A Face in the Crowd Page 23

  “Not exactly.” Lexie sighed. “Donna’s here for a visit.”

  “Are you shitting me? Donna’s there?” Simone’s face appeared too close again as she tried to see beyond Lexie and into her apartment. “Why?”

  “Another marriage bites the dust.”

  “Lexie,” there was compassion in Simone’s voice since she knew what a visit from Donna entailed. “You have to make her leave.”

  “I can’t just throw her out.”

  “Why the hell not? Isn’t that what she did to you for, wait, which one was that? Was it husband number three who didn’t want a kid hanging around? Or, was it four? I have a hard time keeping them straight.”

  Lexie smirked. It was mean, but true, which was why she’d spent most of her senior year of high school living with Simone and her mom.

  “And, how about money? Has she paid for anything since she showed up or is she going to leave you with an empty checking account again, when she decides she’s had enough bonding time?”

  Lexie winced.

  “Damnit, Lexie. Make her leave. Better yet, point the computer in the right direction and I’ll make her leave. Don’t make me get on a plane.”

  Lexie laughed for the first time in a week at the thought of Simone busting through her door and throwing her mom out on her ass, because she would actually do it.

  “How about Oliver? What’s going on with you two? I bet your mom’s already planning your wedding.”

  “She doesn’t know anything about him, but that’s because there isn’t anything to know. He’s gone. Back to L.A. and his life there.”

  “That’s it? He just left? He didn’t call or stop by or text . . . nothing?”

  “He called a few times, but I haven’t talked to him. It’s easier this way. A clean break.”

  “Lexie.”

  “No, I don’t want to talk about it.” She swiped at her eyes and cursed under her breath when tears pooled. “Let’s talk more about you.”

  When the door opened a few minutes later, Lexie said goodbye to Simone and closed her computer. Simone wouldn’t hesitate to yell at her mother through the screen.

  “Hey, sweetie. You’re going to die when you see the sweater I picked up for you at Saks. It is beyond gorgeous.” Her mom dropped two stacks of shopping bags on the floor and then brushed her fire engine red nails through her blown out hair. Lexie hated to admit Donna looked good, but a couple more times under the knife and she feared her mother would look more feline than human. There was only so much pulling one face could take.

  “So, what should we do for dinner tonight? Do you want to go out?”

  “Honestly, I’m beat. I think I’ll stay in tonight.”

  Donna put her hands on her hips and tapped her foot. “How are you ever going to meet a man, if you stay in all the time? You need to get out there.”

  “I’m not going to meet the man of my dreams in a bar.” Lexie hated nothing more than hanging out at bars. She wasn’t good at small talk and the truth was, she’d already met the man she wanted. Or, at least, she thought she had.

  “Don’t tell me you’re still pining over that guy you’d been seeing. I thought that was just a thing, not the one.” Her mom marched to the cabinet to get a wine glass and filled it. “I mean, it was so pathetic the way he poured is heart out when he . . .” Donna stopped abruptly and gulped down some wine.

  Lexie tilted her head to the side and stood. “What are you talking about? When did he pour his heart out?” She hadn’t listened to any messages while her mom had been around. Hell, she hadn’t said a word about him.

  “Oh, come on, Alexis. You’ve been mopey all week.” Donna turned and crossed one arm over her stomach, the other still gripping her glass. “Now, I’ve done my best to distract you, but you’ve been so boring. Don’t think I don’t know what it looks like when a woman has gone soft over a man. Trust me when I say you’re better off without him. They’re all jerks in the long run.”

  “Weren’t you just trying to get me to go out so I could meet a guy like two seconds ago?”

  “I meant for you to meet one who is rich. Someone who can take care of you and who you can control. The guy at the door was not that man. Whoever was at the door was in love with you and that’s fleeting. Bullshit. Empty promises.” She laughed, “Haven’t I taught you anything?”

  Lexie’s stomach flipped. “He was here? When?”

  “The same day I got here, but honestly, Lexie, it doesn’t matter. You’re better than him.”

  Her mouth fell open in horror as she stared at the woman standing before her. He’d been there. He’d tried. He hadn’t left with only a phone call after all. And, Andy . . . why had she listened to him? She’d also made the mistake of letting her mother get into her head, and instead of giving Oliver the benefit of the doubt, she’d turned her back on him.

  Her hands shook as she balled them into fists at her sides. “What did he say, exactly?”

  Donna waved an uncaring hand in the air and drained the rest of her drink. “I don’t remember, something about he’d be back, but as you can see he hasn’t been here. So, there you go. He’s a liar, too. Just like the rest of them.”

  But, he wasn’t like the rest of them. The men she’d dated over the years, Mike included, none of them could compare to Oliver.

  A flash of images flitted across her mind. Oliver waiting for her with coffee. Oliver calling her when he’d needed someone he could trust. Oliver cooking dinner for her. Lying beside her. Showing up at the hospital to ask her out. Playing his guitar when she’d needed to grieve. Laughing with her.

  “Donna, you need to pack your things and go.” She cleared her throat when her words came out in a weak tumble and said it again, this time with more force. “You need to pack your things and go.”

  “What are you talking about? We’re spending time together.” Her mother came around the couch and gripped her upper arms, her nails digging into Lexie’s skin. “I need you.”

  “I don’t care. Not anymore.” She jerked her arms free of her mother’s grip. “It’s time for you to grow up, Donna.”

  Her mother stepped back, her eyes hard. “You’ll regret this, Alexis. One day this guy will toss you to the side and you’ll need me.”

  “No, I won’t. I stopped needing you when I was about ten years old. You see, Donna, that’s what happens when you abandon your child. They find a way to make it on their own.” She crossed her arms to keep from bursting into a million pieces as the adrenaline of finally standing up to her mother threatened to devour her. “Now, please get out.”

  Head held high and with a toss of her hair, Donna marched to the back of the apartment and packed her bags. Neither of them spoke again until Donna paused with her hand on the door. “I won’t forget this.”

  “I hope you won’t.”

  The door slammed shut between them and no sooner had the reverberations stopped than Lexie had her phone in her hand. She found her favorites in her phone and hit Simone’s name.

  “Simone, I did it. She’s gone.”

  Simone let out a whoop on the other end of the line and laughed maniacally. “Thank, God. What made you finally do it?”

  Lexie told Simone everything that had happened, careful not to leave out any of the details.

  “He was there? Oh my gosh. That’s so romantic.”

  “Simone, I love him.”

  “I know. I probably knew before you did.”

  “I’ve been such an idiot.” Lexie buried her face in her free hand. “What am I going to do? Should I just wait around for him to come back? Should I call him? I’m freaking out over here.”

  “Neither. I think it’s time you came out for a visit. It’ll give you a chance to make a plan and get your thoughts in order. Unless you think he’s going to show up
at your door again tomorrow?”

  “I doubt it.”

  “I mean, you not only survived a week with Donna, you tossed her out. We should celebrate. The producer has to go to some film festival next week, so we all get a few days off. Come out.” At Lexie’s silence, Simone pushed. “It’s been a month. I need my Lexie fix. Plus, I want to show you all the fun spots out here.”

  “I do have some vacation days saved up.”

  “You could use a few days at the beach. And, it would be the prefect birthday present for me,” she said it in a singsong voice, the way she sometimes did when she was talking people into things.

  “Look at you pulling out the big guns,” Lexie laughed, then pulled her computer into her lap and started searching for flights.

  “A girl’s got to do what a girl’s got to do.”

  “Okay, I’ll make sure my schedule is worked out and I’ll book a flight.”

  “Yea! California, California . . .”

  “Simone, stop singing.” Lexie’s protest caused her to sing louder. “Good night, Simone.” Lexie laughed and hit end, then fell backward into her pillows. A few days away from her normal life would be good. She missed Simone and this way she could figure out what in the world she was going to say to Oliver. She’d been such an idiot. How patient could one man be?

  Chapter 22

  Lexie nearly stumbled as Simone threw her arms around her neck at baggage claim, but the strain on her back was well worth it. The familiar warmth at seeing her friend washed through her and brought with it a relief she hadn’t felt in weeks. Finally, someone who made sense.

  “You’re here.”

  They held on as people maneuvered around them, laughing and fighting tears.

  “So,” Simone let go and held her at arm’s length. “What do you want to do first? I was thinking we could drop off your bag at my place and then we could head to the beach. What better way to recover from your flight then by resting on the sand?”

  “I like the sound of that. Lead the way.”

  After battling traffic, taking the five-cent tour of Simone’s apartment, and driving to Zuma beach, the girls stretched out on towels and enjoyed the sun. The sound of the waves and faint music from some nearby sunbathers floated on the air. Sounds which usually relaxed her, but Lexie couldn’t stop her brain from obsessing over the fact that she was in Oliver’s city. Somewhere relatively nearby he was walking around. Maybe at the studio or hanging out at his new house? She picked up a handful of sand and let it flow from her fingers. What was she supposed to say to him? Would he even listen at this point?

  She’d picked up the phone ten times to call him over the last few days, but could never bring herself to do it. She’d been a fool, not once, but twice.

  “I bet I don’t have to ask you who you’re thinking about.” Simone turned her head toward her as she used one of her arms to shield her eyes from the sun. “Why don’t you just call him already?”

  “I want to, but . . . I don’t know. What if he’s over the drama and doesn’t want to talk to me? What then?”

  Simone pushed herself up onto her elbows. “A man doesn’t fall out of love with a woman that fast, not even a ding-bat like you.”

  Lexie glared at her and threw sand at her leg. “Thanks a lot.”

  “Why don’t you take today to get settled and then tomorrow maybe you should call him and let him know you’re here. Take it one step at a time.”

  “One step at a time.” Lexie rolled onto her stomach. “I can do that. Hey, you’re sure your roommates don’t mind me being here?”

  “No, I told them you were coming and Alison isn’t around this week. She’s taking time off to visit her boyfriend.”

  Lexie blew out a breath. Take the day. One step at a time. She repeated the words in her head until the warmth of the sun pulled her towards sleep. She loved the beach and did her best to get there at least once or twice a year. Of course, she usually went to Florida not the west coast.

  California, though lined with the same palm trees, had a different look and feel than Florida. The sand was darker and spotted with tiny pieces of rocks and shells, whereas Florida was a blanket of white sand. They were opposites and yet each beautiful in their own way.

  Kind of like her and Oliver, she supposed. They, too, were opposites in a lot of ways, but one thing was for sure, he was a good man.

  “Lexie,” Simone’s voice pulled Lexie out of her own head. “Are you awake over there?”

  “Barely,” she grumbled into the towel.

  “If you’re feeling up to it later, I got us tickets to see a concert at this awesome little venue. It only holds a couple thousand.”

  While Simone went on about the plans she’d made, Lexie didn’t hear most of what she was saying. She was too busy talking herself out of a panic attack. For a moment, she’d feared what concert Simone was referring to. It was one thing to be in Oliver’s city, but to see him tonight? She wasn’t ready.

  She shook her head. Her worries were unfounded. Survival of the Fittest was long past the days of playing in small venues.

  “I think we should go shopping this afternoon and find something fun to wear out tonight.” At Lexie’s raised eyebrow, Simone continued, “Don’t look at me like that. I know you haven’t been shopping since I moved. You’re not a shopper.”

  Lexie didn’t argue, but she did stick out her tongue playfully at Simone.

  After a couple more hours on the beach, when they finally managed to motivate themselves to move, they visited a few fun stores Simone found out about from a local she worked with. They shopped, ate lunch by the shore, and caught up. It was the perfect afternoon and the exact kind Lexie missed.

  “Who’s the band tonight?”

  “Oh, just some local guys everyone’s raving about.” Simone climbed out of the car and grabbed the shopping bags from the back. “Supposedly, they’re going to be the next big thing.”

  When Simone let them into her apartment, the place was empty, so they turned on some music while they dressed for dinner.

  Lexie paused with her shirt halfway over her head as she surveyed Simone’s outfit. It wasn’t exactly her usual style. “That’s what you’re going with?”

  “What’s wrong with it?”

  “When did bright orange become one of your colors?”

  “Oh, you don’t like it? It’s supposed to be the color of the season.”

  “Oh my God, you’ve been out here too long. I’ve never heard you use the words ‘the color of the season’. That’s it. You have to move home immediately. You sound like you’re one ring away from joining the cast of The Real Housewives of L.A.”

  Simone threw her a scathing look and disappeared back into the cramped bathroom, but when she emerged she was still sporting the bright orange top. “Okay, funny girl, you ready to head out?”

  Lexie followed Simone out of the apartment, and when she caught sight of her reflection in the elevator doors, admitted she liked her own new outfit. The designer jeans were a bit of a splurge, but she was on vacation and the grey shirt with silver studs around the V-neck showed just enough cleavage to make her feel sexy. She looked concert ready.

  “You were right. These guys must be crazy popular,” Lexie commented as they drove past a line wrapped around the building. “We’re going to end up in the nosebleed section.”

  “Did I mention that I have VIP tickets?” Simone grinned, clearly pleased with herself.

  “How did you manage that?”

  “A girl from work gave them to me,” Simone tossed a VIP parking pass on her dash.

  “Well done, Simone.”

  “Thank you very much. You see, L.A. isn’t all bad.”

  “I never said it was bad. I just said you should move home. Purely selfish on my part,” Lexie t
hrew an arm over her friend’s shoulders as they walked to the VIP entrance.

  Simone leaned into her. “I miss you, too.”

  Lexie released her as they passed through the double doors marked VIP Only. The building was old and smelled of dust, but it had a welcoming feel. The floor area was standing room only and the second level was ringed with plush seats which looked as though they were the originals.

  “Is there an opening band?”

  “Nope, just the main event tonight,” Simone led the way to the area directly in front of the stage and they leaned against the rail to stake their place as the doors opened to the rest of the fans.

  As the throng of bodies pressed toward the front, Lexie couldn’t help but overhear some guys talking behind them.

  “This is crazy. They haven’t done a show like this in years.”

  “I know. I’m pumped. Let’s hit the bar before—”

  “So, Lexie,” Simone almost shouted in her face, “how’s work? Janice still riding your butt at every opportunity?”

  “Of course,” Lexie said still distracted by what the guys behind her were saying. She started to turn around, but Simone wove her head directly in front of Lexie’s line of sight so she could only see Simone’s face.

  “And, how’s Donna? She hasn’t tried to call, has she?”

  “No. Simone, what’s wrong with you?”

  “Me?” Her eyes darted around like a trapped animal in a cage. “Nothing. What makes you think there’s something wrong with me?”

  “You’re acting a bit weird, even for you.”

  The lights went down and Lexie could’ve sworn Simone looked relieved, but she didn’t have time to dwell on her bestie’s crazy behavior. The crowd yelled and screamed in anticipation as one at a time in the darkness; silhouettes began to take positions on the stage. The excitement hung in the air like an overfull cloud about to break wide open to unleash a storm.