Running Away With You (Running #3) (57 page)

“You want to know if I filed a paternity suit,” Evan guesses. 

“I think we’re all more than a little curious.  Would you be willing to share the results with us here tonight?” Joey asks.  “Maybe once the truth is out there, things will quiet down.”

“I just got word during the commercial break that the test results are being given to all the parties involved, and by the time this airs, we’ll all know the truth.”

“And?  Do you know the results?”

“As a matter of fact, I do. I hope and pray that when the press finds out that I am
not
Kai’s father, they will leave him alone, once and for all.  The Keilani family has been through enough with the loss of their daughter.  Adam and Laci’s family need time to come to terms with the news and figure out where to go from here.”

Joey asks Evan to clarify. “So are you saying that Adam Cooke is the father?  Is it official?”

“Yes, I am.  Adam and I spoke at length before coming here today.  He knows that the results will become public at some point.  No matter what the results were, we agreed to share them tonight with you, Joey.”

“I’m sure everyone here agrees with me when I offer my congratulations to both families.”

The audience breaks into applause.

“We’re going to take a break, and when we return, your fiancée Juliette is going to join us.  I hope you’ll stay a little longer,” he asks Evan.

“Of course.”

And when the band starts playing their music, signaling the beginning of another commercial break, why does their song sound more like a funeral march?

A Loose Cannon

P
arker leads me behind the stage and down a narrow hallway.  Cindy Lou is waiting for me there, behind the curtain.  A few quick sweeps with her makeup brush and styling comb, and she pronounces me ready.  Parker tries to go over a few tips with me, but my ears begin ringing loudly, silencing all other sounds around me.  All I can think about is how the moment that curtain opens, I’ll be in front of a crowd, cameras, and the entire late-night television-viewing world.

Stepping closer to the curtain makes my breathing rapid and shallow.  I can feel my pulse pounding in my temples. Between the high heels and my legs shaking, I’m afraid I’ll trip and make a complete fool of myself. 

And then I hear Joey calling my name as the curtains open, and I feel myself, as if in a dream, moving forward and making my way to center stage. I grab Joey’s outstretched hand as he pulls me in for a welcoming hug.  Over his shoulder, I spot Evan waiting for me on the sofa.  Awkwardly, I put one foot in front of the other until I’m sitting next to Evan. 

“Juliette, before I say anything else, my wife Maggie wants me to remind you that you still owe her a shoe-shopping trip.  What is it about women and shoe shopping?  I don’t understand how you can make an entire daylong experience out of it.  It boggles the mind.”  The audience politely laughs along with him.

My mouth is now as dry as sawdust.  I swallow hard and try to find something amusing to say.  “Um, please apologize for me.  I’ve been a little tied up with Evan’s games, running a restaurant, and being questioned by the police and all.”  This gets a big laugh from the audience.  Evan places his arm across the back of my chair, and I can feel his strength pouring into my veins.  My breathing slows down just enough that I can think clearly again.

Joey begins the interview slowly, easing me into it.  He starts with a safe topic – my restaurant.  “Now, I know you’re a professional pastry chef and I’ve had the pleasure of sampling your famous cheesecake, but is it true that you’re also a bartender?”

Thank goodness he starts with a question I can answer easily.  “I am, although I much prefer the title mixologist.  Did you know that the right drink can enhance a dining experience and the wrong drink can ruin an entire meal? That’s why two different people can have two completely opposite opinions about the same meal. There’s a science behind pairings, and at Rush we take that mission very seriously.” 

He goes on to ask if I ever get any strange drink requests.  I rack my brain for something appropriate to say on television.  “Well, Joey, I don’t think I can say some of the names here on television.”

“No, we definitely don’t want that – this is a family show.  Can you think of just one unusual drink order?” he pushes.

“Last week we had a bachelorette party come through the bar.  They wanted to do shots of Slippery Panties,” I tell him.

“That’s can’t possibly be a real drink,” he challenges me.

“Unfortunately, it is,” I correct him.

“The hardest part of your job must be trying to figure out who’s drunk and who’s just plain stupid,” Joey remarks.

“Oh, I’ve had my fair share of stupid,” I tell him.  “Not just at work, but in my personal life too.”

“Are you referring to anyone in particular?” Joey asks.

Here we go.  I swallow hard.  “I guess I’m mostly thinking about myself.  I stayed in relationships much longer than I should have.  I got myself mixed up in circumstances that could have been easily avoided.  I was very young and extremely stupid.” 

I keep my legs and arms crossed to keep them from shaking. My stomach seems to have its own pulse.  Evan tries to reassure me by squeezing my shoulder, but it’s no use.  I’m in the deep end of the pool now.

“I think I speak for most of our audience when I tell you that we can all relate to that.  But your last relationship went beyond what most of us would consider typical relationship drama.  Isn’t that right?” 

I look over at Evan and he nods, urging me on.

“Way beyond,” I tell him.  “My college boyfriend, David, turned into my worst nightmare.  He was a computer engineering and design major, so there were always lots of computers and devices scattered around his room.  He took advantage of my trust and set up one of his video cameras to record some of our more intimate moments.”  The audience gasps.  “I had no idea.  I never, ever would have consented to participating in anything like that.”

“How did you first find out?” Joey asks gently.

“It was a little over a month ago.  It was becoming clear that Evan would be making it to the playoffs, and I thought everything was perfect.  I should have known better.  My ex sent me a package – an envelope, actually – with a copy of pictures I never even knew existed.”

“Take us back to that moment when you first saw those images.  How did you feel?”

“I felt so betrayed.  This was not some random guy.  This was someone I thought I loved.  I still can’t believe he would do something like that to me. This was not something I planned.  It wasn’t something I wanted to do.  I was ashamed, embarrassed, and horrified.”

Behind the cameraman, I can see the audience listening intently to every word I say.  Their faces are filled with empathy, not the judgment and malevolence I feared.

“Do you know why he sent them to you?” prompts Joey delicately.

“I do.”  I reach over and take Evan’s hand in mine.  “He knew I would do anything to keep this out of the news.  I thought Evan needed to keep his mind on football, at least until after the season ended.  I tried to hide it from everyone, so I agreed to give him money to keep it quiet.”

“Oh, no,” Joey sympathizes.  “Forgive me for asking, but why didn’t you just report it to the police?”

“Believe me, I wish I had.  But he threatened to release the tapes if I did.  I naïvely thought that if I did what he asked, he would go away and no one would ever find out.”  I take a long, deep breath.  “It’s beyond humiliating.  There are no words to describe the shame and horror I feel just talking about it now.”

“I’m curious, Juliette.  Why now?  Why here?  What makes you willing to discuss this openly with me tonight?” Joey asks.

“As you know, David is now missing and presumed dead.  The police brought me in for questioning, and when they released me, the press was everywhere. By remaining quiet now, it would be like I was admitting to the lies and theories being printed.”

“There’s been a lot of speculation about your involvement.  Of course, the police aren’t saying much, but is it safe to assume that you were questioned about David’s disappearance?”

“Yes, I was.  They searched my house too.  I told them everything I know, which isn’t much.  I have no idea what happened to him.  All I know for sure is that I had nothing to do with it.”  I try to hold back the emotions that churn just below the surface, but a lone tear slides down my cheek.  I reach up to quickly erase it, and Joey hands me a tissue.

Evan interrupts to speak on my behalf.  “I want to be perfectly clear so that there are no misunderstandings when we leave here tonight.  The Sentinels require extensive security when we travel.  Our hotels must have integrated security and surveillance systems.  On the night of the alleged murder, Juliette was a guest at the Conrad Hotel and Resort.  They have cameras that run continuously on every floor of the hotel.  By viewing those tapes, they tracked her every move.  Juliette never left the hotel until early the next day.  The police know it, and that’s why they released her.”  He speaks with such clarity and conviction, it’s hard not to be swayed by his words.

“I have to say, Juliette, that I am in awe of your strength in coming here and talking about this in such a public way.  Giving your experience a voice, setting the record straight, and speaking out is so important, especially for all the other people in a similar situation out there listening tonight.”

“The only way I’m able to do this is with the love and support of my fiancé, my friends, and my family.”  Evan places a gentle kiss on the top of my hand.

“Speaking of which, we haven’t heard any wedding news lately.  Have the two of you set a date yet?  And let me just say that the answer better be no, because I haven’t received my invitation yet,” Joey teases.

“Well, we had a date set.  The invitations were about to be printed, but with everything going on, we’ve decided to postpone,” I explain, smiling proudly at my future husband. 

“But when we do pick a new date, I promise you’ll be among the first to know,” Evan tells him. 

W
e finish taping early, and by seven we’re pulling up to Evan’s parents’ home.  My mother is here, too.  I spot her car sitting in the driveway the moment we arrive.  I’m so very lucky to have so many people who still care about me.  I haven’t seen my mother or Evan’s since this all began.

“Juliette, sweetie, would you like some potato pancakes?” my mother asks as she passes the overflowing plate to me.  It’s my absolute favorite comfort food, and no one knows that better than my mom.  I take enough to guarantee that I’ll need an extra long workout tomorrow, but it’s completely worth it.

I load my plate with pot roast, potato pancakes, fresh applesauce, and homemade brown gravy.  I don’t think I’ve eaten this well since Christmas.  Everyone around me must agree, because the heavier my plate gets, the bigger their smiles become.

“Evan, tell us about today,” his mother asks as she passes the food around the table.  “Did everything go as planned?”

“It did,” Evan readily admits as he fills his plate higher and higher.  “In fact, Juliette and I have an announcement to make.”

All eyes are suddenly on us.  “Is it the wedding?” Callie asks enthusiastically.  “It better not be too soon, because I have so many flowers to order and all kinds of arrangements to make.”

“No, not yet.  But I’ll keep your schedule in mind when we do decide,” he teases.

“Did you get word on the Pro Bowl?” John asks.  “They aren’t supposed to announce the picks for a few more weeks.”

“If you would all just let us tell you, we could stop this guessing game.  My paternity tests results arrived today.” 

“I was right, wasn’t I?” Jill demands.

Evan looks at his mother, smiles, and winks.

“I knew it!”  Callie jumps up from her seat and runs over to Evan, throwing her arms around her not-so-little brother and hugging him with all her might.

“Would one of you please explain to the rest of us poor saps what’s going on?” Callie’s husband Dean begs.

“I’d like to know too,” my mother agrees.

“I know when you become a father you’re supposed to pass out cigars, but what do you do when you find out you’re
not
the father?” Evan proposes to our little group.