Fame (21 page)

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And he would protect her wishes as long as he drew breath.

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A SERIES OF THUNDERSTORMS hit Bloomington Sunday and Katy thought it fitting. Perfect symbolism for her life. She still hadn’t connected with Jenny Flanigan, and tensions i seemed at an all-time high between them. The CKT cast was off

to its slowest start yet, and in twenty-four hours she’d be in Los Angeles, preparing to audition for a part that could change her life.

With so much to think about she didn’t want to sit around the Flanigan house.

Instead she made dinner plans with Heath Hud:son at Sully’s Subs, not far from the university.

Katy pulled her car into the parking lot, found a space near the entrance, and put the car in park. What was she doing meeting Heath for dinner? Sharing a meal with him would only lead him on, and what was the point of that? She wasn’t interested in him.

She checked her look in the mirror and replayed their conversation in her mind.

“If you’re leaving Monday, let me treat you for dinner before you go.”

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Katy must’ve looked hesitant, because Heath had chuckled and said, “We need to talk about the sound plans for Tom Sawyer, remember?”

He was right, but now as she got out of her car and darted through the door, she wasn’t so sure. She took a booth near the front and stared out the window. She was half an hour early, enough time to think over all that was going on in her life.

Still, maybe she should’ve spent the extra time at home, talking to Jenny, coming clean with her about the trips to California. Only Rhonda knew the reason for her Hollywood visits. But when she mentioned earlier that morning that she’d be leaving for CA, Jim and Jenny had both given her curious looks.

“Two trips so close together?” Jim asked her. The Flanigans had been on their way out the door to church, same as Katy. Jim grinned. “What’s going on?.You got a secret guy out there?” He was teasing; his eyes danced the way they did when he played with his kids.

She only shook her head and made something up. “It’s research. Nothing more.”

As a director for CKT, research was part of the job. Often she needed to fly to a different city to check out a performance by another CKT group. It was up to her to decide which plays CKT performed, what classes would be taught, and what off-season activities they might attempt. Nearly all of her decisions were based on the research she did in other cities.

So the story was believable. But it wasn’t truthful, and now, her elbows anchored on the table, that bothered her. It bothered her enough to make her want to head straight home and tell the Flanigans the truth.

If the audition led to a part in the movie, she’d have to tell them, and then what would they think? Even if she didn’t get the part, lying wasn’t her style.

Katy folded her arms and rested them on the table. Her mother had raised her to believe that lying was one of the worst things a person could do.

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God, I’m sorry. Lying to the Flanigans, having dinner with Heath I don’t have feelings for him.., why am I making a mess of thing?

:A verse came to mind, one from the sermon earlier that day.

j

must be holy because I am holy.” It was something Jesus had . His followers, something that had never quite sat right with How could a person be holy when only God was capable of liness?

But that morning Pastor Mark had cleared it up. God wanted people to be holy, not perfect. Holiness for God meant perof course. But holiness for His people meant being set Different.

Katy uttered a sad laugh. Lying to the people she lived with hardly different. She could tell the Flanigans later tonight, have a little extra time to talk with Jenny about things. A clock on the wall caught her eye. She was still twenty rainearly. She tapped her fingers on the table and remembered Of course! Inviting Rhonda for dinner would be the tion. That way Heath couldn’t possibly mistake it for date. Rhonda had gone home a few minutes earlier last night,

sed Heath’s idea about dinner. But he wouldn’t mind Rhonda joined them.

She flipped out her cell phone and punched in the number.

conversation lasted five minutes, and when it was over, promised to come.

Just as she was hanging up, she saw Heath park his car, roll his window, poke an umbrella through it, and then open umbrella. Katy wrinkled her nose. What’s he doing?

With the open umbrella stuck on the other side of the winhe opened the car door, jumped out, and tried to take a few But the umbrella was too big to fit back through the winand it caught Heath in his tracks, nearly knocking him off feet.

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A giggle slipped from Katy’s lips, and she put her fingers OVer her mouth. “Come on, Heath,” she whispered, “collapse it or push it the rest of the way through and take the handle with your other hand. Something.”

For another few seconds, Heath fought with the umbrella, trying valiantly to pull it through the window toward him. When it began bending the wrong way, he stopped and clicked the button on the handle. Once the umbrella was compact again, he finally pulled it through the window. By the time he closed the window, opened the umbrella, and placed it over his head, he was drenched.

“Oh, Heath.” Katy exhaled slowly. She watched him head across the parking lot and into the restaurant. He spotted her right away.

“Hey.” He gave her a crooked grin as he took the seat opposite hers. With his head he motioned toward the storm. “That’s some wicked rain. Hard to believe that a few hours ago it was bright sunshine.”

Water dripped down his face and hung in droplets on his eye brows and lashes. As goofy as he looked, something about him was endearing.

“Yes.” Katy bit her lip so she wouldn’t laugh. “And a wicked umbrella.”

His expression fell. “You saw?”

“Yeah.” She winced. “Next time open the door, not the win dow.”

“Right. Good tip.” He shrugged and smiled at her. “You’re early.”

“Yep.” Katy handed him a napkin and pointed at his eye brows. “You’re still dripping.”

“Nice.” He took the napkin, pursed his lips, and gave a few slow nods. “Just the impression I was trying to make.”

She laughed, and the conversation shifted to the progress they were making with Tom Sawyer. Katy kept up her end of the

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conversation, and she found herself enjoying it. Heath told her bout a presentation he’d made at a sales conference, a story that was funny and compelling. Outside the world of CKT, without a hundred kids spying on them, she should have had every reason to like Heath Hudson.

Despite the bumbling bit with the umbrella.

Their conversation was light and pleasant, and after a while they ordered. Then Katy remembered Rhonda. “Oh… I forgot to tell you—” she took a sip of her water—”I asked Rhonda to join us.”

The light in his eyes faded a little. “Okay. Sure.”

Katy lowered her chin. After a year of working around Heath, she had only wondered at his feelings. Maybe she should ask aow, before things got too t5r. “Heath?” “Yeah?” His eyes found hers. “Was this a date?”

“This?” For a few seconds he looked like he might deny it. But then he lifted his hands and dropped them again. “Okay, yeah. I guess SO.”

“Heath . . 2’ Katy reached out and covered his fingers with hers. “i’m so sorry.

I didn’t know.”

“That’s okay.” He forced a smile. “No big deal. Rhonda’s fun too.”

Katy slumped slightly. “I’m sorry, Heath. Really.” She hesitated. “But can I tell you something?”

He leaned back and studied her. “I think I can guess.” “Yeah, maybe.” She released his hands and sat up a little. “I like being your friend.” Her shoulders lifted. “Could that be enough? For now, anyway?”

His eyes softened, and for the first time the strength of his feelings was painfully clear. “That’s fine.” He looked deep into her eyes. “Can you do me a favor, Katy?”

A warm feeling spread through her heart. The way Heath 174

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looked right now, sincere and vulnerable, she could almost imagine feeling something more for him. “Anything.”

He held her gaze for a moment. “Could you let me know if you change your mind?”

“Yes, Heath.” She allowed the connection she felt with him to last a little longer. “You’ll be the first to know.”

He looked outside and pointed. “Rhonda’s here.”

Katy turned and saw her friend jogging toward the front door, a book over her head to keep herself dry. She met Heath’s eyes again. ‘Are we okay?”

A comfortable confidence filled his face, one that made it clear his heart was no longer exposed. He chuckled low and quiet. “So long as you don’t tell Rhonda about the umbrella.”

Rhonda approached the table, breathless and damp. “Forecast calls for two inches in the next few hours.” She dropped to the spot next to Katy. “Where’s the menu?

I’m starved.”

They ate dinner and discussed the sound set—which characters would have cordless microphones and which would be positioned near mics hanging from the theater rafters. After a short time, Heath picked up the check and left, explaining that he had errands to run. As he walked away, he gave Katy a last glance, one that lingered a few seconds longer than usual.

When he was gone, Rhonda gave her a pointed look. “What was that all about?”

“What?” Katy picked at the remains of her sandwich.

“Heath. The look there at the end.” She raised one eyebrow. “What did I miss?”

Katy laughed. “You never miss anything.”

“Exactly.” She took a sip of pop. “So tell me.”

“It’s nothing.” A moment passed, but still Katy felt her friend’s eyes boring into her. Finally she let out a quiet moan. “Fine. I guess Heath wanted this to be a date.”

“I feel stupid.” Rhonda leaned back and crossed her arms. “I knew it.”

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“Knew what? That this was a date?”

“No, that Heath had a thing for you.”

“Everyone knows it.” Katy pushed her fork around the scoop coleslaw on the side of her plate. “That’s the problem.” “It’s not a problem if you’re interested.”

Now it was Katy’s turn to raise her brows. “I’m not.” She looked down at her plate. “I told him I just want to be friends.” “I bet that went over well.”

Rhonda sat still for a moment.

not bad, Katy. I think he’s kinda cute.”

“He is.” Katy opened her eyes a little wider. “There you go.

don’t you date him?”

A shadow fell across Rhonda’s face. “He doesn’t have feelings Anyone can see that.”

]l,.: How do you know. Katy s tone wasn’t convincing. “What if i, he’s never thought about you like that before?”

“That’s not it.”

“Okay, but, hey.” Katy felt a surge of hope. Maybe this was the answer, Rhonda and Heath. “Never mind him—what about

yOU?”

In all the time they’d known each other, Rhonda had never {looked embarrassed.

She could walk like a walrus or sing like a chipmunk, turn cartwheels across the stage or wear a purple Wig, all in the name of working with the kids at CKT. But at the mention of Heath, Rhonda seemed suddenly shy.

stared at the straw in her drink. “I told you, I think he’s “Rhonda?” Katy lowered her voice. “You really care about ‘:i:.’ him, don’t you? How come you never told me?”

:’:’ “Katy …” Rhonda shook her head and picked at a cold French fry. “The feeling isn’t mutual. He doesn’t care about me. It’s silly to talk about it.”

i For a while they were both quiet. Katy didn’t want to push the ‘).: issue, but she guessed Rhonda’s response had something to do the way she saw herself. Rhonda was a few pounds heavier 176

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than she wanted to be, and her makeup left her skin a little uneven. She wore her blonde hair in a fashionable cut, but she rarely took the time to style it.

Of course, none of that mattered. Rhonda was beautiful; everyone always said so.

Maybe Katy could get someone to drop a bug in Heath’s ear, let him know Rhonda was interested.

Rhonda broke the silence first. “Sometimes I wonder You were raised to believe in God, right?” “Right.” Katy blinked. Where was Rhonda headed?

“Weren’t you taught that God had a plan for your life, that He wants to give you a hope and a future?”

“Sure. Jeremiah 29:11.” Katy dabbed her lips with a napkin. “My mom used to remind me of that verse all the time.”

“You know what my mom would do?” Rhonda didn’t wait for an answer. “She’d sit down next to me on my bed each night… I don’t know, from maybe sixth grade on.

Then she’d pray with

me and almost always she’d pray about my husband.”

“The guy you might marry one day?”

“Right.” Rhonda folded her hands on the tabletop. “Wherever he was, my mom would ask God to take care of him and raise him up in a good home, believing in the Lord—that sort of thing. Then she’d pray that God would let us meet each other when the time was right.”

Katy felt her heart drop. “So where is he; is that it?”

“Yeah.” Frustration rang in Rhonda’s tone. “I’m ready, you know? I’ve waited for Mr. Right. I feel like telling God, ‘Okay, anytime now,’”

“I know.” Katy twirled a section of her hair. “It’s supposed to be easier than this.”

‘Easier… sooner.. 2 Rhonda tossed her hands. “Anything but this loneliness day after day after day.”

Katy was quiet for a minute. ‘Do you believe it still?” Rhonda’s eyes filled with unshed tears. “Believe what?”

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i “That God has someone out there for you, that you’ll meet when the time’s right?”

“I want to believe it.” She sniffed. “What choice do I have? But day I feel my chances getting smaller.” Her voice was than before. “You know what happened the other day? It seven fifteen and I was leaving my apartment for work, me

and about twenty other people. We all wound up squeezed in elevator at the same time, and somewhere around the third

floor the thing stopped, just quit on us.” Rhonda looked at her ,te. “There was a guy stuck right next to me, shoulder to

shoulder. I’ve seen him a few times before, nice dresser, a little than me, no wedding ring.”