Falling Star

by Laura DeLuca

  Deciding there was no need to rush, Lainey at least wanted to get some clothes on before she ran to grab her phone. She pulled her lightweight, cream-colored sweater over her head, the perfect complement to the long brown skirt she’d chosen. Once she was fully dressed, she rushed out to the living room to snatch her cell from the coffee table, stepping on Misty’s tail and bumping her shin on the corner in the process. She recognized the number immediately and wanted to smack herself for forgetting her previous engagement when she’d made plans with Drew.

  “Elisa, I am so sorry.” Lainey didn’t even bother with the formality of a hello. She rubbed her sore shin as she carried the phone back into her bedroom. “I know I said I was coming but—”

  “You’re ditching us?” Elisa demanded. She had to shout to be heard over the blaring rock music in the background, which told Lainey she was already settled in at Woody’s. “What could top happy hour with the girls?”

  It was well after happy hour, but Lainey didn’t think that would be a valid argument for Elisa. Anytime there was loud music and a cold beer, it was happy hour for her. Nevertheless, Lainey still felt guilty—just not guilty enough to stop combing the knots from her hair. “You aren’t sitting there all alone surrounded by fifty-year-old alcoholic divorcees, are you?”

  “Yes and no,” Elisa admitted. “Yes to the endless slew of dirtballs giving me the eye, but no ... I’m not alone. Sharon is with me.”

  Lainey breathed a sigh of relief when she heard a familiar voice call out, “Hi, Lainey,” over the din of the bar noise. Sharon and Elisa were neighbors—Elisa rented a small cottage behind Sharon’s house—and they’d met Erin and Lainey when they all took the same Reiki seminar. The spiritual healing class turned out to be one of many things the foursome had in common, and they had been inseparable ever since. Elisa was the baby of the group at twenty-four and Sharon the matriarch at thirty-two, but the four women were fast friends regardless of their age differences. Lainey didn’t feel half as bad about canceling knowing Sharon was there with Elisa. Sharon would keep the wild child out of trouble.

  “Tell Sharon I said hello,” Lainey offered.

  “Sharon doesn’t wish to speak to you until you explain what could possibly trump a cold beer and Woody’s famous hot wings.” Lainey held back a smirk. Sharon didn’t eat hot wings or hold a grudge, but before she could say so, Elisa charged on. “You don’t sound sick. Are you holed up in there working on that never-ending story of yours?”

  “No,” Lainey began. “I was actually going for a run on the beach and—”

  “Lame excuse,” Elisa interrupted. “If you tell me you’re too tired, I swear I’ll come over there and drag you out by your hair.”

  “Actually...” Lainey paused for dramatic effect. “I met a guy.”

  There were five beats of silence before an ear-piercing shriek caused Lainey to poke herself in the eye with the liner she’d begun to apply. “You met a guy—Lainey met a guy.” She was obviously repeating to Sharon, but the way she emphasized the word it sounded like Lainey told her she’d met an alien. “Tell us all about him. I want details. Is he hot? Is he from around here? What’s his name?”

  Lainey stuck her lips into a pout while she applied a touch of lip-gloss, no color but a little shine and a sweet berry taste. “Definitely hot,” Lainey said vaguely, but the telltale swoon in her voice said more than words. “His name is Drew something or other.”

  “You don’t even know his last name?” Lainey could visualize Elisa’s eyes narrowing even through the phone.

  “He told me, but I forget. You aren’t going to know him anyway. He’s not local.”

  “Oh, Lainey, honey, have I taught you nothing?” Elisa complained. “You can’t date shoebees and you never pick up men in deserted locations. How do you know he’s not a serial killer?”

  “If he wanted to kill me, he had his chance,” Lainey pointed out. “There were miles of sand and no witnesses.”

  “Maybe he likes to play with his prey.”

  “I don’t think so.” Lainey giggled. “He learned I don’t play nice with psychos when I almost maced him, so we’re—”

  “Wait! Back up a minute. Did you say you tried to mace him?” Elisa was incredulous. “She tried to blind him with her pepper spray, Sharon, and he still asked her out!” Lainey heard Sharon chuckle that time, but always quiet, she didn’t say much else, so Elisa continued her tirade. “I think we need full disclosure of what happened before we decide whether this is a good idea. I can have Erin on three-way in five seconds flat.”

  “Sorry, Elisa. No time to take a poll.” Lainey checked her watch. She didn’t have much time until her allotted rendezvous. “Hate to leave you hanging but...”

  “Hey, I get it,” Elisa relented. “Sometimes we all need flesh and blood over plastic and batteries. Just have fun. And don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”

  “That leaves me open to a whole venue of possibilities.”

  With a snicker, Lainey disconnected the call and tossed her phone into her handbag. She added a quick squirt of her homemade lavender and vanilla body splash, patted Misty on the head, and raced out to the car to meet her mystery man.

  Lainey’s heart beat a mile a minute as she pulled her Fiat into the driveway of the Tom’s Cat, the only diner in Wildwood open twenty-four hours a day. In fact, it was probably the only restaurant on the island open at all on the weekdays this time of year. Even given that fact, there were still only three other cars in the parking area—two older model pick-up trucks and a Honda with out-of-state plates. She wondered if one of them belonged to Drew, and the possibility had her practically trembling. She’d been on plenty of first dates—more than she wanted to recall —but she’d never been quite so jittery. Something about Drew filled her with excited expectation. It was a happy change from her normal dating scenarios.

  Try not to act too anxious, Lainey told herself as she stepped out of her car. Calm down and be yourself.

  She didn’t see anyone when she scanned the lot. The only person anywhere in sight was a lone hooded man waiting at the bus stop across the street. Next door to the diner, the mini-golf course was already winterized. The waterfall had run dry, and the only lights were the sensors which flipped on as Lainey jogged past, the glow of which reflected off the colossal shark and whale statues, forever frozen with their mouths agape and teeth barred. Even the blades of the windmill had stopped turning, at least temporarily. Lainey shivered in spite of herself, finding the whole scene slightly eerie. The temperature had dropped considerably along with the sun, and it didn’t help that her hair was still damp from her shower. Goose bumps rose along her arms, which of course made her think how nice it would feel to have Drew warming her up and...

  Whoa! Down girl. One step at a time.

  Shaking her head at her overzealous urges, Lainey pushed open the door of the restaurant. Once she stepped into the dining room, she regretted leaving her glasses at home. Sometimes vanity was her downfall. She squinted to get a better view, knowing the motion made her nose crinkle. There was an older couple slurping soup at the counter, a few teenagers in the midst of a food fight, and a balding businessman who kept checking his watch. Lainey would’ve done the same if she wore one. She was pretty sure she was right on time. Maybe even a few minutes late. Still, there was no sign of Drew.

  He changed his mind, she assumed, crestfallen. He’s not coming.

  Almost before she completed the thought, there was a tap on her shoulder. Lainey jumped back, startled and turned to find a man whose features were shielded by sunglasses and a baseball cap. Before she could ponder why he needed tinted lenses in the evening, he lowered the shades, and Lainey met the deep-brown eyes of what had to be the sexiest man she’d ever met. Outside the foggy beach, Drew was even more breathtaking, with his well-formed muscles slightly jutting through the sleeves of his T-shirt. So much for feeling cold. Now Lainey burst into a full-fledged hot flash. She was tempted to grab a menu from the counter to c
ool herself off.

  “Sorry.” Drew flashed a smile, revealing almost too-perfect teeth. “Did I scare you again?”

  “Yes. I mean, no. I mean ... hi.” Lainey tripped over her own words and her cheeks flamed. First, she falls on her face, and now this? What must he think of her? “Sorry. I guess I’m sort of nervous. I don’t make a habit of picking up guys on the beach.”

  “What? Not even the ones you try to mace?”

  Lainey laughed, instantly more relaxed. “Believe it or not, you’re the first.”

  “You two want a table or what?” Lainey’s giggle was cut short when a grumpy middle-aged woman with frizzy hair and a constant frown approached them with her hands on her hips. She gave an impatient huff as she waited for an answer.

  “That corner booth in the back by the window would be great,” Drew volunteered.

  He gestured for Lainey to go first and even with her back turned, she could feel his gaze boring into her, hopefully enjoying the view. Lainey could rock Boho like nobody’s business, and knowing it gave her a bit of a confidence boost. She didn’t feel nearly as nervous as she slid into the booth across from Drew and admired the scenery while he studied the menu. She’d been there often enough to have the entrees memorized, but never grew tired of its charm. The diner had a fifties theme going on—a popular choice in Wildwood which was once the Doo Wop capitol of the world. They were surrounded by high countertops, a big jukebox that still used vinyl records, and red plastic booths that clung to bare skin—or so Elisa told her. Her friend was big on short shorts, but with Lainey’s long skirt, peeling her butt from the seat wouldn’t be a problem.

  “Thanks for agreeing to meet with me,” Drew offered, once the waitress disappeared to get their drinks. “I hope you won’t think it too forward if we progress this from a coffee date to a dinner date. To be honest, I haven’t eaten a thing since I boarded the plane this morning and I’m starving.”

  “Fine by me,” Lainey agreed. Their waitress had already dropped a pair of mugs onto the table, ignoring the overflow that splashed onto the plates. She stood with her pad and pen in hand, and Lainey took that as a sign that she was ready to take their order. “I guess I’ll have the small stack of pancakes with scrambled eggs. No bacon, please.”

  A few scribbles and her gaze shifted to Drew. “The Philly cheesesteak sounds like a good choice to me. Hold the onions.” He handed the server back the menus and his polite smile coaxed the smallest grin from the old sourpuss—something that said a lot about his character. Once the waitress stepped away, Drew turned his full attention back to Lainey. “Pancakes for dinner, huh? Here I thought I’d be the one with my schedule confused, what with the time difference and all.”

  Lainey shrugged. “I could eat breakfast for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It’s my favorite meal.”

  “But no bacon? That’s the best part.”

  “Vegetarian,” she explained, but she itched to change the subject. Something he’d said had her instantly alarmed. “Speaking of time differences ... where are you visiting from?”

  “Los Angeles.”

  He attempted to cover it up by taking a sip of his coffee, but he cast down his eyes when he mentioned it. Probably for the same reason her heart sank. Los Angeles was on the opposite side of the country. It might as well be on another planet altogether. How far could this relationship possibly go? Was Drew hoping for nothing more serious than a vacation hook up? Those were fun in high school and college, but these days Lainey wasn’t into casual flings—it was all or nothing—which normally led to it being nothing.

  Stop being so paranoid and have some fun for a change. Live in the moment.

  Taking her own sound advice, Lainey pushed forward. “What brings you to this side of the country? Sure, lots of people come here in the summer, but right now Wildwood is pretty much a ghost town. And it’s not like you don’t have your own beaches out in California.”

  “I needed a break from the L.A. scene—some peace and quiet.”

  Lainey tilted her head to study him over the rim of her coffee cup. Despite his outward charm, she sensed a slight weariness in his voice that was more than simple jet lag. But while she didn’t doubt the sincerity in his statement, she felt it wasn’t something she should push, especially not on their first date. Instead, she attempted to keep the conversation light.

  “And your search for solitude led you to an insane woman singing on a swing set. You must be pretty disappointed.”

  “Not at all.” He grinned. “I enjoyed your singing. In fact, I was hoping for an encore.”

  Lainey regretted ordering coffee. If their server ever came back, she would have to ask for an ice water. Maybe that would cool her flaming cheeks. The way Drew observed her, intense but innocent and sweet all at once, made her heart flutter around in her chest like a butterfly on caffeine pills. She wasn’t even sure what else to say and was relieved when Grumpy Pants showed back up with their order. The waitress’ brief moment of pleasantness had passed and she dropped the plates on the table, without even checking to see if they needed refills or condiments, before moving onto another table.

  “How long do you plan on staying on the East Coast?” Lainey took a tentative mouthful of scrambled eggs before asking the question plaguing her mind.

  Drew swallowed a mouthful of cheesesteak and washed it down with a sip of coffee before answering. “A month at least. Maybe longer. I’m sort of playing it by ear.”

  Lainey’s eyes widened. She’d expected to hear a week. Maybe ten days. A month wasn’t a vacation. It was medical leave or semi-retirement. “Wow. What kind of business are you in? If I was gone for more than a week, my boss would have a coronary.”

  He chewed thoughtfully while Lainey poured syrup on her pancakes. “I work in the movie industry. Jobs come and go depending on film schedules.”

  “Filmmaking, huh? And from L.A.? I’m guessing Hollywood or thereabouts. Wow, I feel like I’m having dinner with a celebrity.”

  Drew turned beet red and choked on his coffee. It took him a full minute to recover, which made Lainey feel better since she assumed that meant she could fluster him too. “I work behind the scenes,” he assured her, clearing his throat. “I handle the lighting and some other technical stuff. You know, nothing special or glamorous. What about you? What do you do?”

  “I could tell you what I do,” Lainey said with a conspirative grin. “Which is struggling to make a living selling homeowners insurance. Or I could tell you what I want to do ... what I will do full time eventually.”

  He leaned in closer. “I’m listening...”

  “I want to be an author,” Lainey confided, surprised she was being so upfront with a stranger. She rarely shared her goal with people she didn’t know well. “I already have two books done in my series and I’m more than halfway through the third. As soon as it’s finished I’ll try to find a literary agent. Not that I’m looking forward to it. I hear that’s the hardest part.”

  “Yeah, agents can be rough,” he agreed. “Tell me, what are your stories about?”

  “They’re romantic thrillers inspired by Broadway musicals,” Lainey told him. Again not information she normally volunteered. Only her three besties were privy to her top-secret plot—until now. “They aren’t retellings exactly, at least not in the traditional sense. It’s more like the musicals come to life and step off the stage.”

  “Musicals, huh.” He bobbed his head. “Were you ever on the stage? You definitely have the voice to pull it off?”

  “Who me? No way! I didn’t even have the nerve to try out for the drama club in high school, though I did sing with a group of other kids in the church choir,” Lainey admitted. “These days I’ve overcome my stage fright enough to take the mic on karaoke night, but that’s about it.”

  “That’s definitely something I want to see before I leave town.”

  The mention of him eventually leaving should have put a damper on the conversation, but somehow it didn’t. They spent the next h
our with the typical getting-to-know-you talk that normally accompanied first dates, but it didn’t feel nearly as forced as it normally did. Drew didn’t reveal much about his past, aside from the fact he was originally from the suburbs of Pennsylvania and moved to Georgia when he hit middle school. After college, he’d flown out to L.A. to pursue his career. He’d actually visited Wildwood a few times as a small child, and it was that nostalgia that led him to choose Lainey’s hometown as his current destination.

  For her part, Lainey kept her details to a minimum as well. She mentioned that she’d grown up with her grandmother, and he didn’t press for reasons. They stuck mostly to safe topics, but Lainey definitely felt comfortable with him. She was disappointed when the waitress came to take their plates because it meant their evening was coming to a close.

  “Let me get half of that,” Lainey offered when Drew grabbed the check. “I don’t mind going Dutch.”

  He shook his head. “I appreciate the women’s movement, but I’m also old-fashioned about some things. Besides, I invited you.”

  “At least let me get the tip.”

  He winked. “Maybe next time.”

  Lainey was too excited about the prospect of a next time to argue. She grabbed her purse and climbed from the booth. Drew waited until she was a few steps away before tossing some bills onto the table. She could’ve sworn they were hundreds, which seemed insane when their bill couldn’t have been more than twenty bucks. She really needed to start wearing her glasses outside of work, or at least invest in contact lenses.

  “Are you ready to call it a night?” Drew checked his watch. “It’s almost eleven and I’m guessing you have to go to work tomorrow.”

  Lainey was getting a little sleepy, but stepping out into the crisp autumn air was invigorating. She inhaled deeply, loving the smell of the leaves coupled with a log fire that burned somewhere in the distance. There were a few streetlights around them, but the sky was illuminated by the bright moon, which was a sliver away from a solid orb. The constellations stood out clearly against the perfect, cloudless sky.