Duchess (12 page)

“Who do you think you are?” The young man stepped closer, and Katie had to look up to glare at him.

“Yo, Katie!” Chase stepped next to her, and suddenly, she felt safe. “I hate to break this up, honey, but my parole officer gets cranky if I don’t show up on time.”

Katie stopped glaring at the young punk in front of her to goggle at Chase. What was he doing?

“Oh, hi. I’m … Bob.” Chase stuck his hand out to the man, who looked at him strangely. He glanced at the upper part of Chase’s left arm. Katie couldn’t help but look over too, and her eyes bugged out when she saw a partial tattoo showing from under his sleeve. Why had she never noticed that before? “Is anything wrong?” His T-shirt suddenly seemed tighter, like he was flexing his muscles. Whatever he was doing seemed to have the desired effect.

“No, nothing’s wrong.” The young man stepped back toward his truck. “I’m just trying to pump my gas and get out of here.”

“Good idea.” Chase looked at Katie before continuing, “What do you say we do the same thing? I don’t want to have to go back to the slammer over gas.”

Katie narrowed her eyes at him, but could see what he was doing. She was torn between just going with it or making her point with this young jerk. Just as she was going to tell Chase to back off, she felt his arm snake around her shoulders as he pulled her close to him, causing all her thoughts to flee.

“Besides,” he continued, “I’d rather spend my time with you, babe.” He winked at her, and Katie realized she should say something.

“Of course,
honey bunches
!” She put emphasis on the last part. “We wouldn’t want you to be late. Besides, this guy doesn’t deserve a bloody nose.”

Katie let Chase guide her over to the car, and he opened the door. “Wait. I didn’t pump the gas yet.”

“I did it while you were busy causing problems,” he answered as he gently shoved her toward the car.

Sitting down, she waited for Chase to get in before starting the engine. “Well,
Bob
, that was quite the performance.”

“My performance?” he shot back. “What about you? Were you trying to get yourself killed? You must not have lived in L.A. very long. That was something Duchess would do, not you. I thought you were smarter than that.”

The heat in his voice took her by surprise, though not as much as the words themselves. He was right. She was acting like Duchess. What if he guessed the truth? The record label wouldn’t hesitate to throw her mother out of the state-of-the-art hospital she was in. What was she thinking?

“You’re right,” Katie admitted, though not for the reasons Chase thought. “That was dumb. Let’s get out of here.” Pulling away from the gas station, Katie wondered what had caused that outburst. She knew better than to let a little annoyance bother her. Her mother would be so disappointed right now.

Her blood grew cold as she thought about her mother still lying in the hospital. The doctors continued to tell Katie how grave the situation was, but she refused to give up. Pushing those thoughts aside, she made a vow for the third time that day to close off all emotion.

Chapter Fourteen

“Where are we going?” Chase decided to change the subject. He didn’t think he could talk about what just happened without getting irritated. At first, it had been humorous to watch Katie lose her temper, but when the young driver had stepped toward her like he was going to hit her …well, Chase was just glad he’d kept his wits enough to talk them out of the situation, though all he really wanted to do was punch the guy.

“I thought we would check out the Wiltern first. It’s not huge, but it’s a pretty nice venue,” Katie answered, subdued.

“Fine,” he said curtly as he scrubbed at the tattoo he’d drawn on with a Sharpie. Katie started to smile at his actions until his glare wiped it off her face.

They sat in silence for the rest of the drive.

They got out at the Wiltern. It looked big enough. When they went inside and he saw the chandeliers, ornamental columns, and paintings, he couldn’t help but ask, “This is the cheap one?”

“Not really,” she answered, “but this one was close. I figured we should give it a chance.”

Chase shook his head. “Nope.”

“Why not? You didn’t even look at the stage yet.”

“I don’t have to. It’s too fancy.” Chase turned to leave.

“What do you mean, it’s too fancy? Duchess has played here before. It’s fine.”

“The charity is for veterans, right?” Chase stopped and faced her. She nodded. “Well, veterans are simple people. Give us our freedom and the right to bear arms, and we’re happy. We aren’t really the chandelier type. We don’t need fancy stages—just give us good, meaningful music that reminds us what we fought for.”

“But the concert will be attended by people who do want those things. If you want to make money, you need to cater to the type of people who will drop a wad for a ticket. That’s how it works.” Katie put her hands on her hips.

“So we aren’t even thinking about the people the concert is for? Shouldn’t we make sure the event represents the people it will benefit? I don’t want to turn it into something like that charity event the other night. Half the people were just there to be seen. Did anyone really care what it was for?”

“I cared!” Katie’s passionate reply reminded him that the black-tie affair had been to raise money for cancer research for people like her mother.

“I’m sorry, Katie. That’s not what I meant.”

“What did you want them to do? Have people walking around in hospital gowns, pushing IV poles? Their hair could fall out as they went, and then everyone would know what they were paying for. Is that what you wanted?” He shook his head, and Katie continued. “Forgive me if I think it’s all right to cater to the people who donate money to things like cancer research. And if I have to turn the concert into a black-tie affair to get money for veterans who barely escaped, I will, because this concert will give them the building they need to move on with their lives. Lives that people like my brother will never have.” She choked on a sob and turned her head to the side.

“Katie.” He stopped. What could he say? He was one of those people who had survived while her brother had lost his life, though how many times had he counted those who died the lucky ones? He had only to look at the tear-streaked face in front of him to know who the real victims were.

He put his finger under her chin and turned her face back to him. She looked at him, defiant. He stared into her watery eyes, searching for the right thing to say.

“Let’s get out of here.” He smiled and watched her lips twitch upwards.

She stepped back and wiped her face with the back of her hand. “Fine. There are a couple more places close by.”

Neither one brought up the Wiltern again as they drove to the next venue. Chase was careful this time not to be as vocal about his opinions. He only shook his head, and she agreed. The next two venues went much the same way. Chase wondered if they would ever find the right place as a gnawing feeling in his stomach reminded him that he hadn’t eaten in a while.

“Let’s get lunch.” Chase didn’t know how she could go so long without eating. “At this rate, I’ll starve if we wait till we find the perfect venue before we take a break.”

Katie looked at him for a moment, then got a gleam in her eye that made him nervous. “I have an idea. Come on.”

He followed her to the car and kept quiet as she drove through Kentucky Fried Chicken and got a bucket, then headed toward the freeway.

“Will you tell me where we’re going?”

“Nope.” She smiled mysteriously.

Chase liked it when she smiled, but he groaned when she turned into the Hollywood Bowl parking lot. “Really? I thought we were going to take a break.”

“Trust me,” she said as she parked the car and picked up the bucket of chicken. “Let’s go.”

It took Chase a little longer to get out of the car. She headed toward the stadium and he tried to hurry, but going uphill with a prosthetic leg could be a little tricky. He took it slow, and Katie had to wait for him to catch up.

“What’s wrong, old man? Can’t keep up?” she teased him.

“Sure I can. I just wanted you to lead the way.”

Chase looked around. There was a museum at the front part of the parking area, and a concrete structure containing stairs and bathrooms ran parallel to the stadium. He also noticed there weren’t any gates to keep people out. 

“Why isn’t this place locked up?” Chase asked.

“Because it’s more than a stadium. It’s a historical landmark.” Katie pointed to a group of people wandering around the stage. “They even have tour guides who will tell you all about the history of the bowl.”

“Do we need a tour guide?”

“Nope. That’s why you have me.” She gave him a crooked smile that made it difficult to focus on the stadium. He pulled his attention away from her to look at the magnificent venue before him.

The place was amazing. Hills and trees surrounded an arch-like shell that covered the stage. The stadium seating was built right into the side of a mountain, using the landscape to make the ultimate stadium.

“Come on. The best view is from up there.” Katie pointed to the very top. 

He looked at the stairs that went up and up, and felt his heart drop. He worked out every day, but he’d never tried a hike like that before.

After the first few flights of stairs, he could only concentrate on putting one foot in front of the other. The nerves at the bottom of his stump were on fire. He tried not to wince with every step. Clenching his jaw at the pain, he finally reached the top, where Katie had taken one of the seats and set out the food. He was definitely ready to eat. He reached out for a piece of chicken, and she smacked his hand.

“What?” he asked innocently.

“First, look at the view.”

“I am,” he said as he looked at her.

Her face flushed red. “Over there.” She pointed toward the stage, and he turned to look in that direction.

“Wow!” He didn’t know what else to say. He’d seen pictures of the Hollywood Bowl before, but for some reason, he’d never actually been there. The white shell over the stage looked just like that, a shell, though the ridges ran horizontally and not vertically. But the stage wasn’t what took his breath away. The rolling green hills surrounding the stage were majestic. In the distance, he could see the city, and even the Hollywood sign. Somehow there was blue sky that day, with white fluffy clouds. Such a change from the smoggy, overcast weather normally experienced in southern California.

He let himself drop onto the stadium seat behind him as he released a deep sigh.

“Beautiful, right?” Katie asked as she handed him a paper plate with the piece of chicken she’d knocked out of his hand earlier.

“It’s perfect.”

Chase was quiet as he took a bite of his chicken. The juices dribbled down his chin, and for a moment he forgot all about the concert and just enjoyed the fact that he was eating food in a place that could only be described as peaceful.

“Do you know what history is right here in this little canyon? In 1918, a group of art enthusiasts from Hollywood formed an association, and they began to look for the perfect place to have concerts that everyone could enjoy. When they found this canyon—it was called Daisy Canyon at the time—they were taken by the natural acoustics and bowl shape. By 1920, a makeshift stage was built, and ever since, magnificent music and shows have been played here.”

Chase watched as her face lit up, and her eyes had a dreamy, faraway look. He was struck by how beautiful she was, even with her hair pulled back and in place. He couldn’t take his eyes off her as she continued to speak.

“Frank Sinatra sang here with the L.A. Philharmonic Symphony. He was the first pop singer to perform with them. Lily Pons, a French soprano, broke the attendance record in 1936 with over twenty-six thousand people. It was a time when real music and talent were regarded with enthusiasm. Oh, to be on that stage back then.” She shook her head and sighed.

“What about now?” he asked.

“What?”

“Why aren’t you singing your songs on that stage now, Katie? I heard you the other night, and I see no reason why you shouldn’t be the star.”

Katie looked away before she answered. “It’s not quite that easy. All anyone cares about are the gimmicks and the fireworks and production. People don’t even care about the music anymore. So why bother?”

“I care.”

“Well, I don’t. I’d rather just be Duchess’s manager. That’s enough for me.”

She began eating and wouldn’t look at him. He knew the topic was closed. He looked around again and still couldn’t get over it.

“This is the place,” he said. “We don’t have to go anywhere else. This is the place for the concert.”

She nodded before speaking. “It’s not going to be easy,” she cautioned. “It’s owned by the County of Los Angeles. Do you know how long it takes to get a phone call into the county? With our time constraints, I’m just not sure if we can schedule it.”

“Don’t you see? This is perfect. This is why people like your brother fought for our country—the beauty of the land and the talents of the people. It’s what makes all our sacrifices worth it.” He grabbed her hand. “Even yours, Katie. Your brother would die a dozen times over to see you performing in this place. I know, because I would too.”

Katie looked at him with watery eyes. He wanted to reach out to her, but she turned her head away.

“Why do you do that?” he asked.

“Do what?” Katie picked at the food on her plate.

“You always turn away when you start to feel something.”

She just shrugged, and Chase slowly shook his head. He thought about the girl sitting next to him, and her determination to be strong and in control. In his experience, women were none of those things, and they left the moment things got difficult. But Katie wasn’t doing that with her mother, was she? Could she really be that different? They finished their lunch in awkward silence.

Katie began cleaning up the garbage, and Chase helped her in silence. He was trying to think of something to say, but she spoke first.