My Sunshine (8 page)

“I didn’t bring any condoms,” he said. “Is it okay?”

“Yeah, I told you I was on the pill.”

John kissed her on the neck and moved slowly down her body. She threw her head back, closed her eyes and concentrated on what he was doing. “John, please,” she moaned.

He moved back to eye level and kissed her mouth. “Do you
need something?”

“I need you.”

“Then come and get me,” he said, rolling onto his back.

She spent several minutes repaying his favors before
climbing onto him. He grabbed her by the hips and flipped her over. “Nuh-uh, missy. Tonight we’re doing it my way – nice and slow.”

She eased into the living room while John was sleeping in her bed. She couldn’t believe how loud his snoring was. She sat down at the computer desk that she and Daniel had squeezed into the room and turned the machine on.

“You’ve got mail,” the computer announced. She opened
her mailbox. The only email was from Justin.

Who is this guy? You went out with a
customer? Did you know him? Do I know him? What is going on? I don’t like to not know. I’ve got to work tomorrow. Come by about 3pm.

She closed the email and opened a search engine. She typed
“John Bernett” into the search box. In a fraction of a second, she was presented with 326,200 results. The first link was Parrison's home page. She clicked on the second link, which appeared to be a personal site made by an overzealous fan. She clicked on a link called, “John’s Women.” She waited a full minute for the page to load, slow to load because of the amount of pictures on the page. There were pictures of John with dozens of different women.

Another link on the page was called “Groupies Tell All.”

She hesitated, but clicked on the link. There were two pages of names of girls who claimed to have had some sort of sexual encounter with John.

See, you can’t trust this guy.

She held her hand against her forehead as she read some of the stories. “Maybe I can’t,” she said aloud.

“Maybe you can’t what?”

Chloe jumped. She hadn’t heard him come into the room.

“Nothing,” she said, clicking the X that closed the window.

“What are you doing?” He leaned against the wall next to the computer desk.

She shook her head. “Nothing. I couldn’t sleep so I thought
I would check my email.”

“Anything good?”

“No, just Justin. Do you have email?”

John
nodded. “Oh yeah.” He leaned over and scribbled his email address on a notepad on the desk. “So are you going to tell me what you can’t do?” He paused. “I saw my picture on the screen.”

Chloe
chewed on her bottom lip. “It was nothing. Just a crazy website about you and groupies.” She tried to play it off like she wasn’t worried about it.

John
ran his hand through his hair. “Oh, I see, and now you’re wondering if I’m a nice guy.”

“No, not a nice guy, a…” She shrugged. “How do I know
you’re not here just for the sex?”

He knelt in front of her. “I guess you just have to trust me.”

“How can I do that when I see all that stuff on the Internet?”

“What does you heart tell you to do?” He grabbed her hand
and put it to her own heart.

Chloe
sighed. “It tells me to trust you. I want to trust you.”

He brought her fingertips to his lips and kissed them. “Trust
me.” He pulled her out of the chair and led her back to the bedroom. They curled up on the bed.

John
, John, John. What is going on with you, dude
?
He pulled Chloe a little tighter to him, and rubbed his nose in her hair getting a big whiff of her shampoo
.
I don’t know, but I’
m
loving it.

“
John,” Chloe said, her voice barely above a whisper.

“There’s something really important I have to ask you.”

“What is it?”

“Do you believe in God?”

“Of course I do.”

“That’s good.” She pushed her body into him and quickly
fell asleep.

“Listen,”
John said, taking her hand. It was the next morning and they were standing in the driveway. He leaned against the door of his car, and pulled her to him, so that she was standing between his legs. “I really would like it if you wouldn’t see anyone else until we saw each other again.”

Chloe
laughed inside herself
.
Like that’s going to be an issue
.
“Are you?”

John
shook his head. “No.” He couldn’t believe what he was saying. Everything he had been fighting against was happening to him. It felt like he was watching a movie and he had no control over what the characters we doing. “I’d like to be able to call you…everyday.”

She smiled. “You can,
John. Call me anytime. I gave you my work numbers and my cell number and my home number. I want you to call me.”

“And you can call me, too,
Chloe. I always have my phone with me. If I’m working, I can’t answer, but I always check my messages.”

Chloe
took a deep breath. “Am I your girlfriend?” She felt her face flush. It made her feel stupid to be asking such a question, like she was a immature high-schooler again, but she didn’t know any other way to ask it.

John
didn’t laugh at her the way she thought he would. He pulled her close to him and wrapped his arms around her. He kissed the top of her head. “Yeah, you’re my girlfriend.”

Without pulling back she posed a second question. “Am I
your only girlfriend?” She thought back to the stories she had read on the Internet.

John
held her tighter. “Yeah. I promise, Chloe. There is no one else but you.” He pushed her away from him so he could see in her eyes. “All that stuff you read, it’s not going to be that way. I promise.”

Chloe
nodded. “I believe you.”

John
leaned down and kissed her. “I have to go. I’ve got a long drive ahead of me. I’ll probably call you in a couple of hours.” He opened the car door and got inside. “I’ll talk to you later, baby girl.”

Chloe
leaned in the car and kissed him again. “Have a safe trip, John.”

                       Chapter Five

Chloe
pushed open the door to the sandwich shop.

Justin was standing at the register finishing up a sale.

He glanced up at her. “Hey, Chloe.”

“Hey.” She nodded politely at the departing customers and waited until the left the building before leaning against the counter. “I got your e-mail.”

“What is going on? Are you okay? You’re not...?”

“Crazy?” Chloe finished the sentence for him. She shook her head. “I’m not crazy.”

“Do you want to tell me what’s going on?”

Chloe shrugged. “I guess so. It’s not complicated, really.

Last Friday night while I was here by myself this guy came in
right at eleven. He was traveling through to Nashville and his car broke down on the interstate. He came up here to get a sandwich and a number for a tow truck. Daniel came and picked up his car and I drove him over to the motel.” She paused and debated on whether to tell him she had spent the night.

“Christy heard a rumor that you had spent the night with
him. I wasn’t going to say anything unless you brought it up.”

Chloe
scowled. “See, that’s all just crap. That rumor got started before I even went back.”

Justin raised his eyebrows. “Went back?”

She nodded. “I took him to the hotel, he checked in, I walked him to his room and he asked me to stay a while. I went home and showered and went back.”

Justin shook his head. “Why? I mean it's one thing to go
out and have sex with Ray, but this dude is a stranger.”

“Because Justin, he was amazing. Not like Ray, who's just
someone to... This guy was different. It was just an instant attraction, great chemistry, you know? I wanted to spend more time with him.”

“So he came back yesterday?”

Chloe nodded. “Yeah, he came back just to see me.”

“What’s his name? Are you going to see him again?”

Chloebit her lip
.
Should I tell him? Can he keep this secret? Is it a secret? Would John want me telling anyone? Is he telling anyone about me
?
“His name is John.”

“Do you know his last name?”

Chloe rolled her eyes. “Yes, I know his last name.

Bernett
. John Bernett.”

“That sounds familiar. Is he from around here?”

She shook her head. “No. He’s from Nashville and lives in Orlando now.”

“Are you going to see him again?”

Chloe nodded. “I’m going to see him again on October nineteenth, I think.”

“He’s coming here?”

“No, I’m going there.”

“What does
Daniel think about all this?”

“What does it matter what
Daniel thinks?” Chloe asked, offended. “I am an adult.”

Justin pulled a cup out of the dispenser. As he lifted it to the
drink machine, Chloe saw the realization on his face. He shook his head. “Chloe. Not this guy?”

“What’s wrong with that guy?”

He shook his head. “There’s nothing wrong with him. It’s just a little unbelievable, that’s all.”

“Are you calling me a liar?”

Justin held up his hands in defense. “I’m not calling you a liar, Chloe. I’m sorry.” Although his words sounded sincere, his disbelief was obvious.

He doesn’t believe you, stupid. Ha! You’re screwing one
of the most famous celebrities in the world and can’t even brag about it. No one will believe you and it just makes you look crazier.

“I’m not bragging about it,”
Chloe blurted out.

“I didn’t say you were,” Justin argued.

Chloe’s heart was full of rage. “Just leave me alone and don’t talk to me. You’re supposed to be my friend.” She turned and ran out of the restaurant.

When she arrived back home,
Daniel was unpacking his truck. “Hey.”

“Hey,” she grunted. She walked right by him and ran up the
stairs to the apartment. The phone was ringing. She glanced at the caller ID as she picked it up. It was Subway’s number.

“Justin I don’t want to talk to you!” She slammed the

phone down.

“What’s that all about?”
Daniel asked from the doorway.

Chloe
shook her head. “He’s supposed to be my friend and he doesn’t believe me.”

“Believe you about what?”

“John.” Chloe started to sob as she said his name.

“
John? The singer-dude with the Lexus?”

Chloe
nodded. “He was here again this weekend. He stayed right here in this apartment. He came to see me.”

“He was?”
Daniel sounded surprised.

“Yes. He showed up yesterday afternoon. We went to
Gulliver’s Inn. We rented a movie. We slept together in my bed.”

Tension set in
Daniel's jaw. “What did I tell you about him, Chloe?”

Chloe
eyes widened. “You believe me?”

“Yeah. It’s true, right?”

She nodded. “It’s true.”

He sighed. “I don’t like you messing around with him,
Chloe. You’re going to get hurt.”

“He told me I was his girlfriend.”

Daniel shook his head. “Of how many? How many

girlfriends do you think he has?”

Chloe straightened her back and squared her shoulders.

“Just one. Me. That’s it.”

“I hope you’re right.”

Chloe
’s cell phone rang. “That’s probably him,” she said.

She dug it out of her jacket pocket and carried it to her room.

“Hello?”

“Hey, baby girl.”

“Oh John, you’re timing is perfect. I really needed to hear from you right now.”

“What’s wrong? Did something happen?”

She shook her head. “Nothing really. I had a fight with Justin.”

“About
me?”

“Yeah. He didn’t believe me.”

“Did you set him straight?”

“Not really. I don’t care. I know it’s true.” She cleared her
throat. “So how far are you?”

“Oh, I’m about halfway.
You know, I don’t mind driving, but this trip just gets so lonely. I should have made you come with me. Are you sure you’re okay?”

“I’m fine. How often do you make these long trips?”

“Only a few times a year. It’s a good chance to clear my head and think about things.”

“What have you been thinking about?”

“You.”

Chloe
swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat.

“Really?”

“Oh yeah. I can’t quit thinking about you. I wish you were closer to where I have to be, so I could see you whenever I wanted.”

“That would be nice. I counted it up today, and it’s thirty
two more days until we see each other again.”

“That’s a long time. Hey, there’s a birthday party for Mike
on the fifth. Why don’t you come for that? It would give you a chance to meet everyone and I’d get to see you again.”

“I don’t think I can. That’s a Friday. I have to work. I

don’t have any more vacation to take. I’ll have to use it all for the baseball game.”

“Quit your job. Just run away with me.”

Chloe sighed. “I wish I could.”

“How was church this morning?”
John asked. When he was getting ready to leave that morning, Chloe had mentioned something about going to church.

“I didn’t go. I went back to bed for a while.”

“Oh, you didn’t get much sleep last night?”

She smiled. “No, not much. I’ll go to the evening service
tonight. Daniel’s home. I’ll go with him and Rebecca.”

“I’m just goin
g to go home and crash. I’m really tired.”

“What? You didn’t sleep much last night?”

“Not really.” She could tell from his voice that he was smiling. “Listen Chloe, I really want you to think about coming down for that party. I know you said something about work and all, but maybe you could take a sick day or something.

If it’s the money, I’ll reimburse you.”

“Wouldn’t that make me a prostitute?” she joked.

Prostitute, whore, really what’s the difference
?
She shook her head, but the voice didn’t go away. Even as John was speaking, she could hear it mumbling from somewhere inside her head.

“What did you say?” she asked
John, trying hard to

concentrate on only him.

“I said that I wouldn’t tell if you didn’t. It was a joke. Can you hear me? Is my connection bad?”

“Yeah, you’re breaking up.
”
No, you are, crazy.

“Okay then,” he said. “I’ll call you back later. Bye.”

“Bye.” In the bathroom, she opened the medicine cabinet and took two of her pills.

“Was it him?”
Daniel asked.

She nodded and smiled. “It was him.”

“Is it serious? Or is it just sex? I mean, I can understand your attraction to him and your wanting to have sex. I can, and I do.”

“Then what difference does it make? What if it is just for
sex? Maybe we’ve both just found someone who we have amazing sex with and we don’t have to make any commitments.

What would be wrong with that?”

Daniel frowned. “I try real hard not to pry in your life, I do, but I thought you wer
e
seein
g
Ray from time to time.”

She sighed. “Ray wants more from me that I'm willing to
give him. I'm really tired of using him.”

“So you're just doing it for the sex?”

“The sex is good.”

Daniel
shook his head and shifted from one foot to the other. “I just don't want you thinking you have to live up to your reputation. That was so long ago. You're not that person anymore. You told me that you and Eli were going to wait…”

“Eli’s dead!”
Chloeinterrupted
.
Eli died, Eli died, Eli died, you’re a loser.

Daniel
cocked his head to one side. “But wait. It’s not about just sex, though. You said you were his girlfriend.”

Chloe
nodded. “Yeah. He was on his way from Nashville to Orlando. That’s an eleven or twelve hour trip. And he drove two hours out of his way to come and see me again.”

She shook her head. “It can’t be just about sex. He could get
that anywhere.”

“Were you safe?”

She nodded. “Of course”

“Are you seeing him again?”

“I’m going with him to the first game of the World Series.

They’re singing.”

Daniel’s eyes widened. “Wow.” He exhaled loudly, his way of changing the subject. “Go get ready for church.”

John let himself in the back door of the house he shared with Tyler and Tyler’s girlfriend, Christine. They were sitting at the table with an open pizza box between them.

“Hey
John,” they both greeted.

“Pizza?”
Christine offered, waving toward the box.

John
flopped down in the nearest chair. “Thanks, I’m starving.” He picked up a piece of pizza. “It’s so good to be home.”

“I don’t know how you keep making that trip,”
Tyler said.

“Especially alone. I’d just have to fly.”

“It’s not so bad. And sometimes it’s good to be alone. Plus, I had to get the Lexus back here.”

“You going to keep it?”
Tyler asked. “Or you figure it’s about time to trade it in on a new one?”