Keith was anxious for their first stop, which turned out to be a family diner just outside of Reno. He was glad to have that interview out of the way; Greg had informed him it would be the only time they would be grilled like that; the rest of the filming would be mostly the Partridges in action. Still, the thought of cameras following his every move was beginning to make him a little uneasy. Singing full throttle for an audience was one thing, but to have the cameras see you being yourself was quite another. And wasn't it he who had told Shirley, 'The camera doesn't lie'? He was going to end up eating his own words. At the moment, however, he was more interested in a double cheese burger, fries and a chocolate shake. And Joni, who had joined him, Danny and Laurie in one of the diner's booths. Shirley, Reuben, Willie, Greg, Chris and Tracy were in a larger booth nearby, while the bus driver, to whom Keith had never been formally introduced, took his meal back to the bus.
"You guys swear you heard Greg say he was buying?" Danny and Laurie were sitting across from Keith and Joni.
"Yes; he said the meals were on him," Laurie answered her red headed brother as she glanced over the menu. She looked up at Joni, noticing the other girl's thin frame. "What are you having, Joni?"
"Oh, that depends. I usually get a salad with oil and vinegar, but when Greg's treating, I go for the gusto." Joni answered, smiling.
Laurie shrugged. "Okay, burger and a malt it is."
"Get fries, too, so I can have some," Danny said, eagerly.
"I'll split mine with you," Keith told him.
"You'd better not get any fries. You know what they do to your skin," Laurie smirked.
"Oh, do they break you out?" Joni asked him, to Laurie and Danny's amusement.
Keith shifted uneasily in his seat. "Yeah, sometimes." He flashed a torrid look at his siblings as they did their best to control their glee. He had to talk himself out of strangling the both of them.
"Sometimes? One fry and he looks like he's got the measles," Danny snickered, watching Keith's knuckles whiten on the menu that partially hid his face.
"I'll give you a cleanser that will take care of that problem," Joni said, condescendingly patting Keith's hand. She reached down for her purse. "I need to freshen up, excuse me. Be a dear and order me a cheeseburger and a Coke."
He nodded and she moved off. Laurie and Danny waited until she was out of sight before they broke into peals of hysterical laughter. Keith slammed his menu down onto the table, fury in his eyes.
"Knock off the put-downs, will you!" he hissed at them.
Laurie tried to hold back the giggles. "What? It's the truth. You do break out after eating something greasy."
"Yeah, but SHE doesn't need to know that!" Keith snapped.
"Why not? Afraid she'll spill the beans to Greg, and it'll make it into the documentary?" Danny leaned forward, teasing Keith for all he was worth. "I can see the teaser now. 'What makes Keith Partridge break out?' It's not exactly breaking news, Keith."
"No, but your murder will be. Now, both of you cut it out, or go sit somewhere else." Keith growled.
Laurie laughed, shouldering her purse. "Okay, we're sorry…I think I'll freshen up, too." She stood up.
"You're already fresh enough for me," Keith muttered as she tousled his hair and moved off.
The ladies room was just around the corner, and Laurie pushed the door open, getting quite a surprise as she did so. Joni stood at the huge mirror, a syringe in her hand. She jumped when she saw Laurie in the reflection. Laurie was stunned at first as Joni gasped. "Oh, you scared me!"
"What…what are you doing?" Laurie murmured, staring at the needle. The syringe was empty, indicating that Laurie had caught her after the fact.
Joni's eyes followed Laurie's to the needle in her hand. "Oh, this? It's insulin, Laurie. I'm a diabetic. Didn't Greg tell you?"
Laurie's gaze moved to Joni's face. There was no reason to disbelieve her. "No, no he didn't. I just -"
Joni smiled. "Don't worry about it. I have to explain all the time. When you have the job that I have, people just assume. I get all the comments: 'No wonder you're so thin'; 'ever shoot up with a big rock star?' It's never ending."
Laurie nodded. "Yes, I can just imagine." She smiled, then. "But just between you and me, how DO you stay so thin, on a diet of burgers and Cokes?"
Joni laughed. "Just between you and me, Greg doesn't offer to treat all that often!"
Laurie joined in the laughter.
*******
It was dark by the time they reached Salt Lake City, and everyone was either starving or sleepy, so they pulled into a Holiday Inn just off the freeway. The hotel was near the airport, and they could hear the planes engines roaring above their heads. Danny and Laurie stepped tiredly off the bus, their suitcases in hand, watching the glaring lights of the air traffic and feeling the desert heat. Keith had finally gotten permission from his mother to ride in Greg's bus, and they couldn't wait to start teasing him again. As they saw Greg, Joni, Willie and Keith exiting the bus parked behind them, Laurie nudged Danny, nodding toward them. Joni was literally hanging on their brother, and it was obvious he was enjoying it immensely. "Oh, that is just sickening, that's what that is," Laurie murmured to Danny. "Look at her, all over him like that."
"I wouldn't mind it, myself," Danny retorted. "But you're right. It's a pretty gross sight, it being as it's Keith."
"Keith, we need some help with the luggage." The tone of Shirley's voice told Laurie and Danny that she was none too pleased with this public display of affection.
Laughing at something Joni'd apparently said, Keith looked up. "Okay, Mom." He had his arm around Joni's waist and her arms were entangled about him. "Meet you in the lobby in an hour, okay?" he said to her.
"I'll be there," Joni smiled, her hand grabbing his as he moved away. She tucked her hair behind one ear as Greg stepped up to her.
"Ease off on the kid, Joni. His mother's getting peeved." Greg set a bag at her feet.
"Just having a little fun," Joni said, avoiding his eyes.
"Yeah, well, I don't need the wrath of Shirley Partridge coming down on me. Watch your step, okay?"
Joni sighed, reaching for the bag. "Sure thing, BOSS." She gave him a military salute and headed for the front door.
Greg shook his head as Willie approached. "She's at it again, huh?" Willie shouldered a bag.
"Yeah, but this one's jail bait. And his mother's on the prowl."
The two men followed Joni into the hotel.
*****
Danny lay on his stomach across the bed, watching his brother intently as Keith rummaged through his suitcase, looking for who knew what. He seemed anxious about something, but Danny hadn't pressed the issue. He knew Keith wouldn't tell him, anyway. The two of them were sharing a room; Chris and Reuben were next door, and Shirley, Laurie and Tracy were across the hall in a two bedroom suite. Greg's entourage was a floor below. The accommodation was particularly nice - partly because the hotel was very busy with air travellers and all they had had available were Executive suites. The entire family was very impressed with the unaccustomed luxury. Reuben was a little more blase. He had seen it all before and stayed in better hotels. Still, it made a pleasant change from their usual accommodations.
In their shared room, Keith muttered something under his breath and grabbed his blow dryer and a change of clothes, starting for the bathroom. Danny looked up.
"What are you doing?"
"Taking a shower, nosy Nate." Keith answered.
Danny looked over at the clock. "It's ten thirty. You forgot your pajamas."
His brother's head came back out around the corner. "I'm not going to bed," he sing-songed.
Danny crawled to his knees on the bed. This was news! "Where are you going?"
"Sightseeing with Joni."
The redhead folded his arms and narrowed his eyes. "At ten thirty at night. In Salt Lake City. Even the seagulls are in bed, Keith."
"Then we'll go for a walk. Who cares? We're clicking, you know?" Keith said from the other room.
So I heard. Danny thought. "Have you asked Mom?"
"No."
"Because you know she won't let you, right?"
Keith said something else, but Danny didn't hear him because Keith was closing the door as he spoke. It was probably for the best, anyway....
The phone started ringing, breaking Danny out of his contemplation, and he frowned, grabbing the receiver. "Hello?"
"Hi, Danny? It's Joni. I need to talk to Keith."
Danny's frown deepened "He's in the shower."
"Oh. Okay, well, I guess I can tell him when I see him."
"Tell him what?"
She laughed. "Just have him meet me in the lobby in half an hour, okay?"
"Yeah, sure." Danny mumbled, hanging up. He had to find out what was going on. Maybe he could follow the two of them…no, that wouldn't do. He would just end up getting caught and be big trouble with everyone.
There was a knock on the door, and he stomped over to answer it. He felt like a butler or something!
When he swung it open he found Laurie standing in the corridor outside the room.
"Oh, good, you're not asleep. Everybody's kind of hungry, and we voted to go downstairs to the café. You and Keith want to come?"
"I'm game, but loverboy's got other plans." Danny nodded his head toward the bathroom door.
Laurie looked interested. "Oh, really? Like what?"
"Like going out with Joni…sightseeing, he said."
She cocked her head. "Sightseeing what? Everything's closed!"
Danny shrugged. "That's what I said. I asked him if he asked Mom and he said, no."
Laurie grinned. "Well, of course not. He doesn't want to get shot down in front of his woman. Oh, Danny, this should be good. I'll go get Mom, you wait for Casanova to come out of the shower."
*****
Keith was humming to himself as he wiped his wet head with a towel. Another towel was wrapped around his slim waistline, and the chain around his neck glinted with water droplets. "Hey, Danny, hand me my comb," Keith called out, pulling the door open. He was startled to find Shirley there and he took a step backwards into the still steamy room, swallowing hard. "Mom!"
"Hi," Shirley said gaily. "Getting ready for bed?"
Keith's eyes shot around the room. No Danny. He'd snitched on him, the little runt! "Uh…well, not quite…"
Shirley smiled sweetly and folded her arms. "What do you mean?" Her voice was neutral, but he knew both the expression on her face and the tone in her voice of old.
There was no sense in lying to her. She obviously already knew, anyway. That Danny was going to get it! "Joni and I were…going out. Side. For a while." He stammered.
"I see. What did you plan on seeing? We're in an industrial part of town, looks like to me."
Keith closed his eyes. "I don't know, Mom. She just wanted to goof around. She said maybe there was a party we could crash or something." There was that look again, and it was making him uncomfortable as all get out. The silence was just too much. "She's okay, Mom. Greg wouldn't have hired a flake or anything."
Shirley sighed. "You're right. Reuben and I have been talking. We can see you're both very attracted to each other. But, Keith, she's a bit older than you are, and she's…"
"Been around?" Keith completed the sentence. "That's what makes her so exciting, Mom. We've been in show business, how long, and I have never run into anyone quite like her. She's rubbed elbows with the big names, and so has Greg. He's a super cool guy. I just want to be a part of their world…even if it's just for a little while."
His words were eating at Shirley, syllable by syllable. She knew how badly Keith was wanting this; she could read it in his eyes. And who was she to stifle a dream? He would be all right; she'd brought him up with all the right values, and he hadn't disappointed her thus far. And she knew if she said no to him right now, it would drive a wedge, however temporary, between them.
"Okay, have fun, but be careful." She almost winced as she heard herself uttering the words.
Surprised at her permission, he grinned as he heard cries of protest from the hallway.
"You're letting him go?" Laurie seemed horrified as she and Danny rounded the corner.
Shirley's eyes glistened as she nodded slowly. "Yes. On the condition that he stay in…THIS condition. You know the rules. No drinking, no drugs…I don't care if Elvis himself offers them to you."
Keith grinned. "You have my word."
"And no sex," Danny added.
His comment brought all their attention.
"Danny!" Laurie squeaked.
"Just seeing if you were paying attention." The redhead smirked.
Keith whipped him with his towel.
"You guys swear you heard Greg say he was buying?" Danny and Laurie were sitting across from Keith and Joni.
"Yes; he said the meals were on him," Laurie answered her red headed brother as she glanced over the menu. She looked up at Joni, noticing the other girl's thin frame. "What are you having, Joni?"
"Oh, that depends. I usually get a salad with oil and vinegar, but when Greg's treating, I go for the gusto." Joni answered, smiling.
Laurie shrugged. "Okay, burger and a malt it is."
"Get fries, too, so I can have some," Danny said, eagerly.
"I'll split mine with you," Keith told him.
"You'd better not get any fries. You know what they do to your skin," Laurie smirked.
"Oh, do they break you out?" Joni asked him, to Laurie and Danny's amusement.
Keith shifted uneasily in his seat. "Yeah, sometimes." He flashed a torrid look at his siblings as they did their best to control their glee. He had to talk himself out of strangling the both of them.
"Sometimes? One fry and he looks like he's got the measles," Danny snickered, watching Keith's knuckles whiten on the menu that partially hid his face.
"I'll give you a cleanser that will take care of that problem," Joni said, condescendingly patting Keith's hand. She reached down for her purse. "I need to freshen up, excuse me. Be a dear and order me a cheeseburger and a Coke."
He nodded and she moved off. Laurie and Danny waited until she was out of sight before they broke into peals of hysterical laughter. Keith slammed his menu down onto the table, fury in his eyes.
"Knock off the put-downs, will you!" he hissed at them.
Laurie tried to hold back the giggles. "What? It's the truth. You do break out after eating something greasy."
"Yeah, but SHE doesn't need to know that!" Keith snapped.
"Why not? Afraid she'll spill the beans to Greg, and it'll make it into the documentary?" Danny leaned forward, teasing Keith for all he was worth. "I can see the teaser now. 'What makes Keith Partridge break out?' It's not exactly breaking news, Keith."
"No, but your murder will be. Now, both of you cut it out, or go sit somewhere else." Keith growled.
Laurie laughed, shouldering her purse. "Okay, we're sorry…I think I'll freshen up, too." She stood up.
"You're already fresh enough for me," Keith muttered as she tousled his hair and moved off.
The ladies room was just around the corner, and Laurie pushed the door open, getting quite a surprise as she did so. Joni stood at the huge mirror, a syringe in her hand. She jumped when she saw Laurie in the reflection. Laurie was stunned at first as Joni gasped. "Oh, you scared me!"
"What…what are you doing?" Laurie murmured, staring at the needle. The syringe was empty, indicating that Laurie had caught her after the fact.
Joni's eyes followed Laurie's to the needle in her hand. "Oh, this? It's insulin, Laurie. I'm a diabetic. Didn't Greg tell you?"
Laurie's gaze moved to Joni's face. There was no reason to disbelieve her. "No, no he didn't. I just -"
Joni smiled. "Don't worry about it. I have to explain all the time. When you have the job that I have, people just assume. I get all the comments: 'No wonder you're so thin'; 'ever shoot up with a big rock star?' It's never ending."
Laurie nodded. "Yes, I can just imagine." She smiled, then. "But just between you and me, how DO you stay so thin, on a diet of burgers and Cokes?"
Joni laughed. "Just between you and me, Greg doesn't offer to treat all that often!"
Laurie joined in the laughter.
*******
It was dark by the time they reached Salt Lake City, and everyone was either starving or sleepy, so they pulled into a Holiday Inn just off the freeway. The hotel was near the airport, and they could hear the planes engines roaring above their heads. Danny and Laurie stepped tiredly off the bus, their suitcases in hand, watching the glaring lights of the air traffic and feeling the desert heat. Keith had finally gotten permission from his mother to ride in Greg's bus, and they couldn't wait to start teasing him again. As they saw Greg, Joni, Willie and Keith exiting the bus parked behind them, Laurie nudged Danny, nodding toward them. Joni was literally hanging on their brother, and it was obvious he was enjoying it immensely. "Oh, that is just sickening, that's what that is," Laurie murmured to Danny. "Look at her, all over him like that."
"I wouldn't mind it, myself," Danny retorted. "But you're right. It's a pretty gross sight, it being as it's Keith."
"Keith, we need some help with the luggage." The tone of Shirley's voice told Laurie and Danny that she was none too pleased with this public display of affection.
Laughing at something Joni'd apparently said, Keith looked up. "Okay, Mom." He had his arm around Joni's waist and her arms were entangled about him. "Meet you in the lobby in an hour, okay?" he said to her.
"I'll be there," Joni smiled, her hand grabbing his as he moved away. She tucked her hair behind one ear as Greg stepped up to her.
"Ease off on the kid, Joni. His mother's getting peeved." Greg set a bag at her feet.
"Just having a little fun," Joni said, avoiding his eyes.
"Yeah, well, I don't need the wrath of Shirley Partridge coming down on me. Watch your step, okay?"
Joni sighed, reaching for the bag. "Sure thing, BOSS." She gave him a military salute and headed for the front door.
Greg shook his head as Willie approached. "She's at it again, huh?" Willie shouldered a bag.
"Yeah, but this one's jail bait. And his mother's on the prowl."
The two men followed Joni into the hotel.
*****
Danny lay on his stomach across the bed, watching his brother intently as Keith rummaged through his suitcase, looking for who knew what. He seemed anxious about something, but Danny hadn't pressed the issue. He knew Keith wouldn't tell him, anyway. The two of them were sharing a room; Chris and Reuben were next door, and Shirley, Laurie and Tracy were across the hall in a two bedroom suite. Greg's entourage was a floor below. The accommodation was particularly nice - partly because the hotel was very busy with air travellers and all they had had available were Executive suites. The entire family was very impressed with the unaccustomed luxury. Reuben was a little more blase. He had seen it all before and stayed in better hotels. Still, it made a pleasant change from their usual accommodations.
In their shared room, Keith muttered something under his breath and grabbed his blow dryer and a change of clothes, starting for the bathroom. Danny looked up.
"What are you doing?"
"Taking a shower, nosy Nate." Keith answered.
Danny looked over at the clock. "It's ten thirty. You forgot your pajamas."
His brother's head came back out around the corner. "I'm not going to bed," he sing-songed.
Danny crawled to his knees on the bed. This was news! "Where are you going?"
"Sightseeing with Joni."
The redhead folded his arms and narrowed his eyes. "At ten thirty at night. In Salt Lake City. Even the seagulls are in bed, Keith."
"Then we'll go for a walk. Who cares? We're clicking, you know?" Keith said from the other room.
So I heard. Danny thought. "Have you asked Mom?"
"No."
"Because you know she won't let you, right?"
Keith said something else, but Danny didn't hear him because Keith was closing the door as he spoke. It was probably for the best, anyway....
The phone started ringing, breaking Danny out of his contemplation, and he frowned, grabbing the receiver. "Hello?"
"Hi, Danny? It's Joni. I need to talk to Keith."
Danny's frown deepened "He's in the shower."
"Oh. Okay, well, I guess I can tell him when I see him."
"Tell him what?"
She laughed. "Just have him meet me in the lobby in half an hour, okay?"
"Yeah, sure." Danny mumbled, hanging up. He had to find out what was going on. Maybe he could follow the two of them…no, that wouldn't do. He would just end up getting caught and be big trouble with everyone.
There was a knock on the door, and he stomped over to answer it. He felt like a butler or something!
When he swung it open he found Laurie standing in the corridor outside the room.
"Oh, good, you're not asleep. Everybody's kind of hungry, and we voted to go downstairs to the café. You and Keith want to come?"
"I'm game, but loverboy's got other plans." Danny nodded his head toward the bathroom door.
Laurie looked interested. "Oh, really? Like what?"
"Like going out with Joni…sightseeing, he said."
She cocked her head. "Sightseeing what? Everything's closed!"
Danny shrugged. "That's what I said. I asked him if he asked Mom and he said, no."
Laurie grinned. "Well, of course not. He doesn't want to get shot down in front of his woman. Oh, Danny, this should be good. I'll go get Mom, you wait for Casanova to come out of the shower."
*****
Keith was humming to himself as he wiped his wet head with a towel. Another towel was wrapped around his slim waistline, and the chain around his neck glinted with water droplets. "Hey, Danny, hand me my comb," Keith called out, pulling the door open. He was startled to find Shirley there and he took a step backwards into the still steamy room, swallowing hard. "Mom!"
"Hi," Shirley said gaily. "Getting ready for bed?"
Keith's eyes shot around the room. No Danny. He'd snitched on him, the little runt! "Uh…well, not quite…"
Shirley smiled sweetly and folded her arms. "What do you mean?" Her voice was neutral, but he knew both the expression on her face and the tone in her voice of old.
There was no sense in lying to her. She obviously already knew, anyway. That Danny was going to get it! "Joni and I were…going out. Side. For a while." He stammered.
"I see. What did you plan on seeing? We're in an industrial part of town, looks like to me."
Keith closed his eyes. "I don't know, Mom. She just wanted to goof around. She said maybe there was a party we could crash or something." There was that look again, and it was making him uncomfortable as all get out. The silence was just too much. "She's okay, Mom. Greg wouldn't have hired a flake or anything."
Shirley sighed. "You're right. Reuben and I have been talking. We can see you're both very attracted to each other. But, Keith, she's a bit older than you are, and she's…"
"Been around?" Keith completed the sentence. "That's what makes her so exciting, Mom. We've been in show business, how long, and I have never run into anyone quite like her. She's rubbed elbows with the big names, and so has Greg. He's a super cool guy. I just want to be a part of their world…even if it's just for a little while."
His words were eating at Shirley, syllable by syllable. She knew how badly Keith was wanting this; she could read it in his eyes. And who was she to stifle a dream? He would be all right; she'd brought him up with all the right values, and he hadn't disappointed her thus far. And she knew if she said no to him right now, it would drive a wedge, however temporary, between them.
"Okay, have fun, but be careful." She almost winced as she heard herself uttering the words.
Surprised at her permission, he grinned as he heard cries of protest from the hallway.
"You're letting him go?" Laurie seemed horrified as she and Danny rounded the corner.
Shirley's eyes glistened as she nodded slowly. "Yes. On the condition that he stay in…THIS condition. You know the rules. No drinking, no drugs…I don't care if Elvis himself offers them to you."
Keith grinned. "You have my word."
"And no sex," Danny added.
His comment brought all their attention.
"Danny!" Laurie squeaked.
"Just seeing if you were paying attention." The redhead smirked.
Keith whipped him with his towel.