Trapped Under Ice (22 page)

***              

“You’re quiet today,” Beth’s coworker, Peggy, commented. They were set up at opposite ends of long kitchen tables, working on preparing the day’s lunch.

“That’s just because she’s exhausted from screwing her rock star boyfriend all weekend,” Cali interjected as she scooped fruit.

“Cali!” Beth cried out reproachfully, waving the frozen chicken patty she had in her hand. “You know it’s not all about that.”

“So, you’re saying you’re not hot for his
bod?”

“Well, I didn’t say
that,
” she returned, getting red in the face. Everyone laughed.

“Just ignore her,” Linda asserted, indicating Cali. “But give
us
all the juicy details.”

“Okay. When I got there Friday night—” She mentally deleted the scene in the shower, albeit doing a quick replay in her mind. “We”—she fast-forwarded through the scene on the way to the bus—“played some cards with Roger and David’s wife, Cheri. Chad and I kicked their butts.”

“And…?”

“And Saturday he wanted to go on a road trip to a secret location, which ended up being a winery on top of a cliff overlooking the Missouri River. It was beautiful.”

“Just the two of you? No bodyguards or entourage?”

She sighed. “Just he and I. It was a gorgeous day, and when we hiked to the top, the owner had opened up just for us. He was a Trapped Under Ice fan.”

“That sounds fantastic,” Linda commented dreamily.

“It was. But let’s talk about something else. This is just making me miss him more. Oh, but there’s one more thing I have to tell you. At Saturday night’s concert, I got to sing with Chad and Roger.”

“What?” Linda set her scoop down.

Peggy’s jaw dropped, but she managed to get out a “You’re kidding?”

“We’ve been here over an hour and you just now inform us you got to go on stage and sing with one of the hottest bands in the country, probably in the world?” Cali queried caustically. “You just fail to mention it?”

“It was pretty cool.”

“Beth, can I ask you something?” Peggy ventured.

“S-sure,” she returned, uneasy about what might come.

“What’s Roger like?”

She laughed. “He’s…he’s a male Cali.”

“No way,” Cali burst out.

They all laughed. “You’re kidding?” Peggy said again.

“Nope. He’s irreverent, says what’s on his mind. He’s funny, cute, and when you get right down to it, he’s a great guy.”

“Oh, he does sound like me.”

“Yeah,” joked Linda, “especially the irreverent part. Shh. The Boss Lady’s coming.”

“Girls, you don’t have very much fruit cupped. Am I going to have to separate you two?” This was a common threat as Beth and Cali could be a handful at times.

“No, Boss Lady. We’ll be good.” Beth saluted comically, but when her boss turned around, Cali hit her square in the forehead with a grape. “Ouch!” she couldn’t help but exclaim. The other girls burst out laughing and Cali tried to look innocent.

“Everything okay?” The Boss Lady raised her eyebrows.

“Yeah, fine,” Beth returned, but when the B.L., as they sometimes referred to her, turned back around, Beth pointed to her eyes and to Cali, giving her the universal “I’m watching you!” signal.

Linda and Peggy sniggered and the Boss Lady sighed. It was going to be one of those days.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

It was about a week before Chad was going to fly Beth out to New York City for the weekend, and she was getting excited.

“So, let me get this right,” Cali was saying, “your daughter is going on a weekend retreat, and you’re flying to New York to get laid. Anybody else see something wrong with this?”

“You think all we do is hop in bed together, don’t you?”

“No. You break it up sometimes with a concert or two. But that’s as good as sex for you anyway, isn’t it?”

Beth flicked her with a dish towel. Luckily it was about time for the kids to come through the lunch line, so their conversation was cut short as Beth opened the serving window of the kitchen.

They had doled out lunch to the kindergarteners, and Beth was pulling out more food for the first-graders when she heard Cali say under her breath, “Well, I’ll be damned.”

“Cal.” Beth checked around for the Boss Lady. “You’re
gonna get us both in—” She stopped short, seeing finally what Cali was staring at. At the end of the lunch line was either a very tall first-grader in a black t-shirt instead of a uniform shirt, or Chad. “Well, I’ll be damned,” she whispered, her lips sliding into a huge smile.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Linda elbow Peggy, and they both stopped cleaning the equipment to check out the rock star. The freckled-faced little girl in front of Beth cleared her throat. “Oh. I’m sorry, sweetie.” She handed the little girl a lunch tray. “Have a nice lunch.” She resisted the urge to launch herself over the counter and tackle Chad in front of the kids. As she watched, the lunch lady saw the little boy next to him craning his neck up to see his neighbor better.

“Hey,” the boy asked now, “aren’t you the guy from Trapped Under Ice?”

Chad bent his long legs, crouching until he was almost at eyelevel with the kid. He stuck out his hand. “Hi. I’m Chad Evans. What’s your name?”

“Cool!” The first-grader’s eyes lit up. “I’m Michae-Mike Sully. Who’s he?” Michael whispered, pointing at Pete.

“Oh. That’s just Pete. He’s a good guy,” Chad added, seeing the uncertain look on the boy’s face.

Pete smiled uncomfortably at the kid. “I feel like we’ve entered the land of midgets,” he grumbled.

Chad smiled glowingly at Beth, following his new friend in line at the same time.

“So, how comes you’re here?” the boy inquired.

He bent down again. “Can you keep a secret?” Michael nodded solemnly. Chad whispered to him, “I have a thing for one of the lunch ladies.”

“Which one?” Michael whispered loudly.

“Mrs. Donovan, the one passing out the trays.”

“Good thing ‘cause she’s a nice one. Pretty, too,” Michael added.

“Yeah, I think so, too.” He smiled at her again. It felt so good to see her. “You’re not going to hit on my girl now, are
ya?”

“No, sir, Mr. Chad.”

“Good. Let’s shake on it.” Michael soberly put his tiny hand into Chad’s and gave it a sturdy shake. “Now, will you show me the ropes when we get up to the front?”

“Sure, Mr. Chad. I’d be happy to.”

“Thanks. I like you, Mike Sully.”

They reached the front of the line where a teacher’s aide was checking off names. She was spellbound. “Wow! You’re even taller in person.”

“Y-yes.” He was never quite sure about how to respond to some of the strange things people said to him. “Umm…in the office they said I could pay you for a lunch?”

She snapped out of her
daze. “Oh yes.” She started to mark something down but then looked up confused. “You’re going to eat here?”

“That was the idea...” he responded, at a loss.

“Oh yes, of course. It’s two dollars.”

He handed her a five. “I’ll just pay for my buddy here, too, then.” He gestured over his shoulder with his thumb to indicate Pete, who nodded at her.

“Okay.” She handed him back the change. “Now, you just go up there—”

“I’m showing him the ropes, Ms. Crenshaw,” Michael announced proudly.

“Well. Are you? That’s a good boy, Michael. Thank you.”

Michael helped him to retrieve milk from the cooler, but as they got closer to where they would receive their trays, Chad had eyes only for Beth.

When he reached her, she was absolutely beaming. “What are you doing here?”

“Our concert was canceled. Isn’t that great? I can stay tonight.”

“Really?” she returned with equal enthusiasm. They just stared at each other for a moment, the line backing up.

“Why don’t you just kiss him and get it over with?” Cali prompted.

Beth leaned over the counter and kissed him. His lips felt unbelievably good.

“Ahem. There are children present,” said the Boss Lady, who was called from her office in a rush of excitement to see their celebrity guest.

“Oh.” Chad glanced down at Michael, who was staring at him in wonder. “Sorry about that, Mike.”

“
Nooo problemo, Mr. Chad,” Michael responded with a grin.

Chad reached down to ruffle his hair.

“Well, you guys don’t have to eat out there…” Beth started tentatively, looking at the Boss Lady.

“They can eat in my office.”

“Just go through the door at that end.” Beth pointed toward the corner of the room.

“Here, Beth, I’ll take over for you,” Peggy offered graciously.

“Thanks, Pegs,” she whispered, “you’re the best.”

“He’s cute.” She giggled.

“I know. Hey, Pete.” Beth gave the older man’s arm a squeeze.

“Good to see you, Beth,” he answered warmly.

She walked them back to the office, where the Boss Lady gave them their privacy.

“You’re really going to eat cafeteria food?” Beth questioned.

“Is something wrong with it?”

“No. No. It’s really quite good.”

“Okay, then. I’m going to eat it.”

She winced. “I’ve got to go help, but I’ll come back.”

“No, go. I understand.”

“Okay.” She left hurriedly, but came back a few seconds later and grabbed the sides of his face to pull him in for a kiss. “I’ve missed you,” she murmured with feeling. “Sorry about that, Pete,” she apologized to the bodyguard who was busily eating his chicken patty.

He quickly swallowed his food. “No problem, Beth. Hey, this stuff is really good.”

“I’m glad you like it.” She gave Chad one final, lingering look before going back to work.

Beth stepped in and took over the dishwashing, which had begun to stack up in her absence. After he finished eating, Chad wandered out to observe the whirlwind of activity in the kitchen. As he watched, it seemed to him like a kind of ballet. Each of the girls was good at anticipating what the other needed. They moved in tandem in the small area. They read each other’s minds much like he and Roger did on stage.

Twenty minutes later, hot, sweaty, and steamy, Beth glanced up to see Chad across the room, leaning against the wall with his long legs crossed in front of him, his arms crossed over his chest, and an amused smile on his lips.

“What?” she questioned, smiling and brushing a stray hair out of her face with the back of her hand.

“Nothing. Nothing. I’m just enjoying watching you.”

She sprayed off another dish. “You’re weird, you know?”

“Yes, I know.” He looked up as Cali entered with an armload of dirty dishes. “Hey.”

“Hey, yourself.” She continued over to the dishwashing area and set her load down on the counter. “What’s he doing?” she asked Beth, jerking her head in Chad’s direction.

Beth looked at him for a minute. “Watching me do the dishes.”

“That’s weird.”

“I know,” he responded, overhearing their conversation as Beth said at the same time, “He knows.”

“Geez,” Cali said with a smile. “We’re going to need the sprayer to hose you two down in a couple of minutes.” She turned to walk away and Beth aimed the sprayer at her back. She winked at Chad, who quickly removed himself from the line of fire.

“Hey!” Cali screamed when the spray of water hit her.

Beth put a hand to her mouth and gave her friend a wide-eyed, innocent look. “Oops!”

“That’s enough, you two!” the Boss Lady called.

“She started it!” the girls yelled simultaneously.

“I tell you”—the Boss Lady looked to Chad for sympathy—“these two about give me fits.”

“I can see that.” He laughed. “I may have been distracting Beth,” he confessed. “I’ll just go back to the office and be a good boy now.”

“Yeah. I’m watching you, Evans,” Cali responded.

The boss rolled her eyes. “You just get out there and clean the steam table.”

About fifteen minutes later, Peggy came back and grabbed the sprayer from Beth. “Get out of here.”

“What? Oh no, Peggy. I can’t—”

“We’ve got it under control. You guys don’t get enough time with each other as it is. Now get out of here.”

“I owe you big time.” Beth gave her a big squeeze and then practically ran to the office. “I’m out of here,” she announced to Chad, who sat in a rolling chair with his elbows on the desk and chin in his hands, wearing an extremely bored expression.

He looked up and a wide grin split his face. “Great!”

“Let me just hang up my apron.” She entered a back storage room to hang her wet apron on a hook. Suddenly, she felt arms around her waist. Chad, who had followed her, couldn’t resist a quick kiss. He found himself in a short, narrow hallway where dozens of colorful aprons hung on hooks behind the door.