Duchess (10 page)

Her thoughts went to her mother again. She’d been to every concert, insisted on helping Katie by dressing up like Duchess when arriving at and leaving concerts. She wanted to be there for her mother, only she wasn’t there, was she? She had to play Duchess. It was ironic how the pop diva was devised so Katie could have a shot at spending more time with her mother, but instead, ate up her precious time.

Looking down at her hands, she tried to stop her quivering chin. She didn’t want to cry here. Biting her lip, she took a deep breath and diverted her thoughts to the room around her.

“Kate!”

She turned and saw Amber coming toward her.

Katie stiffened, and her eyes went wide. “Amber? What are you doing here?” Seeing Amber brought back memories of her brother’s smiling face, and suddenly, Katie wished with every fiber of her being that he were there. David would know how to make Katie feel better. He would have found a way to cure their mother’s cancer. But David wasn’t here. Katie was.

“Your mom sent over a couple of tickets. She thought it would be a good way for me to meet more donors for Veterans’ Aid.”

Katie pasted on a smile and looked down as she fought back all the memories that threatened to flood her mind.

“What a great idea. I believe you’ll be at my table. Is Rick with you?” She hoped she’d remembered Amber’s husband’s name correctly.

“No, unfortunately Rick couldn’t come, but I do believe you’ve met my date for the evening,” Amber said as she walked Katie to their table and pointed at the sharply dressed man sitting alone. Katie couldn’t help but admire his broad shoulders from behind. “I guess I should formally introduce you.” The man stood up and turned around. “Kate, meet Chase. Chase, meet Kate.”

Katie froze where she stood as she gaped at the sight of Chase in a tux. It looked tight around his arms, and his shoulders were too broad for it, but somehow he managed to be the best-looking man in the room.

“Katie.” He held out his hand, and she offered hers reflexively. She expected a handshake, but instead, he kissed the back like he’d done the first day they’d met. A fluttering sensation began in her belly, and she quickly extricated herself from his grasp.

“Chase.” She thought frantically for some other words to come to her mouth. “Um…Oh! My mom says thank you for the flowers.”

“Of course.”

He stood straight and reached up to adjust his tie. His bearing was so formal, not at all like the man she’d drooled on when she napped on his shoulder at the hospital the other night. A tiny smile reached her lips as she thought about how safe she’d felt with Chase by her side.

“Shall we sit?” Amber watched them both closely, and Katie carefully chose her seat by Amber, leaving Chase on the other side with Amber as their barrier.

Suddenly, buying up the whole table didn’t feel like such a great idea anymore. It meant trying to make conversation.

“There’s my favorite manager!”

Katie looked up as Kyle sat in the seat next to her.

“Kyle? What are you doing here?” Katie asked.

He lowered his voice as he answered, “After that interview, I figured Duchess might need another hand to run interference.”

She was actually relieved by his presence. Especially with Amber and Chase showing up. “Good idea.”

“Who are these good people?” Kyle looked at Amber and Chase.

“Oh, let me introduce Amber, a friend from my hometown and the founder of Veterans’ Aid, a charity for wounded veterans.”

Kyle reached around Katie to shake Amber’s hand.

“Nice to meet you,” Amber said.

“And this is her associate, Chase. He’s putting together a benefit concert for Veterans’ Aid. I told you about it.”

“Oh, yes. Duchess will be performing, I believe.” Kyle nodded at Chase. “What other acts have you booked?”

Chase frowned and looked at Katie as his forehead wrinkled in desperation.

“Well, I’m helping him with that part,” she piped up. “We’re still working on the list, but I have some calls out.”

“Maybe I can help with that as well. I can talk to some of the other acts the label has signed. I’m always trying to get exposure for new artists. Plus, I know some people here who have connections. I could introduce you,” Kyle offered.

Chase didn’t say anything, so Amber answered for him. “Thank you. That would be great.”

“So, Chase. You work at a charity? Is this the type of work you’ve always done?” Kyle asked.

Chase was quiet for a moment before answering. “No, I was in the military.”

“Oh? What branch?”

“The Army.”

There was an awkward silence for a moment before Chase asked a question of his own. “I’m sorry—what was your name? I don’t think Katie has introduced us yet.”

“Oh! Right.” Katie sat up, chagrined. “This is Kyle. He works for Duchess’s record label.”

“Is Duchess coming tonight?” Amber’s eyes lit up at the idea.

“Just for a little bit.” Katie answered.

“Have to do some damage control from the interview, huh?” Chase’s words dripped with sarcasm.

Katie rolled her eyes and blew out a noisy breath. “If the stupid news anchor had stuck to the approved questions, everything would have been fine.” She looked at Kyle to back her up, but he only shrugged.

“So Duchess has to be scripted, or she can’t be trusted to speak civilly?” Chase retorted.

“What? No!” Katie sputtered as she wondered why he could annoy her so easily. “She just wasn’t prepared for those questions.”

“It seems to me, the news anchor only asked what people really wanted to know, so shouldn’t she have been prepared?” Chase continued to sound more and more condescending.

“Duchess is just from such a highly educated background that she expects integrity and respect from others,” she said a touch snobbishly.

Chase burst out laughing. It wasn’t the reaction she expected.

“What’s so funny?” she demanded.

He took a moment to stop laughing before he answered. “Oh, right. I forgot. I’m an American. I don’t have a sense of humor.” His voice had an edge to it she didn’t appreciate.

“That’s not what she meant, and you know it.”

“I know no such thing. I’ve never even met the woman.”

“Yet you cast judgment on her readily enough.”

Chase opened his mouth to say something, but luckily, the waiters came to their table and began delivering plates. Katie turned her attention to her food and was careful not even to glance Chase’s way. The awkward silence must have been too much for Kyle and Amber. They struck up a conversation, which Katie found a little awkward because she sat between them. 

Katie glared at her food as she pushed it around her plate and fumed. He had no idea how hard it was to be a pop star. She thought about how he would deal with paparazzi and pushy news anchors. He would probably just shoot them. She smiled at the thought. Fortunately for that news anchor, Duchess was more civilized than that.

Soon enough, dinner was finished, and they announced that the other ballroom was ready for dancing. Katie had planned to use the distraction of everyone switching rooms to slip away, but before she could leave, Kyle stood up and held out his hand. “Would you like to dance?” She tried to give him a look, but he ignored it.

“Um . . . sure,” she finally said as she gave him a terse smile. Since Kyle knew her secret, he should have known what she had planned.

Everyone at Katie’s table got up and walked over to the grand ballroom. When they got there, Kyle took her by the hand and led her out to the dance floor.

They swayed together as the music started. It should have been a little awkward, dancing with Kyle, but it felt natural, even though this was the first time they had really interacted together in a social manner. She wasn’t sure why, but their relationship had always been about business.

“You know I have to go upstairs soon, right?” Katie asked him.

“Don’t you think that’s a little forward of you? I mean, I’m not that kind of guy.” Kyle smiled innocently.

“You know what I mean.” Katie gave his shoulder a gentle shove. “I need to help Duchess get ready.”

“Lighten up, Katie. Duchess paid a lot of money for these tickets. We might as well enjoy them.” He gave her a little spin she wasn’t expecting, and she laughed as she regained her balance.

“But what about Duchess?”

“She can wait.” Kyle held her a little bit closer.

Katie looked up at him, confused at this change. “What has gotten into you? Normally you’re all business.”

“No, you’re all business,” he corrected. “I just follow your lead. But tonight, I’m leading.” He spun her again, and Katie smiled up at him. He really was attractive. She’d thought so in college, but she hadn’t seen him like that in a long time. She was so used to seeing him as the guy who rejected
her
music, but embraced the idea of Duchess. Could she really respect him after that?

The song ended, and they stood still on the dance floor. It had been fun, and Katie didn’t want it to end.

“Your boyfriend is glaring at us.” Kyle nodded to the door.

“Who?” Katie asked, confused until she saw Kyle look at Chase, who stood by the door with his arms crossed. “You think Chase is my boyfriend?”

“He hasn’t taken his eyes off you, which will make it difficult for you to slip out unnoticed.” Kyle put his hand on her back and started guiding her off the dance floor.

He leaned close to her ear. “You make an excuse about the bathroom, and I’ll try to keep Chase and Amber busy meeting potential donors. But Duchess might not want to meet him. Something tells me he’s already memorized everything about you. You don’t want him to make the connection.”

“That’s ridiculous,” she said, though her stomach did a little flip at the thought of Chase watching her.

“Just be careful,” Kyle whispered before they stopped in front of Chase and Amber. “What did you think of Jim?”

“He was so nice. He gave me a business card to send him more information about Veterans’ Aid.” Amber’s excitement reminded Katie how much the charity meant to her.

Chase remained quiet, though he was still staring at her. Biting her bottom lip, she looked away.

“I’d better go find out where Duchess is.” Katie tried to walk past them, but Chase blocked her path.

“Would you like to dance?” Something in his gaze drew her in, and she had to shake her head to think.

“I really should find Duchess.” She tried to move past him again, but he reached out and touched her arm. Warmth radiated up to her shoulder, and her breath caught in her throat.

“Just one dance?” The pleading in his voice caught her by surprise. “Besides, it’s a charity ball. You should be charitable and all that. Have pity on me.”

Katie scoffed at his last comment. “I’m pretty sure pity is something I’ll never feel for you.” She laughed at her own joke and found herself allowing him to lead her out to the dance floor.

Chapter Twelve

Chase put his hand at the small of Katie’s back as her words played over and over in his mind. Would it be possible for her not to pity him if she found out about his leg? He wanted to believe she would treat him the same, but if his own wife couldn’t love a cripple, could any woman? Looking down, he shook off the tiny vestiges of hope that tried to take root. No, he would never want to burden another woman again, which made him wonder why he’d asked Katie to dance. He only knew that watching her dance with Kyle had made his arms hunger to hold her the same way.

When they reached the center of the dance floor, he pulled her close. Their eyes connected, and his breath caught in his chest. Katie looked away as the music started, and she stiffened in his arms. She had been so animated when dancing with Kyle, but with him, she looked off into the distance. Despite being so close, she was far away. Desperate to see her smile, he broke the silence.

“So … do you come here often?” He gave her his most charming smile.

She looked up at him quizzically. “Is that your best line?”

“It’s the best I can do in a tux. I have to keep it classy, you know.”

Katie’s eyes combed over him. He stood up a little taller, hoping she would like what she saw.

“Hmm, classy? Yes, that is a different look for you. What’s the matter—you couldn’t find a T-shirt with a bow tie on it?”

“Unfortunately, my fake tux T-shirt is in the wash. Besides, I’m told I look very debonair in a tux.”

“Oh, yeah? Who told you that?” she challenged.

“Well, Amber did, though I think she would have told me anything to get me in this monkey suit,” he admitted with a smile. “Amber’s usually good at getting what she wants, especially when it comes to this charity of hers. She’s very devoted to it. I’m not sure what drives her, but whatever it is, it’s pretty strong.”

Katie’s face softened, and she looked away again before speaking. “Yes, well, I’m glad to hear that.”

And like that, they were back to the awkward silence that had started off their dance.

“Duchess is coming, huh?”

Katie nodded, still not looking at him.

“I wonder what she’ll wear tonight,” he mused aloud. “If she wears all yellow, she’d look like a medieval banana.” He laughed at his own joke.

Katie finally looked at him, but with fire in her eyes. “Why must you always make fun of her? Do you think it’s easy to do what she does? I’d like to see you dance on stilettos or try to move in those costumes. She has to work hard to look like that.”

Chase stopped swaying to the music. Katie was earnest in her defense of Duchess, and he suddenly wanted to know what caused her to be so loyal. “Why does she?”

“What?” Katie asked, standing in his arms though they were no longer dancing.

“Why does she dress up in those ridiculous costumes and dance in stilettos and all that uncomfortable stuff? Why does she do it?” He couldn’t help asking the question most of America had to be wondering too.

“Why?” Katie backed out of his arms, but continued to stare him down as she raised her voice over the music. “She does it because people want a mystery. They want glamour, and glitz, and smoke and mirrors. They look at her and wish they could be free to dress as crazy as they want and just have some fun dancing and singing and forgetting the real world for a moment. Is it so bad that she gives them that?”