The Crazy One Read online

  It was obvious she was searching for Joel Ruskin’s room. Did she actually make contact with Joel in that hotel? Did she get into his room somehow? What was her plan? The intent of a psycho stalker couldn’t be to just say, "Hello, how are you?"

  Nothing happened. Lucy didn’t find anything. She took the elevator down to the first floor and planted herself back in the lobby.

  Su sped up the video again. Lucy barely moved. Then something finally did happen. A familiar form appeared on the monitor.

  CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE

  I pulled up to the VIP lot at the arena and handed the attendant my pass. She was pleasant and wished me a good evening.

  "How much did that cost you?" my mom asked from the passenger seat. She still didn't know why I had asked her to go with me to the taping of a nationally televised talent show. I hadn't told her everything was free–the tickets, the parking, even the sweater I was wearing–courtesy of the guy that I hadn't told her I'd been seeing for two months.

  I didn't answer her, but pulled into a spot and killed the engine.

  "This is kind of far from the door, Lucy." She motioned to all of the empty parking spots beyond the fence and closer to the main entrance. "You couldn't have picked one of those?"

  "We're not going in that door, Mom." We got out and started toward the back of the building where several large buses and trailers were parked. "We're going this way."

  She looked thoroughly confused when I handed her a lanyard and had her put it around her neck. I flashed mine at the guard and he let us pass.

  "Is Beau one of the judges?" She was whispering loudly enough for anyone to hear. Her excitement when she said Beau's name was a little annoying. She'd enjoyed telling people her daughter was dating a celebrity. She'd been disappointed when I'd told her I wouldn't be seeing him anymore. She'd never given up hope we would reconcile.

  "No, Mom."

  We walked through hallways and past busy people who paid us no attention. Everyone was working at a seemingly frantic pace. Their movements were automatic, like they'd done all of this a hundred times before. I realized that in every city they had to build a set and then pack it up and move on. It was like a traveling circus.

  We came to another door that was blocked by a muscular woman with a clipboard. I showed her my lanyard, but she asked for my name. After checking me off of the list, she opened the door and let us through. Now we were walking down another long hallway. This one had significantly less activity going on. I could hear the faint sound of the audience filing into the arena above us. Mom had a grip on my upper arm now as if I might lose her. She was grinning and looking around like a child in a toy store.

  The white doors were all labeled with computer generated paper signs. I glanced around until I found Joel's name. I knocked on the door and then looked at my mom who was still utterly confused. The door was opened by Tracy. She smiled, as usual, and motioned for us to come in, all the while having a conversation with someone through the Bluetooth in her ear.

  Joel stood up from a long, leather couch and hugged me. I introduced him to my mom, who was suddenly speechless.

  "I saw you fill in for that morning show host a few months back," she said, finally. "You are funny, Mr. Ruskin."

  "Joel," he corrected graciously. He put his arm around her shoulder, which made her smile even wider. "You have to call me Joel."

  The two of them continued with small talk for a few minutes. Then Tracy politely interrupted to say, "Ten minutes, Joel."

  "I'm happy to have met you finally," he said to my mom. He was laying on the charm pretty thick. "I hope you enjoy the show." He looked at me and said, "I'll see you later?"

  "Yes," I replied. "If you're up for it."

  Joel winked at me. He shook my mom's hand and then kissed my cheek. We were gently rushed out the door by Tracy. On our way back down the long hallway, Mom began her twenty questions.

  "You know Joel Ruskin?"

  "Yes."

  "How long have you known him?"

  "A few months."

  "How did you meet him?"

  "At a party." I continued to stare straight ahead.

  "And he invited you to come to the taping?"

  "Yes."

  "What did he mean when he said he'd see you later?"

  "He meant he'd see both of us after the show."

  "Is there an after-party?"

  We were about to walk into the arena to find our seats. I didn't want to have this conversation with her in there. I stopped walking and turned to her.

  "Mom, Joel and I are kind of seeing each other."

  She looked stunned. Then spoke. "For how long?"

  "It's been like two months, but we've only been on a couple dates. His schedule is crazy."

  "Is it serious?"

  "Not yet." I sighed like a teenager and rolled my eyes. "We haven't had a chance to get to know each other that well. We'll see how it goes."

  "Do you have to give Beau back the apartment?"

  I narrowed my eyes at her question. Then I sighed deeply again. She loved my apartment. I wondered if she was comparing Joel and Beau in her mind. Which one did she prefer I date? Not that it mattered.

  "No, it's mine." I pushed a heavy door open and walked into the roaring arena. We found our seats in a VIP area with a clear view of the stage.

  After a long wait, the lights dimmed and the music boomed. When Joel came onstage he seemed bigger than life. He was not the same man who'd walked with me in Central Park and had brushed my hair from my face before kissing me good morning. The crowd loved him. He even leaned down a few times to shake hands with the audience. I relished my good fortune that I wasn't one of those girls smashed up against the stage trying to get noticed by him. I had him already; at least I had him for now.

  My mom enjoyed the show. She kept telling me how cute and talented he was. I could tell she was over the moon that he and I were dating. She asked me a million questions whenever there was a lull in the show.

  Although watching Joel work onstage was impressive, I couldn't wait for the show to end. I wanted him to transform back into the regular guy I had been getting to know. It was like onstage he was Superman, but I really wanted to be with Clark Kent.

  After the show, my mom and I made our way down to a large room where everyone from the show was mingling and congratulating each other on a job well done. The contestants who had been chosen to move on were posing for pictures with the celebrity judges and with Joel. Mom and I hung back to watch all the action and also to grab some free food. She was star-struck and nervous and couldn't stop herself from chattering on and on.

  When the photos were done, everyone quickly dispersed. Joel put his arm around me and asked my mom how she'd enjoyed the show. She gushed at him about his performance. She even gave her opinion on a few of the contestants. Joel was amused. It was going well. Then she gave her opinion of us.

  "You two look great together," she said.

  I covered my face with my hand. Joel buried his head in my shoulder and laughed. Then he said, "I know I look better with Lucy standing next to me."

  I shot him a smile. It was great that my mom approved, but I didn't want Joel to think I was taking whatever thing this was too seriously. I changed the subject.

  "We'd better go and let you wrap it up."

  "Sorry we can't have more time," he mumbled into my ear. "But I'm beat."

  "I understand." And I did.

  Joel kissed me square on the lips for everyone to see. Nobody was paying attention, but Mom seemed tickled. Blushing, I let her lead me out of the star-filled room.

  CHAPTER TWENTY SIX

  Omaha - 2015

  Lucy fished a granola bar from her purse and sat down on a stiff loveseat where she had a good view of both the hotel elevators and the front door.

  The cushion under her was uneven. She could feel that one of her sitting bones was sinking lower than the other. She shifted and pressed the higher cheek into the cushion until both were even.
But the back of her hand had brushed against the coarse fabric of the armrest. She reached around with her other hand and swiped the back of it where she'd made contact with the first. It wasn't right. She'd swiped too high. She had to do it again, but now she needed an extra swipe on the other hand.

  While alternately swiping the backs of her hands, Lucy noticed an old man eyeing her from across the lobby. As much as the flesh of her neglected hand burned from wanting, she had to stop. She smiled at the man and turned her focus to the large windows on her left.

  The show's venue was right across the street. She could see a small crowd had gathered, even though the show was still three hours away. It seemed silly they would be waiting there so early. The tickets were for assigned seating, and the show was sold out. Either you had a ticket or you didn't. She didn't have a ticket. She'd found a seller online, but the guy wanted six hundred dollars for two tickets, and she knew her mom wouldn't agree to that.

  Her phone chimed. It was Joel. Getting close to show time, he posted. Are you ready, Omaha? She clenched her teeth. How frustrating it was that he was somewhere right above her and practically talking right to her, but she couldn't reach him.

  The granola bar hadn't been enough. Lucy was hungry. Skipping lunch had been a mistake. She was afraid to leave her seat in case Joel was on his way out.

  A crowd of girls had gathered outside and were peering in through the wall of glass. One of them had ventured in earlier and approached the desk, but the desk clerk had asked her to leave. Lucy had scoffed at her rookie mistake. What made her think the woman would give her any information? She was too obvious. Now the girl stood outside in the cold with her friends while Lucy sat casually on the sofa, her behind sore from sitting too long.

  Then the black SUV pulled up. Behind it came two more exactly like it. The crowd of girls was parted by two large men dressed all in black. Her chest fluttered with excitement. The desk clerk eyed her when she stood up and inched forward. She seemed to know what she was up to.

  An elevator dinged and out stepped a woman with a headset, a cameraman, and a boom operator who all seemed to be tethered to each other. The camera stayed trained on the elevator as its operator walked backward through the lobby. As if on cue, Asia Simon, the show's only female judge, walked out of the elevator in front of her bodyguard. From another elevator came the rest of her entourage.

  Lucy had never been a fan of Asia Simon, but here she was in real life. She looked as much like a Barbie in person as she did in magazines. The impossible heels she walked on made a hard clicking sound which was muffled by all the fuss going on around her.

  The girls outside the window were going nuts while the two large men did their best to keep them away from the doors. The camera crew were already on the other side getting every possible shot of Asia walking to the first SUV. She stopped and politely greeted a few of the fans. Then she climbed into the tall vehicle, pulling her mile-long legs in last. The car took off around the corner to the arena across the street.

  The scene repeated itself when the other two judges entered the lobby. This time the camera stayed outside and filmed them interacting with the crowd of fans that was growing larger by the minute. They climbed into the second SUV and were off.

  That left Joel Ruskin, but the crowd didn't seem to care. Most of them ran across the busy street, dodging cars and giggling. Only two middle-aged women remained. They were both dressed like they'd borrowed their clothes from their teenage daughters. She was embarrassed for them.

  The camera crew had come back into the lobby and were now trained on the elevator doors. She stepped even closer, keeping her eye on the desk clerk who was keeping her eye on the two ladies who had crept in the door.

  When Joel stepped off of the elevator it was as if Jesus himself walked on water. Her chest tightened and she thought she would stop breathing forever. He was also followed by a large man in black, but there was no entourage trailing him. He had clearly shaved since arriving on the plane that morning. Now he wore a dark gray suit and a light blue tie. He was smiling.

  She stepped quickly forward, but was blocked by the boom operator who was trying to keep up with the camera. She was so close. She'd gotten too far to let him slip out the door.

  "Joel," she called. His name fell out of her mouth. She hadn't thought about it. Her brain knew she needed him to notice her. Maybe he would stop and talk to her. Maybe he would shake her hand. More than anything, she needed him to know she existed in this world.

  Amazingly, Joel heard her and paused. He turned partway around and waved in her direction. At first he didn't see who he was waving to, but when she waved back he noticed. His smile was warm and infectious, his glance sending laser beams through her body. He had seen her. He had noticed her. She was part of his world now. And then he walked on.

  CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN

  Lucy crossed the street to the auditorium. She didn't have a plan. Should she wait here for hours and meet him again in the hotel? Should she wait by the back doors? Or should she go home and be happy that she'd actually made contact?

  A group of five women and an eager-looking man rounded the building. They were chatting excitedly. Out in front of the small crowd was a middle-aged woman in a double-x Joel Ruskin t-shirt. She eyed Lucy who was perched awkwardly on a large, concrete planter. The other four stopped walking when she stopped and waited silently for further instruction.

  "Couldn't get tickets, either?" the woman asked Lucy.

  "No," she answered. "They sold out, like immediately."

  "Are you waiting for somebody?"

  "No. Just thinking about what to do next."

  "Are you a big fan of the show?" The woman's questioning tone bordered on interrogation.

  "I'm a fan of Joel Ruskin." Lucy chuckled nervously. She couldn't figure out this woman's motives. "I watch it because he's on."

  The woman relaxed and stepped closer to her. She introduced herself and her group. "I'm Belinda. I'm the head of the Joel Ruskin Fan Club, Joel on the Brain." She pointed to the individuals that had followed her over. "That's Tammy, Lindsey, Carol, and Miles." She sized her up again, more obviously this time. "Have you ever met Joel Ruskin?"

  "I just met him about an hour ago." Lucy grinned from ear to ear and blushed a little. It was an exaggeration, but she didn't want to feel like a loser.

  "I've met him seven times," Belinda informed her. "The first time was accidental."

  "It was fate," Miles interjected. Belinda rolled her eyes, but let a tiny grin creep up the corners of her mouth.

  "We've become friends," she continued, "and he says hi to me whenever he's in town."

  "Then why couldn't he get you tickets for the show?" Her question was innocent. She asked it without thinking and certainly without malice. Belinda scowled at her impertinence.

  "That's not how it works," she grumbled. Belinda quickly pushed her annoyance aside and composed herself once again. She proceeded to carry on a long, one-sided conversation with Lucy while the rest of the tiny fan club talked quietly amongst themselves. She told her about how she had met Joel Ruskin several years ago in New York when he hosted a show that featured her previous favorite celebrity. She had been waiting outside in the crowd and when Joel came out instead of who she was expecting, he had been gracious and talked to her and her small group of friends.

  "He was just starting to get famous then. Not many people in the crowd knew who he was. But I could see he was going to be a big deal. He's so talented."

  The others nodded. A tall, awkward woman around Lucy's age spoke up.

  "We're having a party later," she said. "You should come."

  "Tammy," Belinda scolded. Then she shrugged her shoulders dramatically and sighed. "We're having a get-together in my room after the show," she admitted reluctantly. "I emailed Joel this morning and invited him."

  "He said he'd try to come," Tammy blurted. Belinda gave her the stink eye again and she shrunk away.

  "I know he'll come," Belinda co
ntinued. "He appreciates all of his fans, but he knows how important fan clubs like ours are to his career. Anyway, you can come if you want to."

  "Sure," she beamed. She couldn't believe her luck in running into people with connections to Joel Ruskin. This was what she needed to get close to him so he could see they were made for each other.

  Instead of waiting outside the venue for several hours, the fan club agreed to meet at a café down the street. Lucy joined them. They ate at a large, round table and talked the whole time. The conversation never strayed from Joel Ruskin. Belinda's devotion was impressive. She knew every detail of his life. She even claimed he'd told her to give him a shout if she was ever in New York.

  "I'm saving for a plane ticket," Belinda told her. "I'll probably stay at his place. He has plenty of room."

  "Really?" She couldn't help the smile that crossed her face. Was this woman for real?

  "Not like that," Belinda said, her cheeks turning pink. "I have no interest in Joel romantically. I could be his mother."

  Lucy stifled a laugh. Obviously Joel would have no interest in Belinda either. Had he really offered to put her up in his home? It was doubtful.

  After a few hours the group made their way back to the event center. Belinda was silent as she marched ahead toward the back entrance where several large trailers were parked. When she stopped, the rest of them gathered around her as if she were going to make a speech. She turned to Lucy and gave her a serious look.

  "When Joel comes out," she instructed sternly, "I don't want you to make a scene. He's like any other person, and he doesn't deserve to be harassed. He'll stop and talk to me because he knows me, but don't try to get in his face if he doesn't notice you. That's just the way things work. Celebrities are people, too."

  She was a bit offended by Belinda's accusatory tone. She'd encountered Joel a few hours ago and hadn't gone all psycho-fan on him. What made Belinda think she was going to freak out now? And who did she think she was, the queen of celebrity etiquette?