Starlight

by Alexandra Richland

  Aidan’s focus was rerouted when Beth covered her mouth with her hand and coughed.

  “Are you okay?” He peered at her in concern.

  She cleared her throat. “Yes. I’m just a bit parched.”

  “Do you wanna get a drink somewhere?”

  Beth waved him off. “Please, don’t make a fuss. I’m all right.”

  “No way. We’ll stop somewhere and get a drink.”

  She gave him a small smile. “Well, if you don’t mind. I don’t have to be back at my hotel yet and it would be nice not to end our night prematurely.”

  Aidan wished she’d get used to asking him for things. She had to know by now that he’d never say no to anything she requested of him.

  He pulled over to the side of the road and turned off the engine. “So what type of place do you wanna go to?”

  Beth looked at him with cheerful eyes. “Can we go to one of the places you frequented before you came out to California?”

  Aidan cringed. The places in the city where he hung out weren’t good enough for her, not by a long shot, especially compared to the Waldorf Astoria, where she fit in so perfectly. She would definitely second-guess if he was worthy of her if he took her to any one of them.

  “That’s not such a good idea.” He cast his eyes toward the driver’s side window.

  “Aidan, I don’t care if they don’t have marble floors or violin players.”

  Twirling his car key ring around his forefinger, he ran through a list of possible places where he could take her and quickly eliminated all of them for one reason or another. Ideally, he wanted to take her to a drugstore. Some place wholesome with candy apples and milkshakes.

  Aidan kept thinking and eventually decided on a place that seemed like the best option of the bunch, which still wasn’t saying much. With a resigned sigh, he restarted the engine.

  “Okay. Let’s get you that drink.”

  He shifted gears and glanced over at Beth. She was smiling. Although he wanted to relax, too, and enjoy a beverage with her, he couldn’t shake the feeling that what she was about to see would disgust her: The darker side of his world; the past he wanted so desperately to bury for the sake of any future they might have together.

  ***

  On their journey through the city, Beth spent most of her time looking at Aidan. Only when the neighborhoods began looking different from what she saw today did she focus out the window. Doormen no longer stood at the entrances of the residences and hotels. The automobiles parked along the curbs were not new and expensive models, and the men and women walking down the streets were no longer dressed in fancy suits and furs.

  The atmosphere was more casual and Beth, too, felt more at ease. She was excited to explore this part of Manhattan and visit a place Aidan used to frequent before he came to Hollywood.

  They pulled up in front of an unassuming building with a faded sign that read Art’s Bar mounted above the entrance.

  Aidan parked the car and turned off the engine. “Okay, we’re here.”

  Beth studied the pedestrians on the sidewalk. They looked closer to her in age and were dressed down, unlike the Waldorf patrons. “Aidan, what is this area called?”

  “Greenwich Village.” His moonlit expression hardened as he turned to her. “Stay close to me at all times, understand?”

  “All right,” she replied, although she felt perplexed by the instruction.

  Aidan walked around to the passenger’s side and helped her out of the car. She set his rose and her photograph on her seat and clutched her purse to her body as he shut her door and led her to the tavern.

  The worn wooden door squeaked as he pushed it open and ushered her into a narrow, dimly lit room with a bar that ran along the side wall, accompanied by wooden stools. Shadows lurked at some of the circular tables scattered throughout the small space. The air smelled strongly of cigarettes and soft jazz music drifted from a small radio in the corner.

  Behind the bar, a heavy-set man with thinning hair and stains on his white T-shirt wiped the inside of a glass with a rag. Beth made a move to sit down on one of the stools.

  “Wait a second.” Aidan brushed his hand over top of it. “Okay, now you can sit.”

  Beth suppressed an eye roll and sat down. She was grateful for his concern but felt he was going overboard.

  Aidan took a seat beside her, placing his forearms on the bar top and hunching forward. He shot her a sideways glance. His leg bounced up and down, as if he was feeling impatient or anxious.

  The bartender looked up.

  “Shit!” He slammed the glass down onto the bar and squinted at Aidan. “Evans, is that you? I can’t believe it! I thought you were living it up in movie land. What the hell are you doing here?”

  “Hey, Art. Listen, can you watch your language?” Aidan gestured to Beth. “I got company.”

  Art raised his eyebrows at her. “So what’ll ya have?”

  “I’ll have water, please.”

  He scoffed. “Lady, this is a bar, not a soda shop—”

  Aidan slammed his fist down onto the bar. Beth jumped.

  “Artie, you and I go way back, but seriously, don’t talk to her that way. She’s not like the other broads that come in here.”

  Beth’s heart lurched. If Aidan hung around here and thought she didn’t fit in, did he think she didn’t fit well with him, either?

  Art lifted his hands in surrender. “Sorry, lady. It’s just I don’t get a lot of orders for water around here, ya know?”

  Beth offered a pleasant smile. “That’s all right. I can order something else—”

  “No,” Aidan growled. “You want water, so you’re gonna get water.”

  Beth exhaled a patient breath and extended her hand to Art. Just because Aidan refused to act nicely, didn’t mean she needed to follow suit.

  “Hi, I’m Elizabeth Sutton.”

  Art shook her hand, his expression softening. “The name’s Arthur Thayer. Nice to meet you.” He narrowed his eyes at Aidan. “What are you having? The usual?”

  “A soda.”

  “What about your favorite beer?”

  Aidan shook his head, his eyes fixed on the bar top. “Not tonight.”

  Beth frowned. “You don’t have to order a soft drink because I ordered water.”

  Aidan sighed. “All right, Artie, the usual.”

  Art nodded and walked away.

  “You didn’t have to do that, you know,” Aidan muttered.

  Beth looked at him curiously. “Do what?”

  “Shake his hand.”

  “It’s the polite thing to do.” She shrugged. “Besides, I wanted to. Art seems nice.”

  “Yeah, but this isn’t exactly the cleanest place around.”

  “So you’re saying because Art’s not rich, famous, and impeccably groomed, he doesn’t deserve a handshake?” Beth shook her head. “I don’t care about things like that. This tavern may not be the Waldorf, but I’m still happy to be here.”

  Art returned with their drinks, so she couldn’t speak on the topic further.

  Aidan lifted his bottle to his lips, but lowered it back down to the bar before taking a sip. His expression hardened as he picked up Beth’s glass.

  “Artie!”

  Art made his way back down the bar, a large grin on his face. “Whatcha need?”

  “Her glass is dirty. Get her another.” Aidan’s scowl deepened. “And some clean napkins.”

  Art glared at him, but took back Beth’s glass without a word and replaced it with a new one. Aidan lifted it up to the dim lights for inspection.

  “Is that good enough, Your Highness?” Art’s lips curled into a sneer. “I guess now that you’ve gone all Hollywood, my place isn’t up to your standards anymore. Why did you come back here tonight, anyway?” With a shake of his head, he walked down the bar to serve a man who had just arrived.

  The tavern was quiet, but even the tranquil voice of Billie Holiday floating from the radio couldn’t eradicate the tension in
the air.

  With Art out of earshot, Beth seized the opportunity to inquire into Aidan’s sour mood. “Why are you being so rude to Art? I thought you two were friends.”

  Aidan wrapped both hands around his beer bottle and stared ahead. “Beth, he’s not my friend. I used to come here for a few years and we’ve talked before. That’s it.”

  Fear that Aidan had changed his mind about her won out over her irritation.

  “Is it me?” she asked softly.

  Aidan removed his hands from his bottle abruptly, as if the glass had burned him. “Beth, it’s not you.”

  Her eyebrows knitted together. “I’m confused. I asked you to take me to a place you liked and felt comfortable in.”

  “I just don’t trust people around here. If I was by myself, it would be different, but with you …”

  “Who don’t you trust?” Beth turned around on her stool. “Is it the elderly man in the corner drinking alone?” She shifted in her seat again. “Or the young couple toward the back, huddled together and smiling? They might not be wearing tuxedos and gowns like the Waldorf patrons, but they still look all right to me.”

  A frown tugged at Aidan’s lips. “You have too much faith in people, Beth. They aren’t always who they seem.”

  She placed her hand on his forearm. “I have faith in you and know you’ll keep me safe.”

  Aidan picked at the label on his beer bottle. “Yeah, well, maybe you shouldn’t.”

  Beth folded her arms across her chest. “The only thing that’s ruining my experience at this tavern right now is you.”

  Aidan winced. “It’s just … you’re too good for this place. I’m not, but you are, and … I don’t know … bringing you here was just a bad idea.”

  “This is our day,” Beth replied, “an opportunity for us to get to know each other without the intrusion of work. Right now, you’re able to relax and just be yourself. I had hoped you’d take advantage of that and show me another side of you that perhaps you typically don’t show others.”

  Aidan exhaled deeply. “You know, I wasn’t playing a part back at the Waldorf, but the truth is I fit in better here. It wasn’t until I saw you in this place that I panicked and thought you’d start questioning your desire to get to know me better.”

  Aidan’s confession pained Beth immensely, but she was happy he was finally opening up. Until now, she had no inkling he was so insecure when it came to the two of them. He always seemed so confident.

  “I’m not judging you,” she said, “so please don’t judge me and assume what I like or don’t like.”

  Aidan bowed his head. “You’re right. My attitude was uncalled for. I’m sorry.”

  “Apology accepted.” Beth was proud of their progress and decided to take it a step further. “So, if we’re going to start enjoying our time here, how about giving me a sip of your beer?”

  Aidan smirked. “Do you even drink beer? I don’t want to be responsible for turning you into a beatnik.”

  Beth giggled. “I don’t know what a beatnik is, but since today is all about experiencing new things, and I’ve never had a beer before, I’d like to try some.”

  Aidan slid the bottle toward her, his smirk widening into a grin. “Be my guest.”

  Beth lifted the bottle to her lips and took a sip.

  “Yuck!” She slammed the bottle back to the bar top and launched into a coughing fit.

  Aidan handed her the glass of water and she gulped it down. When their eyes met, they burst into laughter.

  “Hey, Art,” Aidan called once they settled down.

  Art flipped a rag over his shoulder and walked along the bar toward them. “What do you want—to voice more complaints?”

  “I wanna say I’m sorry.” Aidan stood and extended his hand. “No hard feelings?”

  Art’s smile reappeared. Instead of returning the handshake, he leaned over the bar and pulled Aidan in for a hug.

  With a grin on his face, Aidan sat back down and turned to Beth. “The food at the Waldorf really didn’t do anything for me. Do you mind if I order something here?”

  Beth smiled. “Not at all.”

  “Do you want anything?”

  She removed her coat. “No, I’m fine. Thank you.”

  Aidan ordered French fries and drank his beer while she sipped water. They reminisced about their day together, shared laughs, and Beth knew it didn’t matter that they didn’t have everything in common. They complemented each other well.

  During a break in their conversation, Aidan looked at his watch and frowned. “I better get you back to your hotel. You have a busy day tomorrow.”

  “What time is it?”

  “Almost midnight.”

  The blood drained from Beth’s face. She’d been enjoying her time with Aidan so much that she’d completely forgotten about her curfew. She was supposed to meet Will hours ago!

  “Is everything okay?” Aidan asked.

  “Yes, everything is fine.” The last thing she needed was for him to feel guilty over keeping her out too late. Even though Henry would reprimand her for her behavior, she wasn’t sorry. Aidan was worth getting into trouble for.

  Aidan paid the bill, helped her into her coat, and they said good-bye to Art.

  An unspoken sadness lingered between them as they drove back to the Plaza Hotel. Their wonderful day together was about to end, and from now on, Beth knew nothing would be the same. Their careers could lead them on different paths and it scared her not knowing when she would see him again. She also didn’t want him to forget about her during whatever separation they might face.

  When the hotel came into view, Aidan turned the car to the right unexpectedly and drove down a dark residential street. He pulled up alongside the curb and cut the engine.

  Beth looked over at him, her heart pounding with anticipation.

  Aidan leaned toward her, staring into her eyes. The air rushed out of her lungs as he reached over her and unlatched the glove box, removing a white envelope and a package wrapped in gold-colored paper.

  “I, uh, hope I didn’t startle you by stopping here like this.” He fingered the decorative bow on the package. “Although the gentlemanly thing to do would be to walk you to your door, I know that isn’t an option for us tonight. So I brought you here to talk to you privately and also to give you a proper good-bye.”

  The butterflies in Beth’s stomach multiplied.

  Aidan extended the package to her, keeping the envelope in his lap. “I got you something.”

  “You didn’t have to buy me anything.” Beth accepted the gift from him hesitantly. “You already treated me to the most wonderful day I’ve had in ages. I don’t need anything else.”

  “Happy birthday,” he said softly.

  Beth’s hand flew to her mouth. “How did you––? Oh, Aidan, thank you!”

  Normally, she looked forward to her birthday, but this year, because she was on the road and away from all of the people she cared about, she wasn’t enthusiastic about it at all. Olivia promised to call her, and she would see her parents in Portland, but she still felt lonely. Aidan acknowledging her birthday changed her feelings on the matter entirely.

  Beth untied the bow and removed the wrapping paper, revealing a powder blue box underneath. When she opened it, she gasped. Inside was the most beautiful wooden box she had ever seen, carved with red and blue flowers and green vines.

  She opened the gold latch in the front and lifted the lid. A miniature figurine of a man and woman embracing in a dancing pose and dressed in formal attire sat atop a pedestal. The woman wore a form-fitting red gown, and the man, a black suit. The similarities to the way Beth and Aidan were dressed presently were uncanny.

  Aidan leaned over and cranked the dial at the back of the box. One of Beth’s favorite songs filled the car.

  Moonlight Serenade.

  The couple on the platform rotated slowly in their intimate embrace, reminding Beth of the dances she’d shared with Aidan at the Waldorf.

 
“Do you like it?”

  “I do.” Her voice wavered with gratitude. “And this is one of my favorite songs.”

  A grin swept across Aidan’s face. “Mine, too.”

  The music slowed to a stop and the couple ceased turning.

  Aidan handed her the white envelope. “I wrote you a note as well, but please wait until you’re in your hotel suite to read it.”

  Beth pouted. “I’d like to read it now, when you’re with me.”

  Aidan shook his head. “I’d feel much more comfortable if you read it when I’m not around.”

  “All right.” She placed the envelope in her purse.

  Aidan cleared his throat. “Beth?”

  “Yes, Aidan?”

  “May I place a kiss on your cheek?”

  “A kiss?” Heat fanned across her face. “Why, yes. I … I’d like that very much.”

  “I’m sorry I’m asking you in my car––”

  “I don’t mind, honest.” She felt her blush deepen.

  Aidan draped his right arm over her seat and moved closer … closer. Then, finally, his lips were near hers.

  “I had a wonderful time with you today,” he murmured.

  “Me too.” Beth closed her eyes.

  Aidan pressed his lips to her cheek, his hand stroking the other side of her face. He kissed her cheek again, followed by her jaw, stirring something warm and pleasurable deep inside her that she’d never felt previously.

  Beth took in a sharp breath as he moved lower … lower. When his lips met her neck, desire rippled from her head to her toes and she let out a gasp.

  “Oh my!”

  Aidan flung back against the driver’s side door, his eyes wide and his hands yanking at his hair. “Beth, I’m sorry! I––I got carried away. Damn it, I’m so sorry …”

  It took her a moment to realize he’d misinterpreted her reaction. “No, Aidan, wait. I didn’t gasp because you made me feel uncomfortable.”

  He dropped his hands from his hair. “Then why?”

  “I …” She lowered her gaze. “I liked what you were doing. A lot.”