Love in the Afternoon

by Alison Packard

  “It sounds like your family is really close,” Sean said before taking a bite of his pizza. “That must be nice.”

  “It’s wonderful,” she said but didn’t elaborate after seeing the smile fade from his face.

  “Are you going to the fan club luncheon?” Sean asked after they finished their first slices of pizza. The haunted look in his eyes was gone.

  She nodded. “Lisa told me she talked you into it.”

  “She twisted my arm. I really hate those kinds of events. I just want to act. I don’t care about publicity and all that hoopla.”

  “Yet you cared enough about the fans to talk to Ken about our storyline,” Kayla noted. “If you don’t care, why bother?”

  Sean regarded her thoughtfully. “Talented and astute. I think I have to be careful around you, Kayla Maxwell.”

  She smiled. “Trust me, when the fans see you, they’re going to go nuts.”

  “That’s what I’m afraid of.” Amusement gleamed in his eyes. “Luckily, you’ll be there. You can fend them off for me.”

  Kayla burst out laughing. “They’ll mow me down to get to you.”

  “Then maybe we should sit together. We can keep each other safe.”

  “Deal,” she said. After taking a sip of her soda, she set it down and reached for another slice of pizza. As she took a bite, she wondered just who in the hell was going to keep her safe from Sean Barrett.

  * * *

  An hour later, Kayla was stopped at a red light on Los Feliz and Hillhurst. The radio was tuned to her favorite ’80s station and she was humming along with a Duran Duran classic while replaying the dinner with Sean in her mind.

  If anyone had told her way back when she was a teenager hooked on A New Dawn that one day she’d be working with Sean Barrett she would have laughed in their face and called them crazy. Now here she was, not only working with him, but she’d just shared pizza with him. It was as if all of her schoolgirl fantasies were coming true. Talk about surreal.

  Glancing up at the rearview mirror, she noticed a black Mercedes convertible behind her. A flicker of apprehension coursed through her. Greg had a car exactly like that—or at least he had when they’d been dating. Her gaze went straight to the driver. It was a man wearing mirrored sunglasses. He was staring straight ahead but it was hard to make out his features. Logic told her it couldn’t be Greg. As far as she knew, he was still living in Malibu. Plus, he hated this part of L.A. He’d told her more than once that she should leave Atwater Village, or “the ghetto,” as he’d sneeringly called it.

  The driver inched the Mercedes closer even though the light hadn’t changed. Kayla gripped her steering wheel, unable to tear her gaze from his mirrored sunglasses. Just when she thought he might hit the Mustang, the light changed and the car in front of her moved forward. Letting out a sigh of relief, she eased off the clutch, hit the gas and then turned right on Los Feliz. The Mercedes continued straight ahead on Hillhurst, leaving Kayla to feel more than a bit silly for imagining Greg Alamo was following her.

  Chapter Six

  Shay: Give me one good reason why I should marry you.

  Jared: Because I can help you give your baby a good life.

  Sitting at an umbrella-covered table next to Lisa’s swimming pool, Kayla pulled a stack of fan mail from her tote bag and dropped it on the table. She watched Lisa do her laps in the crystal clear water and admired her devotion to the sport. Lisa swam seven days a week come rain or shine.

  She picked up the top envelope and her letter opener, opened the envelope, and pulled out the sheet of paper inside. Reading it, she smiled at the fan’s thoughtful comments. More and more, the fans were warming to Shay. There were still a few negative letters, but the good were definitely outweighing the bad.

  Kayla looked up to see Lisa climbing out of the pool. Water ran down her slender body and her feet left wet footprints on the concrete as she moved toward the table. Grabbing a colorful towel from the back of one of the chairs, Lisa wiped her face with it, then draped the towel over her chair and sat down.

  “When are you going to get someone to help you with your fan mail?”

  “Soon.” Kayla set the letter aside. “I’ve decided to check out that fan service you recommended a while ago.”

  “I know it’s hard for you to let it go, but you’re spending all your free time answering your mail.”

  “I’ve come to that realization myself.” Kayla picked up another letter and opened it. “I’d still like to answer a few but I can’t do them all.”

  Lisa reached for the small white envelope on top of the stack and slid her finger underneath the flap to open it. “Are you hungry? I made a vegetarian taco salad for lunch.”

  “Does that mean it has tofu in it?” Lisa didn’t answer. “What is it?” Kayla asked when she noticed Lisa’s brows drawn together in a scowl.

  “Check this out.” Lisa held out the note she’d been reading.

  Kayla took the note, saw the blood red ink and felt a sickening wave of apprehension course through her body. Not another one.

  SLUT! I TOLD YOU TO LEAVE TOWN. DO AS I SAY OR YOU’LL BE SORRY.

  “You don’t look surprised.” Lisa studied her with shrewd eyes.

  “I’m not.”

  “How many of these have you gotten?”

  “This is the third one. The first one was right before the photo shoot and then I got another one last week. I threw them both away.”

  Lisa’s expression was troubled. “Don’t throw them away.”

  “I got some hate mail when Shay had the affair with Stefan. I tossed all of it.”

  “Hate mail because of a storyline and threats like this one are two different things. In the future, you should keep a file of anything that’s in any way threatening.”

  Kayla tried to ignore the frisson of fear. However, with the arrival of this third letter, it was a little more difficult to do. “If I worried about every letter like that I’d be afraid to leave the house.”

  Lisa held her gaze. “I think you should consider moving.”

  “Move?” Kayla exclaimed, shaking her head. “No way. I love Atwater Village. Besides, I have an alarm system.”

  “An alarm won’t stop someone who really wants to get in,” Lisa argued.

  “I’m not moving. I refuse to let a few letters force me from my home.”

  Lisa leaned back. “Will you at least upgrade your alarm system?”

  “Yes. I’ll call the alarm company and ask them to send someone out to evaluate the system.” She paused. “I know it’s not what you want, but I don’t want to live in some sterile gated community behind ten foot walls.”

  “Fame has its price, Kayla.” Lisa held up the envelope. “And whether you like it or not, you’re becoming more famous. You’re in people’s living rooms at least four days a week. More people will see you on A New Dawn than ever saw you in those slasher flicks, or the Lifetime movies you did.”

  “I just want to act.”

  “Now you sound like Sean.”

  “What’s wrong with that?” Kayla countered.

  “Nothing. But you can do it and still be safe.” Lisa snatched the note from her fingers. “Have you forgotten what happened to Josie?”

  “No,” Kayla said. Josie had been Lisa’s first client, and just as she was starting to make a name for herself in Hollywood, she’d been brutally murdered.

  Lisa’s expression was sober. “Josie didn’t take her ex-husband’s threats seriously.”

  “I don’t have an ex-husband, and I haven’t seen Greg in over six months.” She paused as she remembered the black Mercedes. But that couldn’t have been Greg, could it? No. He wouldn’t be caught dead in Los Feliz, or Atwater Village. “He was pissed when I dumped him but I haven’t heard a peep out of him since that night.”

  “It doesn’t have to be someone you know. Does the name Rebecca Schaeffer mean anything to you?” Lisa asked as she stuffed the offensive note back into the envelope.

  “Everyo
ne in Hollywood knows what happened to that poor girl,” Kayla said, thinking of the young actress. “She was murdered by a psychotic fan.”

  Psychotic fan.

  She stared at Lisa, finally comprehending why her friend was so worried. “He came right up to her door,” she whispered as it sunk in that she’d been far too blasé about the letters, Lisa’s mention of both Josie and Rebecca Schaeffer were blatant reminders that she needed to take them seriously. If she didn’t, she could end up dead. “And it wouldn’t be that hard for someone to find out where I live.”

  “That’s what I’ve been trying to say. You’re an easy target, Kayla.”

  “I get it.” Kayla’s stomach churned. “I just didn’t want to believe it could be that serious.”

  “It may not be, but it’s better to be safe than sorry,” Lisa replied gently. “Will you call the alarm company tomorrow?”

  “First thing in the morning,” Kayla promised. “What are you going to do with the letter?”

  “Keep it. And if you get any more I want to see them.” Lisa paused. “I mean it, Kayla,” she added in a firm, no nonsense voice. Lisa glanced at the envelope. “The postmark is Los Angeles.” She looked up. “That means whoever is sending you this garbage lives in the area. I’m going to check in with you tomorrow to make sure you’ve called your alarm company.”

  Kayla managed a weak smile. “You sound like my mom.”

  “I’m your best friend. Your mom is counting on me to look out for you, and that’s exactly what I intend to do.”

  “Thanks for slapping some sense into me,” Kayla said. “But can we change the subject? This whole thing is creeping me out.”

  “It should. But as long as you’re taking action we don’t have to dwell on it.” Lisa’s grim expression relaxed. “How about that taco salad? I’m starved.”

  “You didn’t tell me if it has tofu in it.” Kayla wrinkled her nose.

  “Yes, it has tofu in it.” Lisa slipped her feet down from the chair and stood up. “Will you at least try it?”

  “Okay. Do you need any help?”

  “Nope. Just relax. I’ll be right back.”

  After Lisa disappeared into the house, Kayla let her gaze rest on the envelope containing the threatening note and couldn’t squelch the uneasiness that swept over her. She hoped it was nothing more than a ticked off fan playing a malicious prank. And while that was disturbing in and of itself, it was infinitely better than the alternative.

  * * *

  The taco salad was actually pretty good. Kayla settled back in her chair with a happy sigh and met Lisa’s sly smile.

  “So what’s up with you and Sean? I saw your scenes this past week. The chemistry between you two is off the charts. And I happen to know that the issue of Soap Opera Journal with you and Sean on it has been their biggest seller so far this year.”

  “That’s because my mom bought about a hundred copies.” Kayla laughed. “And she’s matting and framing the cover so I can hang it my hallway.”

  Lisa chuckled and adjusted the strap of her swimsuit. “I’ll bet Marcus had an absolute hissy fit when he saw that the picture of you and Sean dominated the cover, and his picture was a mere thumbnail.” Her lips twitched in amusement. “God, I would have loved to have seen his face.”

  Kayla let out a soft chuckle. “You’re so bad.”

  “Okay, spill it. How do like working with Sean?” Lisa lifted her feet to the chair and looped her arm around her bent knees.

  “I’m learning a lot from him.” Kayla hesitated, not quite sure how to explain it. With each scene she shared with Sean she found her confidence in her acting abilities returning.

  “I see a connection between you and Sean that I never saw in your scenes with Marcus.” Lisa pushed a strand of damp hair behind her ear. “Those two scenes when Jared finds Shay in the park were pretty emotional.”

  “It was intense.” Not that she would admit to Lisa that a lot of the intensity was due to her attraction to her co-star.

  “I think you should prepare yourself, Kayla. Shay and Jared are going to be the hottest couple on daytime,” Lisa said. “The network called on Friday to let me know that both you and Sean are invited to attend Fab Fan Weekend in July.”

  Taken aback, Kayla couldn’t speak. Fab Fan Weekend was the nickname for an annual event called the Fabulous Soap Fan Extravaganza. It was held in a different venue every year. Last year it had been held in Orlando, Florida, and this year it was in Savannah, Georgia. Only the network’s most elite and popular soap stars were invited to attend. And they wanted her?

  “But I’ve only been on the show about six months.”

  “That’s irrelevant. The network brass knows a good thing when they see it. I spoke with Amanda the other day. It turns out that Shay and Jared have struck a chord with a lot of viewers.”

  Kayla was flummoxed. “But only a handful of scenes have aired.”

  “The fans see the same chemistry I do. You and I both know some of the most popular couples on daytime were never meant to be together. But the actors just had that special something. I think a good barometer of Jared and Shay’s popularity will be at the fan club luncheon next weekend.”

  “I had dinner the other night with Sean. He told me you twisted his arm into going.”

  “I told you that’s why I earn the big bucks,” Lisa said with a laugh and then her eyes widened. “Wait a minute. Dinner? You and Sean went on a date?”

  “It wasn’t a date. He helped me change a flat tire and then I ran into him at Cheech’s. He invited me to sit with him.”

  “Sounds like a date to me.” Lisa grinned.

  “It was just pizza,” Kayla clarified. “And it turns out he lives in Los Feliz.”

  “I know. When he hired me I dropped off some papers at his house.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me in lived near me?”

  Lisa’s lips curved in a shrewd smile. “Why do you care where he lives?”

  “I don’t,” she said, feeling her face growing warm. “What’s his house like?”

  “Spanish style. I think you’ll like it.”

  “I doubt I’ll ever see it.”

  Lisa grinned. “Wanna bet?”

  * * *

  Sean stared at his big screen in disbelief as—once again—Matt got ejected from a game. The Dodgers were in Arizona taking on the Diamondbacks, and Matt had just made the mistake of shoving the home plate umpire. And in baseball, you never, ever, laid a hand on the umpire.

  The D’Back’s runner was out at home. The replay proved that, but the umpire didn’t have the luxury of instant replay and, from his vantage point, had missed the tag Matt laid on the runner’s ankle with his glove. It happened. Umpires were human and sometimes made the wrong call. Every baseball player—and fan—knew it, yet Matt went ballistic the minute the ump had flashed the safe sign.

  After finishing his beer, Sean picked up the remote and turned off the television. He hated watching his friend self-destruct, but there wasn’t much he could do about it. Maybe a fine by the league would get Matt’s attention. Something had to and soon, or the Dodgers would make good on those trade rumors. Sean would hate to see that happen.

  Just as he got up to take his empty bottle to the kitchen, his cell phone rang. He fished it out of the pocket of his jeans and saw Lisa’s name on the caller ID.

  “I have good news,” she said before he could speak.

  Shit. He hoped it wasn’t another fan event, or photo shoot. “I’m afraid to ask,” he said, entering the kitchen.

  “You’ve been invited to Fab Fan Weekend.”

  “Thanks, but no thanks.” He set the bottle on the counter near the sink and then turned to lean against it. Seeing one of the houseplants in the garden window was limp, he made a mental note to water it.

  “Sean, why did you bother hiring me?” Lisa’s tone was cool. “This is an important event. You need to go.”

  “I hired you to handle my publicity, not to accept every damn event I ge
t invited to.” He ran a hand through his hair and wished he hadn’t answered the phone.

  “I haven’t accepted it. That’s not my call. I’m letting you know about it.” Lisa paused. “And I’m advising you to accept the invitation.”

  “I’m going to the fan club luncheon next weekend.” Sean tried to keep the irritation out of his voice, but wasn’t succeeding. “Isn’t that enough?”

  “Fab Fan Weekend is important to the show, Sean. The network honchos want you and Kayla there.”

  “Kayla?”

  “Yes. She’s also been invited, and unlike you, she’s honored to be included.”

  “She’s going?”

  “Yes.”

  “Where is it?”

  “Savannah.” Lisa paused. “In Georgia.”

  Sean rolled his eyes. “I wasn’t raised by wolves, Lisa. I know where Savannah is.”

  Lisa let out an amused snort and then continued, “I watched your scenes with Kayla this week. Both of you were amazing. The show is getting a lot of positive feedback.”

  “Yeah, I heard.”

  “The event isn’t until July, and the network is picking up the tab.”

  “Money isn’t the issue.”

  “Look, by July the fans will be clamoring to see you and Kayla. In fact, I’ll bet that at the fan club luncheon next weekend both you and Kayla will be surprised at the number of fans Jared and Shay already have.”

  “Our scenes just started airing. Don’t you think you’re getting ahead of yourself?”

  “No, I don’t,” Lisa said. “Seventy-five percent of my clients are soap actors. And I’ve been doing this for seven years. Soap opera fans are the most vocal, and the most loyal, in the business. And when they fall in love with a couple, they can get pretty zealous.”

  “That’s true,” Sean said, thinking of how the fans had fallen in love with Jared and Rebecca three years ago.

  “I shouldn’t play this card, but I will,” Lisa said. “Kayla could use your support. If the fans feel in any way that you don’t support your character’s involvement with hers they won’t accept her. She hasn’t been on the show as long as Nikki was. And even that didn’t save Nikki.”