I kept my face down, hurt and upset, and quickly responded to Braydon’s text: That sounds great. What time were you thinking?
“Sorry about that.” Zane’s voice interrupted me.
“No problem.”
“So what were we talking about?” he asked me with a brief smile. His eyes looked distracted, and I could tell his mind was still on his phone call.
“I don’t remember. Maybe you can tell me what you had to say?”
“What I had to say?” He looked at me with a blank expression.
“When you pulled over on the highway.” I frowned. “You said you had something to tell me.”
“Oh, yes.” He paused. “It’s not important.”
“You can’t just say that now. I want to know.”
“Lucky.” He leaned towards me again and spoke in a low tone. “I want you to be my undercover lover. I want us to reenact all the scenes from Fifty Shades of Christian, and …”
My mouth dropped open as I looked at him. I knew he was a freak. Or more accurately, a kinky freak. “You what? Do you mean Fifty Shades of Grey?”
Zane burst out laughing and nodded his head. “Sorry, I had to see your face. I take it you read the book?”
“That is not funny.” I frowned and ignored his question. “You owe me a hundred.”
Zane pulled out his wallet and took out another set of twenties. “In all seriousness, Lucky, I want you to come with me to Los Angeles tomorrow.”
“I can’t go to Los Angeles.” I shook my head. “I have school, and I have to work.”
“Okay.” He sat back and smiled at the waitress as she placed our plates on the table.
“What do you mean, okay?” I frowned. “That’s it. You’re not even going to tell me why?”
“You told me you couldn’t come.”
“But that doesn’t mean I can’t be convinced.” I sprinkled some salt and pepper across my eggs. “Convince me.”
“What are you studying, Lucky?” Zane cut into his omelet. “Last night I think you told me history, right? You know a lot about civil rights stuff?” He spoke nonchalantly.
“Yeah, history.” I nodded.
“I like history.” He smiled as he chewed. “It suits you.”
“Why does it suit me? Became I’m old and dowdy?”
“I’d hardly call a supermodel old and dowdy.”
“Then why does history suit me?” I couldn’t stop myself from laughing.
“It shows me that you’re a thinker. You’re intelligent. You care about the past, about people, and about not making the same mistake twice.”
“What did you study in school?”
“I was a British Literature major.” He grinned. “A very useful degree.”
“About as useful as it is to know the names of all of King Henry VIII’s wives.” I laughed.
“We all know about King Henry VIII.” Zane laughed. “He left the Catholic church so he could get a divorce from Anne Boleyn, right? Or was it Catherine of Aragon?”
“Smart.” I stuck my tongue out at him. “Name for me all of his wives, and I’ll be even more impressed.”
“Do they have to be in order?”
“No.” I grinned.
“Okay, that’s easy.” He grinned back at me. “Catherine of Aragon, Mary, Anne Boleyn, and um, the other Boleyn sister.”
I burst out laughing as he frowned. “The other Boleyn sister?”
“Right?” He cocked his head. “Or was that a movie?”
“I guess knowing all his wives’ names isn’t that common, right?”
“Okay, you got me. What are the names?”
“First off, The Other Boleyn Girl was a book by Philippa Gregory. Now his wives, in order were: Catherine of Aragon, whom he divorced; Anne Boleyn, whom he executed; Jane Seymour, who died; Anne of Cleves, whom he divorced; Kathryn Howard; who was executed, and another Katherine, Katherine Parr.”
“What happened to the last Katherine? Did she run away, scared he was going to scream ‘Off with her head!’ or what?” Zane faked a shudder.
“Actually, no. Henry died while they were still married and she was widowed.”
“I bet she poisoned him.” He laughed.
“Well, that would have been karma for sure.” I laughed and cut into my crepes. “Mmm, these are so good.” I allowed the taste of the lingonberries to dwell in my mouth as I chewed slowly, savoring every bite.
“Come with me to Los Angeles, Lucky.” His voice was low and measured as he changed the subject.
“I still don’t know why you want me to come.”
“I need an assistant. Preferably someone who knows a lot about history. I need someone I know I can work with and trust. And I trust you. I don’t trust many people.”
“But I have classes,” I sighed.
“Can you take a leave of absence or withdraw from the classes?” He paused. “I’ll pay for the classes you've already signed up for so you’re not out any money, and I will pay for the remaining credits for any other classes you have to take.”
“I don’t know.” I bit my lip. “I’m almost done.”
“I’m working on a documentary.” He paused. “It’s about the sixties. Civil Rights and all that stuff. I think that you could really help me, as a historian.”
“You make movies?” I looked up, surprised and slightly bewildered. Why hadn’t he told me before that he was making a documentary about the Civil Rights Movement?
“Well, not movies. Documentaries.” He smiled. “My dad makes blockbusters; I just dabble, so to speak.”
“What’s your documentary about?”
“The education system after 1954.”
“You mean after Brown v. Board of Education?” I asked excitedly.
“Yes. I’m talking to people to see how the end of segregation impacted their educational experiences.”
“Nothing really changed that much.” I paused. “Not for a long time.”
“You know about the subject?”
“A bit.” I drank some coffee and thought for a moment. “My senior thesis is related to that topic, actually.”
“Oh?” He nodded his head and smiled. “Well, then it seems like you would be a better assistant than I thought.”
“I’m not sure.”
“You could be one of the interviewers if you want. Maybe use what you learn to help your research. Talk about an amazing primary source.”
I nodded in agreement. It would be an amazing opportunity to actually talk to people who were alive and went through integration, as opposed to just writing about interviews that other historians had been a part of and written about. This was the sort of research that could get me into a top graduate program, which would offer me a better chance at a tenure-track professorship at a top university.
“I’d have to stay in school for an extra semester, though.” I talked out loud, voicing my concerns.
“What’s an extra semester compared to the time of your life? Think about it, Lucky, you have your whole life to live as everyone else has planned for you. Do you know what that six months means to the breadth of your life? It means nothing. This could be a real growing experience. Opportunities like this don’t just come up for everyone. This is an opportunity to break up the mundane everyday-ness of your life.”
“I just have a plan, you know?” I frowned to myself. My plan had always been to graduate in four years, get married, go to grad school, have some kids, and become a teacher or professor. But where had it actually gotten me? It was like my boyfriend plan. Good in theory but going nowhere. I was practically a nun right now, and there was no potential guy anywhere on the horizon. Well, maybe on the horizon, if things went well with Braydon. “And I’m kind of seeing someone right now. I don’t just want to leave.”
“I thought you didn’t have a boyfriend.” Zane’s voice was accusing.
“I don’t, but I have a first date tonight.”
“With?”
“That’s none of your business.�
�
“Are you going to come with me to Los Angeles?” He sat back, and I watched as he wiped his mouth with his napkin.
“I …”
“Take a chance, Lucky. I promise you won’t regret it.”
“I don’t even know you.”
“Do you want me to talk to your parents? I can call them now and talk to them if you’re worried about what they’re going to say.”
“I’m not worried.” I looked away from him and stared at a little boy who was blowing bubbles into his chocolate milk at the next table.
“This is an amazing opportunity, Lucky, I’m sure they would understand.” I felt Zane’s hand reach over and grasp mine, and I turned back to him.
“My parents don’t have to understand. They’re dead.”
I saw the sympathy in his eyes as soon as I said the words and I cringed. I didn’t want him to feel sorry for me. I didn’t want every conversation we had from here on out to center around his pity for me. “And you don’t have to treat me any differently because of that, either.”
“I won’t treat you differently.”
“Good.”
“Let me take you to dinner tonight.”
“I have a date.” I frowned. “I told you that already.”
“So I’ll just pick you up tomorrow morning then?”
I nodded slowly. “I guess so.”
And that was it. My decision was made. I think I had known as soon as he had asked what my answer was going to be. “I have to call Shayla and Maria at the diner to let them know,” I shook my head as I spoke. “I can’t believe I’m doing this.”
“You won’t regret it, Lucky. I promise.” Zane’s eyes looked slightly overwhelmed as he smiled at me. I didn’t really understand why. All of a sudden I wondered if I had made a mistake. How could I just give up college and my job? All for a guy I didn’t really know and a job I hadn’t even started yet. I bit my lip and sighed. All my walls were crumbling down and I wasn’t sure what was going to happen next.
Chapter 6
“You look amazing, Lucky.” Braydon whistled as I got into his car. I was slightly annoyed that he hadn’t come to my door to escort me but tried to dismiss those feelings from my head.
“Thanks.”
“Do you like my car?” He grinned as he stretched his hands out and caressed his leather seats.
“It’s a nice car.” I nodded, slightly uncomfortable at the way he was stroking the seats.
“It’s a Bugatti,” he continued. “Nice doesn’t even begin to describe it.”
“Oh, sorry.” I had no idea what a Bugatti was.
“Don’t be sorry, just sit back and enjoy the smoothest ride you’ll ever feel.”
“Uh, okay.” I attempted a smile, but I was pretty sure it came out as a frown instead. Braydon laughed as he looked at my face, and I felt even worse.
“I’m sorry, Lucky. I’m a bit over-the-top about cars. I guess it’s a guy thing.”
“That’s okay.” I smiled, genuinely this time. “I’m just not one to know much about cars.” I laughed slightly at my comment. “Well, other cars, at least. I know a bit about mine.”
“Oh, what do you drive?” He looked at me curiously.
“A Toyota Corolla. 1991.” I laughed at his pleasantly bored expression. “And right now, it’s in the shop, inoperable, so I’m not really driving anything.”
“Oh, that sucks.” He pulled out into the street. “Well, let’s go get some dinner. I figured I would take you to the Rusty Pelican in Key Biscayne. That way we can look out on the water.”
“That sounds great.” I smiled and looked out the window, feeling a little tense. Why hadn’t he asked me about my car—or how I had gotten home last night? It seemed like he didn’t even care. Not like Zane did. I frowned as Zane popped into my head. There was no point in my comparing Braydon to Zane because I knew that Zane didn’t want a relationship, so there was no point in my thinking about him in that way. I had to ignore the feelings his kiss had ignited in me, feelings that had been there from the first time I saw him. If I was honest with myself, I had been attracted to Zane from the first moment I saw him, but I also knew that he was the sort of guy I should avoid. Nothing positive was going to come from a relationship with Zane—if I could even call it a relationship, since the most he would want would be to be friends with benefits. That I was sure of. And I didn’t want that. It didn’t fit in with my Last Boyfriend Plan at all.
“Earth to Lucky.” Braydon’s voice interrupted my daydreams and I turned to him with an apologetic glance.
“Sorry, I was just thinking.”
“Why, isn’t that a novel thing to do?” He laughed. “Most girls I know in Hollywood chatter inanely about their makeup and clothes.”
“But I’m sure you still want to date them.” I laughed.
“Well, you know.” He grinned at me. “That was the old me. The new me is ready for a girl of substance.”
“Oh, yeah?” I studied his boyish face and smiled at him warmly. “You know, I feel really weird driving in a car with the Braydon Eagle.”
“You shouldn’t.”
“It’s not every day that an everyday girl like me goes to dinner with a Hollywood movie star like you.”
“Well, then, we should get some champagne at dinner to celebrate an extraordinary day.”
“This is an extraordinary day.” I nodded in agreement, thinking more about the agreement with Zane than my date with Braydon.
“I like your honesty, Lucky.” Braydon laughed. “I’m not sure I’ve ever met a girl like you before.”
“I’m not sure I’m this exotic breed that everyone keeps saying I am.” I laughed self-consciously.
“You are all that and more.” Braydon pointed to a high-rise as we drove. “I live over there.”
“Oh, yeah?” I peered out the window, but didn’t see anything other than a bunch of tall buildings.
“You ever come to Brickell?”
“Not really.”
“It’s boring.” He laughed. “I’d much rather live on the beach.”
“So you can party all day and night?”
“Something like that. Though my manager wouldn’t like it if I did.”
“Probably not,” I agreed.
“So, Lucky, tell me the name of your favorite movie.”
“Of all time?”
“Of all time! Oh, and it can’t be one of mine.” He laughed. “Just in case you felt obligated to name one of mine.”
“Well, you know …” I giggled. “I think my favorite movie is My Fair Lady.”
“Oh.” He paused. “The rain in Spain—”
“—is mainly on the plain,” I finished for him. “I love Audrey Hepburn. She was such a classic actress.”
“Yes, she was. It’s funny that you chose My Fair Lady because her co-star, Rex Harrison, is my favorite actor.”
“Oh, yeah?”
“Yes, I love Alfred Hitchcock movies and I thought he was superb in Midnight Lace.”
“Oh I’ve never heard of that movie.”
“It’s not Hitchcock’s most famous piece of work, but I loved it. Doris Day is in it as well.”
“I’m not sure who Doris Day is, I’m afraid.” I looked at him apologetically.
“You don’t know Doris Day?” His voice was aghast. “Maybe we should skip the restaurant and just go and watch movies.” He laughed.
“That could be a plan.” I smiled.
“Doris Day was probably the greatest actress of her time. She starred in tons of movies with Cary Grant and Rock Hudson.”
“Ooh, okay.” I still had no clue who she was.
“Okay, she sang that song about whatever will be will be, you know the one, ‘Que Sera, Sera.’”
“Oh, yes. I love her.” My voice was loud with excitement. “I had forgotten her name. My mom used to watch her movies all the time.”
“Okay, phew.” He laughed. “So you like My Fair Lady then, huh?”
I nodded,
my head filled with happy memories. “I don’t know why, but I always watch it when I’m down. It’s my go-to movie.”
“I see.” He stopped the car and I looked at him in surprise. “We’re here.”
“Oh, wow, that was fast.” I looked out the window and saw the yacht club. “I’ve never been here before.”
“It’s a pretty cool place. I’m not sure why they call it the Rusty Pelican, though, there’s nothing rusty about it. We’ll get a table outside and stare out onto the water.”
“And the bright lights.” I grinned.
“Well, of course, if there were no bright lights, we’d be sitting there scared that a gator might come out of the water and attack us.”
“I certainly don’t want to be attacked by an alligator.”
“Me either. Have you seen my face?” Braydon grinned and I laughed.
“I sure hope you’re hungry,” he continued, happy I was laughing at his jokes.
“Oh, I am.” I nodded my head. I hadn’t eaten since breakfast.
Zane had dropped me off after we had eaten and he had been slightly peeved that I hadn’t told him who my date was with. I was annoyed and upset when I got to my room because Zane had been so dismissive when I had gotten out of the car. I didn’t understand him. His moods seemed to go back and forth so quickly. I sighed. I was supposed to call him when I got home so he could tell me what time he would be picking me up to leave the next day. Everything was going so quickly that I barely had time to think about everything. I was starting to feel overwhelmed, and had spent the afternoon in bed watching TV instead of packing.
“Lucky, are you home?” Once again, Braydon interrupted my thoughts of Zane.
“Sorry. I have a lot on my mind.”
“I can see that. I hope it’s not another guy.”
“Oh no, of course not.” I blushed and turned away.
“I like your dress, by the way.” Braydon looked me over and smiled. “It’s very chic.”
“Um, thanks.” I smiled gratefully and tried to hold in a laugh. I had gotten the dress from Target for $24.99, and I was pretty sure Braydon was the only one who had used that adjective to describe the dress.
Exposed: An Anthology Page 66
