trying with my second
marriage."
"I’m surprised you got married
again,” she commented turning back on the recorder.
"Why? Because I made a mess of the
first? I actually believe in marriage. My parents have been happily married for
thirty-five years and my sisters seem to have great marriages. I wanted to have
that too. I still want to someday."
Shari felt a pang. She had wanted that
too, but it didn't happen that way. At least she hadn't gotten as far as
getting married. She was now grateful that Rob had walked out before it had gotten
to that point.
"So, what happened the second time
around?" she asked, coming back to the present.
"I married someone totally
different from my first wife. She was in the business as well – a singer who
was trying to get signed to a major label. We had a lot in common so I figured
we'd do well together. I was faithful to her for the year we were married. More
often than not she was on the road with me, but then I had a concert in London
and she had the opportunity to record an album with a fairly decent label that I’d
hooked her up with, so she didn't come."
"So you slept with someone else
again?"
"That's the hell of it. I didn't,
but the press published a photo of me and the singer who opened for me with our
hands around each other as we walked out of a club. We were just high on the
success of the concert and other stuff, but that was it."
"Your wife saw it?" He nodded.
"And she didn't believe it was innocent?"
"No."
"She didn't give you the benefit of
the doubt?"
"As much as it crushes my ego to
admit it, I think she just wanted out of the marriage and used it as an excuse.
I discovered later that she’d been sleeping with a good friend of mine when I
was on tour. Or someone who I thought was a good friend. I’d helped to get her
signed to a label so I had served my purpose." Cynicism coated his words
but Shari could hear the pain and betrayal underneath it.
"Ouch! That’s brutal."
"You probably think I deserved
it."
"No-one deserves to be betrayed
like that," she empathized. "I know that break-ups are never easy,
especially marriages, so I don’t wish that on anyone."
"You ever been married?"
"No. I came close, but it didn’t
happen. Thank God." She didn't know why she told him that. “Your life
hasn’t been as wonderful as it looks,” she acknowledged.
“You got that right.”
She was surprised that he’d revealed so much to her, probably
more than he’d intended, so she wasn’t surprised when he said: “Anyway I've talked more than enough for the day. Have to save
my voice for the concert."
How was she to argue with that? He’d
trusted her with intimate details of his life that she would treat with the
utmost of discretion. She’d discovered another side of Nick Badley. One that
had experienced loss, hurt and betrayal. One that was very human.
"OK,” she said, turning off the
recorder. “Thank you for sharing your stories with me. Contrary to your opinion
about reporters, I will keep what you said in strict confidence. It won’t
appear in the documentary.”
“I guess I must instinctively trust you
at some level to have shared that.” Shari smiled briefly in thanks.
“I was thinking to talk to Tim Benton
next and get him out of the way first. I have to admit that he makes me a bit
uncomfortable. He seems a bit intense."
"Tim has some anger issues, but I
think he’s pretty harmless.”
“What’s he angry about?”
“I really don’t know. He has his own
demons to deal with.”
“And you have yours.”
He laughed mirthlessly. “Mine probably
make his seem like lightweights.”
“Don’t worry; my mother has added you to
her prayer list. I mentioned you to her since she likes to know what I’m
working on. I hope you don’t mind.” He shook his head.
“She doesn’t even know me and she’s
praying for me? Thank her next time you speak. But warn her that my demons can
only come out by prayer and fasting.”
“What do you
marriage."
"I’m surprised you got married
again,” she commented turning back on the recorder.
"Why? Because I made a mess of the
first? I actually believe in marriage. My parents have been happily married for
thirty-five years and my sisters seem to have great marriages. I wanted to have
that too. I still want to someday."
Shari felt a pang. She had wanted that
too, but it didn't happen that way. At least she hadn't gotten as far as
getting married. She was now grateful that Rob had walked out before it had gotten
to that point.
"So, what happened the second time
around?" she asked, coming back to the present.
"I married someone totally
different from my first wife. She was in the business as well – a singer who
was trying to get signed to a major label. We had a lot in common so I figured
we'd do well together. I was faithful to her for the year we were married. More
often than not she was on the road with me, but then I had a concert in London
and she had the opportunity to record an album with a fairly decent label that I’d
hooked her up with, so she didn't come."
"So you slept with someone else
again?"
"That's the hell of it. I didn't,
but the press published a photo of me and the singer who opened for me with our
hands around each other as we walked out of a club. We were just high on the
success of the concert and other stuff, but that was it."
"Your wife saw it?" He nodded.
"And she didn't believe it was innocent?"
"No."
"She didn't give you the benefit of
the doubt?"
"As much as it crushes my ego to
admit it, I think she just wanted out of the marriage and used it as an excuse.
I discovered later that she’d been sleeping with a good friend of mine when I
was on tour. Or someone who I thought was a good friend. I’d helped to get her
signed to a label so I had served my purpose." Cynicism coated his words
but Shari could hear the pain and betrayal underneath it.
"Ouch! That’s brutal."
"You probably think I deserved
it."
"No-one deserves to be betrayed
like that," she empathized. "I know that break-ups are never easy,
especially marriages, so I don’t wish that on anyone."
"You ever been married?"
"No. I came close, but it didn’t
happen. Thank God." She didn't know why she told him that. “Your life
hasn’t been as wonderful as it looks,” she acknowledged.
“You got that right.”
She was surprised that he’d revealed so much to her, probably
more than he’d intended, so she wasn’t surprised when he said: “Anyway I've talked more than enough for the day. Have to save
my voice for the concert."
How was she to argue with that? He’d
trusted her with intimate details of his life that she would treat with the
utmost of discretion. She’d discovered another side of Nick Badley. One that
had experienced loss, hurt and betrayal. One that was very human.
"OK,” she said, turning off the
recorder. “Thank you for sharing your stories with me. Contrary to your opinion
about reporters, I will keep what you said in strict confidence. It won’t
appear in the documentary.”
“I guess I must instinctively trust you
at some level to have shared that.” Shari smiled briefly in thanks.
“I was thinking to talk to Tim Benton
next and get him out of the way first. I have to admit that he makes me a bit
uncomfortable. He seems a bit intense."
"Tim has some anger issues, but I
think he’s pretty harmless.”
“What’s he angry about?”
“I really don’t know. He has his own
demons to deal with.”
“And you have yours.”
He laughed mirthlessly. “Mine probably
make his seem like lightweights.”
“Don’t worry; my mother has added you to
her prayer list. I mentioned you to her since she likes to know what I’m
working on. I hope you don’t mind.” He shook his head.
“She doesn’t even know me and she’s
praying for me? Thank her next time you speak. But warn her that my demons can
only come out by prayer and fasting.”
“What do you
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