and life
at home was far from peaceful.
Betsy had taken
Stani under her wing, letting him know that the girls all thought he was super
cute, with his amazing red hair and his cool British accent. He was pretty sure she was teasing him, but
he took to meeting her in the canteen at lunchtime anyway. There she told him the latest gossip and
shared her anguish at being dragged to auditions by her mother. They were just friends. Stani knew she didn't expect him to hold her
hand or try to kiss her. He was actually
at ease with Betsy, and secretly hoped that the other girls would see that he
could at least talk to a girl without making an idiot of himself.
They remained
friends for the two years he was at the school. At sixteen, Stani passed his equivalency tests and began preparing in
earnest for his first concert tour. He
heard from Betsy off and on for a while, but lost touch after the tour
began. They met up again when he started
making the rounds of the clubs in New York after his return.
They'd dated
briefly, gotten their picture in the gossip rags, dancing and snuggling in the
hottest night spots. She said it was
good for her career to be seen with such a big celebrity, even if he was a
classical musician and not a rock star. They had even tried to become lovers, but in the end decided they were
more comfortable just being friends. Stani wondered again what sort of crisis she was in now, that she had
tracked him all the way to Washington just to talk on the phone.
After devouring
his lunch, he stretched out on the couch, watching the rapidly moving clouds
beyond the windows. Maybe there would be
a white Christmas. That could be nice,
as long as he wasn't required to drive on snowy streets. He would have Robert for that, so he could
just sit back and enjoy the view.
Betsy's call
came at around four o'clock. She sounded
excited, even breathless. She needed a
huge favor, she said. Stani braced
himself.
The crisis, it
turned out, was not of such grave proportions. She just needed him to go to a party with her. Tonight.
“You know I'm
in DC, Bets. How's that going to work?”
“I'm in DC too,
in the lobby of your hotel. I've come to
pick you up. We're going to this big
bash somewhere in the mountains. Given
by a certain rock star who chooses to remain anonymous.” She giggled at the gossip column paraphrase.
“I really
can't, love. I have to stay here and get
some rest. I got thoroughly wasted last
night.”
“Tell me about
it! But Stani really, you have to
go with me.”
“Why me? What's so important about this particular
party? Sounds like a long drive just to
get your name in the paper.”
“I might be
hooking up with someone there, but I don't want it to look like I came just to
see him. If you're with me, I won't get
left flat if things don't work out. Come
on Stani, you owe me one.”
“How's that?”
“I pulled you
out of the ladies room last night. Don't
you remember? You were throwing up in
the sink.”
He
groaned. Oh God, what else had he done
that he couldn't remember? “How long
will this take? I have a rehearsal
tomorrow at one. I can't miss it.”
“We'll be back
before noon, I promise. And you can
sleep there. This guy's rented a whole
ski lodge. I promise, Stani, I'll have
you back in plenty of time. Just get
your stuff and come to the lobby. I'll
be waiting in the bar.” She was gone
before he could offer any further argument.
He grimaced as
he hung up the phone. When would he ever
learn to say no? It wasn't as if making
Betsy mad would have meant the end of the world. But since she was already downstairs, he
couldn't very well disappoint her. He'd
go, not drink much, sleep and be back tomorrow before anyone knew he was
gone. Milo was out of touch, so no
danger of his checking in tonight. There
was really no harm. It might even be
fun.
at home was far from peaceful.
Betsy had taken
Stani under her wing, letting him know that the girls all thought he was super
cute, with his amazing red hair and his cool British accent. He was pretty sure she was teasing him, but
he took to meeting her in the canteen at lunchtime anyway. There she told him the latest gossip and
shared her anguish at being dragged to auditions by her mother. They were just friends. Stani knew she didn't expect him to hold her
hand or try to kiss her. He was actually
at ease with Betsy, and secretly hoped that the other girls would see that he
could at least talk to a girl without making an idiot of himself.
They remained
friends for the two years he was at the school. At sixteen, Stani passed his equivalency tests and began preparing in
earnest for his first concert tour. He
heard from Betsy off and on for a while, but lost touch after the tour
began. They met up again when he started
making the rounds of the clubs in New York after his return.
They'd dated
briefly, gotten their picture in the gossip rags, dancing and snuggling in the
hottest night spots. She said it was
good for her career to be seen with such a big celebrity, even if he was a
classical musician and not a rock star. They had even tried to become lovers, but in the end decided they were
more comfortable just being friends. Stani wondered again what sort of crisis she was in now, that she had
tracked him all the way to Washington just to talk on the phone.
After devouring
his lunch, he stretched out on the couch, watching the rapidly moving clouds
beyond the windows. Maybe there would be
a white Christmas. That could be nice,
as long as he wasn't required to drive on snowy streets. He would have Robert for that, so he could
just sit back and enjoy the view.
Betsy's call
came at around four o'clock. She sounded
excited, even breathless. She needed a
huge favor, she said. Stani braced
himself.
The crisis, it
turned out, was not of such grave proportions. She just needed him to go to a party with her. Tonight.
“You know I'm
in DC, Bets. How's that going to work?”
“I'm in DC too,
in the lobby of your hotel. I've come to
pick you up. We're going to this big
bash somewhere in the mountains. Given
by a certain rock star who chooses to remain anonymous.” She giggled at the gossip column paraphrase.
“I really
can't, love. I have to stay here and get
some rest. I got thoroughly wasted last
night.”
“Tell me about
it! But Stani really, you have to
go with me.”
“Why me? What's so important about this particular
party? Sounds like a long drive just to
get your name in the paper.”
“I might be
hooking up with someone there, but I don't want it to look like I came just to
see him. If you're with me, I won't get
left flat if things don't work out. Come
on Stani, you owe me one.”
“How's that?”
“I pulled you
out of the ladies room last night. Don't
you remember? You were throwing up in
the sink.”
He
groaned. Oh God, what else had he done
that he couldn't remember? “How long
will this take? I have a rehearsal
tomorrow at one. I can't miss it.”
“We'll be back
before noon, I promise. And you can
sleep there. This guy's rented a whole
ski lodge. I promise, Stani, I'll have
you back in plenty of time. Just get
your stuff and come to the lobby. I'll
be waiting in the bar.” She was gone
before he could offer any further argument.
He grimaced as
he hung up the phone. When would he ever
learn to say no? It wasn't as if making
Betsy mad would have meant the end of the world. But since she was already downstairs, he
couldn't very well disappoint her. He'd
go, not drink much, sleep and be back tomorrow before anyone knew he was
gone. Milo was out of touch, so no
danger of his checking in tonight. There
was really no harm. It might even be
fun.
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