The Fallen Starlet

by Eve Corso

  In that moment, Jack’s heart broke for his mom, for everything she had gone through. He stood up and went to kneel beside her. “Mom, it’s okay now. I turned out okay and we found each other now.” He put his arms around her and was gentle as he hugged her. She didn’t return the hug. Jack assumed she just needed time to process everything.

  He sat back down across from her and noticed her quickly wipe a tear from her eye. That was enough for today, Jack thought. He didn’t want to overwhelm her. Instead, he decided to change the subject.

  “We don’t have to talk about it anymore. Why don’t you finish up your sandwich?”

  “It was good to talk about it. It’s another weight off this chest of mine.”

  “Good, I’m glad. Let’s just sit here together?” he suggested softly. He sat back down across from her, making sure she ate a little more. She was thin, but she appeared healthy.

  “You added a lot of mayo to this tuna,” she said when she was done.

  “Okay, I’ll add less next time.”

  “Don’t you dare. I liked it just fine.”

  Jack smiled. “I added lemon and a little bit of garlic, too. I’m glad you liked it.” Jack set his phone down and helped with the dishes.

  “My show is going to start any second. Come and find me in the living room if you find yourself needing anything.” Vivianne gave him a tight squeeze on the arm as a way of saying thank you as he washed the dishes. They had gone a long way together. Now, Jack only wished he knew what was best for his mom. It was still too soon to tell. He knew he needed more time.

  Jack went back to his phone to place an online order when he saw a text from Molly that he had missed. She had planned on being there by dinnertime and was going to stay for a few days. Jack smiled to himself, unable to believe his luck. Molly was driving to Alabama.

  Jack checked the fridge, making sure his mom had enough food for later that night. He felt guilty about skipping out on dinner with his mom for Molly, but wasn’t sure tonight was the best night to introduce them, and he had promised Molly that he was going to take her out to dinner. He’d have to feel it out. He decided to make a trip to pick up a couple of groceries for his motel. He wanted to be ready when Molly got there later.

  Jack stuck his head in the living room, where his mom was sitting on the sofa with a pillow in her lap as she watched the old TV set.

  “Going out to get some groceries. Need anything?”

  “Not a thing. Make sure you take an umbrella or a baseball cap to keep the sun away.”

  Jack laughed. “It’s a short walk. I’ll be right back.”

  While he was gone, he picked up a couple of bottles of red wine and some cheese and crackers just in case.

  Later, after watching hours of household maintenance videos on his phone and making a list of what he needed to buy from the hardware store, he checked in with his mom. He wanted to make sure she was okay for a night alone.

  “You go. Do not worry about me one bit, you hear?”

  Jack nodded. “Okay, but you have my number if you need anything.”

  “And I don’t plan on using it. Now get your butt out of here and go take a shower. You have a lady to impress.”

  “Well, don’t hesitate if you need me. Molly and I will be by tomorrow morning, early most likely, but don’t worry, we won’t wake you. I imagine she’ll just want to take a look at the yard.”

  “Stop being over-bearing. Go knock yourself out,” she said with a smile.

  Jack smiled, too. He had been called over-bearing by his own daughter more than a few times. It meant that he cared, and his mom could see it as well.

  Chapter Nine

  Molly pulled into the motel with a rental car and was all smiles as she put the car in park. She had made it to Alabama in record time. She flipped the sun visor down, hoping it had a mirror so she could check her make-up. She was wearing a little more than Jack was used to seeing. The only make-up she wore to work was a sunscreen foundation that covered most of her freckles. She was self-conscious about her freckles and had hated them most of her life. But they were all over her body, and at some point in her life she realized she’d have to accept them. That night was not one of those times, she thought as she applied some lip gloss. Happy with the result, she smiled and texted Jack to let him know she had arrived.

  She straightened down her white blouse, grabbed her suitcase out of the rental car, and couldn’t hide her grin as Jack came out of his motel room.

  They hugged quickly as Jack grabbed her suitcase.

  “I can’t believe you’re here,” Jack said, laughing and taking her in. She was dressed in jeans and a nice little white blouse. It was a big change from what he was used to seeing her in when she had worked in the yard, and she looked great.

  “Me, either. But I’m so glad I am. You don’t know the hell I escaped.”

  “You might change your mind when you spend some time in this town. It’s a little on the small side.”

  “That’s okay. It’s good to have some new adventures. I mean, we live in one of the biggest cities in the world. The change is nice.”

  Jack walked with her to the lobby of the motel. The clerk set her up and as luck would have it, Molly’s room was located right next to Jack’s.

  Molly entered the room and turned on the lights as Jack set down the luggage. Molly checked out the bathroom. “Cozy little place,” she said.

  “Yeah, and the air conditioning works great,” Jack said.

  Molly turned to Jack and laughed. “So, what now?”

  Jack raised an eyebrow. “Are you hungry?”

  Molly put a hand on her stomach. “I was hoping you’d say food. I’m famished.”

  “There’s a really great place in walking distance, but I don’t know how you feel about not eating healthy for a few days.”

  “Oh, bring it.” Molly laughed again. “Besides, I’m too hungry to say no.”

  As they walked, Jack described the small town. “This place is so bizarre and my mom’s certainly no exception.”

  “What do you mean?” Molly asked, giving him an unsure laugh.

  Jack shrugged. “I don’t know. It’s like this place is from the Twilight Zone or something. The people I’ve seen have all been a little off. Even Willadeen is a little over the top. She’s sweet, but maybe I’m just not used to the South.”

  Molly smiled. “Willadeen? Even the names here are awesome.”

  “She owns the place we’re going to.”

  When they arrived at the restaurant, there was no sign of Willadeen. Instead, a young busty woman showing a little more cleavage than Jack was used to seeing at a family restaurant waited on them.

  “Hi,” she said sweetly. “My name is Roxy Jean and I’ll be taking your order.”

  “Willadeen finally has a day off?” Jack asked.

  “Mama is usually off Thursdays. You must be our new visitor who loves our food so much,” she replied, giving Jack a flirtatious smile as she lingered at the table a little too closely.

  Molly cleared her throat. “I have a question about the country fried steak. Would I be able to substitute the grits for the mashed potatoes?”

  Roxy Jean turned her attention to Molly. “You can do whatever you’d like, sweet thing. Are y’all ready to order?”

  Jack looked at Molly and she nodded. After she ordered, Jack ordered the same fried chicken he had from before and they both ordered an iced tea.

  Molly looked around. “This place smells delicious. I’m so hungry,” she said.

  “Well, we’ve come to the right place.”

  “So, tell me. How are things going with you, Jack?” Molly asked. “You said you were here visiting your biological mother?”

  “Yeah. I just met her for the first time a few days ago. I showed up at her doorstep, just like they do in the movies.”

  “My God, what was that like?”

  Jack shrugged. “As about as normal as one could expect, I guess. Now, I have to warn you. She’s a
bit of a recluse. She doesn’t go out I don’t think at all. She’s a shut-in, and she’s like one of those divas, you know? She gets all dressed up like she’s going to some Oscar party or something.”

  Molly’s eyes grew big. “Wow, that’s so fascinating.”

  “I don’t even know if she’ll be up for meeting you. To be honest, I never know what to expect. When she first met me, she let me in because she thought I was some movie exec from Hollywood to talk to her about show business.”

  “So, she’s an actress?”

  “Yeah, she used to be.” Jack took out his phone and showed her the commercial he had now watched over ten times himself. He memorized the second she appeared on the screen.

  Jack played the video. Molly’s hand went to her mouth. Jack’s eyes went from the screen, to Molly, then back to the screen again. After the commercial played, Jack put the phone back in his pocket.

  “Jack, she was a knock-out.” She turned to look at him, taking in his face and his features. “And you look exactly like her.”

  Jack nodded. “Yeah, the similarities are there, for sure. I wasn’t expecting that. I mean, I was expecting to see some, but yeah, it’s a little unreal.”

  Molly leaned back into her seat, still taking all of Jack in. Jack noticed and smiled. “What?” he asked with a nervous laugh.

  “You must have been so popular when you were younger with those good looks. In fact, what am I talking about? You’re popular now. I saw how that young woman was looking at you.”

  Jack laughed, embarrassed. “Oh, come on. I bet that’s just her personality.”

  Molly narrowed her eyes and looked at him, his soft brown hair making him look a little boyish. “You are popular with the ladies. I knew it!” she exclaimed, laughing. She shook her head. “You could pass for Rob Lowe’s younger brother, you know that? What did I get myself into?”

  Jack smiled as he picked up on Molly’s flirting. She was almost turning red, even. His neighbor Lilly must have been right. Molly might really like him. Jack’s face grew serious. “I don’t know if I’m popular with woman. I’m not good with that kind of thing.”

  “What? How could you not be?”

  Jack shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess I haven’t really been looking for a while. I’ve been so busy with balancing my work and my daughter. I wanted to make sure I didn’t screw it up for her any more than the divorce did.”

  “You said you hadn’t really been looking? What about now?”

  “Now,” he hesitated, looked at her, and smiled, “Now, I’m looking at you.”

  Molly nodded. “Good answer,” she said, smiling as she took a drink from her iced tea.

  Moments later, the food was served. Jack watched as Molly took her first bite of the mashed potatoes. She closed her eyes and moaned. Then she cut off a piece of the steak and shook her head as she looked down at her plate. “Absolutely incredible.” She cringed and then looked up at Jack. “Are you going to judge me if I eat everything on this plate?”

  Jack laughed. “No, in fact, you’ll get bonus points.”

  “Deal! I need all the points I can get if I’m in competition with that one,” she said, pointing to Roxy Jean, who was currently texting on her phone in between customers.

  After dinner, they walked back to their motel. Jack mentioned the dark clouds in the sky. “Looks like it might start to rain.”

  Molly agreed. “It came out of nowhere, didn’t it?”

  They both walked a little faster and Molly explained why it was so easy for her to leave Florida that day.

  “I know I could have gone back home to Los Angeles, but my company doesn’t work on the weekends and my parents know that.”

  “Why not be honest with them?”

  Molly laughed. “Well, I was able to get some things off my chest, but it didn’t really help. I still would have had to stay in Florida for the extra three days. Look, don’t get me wrong, I love my family. I do. I’m grateful for them; I love being around them. But two weeks was just too long. I think once I finally meet someone worth meeting, I think they’ll calm a little bit.”

  Jack raised an eyebrow at her. “You think so?”

  Molly smiled at him. “I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.” It was at that moment Molly felt a raindrop land on her hand. She looked up. “It’s starting.”

  Without thinking, Jack took her hand as it suddenly started to rain harder. They quickly made their way back to the motel. Molly stopped underneath the awning once they arrived, turning to Jack.

  “I have a bottle of wine in my room. Should I bring it over?”

  Molly grinned and nodded. She walked back into her room and waited for Jack, who arrived moments later with two glasses and a wine bottle.

  “Wow, you’re smooth,” Molly stated.

  Jack was embarrassed and it showed. He laughed. “I just happen to like wine, and I borrowed these two wine glasses from my mom. I don’t know how smooth that is.”

  “Oh, trust me, it’s smooth and very thoughtful of you.”

  “I have cheese and crackers back in my room, but I figured we were both stuffed tonight,” he said as he poured.

  “You figured right. That food was incredible. I couldn’t stay here the whole month. I’d be three sizes bigger by the time I leave.”

  Jack handed her a glass of wine. “I plan on working it off at my mom’s place, so it’s a nice balance.”

  “Do you miss Los Angeles yet?” she asked. “Being home, the routine?”

  Jack shrugged. “Not yet. My home has been so empty since my daughter left. It was good to get away when I did. Now, I imagine I’ll pick up some new skills and do my own yard work from time to time. Going back will be completely different, I guess. But yeah, I guess I’m looking forward to it.”

  Molly took a sip of her wine, deciding to be honest for a moment. “I hope I get to see you back Los Angeles. I mean, you’re not going to vanish are you, after a few good times?”

  Jack was surprised by her question. He set his glass down on the night table and sat across from her on the bed.

  “What? No. I’d like to see you, too.” He settled in and took a sip of his wine, cradling the glass in his hand, the same way Molly was. “Tell you what. Let’s each think of three things that we want to do with one another. When I get back to Los Angeles, we’ll do them.”

  Molly laughed. “You mean, like three dates?”

  “Yeah, what have you got?”

  “Um, okay.” She shrugged. “Let’s see a movie together. Something popular, and then go to a late dinner afterwards and talk about the movie.”

  “Okay, I’d like that.”

  “Your turn. What have you got?” she asked.

  Jack’s eyes lit up. “Sunday paper at home. I could read it on the couch while you’re, I don’t know, reading a book with your legs across my lap.”

  “That’s a very forward date. Maybe after a long morning of sex?” she asked with an eyebrow raised.

  Jack laughed. “Sure. So that there’s no pressure, that could be the sixth date.”

  “I like that. Okay, date two could be a wine bar near me. There’s a Spanish guitar player who plays on Friday nights and the place has the most amazing side dishes. I’ve only been with a few girlfriends of mine.”

  “I like that. But you get date three. I still have to figure out date two.”

  Molly laughed again. Jack was finding himself getting aroused just by watching her on the bed. She looked very relaxed. Jack wasn’t sure if he was as comfortable. Maybe that was because he was still wearing his corduroy sports coat. He took it off, revealing a black dress shirt, which showed off his muscular arms when he rolled up the sleeves, which he did since it was warm in her room. Afterwards, he sat on the bed, across from her, keeping some distance.

  “Okay, so what’s date two?” she asked, watching him take off a layer and feeling slightly flushed.

  “Date two. We get ridiculously dressed up on some Saturday night and go downtown to h
ave dinner at one of those really old restaurants. I’ve only been on business meetings, but I’ve always wanted to go back and be super elegant, like they used to in the old days.”

  “Is that your biological mom’s influence on you?” Molly asked, her smile reaching her eyes.

  It was Jack’s turn to laugh. “Maybe.”

  “Okay, well, I like the idea of that. So, date three is wine and Spanish guitar. We can head on back to my place afterwards. I think I have an old Spanish guitar record and we can continue the romance.”

  “Pick up an extra bottle of wine at the wine place, yeah, I like that.”

  Molly nodded in Jack’s direction. “Okay, you’ve got date four.”

  “Okay. Date four. Let’s see. How about a road trip somewhere like Santa Barbara? We could load the car with snacks and candy, good music, and just head out of town for the day.”

  “Oh, I like that. How do you feel about gummy bears?”

  “Love them,” he said and smiled.

  “Okay! Date four is set. My turn! How about date five being a surprise? Let me think of something. Let’s get to know each other a little better.”

  “Yeah, I like that.”

  “Speaking of getting to know each other better,” Molly said as she set her wine glass on the nightstand next to Jack. They could both hear the rain falling heavily outside now. Molly inched her way closer to Jack, who sat up in anticipation. Molly put a hand around his waist, her face inches from Jack’s face.

  Jack swallowed. “Molly, it’s been a long time since I’ve been with a woman.”

  Molly decided to give him some space and backed up just a little bit. “How long?” she asked.

  “Let’s just say I was in my early to mid-thirties and I’m a whole new decade now.”

  “Well, we can take things slow if that’s what you need.”

  Jack shook his head, feeling the mood break. “I’m just feeling a lot of things right now.”

  “I get it. I mean, I crashed your emotional rollercoaster. Hell, I just escaped my own. I hear you,” she admitted and took a long sip. “Forgive me if I’m a little unlike myself right now.” She put a hand to her forehead. “Shit, I’m so sorry, Jack.”