GOODNIGHT, SWEET PARTRIDGE
CHAPTER 9
They would only be on the road for an hour, give or take a few minutes for traffic, and Carly was just amazed at the efficiency in which the family and Reuben had packed and loaded the bus. Most of it had been done by the time the kids returned from school, but still and all, there were personal items still to get and the costumes to retrieve from the cleaners. Keith hadn't held them up all that much, and they were only half an hour past their planned starting time.
Carly took a seat farther back in the bus so she could watch how the family interacted with one another; trying to savor these last few precious moments with them. She still balked at the idea of going home, and, alone in the back of the bus, she began to imagine a scenario of how she would react when they finally told her. It was definitely not going to be an easy takedown, that she promised herself. She knew that Keith would side with her, so he wasn't a problem. It was Danny she needed to keep an eye on. She could sense his dislike for her the moment they met, and no matter how much Carly tried to be his friend, the youngster was not going to be bought.
She closed her eyes and lay back against the window, much like she had earlier, and soon she drifted off to a real sleep, this time.
========
Someone was shaking her, calling her name, and Carly jumped awake. Keith towered over her, his perfect features slowly coming into focus.
"C'mon, sleepyhead, we're here."
She looked around her. The bus was practically empty, now, much to her surprise.
Keith read her thoughts. "We're all unloaded and they're setting up for a sound check. Want to join us?"
"Sure! I…just need to check my makeup. Do you know where Laurie's…my bag is?"
"The pink and white one? I think it's on the floor behind you." He smiled. "I'll meet you outside, then."
She nodded, watching his behind as he moved off down the aisle. It was a view she would cherish forever. She wondered if he always wore his jeans tight like that, or if this was a special occasion?
Sighing, she got up, retrieving the bag from the floor. Taking the knife from it's hiding place, she slipped it into the homemade sheath she'd fashioned out of a piece of cardboard, then tucked it carefully inside her waistband. She didn't want to have to end up using it, but she would if they pressed her.
Primping her hair, she closed the bag and got up, joining Keith outside the bus. He was the only one around for now, and she grinned happily, slipping her hand into his.
"The techs are setting up the stage, so we have a second to ourselves. Let's take a walk and check out the animals." Keith told her, tugging her arm.
Carly had forgotten that the venue was an honest to goodness zoo, complete with wild animals in huge cages and even a small petting zoo for the youngsters of man and animal. Zoos had always been sad places for her. She disliked seeing nature behind iron fences. The animals should be in their natural habitats; not locked up so little children could sneer at them and call them names. Still, as she and Keith wandered the cobblestone paths that wound around the area, she could help but stare at the beauty these beasts possessed. Not to mention the one holding her hand. It was hard not to stare at him, too, as he pointed out the different species, identifying them from the placards that were posted on the fences.
"Ah, here's a good one…" he was saying. "Cricetomys gambianus: A giant pouched rat.
Huh…Danny has an animal to call his own."
He laughed, tossing his head back as Carly stepped back, looking at him. "Keith Partridge, you are mean!"
"Oh, come on. Don't tell me you weren't thinking the same thing!"
She giggled. "Okay, I confess; your brother did come to mind. I just didn't dare say it out loud."
He laughed again as they moved off toward an enclosed area that looked interesting. The sign swinging above the entrance said, "Tropical Rain Forest," and when they entered, they were met with warm, humid air and the sound of crashing waterfalls. The entire area was filled with millions of tropical plants and hundreds of colorful birds. There were pools of water surrounding the path, and Keith and Carly stopped walking, feeling as though they just entered paradise.
"Wow, look at this place!" Keith shouted above the sound of the waterfalls that cascaded down on either side of them from high above.
"It's beautiful!" Carly shouted back, watching a parrot fly from one huge tree to another.
They realized that talking was fruitless, so they just wandered up the path, looking at the amazing scenery. Carly stopped, tugging on Keith's arm to point out the giant goldfish swimming in the ponds below them, and he nodded.
They walked slowly up one side and down the other until they were back at the entrance, and as they stepped out into the real world, Keith shook his head. "Man, I could die a happy man in there! That was completely amazing!"
"It was, wasn't it? I didn't know places like that existed in the world. It was like the Garden of Eden in the Bible!" Carly agreed. She looked at him. His hair was damp and sticking to his head from the humidity and his shirt was even wet, clinging to his body. He was even sexier to her than before! Then she realized that she must look pretty damp herself, and looked down. Her shirt was indeed wet, almost revealing the knife still tucked in her waistband. She quickly began to fan her shirt to dry it as he reached over, wiping the moisture from her face with his thumb.
"Look at us…we look like we've been swimming with all our clothes on," he grinned.
"We do, don't we? Well, a few more minutes in the sun and we'll be dry as toast." She caressed his shoulder.
He bent down and kissed her and she sagged against him, her fingers digging into his chest.
When they parted, he swallowed, looking into her eyes. "Carly, I have something to tell you…"
Danny's cry interrupted him. "Hey, Keith, come on, time for sound check!"
They looked over to see the red-head coming up the path toward them.
"I'll be there in a second," Keith called down to him.
"Reuben said, NOW, so we can have some publicity photos shot."
"Oh, for Pete's sake…" Keith mumbled. "Let's get this over with." He squeezed Carly's hand. "I'm sorry, but it's gonna have to wait. It's pretty important, so don't let me forget, okay?"
She nodded and they hurried back down the way they'd come.
CHAPTER 9
They would only be on the road for an hour, give or take a few minutes for traffic, and Carly was just amazed at the efficiency in which the family and Reuben had packed and loaded the bus. Most of it had been done by the time the kids returned from school, but still and all, there were personal items still to get and the costumes to retrieve from the cleaners. Keith hadn't held them up all that much, and they were only half an hour past their planned starting time.
Carly took a seat farther back in the bus so she could watch how the family interacted with one another; trying to savor these last few precious moments with them. She still balked at the idea of going home, and, alone in the back of the bus, she began to imagine a scenario of how she would react when they finally told her. It was definitely not going to be an easy takedown, that she promised herself. She knew that Keith would side with her, so he wasn't a problem. It was Danny she needed to keep an eye on. She could sense his dislike for her the moment they met, and no matter how much Carly tried to be his friend, the youngster was not going to be bought.
She closed her eyes and lay back against the window, much like she had earlier, and soon she drifted off to a real sleep, this time.
========
Someone was shaking her, calling her name, and Carly jumped awake. Keith towered over her, his perfect features slowly coming into focus.
"C'mon, sleepyhead, we're here."
She looked around her. The bus was practically empty, now, much to her surprise.
Keith read her thoughts. "We're all unloaded and they're setting up for a sound check. Want to join us?"
"Sure! I…just need to check my makeup. Do you know where Laurie's…my bag is?"
"The pink and white one? I think it's on the floor behind you." He smiled. "I'll meet you outside, then."
She nodded, watching his behind as he moved off down the aisle. It was a view she would cherish forever. She wondered if he always wore his jeans tight like that, or if this was a special occasion?
Sighing, she got up, retrieving the bag from the floor. Taking the knife from it's hiding place, she slipped it into the homemade sheath she'd fashioned out of a piece of cardboard, then tucked it carefully inside her waistband. She didn't want to have to end up using it, but she would if they pressed her.
Primping her hair, she closed the bag and got up, joining Keith outside the bus. He was the only one around for now, and she grinned happily, slipping her hand into his.
"The techs are setting up the stage, so we have a second to ourselves. Let's take a walk and check out the animals." Keith told her, tugging her arm.
Carly had forgotten that the venue was an honest to goodness zoo, complete with wild animals in huge cages and even a small petting zoo for the youngsters of man and animal. Zoos had always been sad places for her. She disliked seeing nature behind iron fences. The animals should be in their natural habitats; not locked up so little children could sneer at them and call them names. Still, as she and Keith wandered the cobblestone paths that wound around the area, she could help but stare at the beauty these beasts possessed. Not to mention the one holding her hand. It was hard not to stare at him, too, as he pointed out the different species, identifying them from the placards that were posted on the fences.
"Ah, here's a good one…" he was saying. "Cricetomys gambianus: A giant pouched rat.
Huh…Danny has an animal to call his own."
He laughed, tossing his head back as Carly stepped back, looking at him. "Keith Partridge, you are mean!"
"Oh, come on. Don't tell me you weren't thinking the same thing!"
She giggled. "Okay, I confess; your brother did come to mind. I just didn't dare say it out loud."
He laughed again as they moved off toward an enclosed area that looked interesting. The sign swinging above the entrance said, "Tropical Rain Forest," and when they entered, they were met with warm, humid air and the sound of crashing waterfalls. The entire area was filled with millions of tropical plants and hundreds of colorful birds. There were pools of water surrounding the path, and Keith and Carly stopped walking, feeling as though they just entered paradise.
"Wow, look at this place!" Keith shouted above the sound of the waterfalls that cascaded down on either side of them from high above.
"It's beautiful!" Carly shouted back, watching a parrot fly from one huge tree to another.
They realized that talking was fruitless, so they just wandered up the path, looking at the amazing scenery. Carly stopped, tugging on Keith's arm to point out the giant goldfish swimming in the ponds below them, and he nodded.
They walked slowly up one side and down the other until they were back at the entrance, and as they stepped out into the real world, Keith shook his head. "Man, I could die a happy man in there! That was completely amazing!"
"It was, wasn't it? I didn't know places like that existed in the world. It was like the Garden of Eden in the Bible!" Carly agreed. She looked at him. His hair was damp and sticking to his head from the humidity and his shirt was even wet, clinging to his body. He was even sexier to her than before! Then she realized that she must look pretty damp herself, and looked down. Her shirt was indeed wet, almost revealing the knife still tucked in her waistband. She quickly began to fan her shirt to dry it as he reached over, wiping the moisture from her face with his thumb.
"Look at us…we look like we've been swimming with all our clothes on," he grinned.
"We do, don't we? Well, a few more minutes in the sun and we'll be dry as toast." She caressed his shoulder.
He bent down and kissed her and she sagged against him, her fingers digging into his chest.
When they parted, he swallowed, looking into her eyes. "Carly, I have something to tell you…"
Danny's cry interrupted him. "Hey, Keith, come on, time for sound check!"
They looked over to see the red-head coming up the path toward them.
"I'll be there in a second," Keith called down to him.
"Reuben said, NOW, so we can have some publicity photos shot."
"Oh, for Pete's sake…" Keith mumbled. "Let's get this over with." He squeezed Carly's hand. "I'm sorry, but it's gonna have to wait. It's pretty important, so don't let me forget, okay?"
She nodded and they hurried back down the way they'd come.