good. It wasn’t a lie but the achiness was starting to drag her down. Lucky for her he complied, getting her into a limo and traveled with her as was normal. Kate went straight up to the fifth floor and into her room, putting on her lounging pajamas – the ones she normally wore before she went to bed. Kate slept naked as a normal rule, but she was chilled to the bone and wanted as much warmth as possible. She made another cup of tea with the hot water portion of the small coffee maker in her room and settled into the pillows watching a little television. No one had noticed she had left early.
The ride back to Los Angeles was going to be about five hours. The tea she had been drinking, almost by the gallon, had restored her voice enough to sound almost normal. She told the others she hadn’t slept well and was going to crash for part of the trip. No one questioned her and she asked Brock to wake her up when they got within an hour of Los Angeles. Brock agreed – she wasn’t fooling him any and he knew she was sick. She knew he was fond of her and was willing to keep her secret as long as she didn’t get any sicker than she was. If this happened, then she knew he would have to tell Nick. At least he could understand her wanting to keep things quiet and not get anyone else involved.
As instructed, Brock woke her up as they were passing though Santa Barbara, which was roughly an hour out. The nap had helped some, but Kate was aware she was going to have to stay focused to keep up the ruse. She stayed to the end of one couch, drinking a bottle of water and listening to the guys argue over which football team was the best. Since she wasn’t a football fan, she was content to be a bystander and not participate. Looking toward the front of the bus, she saw Nick sitting up in the front seat across from Mickey. He smiled at her when their eyes met.
Before pulling into the studio parking lot, Nick reminded everyone to be at the studio in the morning by six so they would have the entire day to get the track done. Kate was thankful she would have today to sleep and possibly get on the other side of whatever this bug was. Putting her suitcases in the trunk of her car, she left for home without saying anything to anyone. Nick had gotten off the bus and gone inside the studio building with Mickey, so she had been able to sneak away quietly and without fanfare. The drive to her house was only about thirty minutes and Sunday traffic was light. Once inside her apartment, she turned the heater on because it was ice cold in the place. After making herself a comfortable nest on the couch, she fell asleep almost immediately.
* * *
S he awoke to her cell phone ringing and the caller ID showed it was Nick. Kate thought about not answering it but knew he would get irritated if she didn’t. “Hello?”
“Kate?” he asked his voice a little confused.
“It’s me, Nick,” she said, her voice raspy again while she slept.
There was a brief pause on the other end. “Why the hell didn’t you tell me you were sick, love?”
Nice , she thought. Now he’s worked up about this . “I didn’t tell anyone,” she said defending herself. “I didn’t want anyone to worry over me. I’ll be fine. I had a nap on the bus and have been sleeping since I got home. I feel better already.”
“You don’t sound better ,” Nick countered. “I’m coming over. What’s your address?”
“Nick, you don’t have to come all the way out here,” she protested. “I’m fine, really.”
There was another pause on the phone. “Kate, if I have to turn around and go back to the studio to look up your address, I’m not going to be a very happy person when I get there.”
She sighed, knowing it was pointless to argue with him. “1818 Hastings Court. It’s in Huntington Beach.”
“Fabulous, I’m almost there. I live above you in Sunset Beach.”
Fabulous was not the word Kate was thinking of. One never knew what Nick was going to be
The ride back to Los Angeles was going to be about five hours. The tea she had been drinking, almost by the gallon, had restored her voice enough to sound almost normal. She told the others she hadn’t slept well and was going to crash for part of the trip. No one questioned her and she asked Brock to wake her up when they got within an hour of Los Angeles. Brock agreed – she wasn’t fooling him any and he knew she was sick. She knew he was fond of her and was willing to keep her secret as long as she didn’t get any sicker than she was. If this happened, then she knew he would have to tell Nick. At least he could understand her wanting to keep things quiet and not get anyone else involved.
As instructed, Brock woke her up as they were passing though Santa Barbara, which was roughly an hour out. The nap had helped some, but Kate was aware she was going to have to stay focused to keep up the ruse. She stayed to the end of one couch, drinking a bottle of water and listening to the guys argue over which football team was the best. Since she wasn’t a football fan, she was content to be a bystander and not participate. Looking toward the front of the bus, she saw Nick sitting up in the front seat across from Mickey. He smiled at her when their eyes met.
Before pulling into the studio parking lot, Nick reminded everyone to be at the studio in the morning by six so they would have the entire day to get the track done. Kate was thankful she would have today to sleep and possibly get on the other side of whatever this bug was. Putting her suitcases in the trunk of her car, she left for home without saying anything to anyone. Nick had gotten off the bus and gone inside the studio building with Mickey, so she had been able to sneak away quietly and without fanfare. The drive to her house was only about thirty minutes and Sunday traffic was light. Once inside her apartment, she turned the heater on because it was ice cold in the place. After making herself a comfortable nest on the couch, she fell asleep almost immediately.
* * *
S he awoke to her cell phone ringing and the caller ID showed it was Nick. Kate thought about not answering it but knew he would get irritated if she didn’t. “Hello?”
“Kate?” he asked his voice a little confused.
“It’s me, Nick,” she said, her voice raspy again while she slept.
There was a brief pause on the other end. “Why the hell didn’t you tell me you were sick, love?”
Nice , she thought. Now he’s worked up about this . “I didn’t tell anyone,” she said defending herself. “I didn’t want anyone to worry over me. I’ll be fine. I had a nap on the bus and have been sleeping since I got home. I feel better already.”
“You don’t sound better ,” Nick countered. “I’m coming over. What’s your address?”
“Nick, you don’t have to come all the way out here,” she protested. “I’m fine, really.”
There was another pause on the phone. “Kate, if I have to turn around and go back to the studio to look up your address, I’m not going to be a very happy person when I get there.”
She sighed, knowing it was pointless to argue with him. “1818 Hastings Court. It’s in Huntington Beach.”
“Fabulous, I’m almost there. I live above you in Sunset Beach.”
Fabulous was not the word Kate was thinking of. One never knew what Nick was going to be
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