three months ago.”

“You tried to save your family name, quite at opposite ends to me then.” Calum turned to face Thea as they stopped at a curb to wait for the traffic to stop.

“What do you mean?”

“My dad wanted me to go into the family business. Had my life mapped out for me for the next ten years and I decided that I wasn’t going to do that. I wanted to live a little first. Needless to say, my dad is disappointed in me.”

Thea sighed, wondering if anyone ever had a straightforward upbringing with parents who didn’t expect them to follow in their footsteps. Her father hadn’t been any better. He found it hard to loosen the apron strings and in the end, the lack of funds had been his final undoing.

“Do you still live with your parents?” Thea thought it might be time to discuss the age difference. Calum looked like he belonged in college.

“I was in college for three years. I finished last fall and came home to the high expectations from my dad. I live with my folks until I can get a job and rent a place for myself.”

He must be around twenty-two. That makes me six years older. Why is he bothering with me?

“I never went to college. The motel was struggling and Dad needed me home.”

Calum nodded. “Sorry to hear that.”

Thea saw his genuine compassion in the depths of his gray eyes. “What did you study?”

“Oh, this and that.” For the first time, Calum wasn’t forthcoming. He changed the subject by pointing to another burger bar. “Want to try out a super whopper?”

A trait she’d learned quickly living with Joanna was to know when to quit asking questions. “Of course. I love food.”

Calum grabbed her hand, pulling her along gently toward the new eating establishment.

Chapter Thirteen

“I heard you sing today. You’re very good.” Lee Weston ran a finger down the side of his ice-cold beer glass to wipe away the moisture that had settled there.

When Jo decided a steak and beer were what she needed after a heavy session in the studio, Lee hadn’t minded at all. Since arriving from England and becoming a vice president in the Trigon Corporation, he didn’t have time to do much socializing. His new assignment was beginning to look like it offered everything, especially the woman who was dining with him.

“Thanks. Jack was talking of doing three or four venues a week around the country for the next three months until the first record comes out.”

Lee heard the hesitation in her comment. “The live appearances will complement the record release. You need to have a public following.”

He looked at her. “You don’t sound so sure about that?”

“I know why I have to go on tour, but I was just settling in here and after spending ten years non-stop on the road. It is kinda nice to do that.”

Lee, after resting his beer on the table, placed a hand on Jo’s hand that was idly tugging at the checked tablecloth. Blue eyes flashed at him and she pulled away her hand. He shrugged and settled back in his chair. “Once this tour is finished, maybe you can settle back on your laurels but now you need to do what Jack tells you. He has the experience in this field.”

“I do listen to him. Do I get to take an entourage?”

Lee considered the question seriously even though he wanted to laugh. “You better ask Jack. He’s the man with all the answers. Better yet, get your manager to make it part of the deal.”

Jo looked up sharply at the reply.
Manager?
She didn’t have one, never had except the odd boyfriend who thought they were. “Yeah, I guess I’ll get my manager to do just that.”

She smiled at the Lee who seemed to be different from other men she’d met. Maybe all men aren’t a waste of space after all. Some of them did have good points and she was warming to the man opposite her.

†

Thea paced the length of the small apartment for the hundredth time, not knowing what to do. Joanna hadn’t come home, it was nine-thirty, and worry filled her. She wanted to call the studio but didn’t want to appear that she was checking up on her. Joanna always called if she was going to be late at the studio.

“What if she’s been injured and lying alone someplace, without any help?” Worry continued to fill her stomach with acid. “Where are you, Joanna?”

With quick movements, she picked up the remote, switched on the television, and tuned to the local news station. Maybe there was a major traffic jam or something that stopped Joanna from calling or getting home. She didn’t care what it was just as long as her friend was okay.

On a Friday, Joanna would sometimes come home early and they went to the local bar and shot some pool. So far, she hadn’t beaten her friend at the game but one day she would, even if Joanna didn’t believe it, she did.

Her mind strayed to the day with Calum. He had been both witty and a gentleman and they had shared some family stories that seemed to help each of them in their own way. He had suggested that they meet up again tomorrow evening for a movie and he’d get the popcorn. She’d declined.

The churning in her stomach usually didn’t indicate good things and she tried to stop her mind from conjuring up grisly situations involving Joanna. Her nerves were rattled and her call to Alice went unanswered. She needed to get her mind off Joanna and all the horrible things she was imagining was happening with her. “How can I keep my mind free of Joanna? I can’t. I love her.”

Standing close to the window, she looked down on the street below hoping to see Joanna striding along toward the apartment. Was that too much to ask for? Her face broke into a wonderful smile as she saw the woman who had occupied her thoughts for several anxious hours step out of a cab.

“It must have been traffic.”

Thea’s smile died as she saw a man quickly come around from the other side of the cab and enclose Joanna in an embrace before they kissed.

“Who is that she’s kissing? She can’t kiss anyone. She just can’t.” With tears smarting in her eyes, she dragged herself away from the window. Joanna had never mentioned being involved with a man. Why should she?

Thea despondently dropped down onto the sofa and dried her tears. There was no way she was going to let Joanna see that it mattered to her that she was seeing a man. How could she? Joanna didn’t know how much she loved her.

The door to the apartment opened and Thea watched as Joanna dropped her backpack onto the small table. The word ‘shit’ followed by the sound of breaking glass echoed in the small space. From her vantage point, she saw Joanna on her knees trying to pick up the broken pieces of the vase that had adorned the small table. Thea’s tender heart swelled as she saw the dark head bent at the task while several curses floated out of Joanna’s mouth as she tried unsuccessfully to retrieve the broken vase.

“Leave it, Joanna. You’ll cut yourself.” Thea’s heart stopped for a second and then beat erratically as Joanna’s sheepish smile tugged at her heartstrings. She could smell alcohol and she gave her friend a closer look.

†

On her haunches, Jo looked at Thea and wondered why her heart tumbled in a nosedive as she stared into the expressive face. Thea wasn’t happy with her but she was trying to hide it. Jo always knew and that surprised her but this time the quizzical expression on Thea’s face was undecipherable.

“I’m sorry about the vase, Thea.”

“No problem. Leave it. I’ll clear it away.” Thea knelt and began picking up the pieces.

“I had a business meeting.” Jo knew her words were lame but Thea didn’t seem to notice as she picked up the carnations now out of their normal environment. “I’m sorry I’m late and didn’t call.”

Jo knew she was out of order and that it was nothing but an afterthought to be apologizing for being late. It hadn’t occurred to her when she had agreed to having dinner with Lee or throughout the dinner. Only now looking at her friend cleaning up did it permeate her brain that maybe she should have.

“You didn’t wait dinner for me, did you?”

This time Thea looked up at the expectant face of her friend, “No. If we’d had a dog I’d say your dinner was in the dog…” Thea stood and left for the kitchen.

Jo was bemusedly watching Thea walk away. “In the dog, what?” She tottered when she stood and realized that she’d had too much to drink. She wouldn’t call herself drunk but she had enough that bed was a good place to be right now. Tomorrow she and Thea would talk. She’d come home early tomorrow night and they could go have a beer and play pool and float the manager problem with Thea.

At the kitchen, she dropped her head around the door. “I’ll catch you in the morning, Thea. I’m tired and I have an early start. See you at breakfast. Goodnight.” When Thea didn’t turn or acknowledge her words Jo shrugged and left for her room.

†

Thea gripped the sink and closed her eyes unable to prevent the tears that now trickled slowly down her cheeks. Bottom line as she saw it was that Joanna didn’t care about her. It hurt so much she wished she didn’t have to live under the same roof with Joanna. She shook her head because in her heart she knew that was the last thing she wanted. She’d take any morsel Joanna threw her way. Any at all.

She picked up the dustpan and broom and started back to the doorway to clean up Joanna’s mess. As she did, she switched off the stove. Joanna’s favorite dinner was ruined.

†

Calum watched Thea. She had said little since they arrived at the theater. The movie didn’t start until seven but they had settled in their seats earlier than usual since it had rained heavily. He’d been pleasantly surprised when she had called him that morning to see if he still wanted to take in a movie. He jumped at the chance since he liked her. She was the first woman, other than his mother, that he’d taken seriously and wanted to get to know her better.

“How about I go buy our popcorn now?” He saw her give him a preoccupied smile. It was obvious she wasn’t there with him but elsewhere.

“Thanks.”

“See you in five.”

†

Thea was pensive. The night before she had cleaned up after Joanna and cried herself silently to sleep. That caused her to be late waking and when she did, Joanna had already left for the studio.

Her anger with Joanna increased and before she knew it, she was dialing Calum’s number and agreeing to go to the movie with him. She hadn’t made any dinner for Joanna and insisted that Calum came to pick her up a few hours before the movie started. She didn’t want to see Joanna if she bothered to come home at a reasonable time.

This attitude was out of her normal character. She hadn’t even left a message. Joanna probably wouldn’t even know she was gone. The new
businessperson
she had dinner with would no doubt want to take her out again and by the time she got home, Thea would be back and in the apartment. Thea knew she was behaving like a petulant, jealous child but she couldn’t help herself. Then again, she wasn’t a child was she? Bottom line, she was a jealous woman who was in love and she didn’t have a clue what to do about it.

What was she doing with Calum? He was a nice guy and she knew she was using him. What would he think or say if he knew that her thoughts were all full of someone else and that someone was a woman. Damn. How had her life become so complicated? Daisy told her to follow her heart and she had. She was crazy to do that because it was hurting her more than her problems with George ever did.

“Hi, did you miss me?” Calum vaulted back into the chair beside her and handed her a large tub of popcorn.

Thea took it gratefully and began eating it in earnest. She was starving since all the emotional drama she was putting herself through had left her unable to eat anything all day. She could easily eat the tub of popcorn herself.

“What took you so long?” she asked around a mouthful.

“Long? You say I was long. Well, how would you like a giant chili dog with the popcorn?” He handed her a chilidog.

Thea smiled gratefully before biting into the chilidog relishing the taste. If nothing else, Calum was going to be good for her waistline. Or not. The feature began and Thea settled into her seat. She was going to enjoy the movie, regardless of her woes, for the reviews had been great.

†

“Okay fair’s fair. I was late, and now Thea is making me pay for not calling. I can understand that but she’s not like that. She’s too polite and hasn’t a spiteful bone in her body.”

Jo deposited an empty can of beer in the trashcan and noticed a congealing meal inside. It was one of her favorites. Not that she had a particular favorite with Thea’s culinary skills, for everything she made was wonderful tasting.

“Shit.” Her mind remembered the brief conversation they’d had the night before. Thea said she hadn’t kept dinner and if she had, it was in the dog. Well, now she knew who the dog was.

The hands on the wall clock inched toward six and Jo was worried. She’d called Alice but no one answered. Maybe they were together. Thea liked the younger woman and although she was a little too sensible for Jo, she would be okay for Thea as a friend. A safe one. Right?

With another beer in hand, she settled on the sofa pondering the problem of a manager. She’d never had a manager, so why change now. Then again, she wasn’t up for all this negotiation stuff. All she wanted to do was make music and make people happy with her music. That had been the driving force that kept her on the road for so long. She’d been on the road for ten years without a break. Did she really like the break she was having now?

As she chewed that, the phone rang. It was probably Thea. In her rush to get the call, she kicked the can of beer, cursing as she looked at the mess.
Thea won’t be happy with my messes two days in a row.
The machine kicked in and she heard a quick mumble before the phone went dead.
Damn
.

Jo was wriggling her toes in her socks that were soaked from beer but went to listen to the message. She selected play. “Hi, it’s Thea. I’ve gone to the movies with a friend.”

“That’s it? What friend?”

As she considered that question, she was annoyed at how much she was hurt that Thea wasn’t home. It was early and the movies usually meant people were home by ten. She’d go to the bar have a couple of beers, play a little pool, and would see Thea later. She had the day off tomorrow and maybe she and Thea would do something together.

†

“Who was that?”

Thea was astonished at the attack as soon as she stepped into the apartment. What business was it of Joanna’s? “I don’t know what you mean?”

“Yeah, you do. The leather clad boy you hitched a ride home with,” Jo said in an agitated tone. “Where’d you pick him up?”

“Oh? Are you spying on me now? I never mentioned the guy you played lip sync with last night, did I?” Thea retaliated with the only information she had. What happened next she didn’t expect.

Joanna laughed a loud and cheery sound that reverberated around the apartment. “Touché, my friend, touché. Does this mean we have secrets we want to share or not?”