Page 10 of Dancing With Lies

“I’ll get Caroline in her car seat,” Kitty answered and lifted the baby out of the playpen.

Roxie changed clothes as quickly as she could, which meant she simply threw a cropped t-shirt on over her bustier and packed the gauzy robe into a bag. She threw makeup and a hair straightener into the same bag, folded up Caroline’s playpen, left River to pick up that and Caroline’s diaper bag, and pulled her car keys out of her handbag. “Ready?”

“Yep, let’s go,” Kitty answered and River nodded.

The money for her performance was already in her bag so Roxie had no qualms about leaving without saying goodbye. She’d explain to Emily’s brother, Trent, later but for now, she needed to get out in case the handsome memory that had come back to life before her eyes figured out who she actually was.

She and the girls rushed out, with Caroline tucked safely into her seat, and made their way to the SUV Roxie only drove to performances. River got Caroline locked in quickly and Roxie put the SUV into drive.

She didn’t say a word as they left the parking lot of the Thompson hotel, she just checked her rearview mirror. She told herself she always checked to make sure nobody was following her, but she knew it was a lie. She’d forget sometimes, fall into a false sense of security, at least until something reminded her that she needed to keep an eye out. Lincoln Young, June Bennet’s half-brother and the first guy Roxie ever slept with, was her most recent reminder, and Roxie planned to listen.

She dropped Kitty and River off before she headed back to her tiny apartment over the Lemon Fresh dry cleaners where she’d lived for the last few years. It wasn’t the palace that Emily and Dylan lived in, but it suited her needs. The owners took cash, provided great security, and left her alone. Plus, Wendy was always there when she needed a friend. Tonight she’d obviously waited for Roxie to get back - something she did when she knew Roxie had a gig - and came out to help her bring in her bags and assist with Caroline. The baby was asleep, content with the world, so Wendy made a point of whispering.

“How did it go?” She asked as she hauled Caroline’s playpen out of the back of Roxie’s car.

“Fine, I decided since I had this little one that I’d get back home earlier than I normally would.” Caroline didn’t even blow cute little spit bubbles as Roxie got her out of the car.

“He’s not home,” Wendy said softly, following Roxie’s gaze.

He was Nathan, Roxie’s boyfriend. He’d taken off a few days ago when some cops showed up after Emily and Dylan’s wedding and hadn’t come back. Roxie nodded sadly but didn’t say anything. The man had changed since that night at Elmo’s, from the promising young man that gave her hope for love again into an utter ball sack. Roxie wasn’t sure how the two equated, but she knew there must be a link. It was probably best he wasn’t home, he’d just make it miserable to spend time with Caroline and they hadn’t had sex in months anyway. Did she really need him around?

Especially when he was out of money and couldn’t pay for his own needs, so she had to carry his load too. Asshole.

“Good. Shall we order a pizza and watch Netflix?”

“Sounds good.” Wendy’s broad smile made her round face suddenly beautiful. Wendy’s parents had moved to the US from India to fulfill their idea of the American dream and so far, they seemed to be prospering. Wendy downplayed her parents’ wealth, but she embraced her Indian heritage whenever she got the opportunity. She spoke Hindi and English with aplomb, looked good in a sari when she got the occasion to wear one, and the fact that she was endowed around the hips made her more appealing, even if she didn’t seem to think so.

“How’s your mom and dad?” Roxie asked as she went in the front door, flipped the light, and walked into her home. Many people wouldn’t call it a home because the kitchen wasn’t furnished and there were so few electronics that it looked like something out of a picture from the 1920s. Roxie wasn’t big on electricity or anything else that might cause a spark. She had her phone, but she usually charged that while she was working or in the car. The only time she really used electricity was if she needed to charge her phone at night and she’d wake up to unplug it, so it wouldn’t overheat or whatever phones might do if you left them plugged in.

“They’re fine,” Wendy said before she put the playpen and bags down. “I’ll run down and get my laptop and come back up. You want to order that pizza?”

“Sure.” Roxie smiled and watched her friend disappear down the stairs that led up to her apartment. They kept them all fit, those stairs, she thought with a smile.

Roxie set up Caroline’s playpen and put her down in it after she ordered the pizza. Once Caroline was down Roxie went over to check to make sure the only real appliance she had was turned off. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the coffee pot was unplugged from the wall. She patted the cord before she left the small kitchen space, so she’d remember that it was disconnected this time.

Wendy came back up with her laptop and put it on the coffee table to browse movies. “What do you want to watch tonight?”

“That regency romance you were telling me about?” Roxie asked, too tired to really trawl through every movie or series that Wendy might suggest.

“Oh, you’re going to love that one! I hope my battery lasts long enough.” Wendy smiled over at Roxie on her comfy white couch and pressed play.

“It’ll be fine for an episode or two.” Roxie knew since they’d watched enough movies on Wendy’s laptop for her to know how long the charge would last by now.

Wendy never complained about Roxie’s thing with electricity, she just accepted it and tried to accommodate her however she could. Roxie appreciated friends like that and often treated her for coffee, food, and other gifts she’d find along the way.

“Pizza’s here.” Roxie jumped up when the doorbell sounded and paid the guy for the huge box of Chicago-style pizza with banana peppers and pepperoni sprinkled liberally on top.

Roxie grabbed some napkins from the bar in the kitchen and brought the box over to the couch. It was time for good food and relaxing, something she hadn’t really done since she saw that guy who looked amazingly like Lincoln. She’d all but talked herself out of believing it was really him by that time. What would he be doing in Myrtle Beach anyway? He lived in New York; he’d go to some beach up there if he wanted sun. Or Florida, California maybe, anywhere but South Carolina, wouldn’t he?

The series started as she and Wendy shared pizza and Roxie let her focus turn to the very handsome man on screen who reminded her of someone, but she couldn’t remember who. She decided it didn’t matter after a while and had another slice of pizza, fully engrossed in the show.

2

Lincoln

The sound of Lincoln Young’s capable fingers tapping at the keyboard filled his office as he typed an email to Kai, one of his best friends, about a boat party they were co-hosting soon. Behind him, New York City was on wondrous display, ten stories below. Afternoon sunlight glinted off towers of glass and metal to make the world sparkle. It was a scene he often looked out at in wonder, but he was trying to concentrate on this email and listen out for one of his personal assistants. She’d gone out to get some office supplies that he needed. Well, he called it office supplies, it was actually information she’d gone to retrieve.

He heard the outer door to his office open and saw Tanya walked over the carpeted floor to stand in his doorway. He looked up to see her with a broad smile waving the file she’d brought back with her. “I’m back, Mr. Young.”