Town Darling (23 page)

She flashed a smile,
cheerfully patted him on the chest, and walked away. 

Vaughn shook his head and
watched her leave.  “How can something so small make my life so miserable?”

“Nothing a good, sturdy
romp won’t cure,” June informed him from where she sat behind the payment
table.

Vaughn slowly turned his
head and looked at June behind the table.  She smiled and seductively waved the
check.

“And for five thousand
dollars, you should be flattered,” the elderly woman continued.  “Why I
remember giving blowjobs to boys behind the stage for cotton candy.”

Vaughn stared at June with
surprise, shook his head, and walked away.

June called after him, “I
still like cotton candy, Sheriff!”

T
he crowd had returned to
the stage area for the evening talent show.  They were packed into the
bleachers and sat on lawn chairs and blankets on the grass in an endless sea of
spectators.  The talent show was a huge draw for locals and visitors alike. 
Men and women from neighboring towns also participated in the show.  It was
open to anyone.  Vaughn patrolled the area with some of the hired security. 
With that many people, things could get out of hand quickly, and it was their
job to keep everyone safe throughout the show.  Contestants showed off their
singing talents, dancing skills, and various other talents.  A comedian performed
and had the crowd laughing so hard some were in tears.  A magician attempted to
pull off some amazing magic acts but failed miserably.  His jovial commentary
entertained the crowd, and no one knew it wasn’t part of the act.  There were
several singing acts that drew applause from the crowd.  One women’s slinky
attire may have had something to do with the tremendous applause she received. 

Dina was up next with her
singing and dancing routine.  She wore a top hat, tuxedo style jacket with a
white, low-cut top, and a short, black skirt while tap dancing and singing to
“Putting on the Ritz”.  The crowd applauded for her.  Most would believe she
had taken years of tap dance lessons, but she was actually self-taught.  As
Dina exited from behind stage, Sheriff Holt approached her.  She eyed him and
grinned.

“No autographs, please,”
she teased.

“I caught your
performance.  You were great, Dina,” he replied but obviously had another
motive for stopping her short of the locker rooms.  “Have you seen Ruger or Diesel?”

“They’re with Casey,” Dina
casually informed him.  “I guess she’s having last minute performance jitters. 
I have to change before Casey’s performance.  Why don’t you find a good spot
and enjoy the show?”

“Yeah, I think I’ll patrol,
if it’s all the same to you.”

“Have it your way,” Dina
announced then muttered.  “You usually do.”

Dina hurried toward the
women’s locker room.  Melanie was up next and performed her tap-dance routine
in an extremely short dress and low-cut top.  She looked fantastic on stage and
her routine was flawless with amazing dance moves that would put even the
professionals to shame.  The crowd went wild over her amazing routine.  She
appeared pleased with herself and the wild applause she received.  Another
woman performed a gymnastic routine for the crowd.  Her routine was then
followed by another magic act that was better than the first.  There were more
singers who performed.  Most did well, although one was cringe worthy.  Wiley
appeared on stage after the last act left and applauded the young woman.

“Wasn’t she terrific?” he
announced.  The crowd applauded mechanically, but it was obvious her
performance wasn’t very good.  “Now, for our last performance of the evening,
we have a last minute addition,” Wiley announced cheerfully and looked at his
cue card.  “We have ‘Casey and Company’ in a non-specified dance routine. 
Let’s hear it for ‘Casey and Company’.”

The audience applauded
along with Wiley, who hurried offstage.  Melanie, still dressed from her
performance, slipped into a seat alongside her mother and father and maintained
a devious grin.  Dina rushed back to the stage area and squeezed in where she
could.  Vaughn paused alongside one of the nearby trees, casually leaned
against it, and watched the stage.  He failed at looking casually
disinterested.  The stage curtains opened to reveal Casey in a low-cut, sequin
dress with tassels just covering her thighs and sequin heels.  The scar on her
left thigh was clearly visible even through her stockings.  She stood facing Ruger,
who wore dress pants and a flashy vest.  Diesel casually leaned against the
stage in what appeared to be an old-fashioned gangster’s zoot suit complete
with hat and shoes.  "Land of 1000 Dancers" began to play.  Ruger and
Casey started dancing Latin Jive to the music without missing a beat.  They
were amazing!  Ruger spun Casey around in his arms as she danced wildly and
seductively around him.  They continued with an amazingly choreographed routine
in a fast tempo.  Casey flipped backwards over Ruger’s arm several times, and
he spun her around his body with speed and grace.  The audience appeared
stunned.  Melanie stared at their flawless dance routine with her mouth hanging
open.  Abby shared the same look of horror and clung to Melanie’s hand.  Vaughn
also watched with surprise and uncertainly straightened.

The dance continued with
high impact moves and flips that stunned the audience.  Two minutes into the
routine, the song "Beat It" grew louder as their song faded.  Diesel
walked across the stage as Casey spun.  She turned into him and immediately
stopped.  Diesel began dancing slow and seductive with Casey.  Casey pulled
away as part of the dance routine.  Ruger slid over in a dance move and
attempted to rescue Casey.  Casey was slung to the side as Diesel and Ruger
danced a fight sequence, which ended with Diesel grabbing Ruger by his arms. 
Ruger jumped onto Diesel’s bent leg and made it appear as if Diesel had pulled
him up.  Ruger back flipped away from Diesel, landed on his feet, and
immediately threw himself into a roll across stage where he lie motionless. 
Diesel again danced sultry with Casey, who attempted to reach Ruger and get
away from Diesel.  Not even two minutes into the song, he slung Casey around
him and gracefully onto her hip across the floor without releasing her hand. 
She avoided looking at him.  "I Need a Hero" began drowning out
"Beat It".  Everyone looked around.  Grey ran through the audience
and leapt onto stage wearing a vintage black suit and hat with black and white
saddle shoes.  He ran up to Casey on the stage floor, took her arm, and spun
her around him and gracefully to her feet.  Diesel and Grey started a fighting
dance sequence with kicks, punches, and flips that stunned the crowd.  Casey
slid to Ruger’s side and pretended to revive him. 

In an amazing dance
sequence, Grey flipped Diesel over his hip then pretended to kick him.  Diesel
threw himself onto his back, rolled, and then scrambled to his feet and took
off backstage.  Grey danced over to Casey and helped Ruger to his feet.  The
three of them finished out the song with an amazing dance sequence that excited
the crowd.  As the song ended abruptly on the lyric, "I Need a Hero",
Ruger dipped Casey back with her leg high on his side, and Grey spun and landed
on one knee with his hat in his hand.  A massive confetti tube erupted,
shooting confetti across the stage, and a banner dropped behind them that read,
"Grey for Mayor".  The audience jumped to their feet while wildly
applauding and cheering.  Everyone applauded except Melanie, who appeared
somewhere between stunned and disgusted.  The mayor sneered and clapped his
hands together with disgust in a failed attempt not to seem bitter.  Vaughn
laughed, shook his head, and clapped as well. 

Wiley hurried from the judge’s
table and onto the stage.  He yelled excitedly above the crowd.  “It’s
unanimous!  Casey and Company are the winners of this year’s talent show!”

The crowd continued to
applaud.  The mayor slipped away through the crowd.  Diesel joined them on
stage to take a bow.  Casey jumped into Ruger’s arms and hugged him.  Dina
joined Grey on stage and gave him a kiss of congratulations.  People swarmed
the stage, shook Grey’s hand, and expressed their support for him for mayor. 
Diesel grabbed Casey, pulled her up and into his arms, and playfully kissed
her.  He then tossed her back into Ruger’s awaiting arms.  She kissed Ruger on
the lips.  He held her against him and smiled with embarrassment.  People
continued to congratulate them on their performance and the mayor run.  Grey
clung to Dina as they made their way offstage and through the excited crowd. 
Melanie remained in her seat with her arms folded across her chest and a look
of annoyance on her face. 

Casey nudged Grey as the
crowd continued to swarm him.  “I’m going to change, get Storm, and head home.”

“You want us to come
along?” Grey asked between greeting people and shaking hands.

“No, this is your moment,”
she announced with a proud smile.  “You enjoy it.”

Casey headed for the
changing rooms at the nearby pavilion.  Ruger watched her walk away then became
surrounded by several women praising his performance.  Some were a little
overly enthusiastic to meet him, which startled him.  Just beyond the crowd
toward the back of the stage, the mayor was seen arguing with Ernest, who threw
his hands in the air then pointed a warning finger at him.  Sheriff Holt stared
across the crowd and watched the exchange between the two men.  He appeared
curious and slowly made his way through the crowd to get closer.

“I guess you’re happy,”
Abby was heard from behind him.

Vaughn turned and looked at
Abby.  Her expression was that of rage and possible embarrassment.

“What do you mean?” Vaughn
asked with a puzzled look while tilting his head.

“Grey running for mayor,”
she retorted.  “He’s going to give Lance a good run, I’m sure, and I don’t
doubt you couldn’t be happier.”

“I won’t argue that,”
Vaughn replied matter-of-fact while placing his thumbs down the front of his
gun holster.

Abby sneered at his candid
response.  “You’re just going to toss Melanie over for our darling, little
Casey, aren’t you?  You really don’t care how much you hurt Melanie.  She’s the
one who really loves you.”

“We’re not having this
conversation,” Vaughn boldly informed her while shaking his head.  “Whatever my
intentions regarding Casey don’t concern you or your daughter.”

Abby stared at him a
moment, considered something, and then suddenly grinned.  “Can it be?”  She
laughed softly in her throat.  “Nothing happened between you and Casey the
other night.  Melanie was worked up over nothing!  Casey Remington still hasn’t
forgiven you!”  Abby shook her head and maintained her superior attitude. 
“Poor, poor Vaughn.  That little, teenage crush Casey had on you is just a
faded memory.  She’ll never be yours.”

Vaughn maintained a look of
limited emotion, but his thumbs tensed beneath his holster in response.  “More
importantly,” he announced, “I’ll never be with Melanie.”  He removed his
thumbs from his holster.  “If you’ll excuse me--”

He proudly walked past
her.  She glanced after him while attempting to look disinterested, but she was
obviously bothered by his statement.

†

C
asey stood before an open
locker within the women’s changing room.  She was once again wearing her jeans
and the tank top she had worn at the kissing booth.  She carelessly stuffed her
sequin dress and shoes into the locker before her.  She honestly didn’t care if
she ever wore it again, and she hoped to God that she never saw those shoes
again.  Tossing them in the garbage crossed her mind only once, but she knew
Grey would have something to say about it.  It had been a long day, and,
despite the positive outcome, she was glad it was over.  A hot bath was what
she wanted most, even if that meant using the whirlpool tub in her parents’ bedroom. 
She turned and nearly collided with Melanie, who had almost silently appeared
behind her.  Casey was startled to see her then relaxed.  She was actually the
last person Casey was expecting to see tonight.  She thought she’d be off
somewhere pouting or licking her wounds.  Melanie’s look conveyed hostility and
possible embarrassment.  Whatever Melanie’s reason for confronting her, it
undoubtedly wasn’t going to end well for her.  Casey wasn’t in the mood, and
there was the very real possibility that she was going to vent some of her
hostility on Melanie if she provoked her.

“You humiliated me in front
of everyone!” Melanie suddenly exclaimed while nearly down to tears.

Casey was surprised by her
emotional state.  She was expecting a different kind of argument, one where she
would finally get to hit the little bitch.  She was almost uncertain how to
respond.

“Don’t be ridiculous, you
performed wonderfully,” she replied, no longer feeling the need to get into an
altercation.  It was clear Melanie was fighting an emotional battle deep inside
her.  “Just because you didn’t get first place--”

“I hate you!  I’ve always
hated you!” Melanie lashed out as she became wildly animated.  It was the first
time she’d ever come out and said it.  “Everyone loves Casey Remington, the
little town darling!”  Her tone was sarcastic and mocking.  “I was
always
second best!”

Casey stared at her with an
astonished look.  She couldn’t believe Melanie resented her because she was
jealous!  It didn’t even seem possible.  She suddenly felt as if she entered
some bizarre world where nothing made sense. 

“You were dating Tucker,
the most popular guy in town,” Casey informed her.  “You won the talent show
five years in a row.”

“Four,” Melanie scoffed
while folding her arms across her chest and appeared to pout.

Casey shook her head with
disbelief.  She couldn’t believe she was actually coddling the spoiled, little
girl who always tried to find new ways to insult and humiliate her. 

“How does that make you
second best?”

Melanie remained disgusted
but appeared less hostile while frowning.  “Tucker used me to get in good with
my father,” she retorted with some embarrassment.  “I really only wanted
Vaughn, but he never wanted to be with me.  He always wanted you; even when he
thought I was carrying his baby.”