‘You deserve some rest, darling girl. And a banana milkshake. What else?’
‘I’m not really hungry.’
Meryl’s pencil hovered above her notepad.
‘Really, I don’t want anything else. Besides, I’m waiting for George.’
‘You got here before him?’
‘I know!’ Lena laughed. ‘A first for everything!’
‘Indeed. How about I get you a little something to tide you over until he arrives?’
‘Sure. Thank you,’ said Lena, aware ‘no thank you’ was not an option.
Meryl went over to the counter and spoke to Roy who was slaving over the hot grill, as usual.
Lena rested against the padded seat and looked around the diner. The lace curtains still framed the large windows adorned with a painted sign stating The best fries and shakes on the block, which always made Lena laugh as the closest diner was six streets away. Bob from the hardware store down the road sat at his usual table, his head buried in the betting guide. Edith and Myrtle, the very sweet spinsters, were in their regular corner, nursing a pot of tea that would have them sitting there for hours as they gossiped about the clientele entering and leaving the diner. The décor remained the same, with orange salt and pepper shakers on the green Formica tables that were a little more scratched than the last time she’d been here. The aroma of frying onions, freshly brewed coffee and baked bread filled the air and Lena inhaled slowly, enjoying the smell of home.
Home.
A twinge of nostalgia threatened to spoil her mood and she refused to give in to it. Instead, she concentrated on the clock above the door and predicted how long it would take for George to turn up and how much glee she’d get from giving him a tongue-in-cheek lecture about tardiness.
Meryl arrived with the milkshake and a large plate of fries and pickles. ‘Now, eat up. Don’t they feed you at the studio?’
‘I rarely have time to eat.’ Her stomach grumbled.
‘You are here now so you have no excuse. Enjoy!’ Meryl left before Lena could protest.
She stared at the food and shake in front of her. When was the last time she had eaten something she wanted? Something that wasn’t water-based, like celery or carrots? Lena picked up a fry and used it to push the others around the plate. Just being near the fries made her skin feel like it was coated in grease. But they smelled so good.
Lena quickly shoved the fry in her mouth, closed her eyes and chewed slowly, allowing the salty goodness to dance across her tastebuds. Never in her life had a fry tasted so delicious. Opening her eyes, she stared at her plate, the willpower she’d been cultivating since working with Henry falling by the wayside. In her head she could hear Henry chastising her about the potential size of her derriere if she ate such food. And he’d be telling her this while stuffing his face with a burger.
Her gaze rested on the milkshake and an image of Yvonne struggling to get the zipper done up on Lena’s latest gown crowded in on her. As much as she wanted this comfort food, she couldn’t do it. Her career depended on it. Though it unsettled her that Meryl would be offended. Maybe if Lena had a few bites then walked around the block a few hundred times …
Taking a bite of another fry, Lena savoured the flavour.
Just one more.
Maybe another.
And another.
Or two.
Before she knew it, her plate was empty and so was the milkshake glass.
Lena quickly looked around but no one had paid attention. Except for Meryl who sauntered over and cleared the plates.
‘How was it?’
‘Good?’ A pain in the centre of her chest made her want to burp. ‘Actually, it was delicious.’
‘I’m glad to hear it.’ She piled the plates onto one arm and looked at the door then back at Lena. ‘Still no George? Has he forgotten?’
‘His memory is better than an elephant’s. He can remember my agent’s birthday and they’ve only met once!’
‘Hmm. A bit odd of him not to show.’
‘Yep.’ Lena’s stomach felt like it was touching the edge of the table. She needed a good lie down. But a long walk would be first on the agenda. And she knew just the place. Lena placed money on the table. ‘If George does turn up, can you let him know I was here, please? And get him to call me?’
‘Sure thing, honey.’ Meryl put a pencil behind her ear and glanced at the table where Lena had sat. ‘Lena, that’s too much.’
‘Gotta go! Bye!’ She raced out the door. The generous tip was the least she could do for Meryl, who had always been there for her. Since her success, Lena had tried to give Meryl presents and she’d refused, so it had surprised her when Meryl had finally accepted the invitation to go to Lena’s opening night with her husband Roy. Perhaps Lena’s persistence had finally paid off.
Adjusting her large hat to cover her face, Lena strolled down the street and tried to swat away the niggling voice in her head. Pierre happily ate what he wanted and no one criticised him. Yet she was expected to have a tiny waist and slender legs yet possess curvy buttocks and an ample bosom. Unfortunately, Mother Nature had designed it so that most women lost weight from their bust first. And who was Lena to argue with nature?
Ugh.
Hollywood could be so hypocritical at times.
Although the wedge heels were not designed for walking long distances, Lena found herself covering quite a few blocks in a short time. The fresh air filled her lungs. She felt … free. Free from the watchful eyes of her bosses, other cast members, the crew. Right now, she was a normal person taking a Sunday stroll.
A couple with a small dog on a leash walked towards Lena and she kept her head down. Glancing behind her, Lena saw the couple had stopped and were staring.
The woman shoved the leash at her husband and rushed over. ‘Lena Lee? Wow. You are so beautiful!’ She looked around. ‘Are you filming around here?’
‘No, just taking a walk.’
‘Oh?’ The woman’s eyes widened. ‘I never expected to see you in my neighbourhood!’
Lena smiled.
‘Can I just say, I loved you in Parisian Dreams. Actually, I love all your movies. You and Pierre Montreaux are perfect together! Tell me, is he as handsome off-screen as he is on?’
‘Deidre, leave the poor woman alone.’ The husband arrived at his wife’s side. ‘I’m sure she’s got better things to do.’
‘No, it’s fine,’ Lena lied. Even on a Sunday she couldn’t take time off the professional clock.
The woman opened her handbag and searched inside. She pulled out a small notebook and a pen and thrust it at Lena. ‘Would you mind?’
‘Of course not.’ Lena wrote a message to Deidre and signed it then handed it back.
‘Thank you!’ she squealed and clutched the notebook to her chest. Turning to her husband, she said, ‘Just wait until Clarissa hears about this!’
Her husband rolled his eyes. ‘I’m sorry for my wife’s, uh, enthusiasm.’
‘It’s all right, really.’
‘Come on, darling, let’s leave Miss Lee to enjoy her walk in peace.’ The husband grabbed his wife’s arm and they took off in the opposite direction to Lena.
Lena found herself smiling at the couple. How nice and uncomplicated their life must be.
A sigh escaped her lips.
She arrived at her car, got in and settled against the leather seat. She’d been more than happy to get a second-hand vehicle but the studio had insisted on giving her a brand new dark green Buick. Used to tractors and rusting cars on the family farm, driving the Buick never got old and she loved getting behind the wheel and navigating her way through Los Angeles. She appreciated a vehicle of this calibre, with its shiny exterior and immaculate interior. Lena often found herself peering under the bonnet, admiring the grand engineering that was so totally different to the farming machine engines that she’d learned to fix with odds and sods lying around the shed. She missed getting her hands greasy but she certainly didn’t miss her father te
lling her off for not ‘acting like a lady’.
Lena reversed the car out of the angled park, checking the rear-view mirror. The red bonnet of a Nash-Healey sports car zipped behind her and she slammed on the brakes.
‘Jesus!’ Lena got out and stormed to the sports car. The driver’s face was obscured by the peak of his cap. She stood with one hand on her hip. ‘You are aware these roads are not part of a Formula One race?’
When he smiled, heat rushed across her face.
‘You are aware vehicles have mirrors?’ came the deep voice she didn’t hear often enough.
‘I’ll have you know I checked my mirror.’
‘They are not there just for checking your lipstick.’
If anyone else had said this, she would have taken offence, though she couldn’t with Reeves. ‘Yes, well … maybe you need to slow down a little.’
‘I am more than capable of being slow when it is required.’ His voice was almost a low growl.
Lena twisted her gloves in her hands and looked everywhere but at him. ‘It appears you have mastered the art of the double entendre.’
‘Maybe.’ His gorgeous lips lifted into his trademark smile.
Lena cursed her racing heart and went straight into acting mode, forcing herself to feign nonchalance. ‘Could you please move your vehicle?’
‘What are you doing now?’
‘Going home.’
‘Take a detour.’
‘Don’t you have somewhere to be? Obviously you were in a hurry,’ she said.
‘It can wait. Besides, I’d much rather your company.’
‘Shouldn’t you be with Jeanne? How’s the romance?’ She hated that kernel of jealousy.
‘I think it would be safer if we left that subject alone.’ He got out and crossed his arms as he rested against the vehicle. ‘Why don’t we talk about us?’
‘There’s no us,’ she said.
‘Don’t tell me you haven’t thought about that moment in the parking lot all those months ago.’
Lena chewed her lip, trying to get her thoughts straight. ‘Fine, there’s unfinished business and we need to talk about it.’
‘I would really like that.’ He looked around at the handful of people out walking their dogs or pushing children in strollers. ‘Perhaps somewhere less public?’
‘How about we go to Cavendish Park?’
‘I’ve no idea where that is,’ he said.
‘Follow me.’
Reeves patted the bonnet of his car. ‘What if we go for a spin in this shiny beast?’
‘Sports cars don’t impress me.’
He gave a lopsided smile. ‘Then I have my work cut out.’
‘Yes, you do.’ Lena went to the passenger side and Reeves ran around quickly to open the door. When she got in, she shifted on the seat so her skirt covered her knees then reached into her handbag for the scarf she always kept handy—a habit she’d learned from Dotty. Her body tensed.
‘Are you all right?’ Reeves gave her a side glance as he gunned the engine and took off at a cracking speed.
‘I’m fine!’ she yelled above the mechanical roar while she hastily tied the scarf under her chin and tucked the stray hair strands.
Instead of wallowing in things she couldn’t change, Lena concentrated on guiding Reeves to the place she’d had in mind. He took corners at an alarming speed, the car tilting in a way that had her holding her breath and gripping the sides of the seat. He zoomed between cars, the streets a blur.
‘Slow down, Reeves!’
‘You don’t like it?’ He gripped the steering wheel tightly as they veered into the lane next to them, narrowly missing a slow-moving truck.
‘No!’ she yelled but he’d already slowed to a more respectable speed and her voice was way louder than it needed to be.
‘Sorry,’ he said.
‘I’m not a fan of risking my life.’
‘I would never do that.’
‘It felt like you were pushing us right to the edge.’
Reeves concentrated on the road ahead, the vehicle purring happily. ‘I’m really sorry, Lena.’
She pointed for him to turn a corner and they meandered down a quiet street lined with towering evergreens that formed a natural arch. The paths leading into the park were cobblestone, something rarely seen in LA, and a wall of various shades of green formed a natural fence at the edge of the park.
‘Here?’ Reeves nodded towards an empty parking space.
‘Sure.’
He manoeuvred the car into the small spot and when they stopped he held up his hand then went around to her side of the car. Reeves pressed the button on the handle but it didn’t budge. Peering over the side of the door, she tried not to smile while Reeves wrestled with the lock and handle.
‘Here, let me.’ She reached over and pressed the button, closing her eyes as she did so. Lena tuned in to the mechanics inside, sensing a slight jamming at the left side of the button. She reached for her nail file from her handbag and kneeled on her seat, so she could get at the right angle. Inserting the pointy end of the file, she put pressure in the right spot and a moment later the button popped out.
‘What? How?’ Reeves stood on the curb scratching his head. He lunged forward and opened the door. ‘Mademoiselle.’
‘Why thank you, kind sir.’ Lena placed her hand in Reeves’s and plastered a smile on her trembling lips. She stepped onto the footpath and immediately withdrew her hand from his.
‘That trick with the nail file was impressive. You are definitely full of surprises, Miss Lee,’ Reeves said as they strolled towards the entrance of the park.
‘I don’t like being predictable.’
His gentle laugh echoed off the trees. ‘You are far from predictable.’
They meandered along the winding paths, a canopy of green above, rows of white lilies and purple sage beside the path. Silence enveloped them and Lena snuck glances at her companion at every possible moment. Who was she? A teenager?
Breaking out of the lush tunnel, they arrived at a small square with a fountain in the middle. Water trickled down the intricately carved centrepiece as tiger-striped butterflies hovered above. Lena sat on the wrought iron seat and motioned for Reeves to do the same. He sat some distance away. That act alone warmed her heart.
Reeves looked around, his eyes wide. ‘This place is magnificent.’
‘It’s my sanctuary away from the hustle and bustle of this crazy town.’
A finch flew into the courtyard and perched on the fountain. The bird drank slowly, flapped its wings then flew up to the canopy and disappeared.
‘The perfect place not to be recognised,’ said Reeves.
‘Yes.’ Lena crossed her legs at the ankles.
He turned to face her. ‘How are you doing?’
‘I’m good.’
He tilted his head, his eyes not leaving hers. ‘How are you really doing?’
She gave a nervous laugh. ‘Truly, I’m good.’
‘You look tired.’
‘Well, yes, there’s that.’
Reeves regarded her for so long that she grew nervous. She concentrated on the purse on her lap.
‘We work long hours,’ he said, ‘we’re always in the public eye even when we’re at a restaurant and there’s the constant threat of someone newer, younger coming along and taking our roles. We spend more hours criticising ourselves in the mirror than having meaningful conversations with people we enjoy.’ Reeves paused. ‘So Lena, I would really like to know how you are coping with everything.’ He took a deep breath, his gaze resting on the fountain. ‘I’m afraid to admit it, but there are days when I can’t handle being under the glittery microscope.’
Lena stared at Reeves, admiring his willingness to impart such personal information.
‘Lena?’
She jerked, as if being pulled out of reverie. ‘Sorry! Sorry … I …’
‘No, I’m sorry. We don’t really know each other well, yet here I am, expecting you to tell me yo
ur deepest, darkest secrets.’ He shook his head and laughed. ‘See? This is what happens. I’ve watched every one of your movies—countless times—and I feel like I know you but really, all I know about you is what I’ve learned the few times we’ve seen each other and what I see of you on the screen.’
‘The screen is all lies.’
He paused as if deciding what he should say next. ‘I’ve missed you.’
She held her breath. ‘We can’t do this.’
Reeves stared at her with his dark eyes and she wanted nothing more than to kiss those lips and be held by his strong arms.
A couple of birds flew into view and landed on the side of the fountain.
‘Look,’ they said in unison, their laughter creating a perfect harmony.
‘You first,’ said Reeves.
‘This is an impossible situation.’
‘I understand, although …’ He shook his head. ‘Yes, it might be best if we find something else to talk about. Something that isn’t about Hollywood.’
‘Anything?’
‘Yes.’
‘How about …’ Her voice trailed off as she grappled to find something that wasn’t work related. ‘I can’t think of anything.’
‘That’s exactly what I mean! This is our lives. We live and breathe it. It gets under our skin, invades our brain until we can’t think of anything else to converse about.’
‘Oh.’ Lena slumped against the park bench. ‘That’s really sad.’
‘It is.’
‘I always knew I had to give it my all but now I’m starting to realise I’ve given everything.’ She ran her fingers through her loose curls. ‘How could I not have realised?’
‘We all get caught up in this world. It’s like a boa constrictor—once we’re in, it coils slowly around us and wraps tightly until we’re unable to breathe.’
‘And we die a slow and horrible death.’ She placed the back of her hand on her forehead and pretended to faint. Lena looked up at a grinning Reeves.
‘We do like our drama.’
‘We do indeed. So … if we’re not talking about movie-making, what will we talk about?’ she asked.
‘Well, I, for one, would like to know more about you—where you come from, what dreams you had when you were a child, what your family is like. I’m not sure how, but you’ve managed to keep all that under wraps.’
The Cinema at Starlight Creek Page 19
