So. Long.: Bad Boy Next Door (79 page)

TWENTY-SEVEN

I sit at Nan and Pops’ table, my leg bouncing almost out of
control. Trudi shoots me a dirty look. Fine.

I stand and pace the length of the kitchen, moving into the
living room. “Where is he? Why on Earth isn’t he here already?”

Nan sits at the table, her hands folded at her chin, eyes
closed as she says, “Lou, just be calm. Everything will work out the way God
wants. Whatever is true and right will prevail.”

“Sorry, Nan. Of course, this is the right thing. It is.”

Finally, Buck pushes through the door with yet another large
bouquet. It’s a shame they’re for a different woman this time.

I swallow hard when Buck doesn’t greet me with any sign of
affection, just a solemn nod. I bite the inside of my lip, nodding in return.

A knock at the front door sends a cold hand of fear straight
through to my heart. I told Buck he should do right by his child, but having a
front row seat to watch it happen isn’t exactly what I had in mind.

The cameras roll, and every move I make will be scrutinized
by the nation. The video Buck showed me yesterday will be aired either before
or after this segment, depending on how things go for Buck.

Either way, Trudi assures me the world will understand that I’m
not some skanky prostitute. I’m just an ex-wife who needed some financial
assistance. Buck’s career can’t take a hit like that.

Plus, even though I’m a tough bitch who really doesn’t care
what the public at large thinks about what I do, I
will
eventually need
to make a living. So it would be helpful to come out of this with a little less
stink on me. The last thing I need is to have everyone I interview with thinking
I’d sell myself to the highest bidder. Because, in reality, I’d only ever sell
myself to Buck, but I can’t exactly tell anyone that.

Nan goes to the door, opening it to Arianne. She floats in
on her cloud. Her perfume precedes her, clogging my already strangled throat.

Buck steps to her, taking her hand. “Arianne, thank you for
coming. I just want to say how sorry I am about the way I behaved the other
day. Your—your
news
caught me by surprise.”

“Aw, Buck. I understand. It is rather shocking, isn’t it?” She
smiles at him like she’s always known he’d come around.

Trudi pushes the white and purple box across the table
toward Buck.

He glances at it and smiles. “Arianne, you’ve met Trudi, our
field producer, right?”

Arianne blinks and blushes prettily. “Oh, Buck. Of course, I
have. So good to see you again, Trudi.”

Trudi just smiles and gives a little wave. Buck clears his
throat again.

“Anyway, Trudi and Barry Thompson, the show’s producer,
think—since you’ve been cast sort of as the
ex
-girlfriend, that it would
be the perfect chance to declare our reunion to the world if you were to take
this pregnancy test and we can unveil the results as part of the show. Kind of
solidify us as—” Buck coughs again, and again. And again.

Pops pats him hard on his back. “You okay, Son?”

I take a deep breath and step in. “Arianne, I want to
apologize for coming between you two. I didn’t know there was a little one in
the mix. I was raised in a broken home, and I’d never want to cause that to
happen to any child. I think what Buck meant to say was that revealing the good
news on the show would solidify you all as a family on national television.”

Arianne steps backward, adjusting her collar. “Well, I—thank
you, Loula Mae. That’s very—civil of you.”

“Well, I
do
try to be civil.” I back away and cover
my mouth before something ugly creeps out from between my lips.

Nan picks up the box. “We sure are excited about the idea of
a great-grandchild. Won’t you please do this? It will mean so much to me. I’d
love to have this as a memento for his scrapbook.”

Nan shoves the box into Arianne’s hands.

Arianne looks at the EPT as though it just grew eight hairy
legs and six eyes. “Well, I’ve already done a test. And the doctor confirmed
the pregnancy.”

Nan smiles and laces her fingers beneath her chin, as though
she’s begging. “Oh, please, won’t you do this for an old woman? I just love my
scrapbooks, and this would be the perfect thing to have on the very first page
of the book. We can follow it with sonogram pictures, and then pictures of you
in labor. We’ll record the entire blessed event.”

Arianne’s face twists as she looks from Nan to Buck, and
then her eyes seem to dart to each of the three cameras positioned around the
room. “Are they recording right now?”

Trudi grins and over-exaggerates her nod. “Sure are. We
don’t want to miss a moment.”

Buck steps toward Arianne. “How many weeks did you say you
are now?”

Arianne dabs at the perspiration on her brow. “My, it’s warm
in here, must be all these hormones. Can we turn the air down a bit?”

Buck asks again. “How many weeks was it?”

Arianne pushes out a great, noisy breath. “Ten. About ten
weeks.”

Buck’s brow wrinkles as though he’s perplexed. “Well, there
shouldn’t be any problem. I mean, you’ll pop positive on an early pregnancy
test for sure. C’mon, Arianne. This is my Nan. It’s such a small little thing
to pee on a stick.”

Arianne grabs her stomach. As though she’s in pain, her face
pinches and turns red.

Her eyes fill with tears. “The truth is—well, Buck, I just
didn’t have the heart to tell you. But…I think I might be miscarrying. I
started spotting last night, and it’s only gotten worse today. I probably
should go back to my hotel room and rest. I think I’m worn out all of the
sudden.”

It’s like the whole world is holding its breath. No one moves
except Arianne.

She backs toward the door, her eyes firmly on Buck. His face
hardens the further from him she goes. Finally, she’s out the door, and it
clicks into place. Still, no one makes a move until the roar of her Vette
speeding out of the driveway fades in the distance.

Gotcha, Bitch.

Buck expels a giant sigh, and then with his next intake of
air, his dimples deepen. “Ho-ly
fuck
.”

Trudi hops to her feet and raises her hand. I give her a
high-five, and she throws her arms around me.

“It worked!” Buck grabs Trudi, swinging her around. “You are
a fucking genius, woman!”

Buck dances Trudi around the room.

I hate to admit it, but I think I actually like Perky Trudi.

When Buck finishes dancing, his Nan and Pops hug him. Then
he turns to me, holding out his hand.

I take his offered hand, and he drops to one knee. He must
be overwhelmed.

I kneel in front of him, my heart bursting with happiness.

His brows knit. “What are you doing?”

“I’m just being with you. You must be so relieved.”

“I am. But stand back up.”

I throw my arms around his neck.

He puts his hands at my waist as he leans against me,
whispering in my ear. “No, stand up.”

The room is once again completely devoid of sound or motion.

“What?” I pull out of Buck’s hold.

Three cameras are trained on Buck and me. Buck’s smile
reminds me of a younger Buck. The way he’d grin when he’d push me on that old
merry-go-round and then jump on, the world spinning into space while he and I
held on tight for the ride.

I get to my feet, backing away from him.

No. Don’t.

But he pulls a small box from his pocket.

Now, it’s my mind that spins instead of the park ride.

I shake my head, slight at first, but then as he pushes the
lid of the box up, turning it toward me, my movements get more pronounced. “No,
no, no. Don’t.”

A sparkling solitaire the size of fucking New Orleans sits
in that little blue box.

“Loula Mae Fontaine, I never stopped lov—”

My heart seizes, and all I can do is turn and flee.

TWENTY-EIGHT

My pulse slows to sluggishness as she slams the door.

I swallow the words flowing from my heart to my mouth. No
one to say them to.

“Damn. I did
not
see that
happening.” Trudi
props her hands at her hips.

I drop to my ass, snapping the box closed with a pop. “Well,
shit.”

Nan ruffles my hair, like she used to do when I was a kid.
“Don’t worry, she’ll come around. You just surprised her, that’s all.”

My shoulders droop. “Or, the idea of marrying me again
scares the hell out of her so badly that she had to run away.”

I almost trip over my own feet trying to get up the steps at
Aunt Delores’s. My heart thumps an irregular beat, and my lungs are tight and
stubbornly not taking oxygen from the air—or so it seems.

I push through the front door and stagger to the kitchen,
fighting to pull myself together. This shouldn’t bother me so badly. It makes
sense. Trudi wanted the pregnancy reveal, or lack thereof, on camera for
ratings. Of course she’d want a proposal on film. It would be the perfect
follow-up to Arianne’s exit stage left.

I yank the cabinet door open and grab a glass, pushing it
under the tap. I guzzle the almost ice cold well-water until movement in the
corner of my eye has me spewing it across the linoleum.

I cough, wiping my chin with the back of my arm. “What are
you
doing here?”

Arianne steps out of the laundry room that connects the
kitchen to Aunt Delores’s bedroom. She’s got hold of Aunt Delores by the sleeve
of her shirt, pointing a gun to the back of her head.

An image of what will happen to Aunt Delores if Arianne
pulls the trigger freezes me from the inside out.

Arianne waves the barrel of her nine millimeter toward me.
“You and I are taking a ride.”

I hold up my hands. “I’m not armed, and neither is Aunt
Delores. She’s never done anything to you. Don’t hurt her. Please. I’ll—I’ll go
wherever you want.”

“You think you people can humiliate me in front of the
world? No. You’re not allowed. Plus, Buck’s never going to want me as long as
you’re around. So, we’re going to fix that.”

I swallow. “Okay. Let’s just go and leave her here.”

Aunt Delores stares at the wall behind me, her eyebrows
wrinkling and straightening, over and over. She looks from me to the wall and
back. And again.

She must be having a panic attack.

The front door shuts. I close my eyes.

Great.

Let’s just add one more person into the mix for this crazy
bitch to kill.

Buck calls out, “Lou. Lou, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done
that there. Where are you?”

I bite my lip. Maybe he’ll leave. Please, God. Let him go.
I’m pissed, but I don’t want him hurt.

He rounds the corner into the kitchen. I try to shake my
head, because he probably can’t see her from where he is. But he just keeps on
coming.

Idiot man.

“Lou. We need to talk about that proposal.”

Arianne screeches. “You
proposed
?”

Buck’s eyes widen and his brows rise almost to his hairline.
“Arianne. What are you—”

Arianne pushes Aunt Delores further into the kitchen. “I’m
here to take control of our destiny. Since you don’t seem to understand how
this is supposed to go, I’m going to fix it.”

Buck props his hands at his waist. “Aw, this is bullshit,
Arianne. Put that gun away before you do something you’ll regret.”

“No.” She narrows her eyes at me. “Loula Mae and I are going
to talk a little about stealing people’s fiancés.”

I nod. “Sure. C’mon. We can go. Let’s get outta here. I
don’t much want to be in the same room with that asshole, anyway.”

Arianne shoots me side eyes for a second. “Asshole? But he
just said he proposed.”

Proposal my ass. “Yeah, he did. But I left him on his knee
holding out that stupid ring box. He only did it for the cameras and fucking
ratings. It’s a bunch of crap is what it is. If he and that Perky Trudi think
I’ll fall for that shit, they’re both out of their damned minds.”

Buck looks out the window, his jaw ticking.

Arianne’s gaze darts from him to me and back. Her eyes
soften as she stares at him. “Aw, Buck. Don’t listen to her. You aren’t out of
your mind, Baby. She’s nothing. You don’t want her anyway. I’ll make you happy.
I love you.”

She can have him. Right now, I need to get Aunt Delores out
of danger and this woman out of the house. I cast about for some sort of
solution. If only Aunt Delores weren’t at the wrong end of that pistol.

I lean against the counter, crossing my arms. Fuck it. I’ll
just brazen this shit out. I turn on the tap and refill my glass.

“Are we going? If not, I think I’ll have a bath. Aunt
Delores, you need to be sure to take your medication before you hit the sack.”
There, maybe Arianne will feel a bit of sympathy for a sick, old woman.

Aunt Delores’s finger twitches at her side as she points to
the counter. “Yes, ma’am, Lou.
You’re in charge
. If you can just get my
pills for me; they’re in the breadbox.”

It’s almost like my mind works backward. Stringing words to
the memories they go with.
Pills. You’re in charge.

Fuck yeah, I’m in charge.

Arianne’s making cow eyes at Buck, so I edge in front of the
breadbox and casually flip up the lid. “Aunt Delores, you need to tie your
shoelace before you trip and break something.”

As Aunt Delores bends, I yank the forty-five from its hiding
spot. In milliseconds, I’ve got the safety off and my finger on the trigger.

I douse Arianne with the contents of my glass. She jumps.
Her arms fling out to her sides enough to get the barrel of that nine pointing
away from Aunt Delores.

I flinch as sound explodes in the room.

Aunt Delores falls to her knees, grabbing the nine Arianne
dropped. Arianne rushes at me, her face wild with rage. Her hand comes at my
face, claws out.

The woman has lost her fucking mind.

I let her get close. She grabs a handful of my hair.

I press the still-hot barrel of the forty-five against her
side. “You’d best back off, bitch. I will
not
wing your ass this time. I
was being nice by not taking your fucking head off with the first bullet.”

Arianne goes still, her blue eyes six inches from mine, hard
and hate filled. “You
will
pay. Just wait. I’ll make you pay.”

I grin. “Not before you do.”

With one quick motion, I sling my head forward, my forehead
connecting with her nose. The shock of pain that flares through my brain for a
split second is made completely worth it when Arianne weaves backward a couple
of steps before falling into a heap on the kitchen floor.

Buck rushes to Aunt Delores, taking the nine from her
shaking hands and helping her to her feet.

I toss a kitchen towel into Arianne’s lap. “You may want to
put some pressure on that.”

She shakes her head as though trying to clear it. Then she
looks at the wound on her upper arm. Her eyes roll back as she slumps over,
unconscious.

The kitchen door busts in with a bang. Thugs One, Three, and
Four trip over each other as they spill inside.

I pull my phone from my back pocket and dial.

“This is nine-one-one, what is your emergency?”

“Please send someone out to collect this fidiot with a gun.”

“Excuse me, ma’am, did you say
fidiot
?”

“Yeah, you know, fucking idiot.”

The red and blue lights fade behind the bank of trees lining
the road. I let out an exhausted breath.

Aunt Delores gives me a light hug. “Well, I’ve had enough
excitement to last me a while. I think I’ll go check my britches and take a
nap.”

“Check your britches?” I ask.

“I just about shit all over myself when you fired that gun.
I figure I should check for skid marks at the very least.”

She grins and I laugh. Leave it to Aunt Delores to bring a
smile in the midst of these warped circumstances.

As she climbs the stairs to head up for the night, Buck
wraps Nan in another hug.

He pats Pops on his back. “I’m fine. We’re all okay. You two
go on home. I’ll be over later. I need to talk to Lou.”

A lead rock falls into my gut.

The yard clears out in about ten seconds as the crew
scatters to the wind.

Buck runs his hands over my shoulders. “Lou.”

My skin burns under his touch. “Buck.”

He yanks me into his embrace. “I am so fucking happy you’re
all right.”

I nod. “Me too.”

“Look, about earlier—”

I put my finger to his lips. “Shush. We don’t need to talk
about that. I know being married is a nail in the coffin of your career.
Proposing for the show was a nice touch, but I don’t really want to have to
fake a break-up in a few weeks.”

He presses his lips tight, but then they turn up in a small
smile. “You’re right. Look, I’m leaving for Anguilla in a few days to shoot my
next film. I’ll be gone and, if you want, you can move on. But until then, can
we just be together?”

“Together?”

“Yeah. Spend time in one another’s company? I’ve missed you,
Lou.”

The weight in my heart lifts. It isn’t exactly what I hoped
for, but at this point, I’m just pathetic enough to take what I can get.

I lean to him, whispering in his ear. “Can we be together in
bed?”

His hold tightens on me. “Fuck yeah, we can.”