#1 Fan Page 23

  Footsteps slapped against the hardwood floor as Julie entered the living room while rubbing her eyes. Sara’s head snapped in her direction, with wide-eyed panic.

  “What,” Julie asked. There was fear in Sara’s eyes, but couldn’t let the words roll off her tongue. “What’s wrong,” Julie asked again.

  “I-I don’t know.” Sara scanned the room to see where she was, realizing she was at her friend’s house. “Was I here all night?”

  “As far as I know.”

  “Then that had to be the weirdest dream.”

  Julie approached with a look of concern. “You wanna talk about it?” Sara nodded in agreement. “You want some coffee first?”

  “Sure.” The girls walked into the kitchen together, where Sara took a seat at the table. “It just felt so real.”

  “How much do you remember?”

  “Not a lot. I know Evan was in it, but we were in Vegas.” Sara’s eyes grew wide at her own realization. “You don’t think something happened to him, do you?”

  Julie placed a steamy mug of coffee in from of Sara along with the coffee milk. “Sweetie, it was just a dream. You told me last night he went there for a conference. It was probably just your imagination thinking the worst.”

  “Maybe you’re right, but I wanna call him to be sure.”

  “Girl, you need to let him be. He’s in Vegas. It’s gotta be five in the morning there right now, and you said he was going to be working a convention. Let him sleep and call him later today.”

  “Maybe you’re right.” Sara let her shoulders roll back, trying to let the thoughts of, “It was only a dream,” sink into her head. She fixed her coffee with the right amount of creamer and sugar. After taking a few sips, she stared at Julie while she made her coffee.

  “What the hell? Do you like having staring contests with me or something today?” Julie took her coffee to the table and sat across from Sara. She leaned in and stared back at her. “Let’s see how you like it,” Julie joked.

  “You know why I’m looking at you like this, or do you not remember our conversation from last night?”

  “Not this again. Look, I’m only a little late. It’s not a big deal. I’m sure I’ll get it in a day or two.”

  “That’s a complete one-eighty from your pissy mood last night. Besides, I thought you were going to get a test today.”

  “I will; later.”

  “I call bullshit. You’re going to put it off until you find out the hard way.” Sara swirled the coffee around her mug. “Look, you’re my best friend. Let me help you.”

  “I don’t need help, Sara. I’m late. It’s not like I have a disease or some sort of disorder. I’ll be okay.”

  “Fine, have it your way.” Sara finished the last of her coffee and placed the mug next to the sink full of dirty dishes before storming off towards the living room.

  “Where are you going,” Julie shouted.

  “I’m going home. Call me when you’re no longer in denial.”

  Sara grabbed her purse as she opened the front door, slamming it on her way out. She didn’t know why she was mad. It was Julie’s life, and she could live it as she saw fit. It pained Sara to watch her friend so unhappy or to face a difficult time alone. They were like sisters, but Julie was leaving her no choice. She had to give her space.

  The car ride back to New Hyde Park was a bit depressing. She had never walked away, leaving an argument with Julie go unsettled. There was also the desire to call Evan. After the disturbing dream of him gambling away his money and spending the rest on hookers, she desperately wanted to hear his voice. She needed to know he was all right, and that it was all just a dream.

  It took a few hours to get home, but knew she wouldn’t relax until she spoke to Evan. She whipped out her cell and dialed his number.

  Evan’s voice sounded groggy when he answered. “Hello?”

  “Hey, it’s Sara. Sorry if I woke you.”

  There was a momentary pause before he responded. “Hey babe, what’s up?” It was said in a nonchalant way, but seemed to trigger an uneasiness within Sara.

  “Nothing,” she said hesitantly. “I wanted to check in on you and see how you were doing.” She listened closely to every word Evan spoke. “What did you guys do last night?”

  “Um, Waters took us out to dinner at the Eiffel Tower Restaurant last night. We discussed business, had a little fun, and then came back to the hotel. I was so exhausted from the trip, I passed out as soon as I got back to the room.

  “Uh huh; what did you guys do for fun?”

  “Just hit up a bar for a few drinks; nothing major.”

  “Hope you guys stayed out of trouble.”

  “Of course. I told you I’m not a partier.”

  “Okay. I know you have the convention today, so I won’t hold you up. Have a good day, and sell lots of books.”

  “Thanks. I love you.”

  “I know. Love you too.” Sara hung up the phone and stared out the window. Something in her gut said Evan was hiding something. She could hear it in his voice. He sounded like he was worried about something.

  *******************************************************

  Evan

  The sound of a ringing phone was all that Evan heard when he woke in the dark room. The blackout shades had been pulled tightly shut, blocking out any sunlight from entering the room. Removing the pillow from his head, Evan leaned over the side of the bed and retrieved his phone from his pants pocket. He answered instantly without looking to see who was calling.

  “Hey, it’s Sara. Sorry if I woke you.”

  Sara, he thought. His head spun with fragmented memories of the night before. He couldn’t remember much, but he knew Waters had taken him to a strip club. That was a conversation he wasn’t ready to have with his fiancé.

  “Hey babe, what’s up?” He knew the second the words left his mouth, she would think something was up. He never called her babe. In fact, he didn’t call her by any cutesy pet names.

  “What did you guys do last night?”

  How the hell do I answer that? A wave of unnerving panic set Evan on edge. Do I tell her the truth or lie? Undoubtedly, the truth would force a conversation he wasn’t ready to have. The stabbing pain in his head told him the hangover was kicking in. Add the fact that he couldn’t remember more than half the night, and their discussion would go from pleasant to nightmare in less than two minutes. Lying wasn’t a viable option either. If he lied and the truth came out, he would be in a worse situation than if he just confessed from the beginning.

  “Waters took us to the Eiffel Tower Restaurant. We discussed business, had a little fun and then came back to the hotel. I was so exhausted, I passed out as soon as I got back to the room.” Evan hoped that was enough to buy him a reprieve from Sara’s line of questioning, but it wasn’t. She decided to probe into the type of fun he had. He didn’t lie when he told her they had gone out to a club and had a few drinks. He just left out the type of bar they had gone to or that there were naked women climbing all over him.

  Once Sara brought up the convention, Evan thought he was screwed. There was no convention, and didn’t know a single name of a book convention or any other convention he could possibly use if she asked. Thankfully she decided to drop it and end the call, relieving Evan’s stress. He told Sara he loved her before hanging up.

  “I know. Love you too.” Her words hit him like a snowball in the face. They were cold and said without meaning. Suspicion was etched in every word she spoke, hinting that she knew he did something he wasn’t supposed to.

  He clicked on the lamp next to the bed, feeling the smooth sheets drape across his skin. “What the hell,” Evan shouted. He pulled back the sheets, finding he was completely naked under them. He jumped from the bed in search of his clothes, finding his pants next to the bed. His socks, shoes, and shirt were found on the floor next to the dresser. Fear coursed through his body as he searched for his suit jacket and underwear, not locating them in the closet, bed or
cabinet drawers.

  Grabbing a pair of shorts from his suitcase, Evan quickly threw them on while opening up the curtains. He checked under the bed before ripping through the sheets and blankets. “How the fuck did I get back here last night?”

  He couldn’t remember anything after the first stripper gave him a lap dance that he half remembered. His fingers grabbed at strands of his hair in frustration. There were only two people that could help him piece the night together. Hopefully his agent or his publicist could give him some answers. He opened the door to the bathroom, finding his suit jacket hanging from the doorknob. He turned on the light and found his boxers lying in the middle of the tiled bathroom floor.

  Picking up the items, Evan couldn’t shake the feeling that something bad happened after the strip clubs, something that would bite him in the ass later. Returning to the bed, Evan placed the suit jacket down and noticed something red hanging from the front pocket. He dipped a finger inside, discovering a red lacy thong.

  There was no doubt in Evan’s mind. Something happened last night that shouldn’t have. He rushed to get dressed and hurried upstairs to Mr. Waters’ room. His fist pounded on the door until it was answered.

  “What the hell are you doing here,” Waters questioned. His eyes were half sealed shut, his usual combed back hair was a complete mess while dressed in a pair of boxer briefs.

  “I need to talk to you about last night.”

  “Well, I’m a little preoccupied at the moment. So, you’ll have to come back later.”

  Evan could hear someone moving the sheets on the bed. A minute later, the door opened wider as a blond appeared in a short, skimpy dress that barely held her boobs from falling out. “It’s okay, I think I need to be going,” the woman said while making her haste exit.

  Mr. Waters and Evan both turned to watch the woman strut down the hall at a brisk pace with her six inch heels in her hands. Evan turned his attention back to Mr. Waters who was still staring at his bedroom companion while she entered the elevator.

  “This better be good,” Waters said. He stepped aside, allowing Evan to enter the room. The sheets were piled in the center of the bed. Evan suspected it was put there by the woman that ran out of the room. The clothes that belonged to Christopher Waters were scattered around the room starting at the door and progressing towards the bed. “Have a seat,” Waters said.

  Evan looked at the room, trying his best to find a spot that hadn’t been contaminated by whatever happened the night before. Coming to the conclusion there wasn’t one, Evan decided to lean against the dresser where the T.V. sat.

  “I need to know what happened last night.”

  “We went to dinner, went to the strip club, hit up a bar and came back to the hotel. What more can I say? It was an amazing night.”

  “I need a lot more than that. The last thing I remember was stripper giving me a lap dance when we first got to the club.”

  “Oh yes, I remember her. She did a fine job, but couldn’t compare to the others.”

  “What others? What happened after her?”

  Mr. Waters sat on the bed recapping what he could remember from the night before. It led up to the last round of shots at the strip club, and the fourth dancer that made Evan look like he was about to blow his load. “I don’t remember much after that. I know Ms. Stone pulled the dancer off of you and we left not too much later than that.”

  “Where did we go?”

  “We came back here. Audrey told us about a club in our hotel and brought us there. I lost you in the crowd of people after a few minutes.”

  “You lost me, or were you flirting?”

  “Evan, I’m a grown man and so are you. I am not your babysitter, and I sure as hell don’t have to answer to you.”

  “You planned the bachelor party. You were the one controlling the night and doing your best to get me drunk. Now I have no memory of coming back to the hotel, and if I was alone or not.”

  Waters looked up in surprise. “You dirty dog. Did you take someone back to your room?” The guilty look on Evan’s face was all the verification Waters needed. “You did; didn’t you?”

  “I have no idea,” Evan snapped. Running his fingers through his hair, he contemplated telling Waters how he woke up or what he found.

  “No matter what happened or didn’t happen last night, you seemed to be having fun. So just remember; whatever happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.”

  “So you’re saying I should just ignore that I found these in my jacket pocket this morning?” He pulled the red lace panties from his pocket and waved them in front of Mr. Waters.

  “That doesn’t mean anything. For all you know, one of the broads from last night could’ve slipped it in your pocket when you weren’t paying attention.”

  Evan considered the possibility for a moment. According to Waters there were four strippers hanging all over him, before Audrey removed the last one from his lap. Any one of them could have slipped it into his pocket.

  Evan’s face seemed to relax for a moment while he stuffed the panties back into his pants. “Maybe you’re right.” He headed for the door.

  “Where are you going?”

  “To Audrey’s room. Hopefully she has some answers for me.”

  Evan wasn’t in as much of a rush to get to Audrey’s room as he was with Mr. Waters. Hopeful doubt had been implanted into his mind, he just hoped Audrey could confirm it.

  Traveling down the one floor to Audrey’s room allowed Evan to piece what Waters told him with what he remembered. He knocked on the door when he arrived and waited patiently for her to answer.

  He could hear someone inside fumbling with the covers, either that or Audrey took someone back with her the night before just like Mr. Waters did. He knocked again, this time finding the door opening.

  Audrey stood there in a red silk robe that came down to the top of her thighs, exposing her bronze long legs. She held the robe closed, allowing some cleavage to show.

  “Evan, it’s a bit early. What are you doing here?”

  “Sorry to bother you.” He looked her over noticing her hair was perfectly brushed as if she were about to go out. “I need to talk to you about last night.”

  “I don’t know what you mean. What about last night?”

  “I don’t remember much of it, and was hoping you could clue me in. Mr. Waters filled me in a little, but said a lot of last night was a blur to him as well and doesn’t remember that much after you took us to that club.”

  “I don’t know if I can tell you much.” She waved him inside her room, which Evan reluctantly entered. Unlike Mr. Waters’ room, Audrey’s was clean, with only one side of the bed was untucked, and the floor didn’t have any scattered clothes. “I’ll do my best to answer your questions.”

  Evan thought about the last thing Waters mentioned about the strip club, about Audrey removing the stripped. “Why did you pull the girl off my lap?”

  Audrey smirked and tried to shrug off the question. “It didn’t look like she was doing that good of a job. So I decided she needed to go.”

  “And what about the club you took us to? What happened there? Waters said he lost track of me a few minutes after we got there.”

  “He was looking for someone to fuck last night and went off on his own.” Audrey opened her dresser drawer, exposing a little cheek as she bent over. Evan could feel the tightness in his jeans, and tried to hide it as Audrey grabbed a skirt to wear. “You and I hung out at the bar and danced for a little while before taking you up to your room.”

  “It was just you and me?”

  “Yes, although it wasn’t easy. You were stumbling all over the place. At one point you had your arm draped over me and nearly made me fall over.”

  “So you helped me to my room, and nothing happened?”

  “Of course nothing happened. Why would you think that?”

  He pulled out the red thong. “Because I can’t figure out where these came from.” He dangled them in the air for Audrey to see.
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  “They probably came from one of the whores Christopher paid to give you a lap dance.” She ripped them from Evan’s hand and threw them in the garbage pail. “When I left your room last night, you were alone.” She cupped a hand to Evan’s cheek. “And trust me; if we had sex, you would remember every minute of it.” She lightly tapped his cheek and strutted towards the bathroom. “Now, I need to get ready, unless of course you want to join me.”

  The mere thought of having sex with Audrey made Evan hard. It wasn’t something he ever considered, not to mention she was a woman he never considered having a shot with.

  “Thanks, but I think I’ll pass.”

  “Are you sure? Your little buddy looks ready to go.”

  Evan looked down and noticed his erection was more noticeable than he realized. He placed his hands over it and rushed out the door, realizing this had been the worst day of his life.

  Chapter 31-Sara

  Sara sat around the house with an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach. It festered inside, making it over exaggerate how bad the truth would be once Evan confessed. Her thoughts ranged from going to a strip club to Evan waking up in another country, with a woman or multiple women lying naked on a bed. She didn’t know why these thoughts were gnawing at her, but she knew something was wrong. The longer he waited to confess the truth, the more irrational Sara became.

  By the next day she had enough. The waiting game was over and she was ready for some answers. She plucked her cell from her purse and dialed Evan’s number. He answered immediately, which was rare.

  “Hey,” Evan said. His voice seemed unusually chipper for someone that was in Vegas.

  “Hey yourself,” Sara replied with increased suspicion. “How was the convention yesterday?”

  The lingering silence spoke volumes. She knew he was considering which lie to spin, or wondering what he should or shouldn’t say to her.

  “Look, there’s something I need to tell you.” She could hear him taking a deep breath and knew this was going to be something big. Part of her didn’t want to hear it; didn’t want to know the truth. “I kind of lied to you. Waters said we were coming here for a convention. Everything was fine until I checked in and came downstairs for dinner. He apparently lied to me and planned my bachelor party.”