“
Good, so join me for dinner,” she suggested.
“
Adaleigh, I told you, I’m not interested…”
She interrupted him,
“I’m asking you to join me for a meal. We’ll talk about the album. I’m tired of eating alone.”
He thought a minute before he replied.
“I’ll meet you there.”
On the way, Adaleigh’s mind was on full tilt, 90mph in one direction – an evening alone with Andy Stevens. Andy’s mind, however, was in slow motion on dread. Being alone with her was the last thing he wanted.
She met him at the door, and slipped her arm through his as they entered.
“Good evening, Mr. Stevens,” the hostess said and led them to his usual table.
“
I’ll have the Chenin Blanc,” he said, ordering his usual.
“
I’ll have the Erotica, please.”
“
Excuse me?” the surprised waitress replied.
“
If the bartender doesn’t know, it’s four parts champagne, one part gin and a splash of lemon juice, dust the rim of the champagne glass with sugar,” she replied and the waitress walked away.
“
Damn, Adaleigh, this is Carlee’s favorite restaurant. We come here all the time and you had to ask for that?”
“
It’s my favorite drink, I’ll let you have a taste,” and Andy looked away as his phone rang.
“
Excuse me, I gotta get this,” he said, pushed back from the table and walked outside.
“
Perfect timing,” he said when he answered.
“
The she-wolf?” Marco laughed.
“
She-devil would be more like it. Damn, Marco, I wish you were here,” he chuckled.
“
I’ll be back at noon tomorrow. Pick me up at the airport?”
“
It will be a relief to have you back. I’ll be there. You up for a couple hours with Adaleigh?”
“
If it will give you relief, sure, tell her to meet me there by two, that way we can have a bite of lunch before I go. I’ll see you at noon.”
Andy
hung up and his phone rang again. “Hello, beautiful,” he said, and immediately heard Carlee crying. “What is it, sweetheart?”
“
Can you come get me, please? Please, Papa?”
“
Carlee, what is it?”
“
Please…”
“
Let me talk to your dad, Carlee, your dad,” he repeated.
She hung up and he dialed John
’s number. “What’s up?”
“
She’s mad because I have a guest. Go ahead and come get her,” he said in an ‘I don’t care’ manner.
He hurried back into the restaurant.
“I gotta go. Something’s wrong.” He pulled his wallet out and put money on the table. “Marco will be back tomorrow. He’d like you to meet him at the studio around two. I gotta go.”
She stood up abruptly and sent the chair flying backward.
“Are you kidding me?” she shouted. “You’re just leaving me here?”
“
Bring your voice down a notch. I said I gotta go, this isn’t a date Adaleigh,” he reminded her. “I gotta go.”
“
You son of a…”
He whipped around and
quietly said, “Say it and we’re done.”
~ ~ ~
He knocked on the door and Carlee opened it immediately. She’d been watching for him and handed him her backpack. “I want to talk to your dad first,” he told her. “John,” he called out.
He came around the corner,
“What is it?”
“
Everything OK?”
“
Perfect, I told you she’s mad because I have a guest.”
“
We’ll call you in the morning,” he said and took Carlee’s hand.
She got in
the car and Andy closed the door, walked around and put her bag behind his seat. When he got in she was sitting with her arms folded across her chest, crying again.
“
Want to talk?” he asked.
“
No.”
“
OK, your call. Thanks for calling, you saved me.”
“
What?” she asked.
“
Marco had to go to Texas, he’ll be back tomorrow, and you weren’t with me so Adaleigh asked me to have dinner with her. Not fun,” he said sarcastically.
Carlee giggled and turned in the seat.
“Was she mad?”
“
PO’d!” he replied. “Major PO’d!”
“
Good,” she said and a few minutes passed as they drove. Finally, she said, “He brought her from Atlanta, for the whole weekend; Mimi, what kind of name is that?”
“
Kinda like Adaleigh, what kinda of name is that?” he laughed.
“
A made-up name that she thinks is cool,” Carlee replied matter-of-factly.
“
I agree. So, did you like Mimi and you’re just pissed because you had to share your dad?”
“
I don’t care about Mimi, I’m mad at my dad. He asked you to trade for this weekend, and then I have to share him. I’m just mad. Pissed,” she said.
“
Hey…”
“
You said it first,” and suddenly she started to giggle. “I’d rather be with you anyway. Let’s just go home.”
He made a call to Angel and she arrived soon after they did.
~ ~ ~
The next morning An
gel had the morning news on the TV while Andy was drinking his coffee. The sound of his name made him look.
“
We have exclusive phone video from last night of our local celebrity, Andy Stevens, and his date, new talent Adaleigh Pensant, at The Bistro. Looks like trouble in paradise,” the reporter said as Angel turned it off.
“
For Pete’s sake, ‘paradise’,” Andy mumbled, and his phone rang. “Yeah,” he said, seeing it was Kimmy.
“
Nice,” she said sarcastically.
“
Yeah, not so much. Friggin’ drama queen, I’m not even gonna try to explain.” He looked up and Carlee was coming into the kitchen. “Hey there.”
“
Adaleigh?” Kimmy laughed.
“
Carlee,” he said softly.
“
What? Why?”
“
I’ll call you later, I’m bettin’ my girl wants some breakfast.”
Angel scrambled eggs and after they ate, Andy told Carlee, “I gotta pick Marco up at the airport. We need to go to the studio for a while. Grab a book and a movie to take along; you can watch it in my office.”
“
That’s fine,” she looked out the window, “Looks stormy.”
Andy
stood behind her and looked out, as well. “Yes, it does.” He thought about the evening before, his, and Carlee’s.
“
Angel’s checking her work schedule to see if she can come tonight. If she can’t we’ll call Kimmy and see if Jenna can come, we’ll watch a movie and think about what to make for dinner…”
“
Spaghetti,” Carlee said, quickly. “Papa, why does Angel have to come and if she can’t Jenna has to?”
“
Because the agreement with your dad for you to spend the night is that someone is here when you are.”
“
But why?” she asked.
“
Because he thinks you and I can’t make it on our own. He thinks we need help.” That was the best way he could think to explain it.
“
He doesn’t keep his end of the deal,” she grumbled.
“
It seems that way sometimes.”
When they pulled up to the terminal to wait for Marco, Carlee crawled in the back seat. Finally, he walked out and Andy popped the trunk and Marco put his bag in and opened the door. He went to slip into the seat and noticed Carlee.
“
Hey doll! What’s up?” he said in a big voice.
She threw her arms around his neck and said,
“I’m so happy to see you!”
“
How ‘bout some lunch?” Andy said.
“
The Bistro!” Carlee said.
Andy quickly glanced to Marco and mouthed
the word no.
“
We go there all the time,” Marco said. “What about Giovanna’s?”
“
Yes!”
After their meal Carlee excused herself to go wash her hands and Andy told him about the encounter with Adaleigh at The Bistro.
“I’ll be glad to get this project behind us,” he said and Marco agreed.
~ ~ ~
By Memorial Day, they’d completed the tracks for Adaleigh’s album; there was work yet to do, but he was ready to send her home.
“
Great job,” Andy said, relieved. “Marco will do his thing and we’ll put this project to bed.”
“
I gotta go,” Marco said, “I’ve got a date.”
“
Have fun,” Adaleigh said as he was leaving.
“
You don’t have Carlee tonight,” she said to Andy after Marco was gone, “let’s go celebrate, I promise I’ll behave.”
He was ready for a glass of wine.
“Yeah, sure.” He tried to think where; The Bistro wasn’t even a thought. He hadn’t gone there since Adaleigh’s ‘show’ on his last visit.
“
The bar at the hotel is nice, I’d love some good champagne,” she said.
“
I’ll meet you there.”
They entered the bar and Adaleigh plopped into a circular booth and slid to the middle so Andy had no choice but to slide in beside her. As he did, the waitress came to the table. “Ms. Pensant, it’s nice to see you. Good evening, Mr. Stevens. What can I bring you?”
“
Cuvee! A bottle of very expensive Cuvee!” Adaleigh said.
The waitress left an appetizer menu on the table and went to get the champagne.
“Cuvee is decadent!” she said.
“
I’ve never had it.”
“
Well, let me order a bite to eat to go with it if you’ll allow me. It’s such a treat and bold flavors set it off. Do you like Bleu cheese?” she asked.
“
I do.”
The bar was qui
et, and when the waitress returned Adaleigh asked; “Erin, is Chef available?” Andy got the impression that she’d become a regular in the time she’d been here.
“
I’ll see,” the young woman said and went to the kitchen.
“
Adaleigh!” the big man said, and leaned to kiss her cheeks when he came to the table.
“
I’m celebrating tonight! Recording’s done, and now, the ‘Magic Man’ here will be working to make it perfect. I’ll be heading home tomorrow and I want to show Andy my appreciation. Andy this is Chef Neil Obano, ‘Chef’,” she added.
Andy listened as Adaleigh talked to him. She sounded happy, and it made him smile.
“We’ve become good friends since I’ve been staying here. Chef, can you sit a moment so I can tell you what I’m thinking?”
He sat on the other end of the booth and waited.
“
I ordered the Cuvee,” she said, “and I’m thinkin’ Bleu cheese…”
“
Good choice, oh, I know just the thing! Dates, stuffed with Bleu cheese, wrapped in bacon; it’ll take a little while.”
“
Andy?”
“
We’ll wait,” Andy replied and Chef left them.
“Oh Andy, I’m so excited! It sounds good, it feels good…”
“
It
is
good. You
should be
excited, and proud,” he said as the waitress returned and opened the champagne and poured them each a glass.
Andy raised his glass
. “To the success of
The Silk Road
,” he said.
Adaleigh touched her glass to his and downed what was in the glass. Andy poured more, laughed and said
“slow down.”
“
I’m too happy and I only have to get to the eighth floor. You’re driving, not me!” she laughed and sat back and let out a big sigh. “I’m so happy!”
Andy settled back and enjoyed the
champagne. Relieved that the project was complete, he was looking forward to taking Carlee and Angel to Eleuthera for two weeks.
Peace and quiet
, he thought.
The waitress came and filled their glasses and told them their appetizers would be ready soon.
“If there’s another chilled bottle of Cuvee, put my name on it,” Adaleigh said.