What Now? (26 page)

“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.

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 joined 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.”