Loving David (21 page)

“Well you’ve sure taken your sweet time filling me in on any details about all your globe-trotting.”

Charlotte sat up. “I’ve been meaning to call you. I
have
. It’s just that things have been insane the past few weeks.”

“So what happened? Last I knew his ex was in, you were out, and I was pissed.”

Charlotte played with a piece of her hair. “Don’t believe everything you read, Karen.”

“Alright, alright… So how did Mr. Wonderful go from being a son of a bitch to being Mr. Wonderful again?”

Charlotte heaved a sigh and stepped out onto the small porch in her back-yard and detailed the past few weeks to Karen, including Olivia, her and David’s reconciliation, and their current living situation. She didn’t want David to step out of the shower and overhear her conversation. Karen would interject a snide comment here and there or let out an incredulous snort. Charlotte tried to ignore it, but it was starting to hurt her feelings.

“So now you’re all caught up on the craziness that has been my life.”

Karen was silent on the other end of the line. Charlotte frowned. Karen was never silent. “
Helloooo
? Are you there?”

Karen stuttered a bit before falling quiet once more. Finally she could hold her opinion in no more.

“I’m sorry, Charlotte, but what the hell are you doing?”

Charlotte’s heart pounded from a mixture of fear and nerves. “What do you mean?”

“Exactly what I asked. What the
hell
are you doing? I mean, this guy’s got you traipsing all over the world after him, pulling you through kitchens, hanging out in trailers all day---- I mean Charlotte, what about
your
life?”

“Karen, it’s not like that. We were spending time together, and he was giving me a glimpse into his world. And now we’re home.” Charlotte couldn’t help but smile at the thought of being home with David.

“Charlotte, I think you’re letting yourself get caught up in some crazy fantasy world, and you’re not being realistic. Furthermore----”

“Stop... Stop!” Charlotte started to pace the deck. “Just stop it! Why can’t you be happy for me? Why is that so hard?”

Karen didn’t say anything, so Charlotte resumed talking. “I’m happier than I’ve ever been in my whole life. I can’t explain it, but David makes me
happy
.”

“So, what, I can’t be worried now?”

“Of course you can be worried, but enough is enough. I just----” Charlotte searched for the words. “I appreciate your concern, I do; but I’m tired of you coming down on me---- on us. We’re in love, and I just can’t worry about tomorrow or the next day or the day after that. All I can do is focus on today, and today David makes me feel more alive and amazing than I’ve ever felt. And I’m not ready to let go of that. And if it doesn’t work out, at least I took a chance. Isn’t that what you’re always telling me to do?”

Charlotte heard only static on the other end, and she feared she may have gone too far. “You still there?”

Karen cleared her throat. “Well, I guess for the first time in my life I’ll keep my opinions to myself.”

The phone went dead. “Karen? Karen!” Nothing. Charlotte sighed and clicked her phone off. She opened the patio door and found David sitting on the couch, leafing through a magazine. He peered at her.

“Who was that? You seemed rather perturbed.”

Charlotte flopped down on the couch next to him and laid her head on his shoulder. “Karen. We had a disagreement.”

“About me, huh?”

“How’d you guess?”

“Well, she hasn’t exactly been crazy about the idea of us as a canoodling twosome.” David planted a kiss on Charlotte’s head. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t worry about it. I’ll call her in a few days.”

David nodded. “Good…. good. How about in the meantime, I whip us up a little dinner?”

“I thought you’d never ask.”

#

It was nearly ten the next morning when Charlotte rolled over to David’s side of the bed and saw a note on the pillow. She yawned, rubbed her eyes, and read.

“I had to run an errand, and when I get back I’m taking you out. Jeans required, which shouldn’t be a problem, right? . Love you, David.”

Charlotte giggled to herself. “How on earth is he going to top New York?” She couldn’t wait to find out and hopped out of bed and into the shower. She got dressed and slicked her hair back into a ponytail. She found David hunched over a cup of coffee in the kitchen, dressed in his standard disguise of jeans, tee-shirt and baseball cap.

“Good morning,” she gave him a kiss on the cheek and went in search of a mug, which she filled halfway with coffee.

“Good morning to you, love. I’d ask how you slept, but I know you didn’t get much.”

Charlotte stuck her tongue out at him and took the stool next to him. “You know, I wanted to tell you that while I admire your efforts to hide how sexy you are ----” she took a sip of coffee. “You’re not fooling anybody.”

“No? Not even a little?”

“Hardly. Like trying to make Halle Berry look like a hag.” Charlotte sipped her coffee. “I would ask what the big surprise is, but I get the feeling you’re not going to tell me.”

“Finally! She understands the method to my madness.” David put his coffee mug down on the counter. “It took you long enough.”

“I’m a slow learner.”

“Indeed.”

“Can I get a little hint at least?”

David drained his coffee. “Okay. Um… We’ll be in motion.”

“I thought you said we were going out?”

“Oh, we’ll be upright, love.”

“Alright, I give up.”

“We’re going bike riding.”

“Bike riding? Wow… I haven’t been on a bike in who knows how long. Not to mention, I don’t have a bike.” She looked at him. “How’s this going to work exactly?”

David gave her a mischievous grin. “Don’t you know by now I have my ways? Now come on, drink up so we can get going.”

“Aye aye, captain,” Charlotte hurried to finish her coffee. She grabbed her sunglasses before David dragged her outside. Parked in the driveway was a shiny black motorcycle with two gleaming helmets dangling from the handlebars.

“Like I said, a bike ride,” David beamed, obviously pleased with himself. “Where’d this come from?”

“Buddy of mine who owns a bike shop has been holding it for me. I had him drop it off at the gas station around the corner.”

Charlotte gulped. “I’ll let you in on a little secret. I’ve never been on a motorcycle before, and I don’t feel like changing that status.”

David picked up a helmet and crooked it under his arm. “Oh, come on now. It’ll be fun.”

“Do you even know how to ride one of these things?”

“Of course!” David laughed. “It wouldn’t be here if I didn’t. I had to learn how to ride one for this TV show I did about a million years ago, and after that I was hooked. Been riding ever since.”

“Funny… You never mentioned that.”

“Sweetheart, you have nothing to worry about. You’ll be completely safe with me. Besides, I know I’ve got precious cargo.”

Charlotte wasn’t convinced. “I don’t know. They scare me quite a bit. When you said
bike ride
, I thought you meant a bicycle built for two.”

“You won’t try it?

Charlotte sighed, stuck by the note of disappointment in David’s voice. She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “What’d you have in mind?”

David looked around. “Well, it’s shaping up to be such a beautiful day; I thought a ride along the coast would be fun. Maybe grab a bite to eat.”

Charlotte twisted her lips around in deep thought, her sense of adventure and curiosity tweaked.

“Okay,” Charlotte couldn’t help but laugh as David perked up. “You’re right---- that does sound fun.”

A giddy David handed Charlotte the extra helmet and went over a few basics with her. He climbed aboard the bike, and Charlotte slid in the seat behind him, her arms velcroed around his waist. David gave her a thumbs-up while Charlotte squeezed her eyes shut and braced herself. The engine roared to life, and Charlotte yelped beneath her helmet. David revved the engine a few times before he backed out of the driveway. He gave Charlotte another thumbs-up before he peeled off down the street.

The tiny window of her helmet misted over with the breath of her squeels as they zoomed out of her neighborhood toward Pacific Coast Highway. They headed south out of Los Angeles to Orange County, and after a few minutes of deathly terror Charlotte began to enjoy the ride. David maneuvered in and out of traffic with the skill of an expert, and Charlotte enjoyed having her arms around him as the scenery of Southern California whooshed past them. She decided it was much more fun to deal with PCH on a motorcycle than in a car. Not that she ever wanted to be the one in control of the handlebars.

They rode past countless beaches before arriving in Newport Beach. David slowed and coasted to a stop near one of the city’s less-populated beaches. Charlotte’s ears were ringing as she removed her helmet, and it felt as though her body were still racing down the highway. David whipped his helmet off and looked over his shoulder at Charlotte.

“Well? What’d you think?”

Charlotte laughed, once again caught up in his glee. “I hate to admit it, but I loved it.”

David slapped his hands together. “Ha! I knew it. I knew once I got you on the bike you’d understand why I love it so much.”

David helped Charlotte off the bike, and she adjusted her jeans and shirt. “I have to say it’s a pretty incredible feeling. It’s like you and the open road. It’s awesome.”

David nodded, his eyes shining. “Exactly! It’s just this amazing sense of freedom, a rush like no other.” David grunted a little. “I love it!” He locked the bike and grabbed Charlotte’s hand as they made their way down the beach. Even though it was a little before noon, there weren’t many people on the beach: a few scattered surfers in search of better waves than the Pacific was offering and a few random sun-tanners sprawled out on the sand. Charlotte’s stomach grumbled and she pointed out a small pizza stand with a walk-up window tucked back away from the surf.

“I wonder if anyone will recognize you,” Charlotte muttered as they walked over to order a few slices.

David pulled his baseball cap from the back pocket of his jeans, pushed it down on his head, and adjusted his sunglasses. “Here’s hoping.”

A thin, wiry woman with dark, wavy hair and a white “I ♥ NY” tee-shirt with old pizza sauce stains around the collar smiled at them.

“Can I take your order?” she asked in a raspy New York accent as David got Charlotte’s order.

“Two slices of pepperoni, please,” David said in his cleanest American dialect.

The woman went to write the order down, when she looked up and peered at David. “Hey, wait a minute… you’re that guy---- David King!”

David smiled and shook his head. “Sorry. I get confused with him all the time.”

The woman shook her head and laughed, not letting David get out so easy. “Oh, no. I’d know you anywhere. I just saw you on ‘Entertainment Tonight’ last night. They were talking about your new movie, what is it
To Have and To Hold
. It’s you!”

David grinned and slipped back into his regular voice. “Guilty.”

The woman pounded the counter in triumph. “Ha! I knew it. You’re David King! I’m Paula.” She snapped her fingers. “Oh hey, do you mind if I take a picture with you? The Bunco girls will die.”

“Sure, okay.”

The woman squealed and implored Charlotte and David to sit tight while she grabbed her camera. She came running out seconds later, brandishing her phone, which she waved at Charlotte.

“Do you mind? Taking our picture, I mean.”

Charlotte took the camera while the woman went to put her arm around David and to pose in front of the window. “Um, how about we get the beach in the background instead?”

The woman thumped the side of her head. “Even better.” David and Charlotte gave each other amused looks as Paula got into position. Charlotte snapped a few pictures from a couple of different angles to Paula’s delight.

“Oh my,
God
. The girls will absolutely one-hundred-percent die,” she gushed as she scrolled through the pictures. She snapped her fingers again. “Oh, hey… could I get your autograph?”

“On one condition.”

“Oh, anything. Anything at all.”

David glanced around and leaned toward Paula, his voice a conspiratorial whisper. “Don’t tell anyone we’re here. Not until after we leave, that is.”

Paula patted David’s shoulder, thrilled to be in on the secret. “Oh, hon… it’s between you and me.
Swear
.”

David smiled. “Do you have a pen?”

“Do I have a pen?” Paula chuckled as she plucked one from behind her ear like a magician pulling a rabbit from a hat. She reached into the pizza window and grabbed a napkin. He signed it, “To Paula, love, David,” with flourish. Paula let out a howl and impulsively hugged David and Charlotte, and then she insisted on giving them their slices and Cokes on the house. She thanked them profusely as they made their way down the pier with their food.

They parked themselves against some boulders to watch the now-robust waves crash against the shore as they munched on their pizza and guzzled their Cokes.

“So how would you compare this date to dinner and dancing in a revolving restaurant?”

Charlotte licked a drip of grease that was starting to wiggle its way down her hand. “Honestly, it doesn’t matter to me where we are.” Charlotte sipped her Coke. “Red carpet… Lake Arrowhead... Newport Beach chomping on pizza… I’m just happy we’re together.”

David picked a piece of pepperoni off his pizza. “You know, if you wanted me too, I would give it all up for you. Today if you wanted.”