Chapter Thirty-one

Megan whistled happily as she and AJ entered the hotel together. Thankfully, lunch had been uneventful. She sat at the opposite end of the table from Kevin and was careful not to make eye contact with him. Instead, she had fawned all over AJ. She knew this made Kevin angry, and she was glad.

The guys had one more show tonight, and then tomorrow they would be heading out to another city, away from Charlene Arnold and away from the elevator that had started the day with a bang.

“Uh oh, mother alert, 10 o’clock sharp,” AJ murmured, gripping Megan’s hand.

“Shit. Hurry, run if you have to,” she said, preparing to bolt.

“Megan, I’d like to talk to you,” Charlene said, stepping in front of them, her tone clipped and professional.

“Sorry, no time,” Megan said quickly, dodging to her mother’s left.

But Charlene was not going to be avoided. She moved with Megan, reaching out to grab her arm.

“Now, Megan. No matter what you may think of me, I am still your mother,” she hissed. “You at least owe me the courtesy of listening to me.”

“I don’t owe you shit,” Megan responded, dragging AJ away from Charlene.

“You will talk to me before you leave, Megan,” Charlene called after them.

They entered the elevator and rode up in silence. Megan stood with her arms crossed over her chest, mouth set in a straight line and her eyes narrowed.

AJ fidgeted with the collar of his t-shirt, watching her carefully. He didn’t want to upset her more than she already was, but. . .

He cleared his throat and said in a rush, “Maybe, um, you should, uh, talk to her, get it over with so we can leave without a scene tomorrow.”

He braced himself for an explosion, surprised when Megan just exhaled, the air leaving her mouth with a quiet whoosh, her shoulders slumping in defeat.

“You really think I should risk my sanity?” she asked, looking him square in the eye.

AJ shifted his weight from foot to foot. “I think you should do this to save your sanity, babe. If you get this all out in the open, maybe you can resolve it and get on with your life, without the cloud that is your mother hovering over you anymore.”

“In other words, I should face my demons.”

“Slay your demons,” AJ said.

Megan giggled. “Oooh, don’t tell me that. I just might reach for the nearest butter knife and start hacking away at her.”

AJ grinned and pulled her into his arms, kissing her.

Megan was acutely aware that AJ’s kisses, although fiery in their own way, lacked the heat of Kevin’s. She smoothly ended the kiss and snuggled against AJ’s chest.

“I’ll talk to her tonight, while you’re all at the concert. I think that’s the best time,” she said.

AJ rubbed her arms. “You’ll do just fine,” he told her.

Megan surely hoped so.

The phone was mocking her. It was practically leering at her!

Megan glared at it as she paced before it, trying to gather up enough courage to call the front desk. She wasn’t one hundred percent positive that Charlene lived in the hotel, and she needed to find out. She’d had the phone in her hands twice, the actual number dialed once. She hung up before the first ring.

A quick glance at the clock told her the opening acts were just hitting the stage. The Boys would be backstage preparing for the show. She knew AJ was worried about her, along with the rest of them. When Nick asked her why she wasn’t coming tonight, she told them what she was going to do and a hushed silence had fallen around them.

That didn’t really make her feel much better.

“Just do it, Megan!” she scolded herself out loud, coming to halt.

She reached for the phone and dialed, this time waiting for someone to answer.

“Front desk, how may I help you?” a perky female voice asked.

"Yeah, I need some information,” Megan said, twisting the phone cord around her fingers nervously.

“Certainly, ma’am.”

“I need to know if Charlene Arnold lives in this hotel with her husband Clayton, and if so, on what floor, please.”

“I’m sorry, ma’am. I’m not allowed to give out personal information regarding our management. If you’d like to leave a message for her --”

“I’m her daughter,” Megan broke in. “Megan Daniels. I’m sure she’s expecting to hear from me.”

A slight pause and then, “As a matter of fact. . . “

Megan listened to the slight rustle of paper through the phone.

“There’s a special memo here, from Mrs. Arnold,” the girl said. “She lives on the 49th floor, penthouse A. You can go right on up, the doorman will let you through.”

Megan thanked the girl and hung up. She resumed her pacing, nibbling on her nails at the same time. Finally, she decided that she needed to do this. It was just one of the obstacles that stood in her way of a happy life, another one being Kevin, but she would deal with him later.

Making sure to take a card key with her, she left her room, told Brett where she was going and took the elevator to the 49th floor, a place she’d been a few times before while tagging along with her mother. A uniformed doorman greeted her as soon as the doors opened.

“Mrs. Arnold is expecting you, miss,” he said, guiding her to the door marked “Penthouse A.”

“Thanks,” Megan said awkwardly. The doorman went back to his post, leaving her alone.

Just as she raised her hand to knock, the door flew inward, revealing Charlene. She looked crisp and powerful as usual, much to Megan’s dismay. She had hoped she could carry on this conversation in a casual setting, like the jeans and t-shirt she was wearing.

“Please come in,” Charlene said, stepping aside.

Megan entered, feeling as though she were on her way to her execution. She eyed her surroundings cautiously, half expecting a hooded man with an ax to jump out at her from behind one of the many extravagent pieces of furniture.

“Have a seat, can I get you something to drink?”

Megan shook her head and sat down on one of the couches. Charlene shrugged and settled in an armchair nearby. Megan knew her mother was waiting for her to start, but her mouth was dry and she didn’t know where to begin.

“I know you hate me,” Charlene said, breaking the uncomfortable silence. “Really though, you have no reason to. I only took from you what I deserved. Your father stopped paying attention to me the day you were born. Wasn’t it only fair that I treated myself to some pampering after he was gone?”

Megan couldn’t believe her ears. She blinked several times at the woman before her. Yes, this was her mother, her flesh and blood. But was she human?

“I loved your father,” Charlene continued matter-of-factly. “I truly did. And I love you. Don’t think I didn’t worry about you after you left.”

“Did you?” Megan asked, finally able to use her voice. “Or were you just glad the brat was gone?”

“Now, dear, please don’t make me out to be monster. I didn’t know where you’d gone, what you were doing. I still don’t know. Would you enlighten me please?”

“I went to Florida to live with Aunt Marcy.”

Charlene smirked. “I should have known you’d run to your father’s sister. She never did like me.”

“With good reason, it seems.”

Charlene ignored that comment. “Did you finish high school? Go on to college?”

“Yes, I did. I’m a partner in a vetrinary clinic now.”

“Taking care of animals?” her mother said, an obvious hint of distaste in her voice.

“I love animals.”

“And this is where you met AJ?”

“No. I met him through Dana.”

“The modeling friend.”

“Yes.”

“And she’s with the tall, dark-haired one? Kevin?”

Megan barely flinched, but Charlene still caught it. She leaned back in her chair with a smile.

“You know, Megan, you’re just like me,” she said.

“Excuse me? I am in no way like you.”

“Oh, I think you are. More so than you think. Take a look at yourself sometime. You’re with one man, a very wealthy, attractive man, but you’re staring after another one.” Charlene clucked her tongue in a motherly fashion and moved from her chair to the couch where Megan sat. “Just like me, always keeping an eye out for the bigger and better catch.”

Megan jumped to her feet.

“I am not,” she said through clenched teeth to keep her voice from shaking. “I am nothing like you. I would never steal from my child or subject her to the lifestyle you’ve had.”

Charlene stood as well. “It’s in your blood, honey. You can’t escape it, and you know it’s true. You’re truly my daughter.”

Megan shook her head violently and started for the door.

“I knew it was a bad idea to come and talk to you, but I guess somewhere in the back of my mind, I thought I would find the mother I’d lost when I was a child. It turns out I never had her in the first place. Good bye, Charlene. Good luck with your life, and don’t ever expect to see or hear from me after tomorrow.”

She let herself out, pulling the door shut behind her. With tears blurring her vision, she stumbled to the elevator. The doorman pressed the down button for her.

“Are you all right, miss?” he asked with concern.

She nodded, not blinking. When the elevator arrived, she hurried inside and jabbed the panel, not even seeing which floor she hit. She didn’t really care.

Her mother’s words continued to echo through her mind. She clamped her hands over her ears, squeezed her eyes shut and screamed as loud as she could to block her mother’s voice. She rode all the way down to the lobby like this.

Ignoring the puzzled and shocked stares of the people waiting for the elevator, she ran past them and right out the door.

Kevin knew something was wrong the minute he stepped off the stage. Denise and Dana were waiting for them, anxious expressions marring their features. He took the towel that was handed to him, wrapped it around his neck and followed Denise and the others to a corner of the room.

“What’s up, Mom?” AJ asked, wiping sweat from his face.

“Megan’s gone.”

AJ froze. “What?”

“She left the hotel,” Dana explained. “After she went to see her mother, she left the hotel. Brett was waiting for her on our floor, but she never came back.”

“He got worried and called up to Charlene’s penthouse,” Denise continued. “Megan had already left. So Brett went to the lobby and asked if anyone had seen her. Someone told him Megan had gone racing out the door, crying hysterically. People said she was screaming when she got off the elevator.”

“We gotta go find her,” AJ said, preparing to bolt out the nearest exit.

Kevin was all set to join him. Dana took hold of his arm and he looked down at her, recognizing fear in her eyes.

“Let’s get back to the hotel first,” Denise began, but AJ interrupted.

“Why go to the hotel if she’s not there?” he demanded. “I’m going to search for her!”

“AJ! You don’t know your way around Phoenix!” his mother cried, forcing him to look her in the eye. “I can’t let you run away as well.”

AJ’s lower lip trembled and he whispered, “But she’s all by herself out there. What if she’s hurt?”

“She wouldn’t do anything. . . drastic, would she?” Nick questioned carefully.

Dana shook her head. “Never. Megan would never do anything to intentionally hurt herself.”

“Should we call the police?” Brian asked. “Send out a search party or something?”

Denise hugged AJ tightly, rubbing his back. “Howie, will you please call the hotel and see if she’s there?”

Howie nodded and took the cellphone she handed him. He dialed and waited, casting worried glances in everyone’s direction. After a moment of talking with Brett, he hung up. No one had to ask, his frown said it all.

“Mom?” AJ asked.

Denise pursed her lips, deep in thought.

“All right. Brian, you and Dana are going back to the hotel to wait. See if you can talk to Charlene and find out exactly what went on,” she said. “Howie, you and AJ will take your bodyguards and catch a cab. They know Phoenix, they’ll make sure you’re safe. Nick, you’ll come with me.”

“What about me?” Kevin asked.

“Can I trust you to go alone? With Carlos of course, but otherwise alone?”

“Of course.”

“Fine. Everyone, keep your cell phones on. Call the second you find her,” Denise said sternly.

The group split up, with Kevin promising Dana that they’d find Megan safe and sound.

Kevin grabbed his jacket and hurried out of the building with Carlos, being careful not to be seen as they briskly walked three blocks south of the arena and hailed a cab.

“Where should we start?” Carlos asked.

“I don’t. . . just drive around,” Kevin answered helplessly.

His eyes darted back and forth between each person they passed, his panic increasing with every minute.

“What if we don’t find her?” he asked softly so the driver wouldn’t hear him. He didn’t think the man had recognized him, but he didn’t want to take any chances.

“I’m sure we will. She grew up here, right? I’m sure she knows her way around pretty well.”

“I really care about her.”

Carlos nodded. “We all do, she’s a fiery woman.”

“I think I’m in love with her.”

The burly bodyguard paused, momentarily confused.

“Miss Allen?” he questioned.

Kevin shook his head.

“Miss Daniels?”

He nodded, briefly squeezing his eyes shut.

“Oh,” Carlos said. “Well. . . “

“You won’t say anything, will you?” Kevin asked, suddenly realizing what he’d just confessed.

“Not unless you want me to. Your love life is none of my business,” Carlos assured him.

Kevin sighed heavily, running a hand through his hair. “I’m so confused.”

“Love is often confusing,” Carlos said, making Kevin chuckle.

"You got that right. Man, I don’t know what I’m going to do.”

“Are you looking for advice?”

“Heh, not really. I guess I just want to talk to someone other than myself and Megan about this.”

“I’m listening.”

Kevin turned back to the window. “She won’t admit there’s anything there, but I know she knows it. She’s stubborn, just like me. There’s really no reason we should be together because she seems to fit fine with AJ. But I want her, too.”

“AJ doesn’t know anything about this?”

“No one does, except for her, and now you. I keep thinking that the feelings will go away if I spend more time with Dana. Except that the more I’m with Dana, the more I want to be with Megan. Does that make any sense?”

Before Carlos could answer, Kevon’s cell phone rang, startling them both. Kevin yanked it from his pocket and pressed the “send” button.

"Yeah?”

“Kevin!” Dana screeched in his ear. “Where are you?”

“Um, somewhere south of the arena. Has she come back?”

“No, but Brian and I talked to Charlene. She told us Megan may have gone back to their old house.”

Kevin’s heartbeat quickened as he gripped the headrest of the driver’s seat in front of him. “Have you called AJ?”

“He’s not answering, and neither is Howie.”

“Give me the address.”

She rattled off a house number and street name which he repeated to the cab driver.

“We’re on our way. Just hang tight.”