Too Sweet to Be Good

by K. M. Jackson

  * * *

  The ArtMart turned out to be a treasure trove of finds the next day, even more so than the closing theater down in SoHo, though that was fun and interesting to walk through also. Drea was already waiting in front of the theater at nine thirty the next morning when Mrs. Betty and Kellen pulled up in front of it and got out of their town car. She was immediately struck by how sharp Kellen looked in his dark denim jeans, a black T-shirt, and dark sunglasses, finishing off his very New York–looking outfit with a pair of black and white Adidas, which were the perfect finishing touch to the whole look. This was definitely not the Suit she’d first met. If this man had shown up at the bakeshop’s door early that morning, instead of walking forward to open the door, she might have run over and put the double lock on before pulling down the shades in order to guard her fast-beating heart.

  In contrast, Mrs. Betty looked her usual stylish and eclectic self in a pair of dark, baggy, linen overalls with a graceful cardigan, clunky sandals, and cute striped knit socks completing her ensemble, and of course, she wore her signature red heart pin on her chest.

  “You look so lovely today, dear.”

  She leaned down and kissed Mrs. Betty on the cheek. “Thank you. This is old, but it was fun to go through my closet again. I’ll admit that.” This morning she’d found an old favorite dress of hers. An easy fit and flair black and white print V-neck sundress that had black piping to accentuate the waist and a flirty high-low handkerchief hem. She was also thrilled to find her summer moto boots with the back and toe cut out. They were so impractical and fun, and she knew that, though he didn’t comment on them, Kellen so very much wanted to. She gave him a raised brow and tapped her toe before following Mrs. Betty into the theater to meet the owner, Mr. Lee.

  As they toured the historic theater, Kellen was found seemingly intent at times on taking in the fixtures and the ambience, but then at other times he seemed completely distracted by the happenings of his cell phone, excusing himself from time to time to step out and take a call or two.

  “I’m so sorry about my grandson, Mr. Lee, and all his distractions, but we do appreciate you taking the time to show us around. The theater is beautiful; it’s a shame that you’re closing it down,” Mrs. Betty said.

  Mr. Lee nodded. “It really is a shame; both my wife and I are heartbroken about it, but with New York rents being what they are and ticket prices being what they are, there’s just no way we can keep this old theater running. Not with the number of screens that we support, and we just don’t have money to do a full renovation to get in the seats that would cover what the rent would cost.” He looked around at the beautiful old lobby with its intricate marble carvings, lovely scrolled Oriental carpet, and golden chandeliers. “Even with us doing a random concert here and there, there are still not enough funds to bring in the amount of rent as a full-scale multiplex or even a complete tear-down and condo unit building. The property is just too valuable to the owners as something else, so we have to let it go.”

  Mrs. Betty reached out and touched the old man’s hand. He looked up at her and smiled. “Oh, don’t feel too bad for us. My wife and I are making grand plans right now. At least we’re young enough to do a little bit of traveling and thus able to spend time with our grandchildren. Now that we’ve got our minds set on that, we’re actually both looking forward to it.”

  Mrs. Betty smiled. “Well, I envy you, especially on the grandchildren part.” She looked over at Kellen, who had just hung up his phone and reentered the space where they were.

  “What did I miss?” he asked.

  Mr. Lee chuckled and walked over and gave Kellen a pat on the shoulder. “Nothing much, young man. Though I suggest you get a move on any plans for children if you expect to keep your grandmother happy and not be hounded in the near future.”

  Kellen’s stare turned dark as he looked at his grandmother and shook his head. “Really?” he said. “We’re here to look at pictures for the theater and still you’ve got great-grandbaby fever?”

  Mrs. Betty shrugged. “What can I say, Kellen, I’m a multitasker.”

  In the end, they negotiated a good price for Mr. Lee’s digital conversion equipment as well as his popcorn machine, which they may not have needed but he threw in for a bargain. Both Drea and, she knew, Mrs. Betty could tell that Kellen was not happy with the purchases, especially the digital equipment. They knew that Kellen was still torn about the renovation and the fact that he was so intense on his cell phone during this trip had her a little bit nervous.

  Although Mrs. Betty seemed to be shrugging it all off admirably, Drea knew that she was taking note. Lunch at the Midtown Investor was delicious, but quick and slightly tense due to the fact that Kellen was so distracted.

  The only time he seemed to perk up was when they went to ArtMart and happened upon a showroom with a bunch of old Panavision cameras. Both he and Mrs. Betty’s eyes lit up at the same time. Their smiles looking so very similar, bright and wide as their faces shone with the thrill of the new old find. “Grandpa would’ve loved seeing these,” Kellen said, seemingly in awe of all the old cameras.

  “Yes, he sure would’ve, sweetheart,” Mrs. Betty agreed. “Not that he needed any of them,” she said, looking around. “Honestly, I think some of these he actually has. I guess we’ll know when we get them all labeled and organized.”

  “They’re mostly organized,” Kellen said, already making his way through the shelves of cameras.

  Mrs. Betty looked over at Drea, the surprise evident on her face. She then looked back at Kellen. “They are?”

  Kellen turned back to his grandmother and gave a nod. “They are. I organized most of them about a week ago. Grandpa loved his old cameras and I thought the least I could do was get those together like he’d like them.” He shrugged, seeing the look of pride on his grandmother’s face. “Besides, I want to go through some of the boxes anyway and see some of the films he took, but I know that’s gonna take quite a bit more time than I have right now.”

  He stopped suddenly, and his expression turned excited. “Wow, look at this one,” he said, pointing to a Panavision camera that looked decades older than all of them. “It’s a true classic. I wonder if it’s still in working order.”

  Mrs. Betty shrugged. “Well, all we can do is ask,” she said.

  Kellen shook his head. “What for, Grandma? It’s not like I’m going to buy it. It’s nothing but a collectible. Something to have because it makes you feel good but has no function.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone. “I can take a video in an instant with my cell phone.”

  Mrs. Betty looked at him and sighed. “What am I going to do with you, dear boy? Since when is making a person feel good not a function? That is what art, love, heck, all the best things in life are truly about. Sure, you can record a video, make a call, answer e-mails, post on social media, even do a deal with that gadget in your pocket, but your eyes don’t shine with half the light as they did a moment ago when you were holding that old camera.”

  Kellen swallowed and put his cell back in his pocket. He hated that his grandmother was always so annoyingly right.

  * * *

  Stopping in front of the condo where Kellen and Mrs. Betty were staying, Drea fully expected to part ways when Mrs. Betty squashed those plans. “I’m so sorry your parents are away this weekend, sweetheart, and I won’t get to see them, but you have to understand we seniors can’t and won’t go letting grass grow under our feet.”

  “I am starting to get that,” Drea said.

  “Why don’t you come up for a while? It’s still early,” Mrs. Betty said upon the three of them exiting their car with their wares from their final excursion of the day.

  Drea thought about it, but noticed the bit of fatigue in the other woman’s eyes. “No thank you, ma’am. I think I’ll be going. You go on up. This has been quite a full day. I do think we got a lot accomplished though. I’m just going to hop on the train and head uptown.”

  Ke
llen looked at her and frowned. “The train? But it’s late. How about you come up with me to take these packages and my grandmother upstairs and then let me put you in a cab.”

  She looked at him as her brows drew together. “It’s barely six p.m. It’s pretty much rush hour. The train will be fine and faster for me to get uptown.” She looked at Mrs. Betty and noticed the lines of fatigue around her mouth and the glaze upon her eyes. She was worn out, not that Drea blamed her. She had to be after their flight yesterday and their full day of shopping. She didn’t have time to listen to the two of them arguing. Seeing her glance at Mrs. Betty, Kellen seemed to notice her condition too. “Please, Boots,” he said, and she nodded.

  “Sure,” she said, taking the small shopping bag full of souvenirs and trinkets that Mrs. Betty had collected from her hand as she also took the older woman’s arm and led her into the modern doorman building’s lobby, Kellen following, his new old Panavision camera in hand.

  “Thank you for giving in without too much of a fuss, Boots,” Kellen said once Mrs. Betty had retired to her bedroom to put her feet up.

  Drea turned away from the magnificent East River view from their twenty-sixth-floor condo to look at him. He really seemed to be in his element in this cool, sleek apartment’s stainless-steel kitchen, dressed in minimalist black with Manhattan as his backdrop, but it was deceiving now that she thought it over, because this Kellen wasn’t the country suit she’d come to know. Now that she thought more about it, the country suit she thought she knew also somehow seemed in his element pacing on Main Street in Sugar Lake and at that back table in Goode ’N Sweet, and in that darned field of wildflowers where they’d accidently kissed. “I didn’t do it for your thanks,” she suddenly blurted out.

  He sighed and handed her a bottle of water. “Well, you have it all the same.”

  Drea took the water and, not careful enough, let her pinky finger graze over his index as she did. The sensation was just about as thrilling as their kiss. “I think I should get going. You know the train.”

  “Why don’t you stay?”

  She looked at him, wanting to leave, but not able to move.

  “I mean, sure, of course. It’s been a long day, but let me call you a car. I can’t let you take the train.”

  “Really, I’m fine.”

  He shook his head. “What you are is stubborn. Why don’t you at least let me, as your boss, send you home in a car? Does it help when I put it that way, Ms. Gale?”

  Drea smiled. “A little.”

  Kellen snorted, but his lips quirked up in a little smile too. “Good. Let’s go! I’ll walk you down.”

  She went down the hall to say good night to Mrs. Betty, expecting to knock on the older woman’s door and not get an answer. Along the way, she stole a glance at what she was sure was Kellen’s room. It was so like him, sleek and gray and minimalist and still somehow disarmingly sexy. Drea turned away quickly and knocked on Mrs. Betty’s ajar door. “Good night, Mrs. Betty, I’ll be going. Kellen’s going to walk me down and put me in a cab.”

  “That’s great, dear. But why don’t you come on in first.”

  Boy, she sounded pretty awake for a woman who seemed so tired a moment before. Drea entered and found Mrs. Betty already changed into a flowing housedress and ballet slippers; she was propped up on the bed, her television set to the classic movie network.

  “Thanks for a fun day, Mrs. Betty. I’ll see you tomorrow and we’ll get in a little more shopping before our Sunday flight back?”

  Mrs. Betty smiled. “I look forward to it. Though I do feel bad you’re not going to be able to get together with your parents while you’re here and your brother being out of town too. Are there any friends you wanted to see? We don’t have to meet too early. I understand if there are those you wanted to catch up with while you are in town.”

  Drea thought it over a moment and came up flat. Honestly, there really weren’t any old friends she wanted to catch up with. She hadn’t formed many close connections during her high school days, and being a theater girl these past few years, it seemed like everything was all about the competition. She never quite felt comfortable forming any real friendships, since each person she met was always about the next come up or hookup anyhow and would just as soon literally break your leg for the next big shot at fame and fortune. She did hope to see some of her old connections at the workout studio, just to see if some of the old spark was there and she could get her mojo back, but her hopes sadly weren’t that high. That feeling caused her no small amount of fear.

  She shook her head. “No, ma’am. I’m free pretty early. I did want to get in a quick dance workout class since I’m feeling a little rusty, but that’s early. Can we meet right after?”

  “That sounds perfect. Take your time. How about we meet at noon by your class and then take it from there. I won’t keep you out too long so there is time to change before the show. Is that good?”

  She nodded, then stopped and looked at Mrs. Betty, confused. “The show?”

  “Oh, I’m sorry, dear,” Mrs. Betty said with an apologetic smile. “I was feeling terrible about not being able to get together with your parents tomorrow and you not being able to see them, but luckily enough I was able to score a couple of tickets to the off-Broadway revival of Sweet Charity. Would you like to go? I do hope I’m not overstepping my bounds.”

  Drea sucked in a breath. Would she? Of course she would. The Shirley MacLaine classic had long been a favorite of hers and she’d never dreamed she’d get a chance to see it live. Although as a kid, watching the original movie over and over, she’d learned all the dances and dreamed of performing it.

  “I’d love to see it with you, Mrs. Betty,” she said. “Thank you so much.”

  “No thanks needed at all.” Mrs. Betty smiled and suddenly started to belt out lines from the musical. “The minute you,” she started.

  And Drea picked up the line with, “walked in the joint . . .” They both began to laugh through their tears and tune.

  “Now, you go and get some rest.” Mrs. Betty said after they finished their song. “Make sure Kellen gives you enough money for the cab.”

  “Of course I will, Grandma. I’m the original big spender.”

  Drea turned, surprised to hear Kellen’s voice from over by the doorway.

  Mrs. Betty laughed harder. “Well then, I’ve taught you well, my dear.”

  Chapter 18

  Big Spender Indeed

  Finding Kellen waiting for her outside the gym alone when her class was over pulled Drea up short. She had just looked up from saying her good-byes to Stephen, Maia, and Angelo. And Angelo, taking her in his big arms and lifting her effortlessly, twirled her in the air. “Oh girl, what have they been feeding you down in the South?” he said as he put her down. Then he gave her one of his sexy grins that had men and women from Brooklyn to Battery Park swooning over him.

  Today’s class was just the spark that Drea needed. There were a few friends still in New York. She’d somehow let her past disappointments overwhelm her and had forgotten them. Angelo raised a brow. “Not that I’m complaining, mind you; it’s hitting on you in all the right places. You need to hurry up and get back here auditioning. With that body, you’ll be booking jobs like crazy.”

  Maia chimed in. “He’s right, girl. You’re looking fantastic,” she said, “and we miss having you around. When are you coming back?”

  Drea briefly weighed the question over in her mind as her eyes glanced to the family of tourists walking along the street. “I don’t know yet,” she started, “but maybe soon. I’m just finishing up a job right now and weighing my options.”

  “Well, don’t think too long. I hear there are a couple hot new shows that are going to be in casting come this fall. And since you’ve been gone, your name’s been on the lips of quite a few of your exes.”

  Drea’s eyes seemed to roll on their own. “Don’t tell me. I don’t need to know. It’s not like they were any help in the past anyway. An ex
is an ex for a reason.”

  “Amen to that,” Stephen said.

  “Finally, somebody gets me.” Drea laughed, doubling over and, when she came up, locked eyes with Kellen, who was leaning nonchalantly on a nearby car. How long had he been standing there? Why hadn’t she noticed? Goodness, was she getting rusty in her observation skills since her time in Sugar Lake? Girl, get on your game, Drea told herself.

  She gave Kellen a nod at the same time he gave her an almost imperceptible one, but their interaction was enough for the trio she was with to notice. “Look, I gotta get going; my boss is here.”

  “All right now,” Maia said. “Boss, huh? I see now why you got things to think over. If he was my boss, I’d be thinking things over nice, hard, and slow.”

  Drea frowned and looked Kellen’s way. Though he pretended to be engrossed in his cell phone, she could’ve sworn she saw the corner of his lip quirk up. Darn him. He probably heard the compliment. Which meant, depending on how long he was there, he probably heard the whole conversation. She quickly hugged her friends, saying her good-byes and promising to keep in touch more than she had been. Walking over to Kellen, she covered his cell phone with her hand by way of greeting, and he looked up at her.

  “What’s happening, Suit?” she asked. “And where is your grandmother? Is she already at the restaurant meeting us for lunch?”

  “She’s not,” he said stoically.

  “Not?” she questioned, looking at him surprised. “Why ever not?”

  He shrugged, then shook his head. “I don’t know, she claimed to be tired. I guess she truly is. But you know her.” He let out a sigh, then clicked some buttons on his phone. “Either way she gave us this list of supplies and companies she’d like us to check out today. It’s extensive, so I think we’d better get going if we’re planning to have lunch first.”