Loving David (19 page)

Charlotte plastered on a smile. “Right. Right. I’ll go ahead and do that.”

Liz waved and Charlotte made her way outside to wait for the car.

“Screw rest,” Charlotte muttered to herself. “I need a drink.”

#

The week in Vancouver flew by. Besides completing a good solid chunk of her manuscript, Charlotte managed to do a little sightseeing while David was on set. And one night after David passed out from exhaustion, she and William spent a riotous night in the hotel bar having dinner and drinks. William was the life of the party, and it struck Charlotte that he was a good contrast to David’s more reserved nature.

By week’s end they pushed off to New York, duplicating the same manic schedule they’d employed in L.A.---- fly out before dawn had a chance to crack, bolt off the plane, and cram into a limo at breakneck speed. Charlotte had followed David’s lead and had purchased a hat to plunk down on her head. She made a point of keeping her eyes down as they sped through the airport----just in case any photographers, amateur or otherwise, were lurking around.

They checked into the Mandarin Oriental, which had stunning views of Central Park. Charlotte had been to New York only a handful of times and always for work, never for pleasure. She was excited to see the city through David’s eyes.

Preparations for the night commenced in a flurry. Charlotte showered while David and William spoke on the phone every thirty seconds, figuring out logistics. Afterward, she wrapped herself in one of the hotel’s plush white bathrobes, pulled out the dress she’d bought in Vancouver, and hung it up on the back of the bedroom door to stare at it. David came up behind her and slid his arms around her.

“I can’t wait to see you in that dress. More important, I can’t wait to see it on the floor at the end of the night.”

Charlotte gave him a cheerful slap. “I’ll have you know this dress is going right back on the hanger. It’s too beautiful to get tossed on the floor.”

“Alright, alright; I’ll be sure to take the time to hang it up very carefully in the closet,” David chuckled and gave her a quick smack across her bottom. “Car’ll be here by six, so we’ve got a few hours…” David’s voice trailed off. Charlotte shook her head.

“Okay----this may be the one time I turn you down. I just showered, and I have to figure out something to do with my hair.”

“
Psssh
. Just wear it up. That’s what all the actresses do.”

“In case you haven’t noticed, I’m not an actress,” Charlotte said as someone knocked on the door.

“Which is why I love you,” David said as he went to open the door. “Must be William,” he murmured as he went to look out the peephole. William bustled into the room, still wearing his suit from earlier.

“Okay, you, out,” William pointed at David. “I’ve got hair and make-up on the way up.”

Charlotte’s hand flew to her throat. “Oh, my gosh William, I ----”

William shushed her and went in search of David’s tux. “We’ll see you downstairs at six.” William winked at Charlotte. “Have fun, kid.”

Charlotte hugged William and smiled. “Thank you,” she whispered.

David gave Charlotte a quick kiss and grabbed his tux. “See you downstairs.”

Charlotte nodded and sent them on their way. Within minutes there was another knock at the door, and a hair stylist and make-up artist, both clad in black from head to toe, breezed in and began to cluck over her, wanting to know what her dress looked like, what shoes and jewelry she planned to wear. Charlotte estimated they weighed about a hundred pounds total between the two of them. The “team” set to work on getting her red-carpet ready.

Renee, the stylist, a redhead from Kentucky, maneuvered product through her hair before blowing it out. The make-up artist, Jackie, fluffed brushes and pads over her face for the better part of twenty minutes. She wasn’t used to being fussed over, but just as she had felt that day in Vancouver, she discovered she didn’t hate it.

Renee helped her into her dress, and Charlotte slipped her new high-heeled, strappy black leather sandals on, which she’d been practicing walking in for the past few days. Charlotte clamped the cuff bracelet dripping in crystals around her wrist, while Renee fastened the matching necklace around her throat. She took Charlotte by the shoulders and marched her over to the full-length mirror in the bedroom.

“Okay,” Renee drawled in her Southern accent. "Time for the big reveal.”

Charlotte took a deep breath, opened her eyes, and gasped. She didn’t recognize herself ---- in a good way. Her formerly unruly curls had been blown out into delicate sheets of glass, and her skin was luminous---- like she had a little uplight tucked under her chin. Tears rimmed Charlotte’s eyes as she took a good look at herself.

Renee’s face fell. “You don’t like it?”

Charlotte shook her head, her nose starting to run. “No, no I love it, I just… I… I feel so beautiful,” she whispered, her tears threatening to ruin the make-up job.

Jackie tsked-tsked. “Alright now, girl; don’t go messing with my masterpiece,” he said as he dabbed Charlotte’s face with a tissue. “Here, let me touch you up.”

“Okay, let me just blow my nose,” Charlotte laughed. “God, this is so embarrassing.”

Renee and Jackie both shook their heads. “Don’t feel bad, honey,” Jackie said as he refreshed Charlotte’s face. “We princesses always cry when we look fierce.”

Charlotte giggled and smoothed down her hair. “Good to know.”

Jackie and Renee put Charlotte back together before they each hugged her and told her to have fun. Charlotte filled the little red satin clutch that she’d bought in Vancouver with Tic-Tacs, her phone, powder, and the lipstick, liner, and gloss Jackie had left for her. She took another deep breath and gave herself one last look in the mirror.

“Okay,” she exhaled. “Here goes.”

Charlotte walked out to the elevator and rode down to the lobby. She spotted David pacing near the front door, and her breath caught in her throat. She’d never seen him in anything fancier than jeans. The man was made to wear a tux. She stood for a moment until she knew his gaze would find her. When it did, she cocked her head to the side and gave him a small smile. David stopped his march and looked at Charlotte, transfixed. She walked toward him.

“My God, Charlotte.” David gulped and shook his head. “You’re…my God! I don’t even have the words.”

“You mean I’ve left you speechless?”

“You may as well have ripped out my voice box,” he said as he bent down to kiss her. Charlotte ducked away from him.

“Forget it,” she warned. “It took a village to do this, and they already had to rebuild me once.” She lowered her voice. “By the way, you don’t look so bad yourself.”

“So I clean up good, heh?”

“Oh yeah.”

David grasped her hand. “Well, I’m just happy that I’ll be walking the red carpet with the most gorgeous woman in the world.”

Charlotte blushed. “Careful, Mr. King; you’re going to spoil me.”

“That’s the whole idea,” he said before he stole a quick peck on her cheek. Charlotte glared at him, and David merely winked.

“Where’s William?” Charlotte asked as they slid into the limo.

“He’s already there. We’ll see him inside.”

As the limo pulled into early evening Manhattan traffic, Charlotte tried to keep her composure, but she was getting nervous.

“Would you like a little champagne? Settle you down a bit?” David asked.

“Uh uh. I don’t want it to come back up.” Charlotte looked down at her lap. “I guess this is our official debut, huh?”

David turned to face her. “Charlotte, I’m ready to show you off to the world.” He grabbed her hand. “It’s going to be fine and over before you know it.”

“Ha! Easy for you to say. You do this all the time.”

The limo continued its stops and starts toward its final destination. Charlotte stared at the lights of Manhattan while David pointed out various landmarks and points of interest. The limo finally came to a stop, and the door swung open. Charlotte took a deep breath and waited for David to exit the car. As he did, a flood of noise invaded the car and she saw the flashes of many cameras along with people yelling and cheering; a few people screamed David’s name. Charlotte felt her stomach tighten, and she took a deep breath. David reached in to help her out of the car, and she was blinded by the wall of light as she stepped onto the red carpet. Another wave of cheers and screams went up as David took her hand and began to lead her down the carpet. Charlotte’s hand was clammy inside David’s, and the hot sensation of nausea washed across her body. She swept her hair out of her eyes and squinted at all the ruckus around her. Photographers began to yell for David, demanding he pose for them. David obliged, making sure his hand stayed clasped around Charlotte’s waist. They began to ease down the red carpet and pose for more pictures. Or David posed while Charlotte tried to concentrate on which camera to look at.

“Hey, David, let us get a couple of you by yourself,” someone called out. Charlotte started to step away, but David held firm.

“Sorry fellas; it’s both of us or neither of us,” David smiled.

“Who’s the lovely lady, David?” someone from the throng bellowed.

“Charlotte Taylor, my girlfriend,” David responded.

Some of the entertainment reporters camped near the door thrust their microphones in David’s face, all wanting the scoop on Charlotte.

“David, what can you tell us about your date?” one blonde Amazon with huge brown eyes and a dazzling white sequined dress inquired.

“This is my girlfriend, Charlotte Taylor. She’s a writer.”

The woman nodded. “That’s fantastic. What do you write?” she said, jutting her microphone in Charlotte’s face. Charlotte took a deep breath. “I’m a novelist,” she blurted.

Before the reporter could ask another question, David smiled and thanked her before he steered Charlotte inside. Spotlights criss-crossed the entire room and the thumps of the DJ’s spins fought for prominence over the din of the crowd. David and Charlotte wound their way through the swarm of tanned and bejeweled men and women. They located William by the bar, deep in conversation with a leggy brunette, who excused herself. His eyes popped out of his head when he spotted Charlotte, who smiled and did a little twirl for him. He grabbed her by the elbows and planted a huge kiss on her cheek.

“Well, hello gorgeous,” he shouted. “You look fantastic. Not that you didn’t already.”

“I couldn’t have done it without your help,” Charlotte said. “I should start calling you my fairy godfather!”

William winked. “Only for people I like.”

Charlotte grinned. “Glad to be a part of the chosen few.”

David’s fingers grazed Charlotte’s elbow. “If you can tear yourself away from my girlfriend, we’ve got to be pushing on,” David said.

William released Charlotte. “Right, of course.” William gave Charlotte a kiss on her other cheek. “Great to see you, and have fun tonight.”

Charlotte waved goodbye, slightly confused, as David pulled her away. They made a quick round-robin of the room, where he introduced her to a few people before cutting the conversations short. About twenty minutes later, David led Charlotte to a nearby exit door.

“Wait,” Charlotte tugged on David’s hand when she saw their limo waiting outside. “What are we doing?” she asked.

“Ditching this place. William will tell us if the movie was any good.”

“You mean we’re not staying?”

David shook his head, his eyes twinkling. “I’m going to waste how fabulous you look on these people.” He encircled Charlotte’s waist in his hands. “We’ve got other plans.”

#

The limo inched down Broadway before coming to a stop in front of another hotel.

“Well, here we are,” David said.

“And where is
here
, exactly?” Charlotte asked.

“You know, you’re really quite terrible with surprises.”

Before Charlotte could protest, a doorman from the hotel descended upon the car and whisked the door open.

“Good evening, ma’am,” he smiled at Charlotte as he helped her out of the limo. He merely nodded at David before averting his eyes, trained not to make eye contact with celebrities. David smiled at the guy and patted him on the shoulder before he grabbed Charlotte’s hand. Charlotte craned her neck as she drank in the sights and sounds of Times Square. Though it was nighttime, the neighborhood was lit up as bright as if it had been high noon instead of nearly eight in the evening. David tugged on her hand and led her inside the hotel. They stepped onto an elevator and David punched “47” on the panel. Charlotte opened her mouth again to ask David what he was up to, but sensing her questions, David planted a kiss on her lips instead. The elevator glided to a stop ----the doors slid open. A man in a black suit, white shirt, and burgundy tie with a matching pocket square and a lush mane of silver hair greeted them as they stepped off the elevator.

“Good evening and welcome to The View,” he said as he ushered them into the restaurant. It took Charlotte a moment to realize the room was spinning ever so slowly.

“What is this place?” she gasped, laughing.

“New York City’s only revolving rooftop restaurant,” the maître d’ answered as he began to lead them toward their table. Charlotte licked her lips and looked around the cavernous space, noting it was empty except for a few waiters and chefs who stood at attention by a table. The maître d’ seated them at their table, which was next to one of the floor-to-ceiling windows that doubled as the walls of the restaurant. Charlotte waited until he left before bowing her head near David’s.

“This place can’t be that good,” she whispered. “There’s nobody here.”

David burst out laughing before he grabbed a confused Charlotte’s hand and kissed it. “Don’t ever change, love.”

Charlotte wrinkled her nose. “David, it’s just that I don’t want you wasting your money on someplace that must be pretty bad if no one’s here on a Friday night.”

David roared with more laughter and leaned toward Charlotte. “This is one of the most renowned and popular restaurants in New York City. And the reason no one is here,” David picked up Charlotte’s hand again. “Is because I rented it out for the night. It’s all ours until the fat lady sings.”