Walk with Me (BookStrand Publishing Mainstream) (9 page)

The light turns green and as Donovan accelerates, the relaxing music mutes, replaced by a loud telephone ring. Donovan pushes a button on the steering wheel and bids the caller, “Hello?” The computer display on the dashboard reads the name Paul.

“Hey, Donovan, what time did you want to come by the dealership on Sunday with your new squeeze and look at some cars?”

Donovan goes stiff next to me. “I’m not alone in the car, Paul.” Directing his voice to me, he says, “Kenna, this is my cousin, Paul.”

“Hi, Kenna, it’s nice to meet you. Are you the nurse?” Paul asks through the loud speaker. Donovan narrows his eyes at Paul through the dashboard like
cut your crap out or else
. Probably cousins giving each other a hard time.

“No,” I state in a matter-of-fact tone. “I’m not a nurse. I’m a student.” I smile like his comment didn’t even bother me, but again more doubt is placed in my mind. Thanks a lot, used-car guy. Okay. I get it. Donovan is young, good looking, and eligible. He’s had his share of women, but does everyone need to rub my nose in it?

“Oh. I’m sorry,” Paul plays it off. “Donovan doesn’t bring girls home, so I just assumed you were the nurse he was dating.”
Hmm, doesn’t bring girls home
.

“Stop being an ass, Paul. Kenna is looking for a used car, like I told you before, and I thought you may be able to get her a good deal.”

“Right. I’ll be in anytime after ten. Just give me a half-hour warning before you show up.” Paul’s voice becomes more sincere. “Are you guys coming to family dinner, too?”

“No,” Donovan answers hastily. “We have plans later.”

Paul doesn’t seem taken back by Donovan’s quick response. “You know, Donovan, I think your mom is ready for it. Actually, I think it might be good for Connie to see you with someone.”

Donovan shifts his eyes to mine and back to Paul’s voice on the dash. “I’m not one of your sales, Paul, so stop trying to close me.”

“Just think about it.”

I wonder what the little exchange with Paul is about, a bad breakup with a girl who was close to his mom? Or maybe his mom has been bugging him to stop playing the field and fooling around with all those police groupies or patrol bunnies or whatever the hell they are and bring a nice girl home.

“Okay, Paul.” Donovan dismisses his suggestion. “I’ll call you Saturday with the time. See you Sunday. Bye.” Paul barely gets a word out before Donovan hits the red end-call button on the screen and the music returns, filling the car and the silence between us.

Surprisingly, something about this new information puts me at ease. Most girls would be leery of a guy with potential family issues, but for this girl with a whole boatload, Donovan appears closer to my level.

“What are you thinking?” Donovan asks softly, bringing me from my reverie.

Damn, caught analyzing him
. I can’t let him know what my sick mind is thinking, wishing he is less perfect than he appears.

“I was wondering if tonight’s event is what my prom would have been like.” I quickly cover my thoughts.

“You didn’t go to your prom either? We can make up for it together, make tonight our special prom night. What do you say?”

My smile spreads so wide my cheeks tighten. “I like that idea. Our special prom night.” I reach over, taking his hand in mine, and hold it tightly on the center console.

“Is Paul your only cousin?”

“No. I have three cousins from my mom’s side. They are all older than me but we’ve all grown up together and we’re the only family we have in California. My aunt died from cancer three years ago and Uncle Jean followed her six months later. My cousins come over practically every Sunday for a family dinner.” He stops, pulling his hand from mine, and signals to change lanes.

With his hand gone, mine is now cold and empty, and I want his back filling the void. When Donovan seems situated with the lane change, he returns his hand to mine.

“Tell me about your other cousins.”

“Paul is the oldest and you know that he works at the car dealership. Then there is Sarah. She is the middle child, an attorney. She’s been married for about four years now and has a two-year-old little girl with her husband. And then there is the baby, Mark, he’s the closest to me in age. Mark is an accountant.” Donovan pauses. He seems to be deliberating about something, like he wants to say more. “That’s pretty much it. We are all we’ve got here and we try to support and help each other out wherever we can.”

* * * *

We pull up to the valet line at the hotel and leave our car with the attendant. Donovan, in an old-fashioned gesture, gives me his elbow to hold onto as we make our way through the interior of the hotel. He leads me to the banquet rooms where we check in and are handed raffle tickets for betting. Tonight’s theme is Casino Night, and the banquet room next to the dining room is outfitted with roulette, blackjack, and craps tables, how I would picture a Vegas Casino.

The room is alive with excitement, with hooting and cheering at the gambling tables. Guests in tuxes and elegant formal gowns are milling around the parameter and by the two free-standing bars in the back corners. I don’t think my prom would have been this professional. I feel so grown up.

“What do you want to drink?” Donovan leans toward me and whisper shouts.

“I’ll have whatever you’re having.”

Donovan smiles reassuringly at me and points around the room. “The tables lining the walls are filled with silent auction items. Why don’t you start looking at the items in the back corner and see if there’s anything you want to bid on? I’ll get our drinks and meet up with you.”

As I walk toward the back corner of the room, I weave carefully through the growing crowds around the gaming tables. I barely pass one table before cheering erupts and players throw their hands up in excitement, almost knocking me over. Lining the back walls are long tables covered in white cloth and adorned with wrapped baskets of goodies and clipboards describing gifts to bid on. The first table is restaurant gift certificates. The Lobster Seafood Restaurant for one hundred dollars, starting bid at twenty five dollars—still too rich for my poor student’s blood.

“Excuse me,” one older woman says, leaning over to sign her name on the clipboard.

I step aside. She obviously can tell I’m not in the financial position to afford to bid on this item or any others.

The next table over has spa packages, hotel rooms, and vacations. Who are these people? They can’t all be cops.

Donovan steps to my right and hands me a sparkling water with lime. “See anything you like?”

“Yeah, there are a lot of things I like, just nothing I can afford.”

“Keep looking. You never know what you’ll see. If you time it right, you can swoop in at the last minute and outbid everyone and still get a good deal.”

I peer up from the table of goodies to Donovan. “Have you attended this banquet before?” I thought this was his first year on the job.

“Only as a cadet.” He points to younger attendees wearing a brown Santa Monica Police uniform at the entrance. “It was fun to watch the guests get lit and loose with their money. Usually, the more they drink the more they spend.”

We stroll side by side, sipping our drinks and scanning the items. The murmur in the room has risen exponentially since our arrival. A couple to our left, impatient with our slow pace, skips over us and continues down the length of the room.

“Should we see where our table is and snag a good seat?”

“That’s a good idea. Maybe we’ll see Danielle and Tyler. They should be here by now.”

Donovan waves his hand, motioning for me to go first. Traversing the packed room, making my way toward the exit, I have a sixth-sense feeling that someone is watching me. I look to the left and catch a glimpse of an elegantly dressed young woman with an impeccable blonde updo standing at the bar. The expression on her face raises chills on my bare arms. Her eyes dart between Donovan and me, shooting daggers toward me every time they fall back in my direction.

I’m just about to turn back to Donovan and ask who she is, when Danielle startles me.

“Hey, guys. Some shindig, huh?”

I whip my head back to the front, released from the disturbing stare of the young blonde. “Oh my gosh, it’s over the top,” I say to Danielle and Tyler, forcing a smile back on my face. “I’ve never been to anything like this. Have you?”

“The Elks does an annual charity auction every year, but it’s nothing like this,” Danielle says. “But Tyler grew up going to these things frequently. Didn’t you?” She looks up to Tyler.

Tyler speaks in a dismissive tone. “My dad’s firm usually buys a table at the Red Cross event every year and it’s held here at the Miramar. I think this was the same theme last year.”

“What does your dad do?”

“He’s a partner in an entertainment law firm—a desk jockey. Not my sort of thing.”

Donovan steps forward so he doesn’t have to yell over the crowd. “We’re just about to put our stuff down at the table and mark our spots. Do you want to come with us and pick your seats? I think we’re sitting at the same table.”

I fall behind with Danielle as we follow the boys to the table in the next banquet room. I speak softly to Danielle. “Who are all of these people here? They can’t all be cops and their wives?”

“The majority are cops with their wives or girlfriends, but Tyler told me some are city council members, attorneys for the city, or just other people who might work with the police department.”

Donovan and Tyler find our table in the back of the room. A podium and projector screen is to the right and the DJ is setting up his equipment by the dance floor to the left.

“There’s dancing, too?” I wonder if my new shoes will be a problem.

Donovan follows my eyes to the DJ. “Looks like it. Should we get back before the silent auction closes?”

“Yeah. I haven’t even had a chance to look at what’s up for bid,” Danielle says.

“You may have to take a student loan out to afford some of the items, but it’s fun to see how the other half lives.” I place my program on the table and follow the group out.

I watch the boys play blackjack at the table and Danielle and I mill around the silent auction items until we’re called to dinner. Before the dinner service begins we stand for the Pledge of Allegiance and follow the monsignor from St. Monica’s in a silent prayer. The emcee for tonight’s event is a local newscaster, Christine Heavenly, and she efficiently moves the presentation of awards along while we eat.

The most moving award was for a detective of crimes against women and children. He received the Award of Merit for pursuing leads to catch the rapist of a sixteen-year-old.

The father spoke briefly. “I’d like to offer my family’s heartfelt appreciation for your unyielding efforts to catch the offender who stole my daughter’s innocence. The efforts by Officer Ramirez and The Rape Treatment Center here in Santa Monica have given us closure, allowing us to move forward in the healing process. Thank you.”

I don’t think a dry eye was left in the room after everyone heard the poor innocent girl’s story. The efforts by strangers who didn’t even know her or her family moved me deeply. The act by the officer to fight on her behalf, to defend her honor by seeking and bringing her attacker to justice is something I never had in my own childhood.

Fortunately, the next award is lighter, ending the award ceremony on a happier note. The DJ starts the dancing with an upbeat song and a few couples brave the dance floor.

Donovan leans over to me, his warm breath stroking my ear and awakening my senses. “I’m going to go next door and check if I won something I bid on. Do you want to stay here?”

“No, I’ll go with you.” I turn to Danielle. “I’m going with Donovan to check on an auction item.”

Danielle nods and shouts back over the music. “Okay, I think we’re going to dance a little and then go back to the room.”

Donovan guides me next door with his hand grazing my lower back, exciting the sleeping butterflies in my stomach. The physical contact between us tonight has been minimal in this public setting. Plus, the new experience for me is overwhelming, keeping my mind elsewhere.

Checking in with the person in charge of the silent auction, Donovan pays for his winning bid and we turn to leave the room.

“What’d you bid on?” I’m curious because I don’t remember seeing him write his name down for anything.

“It’s a gift certificate for skiing or boarding lessons in Mammoth.” Donovan shows me the card.

“You ski?”

“Yeah, not very well, but I like to go a few times during the winter.”

In the quiet of the hall, Donovan stops and with a sober face and tone speaks, carefully choosing his words. “Kenna, I want to talk to you about something.”

I’m a little confused and scared by his words. Usually, the “I want to talk to you” statement leads to bad things. Maybe he’s ready to tell me about the issue with his mom or the interaction with Paul got his wheels turning. He is acting like a boyfriend with helping me buy a car and he could be having second thoughts. I’m the one to cool down a fast-moving pace like this, but the idea of a boyfriend may not be so bad after all.