What Goes on Tour (14 page)

Adrian moaned, only half in jest, and rolled over, pulling the quilt over his head. It had taken him hours to get to sleep the night before. His head was full of Libby and the way she’d reacted to his question.

Kate laughed and jumped on the bed to shake him. “It’s already 8.30 and I’ve had breakfast and written like a gazillion words.”

That woke him up. He never slept this late. He’d forgotten to set his alarm before going to bed the night before. And he still had to pack.

“I made you breakfast.” Kate smiled down at him, obviously pleased with herself.

He sat up and picked up his T-shirt from next to the bed, pulling it on quickly. “Sounds great. Let’s go.” He threw back the quilt as Kate bounced off the bed and raced back into the main room.

The table was set with a huge bowl of cereal and a coffee. It reminded him of the meal Libby had left out the night before and the conversation they’d had before she left.

“Thanks, kiddo.” He took his seat. “Are you ready to go?”

“Yep. Just packed up my backpack and put everything by the door.”

Kate’s suitcases and the cooler sat in the hallway. “You’re way ahead of me.” He crunched into his cereal. “Glad to see you’re in a better mood today.”

Kate flung herself into a chair and looked at him, clearly deciding what she should say. “Me and Libby had a chat and sorted it all out.”

“So you weren’t mad at me?”

“Nope.”

Should he push it further? He’d like to think Kate could talk to him about anything. “Do you want to tell me about it?”

Kate pursed her lips together and then looked down at her hands. “No. It’s kind of a secret.”

“Really?” Why would Kate say that? Unless what Libby told him wasn’t true. Or unless Kate had been right and she didn’t want to spill Libby’s secret.

This was ridiculous.

He finished his cereal and Kate carried the bowl to the sink to wash. Adrian stood, drinking the last of his coffee. “I’ll just have a shower.”

“Uncle Ade?”

There was something in her voice that made Adrian stop mid-stride and turn to his niece. “Yes?”

“Do you like Libby?” Her eyes were wide. She was trying, but not succeeding, to sound casual.

What was she up to? “Of course,” he answered. “She’s a very nice person and takes good care of you.”

“Do you think she’s cute?”

Whoa. He wasn’t expecting that. His thoughts flashed back to the night before and he smiled at the memory. Kate studied him with a grin on her face. Heck. “Ah, she’s attractive, I guess.” Lame, Adrian, very lame.

Kate grinned. “Okay, thanks.” She turned back to the dishes.

Not so fast. “Why do you ask?”

“Oh, no reason.” She shrugged. “You should get ready or else George is gonna be madder than a cut snake.”

Unfortunately she was right. Making a note to grill her more at a later date, he headed to the bathroom. Kate giggled behind him.

She was up to something.

The drive to the airport was uncomfortable. Libby couldn’t avoid Adrian, so she just gave him a brief smile and made sure Kate sat next to him. Luckily Kate was her usual chatty self, excited about going on the plane.

After they checked in, Libby spotted a bookstore and took the opportunity to excuse herself to go and browse. She’d made a real mess of it last night. She should have denied what Kate had said immediately, giving Adrian no chance to think she might like him more than she should.

Libby rolled her shoulders and focused on the books.

All four of her novels were on the shelf and a burst of pride swept through her. She had achieved this. Her hard work and persistence had made this happen.

“Excuse me, you’re Libby Myles, aren’t you?” The bookseller stood next to her.

Libby blinked in surprise. She was never recognized. She smiled. “Yes.”

“I recognized you from the TV show last week. Would you mind signing a few copies of your latest book? Customers love signed copies.”

Libby grinned. The thrill of being asked to sign one of her books hadn’t dulled, despite all the book signings she’d done. “Sure.” She followed the woman across to the counter where a stack of her books waited. The woman handed her a pen and Libby started signing.

“Libby, we’re going to grab a coffee.”

At Adrian’s voice Libby looked up. “Be right there.”

The bookseller smiled at Adrian. “I’m sorry. It must be a pain for you, knowing someone famous like Libby. I couldn’t let the opportunity slide when I recognized her.”

Libby whipped her gaze up to Adrian, who was smiling broadly.

“It sure is, ma’am, but we deal with it the best we can.”

Libby almost choked holding in the laughter. She finished signing the books and returned the pen.

“Thank you so much,” the woman gushed.

“Anytime,” Libby said and followed Adrian, Kate and George out of the shop.

After making sure she was far enough away for the bookseller not to hear, she burst out laughing. The absurdity of the situation tickled her funny bone and she couldn’t stop. Tears formed in her eyes as she tried to control the laughter.

“What’s so funny, Libby?” Kate asked.

Libby gestured for Adrian to respond. She couldn’t form any words.

Adrian chuckled, obviously amused by her reaction. He repeated what the woman in the bookstore had said.

George and Kate laughed. “She sure put you in your place,” George said.

“I’ll have to remember I’m acquainted with a famous author now.” Adrian smiled at Libby and winked.

Libby’s laughter subsided as her breath caught in her throat. She had to stop reacting to Adrian this way.

“Come on, I need my caffeine,” George said. He turned and headed for the nearest coffee shop. Adrian looked at Libby for a second longer than necessary and then turned and followed his friend.

Libby gave herself a moment to calm her rapidly beating heart.

She was in big trouble.

***

It was her third day in Sydney and Libby was really pleased with the work she had done. This manuscript didn’t need as much rewriting as her previous one and she was already halfway through her revisions. She’d also applied for a couple more rental properties and had rung her realtor to see if he could help. He said he’d be in touch, but Libby wasn’t holding her breath. Today she needed a break and was glad she had to look after Kate.

She’d not seen Kate or Adrian since they arrived at the hotel on Tuesday. They had all sorts of sightseeing plans and Kate had written her a couple of emails to tell Libby about their adventures. Libby missed spending time with them both, but she was glad of the break. Hopefully Adrian would have forgotten all about the conversation they’d had on their last night in Melbourne.

Checking the time, she gathered up her laptop and room key and headed to Kate’s room.

It was still early, but Adrian had a number of radio interviews lined up. He answered the door just after she knocked, decked out in his full Kent outfit. He smiled at her slowly and her insides went wobbly. She pasted an answering smile on her face. “Good morning.”

He motioned for her to enter. “Morning, ma’am.”

Libby brushed past him into the suite. The room had the same layout as the one in Melbourne but was decorated in shades of blue and gray.

“Where’s Kate?” Libby asked.

“She’s still asleep. She stayed up late watching movies with me last night. I wanted to let her rest.” Kent moved next to her, invading her space.

“Have you had a nice time in Sydney?” Libby asked, grasping for some safe, mundane topic.

“Sure have. The only thing we haven’t done is climb the Harbour Bridge. I didn’t want to take Kate up when it was raining, but Sunday should be fine, so we’ll go up then.” He glanced at her. “Have you done it?”

“Not yet.” Libby had friends who’d done the climb and loved it. “I’m not great with heights.”

“Could be a great way to face your fear,” Kent said. “I know all about that.” The smile was wide, reaching into his eyes and making them shine. Libby’s heart galloped.

“Why don’t you come with us on Sunday?” he said. The invitation seemed genuine, not the kind where someone felt obligated.

Libby considered it. If there was no climb involved, she would have said yes in an instant, and wasn’t that the problem? He was her employer, and she shouldn’t feel this way about him. She also had a book to finish, and no time for distractions. “I’ll think about it,” she said.

Kent grinned. His phone beeped and he checked the display. “Gotta go,” he said as he lifted his bag from the table. “Think about the bridge climb. You might enjoy it.” He winked. “I’ll see you later.”

He left and Libby was able to breathe more easily. She put her bag down next to the table and put the kettle on, then peered in at Kate, who was sleeping soundly. Until she woke, Libby would sit down and read her book. Libby had found a number of activities they could do during the day, but she would leave it up to Kate to decide.

***

Radio interviews were part of the promotional gig and Adrian didn’t mind them. The co-hosts were generally friendly and asked all the same questions about touring and how much he was enjoying Australia. It was easy work as long as he went as Kent. The women always got slightly flustered when Kent winked at them, which amused Adrian. He did things as Kent he’d never dare do as himself.

He thought about Libby’s reaction this morning. Kent flustered her in a way Adrian never did. It generally didn’t bother him that women reacted to Kent so differently, but with Libby it did. Part of him wished he flustered her as much as Kent. It was ridiculous. Why would she be interested in a shy, introverted man when there was Kent? He shook his head. How sad – he was jealous of himself.

“We’re in here.” George pointed toward some glass sliding doors to his right.

Adrian snapped out of his thoughts and followed George inside, smiling at the receptionist, who looked as if she’d paid particular attention to her appearance today. She called someone to lead them to the studio. Over the speakers the hosts were wrapping up their segment and telling listeners that Kent was coming up next. They introduced a song and the On Air sign above the studio door went dark.

“This way, Kent.”

Adrian followed the woman into the studio and took the headphones he was handed.

“This is Natalie and Phil,” his chaperone said.

“Howdy.” Adrian shook Phil’s hand. Phil smiled and said, “G’day, mate.” Then Adrian turned to Natalie. She stared at him long and hard before shaking his hand.

Here was someone who was obviously not going to fall for the Kent charm. Adrian squashed down the nerves rippling in his stomach. Kent could handle anything.

The song reached its end and Adrian put his headphones on and sat down in front of the microphone.

Natalie welcomed the listeners back and then Phil introduced Kent.

“Kent, welcome to the show.”

“It’s a pleasure,” Adrian answered.

“It’s your first time in Australia – how do you like it so far?” Phil asked.

“It’s been swell. The folk here are real friendly and I’m having a ball.” Adrian stopped himself from rolling his eyes. He could predict the next question – it would be something about the show.

“There’s been a lot of hype about your show. Why do you think that is?”

Adrian grinned. “Because it’s the best damned show there is,” he drawled. The interview continued, with Phil asking all the questions and Natalie looking more and more disgruntled. Adrian had no idea what was wrong with her. Finally he got his answer.

“Don’t you feel any shame for encouraging children’s bad behavior?” Her voice was venomous.

Adrian faltered. There were groups out there who protested against his music, mostly mothers wanting to blame their teenagers’ bad behavior on his songs instead of examining what was really wrong, but he hadn’t expected criticism from a radio station that played his music.

“The influence you have over these children is appalling,” Natalie continued. “They worship the ground you walk on. They would kill themselves for you.”

Adrian stared at her, caught off guard. Where the heck had that come from? Phil was also staring at his co-host in amazement. “I’m afraid I don’t know what you mean, ma’am,” Adrian said.

“Your latest song, ‘To Be Hurt’, is a blatant call for children to self-harm. You’re saying they should harm themselves physically so they can feel love.”

Adrian shook his head although none of the listeners would be able to see. “That’s not what the song means, ma’am.” His song, written during a period of despair, was about seeking to reconnect with the world after a childhood full of abuse. Kate had done a lot to help him in that regard. It was impossible not to love the girl.

“Are you telling me I’m wrong?” Natalie said. “That my ten-year-old nephew attempted to kill himself because he interpreted the lyrics to your song incorrectly?” Her voice rose. She leaned forward and Adrian was sure if the desk wasn’t between them she would have been up in his face.

Almost killed himself? Adrian felt as if he’d been slapped. The woman had to be kidding, but her expression showed him she wasn’t. Kate was ten. Kate had seen her parents die in front of her and she was coping. What would cause a child so young to attempt suicide? It couldn’t have been his music, could it? The lyrics ran through his head, but he didn’t see the connection. He had to find out more but this was not the place.

Phil filled the silence. “I think we’ve run out of time.” Natalie started talking again, but her microphone had obviously been turned off, because she pressed several buttons, looking angry. “Thanks, Kent, for coming in,” Phil said. “Good luck on your tour. For one lucky listener we have a double pass to the show tonight if you call now. Next is the traffic report.” He pressed a button and pulled his headphones off.

Natalie sat with tears streaming down her face.

“Mate, I’m sorry,” Phil said. “She’s not usually like this.”

George came barreling in to the room. “What the heck –”

Adrian held up a hand to stop George yelling and removed his headphones. The woman had been through a traumatic time. It wasn’t going to help anyone to yell at her.

A man dressed in a suit came into the studio. “Get out,” he said to Natalie. He pointed toward the door, before turning to Adrian. “I’m so sorry. I don’t know what’s come over her.”

“Wait.” Adrian stood and turned to the older man, who was obviously in charge. “Natalie is distressed. I’d like to speak with her privately.”

The man seemed stunned, then nodded and turned to Phil. “You can handle the end of the show on your own.” It was a statement, not a question.

“Of course.” Phil checked one of the displays. “There are another couple of ads to go.”

“This way.” The man led them out of the studio to a small office. All of the fight had left Natalie and she followed meekly behind, tears streaming down her face.

When George went to walk into the room, Adrian stopped him. “Why don’t you talk with this gentleman for a while?” George had his someone-is-going-to-pay face on and Natalie was in no state to face that. She was hurting. She stood, hugging herself as if she wished she could curl up into a ball and disappear.

George opened his mouth to disagree, then nodded and turned to the man in charge.

The office was mostly gray. Grey walls, gray corner desk with a gray computer on it, as well as a small, gray meeting table with a couple of gray chairs around it. It was depressing. Adrian indicated one of the chairs. “Why don’t you sit down, ma’am?” He spotted a box of tissues and brought them over to the table.

Natalie took one and blew her nose.

Now he had the woman alone, he wasn’t sure how to begin. Eventually he said, “Will you tell me what happened?”

She wiped the tears from her eyes. “Do you have any children, Kent?”

He was torn between protecting Kate and telling the truth. Finally he said, “I have a niece who is ten.”

“Do you see her much?”

“As much as I can.”

Natalie seemed satisfied. “Then you know what they’re like at that age. So full of enthusiasm. You are his hero.” She plucked another tissue. “My sister found him unconscious on his bed last week. Her little boy. He’d cut his wrist and was rushed to hospital. Your song was on repeat on his stereo.” She sniffed. “No one knew anything was wrong.”

He saw why she’d make the connection. But surely there had to be something else to cause the boy to harm himself. Not even when Adrian had been beaten and locked in the cellar had he considered suicide. He couldn’t say that, though. “For me the song is about hurting emotionally, not physically.” He paused. Maybe the boy had bigger issues and no one would listen to him. Adrian knew what that was like. “Could I talk to your nephew?”

Natalie regarded him with suspicion. “Why would you want to?”

“To explain what the song means and to find out why he interpreted it that way.” Maybe the boy would tell him things he wouldn’t tell his parents.

“I won’t let him be part of a media circus.”

Adrian swallowed his sigh. “I’d prefer to see him without anyone knowing. They’ll sensationalize it.” He paused. “I could see him today after sound check.”