Fool That I Am (11 page)

Daniel Petrosky leaned back in his black leather chair and
released a sigh of annoyance. He’d been trying to read through the business plan
on his desk for the past hour, but hadn’t made any progress. Every time he
tried to concentrate, his traitorous mind would summon up the vision of Billie
on stage wailing
I Just Want to Make Love to You
. She had been stunning
and sexy and he had been on the verge of asking her to go home with him that
night. However, his uncanny sixth sense had persuaded him to bide his time.
Billie was not the kind of woman to give herself freely. She was a challenge,
and that made Daniel even more eager to have her.  

A loud booming knock sounded on the door and Daniel called,
“Come on in, Hank.”

Since it was a casual Wednesday afternoon, Hank Nelson was
dressed in dark wash jeans and a tight, blue tee shirt that molded to the
muscles in his arms, chest, and abs. Even though Daniel was in impeccable shape
himself, he still sometimes felt downright wimpy compared to his friend. Hank
crossed the room with long strides and threw himself down into one of the
leather chairs in front of Daniel’s desk.

“Having problems with the Jameson proposal?” Hank asked
without preamble.

Running his hands through his hair in frustration, Daniel
replied, “No, I’m sure it’s pretty standard and straight-forward. I’m just
having a hard time concentrating. It’s only Wednesday and it already feels like
this week has been going on for years.”

Hank chuckled knowingly. “I think that has more to do with
the fact that you will be seeing Billie Hardesty this weekend than with
anything else. There’s nothing like a pretty face and a curvy body to get you
all twisted up inside,” he commiserated knowingly.

Daniel didn’t deny it. He just raised his eyebrow and said,
“God, I know it. There’s just something so honest and refreshing about her. She
isn’t easily impressed by wealth and largess. In fact, she holds a type of
scorn for lavish spending. Did I tell you she turned down the mileage stipend,
meals in the restaurant, and the use of the spa? Who does that?”

Hank shook his head and said, “I have no idea, Danny Boy. I
have yet to meet a single woman that would turn down free spa treatments, so I
have to agree that Billie is a rare bird. She’s definitely not like the other
women you usually go for, that’s for sure.”

Daniel silently agreed. Over the last ten years, he had
dated a bevy of wealthy, beautiful women from the highest rungs of the social
ladder in Louisville and Lexington that included a weather anchor on network TV
and the daughter of a prominent horse breeder. These women were comfortable
with wealth, expectant of lavish gifts, and usually so bone-thin that they
could blow away in the wind. He had found himself getting bored quicker and
easier with each new conquest as they all turned out to be cookie-cutter
versions of each other.

But Billie was a breath of fresh air. She was genuine,
independent, a hard worker, and had a body full of curves that caused his hands
to itch to explore them. She was funny and quick to laughter and eager to
engage him in conversation without pandering to his preferences. Her kindness
to his staff and generosity with compliments and praise had already won over
Diana, Inga, Jennifer, Emilio, Hank, and the whole band. Not to mention the
calls, emails, and visits from club members wanting to know more about her.
Even Frank Jameson, upon leaving the proposal with him this morning, had asked
for her phone number and assured Daniel that he would be at his table for this
weekend’s performance.

“That she is, Hank. That she is,” Daniel agreed. “She’s
keeping me on my toes. I’m not even sure how to woo her. She isn’t impressed by
my money; it makes her uncomfortable even. So, what is the key to getting her
to go out with me?” he pondered, thinking out loud.

Hank studied him shrewdly for a moment. “Maybe you should
just leave well enough alone for once. I don’t think this girl is for you,”
Hank told him bluntly.

Daniel’s eyes widened in surprise. “What do you mean? You
don’t think she’s good enough for me?”

“On the contrary, actually. I think she’s
too
good
for you.” Hank forestalled the indignant response from Daniel and continued. “I’m
not trying to say you’re an asshole or anything, man. I’m just saying that
Billie isn’t the kind of woman that will be okay with casual dating. Dude,
she’s got two young children and a world of responsibilities. She will be
looking for something permanent and you are not a permanent kind of guy. I
really like her and I don’t want to see her get hurt…unintentionally, of
course.”

“Of course,” Daniel replied, sourly. “I don’t think you’re
giving me enough credit. I’m capable of committing to one woman. And I know she
has children, Hank. I’m perfectly agreeable to having children around. Besides,
who says Billie is looking for a long-term relationship? Maybe she’s just
looking for a little romance and fun.”

Hank gave him a dead-pan look and crossed his massive arms
over his equally massive chest. “Seriously? Did you even read the report I gave
you about her?”

“Of course I did,” Daniel snapped, pushing his chair away
from the desk impatiently. Stalking over to the bar, he poured a splash of
scotch into a tumbler and tossed it back, grimacing as it burned its way down
his throat. “Besides,” he picked back up the conversation, “How do you know I’m
not ready to settle down? Maybe Billie is the one for me. Maybe she’s the one
that can finally convince me to tie the knot.”

Hank dropped his jaw in shock. Standing up from the chair,
he said, “You better pour me one of those, too. I think I’m hallucinating.”

“Har har har. I’m not kidding, Hank. I think Billie is the
kind of woman that I didn’t know I needed. We could be good for each other,” he
tried to convince Hank as he handed him a tumbler with a splash of amber
liquid.

Hank tossed the drink back and studied his friend closely
for a moment. Seeing the vulnerable sincerity in his eyes, Hank cursed softly.
“She’s definitely got under your skin, that’s for sure. All I’m going to say is
that you better be very careful. She’s not the kind to just jump in bed with
you without some assurances and if you break her heart, you will lose the best
amateur performer to ever hit that stage. Not to mention the respect of several
of your people.”

Daniel decided not to take offense at Hank’s warnings and
just nodded his head in agreement. “Duly noted, Hank. I’ll take it slow and see
where it goes,” he promised him. “By the way, the reason I asked you to stop by
is that Billie is requesting a reservation for six for this Saturday’s
performance. She said to take the cost of the tickets out of her pay, but I
didn’t have the heart to tell her that she would be performing for free if I
did that. Can you arrange to have them put on the list? I’ll tell Diana to
reserve a table for them.”

Holding his glass out for another slug of scotch, Hank
replied, “Sure thing, Danny Boy. Who all is she inviting?”

Squinting his eyes in concentration, Daniel searched his
memory from his conversation with her yesterday. “I believe it is her parents
and her four coworkers from the clinic. She texted me their names, so I’ll
forward them to you. Just make sure that no one gives them any grief at the
door. I’ve already told Diana to comp their drinks for the night, too. I don’t
want Billie to worry about anything other than her performance.”

Hank’s lips lifted in a derogatory smile. “I’m sure it has
absolutely nothing to do with the fact that it would make her friends and
family think well of you. No, that can’t be it at all,” he said with sarcasm
dripping from each word.

“Shut up, asshole,” Daniel told his friend good-naturedly.
“I need all the help I can get.”

That Saturday night, Billie regarded herself in the dressing
room mirror with shock and awe once again. Diana’s team had once more performed
a miracle and turned her into a sparkling beauty. Her dress was a beautiful
black, strapless gown by Badgley Mischka that Inga had wrestled into submission
in order to fit her bust. Emilio, chatty and excited to be earning overtime by
styling her hair, had decided that it should be half up and half down to
showcase the stunning diamond teardrop earrings and matching pendant that Diana
had insisted she wear. By the time he was done with her, she had a
Grecian-style partial up do with plenty of curled pieces framing her face. Her
makeup was artfully applied, if a little heavy, but Emilio assured her that it
needed to be in order to be seen from the stage.

It was less than half an hour to curtain, and her stomach
was in knots with a mixture of fear and excitement. Daniel had assured her that
show had been sold out within days of the announcement on their website, so it
was standing room only out in the club. Mentally, she reviewed her set list for
the hundredth time, but there was nothing left to do but wait for the first
notes to begin.

A soft knock interrupted her nervous tension and she
gratefully called, “Come in!”

The door opened to reveal a man and woman in their late 50’s
dressed in their best finery. Marla Kinkaid, Billie’s mother, was a diminutive
woman three inches shorter than her daughter with light, sandy brown hair cut
in a stylish, short hairstyle, the same light green eyes as Billie, and a trim
physique thanks to excellent genetics. She was dressed in a shimmering green
cocktail dress with her best gold jewelry and her fingers were wreathed in
several diamond rings that her husband had gifted her with over the years.

Her Daddy, George Kinkaid, was a much bigger man all the way
around. At close to six feet tall and thickly padded, he was a big bear of a
man, but his demeanor was closer to the teddy variety than grizzly. His hair
was still thick and wavy and so dark brown it was almost black and his glasses
were gleaming on his nose as he pushed them up with his finger in a move
identical to that of his grandson. Excitement rolled off him in waves as he
practically bounced on his heels in his best funeral suit.

Her mother was tearful as she buzzed around Billie
exclaiming over her dress, her shoes, her jewelry, and her hair. “Oh, baby! You
look just gorgeous! You look just like those women on the TV as they walk down
the red carpet for the Oscars,” she exclaimed, barely restraining the urge to
hug her tight.

“Thank you, Momma,” Billie replied with a dazzling smile.
“Are you having fun so far?”

“Oh, yes! That Daniel fellow has been so attentive. He has
visited our table twice so far and personally brought me a glass of champagne.
He said our drinks were all free for the evening, too. Can you imagine? What a
lovely young man!” she chattered as she lowered herself to sit on the couch.

George, who had been busy inspecting the memorabilia on the
walls, chimed in, “I must say that I have to agree with your mother, Billie
Jean. He and his friend Hank have been so welcoming to all of us. I was a
little worried at first when you told me about this gig, but seeing the club
firsthand has alleviated all of my fears. This is a classy place here and it’s
run by a very classy fellow.”

Billie’s eyebrows climbed her forehead. Her father’s good
opinion and approval was hard-won, and the fact that Daniel had done it in less
than a half an hour said quite a bit. “I’m glad you approve, Daddy. I hope to
make you both proud up there,” she said sincerely, blinking back sudden tears.

“I have no doubt about it, baby girl,” he assured her
quickly, desperate to head off any water works. “Just get up there and have a
good time!”

After another quick kiss, they left to take their seats. No
sooner had they left than her four friends came trooping in for a quick visit.
Connie, Irene, Jessica, and Shanay were dressed to the nines in a sparkly
rainbow of colorful dresses. Connie, true to her nature, was wearing a
skin-tight red number that stopped well above her knees and dipped low enough
to show off substantial cleavage. Her long, shiny black hair had been twisted
up with the ends spilling out the back to form a flirty up do and her makeup
was vivid and eye-catching. Irene, who was much more sedate, was wearing a pink
sequined cocktail dress and her silvery hair was feathered away from her face.
Jessica, practically bursting with excited energy, was almost vibrating out of
her purple, shimmering dress that contrasted nicely with her long, red curls
that were tamed in a sedate bun. Shanay, the youngest of all them, was looking
fierce in a gold gown that hugged her curves until it fell to her feet in silky
waves. Her hair was a riot of black corkscrews held back from her face with a
gold wire headband with intricate rose patterns detailed in the metal.

All of them were smiling from ear to ear, but Jessica was on
the verge of coming undone. “Oh, my God, Billie!” she squealed, her hands
shaking with her emotion. “I think I saw Rick Pitino out there! And I’m not
sure, but I think I saw Wynonna Judd, too!”

“That was not Wynonna Judd, Jessica,” Irene said with
long-suffering. “We’ve been over this three times already.”

Jessica didn’t seem to hear her. She was off and exclaiming
over every single picture and item in the dressing room. Shanay, rolling her
eyes at Jessica’s theatrics, chimed in, “I didn’t even know who they were
talking about until Connie pulled her phone out and Googled her for me. Anyway,
thank you again for getting us tickets, Billie. I could definitely get used to
this kind of treatment!”

Connie, nosily poking through the various tool kits full of
makeup belonging to Emilio, replied, “I agree with Shanay. We are having a
wonderful time already and the night hasn’t even started!” she exclaimed,
leaning into the mirror to check her teeth for lipstick stains.

“I’m just glad you could all be here to support me tonight,”
Billie confessed gratefully. “Just remember, though, when we’re outside these walls,
you have to call me by my stage name.”

“We know, we know,” Shanay replied for everyone. “You have
been telling us this all week,
Valerie
,” she stressed.

Connie walked a circle around Billie studying her closely
and picking invisible lint off and reaching out to adjust a curl of Billie’s
hair. “I wish you had called me before you pick that dreadful name,
linda
.
‘Valerie’ does not scream sexy at all,” she told her bluntly. “But it is done.
So you go out there and you sing like you are going to get some tonight, okay?”

Billie laughed despite her nerves. “That’s your advice about
everything, Con. It all boils down to sex with you!”

“If I have my way with that smoking hot muscle man, Hank, it
will boil down to it tonight, too!” she exclaimed wickedly.

Irene chimed in, “You should see them looking each other
over, Billie. I swear if you could screw someone with your eyes, they would
have already been on round three. Frankly, it makes me both uncomfortable and
jealous at the same time.”

“I’m just flat jealous,” Shanay added. “I’m not sure which
of those men makes me flush more, Daniel or Hank. Of course, you two,” pointing
a manicured finger at Connie and Billie, “have already got them wrapped up, so
I’m going to prowl for my own rich man.”

Billie was surprised at the accusation. “What? No, it’s not
like that, Shanay. I’m not dating Daniel and he’s not after me. He’s just my
boss. Granted, he is handsome and charming, but he’s also a multi-millionaire
and I’m a single mom in debt up to her eyeballs. This isn’t one of those
situations where the rich man swoops in to rescue the poor, beleaguered
heroine. This is real life, ya’ll,” she explained, self-deprecatingly.

All four of her friends stopped to look at her with
expressions bordering between cynicism and disbelief. Connie, ever the speaker
of truth, just said, “I won’t even dignify that with a response, Billie. That
man can’t take his eyes off you and is paying for six of your friends and
family members to enjoy a night in a private club for millionaires. That’s not
something a boss does for an employee,
mija
. That’s a man that’s hoping
to get laid.”

Now she had something new to worry about. Billie flapped her
hands in irritation and exclaimed, “That’s it! No more talk about sex, men, or
millionaires! Go grab your seats, get a drink, and enjoy the show!”

The four ladies graciously conceded the point and left for
their seats while calling their good wishes. Finally, with only five minutes to
spare, Billie was ready to leave the room and head for the stage. Tonight’s set
was a little more eclectic with a generous helping of classics and a sprinkling
of more modern fare.

Taking a deep breath, Billie let it out slowly and
resolutely calmed her mind. It wouldn’t do to think of anything other than the
music, so that’s what she concentrated on. All her stress, all her worries, and
all her problems went into a little mental box that she locked up tight. Those
things would wait. For now, the show must go on.

*************************************************************

The night was a smashing success. Marcus and the Move Kings
were on fire and hitting every note, every cue, and every transition perfectly.
Billie had a great time singing old and new songs, swaying and dancing, and
coquettishly addressing the crowd. But the highlight of the night for her was
when she sang
The Way You Look Tonight
and her parents took to the dance
floor to dance to their wedding song without once thinking of the wealthy
audience. It didn’t take very long for many other couples to follow their lead
and sway together. She even saw Hank holding Connie tightly and Daniel tipping
his head back to laugh at something Irene said as they took a turn around the
floor.

After the show, Daniel retrieved Billie from the back and
took her around the room to meet colleagues, members, and important persons. It
was still a shock to hear herself being introduced as Valerie, but it didn’t
take long before it seemed natural to answer to that name. She met mayors,
Congressmen, business owners, local celebrities, and more while Daniel escorted
her around the room. By the time they made it to the table with her parents and
friends, she was well and truly exhausted, her feet hurt, and she was also
giddily happy.

Everyone rose to their feet to congratulate her on a
wonderful show and her mother was openly crying tears of joy and her father was
beaming proudly. Her friends, who had taken Daniel at his word when he said
free drinks, were across the drunken spectrum from pleasantly tipsy (Shanay) to
boisterous laughter and outrageous flirting (Jessica). Connie was nowhere to be
seen and Shanay whispered in her ear that she had seen her slip off with Hank.
Irene was at the next table sharing an intense conversation with a
distinguished older gentleman. They were so absorbed in the conversation that
she didn’t even seem to notice that Billie had arrived at the table.

Even though the main act was over, the club would still be
open for mingling, drinking, and dancing until midnight. Marla and George,
however, decided that they had enough excitement for one night and bid their
daughter goodnight and headed home. Her friends had decided to get a hotel room
close by, so they continued to stay and have fun. Billie decided to let her
hair down, too, and allowed Daniel to lead her out onto the floor during a slow
song and pull her in close to his chest while they swayed and glided across the
floor.

“You were spectacular tonight, Billie,” he whispered in her
ear as they moved slowly to
Strangers in the Night
.

Billie’s stomach fluttered at the feel of his arms around
her and she felt warmed by his compliment. “Thank you, Daniel. I couldn’t have
done it without all your help and the expert hands of your people. I am just
the ‘raw material’ as Diana said; they are the ones that turned me into a
performer,” she deflected automatically.

His large, warm hand was like a brand on her bare back as he
pressed her into his chest a little closer. “There’s just something about you
that I can’t seem to put my finger on,” he murmured, almost to himself. “I
can’t quit thinking about you, Billie Hardesty.”

She pulled back from his embrace enough to search his hooded
gaze. “What do you mean?” she whispered, almost fearful of his answer.

Instead of replying, he stopped dancing and asked, “Take a
walk with me?”

Nodding readily, hoping he would elaborate, Billie followed
him off the dance floor and out of the club doors. All of her friends were
otherwise occupied, so they didn’t even miss her as she and Daniel made their
exit. Billie automatically slipped her hand into the crook of his arm and they
walked sedately through the halls in comfortable silence.

After a few moments, he spoke quietly. “Did I tell you that
I’m an Elvis fan?”

She smiled shyly up at him and nodded in the affirmative.
“Yes, you mentioned it over lunch a few weeks ago. That’s why I made sure to
slip a few songs in there both times.”

He regarded her with twinkling eyes. “I had wondered about
that. But did you know that you chose my favorite song tonight?”

Her expression was puzzled for a moment until she remembered
her set list. “No, but it is one of my favorite, too. I hope you liked it?” she
asked, nervously.

“I loved it. As a matter of fact, would you mind singing a
few lines for me now?” he asked.

Billie swallowed nervously then began to sing softly:

Wise men say, only
fools rush in

But I can’t help
falling in love with you