The Golden Boy

by J Darcy

  After three consecutive films with someone, three consecutive press tours and red-carpet walks and hours laughing over catered lunches and frazzled production assistants, it would be difficult to not see her beautiful, smiling face on a daily basis.

  But based on the iciness she was sending his way—that he deserved, really—it was probably for the best. With a sigh, he settled into his chair and watched as the event organizer gave the go ahead for the press to begin asking their questions. The one saving grace of the event were the other people on the panel. Besides Kellie, there was a screenwriter who worked on a popular comedy TV show, a costume designer that Cade had worked with on one of his first movies, and some YouTuber who Cade had neither met nor heard of.

  Given his history with Kellie, he was placed next to her and at the end of the table. If he wasn’t in such a shit mood, he may have introduced himself to the other three panelists, but that would have to be an activity for later.

  His attention was only drawn away from his own rumination by the sound of a reporter asking Kellie a question. He didn’t hear the entirety of his ask, but he did hear “New York” and “Broadway” and “triple threat”.

  “Yes! I’m very excited. We’ve been rehearsing for the last three weeks, and our first show is next week. It’s a short run, but I’ve been a fan of Sondheim since I was a little girl, so I can’t wait to—”

  Her sweet voice was torture. He wanted to see her on stage. He just knew she’d be incredible.

  “Cade—” The sound of a different reporter directing a question towards him finally got him to focus, “The internet has been buzzing since you were announced as the newest actor to join the cinematic world of superheroes. Not much has been announced about your project, but are you excited to take up the mantle? Thoughts on working with Eleanor Costa?”

  He shifted and picked up his microphone. “I’m excited.” He began, before adding “and Eleanor is great. I look forward to working with her.”

  Cade wasn’t a man of many words. He just didn’t have much to say. He was excited for the role—genuinely—given the physical challenge prior to filming and then the promise of consistent work, considering his contract was for three films. His co-star, Eleanor, was an actress he met in passing at industry events, and from his experience, she seemed great. There wasn’t much for him to say.

  But reporters never liked that. Or, Cade for that matter. “Cade, Page Six is reporting that Archie Jones is opting not to press charges for your altercation in London last month. How have you—”

  “Next question.”

  His words left a stunned silence in the room. It tickled him, if he was being honest. He wasn’t talking about his drunken argument with some British teenager more than a month ago. He got shitfaced before and after the London premiere of A Fiery Heart, leading to some questionable choices after a group of fans—and one trolling teenager—got in his personal space.

  It was nobody’s business how fucking brutal and painful that premiere had been—how he let himself drown his sorrows and heartbreak in the bottom of a bottle because the woman next to him hated his guts. All because he was a fucking coward who didn’t deserve her respect, let alone her love.

  Cade certainly didn’t need some unnamed nosy reporter asking about it. Not after his management team did everything they could to try and bury the story.

  “Right. Cade, you have such a big following of fans, especially on the internet. Do you think your altercation with Archie Jones may have changed how your fans view—”

  When Cade rose to his feet, the room filled with silence yet again, every pair of eyes locked on his form. With shaking hands, he grabbed the microphone and met the gaze of the now-silent reporter.

  “That will be all. Thanks.”

  He set the microphone down and walked straight out of the event space. While the eerie silence of everyone in the room didn’t put him on edge, the thought of how Kellie would think of him after his departure certainly did.

  Just like most actors, he certainly seemed to have a thing for theatrics.

  George and Madeline were going to kill him.

  Chapter 2

  Despite the beautiful view of purple, blue, and yellows hues painting across the sky as the sun slowly set, Kellie couldn’t fathom enjoying her last few hours in LA. Her hotel room was stunning, with a balcony overlooking the Hollywood Hills and the dreamy setting sun, and a car service was ready to take her wherever she wanted, whether the beach, or to visit some of her California-based friends, or even to have a night on the town. Kellie, of course, couldn’t enjoy those luxuries. She had so much else to worry about.

  Like her insanely early morning flight back to New York the next day. Or her stage debut in nearly a week, the first time she’d perform live since she was back at Julliard. Or Cade Campbell.

  It always came back to Cade Campbell.

  What the hell was he thinking, storming out of an event like that? She hadn’t been in the industry as long as Cade had, but she knew how intrusive and annoying the press could be. While she didn’t get herself into messes like Cade—such as getting into altercations outside of the country—she did know how aggravating the press was.

  But to leave an event like that? Especially one that was meant to bring awareness to the arts and serve under-privileged communities? Well, Kellie was no public relations specialist, but she couldn’t imagine Cade would be painted in a positive light after this most recent debacle.

  With a sigh, she dropped to the hotel bed and sprawled across it, mentally chastising herself for even thinking about Cade. Yet no matter how hard she tried, it was impossible not to think about his chocolate brown eyes or his stupid, cocky, jerk-faced grins.

  When Kellie graduated from Julliard a little more than four years ago, it wasn’t easy. It was never easy for actors trying to make it in the industry, especially for ones that wanted to make it in the movie business but still lived in dingy studio apartments with two roommates in the worst part of Brooklyn—because yes, there were still parts of Brooklyn not filled with artisan coffee shops and community flower gardens.

  But Kellie hadn’t become another statistic of failed actors trying to make it in a dog-eat-dog industry. Somehow, through a lot of trying (and failing) and a little bit of luck, she managed to land a role in a television miniseries for one of the big streaming platforms. When the show did well, she found herself suddenly getting calls from every corner of the industry. Within four years, she went from eating top ramen to starring in many television shows and four feature films, all while being jetted off to walk red carpets and overlook the French Riviera, and rub elbows with Hollywood royalty and Academy members and the faces she grew up staring at on her parents’ old TV set or the cover of some illustrious fashion magazine.

  Of those four films she had starred in, Cade was her co-star on three of them. Most of what Kellie knew of the film industry—what she learned about being a working actor in movies, and what was expected of her on set, and how to negotiate terms in her contracts, and working with her agent and management team—

  Well, a lot of it had come from Cade. He was her three-time co-star at first glance, but Kellie knew he was much more than that. In some ways, he had been the mentor she needed, especially since he had been acting professionally for so long. Their childhoods couldn’t have been more different—while ten-year-old Kellie played club soccer and had bright pink braces, ten-year-old Cade had starred in commercials and played a happy-go-lucky son in multiple television sitcoms. He wasn’t much older than her either—he had just turned thirty, and Kellie was still mourning her twenty-fifth birthday.

  Yet even if she acknowledged him as her co-star and even a mentor, she knew their relationship ran deeper than that. While it had been irreparably destroyed a year and a half ago, Kellie knew the truth. It was just hard to admit.

  Cade had been her friend.

  Someone she may have even fallen in love with.

  Of course, that didn’t matter anym
ore. Not after she was stupid enough to think that maybe he felt the same way and that maybe their night together on an overcast evening in London would change how things were. Instead, the evening hadn’t just eliminated any chance of a relationship between them—it had also destroyed their friendship.

  They had never talked about their night together. Cade left and that spoke volumes.

  Yet somehow, his silence hurt the most. Kellie’s treacherous heart craved the closure she was owed. Instead of anything from him, she had to react for the both of them. And considering her heartbreak and pain, her response was lashing out.

  It was easier to hate him than to consider what she so naively thought could have been.

  Once she had finally chastised herself for ruminating about Cade yet again, she set her sights on ordering herself some dinner and heading to bed early. Maybe a good movie, or a new book, or even journaling would get her mind off of that morning—and Cade—long enough to fall asleep.

  But those plans changed once her phone rang.

  The caller ID was blindingly bold, advertising Greg Sedaris, her agent. He was a shrewd businessman with no tolerance for bullshit, and while he was known for his not-so-great temperament in the industry, Kellie knew it was his activism for her that helped land her so many roles in both TV and film over the past few years. He was vocal about his desire to make money, and Kellie was more than happy to indulge him if it meant she could take on roles in projects that she was passionate about.

  Him calling at nearly eight at night was a bit of a surprise, however.

  “Hi Greg,” she answered the call with little finesse, still sprawled across the bed like a figureless blob, “How are you?”

  “You got a minute?” He asked instead, clearly not interested in prolonging the conversation with pleasantries.

  “I do. What’s up?”

  Kellie could hear the shuffling of papers on the other end of the line. Greg was notorious for working all hours of the day. “I’ve been back and forth all day with the studio and the director, and I finally have a deal that I like enough to present to you.” He cleared his throat, before continuing. “So, here’s what I’ve been told. Eleanor Costa just dropped out of that unnamed superhero flick Campbell is signed onto. Her mother is sick or something—fuck if I know. But they have an opening and the studio specifically wants you to fill it.”

  Suddenly, she felt a bit dizzy. She almost always did when Greg had one of his infamous info drops on her, but this one certainly took the cake.

  Especially when Cade was being referenced.

  In not her hottest moment, Kellie struggled to form words. “Wh—what?”

  Greg cursed, clearly frustrated. “Alright Allen, I’ll break it down for you. Eleanor Costa is out. Campbell’s superhero flick needs a new female co-star. It’s a contract for three films. The character discovers her powers midway through the movie, so for the second and third film you’d be taking on a hero mantle too.” He paused, and based on the noise through her phone, was drinking something, “I know you hate Campbell—and I get it, kid seems like a prick—but this is a hell of an opportunity. It’s a three-film contract for the biggest franchise in the world.”

  Her mind was on overdrive. She had so many thoughts racing through her head that she was practically unable to speak.

  “Allen, you there?”

  “Broadway?” Was all she managed to choke out, her mouth not working as fast as her brain.

  “Yeah, yeah, I know you got your little show. Filming doesn’t start for three months. They’ve got Campbell in training and chorography next month leading up to production, but you won’t need the same level of preparation.” Greg seemed to shuffle through his papers. “So, what we agreed upon, still pending based on your thoughts, would be getting you a trainer in New York. When you finish your four-week run of the show, you’ll fly out to LA and do the last month of training and chorography with Campbell before production begins.”

  Hearing a schedule finally knocked Kellie out of whatever state of paralysis she was in. What Greg was telling her—offering her—was insane. A three-film contract was a dream for any actor, especially in a world-famous franchise. She could do so much as a female hero—destroy stereotypes, inspire little girls, be a force of change—but also at the expense of having Cade by her side.

  “What exactly is the role?” She asked, her voice slowly coming back.

  “I sent you an email with the contract terms and the role description. She plays the ex-girlfriend of Cade’s. He owns some tattoo shop and goes from vigilante to a hero. His main adversary nearly kills you, but you survive and wake up with some special mind powers or something—fuck, if I get this science fiction shit. Anyways, the movie ends with him training you so you two can team up and fight shit in the next film.”

  Kellie cleared her throat. She’d most certainly have to read what Greg sent, given his lackluster description. “Right. Do we become romantically involved again?”

  His sigh filled her stomach with rocks. “Yeah, which is one of the reasons why the studio wants you. The public loves you and Cade together. From what I understand, you two don’t become involved until the second movie—if that helps at all, I guess.”

  Pulling herself out of bed, she strolled to the balcony, her phone on speaker and clutched to her chest. She wanted to kick herself, really. It was like she was trying to sabotage herself.

  How could she even consider not taking a role because Cade was involved? Life was full of working with people you didn’t like—she knew that at age fifteen while working summers at the local ice cream parlor for irritable Mr. Harris who liked to call her Red Hot and comment on the length of her jean shorts, and she knew that at age twenty-five whenever she had an argument with an idealistic studio head who wanted her to film commercials in Japan.

  It would be unfair—so fucking wrong—to deny herself this opportunity simply because of Cade. Even if she never worked with him again, she couldn’t avoid him. She’d see him during award season if A Fiery Heart was nominated for anything. She’d see him at industry events. She’d see him at parties and celebrations for mutual friends.

  Months ago, after a tense day of filming A Fiery Heart, she had told him in rather harsh terms her desire to never work with him again. The words were easy to spit out when she thought about the pain and heartbreak of his ghosting—how evident it was that he clearly cared and respected her so little that he wouldn’t even bring up their night together.

  Those words were still true. She still didn’t want to work with him again. It didn’t matter if he was an incredibly talented actor. It didn’t matter if those chocolate eyes and rippled muscles of his abdomen haunted her dreams and her fantasies.

  It didn’t matter if he broke her heart.

  Kellie came first, which meant her career and success came first.

  “And you’re happy with the terms?” She asked slowly. It was a bit of a silly question—Greg was never really happy with any deal. He always thought he could get more money.

  “Considering they’re willing to be flexible with your schedule and it’s for three movies with an option for more? Yes. I got them up to a good number and we settled on a quality bonus for a few box office milestones hit.” Greg explained, “Take a look at the contract and read the role description. Call me if you have any questions. Just think it through. The choice is yours. But let me tell you something, Allen—avoiding working with an actor as popular as Cade may come back to bite you. Never let another person dictate your career for you.” He paused, before adding, “I mean, except for me, of course. Your agent knows best.”

  Kellie rolled her eyes. “I’ll look it over and get back to you tonight.”

  “They want an answer by Thursday. You have a couple of days if you need it.”

  As she stared at the final peek of the sun on the horizon, Kellie finally felt like she had some clarity. She cleared her throat. “I won’t need it. Once I read it, I’ll know. It doesn’t matter if my co-st
ar is a blind tortoise or fucking Cade Campbell. If I like it, the role is mine.”

  She couldn’t see him, but she just knew Greg was grinning. “That’s what I like to hear. I’ll be waiting for your call.”

  When the call ended, she tucked her phone into her pocket and leaned against the metal railing, letting the cool breeze of the LA evening soothe her. She was one phone call away from locking herself into three movies, years of consistent work, and perhaps most petrifying, the possibility of worldwide recognition. She knew how these superhero movies worked. Suddenly, her name and face would be plastered on every street corner across the globe. Whether Paris, Rio, or Tokyo, she’d be there.

  Next to Cade.

  Always next to Cade.

  With a sigh, she strolled back inside and grabbed her laptop. She wouldn’t make any rash decisions. She had to first make sure she liked the terms of the deal—of course, with Greg’s stamp of approval, she doubted she’d find issue with it—and most importantly, determine if she thought she suited the role.

  But if both of those pieces checked out, in a few months’ time, she’d be sliding into a pair of latex tights and a cape or whatever it was that movie superheroes wore.

  Not to mention, she’d be working with Cade for the foreseeable future.

  Three movies.

  Kellie grabbed the room service menu and fell to her bed. Before she even touched Greg’s email, she’d need some carbs and a bottle of red wine.

  Chapter 3

  A day after his disastrous appearance at the luncheon, Cade spent most of his time simmering in his own misery. He dealt with verbal lashings from his agent and the PR agency his team hired to fix his image and a new onslaught of trade articles drawing attention to his abrupt departure from a charity event.

  It hadn’t mattered that he made a sizable donation to the foundation that held the event after his actions. That wasn’t fun news. Only Cade making himself look like a fucking idiot was.