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“What do you mean?” Danny glanced to see where Lauren was. Even though she was still on the phone, he dropped his voice. “I’m going to embarrass Lauren.”
“What? How?”
He made a sour face at Augie. “Look at me. I’m blue-collar at best. You’ve seen my suits. They’re fine for a cop, but most of the people who’ll be at this party wouldn’t even wipe their ass with my shirts.”
Danny had a point. The press would be there, and while Lauren wouldn’t care in the least what he wore, a lot of other people would. Augie understood how savage they could be; Danny really had no idea.
“I can help you out,” Augie said. “Come to my place about four o’clock on Saturday.”
“Seriously?”
Augie didn’t appreciate the suspicion in Danny’s voice. “C’mon, Danny. I might not be thrilled about what you’ve got going on with my cousin, but I’m not a complete asshole.”
Ox came back out and flopped down again. “What are guys talking about?”
“Sports.” Augie tossed the white lie out with aplomb. “And how much your beloved A’s suck.”
ChapterThirty-Two
Danny lay in his own bed, staring up through the dark at the ceiling fan above him. Despite how much he loved being at Lauren’s, he still had a house to maintain. He’d be with her tomorrow at the release party, so tonight he was at the cream-colored Art Deco bungalow his family called home.
Alone.
The emptiness and silence gave him ample opportunity to think about his sons. And his wife. He tossed in his and Heather’s bed. Even with the fan blowing on him, the air felt sticky. Turning on his side, he punched the pillow. A glance toward the nightstand told him it was one o’clock in the morning, and he was no closer to sleep than an hour ago. Danny knew he should get up and do something rather than toss and turn in the dark.
Even with the tension, it had been nice to talk with Heather on the phone earlier—and he realized that he missedthatHeather, the one he could actually have a conversation with, one without all the yelling.
“Ah, fuck me,” he said aloud.
I do miss Heather, he thought.I miss the boys. My whole life I’ve done everything I’m supposed to. Been a good son. A good cop. I thought I was a good husband… But being with Lauren? She’s spontaneous, free. Everything I’m not.He knew his thoughts sounded maudlin but couldn’t stop them.
He wondered if this was how he’d feel if he stayed with Lauren. He couldn’t go with her on tour—it would kill him to miss that much of his sons’ lives. And his family? What would life be like without Sunday dinners or summer weekends at the beach? Never being home for Thanksgiving or Christmas? His stomach roiled.
Is this what my life would turn into? Alone in some random apartment, looking at the ceiling and listening to the silence while Lauren toured the world?
The unwelcome memory of Frank, the avid fan from the grocery store, shoved its way to the front of his mind, unlocking a whole new set of worries. Anxious and uncertain, Danny got up and went into the living room. He turned on the TV and flipped the channels until he found old reruns of a medical procedural. Eventually, he fell asleep in the recliner.
Once he woke up, a whole different set of worries lined up for him. Number one was the launch party that night. He forced himself to wash the pile of dishes in the sink and do a few other chores around the house he’d been neglecting. All the while, he wrestled with his conflicted feelings.
Later in the day, he went out to D’Agostino’s and got an Italian sub for dinner. There would be food at the party, but that wasn’t going to start until late—and if it was all was crazy frou-frou hors d’oeuvres he couldn’t even pronounce, he’d be starving. After he ate, Danny showered, shaved, and did his best to put any doubts or worries he had about the future out of his head. He changed and headed out to Augie’s place, and several hours later, they arrived at Lauren’s.
As he opened the door, Augie yelled out, “We’re here! Get a move on, Grandma.”
“Unbunch your panties.” Lauren’s voice drifted out of the bedroom. “Limo should be here in about twenty minutes.”
“Isn’t the limo overkill?” Danny asked.
“Nah,” Augie said. “Band usually does this for events. That way no one drives home loaded. Ox and DJ will arrive on their own, but they’ll leave with us.”
Lauren strolled out of the bedroom. Her tank-top style shirt was made from silky material, but it had an overlay of hexagonal metallic pieces reminiscent of chain mail. Her midnight black jeans seemed painted on, and she’d paired them with high black boots adorned with fancy silver buckles that went all the way up each side. On her left arm were several bracelets, and around her neck was a black leather necklace with a silver disk hanging from it.
She stopped, did a slow turn, and held her arms out to the side. “Well?”
“Dude, you’re rocking it tonight.”
“You look amazing,” Danny said.
Lauren looked pleased by their comments. “Check you out,” she said to Danny. Layered under a stylish leather jacket, his button-down shirt was a deep maroon. The outfit was simple but clearly high-end.
