Alone at the table, Aidan recalled Beth’s subtle glances his way during lunch and how his heart skipped whenever their eyes met. Her rosy cheeks, pouty red lips, and bashful smile were endearing, and he knew the image of her in that cotton dress, which showed off her slim, womanly figure well, was now engrained in his mind.
While the physical attraction Aidan felt toward Beth was palpable, it was the way she awakened his mind that affected him the most. Life held a purpose now and his future seemed full of promise and worth. He was relieved her personality matched her beauty.
Now that Aidan knew for sure she wasn’t dating anyone seriously, because Nathan wouldn’t have invited her to the commissary to meet him if she wasn’t single, he was excited over what opportunities their first encounter opened up to get to know her better.
The fact that Beth was shooting a movie on the lot was also welcome news. It meant she was around the studio a while longer, like him, so there was a pretty good chance he’d run into her again. Next time, though, he would make more eye contact and strike up a conversation like he knew any normal guy would when in the company of a beautiful woman.
He was glad he had at least offered to carry her lunch tray so he didn’t come across as completely hopeless. Normally stuff like that didn’t come naturally to him, but when it came to Beth, he wanted to take care of her.
He felt the only real snags in their meeting were when he snapped at Olivia for asking about his past, and when Connie showed up at the table and monopolized the conversation with her complaints. Aidan couldn’t believe what Connie thought constituted as problems. He found her personality just as shallow as the characters she portrayed onscreen and guessed she hated him for the same reason most contract stars hated Method actors from New York. As long as Beth didn’t share her opinion, he was all right.
Everything was going fine until Will showed up with his pompous attitude turned on full force. Aidan was surprised Will was Beth’s costar in the first place; she had a gift, whereas Will’s acting made Lassie seem as talented as Laurence Olivier.
Jealousy curled around Aidan’s heart, squeezing the life out of him as he realized Beth and Will were probably filming their kiss right now while he lamented over how much he wished he was kissing her instead. It was like Romanoff’s all over again. Sure, kissing someone in real life wasn’t the same as in a movie. Nevertheless, the idea of Will’s lips on Beth’s in any capacity made Aidan violently ill.
With a frustrated sigh, he leaned back in his chair and dragged his hand down his face, struggling to wipe the horrid thought from his mind. The emotional pain he felt over not being the leading man in Beth’s real life was becoming unbearable and he hoped the situation would change in his favor soon.
***
A pretty young woman, wearing a belted cotton dress with hair swept into a bun stood before the dashing man of her dreams, anticipating the moment she could show him how much he meant to her. Words no longer did her intense feelings toward him justice.
His vibrant eyes pierced hers, feverishly showcasing his adoration as she ran her hands through his soft brown hair and brought them to rest on his broad shoulders. Now that they were alone, they could finally unleash their deepest desires for each other unabashedly.
Her beloved whispered her name seductively and dipped his head, capturing her lips with his in a tender act of reverence that brought forth a blissful moan from her throat and stirred tantalizing warmth within her heart.
Happiness overcame her as their love for each other manifested itself in their kiss. She couldn’t imagine living without him. She belonged to him, mind, body, and soul … forever.
“Cut and print!”
Beth’s mind floated back to reality as she opened her eyes and stepped away from her costar, struck by the nasty smell of garlic.
“Will, Beth—that was perfect.” Alistair rushed toward them. “I really felt the love between your characters. Great job.” He faced the crew. “That’s a wrap for today.”
Will’s lips turned up in a pompous grin. “Well, it looks like I still got it.” He pulled on the lapels of his suit jacket. “I can’t blame you for getting caught up in the moment, Princess. I’ve been told I’m a fantastic kisser.”
Beth refrained from rolling her eyes. Little did he know she’d thought about Aidan throughout the kiss. It was the only way she could convey the proper emotions her character felt during the scene.
Will popped a stick of gum into his mouth, something she wished he’d done prior to filming the last scene.
“Anyway, I’ve gotta head out,” he said. “See ya tomorrow.”
As her costar walked away, Beth wondered how it would feel to kiss Aidan in real life, but a passionate, opened-mouth kiss, not the reserved kisses seen in the motion pictures. A smile crept upon her face as she thought about him holding her in his arms and feeling as strongly for her as Max felt toward Claire.
Olivia approached with a knowing glint in her eyes.
Beth shook her head. “Don’t even say it, Liv.”
Olivia giggled. “All right. But just so you know, I’m well aware it wasn’t Will you were kissing just now. At least not mentally.”
Beth’s cheeks warmed, confirming her friend’s suspicions.
After saying good-bye to Alistair, Beth returned with Olivia to her dressing room, concluding day one of filming. Tonight, they were celebrating by having a girls’ night out with Connie. Nathan had to work late, Matthew was in San Francisco, performing a sold-out benefit show for a local children’s hospital, and Beth didn’t have a beau. Thus, the only option was for the young women to go out unaccompanied.
As Beth changed out of her costume and into her own clothes, she recalled her time with Aidan in the commissary and wondered if he would eat lunch there tomorrow as well. Perhaps their second meeting would improve upon their first. The notion excited her.
Forget the Judy Garland chicken pasta or the Katherine Hepburn sizzling steak tips. After today, Beth firmly believed Mr. Mertz needed to add a new dish to the commissary menu, for she’d just had a taste of the Aidan Evans Special, and the savory experience definitely left her wanting more.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Beth spent an hour and a half on Wednesday morning, the first of July, signing ‘Elizabeth Sutton’ on Sparkling Meadow promotional items the studio would distribute once the picture was released. Usually, stars used autopen machines or had other people sign for them but until the studio arranged that for her, she penned her own signature.
In the beginning, she enjoyed signing her autograph, but after about half an hour, she was bored and her hand cramped from holding the pen. Her second task of the day, however, was much more physically demanding: posing for promotional photographs.
In her first shots, Beth walked along a set that mimicked a New York City street lined with expensive boutiques. She wore white pumps, a gray dress, a fur stole, and a diamond necklace and earrings while pretending to look into the store windows. She felt like a little girl playing dress up in her mother’s clothes, although her mother never owned such extravagant outfits.
She posed for headshots next, and then played with a Maltese puppy and an adult Golden Retriever in front of the photographer. Since the tale behind Lana Turner’s entry into the film industry was that the studio discovered her at Schwab’s Pharmacy, Beth couldn’t use the same background story, even though it was true for her and false for Ms. Turner.
Alternatively, Nathan came up with the idea that Beth was discovered while volunteering at a local animal shelter. She adored animals, so she found the story acceptable, as did Mr. Mertz. As a result, her boss instructed that she pose with some Starlight Studios contract animals. She couldn’t believe he had animals signed to his studio.
The dogs that Beth posed with didn’t look like they were from a shelter with their healthy fur, elaborate hairstyles, and designer clothing, but she kept her opinions to herself. When she asked Nathan what would happen if anyone ever found out the t
ruth about how the studio found her, he told her not to worry. The media were in the business of promoting and praising stars, not tearing them down, and publications only printed what Mr. Mertz approved anyway, since many had financial arrangements with the studio.
For the last photo shoot of the morning, Beth dressed in black pedal pushers, black flats, and an ivory colored wool top, and was instructed to hold an ice cream cone while smiling for the camera—a look that coincided with her girl-next-door image. When the ice cream melted and dripped down her hand, the photographer’s assistant cleaned her up and replaced the cone with another one. Given how hot the spotlights were, this was done frequently.
“That’s wonderful, Miss Sutton. Please hold that pose,” the photographer said.
Flashbulbs exploded. Beth’s eyes watered.
The photographer lowered his camera. “All right, that’s it for today. Thank you.”
Beth’s smile fell. After the assistant took her ice cream cone away, she massaged her aching cheeks with both hands. She didn’t know how professional models held poses for long periods of time.
After thanking the photographer, Beth returned to her dressing room and changed back into her own clothes: a red cotton sweater with a drooping neck, white pedal pushers, and white flats. Alistair didn’t need her on the Sparkling Meadow set today because Will was filming the scenes where his character leaves boarding school, so her next stop was the commissary. Then, at one o’clock, she was scheduled for a meeting with Mr. Mertz.
Yesterday, Beth ate in her dressing room with Olivia because they were too busy to have a proper lunch, so she was excited to visit the commissary today and possibly run into Aidan. She would arrive solo because Olivia had a meeting with the Sparkling Meadow wardrobe team, Nathan had work to take care of at his office, and Connie had booked a massage at the studio’s spa. She hoped she could sit with Aidan, though, and not end up eating alone.
In preparation for their possible reunion, Beth replaced the dark red lipstick she wore for the photo shoot with pale pink lip-gloss and removed her false eyelashes. Upon her arrival at the studio, a stylist had curled her hair in a way she liked, so she left it alone.
She was about to gather her purse when she heard a knock at the dressing room door. She answered it. Nathan stood in the hallway. “What a lovely surprise! I didn’t know you were available for lunch. Olivia said you were busy at the office.”
Nathan removed his fedora and made no attempt to come inside.
“What’s wrong?” Beth peered up at him uncertainly.
“I heard you have a meeting with Luther this morning.”
Her eyebrows furrowed. “Yes, I do.”
“Luther watched the rushes of what’s been shot for Sparkling Meadow so far and …” Nathan exhaled a deep breath.
Beth placed her hand on his forearm.
“What is it?” she asked, trying to ignore the sinking feeling in her stomach. “Is he disappointed with my performance? Does he regret casting me as Claire?”
Nathan didn’t respond.
The blood drained from her face. “Oh, goodness, the meeting is about my replacement, isn’t it?”
He sighed. “Listen, Beth, I can’t say too much because I’m not supposed to know about the meeting in the first place, but I wanted to stop by and let you know that although Luther is the boss around here, you don’t have to agree with everything he says.”
“So the meeting isn’t about my performance?”
“All I’m saying is I understand what it’s like to be in a position where you feel like his way is your only option, and I just …” Nathan frowned. “I don’t want to see you make a mistake.”
“Can’t you elaborate?” Beth asked.
He placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. “You’ll be fine, just remember what I told you. You don’t have to agree with Luther on everything just because you are under contract. There are certain things he has no business asking of you.”
Beth realized this was all she was going to get out of him right now. “Well, thank you for stopping by.”
Placing his fedora on his head, Nathan gave her a small smile and retreated down the corridor. As Beth closed the dressing room door, she tried to reassure herself that everything was all right. When her nervousness didn’t subside, she determined the only thing that could help take her mind off her meeting with Mr. Mertz was Aidan. She focused on the anticipation of seeing him again as she grabbed her purse from the vanity and headed out the door.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Aidan kneeled beside the hospital bed upon which Richard Rooney lay and rested his elbows on the mattress. Richard wore a patient gown and makeup that paled his face and darkened under his eyes to make him look like the sick character he was portraying. He looked a little too realistic for comfort.
Today they were filming the scene where David arrived at the hospital after joining the gang and receiving the nickname Spike Rollins. Clad in his unzipped red windbreaker, a white T-shirt, blue jeans, and scuffed leather boots, Spike was there to tell his little brother, who was in a medication-induced sleep, that he was doing everything he could to save the boy’s life.
Although Aidan knew his lines well, he didn’t feel confident about his upcoming performance. The last time he was in a hospital was under similar circumstances, except he couldn’t promise his mother the same thing Spike promised his brother. He worried he couldn’t pull off the scene realistically.
Yesterday, he went over his script in the commissary and his stomach knotted as he studied the scene he was about to film now. Out of habit, he searched the dining hall, hoping Beth would show up. Unfortunately, she never made an appearance, nor did Nathan and Olivia. He hoped she wasn’t avoiding him after their less than stellar encounter two days ago.
“Yoo-hoo, Ritchie, dear!” Richard’s mother waved a handkerchief from her position at the side of the set.
Richard sat up in bed. “Yes, mother, dear?”
Aidan rolled his eyes.
“Now, remember, you’re a sick little boy,” Mrs. Rooney said in a high-pitched voice. “Close your eyes, do that pout I taught you, and the audience will just love you, Richie-boo.”
Mrs. Rooney’s constant changes in personality gave Aidan whiplash. One moment, she talked in a baby voice, acting sweet and polite toward her son, and the next minute she terrorized him. Aidan was surprised Mr. Mertz hadn’t signed her to the studio with all of the performances she dished out on a daily basis.
“Listen to your mother,” Mr. Rooney added sternly. “There is no room for mistakes today, son. Make Mr. Mertz proud.”
Aidan couldn’t believe them. Richard didn’t even have any lines in this scene. All he had to do was pretend he was unconscious! Tuning out Richard’s parents, he concentrated on getting into character. As he looked at the tubes and machines next to the bed, a flash of fear shot through him.
Preston stepped beside the camera.
“Okay, everyone get ready.” He looked to Aidan. “Remember, you’re extremely upset over seeing your brother lying in the hospital bed, close to death, but you also feel hopeful because you have a plan that might raise enough money for his surgery and save his life.”
Aidan tugged at the collar of his T-shirt. “Yeah, sure thing, Pres.”
Richard closed his eyes and folded his arms over his stomach in preparation of filming. Aidan watched his chest rise and fall slowly and evenly under the blankets. Exhaling a deep breath, he tried to portray calmness like his young costar by reminding himself that in this scene he was Spike Rollins, his brother’s hero, not a failure.
“Quiet on the set,” Preston announced.
Aidan rubbed his sweaty palms on the bed sheets.
The soundman positioned the boom microphone above his head.
“Action!”
Aidan, in character as Spike, knitted his eyebrows together to show his despair as he looked down at his dying brother in the hospital bed. His T-shirt clung to him under his windbreaker and beads
of sweat formed on his forehead.
“Andy. Andy, can you hear me?” He placed his hand on Andy’s forearm, desperate for his brother to stir. “Listen, I gotta plan, ya hear me?” His eyes began to water. “A real good plan that’s gonna get you well again. You aren’t gonna die. I promise I won’t let you die.”
Wiping away his tears, he glanced at the IV pole and followed the tube that traveled from the glass bottle toward his brother’s arm, carrying medication.
“Listen, I know you can hear me, Andy.” His voice was a desperate whisper. “You gotta hang in there for me. I just need a little time. And when you’re well again, we’re going to toss a baseball around, just like we used to.”
Tears poured down his face as his emotions bubbled to the surface. His chest tightened and he suddenly had difficulty breathing.
He blinked once.
Twice.
His surroundings came into focus, bringing back painful memories from his past. He focused on the warmth of her skin beneath his hand to find the strength to continue.
“I love you so much, and there’s no way I’m gonna fail you.” He clenched his teeth. “I gotta do it, I just gotta.”
Bowing his head, he felt the all-too-familiar terror wash over him. This time, he let his emotions consume him without a fight. He believed he deserved to feel guilty … afraid. He wanted to punish himself for not helping his mother and putting her in this hospital bed.
Aidan studied his mother’s auburn hair cascading across the pillow on either side of her head. She would’ve looked so peaceful if not for the swelling and bruising on her face … her ashen complexion.
He leaned closer, determined to help her get well, regardless of the doctor’s poor prognosis.
“You hear me?” he said through his tears. “I ain’t gonna let you die. It’s gonna be like the old days, when you played piano for me and I sat beside you and copied the notes. Remember that, Ma? Remember how happy we were then?”
Her eyes met his. Aidan wondered why they weren’t the emerald color he remembered from his childhood.
Starlight Page 18
