Diamonds and Dreams (8 page)

“I
still think about Constance from time to time,”
Rafe
said solemnly.
 
“She was a special person
that didn’t deserve to die so young.
 
If
I could’ve helped her, I would have because I owed her a lot.”

“Really?”
 
Lindsay became further interested.

“In
high school, as I said earlier, I was captain of the football team.
 
When my grades slipped, the coach threatened
to kick me off the team unless my academic skills improved.
 
Connie agreed to tutor me on her lunch
hours.
 
If it hadn’t been for her, I
might have failed, and certainly wouldn’t have been able to become a star
player on the team.
 
She inspired
me…boosted my confidence…encouraged me so I went on to succeed.”

Their
reminiscent stories about Connie caused grief to fill Lindsay’s heart again,
but she did her best to hide her emotions.
 
She regarded each of them, taking in everything about their expressions.
 
Why was she stung by the suspicion that one
of these three people knew more than they told about Connie’s death?
 
She once read somewhere that people who were
extremely close were often tuned into one another’s inner feelings, almost like
they possessed ESP.
 
Her relationship
with Connie had been this way.
 
Perhaps
this was why she thought she could detect tension and the hidden truth in
either Ariel
, Nicole, or
Rafe
now.

The
sight of Brant walking toward her temporarily made her feel better.
 
“Come sit with me,” he invited.
 
“We have time to relax now that everyone
seems busy enjoying themselves.”

Everyone
but me,
she thought gloomily,
but I might as well
try to have a little fun.

“Why do you look so melancholy, Lindsay?
 
Are you uncomfortable here?
 
I’ll get you a ‘mystery drink’ and maybe it
will cheer you up.”

“A mystery drink?
 
What’s that?”

He
shrugged.
 
“We’ll find out.”

“Sorry,
but I don’t feel daring tonight.
 
Get the
mystery drink for yourself and order a Coke for me.”

“So
you want me to be the guinea pig?
 
All right.”

A
dark-eyed, dark-skinned young woman who was stunningly beautiful appeared,
dressed in a long grass skirt and wearing flowers in her black hair like the
other waitresses.
 
“What would you like?”

“Coca-Cola
for my lady and the mystery drink for me.”

The
waitress giggled.
 
“Yes,
sir.
 
Be right back!”

“What
did I say that was so funny?” he whispered to Lindsay when the waitress left.

Shortly
she returned with a Coke and a tall glass of luau watermelon punch on a
tray.
 
She gave the cola to Lindsay, and
then after she set the other glass in front of Brant, she bent and kissed him
on the cheek.

“Thanks!
 
But what was the kiss for?” he asked her.

“It’s
the mystery that goes along with the drink you ordered.”

Lindsay
felt the sudden urge to slap her when she flirted so brazenly with Brant, but
she didn’t give away her feelings and remained in control.
 
The next few hours passed slowly.
 
At last, the party ended.
 
She stood beside Brant at the door as they
bid goodnight to the guests that lingered there long after the reunion
ended.
 
Watching
Rafe
leave, then Ariel and Nicole, she felt again the nagging doubts inside her that
made her believe one of them knew information regarding how and why her sister
died.
 
Yet she’d been unable to find out
if, indeed, one of Connie’s former classmates hid important facts about her
sister.

“Now
that it’s time to go home, was the evening really so painful?” Brant asked.

“Yes.
 
It really was.”

But I
don’t have to relive the tragedy now that the reunion’s over,
she
thought, emotionally exhausted.
 
After a
good night’s sleep, Connie would return to where she belonged—in the past.

CHAPTER
SIX

Lindsay
and Brant became constant companions on and off the air.
 
Being together with him, she found, provided
the precious final ingredient her life needed to become complete.
 
Brant revealed that he felt the same
way.
 
“Before I met you, I began to think
all the honest women became extinct,” he told her one evening after they
finished their program.
 
“I’m delighted
you proved me wrong.”

“You’re
delighted?
 
Even when
we argue over how to go about doing things regarding our show?”

“Especially then.
 
You exhaust my patience sometimes when you
refuse to bow to my wishes, but that keeps me on my toes.
 
Anyway, many of your ideas are good.
 
Like the time you organized the fund-raiser
and teenagers helped you to raise money for the burn unit of the local
children’s hospital by offering their services out for a work day.”

Reflecting
on the situation, she beamed.
 
It was
wonderful that he appreciated her professional talents as well as her personal
traits.

One
afternoon when she sat, reading emails, at her desk, and looking over
listeners’ song requests, Brant told her “
Desi
wants
to see us.”

“What
does he want this time?”

“I
have no idea, but he looked serious when he told me to bring you and meet him
at the office.”

“
Desi
always looks serious when he wants to discuss our
program.”

“This
time he seemed bothered.
 
I hope he
doesn’t have bad news.”

Seeing
the tiny lines of his eyes and mouth, she realized that Brant was really
worried.
 
Maybe I should be, too,
she thought.

Desi
gave them the bad news.
 
“You’ll both participate in a contest that
entails going out and meeting listeners as well as making more public
appearances.
 
Listener votes will determine
the winner.”

Brant
frowned.
 
“You’re forcing us, the weekend
team, to compete against each other?”

“I’m
afraid so.”
 
Desi
took off his glasses and cleaned
them,
a habit which
Lindsay noticed he usually resorted to whenever he found himself in
uncomfortable situations.

“Which
of the other radio personalities will be involved in this contest?” she wanted
to know.

“None.”

“Only Brant and me?
 
But why?”

“You
said Lindsay and I are a great team,” Brant reminded him.

“True,
but now it’s necessary to have this contest, even if the station didn’t cut
back on funding.
 
Please don’t ask
questions.
 
Just trust my judgment.
 
I’m doing what’s best to maintain our high
ratings.”
 
Desi
passed a set of papers to Lindsay and another to Brant.
 
“Here’s the list of rules and more details
about the contest that begins tomorrow.
 
Good luck.
 
You may leave now.”

“Wait
a minute!
 
What does the winner get?”
Brant inquired.

“To
keep the position you now have here at WBKB.”

“And the loser?”

Desi
pointed a finger toward the street
below the window.
 
“The loser must look
for another job.
 
Sorry to break the news
to you so bluntly, but I want you both to understand.
 
The station
must
make cuts or it won’t survive!”

“Unfortunately,
we do understand,” Brant spoke sharply while Lindsay felt like
Desi
slapped her face.

In
the hall Lindsay met Brant’s concerned gaze.
 
“I didn’t expect this.”

“Me, either.
 
Promise me something, Lindsay.”

“What?”

“That
you won’t let the contest destroy our personal relationship.”

“I’ll
try,” she vowed, “but that might not be easy.”

“Nothing
worth having ever comes easily.
 
You’re
the most important person in my life, and I don’t want to lose you over some
ridiculous contest.”

“You
won’t.”
 
Yet she knew the contest would
add pressure and test their loyalty to one another.

A
new Columbus shopping mall opened several days later and the weekend team
traveled there for the ribbon cutting ceremony.
 
While Brant spoke with the mall manager, Lindsay noticed
Rafe
Wagner as he sauntered toward her.

“Hello,
Rafe
.”

His
eyes sparkled merrily and the corners of his mouth tugged slightly upward as he
joined her.
 
“What a nice surprise to see
you again so soon, Lindsay.”

“Like
the new mall?”

“It’s
convenient, especially the computer store.”
 
He held up a large bag full of software he purchased.
 
The bag wasn’t strong enough to hold them all
so it split and his items tumbled to the slate floor.

As
Lindsay knelt to help him pick up his things, she saw a list of e-book
titles:
 
All
About
Reincarnation
.
 
Life
After Death: Is It Possible?
 
Ghosts:
 
Are They Real?
 

“That’s
some serious reading you’re doing,” she observed.
 
“You’ve changed…matured into a more studious
or spiritual type since your wild ways in high school, haven’t you?”

“Absolutely!”
 
He nodded a silent greeting toward Brant, who returned and stood by
Lindsay now.
 
“I lived recklessly, but I
lost many friends back then because I was irresponsible.
 
I’ve gone through sheer agony to become the
man I am today and to block out the memories of my impulsive teenage years.”

“Good
for you,
Rafe
.”

“Lindsay,
it’s time for us to leave,” Brant interrupted, stepping away from them.
 
“
Desi
wants a full
report of today’s activities when we reach the station.”

“I’ll
be ready to go shortly.”
 
She faced
Rafe
again.
 
“If
you’re ever near WBKB, stop in and see us.
 
Maybe you could join Brant and me for a late dinner some evening.”

“I’d
like that.
 
Goodbye.”

As
soon as
Rafe
left, Brant asked, “Why’d you do that?”

“What?”

“Invite
Rafe
to socialize with us.”

“I
was only being polite.
 
He’s hurting
about something, Brant.
 
I can tell.
 
My guess is that he suffered some sort of
tragic loss similar to my grief over my sister’s death.”

“Why
do you think so?”

“He
goes out of his way to be friendly, like he’s desperate for people’s approval,
and there are shadows of sadness in his eyes.”

“Don’t
be a fool, honey.
 
Rafe
probably concocted a sympathetic situation to gain your faith in him.
 
It’s obvious to me by the way his gaze
lingered on you that he’s infatuated with you.
 
You’d be safer trusting a cat to deliver a mouse than to trust
Rafe
.”

Her
eyes narrowed and her mouth twitched.
 
“I
resent you calling me a fool.
 
And I
don’t think
Rafe
is attracted to me at all.
 
He may be lonely…need a friend, someone to
talk to, but not someone to date.
 
During
his school days
Rafe
Wagner was always well accepted
by his peers.
 
Now he seems like a
loner.
 
He probably reached out to me
because he senses I care about people.”