Part 10:
Why The Long Face?
Terrible
scenarios whizzed through Kevin’s mind a million miles an hour as he waited for
Leslie to speak again.
Was
something wrong with Kristin?
His
Mom?
Nate?
His
hands began to shake…….please God don’t let it be Nate.
“Kevin?”
“I’m
here Leslie.” Kevin’s voice was low. “Leslie is…..is Nate okay?”
“Oh
Kevin I’m sorry I scared you.” In reality Lily was not sorry at all. She knew
to play to Kevin’s major weakness, his son. “Nate is fine, he is sound asleep
like a little angel.”
Sighing
Kevin sat down on the bed lying back in the mound of tangled covers.
“Shit,
you scared me to death.”
“No,
this call isn’t about Nate. It’s about Kristin.”
“Kristin?”
“Kevin-“
Lily paused for dramatic effect as she took a sip of her wine. “She’s been
acting a little strange lately.”
“What
do you mean strange?” The door to Kevin’s room opened.
“Kev?”
Nick poked his head around the door a smile on his face. “We’re going to get
pizza do you want us to bring you back anything?”
Shaking
his head Kevin waved Nick from the room without ever looking over at him.
Backing
out of the room Nick closed the door as Kevin turned his attention back to the
phone conversation.
“Leslie
what is going on with my wife?”
“Kevin
you have to promise to be discreet and not tell her I’m telling you any of
this. Kristin is my friend and I value her friendship so much. She is like the
sister I never had.”
“Leslie
you can trust me. I know how much my family means to you.” Sitting up Kevin
began to pace the room.
Setting
her wine down on her nightstand Lily lay back, glancing over at the picture of
Kevin on the pillow beside her with a smile. All she had to do was close her
eyes and it was as if he were right beside her…….whispering in her ear-
“Leslie?”
“What?”
Confused
Kevin shook his head.
“You
were talking about Kristin?”
“Oh
yes.” Focus Lily Focus.
“Kevin,
I think that Kristin might be doing drugs.”
*
* *
“Hey
man you missed the funniest thing ever. That bald biker dude banged on our door
looking for the assholes that dropped a whip cream balloon on his head!” Lying
on the couch, legs kicked up over the arm Nick giggled like a schoolgirl.
“We
totally hid and made Howie answer the door and tell him that he thought a
couple of punk kids were staying in the room above him!”
Walking
into the room Kevin gazed around a faraway look in his eyes.
“Hey
Kev did you hear me?” Sitting up Nick slung a tapestry pillow in Kevin’s
direction.
“I
thought everybody was going for pizza.” Kevin’s voice was flat as he pulled out
a chair and sat down at the table.
“Well
when I came in your room you seemed like maybe something was wrong so I thought
I’d hang back and make sure everything is okay?” Standing Nick walked to the
chair opposite Kevin at the table and sat down.
“What’s
going on Kev? You look like you’re gonna puke?”
*
* *
The
following morning the phone rang early.
Normally
Lily would have been right on top of it hoping it was Kevin, but this time she
knew to let Kristin answer it because she was aware of what the phone
conversation would concern.
Rolling
over she stretched out with a sigh thinking back to the hour-long conversation
she and Kevin had shared the evening before.
The
longer she had talked of Kristin and her “activities” over the last few weeks
the more vulnerable Kevin had become.
“What
should I do?” His voice choked with emotion Kevin wiped at the tears that
spilled onto his cheeks.
“Kevin,
we don’t know for sure that she is doing drugs. It is just a suspicion. I feel
like if we confront her about it right now she’ll just deny it.”
“I
don’t want Nate left alone with her until we know for sure.” As the subject
turned to talk of Nate Kevin’s voice became focused and steadied.
“Of
course. I would never let any harm come to Nate Kevin, you know that.”
“I
know.” He whispered.
“Kevin
are you going to be okay?”
“As
long as I have you to lean on Les I’ll be just fine.”
“We’ll
lean on each other.”
“Hey
Kristin.”
“Hi
Babe.” Smiling at the early morning wake up call from her husband, Kris sat up
plumping an extra pillow behind her. “To what do I owe the pleasure at hearing
your sexy voice so bright and early in the morning?”
“I
need to see you.”
“You
don’t need to ask me twice. Where do you want to meet and when…. I can bring
Leslie and Nate……it would be so much fun-“
“I
just want to see you.”
“Okay.”
Listening as Kevin rattled off the flight number and times of her plane she
blinked as he hung up without even saying goodbye.
*
* *
“Okay
so I wasn’t going to ask but now I can’t help it. Why the long face?” Sitting
beside each other on the stage Kevin and A.J. swung their legs back and forth
like little kids.
“I
don’t have a long face?” Raising his eyebrows up Kevin forced a pathetic smile.
“Kev,
buddy-“ Pointing A.J. moved his finger up and down in the air from Kevin’s
jawline to the top of his head. “If your face was any longer you’d look like
Gumby.” With the sound check going on behind them Kevin raised his voice
slightly to be heard over the beat of the drums.
“A.J.,
when we go on tour do you ever feel like the real world is falling apart while
you’re stuck here in this make believe fantasy world of pop stardom?”
“Shit
man if I’d have known you were going to go all philosophical on me I would have
had an extra cup of coffee this morning.” Rubbing at his eyes A.J. smiled.
“Never
mind Jay.” Lying back Kevin let his head rest on the cold hard floor of the
stage.
“You
can talk to me Kev.”
“I
don’t even know where to begin.” Slinging his arms up and over his head Kevin
focused on a single stage light burning brightly above him.
“Look
Kev, Nick told me about Kristin.” Lying beside him A.J. figured it was better
to get right to point then to make Kevin hunt for the words.
“I
knew he would.”
“He thought maybe I could help?”
***
