tiger_lily_5

Two Samurai, Chapter 16

Los Angeles, CA
April 1993


By spring, Whitney and Kevin's lives were a chaotic flurry. The Bodyguard had stayed in theatres for nearly three months, grossing extremely well, despite a few negative critical reviews. As usual, he had tried to keep her protected from any and all harsh words directed her way -- both about her acting skills and the fact that she'd started her relationship with Kevin while he was still married, and she in a relationship. He always spun these remarks positively, with a smile on his face and a kind word about her. His love for her was obvious to everyone, from their close friends and family, to their fans, to the public at large. And she was a beaming, radiant bride-to-be, appearing on all of the entertainment shows and music channels to discuss the movie, its smash soundtrack, and her upcoming nuptials.

They'd decided on a May wedding, now just under a month away. Everyone was going crazy with plans. They were to be married at a huge, beautiful old church just north of L.A., and over 400 invitations had gone out. Anna had taken care of most of the planning, in the same detail-oriented way that she'd had Whitney's wedding to Bobby planned. Whitney had caught wind here and there, on the gossip shows mostly, that she was the butt of a few jokes. People were wondering if this would become her second cancelled wedding in less than a year. She was in David Letterman's monologue at least once a week. Some of the braver cable comedians were even making racial remarks. And as hard as she tried not to have hurt feelings, she couldn't help but be a bit sensitive to it.

But the majority of the press they were getting was positive. Their families were calling often with congratulations, and fans of both of them were openly excited to see photos of Whitney's dress and hear about the celebrity-studded guest list. Every day was a new whirlwind, and Kevin seemed to be handing it with much more poise than his fiancée.

"You sent the DJ a check for the deposit, right?" she asked, a hint of tension in her voice.

"I told you I did, sweetheart. I sent it last week. Relax." Kevin tried to sound soothing, moving toward Whitney and rubbing her shoulders. She gently rolled her head from side to side, trying not to worry. "I know, but... it's just, the to-do list is a mile long."

"Anna's on it, Whit. You know how she is. You need to trust her."

"I know. It's just so nerve-racking. The whole thing. I just want to be your wife. This other stuff... it's madness. Especially with all of the press. I think this is about four times as much as I ever got... as I ever got before." Her words turned soft, as she was hesitant to bring up her ex-fiancé. Nothing good ever came of those conversations.

"Yeah, well, I suppose I could make a comment about my level of celebrity versus his... but I'll keep quiet. I've got more class than that." A smile spread across Kevin's face after he kissed her on the cheek. "Everything's going to be okay, beautiful. I promise you."

***************

Two nights later, Whitney awoke with a start from a bad dream, glancing at the digital clock on her nightstand. It was just before midnight, and she noticed that Kevin wasn't in bed. No, she thought. No no no no. She couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. Throwing on her blue robe, she ran quickly out of the bedroom into the dark living room. There were only so many places he could have been in the tiny studio apartment, and he definitely wasn't there.

With a pounding heart, she picked up their cordless phone, dialing his cell phone number. Hopefully he had the phone with him. She tried to think, tried to remember if he'd said something about a commitment tonight: a talk show interview, a visit with his parents, anything. She came up blank; he hadn't mentioned a thing. Her heart sunk further when she heard his phone ringing in the bedroom, its muffled ring emanating from his gym bag.

Whitney hung up the phone, running her hands slowly down her face. A couple of tears fell quickly, and she wiped them away. She knew it was likely nothing, but her heightened state of worry lately wasn't helping anything. What if he'd left her, getting cold feet about the wedding? Or worse, what if something had happened to him? She padded into the kitchen, starting up the coffeepot, knowing there was no way she could go back to sleep now.

About ten minutes later, the landline rang shrilly. She answered it on the first ring, trying to stifle her panic that it was going to be the police with bad news.

"Kevin?!" Forget 'hello.'

"Hey, gorgeous. You okay? You sound stressed." His smooth voice was as calm as ever.

A wave of welcome relief washed over her, and she took a big breath before replying, her head dizzy. "Where are you?"

"I'm... I had to take care of something. I'm sorry."

"In the middle of the night?" What could possibly have not waited until morning? And why didn't he tell her before he climbed out of bed and left the apartment? She felt anger and annoyance bubbling up, along with the nagging sense of worry that accompanied her more often than not these days.

"Yeah. It's not... it's not anything you need to worry about, sweetheart. I promise."

"God, Kev... is it one of your kids? Are they okay? Is it something with-- "

"Everyone is fine. I swear to you. I'll be home in a few hours. Are you able to go back to bed and get some more sleep? I really wish you would. I'll be there by the time you wake up."

Whitney was silent for a few seconds, pondering his words. If it wasn't a family issue or another emergency, then it had to be another woman. Why else would he be gone for several hours so late at night? The resentment that had become so familiar to her during her last relationship was threatening to rear up, but she knew she had to give him a chance to explain. Kevin wasn't like Bobby, or was he? Surely not. She pressed the phone harder to her ear, hearing his soft breaths on the other end of the line.

"Yeah. I'll lie back down." She sighed, thinking it was probably a lie. How could she possibly sleep now?

"Good. I'll see you soon, beautiful."

"Kevin?"

"Yes?" His voice was almost a whisper.

"I love you."

"I love you too, baby. More than you know."

Whitney poured herself a cup of coffee, mindlessly flipping on the tiny radio in the kitchen. Her own voice greeted her; her song "Run to You" was playing on the Top 40 station. She flipped it off immediately with a sigh. This relationship had to work out. It just had to. She loved him more than she even thought possible, and now with the movie and its songs, they were forever linked. To split up now, after all they'd been through, would be horrifically heartbreaking.

At some point in the next couple of hours, she dozed off on the sofa, her now-cold mug of coffee sitting abandoned on the table in front of her. She flipped over, facing the back of the couch, after hearing a key turning in the front door. She was in that state halfway between awake and asleep, and was unsure if she'd dreamed the doorknob noise or not.

Kevin slipped into their living room, turning the knob so that the door would close silently. He didn't want to wake his sleeping fiancé; she looked so peaceful sleeping there in her robe with a tattered quilt his grandmother had made draped over her legs. Stepping as quietly as possible over to her, he perched his weight on the coffee table, leaning in toward her. Her lashes fluttered as his breath danced across her ear.

"Whit?" he whispered softly, lying a hand on her upper arm. She was warm; much warmer than the chilly spring night.

"Mmm," she mumbled through her sleep, shifting her weight and squinting her eyes open. "Hey."

"Hi. I'm back."

"I'm glad." She yawned then, wriggling her head back into the dent it had made in the fat arm of the couch. "What time is it?"

"Just after six."

"So early." Her eyes were closed again.

"I know. Baby... I need you to get up and take a shower."

Whitney groaned softly. "I'm tired. Later."

Kevin took a gentle breath, obviously used to her morning moodiness by now. "Sweetie, this is important. I know you're tired. But please?"

A dog barked loudly outside, and she stirred again, pulling the quilt up around her waist but making no move to sit up. "Why?"

"I can't tell you. Just trust me." He brushed a curl off her forehead with the back of his hand.

She drew her eyebrows together, waking up a little more. "Fine. But I'm gonna need answers about last night. And about this."

"You'll get them. Just go shower. I love you."

Whitney wrapped the quilt around her shoulders, dragging part of it behind her as she headed for the bathroom. The shower was good for her; hot and refreshing on her tense muscles. She'd slept in a strange position on the couch, her knees bent just a little too much.

When she made it back into the living room dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, Kevin was drinking coffee and watching the local news. He turned to her immediately, smiling when he saw that she seemed a little more human now.

"I'm showered and dressed. Is there anything else?" There was just a tiny bit of sarcasm to her voice. He still owed her an explanation or five.

"Nope. Let's go." He flipped off the TV, standing up and grabbing his lightweight jacket off the arm of the couch.

"Kevin, honestly. It's not even seven o'clock in the morning, and neither of us are working today. Where could we possibly be going?"

**************

Whitney crossed her arms, leaning back into an unfamiliar chair. She had no idea where she was. A blindfold was tied tightly around her eyes, Kevin tugging at it every couple of minutes to make sure it was still in place. He'd blindfolded her after they'd gotten in his car, then he had driven about thirty minutes before letting her out and leading her up a small set of stairs. She'd wanted to stop, to recognize the sounds and beg him to let her see, but he had chattered nonstop since they'd left the house. Wherever they were going, he was not going to spill yet.

She heard a whirring sound, seeming to come from underneath her. "Can I take this thing off yet?"

"Not quite. Almost. Patience, my love." She felt his arm wrap around her shoulder as he spoke.

"Okay, he says we're ready to go." A hushed male voice; a familiar one.

"Simon?" Whitney asked.

"Shhh! siht, man," Kevin said with a sigh, but she could hear a smile in his voice. "Alright, fine. We've kept her waiting long enough, I guess."

She felt his warm hands on both of her temples, gently sliding the blindfold up off of her eyes. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the dim lighting in the small room; the cabin of a private plane. She wrinkled her nose in confusion, glancing around and seeing Kevin, Simon, Anna, her mother Cissy, and a couple of other people she didn't recognize.

"What... what is all of this? Mom?" Her mother's arms were around her immediately, wrapping her in warmth. "What's going on?"

"Hey, baby. Well... I think I should let Kevin tell you that himself." Cissy's voice was calming.

"Is someone going to tell me something?" Her voice broke on the last word. She wasn't upset, exactly, just confused. There was a loud whine as the plane started to taxi, and soon they were airborne, just as the sun was beginning to rise.

"Soon enough, Whit. It's only about a forty minute flight." Kevin pulled her hand up onto the shared armrest between their seats, lacing his fingers tightly through hers.

The group made easy conversation, with Whitney deciding to stop asking questions for the moment. He had to tell her something when they landed; there would be no more putting it off then. He introduced her to his parents, the only people in the group she hadn't known prior to today. They were warm and welcoming, offering their congratulations on the engagement. She liked them immediately, and Cissy seemed to be getting along with them well too.

Kevin held her hand for the whole flight, letting it go only when he felt the plane begin to descend. There was a bit of light turbulence as the pilot slowly sat the plane down. Whitney pressed her face against the tiny window, noting that they were at a small airport; obviously a hobby one, not a commercial hub.

A male voice came over the PA, with just a slight bit of static. "Good morning everyone, welcome to Vegas. Local time is 8:15 am, with a temperature of 64 degrees. We hope you enjoyed your flight... and my heartfelt congratulations to the bride and groom."

"Vegas?" Whitney shrieked. "Are... are we...?"

Kevin only smiled in response. Everyone else was quiet, watching Whitney's reaction.

"But Kev, we've got the church booked and everyone is-- "

"Relax. I know. And we're still going to do all of that. But truly, that's for the public... this is for us. You've been so worried and stressed out, and I just thought that if we eloped, it could be our little secret, and you wouldn't have to worry about anything going wrong next month. We don't have to tell a soul. The only people who know are those on this plane right now. No press, no public, no fans, no drama today. Just you becoming my wife."

Whitney rubbed her lips together, glancing up at her mother, who had a beaming smile on her face. "You found a good one, sweetie," Cissy said softly, gesturing at Kevin. "I'm so happy for you."