Chapter 2
For the Sake of the Kid's
…2 days later
It was one of those rare instances like a blue moon or a celebrity marriage that lasts longer than five
minutes where all three of the Parker-Nichols siblings were sitting on the living room sofa.
They were watching Celebrities Under Water for different reasons. Josh heard on a message
board that Oprah Winfrey was going to be a guest judge and he didn't want to miss the episode just
incase it was true, Drake wanted to see Carmen Electra in a barely there bikini, and Megan loved to
see people, especially famous people, do stupid things just for the sake of an overblown paycheck
and to stay in the "spotlight".
Plus, this aired on Channel 12 so she'd be able to see the new
Spotlight on Weather commercial starring Bruce Winchell, Walter's professional rival.
The doorbell rang.
"You'll get it." Megan said to Josh
He looked at her with frustrated eyes, but the truth was he would be the one to answer the door.
So, maybe Megan wasn't issuing a command, but rather speaking the truth.
Drake was too busy stuffing his face with the nacho cheese to even notice.
It was a delivery man dressed in the famous brown suit.
"Package for…Drake Parker."
That made his ears perk up despite the hoard of blondes in bikinis on TV holding up round place
cards like at an old-fashioned boxing match.
"I'm Drake Parker."
He excitedly pushed Megan out of the way who had gotten up to get a soda out of the kitchen.
She rolled her eyes and went back to the sofa.
Both of her brothers were boobs that's all there was to it.
"Sign here, please." The man gave him the electronic sign-in pad.
"Sure."
The box was huge.
Drake smiled when he noticed the return address was from Centre City Music in San Diego.
"Thanks, man." The delivery guy said.
Drake nodded as he closed the door.
"What did you get son?" Audrey came down the stairs trying to think of her next believable lie.
"I don't know, but it's something from Centre City Music."
"You didn't order anything from there?"
There was a slight bit of concern in her voice.
"No."
"Let me help you open it. I left the box-cutter in my room."
Walter ordered her some fancy bath products from eluxury.
She didn't have the heart to tell him she didn't want the gift.
Audrey helped Drake put the box on her bed and gave him the box cutter.
Drake was happy to see the Epiphone Blues Custom amp with a 5AR4 tube rectifier!
"An Epiphone Blues Custom amp! How cool is this, Mom?"
"It's very nice, Drake."
"Are you sure you didn't order this for my birthday?"
"I wish I could say that I did. Is there a card?"
"No. The invoice just says it was a gift from a secret pal. I'm going into my room to try this out!"
Drake had a pretty good idea who sent this, but he didn't want to share that information with his
Mother who at this point in time could only sit on her bed and sigh as the packing material fell on the
floor.
Some time later:
"JOSH!"
"What?" Josh almost fell backwards
Drake walked over and smiled, "You're an awesome brother."
It wasn't like Drake to talk poetic about him everyday.
"What's this about?"
"I got this new amp today from a secret pal. And I figured who is dorky enough to refer to
themselves as that? It was you….Thanks, man."
Drake hugged his brother.
"Um, Drake, as much as I appreciate you thinking I sent you an amp, which I would if I had the
money. I didn't buy it and thanks for calling me dorky by the way."
Josh rolled his eyes.
"You really didn't buy it?"
Now it was starting to turn into a mystery.
"Really."
Okay, if it wasn't Josh, then Drake had a pretty good idea on who could have sent him this amp.
Megan turned off the TV as she was getting bored sitting on the sofa by herself with no one to
torment.
"Hi, Baby."
"Hi, Mom."
"Do you want to go the Galleria food court with me? I have to go into work tonight and I wanted to
pick up something for dinner."
Audrey might have stayed late at the office, but she never went in at night when not being present
during the day.
"Sure. Can we go to the bookstore?"
Megan wanted to buy some new book covers for her school books next term.
"Of course, Sweetie."
Hours later:
Walter grew frustrated as he twisted his pasta with his fork. It was from the general bland pizza
place in the mall. Here he was home for dinner cutting back on the eleven o'clock newscasts and his
wife was conveniently gone.
Drake had a gig at the Premiere and he left a five minutes ago taking Josh with him who had to work
there tonight as well.
Megan asked if she could eat her dinner upstairs in her room.
Was the sight of him so repulsive that she couldn't sit at the table with him?
He pushed his plate away. He was never an insecure man as far as jealousies went, but
there was something he needed to check.
All he had to do was let Megan know he was going out and then he could start to find out what was
going on in his wife's head lately.
Ten minutes later:
"I knew you couldn't stay angry at me, Audrey," Sidney kissed the top of her head.
"It's my weakness. Are there going to be any more surprise deliveries?"
He slowly got up to open up his end table drawer and took out a small sky blue box with a white
ribbon on it.
"I didn't know how this one could be explained so I figured you could…."
"I'll find a way." She put it next to the blue topaz tennis bracelet Walter repurchased for her birthday
after she found out he returned it because she had purchased the same one for herself.
And she still didn't think it was weird.
"I wish you could stay all night."
"I wish I could too."
She rested her head on his chest and wished her whole life was different.
Marrying Walter Nichols was one huge mistake and she didn't know what to do next.
Fifteen minutes later:
"Hi Walter," said receptionist Eileen who worked the switchboard while talking to him, "Audrey
isn't here tonight."
"She said she was coming into the office."
"Her name isn't on the sign-in sheet. But let me connect to her supervisor, maybe she signed in on
Suzanne's sheet."
"Thank you. I just wanted to ask her something about the kids and I can't reach her on her cell."
Eileen nodded. "Okay. Thank you, Suzanne. I'm sure it was just a
mix-up. Goodbye."
"Audrey's not upstairs is she?"
"No, Walter. I'm sure it was just a mix-up. If Audrey should come in, I'll tell her to call you."
"Thank you, Eileen. Have a nice night."
"You too and make sure there is no rain on Wednesday. That's my night of my son's birthday
party."
Who was he the weather God?
"Tell him I said happy birthday."
Where could his wife be? She lied to him and the kid's about her whereabouts.
It was enough to make him slam his fist through the window of his Honda, but he refrained. There
was nothing left to do but to go home and wait for his wife's return.
The end of the evening:
"I should be a gentleman and driving you home…"
"I think it's best if we see each other here and only here. It was too dangerous last time."
Audrey hated putting her clothes back on, it meant she had to go back home to a man she was only
pretending to love for the sake of the kid's.
"That turned me on…"
"Sidney, you always had a flare for the dangerous…."
She kissed him on the lips.
"So, maybe we can go to Monterey and spend the weekend together the next time there is a long
holiday."
"That does sound nice."
He fixed the collar of her blouse.
"Does that mean you'll think about it?"
"Yes," Audrey put her hands on his shadowed cheeks, "It means yes."
She kissed the man she really loved one last time before opening the front door.
"I'll call your tomorrow. I think I found an out-of-the-way restaurant we could go to for lunch—and
wouldn't you know it's right by a motel?"
Audrey laughed
"I'll look forward to it."
"I love you, Audrey. Maybe someday you won't have to leave?"
"I love you too, Sidney. And maybe someday it will all be different."
But right now she had to think of the kid's and what was best for all three of them and Audrey
didn't know if that meant changing their worlds once more.
Only time would tell.
