Daylight

Viv’s POV

A couple of hours later, I rolled over and looked at the clock.

Shit.

“Billy,” I hissed, “are you awake? I gotta get going.”
He didn’t respond. I poked him, hard.
“Bloody—ow!—Viv, what’s going on?” he demanded groggily.
Briefly, I tried to remember if he ever replied to a question the first time it was asked. “I gotta get back,” I repeated.
“Already?” He sighed and rolled onto his back in the dark, his arm placed dramatically over his forehead. “Seduced and abandoned, yet again.”
I was already sitting up and trying to find my clothes. “Yup, that’s how I roll. Don’t call me, baby, I’ll call you.”
His hand on my wrist stilled me for a moment. “Why d’yeh have to go now?”
I brought his hand to my mouth and kissed it, letting it go gently. “Because if I disappear for the night again, I won’t have a job.”
He tilted his head. “Is that so bad, Tim bein’ what he is and all?”
I considered for a moment. “No, not as such, but it looks bad on a resume. ‘And why exactly did you leave AP, Ms. Nordstrom?’ ‘Well, you see, my boss was an ass, and frankly, my job was getting in the way of my love life.’ ”

Billy giggled, damn him. I loved it when he did that—among other things.
Shit—I loved him.

“I love you,” I whispered, leaning down to kiss his lips. He smiled into the kiss, pulling me close again.
“Didn’t think I’d ever hear yeh say that,” he whispered back when he let me go. I squirmed away reluctantly. “D’yeh need someone to take yeh back?”
I sighed. “I don’t wanna impose. I can get a cab.”
“Don’t worry, that’s why I have a driver,” he replied, grabbing his phone and telling Roger his services would be needed in about fifteen minutes.
I gathered up my clothes and started dressing. “Must be expensive, huh?” I remarked.
Billy shrugged. “It’s more convenient than the bus; cheaper than a helicopter or taxis, in the long run. Even more than havin’ me own car here.”
When I didn’t say anything, he asked, “Does it bother yeh?”
I turned the question back to him. “Why would it bother me? You’re doing well, but you don’t live here, so it’s not like you need your own car.”
Bill turned on the light to see my expression. “Are we fightin’ over summat here?”
I shook my head. “Of course not.”
“Cold feet? Second thoughts?” He watched my face intently.
“A little,” I admitted. “This is new and…scary.”
“Good. I think so too.” He got out of bed and pulled on a pair of pajama pants. “Roger will be ready soon,” he added softly. “I don’t want you to go, but I know you need to get back.” Billy kissed me again. “Say it, Viv,” he whispered. “Please.”
Jesus, it felt like my heart swelled in my chest. “I love you, Bill.”
He smiled back at me. “I love you, too. I don’t think I’ll get tired of hearin’ that anytime soon.”

Finally dressed, I walked into the living room of Billy’s suite and nearly didn’t see the figure seated in the dim light of a single lamp. I stopped short; I may or may not have cried out in surprise.
“Hi,” Joni said quietly, smiling up at me.
I was momentarily stunned into silence.
“Viv, darlin’, yeh okay there?” came Billy’s voice from the bedroom.
I cleared my throat, still staring at his daughter. “I—I’m fine,” I managed, my voice a little creaky.
“Yeh don’t sound fine.”
I turned my head towards the sound of his voice. “I’m okay, but I think you should come out here,” I suggested.
“What? Why…?” he asked, and then he was right beside me. “…oh! Joni, love, what’re yeh doin’ here so late?”
She stood and shrugged. “Mom and I had a fight.”
“How did yeh get here?” Billy persisted.
“I called Roger and he brought me,” she replied. “And the desk clerk remembered me, so she had someone let me into the suite.” Her eyes flicked back to me. “Sorry for the interruption.”
Billy kissed my cheek and pulled me to his side. “Not at all,” he said pleasantly, “I was just seein’ Viv off so Roger could take her home. Yeh remember Viv, yes?”
Joni smiled. “Of course. How’ve you been?”
I nodded. “Fine, but I was just on my way out.”
“Dad,” Joni said suddenly, “can I just talk to you in private for a minute? Do you mind waiting, Viv? Maybe Roger can take us both where we need to go.”
“No problem, I can wait,” I answered.
Billy smiled at me and escorted his daughter into the next room.

I heard them talking softly for the next few minutes. I couldn’t make out any words, only the tone of their speech, and overall it sounded calm; which I hoped was a good sign.
In-between hearing-and-not-hearing their conversation, I wondered just how long Joni’d been in Billy’s suite, and how we’d managed not to hear her.

Oh yeah—right. Never mind. Thank God we’d closed the door.

Just about the time that Roger arrived, Billy and Joni emerged from his room. He kissed each of us on the cheek and asked, “You ladies don’t mind sharin’ the car, do yeh?”
We both shook our heads. “Good,” Bill said. “I’ll be leavin’ in the morning, of course, but I’ll see both of ya sooner than yeh think.”
He kissed Joni first. “Love yeh, sweet,” I heard him murmur. “Take good care.”
She hugged him. “I love you, too, Dad.”
He turned to me, kissing me as firmly as he could with his daughter standing there. “I love you, Viv,” he whispered in my ear. “And don’t let the bastard get yeh down.”
I chuckled and whispered that I loved him.

Joni and I sat in the car side by side for a few miles without speaking. We drove silently through downtown LA, past the lights, clubs, hotels and restaurants, all without comment from either of us, or from Roger.
At last, I couldn’t stand the silence and awkwardness anymore and was going to say something, but she beat me to it.
“So…you and my dad, huh?”
I took a deep breath. “Well, I suppose it’d be an insult to your intelligence to tell you it wasn’t what it looked like, right?”
She shook her head; she was smiling again, thank God. “No, that ship has pretty much sailed.”
I laughed; the tension I’d been feeling between us began to dissolve. “Do you get to see him much?”
“Not as much as I’d like,” she replied, “but it’s always been that way. I’m used to it.”
I was curious. “Couldn’t you have gone to live with him at some point, if you wanted?”
She shrugged. “Sure. Mom wasn’t crazy about the whole idea, but I told her I wanted to live with him anyway. I was old enough; she couldn’t stop me.”
“So what happened?”
She sighed. “Dad was okay with it, but he’d scheduled a tour that year, and lots of recording all over the place too. He said he wouldn’t feel right, taking me away from everything I was used to. Plus he thinks the schools are better here, and that I’d miss my friends.”
I raised my eyebrows. “Was he right about any of that?”
Another shrug. “He said he knew I missed him more, but that my education was important. He told me he didn't want to...disrupt...my life any more than necessary.”
I smiled sympathetically. “If it helps, I know what it’s like to miss somebody like that.”
Joni nodded and changed the subject. “How long have you known my dad?”
I thought about it. “Just over twenty years. I met him pretty close to the time he met your mother.”
“Hmmm,” she said, then: “Did you interview him when you met him?”
“Yeah, he’d just started his solo career.”
Her next question caught me completely off-guard. “Were you interviewing him tonight?”
I hesitated. “No…why?”
She rolled her eyes. “Look, you’ve known my dad a long time, you know what he’s like…it’s not the first time I’ve seen him coming out of his bedroom with an attractive woman who’s a writer. There seem to be many pretty lady journalists, in fact.”
I could feel my eyes were huge. “Uh, excuse me?”
She obviously thought I actually wanted an explanation. “He loves women, all kinds.”
I still didn’t get it. “During this trip?”
“No, of course not, he…he’s just like that, you know?”
I took a deep calming breath. “Yes, I know, Joni,” I answered. “So what’s the point of this discussion?”
She looked at me closely. “Whoever else he’s been with doesn’t bother you?” she asked.
Does it bother me? I had to think about that one for a minute. After I did, I sat back and spoke as evenly as I could. “Not if it’s in the past tense.”
The serious look in her eyes softened a little. “You mean that, don’t you?”
“We’re both adults. You can’t hold someone’s past against them,” I replied. “It’s not fair.”
Suddenly Joni beamed. “You know, he’s been talking about you all week,” she remarked.
“He told me he’s in love with you.”
I smiled back, relieved, and then it hit me: “You were testing me, weren’t you?”
She shrugged. “A little. I love my Dad, and I don’t want him hurt.”
“You’re a good daughter,” I told her. “But why didn’t you just ask me directly what you wanted to know?”
She sighed. “I thought being subtle was a better way to go, just in case.”
I nodded. “Fair enough.”
“Also, I didn’t get a chance to Google you this week.”
“I don’t think you would’ve found much,” I admitted.

“Miss Zanoff,” Roger said, “we’re here.”
I looked up at the house, or rather, what I could see of it beyond the gate.
Joni grabbed her purse. “Time to face Mom—if she’s here, that is,” she said. “Been nice talking to you, Viv. Take care.”
I hugged her, which seemed to surprise her. “Thanks, Joni,” I whispered into her ear. “I love him too.”
She smiled at me and got out of the car.

“Back to the fairgrounds, Miss?” Roger asked.
“Yes please,” I answered, settling back in the seat again. “And thanks.”
He smiled at me in the rear-view mirror, and we drove away.

What a night.