When I Look to the Sky Read online

  The next day, Angel and Carlee went to a salon early in the day for pampering. When they returned to the hotel, Andy was waiting, dressed for the evening in his tuxedo. There was a platter of fruit and cheese waiting.

  “Look how beautiful the two of you are! We’ll have a snack now, and dinner after the awards,” he told them.

  After they ate, Angel took Carlee to dress for the evening. Carlee’s dress was yellow, her favorite color, and the salon styled her red hair in a high-ponytail with loose curls. She looked in the mirror and giggled. “Who is that?” she laughed.

  “It’s you! You look beautiful! Just wait ‘til your Papa gets a look at you!” Angel said as she reached for the door. They stepped out in the living room area where Andy waited.

  Lord, don’t let me cry, he thought when he got a look at Carlee. He swore he saw a halo atop her head and took a deep breath. She wore a pearl necklace he’d given her for her fourth birthday. He remembered, and smiled.

  “Wow, you two look like super-models,” he said with a big grin. He reached for Carlee’s hand, “I have a gift for you,” he told her.

  “It’s not my birthday or nuthin’…” she replied with a question in her voice.

  “Anything,” Angel corrected her, trying to hide a grin. That sweet-southern-twang… she thought.

  “No, but this is a special occasion. Come here a sec,” he told her as he walked to a mirror in the hallway. He reached in his pocket and put a box on the table. “We’re going to take this off, it looks very pretty, but I think you will like this.” He put the pearl necklace on the table and removed something from the box. He reached around her and put another necklace around her neck and lifted her in his arms to see in the mirror.

  The chain was her birthstone, small aquamarine beads, alternating with tiny colored freshwater pearls. Hanging from the chain was a butterfly made with the same stones.

  “Papa,” Carlee said, touching the stones, “it’s so pretty.”

  “I’m glad you like it. Kimmy said it would be perfect with your dress when I showed it to her.” She wrapped her arms around his neck, giving him a big hug. He kissed her cheek and put her down. Angel smoothed her dress, and he took Carlee’s hand and said, “Shall we go, ladies?”

  When they arrived, the Staples Center was a busy, bustling place. “The limo will drop us closer to the entrance,” Andy said as he saw the line of black cars about half a block long.

  Finally, an attendant opened the door. Andy stepped out and took Angel’s hand first, to help her, and then he took Carlee’s. “Papa, I’m so excited,” she said.

  “Me too, come on,” he grinned as he continued to hold her hand.

  As they made their way, Angel was a step behind in her glory, capturing everything going on around them, to keep the memory. She watched as people from the music industry walked the red carpet, and flashes of light came from every direction as photographers tried to get the best shot. Finally, a reporter that Carlee recognized from an entertainment news show on TV approached. Andy squeezed Carlee’s hand as Shar Manes, the reporter, asked; “Mr. Stevens, who’s your beautiful date this evening?”

  “This is my daughter, Carlee,” he replied.

  “Carlee, are you having a good time?” she asked.

  “Yes, ma’am!” she replied excitedly.

  Angel took Carlee’s hand as the reporter spoke with Andy about the GRAMMY nominated song, and asked if he had anything new coming out soon.

  “There are still a few songs from this album that I’ll release as singles. For now, I’m taking the summer off to spend time with Carlee.”

  “Are you pleased with the sales of the book, Rock and Roll Never Forgets?” Shar asked. “Almost a year on the best-seller list,” she added.

  “I believe that we are all surprised, but yes, pleased,” he replied.

  “Any plans for a movie, we hear that you’ve been approached about it.”

  “No,” he said, and added no more.

  “Well, good luck this evening,” she said. “Miss Carlee, enjoy the evening.”

  “Thank you,” she said sweetly as Andy took her hand in his.

  As they approached their seats, Carlee heard a familiar voice. “Roddy!” she said excitedly as he lifted her off the floor, into his arms. His partner Vince was right there with a big smile waiting his turn, followed by Andy’s sound engineer, Marco D’Mario. The three men passed Carlee among them.

  “Stop,” Angel scolded, “You are gonna wrinkle her…”

  But Carlee interrupted with a giggle and said, “I don’t care!” Their good friends were there to support him, and Andy was glad. Carlee was over-the-moon…

  Andy got Angel and Carlee settled and stood talking with Roddy and Vince when he spotted Dave Marsh, a promoter that he’d worked with in the past. Roddy and Andy walked to greet him.

  “Dave, good to see you,” Andy said.

  “You too. I was just thinking about you; I actually have a note on my desk to call you. I have a new talent that I’d like you to meet. She’s working on her second album. Her style is different, and I thought you might be interested in producing, or at least hearing her and giving some input. She’ll be here in a few minutes, my date for the evening,” he added.

  Andy looked up and saw a blonde approaching.

  “There she is now,” Dave said.

  Roddy saw her, but it wasn’t her looks that he was noticing, it was the way her eyes zeroed in on Andy, like a hunter with a prize catch locked in her sights. He looked at Andy and saw the ‘I’m not fazed’ look on his face.

  “Adaleigh Pensant, Andy Stevens, and this is Roddy Beamer. Andy is the producer I told you about,” Dave said.

  “Ms. Pensant,” Andy nodded and reached to shake her hand, but Adaleigh had something else in mind, and leaned in to hug him.

  “Well, Andy Stevens, it’s nice to meet you,” she purred and Roddy flinched. She reached in her bag and handed Andy a card. “My contact info,” she continued.

  “Adaleigh, it’s nice to meet you.” He talked to her a moment and finally said, “I’ll have Marco call you to get a tape so I can have a listen.”

  Andy turned to where Carlee sat, “Dave, you need to come meet my date,” Andy said, looking away from Adaleigh, there was something about her that made him uncomfortable, something he wasn’t sure he liked.

  “Carlee, this is Mr. Marsh,” he said. “Dave, this is my daughter, Carlee.”

  Andy looked up and saw Adaleigh making her way toward them.

  “Well, who is the pretty thing?” she asked in a sugar-drippy voice when she joined them.

  “Andy’s daughter, Carlee,” Dave replied.

  “Daughter? Oh, you mean step-daughter,” she said, and Andy shot her a look that let her know he wasn’t happy with her comment.

  “Daughter,” he said sharply.

  Dave took Adaleigh’s hand and pulled her toward their seats. “Carlee, it’s a pleasure to meet you. Good to see you, Andy.”

  “I’ll look forward to hearing from you,” Adaleigh called back over her shoulder.

  Andy turned away and sat down beside Carlee. Roddy and Angel were both watching him, saw the set jaw, and knew he was not happy with the exchange.

  He slipped an arm around Carlee as the lights flickered to give the sign that the show was about to begin.

  “Papa?” she whispered.

  “Yeah, baby?”

  “What’s a step-daughter?”

  Angel held her breath waiting to see how he would answer her question.

  “It’s when you have another father, the one you were born with, and me,” he replied and hoped it was enough.

  Carlee pondered his words a moment and finally said, “I can just have two fathers, right? Because I don’t think I like ‘step’.”

  “Me neither,” he whispered and squeezed her as the music began.

  Dave Marsh let Adaleigh slip into her seat and took the seat beside her. “What the hell were you thinking just now? First you come on
to him, and then you say something rude about his daughter. I saw the look on Andy’s face and I know him well enough to know that he was not happy or impressed with you.”

  “I didn’t do anything wrong,” she snapped back.

  “Well you sure didn’t do anything right. He could take you where you want in this business. He’s the best I know, been producing his own work for years and has the accolades to go with it. Don’t screw this up, Adaleigh.”

  Maybe work’s not all that I’m interested in… she thought and looked at Dave but said nothing.

  “And remember, his wife only died a year and a half ago, so pull the fangs back in.”

  Wife… she thought and settled back into her seat.

  ~ ~ ~

  An hour and a half into the show, Carlee was happy to hear Train sing. Once they finished, Andy excused himself to go prepare for his performance.

  Two musicians joined Andy on stage, one with a guitar, the other a cello. Andy sat down at a piano to thunderous applause. The musicians began the lead in, and Andy followed on piano and finally the words came like a soft whisper over the auditorium.

  A piece of me

  A part of me

  My heart a part of yours

  The dreams we coulda shared

  It’s all a dream away

  Carlee sang along to the song she knew by heart. She knew it was her mama he was singing about. Roddy had moved into Andy’s seat when he left for the stage and held Carlee’s hand in his lap. As he did, he remembered not so long ago, waiting with Beth, holding her hand as they announced the winner for Andy’s last GRAMMY.

  A break to clear the stage, and Andy returned to his seat a few minutes later. Another performance was taking place on another stage and as he sat down Carlee hugged him and whispered in his ear, “Papa, I love you. Thank you for bringing me here.”

  “My sweet, sweet girl, I couldn’t have come without you,” and as he said the words, he could remember every hug they had ever shared, and every time those sweet, chubby, little-girl fingers brought his face to hers for a good-night kiss, and he felt tears sting his eyes.

  When he let her go, they were announcing that it was time to read the nominations for Song of the Year. He took Carlee’s hand and held it in his lap. The trio of female pop singers, Wild Child, appeared on stage to recap the nominees. Finally, the lead singer, Tyra Mitner, held the envelope to her head like Johnny Carson did as ‘Carnac.’

  “I’m feelin’ it,” she shouted and then ripped the envelope open. “YES! Andy Stevens, “A Dream Away!” she yelled.

  Andy rose from his seat, along with Roddy who hugged him and he leaned to kiss Carlee’s cheek before he left for the stage.

  He ascended the stairs to roars of applause. He hugged the girls of Wild Child as Miss GRAMMY handed him the award. He took a minute as he looked out, remembering, as he did he saw Beth both times she attended with him and that familiar lump rose in his throat. He let the applause subside and leaned closer to the microphone to speak.

  “Thank you,” he said and paused, as once again, the applause was thunderous.

  “Thank you to the radio stations who play the music, and to the fans who listen. This would not be a reality without you. It’s important to me to thank my Bethy for giving me those words in her last moments. I’m happy to share this moment with all of you, but, I’m happier to share it with my beautiful daughter, Carlee. Thank you,” he said again.

  He was gone a few minutes longer and Roddy explained that he was getting some press out-of-the-way so that he could enjoy the rest of the evening.

  Soon after the award ceremonies were over, Andy could see Carlee’s eyes inching closer to sleep. They were getting ready to leave and he picked her up. “Wake up ‘sleepy beauty’; we have a party to go to before we head back to the hotel.” She nodded and snuggled closer as Angel reached for her.

  “I got this, we’ll let her snooze a few minutes,” he smiled. “We can wake her when we get there.” Marco, Roddy, and Vince joined them in the limo, and they arrived at the Roosevelt Hotel for the TMG GRAMMY party half an hour later.

  “Carlee, we’re here,” he said, nuzzling her cheek. “Wake up.”

  She stirred, on Andy’s lap, her head still on his shoulder. She wiped her eyes and asked, “Where are we?”

  “The party, we’re gonna go meet some people and have some dinner. And later we’ll go and get you to bed. Come on, wake up, you can’t miss this,” he chuckled.

  They stepped out of the limo, Carlee still in his arms, and the entourage headed into the party, flashes of light all around them. “Let’s do this,” Andy said.

  Roddy, knowing his friend very well added, “And get it over with!”

  “My thoughts exactly!” Andy laughed.

  When they entered, TV talk show host Larson Day greeted them. “Andy Stevens, I believe you have the prettiest date of the evening,” he said.

  “I think so too,” Andy laughed lightly. “You remember Roddy Beamer, and this is Vince Knight, Angel Mann, my friend Marco D’Mario, and my daughter Carlee.

  “Glad to see you here, I know you avoid these soirees,” Larson chuckle.

  Like the plague. “I try, but my date this evening will enjoy this,” Andy smiled, and put Carlee down as Angel led her to the ladies’ room. He looked up and saw Dave Marsh and Adaleigh enter.

  Roddy saw the look on his face as Andy looked over to him. “Not looking forward to that,” he mouthed and rolled his eyes.

  “Well, this is nice,” Adaleigh said touching Andy’s arm. “May we join you?”

  “We’re sitting with Dan Leonard from Sony, his wife, and Cleve Davids, I think our table is full,” Roddy replied, quickly and Andy stifled a chuckle.

  “Roddy, let’s see,” he understood what Roddy was doing, but he also didn’t want to seem rude. “Carlee’s tired, so we won’t be staying that long anyway.”

  They made room at the table and Adaleigh quickly moved to the seat to Andy’s left. Marco was already in the one to the right.

  “I’m sorry Ms. Pensant, that seat’s taken,” he said and nodded to Carlee as she and Angel returned.

  “She gets you all the time,” she pouted.

  “She’s my date and a gentleman doesn’t ignore his date. You have one, as well,” he said and she moved, dramatically, to the next seat over.

  They dined on food prepared by world-renowned chef, Mario Rago. Carlee was having fun, observing all that was going on around her. She looked on in awe as Stan the DJ-Man, a well-known disc jockey at Hollywood parties, played music and people danced.

  “Papa,” she whispered, “is that Ricky Sams from Side Street? Oh, and the girl from American Idol!”

  “Shelly Clark,” Andy said as the music changed. “Come on, this is our song!”

  He took Carlee’s hand and led her to the floor as Van Morrison’s version of “Brown Eyed Girl” blared through the room. Carlee giggled as Andy spun her around the floor. Vince and Angel joined them.

  When the song was over, the room filled with the Black Eyed Peas, “Let’s Get it Started”, and Marco was there grabbing Carlee’s hand. Andy was free and Adaleigh saw her chance to move in.

  “A dance?” she asked.

  “Sure,” Andy replied, but made sure his dance moves kept him away from her, not wanting to get close. She grabbed his arm and pulled him closer, so he started to talk about her music.

  “What’s the style of music do you want to record?” he asked.

  She used the loudness of the music to tug him just a little closer, “Can’t hear you,” she said.

  “Music,” he said, “what’s the style, the sound, you want to deliver?”

  “Let’s meet sometime tomorrow to talk about that,” she suggested.

  “Can’t do that; this is Carlee’s trip too. I’m not taking time away from her for business.”

  “What about pleasure?” she purred.

  “Nope, I’ll be getting my pleasure from the sweet little girl,” he said looking
past Adaleigh watching Carlee. She loved Marco. He’d been working with Andy since the early days in Corpus Christie. He was a big Italian guy, always fun, and according to Carlee, ‘the best hugger.’ He was showing her a fun time, and Andy smiled watching them.

  “Well then, when will we meet to talk?” Adaleigh asked.

  “If you can’t give me something to ponder now, then it will be a couple weeks before I’m available.”

  “It’s a folksy-bohemian sound,” she replied with a huff.

  “Well, get that tape to Marco, and I’ll be in touch,” he said. The music ended and Carlee and Marco were approaching. “Enjoy the evening Ms. Pensant.”

  “That’s it?”

  “For this evening, yes, I’ll talk with you after I have the tape to have a listen.”

  She stomped off and Marco laughed. “She, uh…”

  But Andy looked at Carlee and held up a finger. “Not now.”

  “Papa, how much longer are we staying?” Carlee asked in a sleepy voice.

  “Until you tell me you’re ready to go.”

  He looked at her tired eyes as she replied. “I think I’m ready.” Andy looked at his watch. It was after eleven - after two, east coast time.

  “Friends,” Andy said, when they returned to the table, “Cinderelly here is ready to leave the ball.”

  “Cinderelly,” Carlee giggled as he lifted her off the floor.

  “We’ll be saying our good-nights now. Enjoy the rest of your evening.”

  Back at the hotel, Angel got Carlee ready for bed. She knew she’d want Andy to tuck her in, so she sat on the sofa to wait. Carlee crawled on Andy’s lap and he hummed to her. He loved this time with her. A few minutes passed, and he noticed that she was asleep. “Thanks Angel,” he said as he rose from the chair with Carlee in his arms.

  He placed her in the bed, and pulled the covers up and sat beside her. She stirred and he leaned to kiss her forehead. “Good night, Papa, love you,” she whispered.

  “Sleep sweet. I love you too.”