Chapter 15: Dance to the Music
Ice Skating Rink, Lynx Mountain Resort. February 5, 2005. Saturday morning.
By the time Neal got up in the morning, Peter had already been gone for hours. He'd be on the slopes all morning with Lily. Neal took his time dressing and ambled off for a leisurely breakfast before going to the ice rink. He and Mandy had agreed to meet at eleven. Hopefully, she hadn't been so frustrated by the previous evening that she'd stand him up.
He arrived a few minutes early. Mandy was nowhere to be seen, but he spotted another friendly face. El was making her way slowly and carefully around the rink. She was skating close to the railing so she could grab onto it when necessary. When she saw Neal, she gave him a wave and worked her way toward him. "May I join the famous Neal Legend?"
"Please. My date's not here yet." He met her at the rink entrance and helped her slip on her skate guards.
"My ankles are calling for a time-out. I haven't fallen yet, but I've slipped so much, they're raising the white flag. Let's go sit down."
Neal chose a bench where he could keep an eye on the resort entrance. "Are Lisa and Sylvia out skiing?"
El nodded. "I'm going to spend the rest of the morning luxuriating in the spa. Are you waiting for Mandy?"
"Yes. I hope she's still talking to me after last night."
"I wouldn't worry. Teenage crushes are not easily extinguished."
"You sound like you're speaking from personal experience. Who was your teen heartthrob?"
El chuckled. "There were so many! Let's see ... Kevin Costner stands out. I saw him in Bull Durham, and oh my." She heaved a breathy sigh as she gazed dreamily toward the mountain.
"No wonder you were attracted to Peter. Whenever I look at him, I feel compelled to call him Kevin. Does Peter know?"
"He's never asked, and don't tease him about it."
"Define it because, you know in the normal course of our conversation, I often make joking comments about actors."
"Don't link me and Kevin, wise guy."
"Duly noted. I'm glad Kevin didn't stomp on your fantasy. I don't like conning someone so young." Neal hesitated over how much he should say, but it was easier to talk about it with El than Peter. His reaction would undoubtedly be like Diana's—telling him Mandy needed to toughen up—but Neal would prefer to cushion her fall. "What Mandy will have to experience reminds me of what I went through when I learned the truth about my dad. Her situation has some similarities to mine—turning eighteen, having a fantasy about a dad."
El gave him a knowing look. "Being lied to."
Neal nodded. "I felt betrayed and angry. I hated my life and wanted to escape. Any advice on how to make it easier for her?"
"You're putting a lot of pressure on yourself. This isn't your fault, and what you went through was much tougher to deal with. Mandy's dad is a criminal but he's not a murderer, and he'll be able to continue to see her when he's in prison. Meredith didn't provide you with much support. Lily may be a hot tamale but I bet she and Mandy aren't alienated."
"Do you think this will draw them closer?"
"I'm sure it will. And then there's this—as painful as it was, weren't you glad to know the truth?"
Neal nodded. "I wished I'd known earlier." El's words were helpful, but he still wanted pillows to place under Mandy. He'd have to come up with some of his own. "Peter told me about your encounter with Max yesterday afternoon. He gave me a full account—in triplicate—of every glance and leer."
El chuckled. "When they were dishing out the worry genes, Peter was given an oversized dose. We've had two long phone conversations about it—both yesterday evening and when I returned to our room last night. I told him I was treating it as just another acting role."
"He saw you in The Hollow last month where you played an oversexed diva. That didn't seem to bother him."
"But in The Hollow, the man who played opposite me was happily married with several children. Peter wasn't worried."
"At least Peter allowed you to flirt last night. Did Max mention anything about Sunday?"
"No, but he commented he hoped to see me again."
Neal grinned at her. "True confession time. Who were you channeling?"
"Audrey Hepburn. I'm turning Max into my Cary Grant."
"I knew it!"
"My character also has a lot of your grandmother in her. I'm trying to project Irene's innocence and charm from the movies she made in the 1950s."
"From what I could see, it's working. Max appears to be quite smitten with you. Have you thought about how you can lure him out of the suite on Sunday?"
"I could ask him to give me a ski lesson. He mentioned that he hoped to find time to be on the slopes." She hesitated then added, "It's the first time Peter's allowed my participation in a case like this. I know I won't be able to do it very often, but when we can share an experience, that's one of the best parts about being married."
"So that's the secret?"
"It is, and it's not a secret. When you want to share your life with someone, there's no better feeling."
"I envy what you have," Neal said.
"You'll have it too one day," she replied. "Maybe Fiona?"
"Are you recasting yourself as matchmaker?" Neal was going to tease her some more, but he spotted Mandy exiting the hotel and walking toward them. "We better wrap this up. Mandy's on her way."
El pulled out a notepad from her purse and gave it to him. "Peter will be thrilled to get your autograph. You're his favorite singer."
Neal flashed her a smile and scribbled: Thanks for your support! XOXOXO Neal.
El shook his hand and got up, nodding at Mandy as she left. Mandy was wearing a turquoise jacket which was partially unzipped to reveal a black camisole underneath and black stretch pants with a turquoise spiral stripe. She didn't seem upset with him. A good omen?
He invited her to sit beside him on the bench. "Sorry about last night. I'd hoped to spend more time with you."
"You didn't have a chance with that woman monopolizing you." Mandy paused to shrug. "I'm not an innocent. I realize that sort of thing comes with your profession. You must have groupies at all your concerts."
"It's a curse," Neal muttered.
"But she's so old!" Mandy made a face. "She must be at least thirty. Doesn't she know she's far too old for you to be interested in her? It's disgusting what some women do."
Diana, the older woman? She was only a couple of years older than him. This was one conversation she'd never hear about.
They took to the rink, and the morning went surprisingly well. Mandy didn't attempt to kiss him and he genuinely enjoyed the skating. Afterward, they went to a café for hot chocolate and sandwiches. The interior was decorated to resemble a rustic chalet with rough-hewn wood paneling and a large stone fireplace.
"Do you have any plans this afternoon?" he asked.
Mandy tossed him a startled, happy look. "No. Would you like to skate some more?"
Neal decided to risk a tease. He leaned forward, placing his elbows on the table, and stared into her eyes. "I have another activity to suggest."
Mandy's face immediately lit up. "I like the sound of that," she breathed in a surprisingly sultry whisper. "Did you change your mind?"
"Not quite. I'd like to draw you."
Mandy's eyes widened. "What do you mean?"
"I'm studying art at school, and I'd like to draw your portrait. After all, you gave me free skating lessons. This is a way for me to reciprocate."
"You sure I couldn't interest you in a different type of lesson? I already have one picked out."
Neal smiled and shook his head. "We've already gone over that. I'm not cheating on my girlfriend."
"You can simply call this a winter fling and not tell her?" she asked hopefully.
"No, I can't. I think too much of you and her both. You say you'd be happy to be my mistress, but if I were your boyfriend, you wouldn't like it if I had another woman on the side, would you?"
Mandy sighed. "Probably not. But if you break up—"
"By then you'll already have your own boyfriend and could care less about me. Getting back to the portrait, are you interested?"
Mandy grinned. "Definitely! Where would you like to draw me?"
Neal pretended to mull over the question. "It should be someplace where I could include the mountain. I'd like to make it personal of your time here. Would you like that?"
It was easy to read from Mandy's expression that she would. "By the rink?"
"Sorry, but my hands would be too cold. How about in your suite? You told me you have a great view from the balcony."
Mandy hesitated for a moment before replying, "Sure, but ... You should know, my dad's really security conscious. We travel with a couple of bodyguards. They won't bother us. I just ignore them."
Neal wrinkled his brow. "If you don't mind my asking, why all the security?"
She frowned. "Dad's paranoid. I give him grief about it. He told me that a business friend had been kidnapped once and held for ransom and he didn't want the same thing to happen to him. Dad's a second-generation Italian. Having bodyguards is probably more common in Europe."
#
After lunch, Mandy went upstairs to change. Neal returned to his room for his art supplies. He planned to use colored pencils for the drawing. Last week, he and Diana had discussed using his art to gain entrance into the suite. Initially, they'd talked about sketching Lily, but Mandy made an even better subject.
She greeted him at the door to the suite, dressed in a pink angora turtleneck which she wore over stretch leather leggings. Her hair had been combed back from her face. Mercifully, she'd dialed down the eye makeup.
"What a fantastic suite! Any chance of a tour?" he asked.
"Sure," she said. "Don't mind Rocko and Lamar. They're harmless." The two guards didn't look harmless to Neal. Heavyset with massive shoulders, they didn't need to pull out guns to appear intimidating. They were sitting at the table in the dining area, playing cards. They'd glanced up when Neal entered the room, nodded briefly, and returned to their card game.
The Rinaldis had the largest suite the resort offered. Situated on the top floor it had panoramic views of Lynx Mountain with one wall consisting of floor-to-ceiling glass panels opening out onto a large patio. The fire was lit in the fireplace. Glancing out the window, Neal noticed clouds rolling in. He'd replace them with blue sky. Mandy had her own storm clouds gathering. No need to include them in the drawing.
The suite had three bedrooms. Mandy showed Neal hers. Afterward, he tried to open the adjoining door.
"Sorry. That one's locked." Mandy went to Rocko and asked him for the key and he insisted on accompanying them. Neal admired the view from the bedroom window. He would have preferred admiring Max's laptop, but, as expected, it wasn't to be seen. A mouse pad on the small writing desk, however, indicated where it was usually kept. The lock to the room was the standard hotel lock. He'd have it open in two seconds.
They returned to the living room, and Neal got out his sketchpad and pencils. He moved a chair in front of the glass doors for Mandy, so he could add the mountain in the background. While he drew, Mandy maintained a running monologue about her school, her friends, music, and fashions. Neal liked her quirky sense of humor. Even the thugs occasionally chuckled.
Mandy had put music on, and it was difficult to hear Rocko and Lamar's conversation, not that there was much to overhear. At two o'clock Rocko left, muttering to Lamar to wish him luck.
Shortly afterward, Mandy left her chair and walked over to Neal. "Let me see what I look like." When she saw the drawing, she clasped her hand over her mouth.
"Do you like it?" Neal asked.
"It's beautiful. Do I really look like that to you?"
"You do, and when you arrive at college, you're going to have so many guys vying to date you, you'll have a tough time deciding who the lucky one will be. My advice? Make sure whoever you pick is worthy of you."
Neal hadn't intended to go into big brother mode with her but surprisingly she didn't tease him about it. Instead she asked, "Are you going to the dance this evening?"
Neal nodded. "I'm not playing at the bar tonight."
"If I promise to behave, any chance we could dance together?"
He smiled at her. "I'd be honored."
#
"The drawing came out surprisingly well," Neal told Peter over an early dinner in the staff cafeteria. "Portraits are difficult. Sometimes it's best not to be too realistic, but Mandy didn't require any plastic surgery."
Travis appeared as they were sitting down. Once he'd gotten his order, he joined them. "Their vegetarian selection's not bad," he said with a nod to his spinach lasagna. He sat down beside Neal. "I saw Diana on my way downstairs. She'll be here shortly. Did you hear about the storm?"
"The pros were talking about it at the ski shop," Peter said and turned to Neal. "A massive snowstorm's heading our way. Looks like the slopes will be closed tomorrow."
"The resort's already made contingency plans," Neal said. "I picked up the schedule in the lobby on my way back from the Rinaldis' suite. They have a series of indoor ski clinics scheduled in the barn."
"I was given a tour of the barn on Thursday," Peter said. "There are even two-foot ski jumps where beginners can practice landing in foam pits."
"They've also scheduled dance classes in the afternoon. A little late for tonight's event but it gives the guests something to do. Do you know if Lily's going to the dance, Peter?"
"Unfortunately, yes. She asked me if I'd be there."
"Has she made any moves on you yet?"
"I wouldn't say that, but she's becoming very friendly. Her equipment always seems to need adjusting." Neal couldn't resist a snicker, while Travis grinned. Peter glared at them. "You two have dirty minds. Not that kind of adjustment."
"Are you sure?" Neal asked. "It's been my experience that one kind often leads to the other."
"Maybe you're right. First, it was her ski boot buckles. She thought one had come loose. Then it was the bindings. Next, she thought she'd ripped her front zipper."
Neal laughed. "Oh yeah, she's hitting on you."
Peter groaned. "You see, this is why I'm so bad at flirting. I miss all the signals."
"Jones asked me to relay that he and Rocko have scheduled another game of foosball tomorrow at two o'clock," Travis said. "That takes care of one of the players. How are you going to arrange for the others to be gone?"
Neal turned to face Travis, hoping he wouldn't panic at his idea. "For Mandy, I'm going to need your help. No need to stress. Just think of her as one of those green aliens from Star Trek—what were they called? Orion slave girls?"
Travis frowned. "I prefer the term Orion animal women, and that's not helpful at all."
"We all have assignments we despise," Neal pointed out. "For me, it's the van. For you, it's dancing with an Orion animal woman. I'm going to ask Mandy to join me at the dance clinic. That's scheduled to start at one o'clock. I need an excuse to leave at one-fifty so I'll be ready when Rocko leaves. You're going to provide it by cutting in. A handsome Vulcan like you will have no problem with Mandy." Neal looked pleading at Peter, "Help me out on this."
"Neal's right. We're all having to cowboy up. That includes you too. No hiding in the van."
Travis let out a low moan. "How long will I need to keep this up?"
"No more than an hour. You told me copying the data files from the hard drive should take about fifteen minutes. If we can manage to clear the suite, I should be able to make quick work of it and then return to cut back in. Peter, I assume you and Lily will be at the ski clinic?"
Diana approached their table with a tray. "Max just headed upstairs. Jones is monitoring the lobby now. What did I miss?"
"Travis is going to dance with an Orion animal woman tomorrow," Neal said.
"Seriously?" She turned to Travis. "Do you need any help with dance moves?"
"I thought I'd just shuffle my feet and look awkward," he said. "She's bound to take pity on me."
"Didn't Spock dance once?" Peter asked. "I believe it was in that episode where they wore Greek togas."
"You're thinking of 'Plato's Stepchildren' where Spock was forced to dance a flamenco around Kirk's head," Travis said. "I'm not going to have to dance the flamenco, am I, Neal?"
"Of course not. You can pretend to be as clumsy as you like. That might actually work out better. Mandy will take it upon herself to be your coach."
"Travis is not the only one whose assignment needs to be modified," Peter said. "We have to come up with a better solution for the Rinaldi suite. As it stands now Neal will be there by himself and that's unacceptable. He can't access the computer, which will most likely be in the bedroom, and also keep watch at the front door for any unexpected arrivals."
"I agree it's not ideal," Neal said. He could tell Peter was pleasantly surprised to hear him acquiesce. He probably wouldn't be so pleased with his counterproposal. "Jones will be keeping Rocko busy at the foosball table. Travis will be dancing with the Orion animal woman. So, I'm glad to hear you're offering to keep Lily occupied in the suite and provide me with backup at the same time. It's a bold move, and Peter, I must say, I'm impressed."
"Wait a minute," Peter protested. "That's off the table. Diana can go with you."
"Did you forget, boss? I'll be in the van. Jones and Travis have been working with the recordings you've made of Lily's voice. That woman is such a talker, they have hours of dialogue to work with."
"That's right," Travis confirmed. "We've been able to piece together Lily reporting that she slipped and fell. When Lamar gets her call, he'll have to leave his post to come to her assistance. Diana only needed to record a few words which we were able to blend in. She's an excellent mimic."
"We're having her tell Lamar she fell on a walkway outside Building Three," Diana added. "It's the most remote location from the Rinaldi suite and should take him at least fifteen minutes to arrive, and another ten before he realizes she's not to be found. I even have transcripts to use when he calls her back asking where she is."
"Will you have any trouble calling from what appears to be her cell phone?" Neal asked.
"No, that will be easy to hack," Travis said. "Peter simply needs to make sure Lily doesn't try to use her phone. I'd planned to handle the equipment for Diana. Now that I'll be otherwise engaged, Diana will have to manage it on her own."
"Shouldn't be a problem, " she said between bites. "We'll go over the equipment in the morning. You'll still have time to practice your dance moves."
"Peter, getting back to your question," Neal said, "if you want me to have backup, then you'll have to provide it."
"But how am I going to get her to invite me up to her suite?" Peter asked, looking desperate.
Diana rolled her eyes at him. "After all of El's lessons, surely you know. Don't let her down, boss."
"Lily's coming to the dance tonight. That will provide the perfect opportunity," Neal suggested, ever the helpful team member. "As you perform a hot tango on the dance floor, you can whisper in her ear—"
"That's enough, Caffrey. I'll think of something."
#
"You're sure you're okay with this?" Peter asked, for what he promised himself would be the last time.
El's voice on the phone was laced with overtones of exasperation. "To quote your consultant, I'll be fine."
"And that makes me as reassured as when Neal uses it."
"You need to get ready, and so do I," she said. "I'll see you on the dance floor."
Peter scowled at the now silent phone. There was nothing El could say that would make him feel good about involving her in an op. He'd seen too many so-called foolproof missions fall apart from unforeseen circumstances. But he had to admit El was by far the best choice to keep Max out of play. If she could convince him to meet her at a ski clinic in the barn, he'd be out of action for two hours, giving them a comfortable window. The snow had begun to fall in the late afternoon, and the forecast was for continual snow throughout the day tomorrow. That meant the barn would be packed with frustrated skiers taking advantage of the clinics. What could go wrong?
Neal emerged from the bathroom, drying his hair with a towel. He looked questioningly at Peter. "You okay?"
"Yeah," Peter grumbled. "Not happy, but resigned." He'd already showered and dressed. The hotel had requested instructors show up early for the dance so they'd be there to greet the resort guests. Peter picked up the handout the resort had passed around. "It says we're expected to invite several different guests to dance and not lavish our attention on only one."
"Relax, Peter. No one's going to call you out if you spend all your time with Lily."
"Are we allowed to make song requests?"
"I suppose. What do you have in mind?"
"How about 'Love and Marriage?' Do you know of any other songs that extol faithfulness?"
Neal grinned as he buttoned his shirt. "You gotta get into your role, Peter. Think of yourself as an actor. What would be a good choice? Maybe Kevin Costner in Dances with Wolves. Think of Lily as a wolf and you're taming her with your dancing."
"That's not helpful. I suppose I should be grateful you didn't tell me to act like a Wookiee, although this is one time I wouldn't mind going as one." Peter looked at his reflection in the mirror. Neal had helped him select the shirt and the dark blue color did suit his eyes, he guessed. He struck a pose and practiced his come-hither looks. "Hey, stop with the guffaws, you're ruining my concentration." He turned around to glare at Neal who was laughing so hard he was forced to wipe his eyes.
"I'm sorry. I'll try." Neal stifled his snorts. "Allow me to demonstrate." He approached the mirror, instantly transforming his face into a cool, sophisticated mask. Fixing his gaze on the lamp on the dresser, his half-closed eyes swept it up and down. Damn, the kid was good. He gracefully extended his arm and snaked it around the lamp, drawing it close, as he invited it to dance. Stepping back, he gestured toward Peter. "Okay, Lamoureaux. She's all yours."
Peter stared at him. "Are you out of your mind?"
Neal was relentless. "If you can flirt with a lamp, you won't have any problem with Lily."
Peter hated to admit it, but he was right. After trying it a few times, he felt more at ease. He wasn't a bad actor, after all. Neal taught him little tricks to use with his eyes and smile that he wanted to try out on El once the op was over. Man, was that a happy thought.
Thirty minutes later, hair combed, shoes polished, Lamoureaux and Caffrey headed for the dance floor, ready to show the women of the Lynx Mountain Ski Resort a good time.
#
The snow was falling heavily by the time the dance started, but nobody paid any attention to the weather. When the public was allowed into the dance hall, spotlights cast beams of different colors on the floor, transforming it into a scintillating kaleidoscope. "Amazing" by George Michael was booming out of the speakers. Neal started swaying to the music and nudged Peter to start grooving too. Mandy was one of the first of the guests to arrive. She was in a metallic neon-pink dance dress, her long hair pulled off her face into a long ponytail. Peter took one look at her and raised a brow at Neal. "You're sure you convinced her to cool it?"
Neal shrugged. "I'll soon find out."
Lily walked in behind her daughter. Peter swallowed when he looked at Lily's daring low-cut firecracker-orange dress and cleared his throat. Neal leaned over to him and murmured, "Cowboy up, Lamoureaux."
Peter flashed her a smile which if not genuine was sufficiently broad to pass muster while muttering in a low growl, "Couldn't resist, huh?"
"I've been waiting for the perfect moment." Neal strolled forward to greet Mandy.
#
As promised, Neal danced with Mandy the entire time. El and her friends had arrived a little after the Rinaldis. El was wearing a tight royal blue dress that had steam coming out of Peter's ears. Her friends had made friends with some of the ski pros and were dancing with them. When El arrived, Neal saw Max whisper something in Lily's ear and then make a beeline for El. They spent a few moments in conversation before dancing. Neal saw Lily look over at Max and El several times. She didn't appear to be upset. Did she and Max have an open marriage? The next time Neal spotted her, she was dancing with Peter.
Neal held Mandy close as "Wonderful" by Annie Lennox played over the speakers. Did he have that look of dopey infatuation when he first met Kate? Surely not. A warning bell went off in his head that she was getting too close for comfort. Pushing her away slightly, he murmured in her ear, "Do you know who your mom's dancing with?"
Mandy scanned the dance floor. "He's a ski instructor. I forget his name. Lamaretto or something like that. Mom's been taking lessons from him the past couple of days. She says he's very nice. He doesn't make a pass." Mandy grinned. "I think she's disappointed about that."
"Won't your dad be upset?" Neal steered her to a slightly less congested part of the dance floor where it was easier to talk.
Mandy shook her head. "Mom and Dad lead independent lives. Dad's gone a lot." She shrugged. "Men have needs. Women too." Neal was startled to hear her be so open about it. "Fidelity's not a big word around my place."
"Maybe not, but your parents both care very deeply for you. Hold on to that."
Mandy smiled up at him just as the power went off and the room was plunged into darkness. A few screams could be heard, but seconds later the power came back on. The DJ announced over the loudspeakers that the storm had caused a power interruption, but the resort had backup generators. Guests shouldn't be concerned if there was another blip.
"I guess we won't be skating tomorrow," Mandy said, looking forlorn. "I heard on the forecast it will snow all day tomorrow."
"We'll just to have come up with an inside activity," Neal said and added with mock severity to Mandy's wide-eyed enthusiasm, "Not that activity. I noticed on the schedule that there's going to be a dance clinic tomorrow afternoon. One of the locals is a professional dancer and plans to teach Latin dances to the group. You interested?"
That was a no-brainer. Mandy was so excited, she hugged him. They'd just made plans to meet at one o'clock when Diana approached and cut in. To the music of "Toxic," she pressed close to him and whispered, "I talked with El. She's already arranged to have Max meet her in the barn."
Neal put an arm around Diana and spun her around. "Any word from our reluctant Romeo?"
Diana pushed him back and then pulled him in again. "He's gone to the head of the class. He asked Lily to meet him at the indoor Jacuzzi. He plans to make an excuse, and leave her steaming in the hot tub."
Neal smiled at Peter's deviousness. "Mandy's coming to the dance clinic tomorrow. Everything's falling into place."
"Except the weather. They're predicting frequent power outages. I can't get a signal on my cell phone. We may have to improvise our distraction with the other guard." Diana glanced over at Mandy who was standing on the sidelines, looking disconsolate. "Are you two behaving?"
Neal nodded. "Time to give her some more happy memories." He led Diana close to the DJ's station as they danced. Neal stopped and asked the DJ to play a special request.
"You know you're a hopeless romantic, don't you?" Diana said, rolling her eyes at the selection.
Neal shrugged. "She's got a lot of rough times ahead once her dad's exposed. I want her to have a little happiness now."
When the dance ended, Diana strolled off and Neal walked back to Mandy. "This song's for us." He led her to the center of the dance floor as the DJ started playing "Time of My Life."
"I must be in heaven!" Mandy exclaimed, her face lighting up brighter than the spotlights overhead.
As they danced, couples moved aside for them to have more space. Mandy was a superb dancer, and she inspired Neal to strut his stuff. Channeling his inner Patrick Swayze, he and Mandy danced a number that brought applause from the crowd. He spotted Max Rinaldi beaming at them. Damn. It made him feel worse about disrupting their family. It was hard to avoid hurting people no matter what he did.