Chapter Thirty-Four
It was nearly August, and later this week, they’d be filming the video. Starting tomorrow, the technicians from Wren’s production crew would begin arriving along with a few selected musicians.
Wren would be getting another makeover as well. Samantha would still take charge of her wardrobe, while Robin would return exclusively as her makeup artist. Someone new would be styling her hair, which would integrate a lot of different accessories along with extensions.
But instead of being excited about everything positive happening in her life, she was reluctantly counting the days before the summer would be over and she’d have to leave Crystal Rock.
And Jeff.
She’d begun to love everything about her new life, and she dreaded having to go back to the old.
“What’s wrong?” Jeff asked, walking up the staircase from the basement. “You had the most dismal look on your face when I turned the corner.”
“I can’t believe it’s nearly August.”
“I’ve been thinking a lot about that myself,” he agreed. “Why don’t we get out of here for a while and eat?”
“Now that everyone is arriving to film the video, will we be safe?’’
“Jake’s managed to find accommodations for them at the Inn somehow, so most of them will be staying there. How about we take off in the cruiser and hit one of the restaurants located near the lake? I don’t think we’ve had dinner yet at the Riverbend Lodge. It should be pretty slow since it’s Monday.”
“I’ll wear my big glasses with some baggy jeans and pull my hair into a short ponytail.”
“Sounds good,” he said grinning. “The weather’s a little cooler now at night. Make sure you grab a jacket.”
When she came back downstairs another fifteen minutes later, Jeff was studying the walls in the living room.
“That technique you used really does look great with the woodwork,” he observed. “Now all we need is furniture – although the accessories you’ve added to the shelves on either side of the fireplace look like they’re right where they belong.”
“The sponging gives the walls just enough color to tone down the white but makes the room look like more of a showplace with its beautiful high ceilings. That’s why it worked so well in the master too.”
“Maybe we can take the truck and do some antiquing if you feel like you need to get away from Crystal Rock during the next couple weeks,” he said as they headed outside. “I’ve been inside quite a few well-stocked places, including a couple of malls that aren’t too far from here.”
“Of course, I’d like that. Maybe we’ll even find you the perfect living room furniture,” she said.
He snorted. “Easier said than done when I’m not even sure what I want.”
When she patted him reassuringly on the shoulder, he rolled his eyes. “If any of the guys I commanded heard me talking like this about paint and furniture, they’d probably try to have me demoted.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll keep your antiquing addiction a secret. I swear,” she said.
They laughed.
A few minutes later, they were speeding across the lake in the cruiser.
She liked the Riverbend Lodge, she decided, thirty minutes later when they were seated at one of the outdoor tables. The interior needed a facelift, for sure, but it was an interesting kind of place. Jeff had mentioned that it had once been a trading post since it connected the Crystal Rock Lake to the Crystal Rock River, which branched off from Lake Superior.
“The food isn’t half bad either, as long as you don’t mind breaded shrimp or fish. Those were always my favorites as a kid,” Jeff admitted.
“These shrimp are great,” she agreed a few minutes later as they sat and ate. “Although they’re probably the last thing I should be eating since I’ll be filming the video soon.”
“I’m pretty sure you haven’t put on any weight this summer,” he said, his eyes lingering.
She nodded. “You’re right. I was surprised, but I guess I’ve been pretty active, compared to my life in California.”
“Wren?” he asked, becoming serious. “Is it wrong for me to ask about your life with your parents? I know I could ask my mom, but I’d rather hear it from you.”
“Yes. You deserve to hear the truth,” she admitted, wiping her face with her napkin and discarding it onto her plate. “Let’s have some coffee while we talk.”
A few minutes later, after sipping her coffee, she began.
“As you heard when we were talking with Jake, I grew up in the small town of Lawton, Illinois. My mom got pregnant with me, so her parents forced her, more or less, to marry my dad, so they were always at each other’s throats.” Wren sighed. “From the first time she heard me sing, my mom had big plans for me. And then it became an obsession. Which was fine with my dad, once my mom proved that I could earn them money. First, it was modeling so I’d be out in public and hopefully get noticed. That’s where I met your sister Kelly. We were pretty tight as kids, as a matter of fact.”
“When did you begin singing?” Jeff asked.
“When I was very young I was told I had potential, but no one would listen to me until I was around thirteen. Before that, my mom had developed a drinking problem through the years and got in trouble numerous times for leaving me alone while we were on the road. She got me gigs wherever she could find them, including in some seedy bars,” Wren said dryly.
“That’s when my dad got it in his head that he should take over my career. And because I was basically supporting all of us, he sued my mom for divorce and he won custody, because of all the times my mom had supposedly abandoned me.” She suddenly had tears in her eyes. “But the last thing I expected was that I’d never see her again. She never called or even wrote. It’s like she completely disappeared from my life.”
She cleared her throat. “But Dad did manage to find me an agent who could book me some professional gigs. That’s when I started making decent money doing commercials. I guess that’s where you noticed me?”
“Yes. And you were on a TV show where you played the love interest of the star of the show. I’d seen you in the commercials, but I never really knew you were until then,” Jeff admitted grinning.
She blinked. “I can’t believe that you noticed me way back then. That was years ago.”
Reaching out, Jeff covered her hand with his. “What can I say. I was a goner, right from the beginning.”
“You know it’s funny, that guy Greg, who was a teen idol was actually in his twenties when he was the star of that silly show. But come to think of it, that was probably my big break as a performer, since I got to sing on the show.”
The waitress appeared at the table to pour them more coffee.
Once she left, Wren continued, “The thing is, Dad wasn’t much better than Mom when it came to drinking. He did love me, but he didn’t have a problem letting my manager handle everything. I grew up fast,” she murmured. “And Dad didn’t even notice.”
Jeff’s eyes went wide as his hand tightened over hers, still resting on the table. “You don’t mean…?”
Wren shrugged. “It was consensual. I mean, I was young and impressionable. I thought I was in love. Eventually, he got in trouble for having sex with another minor, so he was in jail for a while. I’m not sure where he is now. Although I did tell Jake about him, he has no reason to be stalking me. But that’s probably why I don’t remember the good things as much as I should, like even doing that television show along with a few others – I was dealing with a lot of things that a normal teenager shouldn’t have had to deal with.”
“Geez, Wren. I’m so sorry. Everyone who worshipped you got the impression that you grew up having a glamourous life.”
“That’s what the publicist wanted everyone to hear,” she said. “You know, it’s weird how accepting of the past I’ve become. But after I lost my first manager because of the scandal even though my name never came out, I ended up having to go back to Lawton. Shortly after, my dad was riding his bike and crashed into a semi when he was drunk. He never walked again. I took care of him for a while, but it was Garrett Mason, our family lawyer, who intervened. He found me Mike, my current agent. And I had a tutor, since my education had been sorely neglected. Even though I tried to go back to school, I was bullied, and not just because I couldn’t keep up my grades. Mom, of course, had been bragging about me since I was a kid so when I returned to school, well…let’s just say, no one was impressed by me. But the rest is history. Of course, I was driving by then. At first, I went back and forth to Illinois from wherever I was working, but then I had Dad put in one of the best care facilities in California because I was making good money by then, and I never stopped visiting until he finally passed away. He had pneumonia and his immune system was compromised because of his spinal injury, so there were complications.”
Jeff was studying her closely, looking worried. “That’s why you complained about my bike.”
“I’ve always had a thing about them, even though what happened was entirely Dad’s fault,” she said.
Standing, Jeff strolled around the table, tugging her from her seat and wrapping her into his arms.
“Wren Matthews,” he said softly. “I’m starting to get to know you. And you’re a lot more upset after telling me all of this than you appear.”
Resting her head against his chest, she sighed. Jeff always made her feel like she was home. How was she going to go on without him?
A few moments later they sat back down, waiting for their waitress to return with the check.
Suddenly, as they were finishing their final cup of coffee, Wren noticed what appeared to be a familiar face in the distance.
“What’s up?” Jeff asked quizzically.
“I thought I recognized a guy who got up from the bench down below on the dock, but I’m not exactly sure why. He isn’t anyone I work with. He just looked familiar I guess.”
“Is he still there?” Jeff asked, looking concerned. “I can take a picture with the camera on my phone.”
“I don’t see him anywhere now. Maybe he’ll be down there when we leave. He was wearing a dark gray suit, which seems unusual when you compare it to the way everyone here tonight is dressed.”
“We’d better get back. I’m not exactly sure why, but the fact that you thought you saw someone you know bothers me. Although I guess it could be one of the musicians who performed backup for you in the orchestra a few weeks ago.”
The thought definitely cheered her up. “That’s got to be it.”
“We’ll keep an eye out anyway. We should really be switching up our habits for a while and not spend too much time outside of the house around town unless we have a destination in mind.”
She heaved a sigh, because she knew Jeff was right.