"Yes. And you know what? I'll be right here to help you. We'll get through it together, Annie. To quote Margo, my new hero, ‘I promise.'"
Annelie knew Carolyn didn't make promises easily. "Thank you. I'm going to take you up on that." She hesitated. "I need you so much."
Carolyn paused, then continued to rub Annelie's back softly. "Oh, Annie. I need you too. So very much." She brushed Annelie's hair with a soft kiss. "I don't know how it happened, but you've become the most important thing in my life. I love you."
Annelie felt her heart skip several beats, then instantly speed up and thunder almost painfully in her chest. A sudden heat spread through her chest, melting the ice that had encased it for the last few days. Tears formed in her eyes, and she didn't mind Carolyn kissing them away as they rolled down her cheeks. "I love you too."
Carolyn dug in her pocket for a tissue and handed it to Annelie, smiling tenderly at her. "Here. Blow your nose, love."
As she felt her face grow warm, Annelie settled against the couch, still very close to Carolyn. "How long before you have to go back?"
"Ten minutes. Let's just sit here and relax." Carolyn smoothed Annelie's mussed hair.
Ten minutes won't be enough. I need hours. I need days alone with you, but this'll have to do. Maybe I can make it until you come home from work. "Come closer, then." She pulled Carolyn half on top of her. "Margo will make sure nobody disturbs us."
Carolyn slipped her hands under Annelie's silk blouse, spreading her fingers over her stomach, softly caressing the smooth skin. "I can't stop touching you."
"Good."
"You don't mind?"
"Of course not. I love your hands."
Carolyn soothed a random pattern on Annelie's soft skin.
Nuzzling Carolyn's temples in return, Annelie felt a vein throb against her lips. This symbol of life pulsating in her lover comforted her. She traced the faint blue line with her tongue. "Mine," she whispered in a barely audible tone. God, how could I ever let you go? Stay with me. Promise me…though I know I can't expect such promises. Annelie closed her eyes, knowing she had to draw strength from this brief embrace, enough to last the rest of the day. Nothing else matters right now, this instant. Mine.
"Yes, love. Yours."
***
Carolyn pulled the covers over Annelie's naked shoulders, protecting her from the air conditioner's breeze. Annelie had fallen asleep twice on the couch and stumbled to bed only after Carolyn made her.
"I'll be right there," Carolyn promised, as she tucked in her already-sleeping lover.
Walking into the bathroom, Carolyn shed her clothes with relief. The back of her neck ached from tension. She rolled her neck and her shoulders and tried to work it out. Running the water as hot as she could stand it, she slipped into the shower stall and closed her eyes as the massaging water hit her sore muscles.
The readings this afternoon went okay. Made sure nobody noticed I wasn't on top of everything. The medicine and seeing Annelie helped that bitch of a headache. But that bastard who's harassing her! Ow. Feels like a jackhammer in my head. Carolyn quickly opened her mouth and wiggled her jaw to alleviate the pressure.
Got to pull off my appearance with Leno when we get to L.A. And then make it through the Maddox convention Saturday. That's it. No more commitments for me during the filming.
Carolyn had just walked into the bedroom when the phone rang. Snatching it, she moved toward the living room.
"Hello?"
"Annelie? Is that you, babe?"
"Carolyn Black speaking. Annelie can't come to the phone right now. Who's this, please?" Carolyn's voice was somber.
"Carolyn? It's Kitty McNeil. This is a surprise. How are you?"
Carolyn could detect a guarded tone in the woman's voice.
"I'm fine, thanks. Annelie has had a rough day. She's asleep and—"
"Oh, don't wake her up. I can talk to her tomorrow. I'm just calling to see how she's handling this thing with her father."
Realizing how close Kitty and Annelie were, Carolyn uncharacteristically decided to confide in her.
"There's been a surprising development, Kitty." As Carolyn continued to disclose Margo's earlier information, she appreciated Kitty's colorful language about the imposter. "My thoughts exactly."
"So what's going to happen?"
"Margo's holding another press conference tomorrow, while we're flying to L.A. It'll be great to have her straighten everybody out before the new Maddox convention starts."
"I guess she's really been upset. Is she okay?"
Carolyn was too tired to be anything but blunt. "She's had a rough time. I'm staying here with her. In fact, she asked me to move in permanently, and since I don't want to be away from her, the choice was easy."
"Sounds great. Will you tell her I called? I e-mailed her but have been worried about her and wanted to check."
"Of course. Thanks for calling. She'll probably give you a call in the morning before we leave. Or are you asleep then?"
"I'll be awake. I'm keeping very strange hours working on my new novel."
"Excellent." Carolyn smiled. "Any chance of a preview? Remember, I'm an avid fan."
Kitty laughed. "A preview? Well, don't tell Jem…but of course. Just for you."
Carolyn relaxed, finally feeling the connection she'd made with the author when she first met her and during their Disney World adventure. "I won't tell on you, I promise. I look forward to it."
"Cool! Now I know it's bedtime at your end, so sleep well. Give Annelie a hug for me."
"Will do. Take care."
Finally tired and ready for bed, Carolyn padded back to the bedroom. Annelie was still fast asleep, hugging a pillow close to her chest, a faint frown on her forehead. Carolyn dropped her towel and climbed into bed and was immediately wrapped in a close embrace.
"You're here…" Annelie whispered.
"Yes. Go back to sleep, love." Carolyn placed her arms around the warm sleeping form next to her. "Shh, there you go."
Closing her eyes, Carolyn listened to her lover's even breathing and finally slept.
***
In the jet, Annelie looked at Carolyn next to her on a comfortable couch. She had her eyes closed, and Annelie knew she was focusing on her two upcoming performances. Farther to her left, Helen and the Davidsons were engaged in a muted conversation. Gregory sat toward the back of the plane with a laptop.
Though the Tonight Show producers had asked Annelie to appear with Carolyn, she had declined. She did, however, plan to accompany Carolyn to the studio.
Annelie checked her watch and took a deep breath, thinking about the press conference Margo was holding that very minute.
"You okay?" Carolyn asked, placing a hand on her lover's arm. "Thinking about the press conference?"
"Yes. I wonder how it's going. I feel bad for leaving Margo to handle it all."
"Forget it. Didn't you see the look on her face this morning? She was looking forward to socking it to the press for their shoddy research and to this creep for trying a scam in the first place."
Annelie knew Carolyn was right. She reached into her briefcase and pulled out a copy of the document Margo had given them early that morning.
Name: Trevor Albert White.
Age: Born in Chicago, January 12, 1945.
Parents: Deceased.
One sister: Geraldine White, location
unknown.
Trevor White had lived in the same trailer park as Stuart Clint for many years. The man was on disability, mainly because of his drug addictions. As she turned the next couple of pages, Annelie noted that White had left Chicago for California in 1978, just like her father. Apparently, her father and White had been drinking buddies for years, sometimes working on different construction sites together.