Trapped Under Ice (30 page)

Outside the bus, Pete sprinted up the stairs. He had his hand on the doorknob when he heard Beth scream, “I’M NOT GOING ANYWHERE!” He waited to see what would happen next.

“Turn around and look at me, Chad. If you’re going to throw me out of here, you’re going to do it looking into my eyes.”

Chad drew in a shaky breath and tried to steel himself. He turned around, trying to muster as much antipathy as he could. “Beth, leave,” he ordered, but the vehemence was gone. “Just—” His voice cracked and his eyes darted away for an instant. “Just get out of here.”

“DAMMIT, CHAD! WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO US?” she screamed, her voice nearing hysterics.

He didn’t answer her. Her tenacity had him stymied. Why wouldn’t she just leave?

She studied his face. “You’re lying to me. You don’t want me to leave.”

His eyes flashed. “Yes, I do.”

“Why?” she continued, her voice level now. “Tell me why, Chad. Tell me to my face.”

“I just told you,” he hissed, flabbergasted. “I don’t want you around anymore. It was fun, but now it’s over. It was nothing more than a roll in the hay. I’ll have another woman in my bed before the concert is over tonight. Someone who will just do me and leave. That’s what I want.”

Her gaze was unflinching. “But I want you.”

“Well, then you’re an idiot!” he yelled, exasperated.

“I never tried to hide that from you,” she countered.

A smile played on the edge of Chad’s lips for a moment, and he almost caved in. Turning from her, he yelled, “Don’t you get it? You mean nothing to me.”

“Then why did you come to Bloomington? Cali didn’t tell me, but I found out. If I mean nothing to you, then why did you come to see me?”

He tried to come up with an answer, but she had worn him down. “Dammit, Beth! Why won’t you leave?” He slumped into a seat and placed his head in his hands, muttering, “I’m not worth it.”

“You’re not worth it? What we had together is not worth fighting for? You’re not worth fighting for?” She took a breath. “I’m not into disposable relationships, Chad. I learned from losing Paul that life is too short. I know other people disappointed you, hurt you, but I’m not going anywhere.”

“But Beth, look at all the pain I’ve put you through. Can’t you see? I’m no good for you.”

“I know your father said horrible things to you, Chad,” she breathed, “but
he
was
wrong
. You are a good man. You have some problems, sure. But we all do.” Beth crouched down next to him. “You brought joy back into my life. Please don’t take it from me.” She placed her hand on his back and it was his undoing. He turned to face her. Beth gazed into his eyes. “I know you think you are doing what’s best for me, everybody thinks they’re doing what’s best for me, but
you
are what’s best for me. I love you, please don’t push me away.”

Unable to bear it any longer, he reached out and pulled her to him. The embrace awkward while seated, Chad rose, taking her with him. Having her in his arms again felt so right, the rocker felt his whole body relax as he exhaled out the anguish over the thought of losing her. “I’m sorry, Beth. I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean any of those things.” He pulled away to scrutinize her, to make her understand.

“I know.”

Chad held her again. “I don’t know what I did to deserve you.”

“I don’t either,” Pete muttered with a grin from outside the trailer. He shook his head as he ambled away, pleased with the way things turned out.

***              

There was a knock on the door. “Chad. I don’t want to bother you guys, but it’s almost show time.”

He and Beth stirred. They fell asleep in each other’s arms, both exhausted by all the drama.

“All right. I’m up. Be right out.”

David was waiting outside with a grin on his face. “Good to see you, Beth.”

Her face relaxed into a smile. “Same here, David.”

When they walked into the building it almost throbbed with the excitement of the fans waiting above. Chad nodded at Roger, whom he had not spoken to since their fight. Roger looked as if he wanted say something, but Stan came up to rush them on stage. At the beginning of the first set, things were a little tense on stage, but by the time they neared the end of it, the music that drew them together in the first place seemed to heal whatever was damaged between Roger and Chad.

They came off stage for a quick break before they started the next set, while Keith entertained the audience with a little drum solo.

“Are you ready, Beth?” Stan asked.

“Huh?” she asked confused.

“For your song?”

“Oooh, Stan. I don’t think it is such a good idea after what happened.”

“Nonsense. These guys are professionals. They’re not
gonna let a little tiff get in the way of entertaining all those good people out there, are ya fellas?”

Chad and Roger looked at each other.

After a pause, Chad spoke for them both. “No, it’s okay.”

“All right. Now get back out there and play some rock and roll.”

“I’ve got a bad feeling about this,” Beth murmured, but no one was listening.

Roger started off the song. At first he was a little tentative, but soon the music and the crowd’s reaction had him feeling good. He smiled at Beth, and gave her a wink at the end of his lines.

Beth thought,
Maybe I was wrong. Maybe this will be okay
, and belted out her part. Chad joined in and soon it felt like old times. Roger got up and started strutting toward Beth, as was scripted. Chad did the same. But somewhere along the line, whether it was a look or just seeing him close to Beth so soon after what he tried, Chad’s angry lover act was no longer an act. Roger, seeing the fire in Chad’s eyes, reacted the same way. By the end of the song, when it was supposed to end with Beth holding them apart, Beth was really holding them apart as they glared at one another. When the lights went down, Beth spoke to them both, “Boys! You have a concert to finish!”

Chad lowered his chin a fraction, and then turned to stride back over to his mike stand. Roger followed suit. The audience cheered, thinking it was all part of the act. Beth exited and watched the rest of the concert from the footlights. Only those who knew them best could tell there was still some tension between them. After the second encore, Chad strode off stage and threw his arm over Beth’s shoulder, intending to head directly to the bus to cool down.

“Chad! Beth! Wait!” Roger called after them.

Chad halted abruptly, gritting his teeth, and turned around.

He looked so angry, Roger almost backed away. “I’m sorry, man. I am. You, too, Beth. I was way,
way
out of line. For hitting you, Chad…for hitting on you, Beth...”

The way Roger phrased it made Beth laugh. Chad gaped at her for a second as if she was crazy, but then he started laughing, too. Roger looked from one to the other with a lopsided grin and a sigh of relief. Pretty soon the friends were strolling arm in arm, like the Mod Squad, out to the buses, the fight in the distant past.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

“What do you mean, a ‘special’ date?” Beth inquired over the phone.

“Just get yourself dressed to the nines. We’re going out tonight.”

It had been over a month since New York, and Chad had made some real progress with the therapist. Plus, appointments with her meant time together since she was located in Bloomington. “Umm! What did I do to deserve this? I want to know so I can do it again.”

“You were just being you.”

“Oh, is that all. Okay, Mr. Mystery Man, what time should I be ready?”

“Seven.”

“All right. Seven it is. I’ll be ready.”

***
              

Chad rang the doorbell, nerves making him tug at his shirt sleeves to straighten his shirt. Everything had to go just right tonight. Beth opened the door and light fell on the porch. “Damn!”

She laughed. “My, you do have a way with words.”

“Let me see this!” He whistled, stepping in and circling around her so he could get the full effect. Beth had on a longer emerald dress, with four straps crisscrossing her upper back before plunging downward and long slits gliding up her legs. Again, her hair was swept up, making her neck seem so much more inviting. He returned to face her, admiring her from the front. He laughed. “I’m sorry, it’s just…damn!” He shook his head.

“Oh stop,” she mumbled, her face flushing as she hit him with her handbag.

“I love the way you blush.” Chad touched her hot face and gave her a kiss.

When he pulled away, she blurted out, bubbling over, “I’m so excited. So where are we going?”

“Ah-ah-ah. Not yet. You need to wear this.” He pulled a silky, black scarf from his suit pocket.

“
Ooooh. What kind of kinky thing am I in for?”

“You little vixen!” Chad gave her a sharp
swap
on the derrière. He positioned himself behind his date again and brought the scarf over Beth’s head to tie it behind her as a blindfold.

“What are you up to?” she asked coquettishly.

Chad leaned into that tantalizing neck, annunciating each word in her ear with a seductive whisper, “Try not to anticipate.” Then, unable to resist, he kissed her there.

She squirmed with delight. “
Oooh. That’s so much better when I can’t see you.”

“
Uhhh…is that supposed to be a compliment? ‘Cause, it doesn’t sound like one.”

“Oh, silly. You know what I mean.” She tried to reach for him. “I can’t find you to kiss you,” she whined in frustration.

“That’s part of the fun,” he teased, his voice now coming from in front of her. “Okay,” he continued, leading the way, “you need to take a step down onto the porch. Where’s your key?”

“In my bag.”

He took her handbag and locked the door. As he moved her toward the steps, another arm supported her on the right. “Wow, Beth! You look fantastic.”

“Thank you, Pete. So he roped you into this, too?”

“No rope needed. I wouldn’t miss this for the world.”

Chad shot his usually tightlipped bodyguard a warning look, which Beth, of course, could not see. After the two men got her safely in the limousine and closed the door, Pete commented, “If you don’t propose to her, I will.”

“Just you try it, old man,” he returned with a grin.

Pete chuckled as he strolled around to the other side of the car with Chad to get in. Beth was running her hands over the leather upholstery with a huge smile on her face. “Is this a limo?”

“No. It’s a ’57 Chevy,” he replied sarcastically.

“
Oooh, I always wanted to do it in the back of a ’57 Chevy. Oh gosh! The partition is closed, isn’t it?”

He waited a heartbeat. “Yes, it’s just you and me here, Beth,” he promised softly.

She followed his voice and was able to bring her hands to Chad’s face to guide her as she kissed him. “That’s just how I like it. I’ve missed you, babe.”

“Me, too.” He ran his hand along the soft skin of her arm.

“You are the last of the great romantics, you know?”

“We
are
a dying breed.”

“Cali says you’re extinct.”

He laughed. “Cali would say that.”

“Hey, how’s Roger doing?”

“Better. Most of the time he’s his old self. But every once in a while, I can tell he’s thinking about Michelle. He really loved her.”

They were quiet for a moment. “So you agreed to let Pete tag along with us tonight. Did you think I might be a handful?”

He laughed. “You’re always a handful. No, my little shadow is along with us tonight because of some hate mail I’ve been getting.”

“What?” she cried out, concerned. He instantly regretted telling her.

“Oh, I get it all the time. ‘Trapped Under Ice sucks,’ ‘You’re a loser,’ etc. No biggie.”

“If you get it all the time, why is Pete here tonight?”

“You know, Pete,” he answered evasively. “He’s overprotective.”

“No. He’s a bodyguard who’s been in the business for over twenty years.”

“Let’s not talk about this tonight.”

She hesitated. “Full disclosure in the morning?”

“Full disclosure, including all the evidence,” Chad vowed, forgetting the letters were actually with a friend of Pete’s who worked for the FBI.

The limo rolled to a stop. “We’re here all ready?” she squealed.

“No. You’ve just completed the first leg of your journey,” he answered mysteriously, kissing her on the tip of her nose. He got out and trotted around to help her out.

When Beth got out, she knew immediately where they were. “What are you up to?” she yelled over the sound of a jet taking off.

“You are so impatient.”

When they were aboard the small jet taking them nearer to their secret destination, he finally remarked, “I think we can take your blindfold off for a little while.”