GOODNIGHT, SWEET PARTRIDGE
CHAPTER 10
The Partridges had a small audience for the sound check; zoo workers and patrons had wandered over to the stage area, sitting down and watching the group as they tested their instruments, directed the lighting and jammed. The latter was pretty much only Keith as he would show his boredom with the entire process by breaking into a hard rocking number with his guitar, a far cry from the Partridge portfolio. He was impressing those around him, Carly could tell, and from her seat there on the front row, she smiled, bursting with pride. Once in a while, he would look down at her, catch her eye and grin big as he let loose on the guitar, making the amps almost jump off the stage.
"Play something by the Stones," one of the drink vendors called from behind Carly.
Keith looked thoughtful, adjusted the instrument around his neck and suddenly broke into "Satisfaction" with a vigor that Jagger himself would envy. Danny soon joined in with the bass and Chris kept the beat with the drums as the girls watched, not wanting any part of this raucous action.
Carly was enjoying the whole thing; it wasn't often a fan got a behind the scenes look at the Partridges, and she knew she was lucky to even be there. As she watched her second Family proudly, Carly noticed a uniformed policeman sort of hovering in the back and her stomach tightened. Was he there for the Partridge's security or for her? Reuben had said he would let her have her fun, at least until after the show, but suppose Danny….?
Quickly rising, Carly slipped behind the stage and out of the cops' sight.
She was in near hysterics by the time Keith joined her backstage fifteen long minutes later.
"I saw you leave; what happened? You look pale. Are you okay?" he took her arm, his lovely face concerned.
She nodded. She couldn't tell him, of course, so she tried to shake it off. "I'm fine. Oh, Keith, let's go back up to the Rain Forest…just for a little while…it was so beautiful!"
"You forget, I have a photo shoot," he said softly. Seeing her anxiety, he smiled, putting his hand on the back of her neck and kissing her head. "But we can go back there right after. Maybe we can buy a couple of hot dogs and some fries and have a picnic up there. I noticed there were some benches along the sides, near the waterfall."
She relaxed. "Okay…I - I think I'll wait for you here, if that's okay."
He nodded. "Good choice. Those photo ops are really boring. I'll try to sneak away as soon as I can."
She went forward, hugging him. "Okay. Then you can tell me what it is you needed to. Hurry back."
He kissed her cheek and turned, moving off, and she watched him walk away. Then she went into one of the dressing trailers, and locked the door behind her.
About an hour later, Carly ventured outside the trailer, looking around the canopied stage area for any sign of the policeman, but thankfully, he was gone. She continued to wander the backstage area alone, waiting for Keith and the others to return from the photo shoot. Finally hearing his voice, along with the others, she almost ran to him, but in catching a snippet of their conversation, she stopped her dead in her tracks.
"I can't believe you guys want her to go home." Keith was saying.
"Keith, she has her own family, and it's not right that we keep her from them." That was Reuben.
"I know, but…"
"Don't tell me you love her."
"I don't know. I like her, sure."
Carly jerked back. He didn't love her! Anger and confusion began to swirl inside her.
Now, Danny piped in, "After what she did to you? Are you nuts?"
"I lived through it, didn't I? She's a very sick girl…I can't just turn my back on her. That's why I invited her to stay with us. I felt I owed it to her. She'd be home right now if it weren't for me; I'm obligated to her, don't you think?"
Carly was growing more and more despondent with each word that was said. He didn't love her after all; he was just feeling sorry for her. She'd been right about him in the first place! Suppressing a sob, she ran back for the trailer before they saw her.
A few minutes later, Keith poked his head in the door. "Carly? You still here?"
She was standing, looking out the window. The tears hadn't come, not this time, and there was no way she was letting him see her feelings. She turned. "Yes. How was the photo shoot?" She asked almost stoically.
"Long and tedious. My face actually hurts from all that smiling."
She forced a smile. "I can imagine you get tired of smiling when you don't feel like it. It must be hard to put on an act all the time, right, Keith?"
If he caught her sarcasm, he didn't show it. "Boy, I'll say. Hey, you ready for our picnic?"
She looked surprised. "You still want to go with me?"
"Sure," he smiled. "Let's go before they come up with something else for me to do."
Well put, she thought. Until they find something better for you to do, you mean. She put her hand on her side, feeling the knife still in its place. "Okay, let's go." She moved past him out the door.
continued....
CHAPTER 10
The Partridges had a small audience for the sound check; zoo workers and patrons had wandered over to the stage area, sitting down and watching the group as they tested their instruments, directed the lighting and jammed. The latter was pretty much only Keith as he would show his boredom with the entire process by breaking into a hard rocking number with his guitar, a far cry from the Partridge portfolio. He was impressing those around him, Carly could tell, and from her seat there on the front row, she smiled, bursting with pride. Once in a while, he would look down at her, catch her eye and grin big as he let loose on the guitar, making the amps almost jump off the stage.
"Play something by the Stones," one of the drink vendors called from behind Carly.
Keith looked thoughtful, adjusted the instrument around his neck and suddenly broke into "Satisfaction" with a vigor that Jagger himself would envy. Danny soon joined in with the bass and Chris kept the beat with the drums as the girls watched, not wanting any part of this raucous action.
Carly was enjoying the whole thing; it wasn't often a fan got a behind the scenes look at the Partridges, and she knew she was lucky to even be there. As she watched her second Family proudly, Carly noticed a uniformed policeman sort of hovering in the back and her stomach tightened. Was he there for the Partridge's security or for her? Reuben had said he would let her have her fun, at least until after the show, but suppose Danny….?
Quickly rising, Carly slipped behind the stage and out of the cops' sight.
She was in near hysterics by the time Keith joined her backstage fifteen long minutes later.
"I saw you leave; what happened? You look pale. Are you okay?" he took her arm, his lovely face concerned.
She nodded. She couldn't tell him, of course, so she tried to shake it off. "I'm fine. Oh, Keith, let's go back up to the Rain Forest…just for a little while…it was so beautiful!"
"You forget, I have a photo shoot," he said softly. Seeing her anxiety, he smiled, putting his hand on the back of her neck and kissing her head. "But we can go back there right after. Maybe we can buy a couple of hot dogs and some fries and have a picnic up there. I noticed there were some benches along the sides, near the waterfall."
She relaxed. "Okay…I - I think I'll wait for you here, if that's okay."
He nodded. "Good choice. Those photo ops are really boring. I'll try to sneak away as soon as I can."
She went forward, hugging him. "Okay. Then you can tell me what it is you needed to. Hurry back."
He kissed her cheek and turned, moving off, and she watched him walk away. Then she went into one of the dressing trailers, and locked the door behind her.
About an hour later, Carly ventured outside the trailer, looking around the canopied stage area for any sign of the policeman, but thankfully, he was gone. She continued to wander the backstage area alone, waiting for Keith and the others to return from the photo shoot. Finally hearing his voice, along with the others, she almost ran to him, but in catching a snippet of their conversation, she stopped her dead in her tracks.
"I can't believe you guys want her to go home." Keith was saying.
"Keith, she has her own family, and it's not right that we keep her from them." That was Reuben.
"I know, but…"
"Don't tell me you love her."
"I don't know. I like her, sure."
Carly jerked back. He didn't love her! Anger and confusion began to swirl inside her.
Now, Danny piped in, "After what she did to you? Are you nuts?"
"I lived through it, didn't I? She's a very sick girl…I can't just turn my back on her. That's why I invited her to stay with us. I felt I owed it to her. She'd be home right now if it weren't for me; I'm obligated to her, don't you think?"
Carly was growing more and more despondent with each word that was said. He didn't love her after all; he was just feeling sorry for her. She'd been right about him in the first place! Suppressing a sob, she ran back for the trailer before they saw her.
A few minutes later, Keith poked his head in the door. "Carly? You still here?"
She was standing, looking out the window. The tears hadn't come, not this time, and there was no way she was letting him see her feelings. She turned. "Yes. How was the photo shoot?" She asked almost stoically.
"Long and tedious. My face actually hurts from all that smiling."
She forced a smile. "I can imagine you get tired of smiling when you don't feel like it. It must be hard to put on an act all the time, right, Keith?"
If he caught her sarcasm, he didn't show it. "Boy, I'll say. Hey, you ready for our picnic?"
She looked surprised. "You still want to go with me?"
"Sure," he smiled. "Let's go before they come up with something else for me to do."
Well put, she thought. Until they find something better for you to do, you mean. She put her hand on her side, feeling the knife still in its place. "Okay, let's go." She moved past him out the door.
continued....