Breaking Character

by Lee Winter

  “No, it’s my squeaky-clean sister playing lust. You have no idea how controversial that is for her. Sexy roles in American cinema? Go for it. Beloved child icons in sexy roles? Not so much.”

  She led Elizabeth around the left side of the house, past a garden bed bursting with vines that were heavy with scarlet flowers and thorns, then into a side door.

  Inside was airy and bright, an indigo-painted living room dotted with unexpected knick-knacks, from feathered masks to intricate, embellished candlesticks. The centerpiece was a six-foot-wide set of white angel wings stuck on one wall.

  “Don’t they catch fire?” Elizabeth pointed below the wings to the ornate fireplace embedded with thousands of colorful glass pieces.

  “Mom doesn’t use the fireplace. She built it just for the look of it.”

  They headed into the kitchen next, which looked out over the pool area. The room was a generous size, filled with modern appliances—probably every cook’s dream. Except…it was a retina-searing teal blue.

  “I know, I know,” Autumn said, with that ever-present smirk. “Mom loves eye-catching things, be it colors or people or ideas. Which explains you and Summer. She’s totally convinced you’re a thing. I can’t think of any couple less convincing, personally. But she’s sold.”

  “Why not us?”

  “Come on! You’re you. And she’s…um…the opposite.”

  Elizabeth wondered at the way she parsed her words. “Please don’t censor yourself on my account. Just say what’s on your mind.”

  “You may be sorry you said that.” Autumn gave her a rueful grin. “But, okay. Look, you’re all tightly buttoned up and measured, and Summer’s as laid-back as a pair of flip-flops. If you want to pull this off, you have to look like you know how to chill or people will wonder how Summer and you ever get along.”

  Elizabeth’s nostrils flared. Lovely. Yet another stranger making assumptions about her based on nothing. Story of her life. “You know, I’m not Chief Hunt.”

  “Well, obviously not, or Summer wouldn’t like you one bit. I’m talking about your rep. Anyway, at least the faking-it job’s half done here. Mom’s a true believer. She looks at what she decides feels right, not what is. Don’t ask her about auras, ever, or you’ll be stuck here for a week. Dad’s a different thing entirely.”

  “Should I be concerned about him?”

  “Always.” Autumn folded her arms and stared out the window at the pool. “It’s like this: Summer is Daddy’s little girl. She can do no wrong. And if you hurt her, you won’t soon forget it.”

  What did that mean? Elizabeth frowned. “This is a business deal. What hurt am I supposed to be inflicting here?”

  Autumn gave her a guarded look. “Don’t forget that Dad doesn’t know that. And he has this terrifying look that goes with his ‘treat Summer right or else’ speech.” She flung open the kitchen door. “Everyone’s outside. Right this way.”

  They stepped out into a bright pool area. Surprisingly, given Summer had indicated pool parties were this family’s thing, the pool itself was quite small. However, the surrounding area made up for it, with a barbecue, a ceiling-mounted speaker system, and outdoor sofas drowning in colorful, tasseled cushions—all gathered under a rustic wooden pergola.

  It made sense, Elizabeth decided. Pool parties were usually about the party more than getting wet. Who cared about the pool size?

  Speaking of getting wet, a barrel-chested man was breast-stroking his way through the water, his bright red trunks flashing in his shimmering wake.

  “That’s Dad,” Autumn said. “So, golden rule, don’t piss him off, okay? And please try and look like you don’t think Summer’s a special kind of stupid? It’ll do wonders in selling your story.”

  “I don’t think that.” Elizabeth shot her a baffled look.

  “Sure you do. I heard all about the exploding blood pack thing and how mad you were. You know, that could have happened to anyone.” Her expression was considering. “So, Ms. Thornton—”

  “Elizabeth.”

  “—I’m going to introduce myself to your manager and work out our strategies, and you…” she glanced over her shoulder at a blond blur, closing fast, “have a showy list of PDAs to get through and make my eyeballs bleed.”

  “Bess!” Summer came flying at her from one side, a wide grin on her face. “Thanks for coming!” Dropping a quick kiss on Elizabeth’s lips, she flung her arms around her in a loose hug.

  Autumn snorted. Her eyebrows hiked up as if to say see? before she spun on her heel, leaving them to their “showy PDAs”.

  Elizabeth couldn’t quite work out whether she liked Autumn or not. She was shrewd and sharp, but sort of charming in her own smirk-filled way.

  “What’s your poison?” Summer asked.

  “My…?”

  Summer waved at an ice-filled tub under the pergola bursting with beer, wine, and soft drinks. “There are lots of cold options. I also brought around your tea if you’d like me to make some.”

  “Tea always improves my mood. Perhaps we should start there.” Elizabeth’s smile was softer than usual for the benefit of the half a dozen gazes roaming over them. It had nothing to do with the way Summer was almost vibrating with excitement. Or how nice it felt having her arm slung around Elizabeth’s waist like it had always belonged there.

  “Tea it is! Be right back.” Summer disappeared into the house.

  Elizabeth watched her go, and only then registered the tiny cut-off denim shorts and generously filled out white bikini top. Hmm. Summer’s hospital scrubs didn’t do her justice. Throw in the toned legs and California tan, and Summer was, by any definition, gorgeous.

  How hadn’t she noticed before? A curl of desire slithered through her, and Elizabeth almost choked in surprise. She turned quickly to get that shapely ass out of her line of sight and found herself in someone else’s.

  Watching her was a small, attractive woman in her late fifties, weighed down by an enormous floppy purple hat, upon which was affixed plastic flowers. It should look ridiculous, but somehow she pulled it off. Tendrils of wild gray-blond hair curled out from under it.

  Well. If this wasn’t the infamous Skye Storm, Elizabeth would eat her own wide-brimmed straw hat. Summer’s mother made her way over with a grace her daughter lacked.

  Funny how genetics worked.

  Skye pulled her green caftan wrap around an apricot-colored swimsuit. When she peered up at Elizabeth—she couldn’t have been much more than five feet, despite the heels on her tan sandals—her eyes crinkled with delight.

  “Well, hello, my dear. You must be the Bess that has my daughter in raptures. I’m Skye.” She craned her neck. “Goodness. You’re way taller than I thought.”

  Skye’s warmth was infectious, and Elizabeth couldn’t help her own lazy smile in return. “And you’re pretty much what I expected.” She was, too. Charismatic, beautiful, and colorful.

  “Ha! So tell me, what did you imagine? Two heads? Flowers in my hair? Oh! I suppose I’ve almost done that.” She tapped the gargantuan plastic constructs darting out of her hat, lowering her voice to conspiratorial when she added, “I have heard I’m eclectic.”

  “I think it’s eccentric. So far that’s all I’ve been told about you.”

  “Eccentric? Hmm. I like that. Who wants to be ordinary? How boring! Right? You don’t look boring at all.”

  “I like to think I’m not boring,” Elizabeth replied, a smile edging her lips. “But doesn’t everyone?”

  “True. So tell me, when did you know you liked Summer?” Her blue eyes, so much like Summer’s, were bright and keen.

  “She brought me tea.” Okay, that didn’t sound like the most romantic thing. Elizabeth dug around for something better. “You have to understand I’d crawl over broken glass for my brand of tea, which isn’t available here, and somehow Summer magicked it up out of
thin air. It was like discovering a piece of home. I was impressed. That’s when I first noticed her.”

  Soft, thin fingers latched onto her wrist, and Skye drew Elizabeth close, staring into her eyes. “I think I should tell you that I’ve known about you for years,” she said softly. “I will always keep your secret. I did then; I told no one.” She waved her hand around the pool area. “We all know to be discreet, you mustn’t worry. It’s quite all right. You’re safe here.”

  “What?” The hairs on the back of Elizabeth’s neck stood up.

  “Your ex-girlfriend, Alex Levitin? I did the costumes on Heaven’s Blood.”

  Panic flooded her at the thought that Alex—Alex of all people—had been indiscreet. How many others had she gossiped with?

  “Oh, she didn’t tell me,” Skye said, divining her anxiety. “I worked it out. She left a book on her seat one day and I was curious about what she was reading and picked it up. A photo of the two of you was her bookmark and it fell out. I saw the look in her eyes in that picture, the way she was touching your cheek, and I knew. So when this rumor happened with my daughter? Well, I realized it wasn’t as outlandish as Summer kept claiming. Besides, she was protesting far too much.” She smiled, warmth and acceptance filling her face.

  Exhaling slowly, Elizabeth nodded. Okay, she wouldn’t kill Alex.

  “I don’t say any of this to embarrass you,” Skye added. “I just want you to understand that I’m well aware how hard it is to pretend to be someone you’re not. And to do it for years can be exhausting. I have seen the harm it does when people take it too far.” Skye’s expression became intense. “You know, there’s a famous gay actor, I won’t name names, but he used to bring his lover into the studio in the trunk of his car, then smuggle him into his dressing room. The lover left him over it eventually. I don’t want my girl to be treated like someone’s dirty little secret. She’s too sweet for that. You will not put Summer in the trunk in any sense. Treat her well. With respect. Do we understand each other?” The fingers on her wrist tightened.

  “Of course.” Elizabeth swallowed. “I won’t disrespect her.”

  “Good. She’s special. I know every mother thinks that, but it’s true for her. She doesn’t have a cynical bone in her body. Her heart is enormous. She means well in all things. She hates cruelty to others more than anything. So, you understand, I just want her appreciated.”

  “I do. She has a good heart.” It was true. Summer did seem just as her mother described. She’d never heard Summer run anyone down, and the only anger she’d ever witnessed had come when Elizabeth had hurt her…and, mystifyingly, also when Grace had tried to tell that traumatic Footlights story. She winced and pushed the memory away. “You should be proud of the woman she is.”

  “Me?” Skye gave her an odd look. “What have I got to do with anything? Goodness me, parents create the child, but they’re their own person pretty young. I don’t take credit for who my daughters are. Neither does Brock.” She waved to the man in the pool. “Credit where it’s due. She’s Summer because she’s Summer, not because we’re her parents. That’s all there is to it.”

  Splash.

  Elizabeth glanced over to see Summer’s dad hefting himself over the pool’s edge without the ladder. His muscled arms bulged, but he seemed to do it easily. Once he was standing, she could see an angry scar running down his chest, almost to his waist.

  “A stunt gone wrong.” Skye followed her gaze. “A window was supposed to shatter into a thousand pieces. Instead it broke off into three, and one jagged piece snagged him square. He almost died it was so close to the heart.”

  Elizabeth gasped. “That’s terrible.”

  Brock ambled over, gave Skye a peck on the cheek, and slung his towel over one shoulder. “It wasn’t that bad.” His voice was a low drawl. “And I have a high threshold for pain.”

  He sized Elizabeth up with a thousand-yard stare. “So, you’re dating my little girl now?” His pale blue eyes grew harder.

  “I am.” She met his gaze evenly. It had been years since she’d had to do a meet-the-parents thing. It didn’t get any easier, even if it was just for show.

  “So, how old are you anyway?”

  “Brock!” Skye slapped his chest. “She’s about the same age you were when you asked me out.”

  “We’re both old enough,” Elizabeth said genially.

  Brock gave a gruff bark. “All right, all right,” he said. “Fair enough. Okay, so I’ll give you the abbreviated speech. Don’t hurt my girl. She’s the apple of my eye. Precious to me. Got it?”

  “Got it.”

  “Good.” He ran the towel through his shaggy, graying hair then turned to Skye. “I suppose it could be worse. Remember that moody musician Summer brought around last year? Thank Christ that didn’t last.”

  “No talking about exes,” Skye told him firmly. “It’s rude.”

  Actually, Elizabeth would have dearly loved to talk about exes. For some reason, she was having a hard time picturing what kind of man Summer would find appealing. So far all she knew was that Amrit wasn’t her type. “If you want to talk about the men she dated before, I don’t care.”

  Brock stared at her. Squinted. Then tossed a baffled look at Skye before turning back to Elizabeth. “Y’know, I’m guessing you two haven’t done a whole lot of real talking yet, have you?”

  “Why do you say that?” A sliver of anxiety shot through her. What had she said wrong?

  “You don’t know my girl that well, do you?” His brow furrowed, which, on Brock, looked like she’d pissed off Wolverine. “I think maybe you should talk to her about something more substantial than whatever you’ve been doing. Okay, I’m gonna get dried off and changed. Back soon.” He shot Elizabeth a warning look and left.

  “Don’t mind him,” Skye said. “He’s protective of Summer. He’d like her to date someone who sees how smart she is, not just how pretty. So that means getting to know her, not just having fun with her.”

  “Oh, she’s smart. We had a Shakespeare trivia night on Friday. You should have seen my friends. Theatrically trained, Cambridge drama school grads, and Summer wiped the floor with all of them. It was remarkable.”

  Skye beamed. “That’s Summer for you. She always did love her Shakespeare. I presume you know that’s all your fault? Seeing you in London when she was fifteen. She got into acting and Shakespeare because of you.”

  “I understand I inspired her a bit…”

  “Inspired? Oh yes, that too. Oh, how she adored you. She wouldn’t stop talking about you for three years. Got so bad her sister put a ban on your name being mentioned in her presence.” Skye cackled.

  Adored? That was a strong word. Still, she remembered how it had felt when Grace arrived in Cambridge for a semester as a guest speaker. Elizabeth had been drawn to her instantly. Talent was a powerful lure. She could hardly judge Summer for having the same reaction she’d had herself. The difference was that Summer clearly no longer felt that way about her. And while Elizabeth wasn’t sure what she felt for Grace now, it was still intense.

  That familiar scent of the gods tickled her nose. Summer appeared at her side, pecked Elizabeth’s cheek, and passed her a cup of tea.

  “Thanks, darling,” Elizabeth murmured.

  With a nod, Summer slid her arm back around Elizabeth’s waist. “So, how are you two getting along?”

  Skye nodded. “Fabulously. I’m filling her in on how long your adoration for her goes back. And she’s looking all shocked.”

  Summer’s arm stiffened behind Elizabeth’s back. “Mom—”

  “Do you two really not talk at all? About anything important?” Skye interrupted, sounding exasperated. “What do you do together anyway? Please tell me it’s more than just sex.”

  With a low groan, Summer rubbed her temple. “Must you?”

  “Don’t get so prudish on me now. I didn�
�t raise you that way. Where’s my free-spirited daughter, hmm?” She glanced at Elizabeth. “Listen to her. You’d think I didn’t see her at Jean-Claude’s after-party at the hotel pool running around with everyone stark naked. Well, it was the night for it.”

  Stark naked?

  “Of course you saw that, Mom.” Summer glared at her. “Because the whole crew got drunk and went skinny dipping. You included.”

  What? The? Hell?

  “Precisely my point. You never used to be uptight. Now you get squeamish?” She turned back to Elizabeth. “I just don’t understand young people these days. At least tell me my girl is not some prude in bed?”

  “Um.” Elizabeth wondered what parallel universe she’d stepped into. Her own mother would sooner die than ask such a question. Her father would definitely prefer to die than hear it.

  “Mom!” Summer squeaked.

  “What? I’m just asking. Not for specifics.” She rolled her eyes. “A ‘yes’ or ‘no’ will do fine.”

  “Well, quit it. That’s our private business.”

  “Hmm. All right then. My point is, and it’s the same as your father was getting at, a good relationship is founded on more than rumpled sheets and swinging from the chandeliers. Get to know each other. Properly. Be each other’s best friend. Talk. All right, my darlings?”

  “So, ah,” Elizabeth began, her brain now fritzing. “Can I ask something…in the interests of clarity?”

  Summer looked pained.

  “Why did everyone get naked again?”

  Chapter 12

  Summer stretched out on a deck chair in her white bikini, having shed her shorts, watching her parents in the pool with a few family friends she’d known for years. Discreet friends, of course, or this fake relationship would be all over HGZ in no time.

  In the deck chair on her left, Delvine was murmuring to Autumn, who was perched in a canvas chair beside her, head bent, listening intently. At least her sister wasn’t being a smart ass or combative, which was progress. Summer picked up occasional key words. Market share. Targeted demographics. Yawn.