Chapter 20 Meeting Carry On Tour #4
“Hey Aarie. V sent me down to help Greg and his crew get checked in then get them settled into their suites.” He tilted his hat back on his head as Aarie got close to him. “Why were you looking for me?”
“V was wondering if you were going to be ready for the concert tomorrow evening?” Aarie said. “She’s a bit worried about you; she said you seemed a bit distracted the last week or so.”
“I seem distracted?” Billy asked. “She said that?” He stroked his chin. “Hmm. Do you think I’ve been distracted lately?”
“Honestly?” Aarie watched Billy slowly look intently at him. “Okay, honestly then. Yeah. Every time you get around Carry and the girls, you get a little distracted.”
“Why did you say Carry? Why not just the girls?” Billy nearly snapped.
“Whoah, Billy. I’m not your enemy,” Aarie replied bringing both arms up in front of his face in a defensive posture.
“Sorry,” he immediately replied. “Just have something puzzling on my mind.”
“But you snapped about Carry. Man you are getting touchy about her.”
“I am?” Billy asked nearly shocked.
“Dude, you are like her protector all the time, keeping those handsy guys off her at every photo shoot. But, I did say Carry and the girls because it’s more prevalent when she’s around.” Aarie scratched his head. “Are you alright?”
“Maybe,” he said softly. “I just have something I need to sort out.”
“Well, don’t act like a horse’s ass. You’re starting to act like you did when Mia dumped you or when you talked about Charlie and Amanda. Like you are on edge emotionally.” Aarie shook his head. “I’m not your judge, Billy, but this was a bit of an overreaction, don’t you think?”
“Yeah, Aarie. You’re right. It was a bit of an overreaction, and I apologize. I guess I’m a bit cranky from having my sleep interrupted.” He looked up at the counter. “Seems like Greg and crew are checked in. Here we go.”
Greg finished getting his clothes put up and freshened up in the bathroom.
He stepped out of the bedroom into the main room where he noticed Aunt Janet peering out the window at the Washington Monument in the distance.
He moved over behind her quietly so he wouldn’t disturb her.
He took in the view, admiring the freshly cut grass down below.
Aunt Janet turned to him and gave him a soft hug.
“Thank you my child,” she said softly. “You are helping me fulfil a dream by bringing me along for this trip.”
“It’s worth every penny I spend, too,” he replied then softly kissed her forehead. “I have to go meet with Veronica for a few minutes then I’ll be back to take us down for supper with Denny and Janet.”
“And Elizabeth,” she corrected him.
“I think Janet is feeding her now,” he said softly. “She doesn’t eat a lot of regular foods yet, and she was complaining about how heavy they were feeling when we were checking in.”
“That’s the one thing I absolutely regret about giving Veronica to Vanessa and Jacques. I didn’t get to breastfeed her.”
“I thought you were with her even as a baby,” Greg said in confusion.
“I didn’t tell you that I had a complication that kept me in the hospital for fourteen days. By the time I got out, they’d dried up and Vanessa was breast feeding her.”
“I didn’t know that,” Greg replied in an apologetic voice.
“That’s ok, Greg. Go see to Veronica. I’ll see her later. Dinner tomorrow night.”
“Alright,” he said softly. “I’ll be back as quickly as I can.
” Greg quickly left the suite to head to Veronica’s suite one floor up.
Standing at the elevator, waiting for it to arrive he felt his heart quicken, and a nervous twitch in his left leg.
‘Greg, what are you worried about? This is Veronica, a gorgeous woman who loves you so much that she’s put up with more than any woman should have.
’ He looked down at his watch. ‘Why do I feel so nervous about this meeting? Not even the KU Teachers Union made me feel this way.’ He paced in a circle waiting for the elevator to ascend to his floor.
He stopped right in front of the polished stainless steel doors, looking at his reflection.
‘Am I really worthy of such a fine woman as Veronica LaFayette?’ he thought with almost a near panic in his chest.
He heard the ding which snapped him out of his thoughts and he stood up straight as he waited for the elevator doors to open.
His heart was pounding in his chest now, tightening as the doors slowly began to open.
Every millisecond seemed like a minute to him as the doors took an interminable time in opening.
The sound of the metal against metal scrape as they retracted shot through him like the bullets at Club Euchre.
He was now in near panic waiting impatiently for the doors to open.
His jaw dropped when the doors opened far enough and he could see only one passenger in the cabin.
“Carry?” Greg asked in astonishment. She saw Greg and didn’t hesitate to jump forward, wrapping him in her arms. She kissed him deep and long, standing half in and half out of the car.
“Oh Greg! I have missed you every day,” she said softly. “I love you.”
“I still love you,” he started and as he paused he saw the disappointment fall over her like a shadow.
“But you also still love Veronica, right?” she asked, slightly dejected.
“Honestly, yes. But I am so confused right now. I didn’t expect you,,,”
“Shut up and kiss me!” she demanded and pulled him into the elevator to kiss him again. “Just like back at Pimico. Sneaking kisses in the elevator,” she said with a soft giggle.
“Those were the times,” Greg said with a smile. “Where are you going?”
“I have to drop off the schedule update with Veronica,” she said. “Where were you going?”
“To see Veronica,” he slowly said, feeling the sting of her slap.
“And you let me kiss you like that?!” she demanded.
“I don’t know what you want me to say? You caught me by total surprise. I was bracing myself for meeting Veronica again after six weeks.”
“What about me?!” she demanded. “Were you going to come see me?”
“ABSOLUTELY!” he said so firmly it was nearly a yell. “Sorry,” he said as he leaned back against the wall. He realized suddenly that the doors had closed.
“So, you really were going to come see me?” she asked softly as the car started ascending in the shaft. He smiled softly at her.
“I wanted to see you first, but I’ve got a commitment to Veronica,,,” he was saying when she placed her fingers on his lips.
“I know,” she said softly. “Pimico.” She shook her head. “Will you never change? Always business first, and pleasure afterwards.”
“Well,,” he started and she shut him up again.
“Don’t answer, just kiss me if you still want to know if we can fix what we both broke.
” He didn’t hesitate to pull her to him and kiss her deeply.
“Now, that’s the right answer.” They felt the car slow to a stop and the doors started opening.
He let her go and both straightened their clothes like they had countless times before in the Pimico elevator.
When they looked up they saw the last person they expected. “Veronica?”
“I was just coming to see if you had that schedule update,” she said then froze in place. “Greg?”
“Hey, V,” he squeaked out. “I was coming to see you and ran into Carry,” he said softly.
“I can see,” she said, reaching over to wipe the lipstick off his lips with her thumb. “So, you got first shot?” she said with a near glare at Carry.
“I didn’t expect to see him,” she said.
“Okay, fair enough,” she said. “Greg, would you like to come with me?”
“Of course. I’ll see you later, Carry.”
“Absolutely,” she said with a smile. “If there’s any more changes for the schedule, let me know V.”
“I will, Carry.” She let out a long exasperated breath. “I guess I can’t fault you. I’d probably have done the same thing in your place.” She gave Carry a nod. “We can talk about this later.”
“Yes Veronica,” Carry said meekly, then took a breath. “He knows how I feel, so he might as well know how you feel.”
Greg watched and terror struck his heart as the doors closed, taking Carry away while he stood there with Veronica watching Carry the entire time the doors closed.
The moment the elevator began moving again, Veronica turned toward Greg and gave him a glare that told him he was in deep trouble now.
“Veronica,” he tried to speak but she’d already put her fingers on his lips to shut him down.
He stood there like a deer caught in the headlights with nowhere to run.
He waited what seemed an eternity before she finally spoke.
“Just come to my room, then we’ll talk,” she said, then spun and started down the hallway.
Greg felt blood start flowing through his limbs again, and with great effort he was able to start moving to follow her.
They’d barely stepped into the room with the door closed when she spun on him.
“I understand why Quinton did that, Greg. BUT YOU! WHY!” she said and started sobbing.
All he could do was wrap his arms around her and pull her tight.
“I wasn’t expecting that at all,” he said softly. “I had no intention of doing anything that would hurt you.”
“BUT YOU DID!” she yelled then slapped his face so hard that his cheek was stinging. “YOU BETRAYED ME LIKE QUINTON!”
“WHOAH! Wait a minute. I did NOT sleep with Carry like Quinton slept with your best friend in Oslo,” he said in an attempt to defend himself.
“Slap me as much as you want or need for kissing Carry but don’t you ever accuse me of betraying you the way he did.
” He wrapped her up again. “I know now why I’ve always been nervous around you. You are way out of my league.”
“NO Greg,” she sobbed softly into his arms. “You are exactly in my league. I’m sorry,” she said with a sniff. “I don’t know what came over me.”
“You saw something you weren’t prepared for any more than I was,” he admitted.
“Do you love me?” she asked softly, bringing her right hand up to his chest.