A Captivating Conundrum

by Amy Lignor

I looked at Prince Charming. "So I suppose he'll get to meet Ms. Stone, or whatever her real name is, because he's performing her words?"

  "Ah…well, I have a friend who told me you need far more than just good looks to be remembered. My friend also said that young man just doesn't have it. He's a teen dream, not to mention really big with the lonely old chicks who watched The Graduate way too much."

  Chris laughed out loud.

  "Besides," Nicole added in a far-off voice, "I hear he's headed to London soon."

  I watched as the young actor shook an Italian man's hand and, like a scene straight out of The Godfather, they left the stage.

  Chris clapped his hands. "Good. England deserves him. They need a new sex symbol now that Jude Law is past his prime."

  Nicole suddenly giggled. "I like you."

  "Everyone does, dear." Chris winked. "Amber told us her beautiful friend Star wrote something. Which one is hers?"

  Nicole straightened on her extremely tall heels and smiled. "I don't know. Star and Bobby are really just acquaintances." She kept her eyes on me. "Anyway, I actually need to speak with YOU about something."

  My heart actually skipped a beat at her new, forceful tone. Suddenly I felt like I was back in acting class being told how bad my 'charisma' really was. "Huh?"

  "I need to take you to lunch."

  Five

  ~ His ~

  "I never realized how much I missed this," I mumbled, to the small woman marching beside me.

  "What's that?"

  "Bryant Park. I mean, Wow! You know?" I stared at the immaculate gardens surrounding us. The colors, the boaters, the 360 degree views of the truly astounding architecture that only New York could provide to the world…this was home. I mean, California had positives and certainly the sunshine was worth the price of admission when you finally achieved entrance into the elite Hollywood club, but New York—the scents, the sounds, the sites—everything was larger than life here.

  Some people moved at a rapid pace, looking at their watch, or smoking their cigarettes like it was the last moment of serenity before they headed back into their world of 'go, go, go.' Young lovers walked by hand-in-hand, somehow knowing that this was the location that would play home to their future wedding.

  There were kids running and people sitting against the large, green trees that'd just begun to blossom. Some, and I really loved this, didn't even have laptops. And unlike L.A., there were even some who weren't staring at a cell phone. They were simply leaning back, talking like real people, making eye contact with each other, and loving the fact they were a part of this magical world.

  Bobby's deep voice entered my ear and brought me back to the strange, and still unknown, situation I was a part of. "I know." He looked around at the same sights. "I love this place. It's so fast and furious, and then there are these corners that simply bring out the life inside you. Makes you wanna dance, huh?"

  I laughed. Actually, it did. I thought a great show number right now would be completely applicable.

  The restaurant up ahead was a favorite for all. The seasonal patio was open for business, and people had already congregated on the rooftop to dine in style while they sat on top of the world and stared at everything from the green lawns to the New York Public Library that called this area its own.

  As I reached out to grab the door handle—to be a gentleman, I thought—the small Nicole ripped it from my grasp and threw it open as if she was Streisand entering the room.

  Bobby just shook his head as she marched away. "She's like that."

  I nodded. "She can kind of put the fear of God into you, can't she?"

  Bobby patted me on the back as a slight tremor ran through me at the very thought of being stuck in a room with Nicole for a long time.

  "Trust me," Bobby snickered. "She talks a big game, but she's the most loyal woman on the planet."

  "Her husband must be a bulldozer to deal with that kind of power," I added.

  "He'll have to be," Bobby replied. "But something tells me when she comes across him we'll see a whole other Nicole."

  "Oh."

  "I'm personally looking forward to it. I've only ever seen one person who could put that woman in her place." He looked over the heads of the small crowd gathered inside. "And you're about to dine with both of them."

  "Great." I swallowed hard. "Any advice?"

  He laughed deeply. "Good luck to you."

  I turned around quickly, eyeing the tall man. "Aren't you coming?"

  Bobby shook his head. "No. I've had a pretty busy morning. Just gonna sit, eat and wait for my friend."

  "I feel like I need a bodyguard," I chuckled, although I was being slightly serious.

  Putting his hands in his pockets, he offered me a stare that was filled with a strange mixture of honesty and worry. "I am one; just not yours."

  I gave a slight nod as I watched him head into the mass of tables. Turning back around I looked at the ground, not wanting to have to smile pretty for a fan right now. But no such luck. As the young waitress suddenly appeared before me, her eyes grew wide. "It's you," she breathed.

  I nodded. "I'm with the small woman in black that just marched through here?"

  "This way," she said, batting her eyelashes.

  Meandering through the place, she kept looking back over her shoulder to flirt with me. I tried to smile back, reaching out my hands more than once to stop her from falling over the plant holders and running into customers. I really hoped she would stay quiet, wanting nothing more than to reach the little woman who I had a feeling would get seriously angry if I took too much longer to reach the table.

  As I looked into the corner, though, it was suddenly my stability that seemed to go out the window.

  Star raised her beautiful gaze and stood up to greet me. I sucked in my breath. Again, I tried to exhale but I wavered just a bit, hoping that she wouldn't notice the geeky teenage boy that seemed to appear whenever I was in her presence.

  Her lovely hand reached out to shake mine, as the scent of lavender radiated off her skin. "Thank you for coming," she said. "I figured Nicole would scare you so much you'd have thrown yourself under the subway by now just to get out of this."

  Releasing the air in my lungs slowly, I gently squeezed her hand until she pulled away. I pointed to her seat, waiting for her to get comfortable before the gentleman that I knew I was, sat down.

  I nodded at Nicole. "I actually thought of suicide but I was afraid she could bring me back to life and torture me to death."

  "Damn straight," Nicole mumbled. She stared up at the waitress who was still standing idly by staring down at me. "Sweetheart? Stop staring at the hunk and bring me a tall iced tea and a handmade Mozzarella salad."

  As if Nicole's words flipped a switch back on in her brain, the girl immediately wrote down the order.

  Nicole looked at Matt. "Those fresh herbs always get the heart a pumpin'. What'll you have?"

  My gaze immediately went to Star. She didn't look away, and my mind began to race, searching for the appropriate thing to say. Clearing my throat, I forced myself to turn back to the waitress. "Do you still serve the East Coast Fish and Chips?"

  A soft, seductive voice erupted from the teenager that screamed 'crush' from a mile away. "Oh, yes. They're the best thing we have."

  "Well, I've been away from home for a while so I'll take that." I turned to the ladies before me and tried to get my balance back. "California's good, but New York is the absolute best when it comes to dining."

  Star stared up at the girl. "Hello?"

  "Uh, huh," she replied, never taking her eyes off me for a second. I was starting to feel a little uncomfortable; I usually had other cast members with me to take the brunt of this kind of blatant attraction.

  "Coffee, please?" Star laughed.

  "Uh, huh," the girl said, remaining frozen in place.

  Trying to help, I looked up at her and smiled wide. "Could you bring us some coffee?"

  She beamed. "Absolutely!"
<
br />   I stared back at the stunner before me. "Anything else?"

  Laughing, she shook her head. "Actually, I think you could ask for a horse-drawn carriage and the Hope Diamond right now and this poor girl would go rob a bank to get them for you."

  The sweet sarcasm that melded with her soft tone was endearing. I looked back up at the waitress. "Could we have these items soon?"

  She nodded quickly. "Oh, yes! Anything for you, Bryce."

  Nicole wrinkled up her forehead. "Who's Bryce?"

  I shook my head. "Bryce is just the character I play."

  "Sounds like something from a romance novel."

  I couldn't stop glancing at the woman who wouldn't turn away. I didn't want her to, of course, but there's a point—maybe you men out there know it—when you look at a stunning piece of art for so long that you need to take a moment to get your balance back so you can sound intelligent again. But she barely blinked. In fact, she took in her surroundings like a spy on a mission, as if registering each movement, each color, into her brain to be able to call upon it at a later date. Her eyes were like a camera, not missing a single second of the life happening around her.

  And the hair…I know it's a childish thing to think about, but hers was a dark auburn. There was no ginger or red, just a deep auburn that in the shadows looked like rich chocolate brown that perfectly matched her eyes. But when the sun gleamed through the window the fire hiding within the soft curls was brought to life. Man…I was completely hooked.

  ~ Hers ~

  Waiting for Nicole and Bobby to arrive had been a lot like waiting for the executioner to release the blade and send my head flying.

  It sounds a little overly-dramatic, but I knew almost nothing about him. Which was not his fault, of course; unless he'd been a star center on the court or a magician with a hockey stick, I probably wouldn't have known him. I had never even seen 'America's Sweetheart' before now, which shows how much I attention I pay to Twitter and Facebook.

  I wrung my hands on the table, looking out the giant window framing Bryant Park. Saying, 'screw it,' and running out the doors to my library for a little peace and serenity was really the only thought on my mind, but I had to stay. I had to make this work. Amber was counting on me.

  When I watched the door swing open and Nicole stride through like Napoleon ignoring his troupes, I began to laugh. I always wondered why she never pursued a career on Broadway, considering she could make an entrance like no tomorrow. Not only that, but her voice could enunciate not only to the back row, but straight to the back row of a theatre three blocks away.

  Mr. McKenna was walking behind her with Bobby by his side. I have to say, if this Matthew guy had been gay, which I kind of had a feeling he wasn't, those two would've graced hundreds of magazine covers. Their six-foot height was the same, but McKenna's slightly lighter skin tone and amazing eyes that were now green, matching the fresh green shirt he wore, made him truly stunning. The strong square jaw, that thick head of hair—it was if the 'time demon' that hits most men had simply let these two pass by unscathed.

  Matt's lovely brown curls framed his strong face, and Bobby's wind-blown black hair made him look like a surfer who'd chosen not to go blond like all the rest.

  As they stood there having a conversation, they both smiled—that was the moment that really shook me. Bobby's lips stretched out over those brilliant pearly-whites, while Matt's full lips moved slower. One corner rose up, as if offering a small view of the straight white teeth, before raising the curtain to make the audience gasp at the full effect.

  And their figures… My body felt the tingle once again as I remembered the feel of our first meeting. You could almost see the muscles moving under the shirts of these two men, knowing that every bicep, every ab—the whole picture—would be absolutely astounding.

  I shook my head and screamed at myself. This was about Amber. I needed this guy to get her a home, and there was absolutely no way I was going to flirt to get him on board. I was never any good at that crap, anyway. So I would just have to rely on my passion and Nicole's sheer presence to get him to agree.

  Nicole rushed forward like giant crocodiles were snapping at her heels. "I did my part, honey. I got him here."

  I nodded, swallowing the small nugget of fear that formed in my throat. I stood up quickly, thrusting my hand out to him as he came closer. I watched him falter a bit and stop, knowing that he probably wanted nothing more than to get out from behind the waitress that seemed to be making him trip the whole way.

  After staring into the lovelorn face of the young girl, I understood her reasons for being clumsy. I laughed a little, enthralled by how gallant Matt was being to her as he tried to settle her nerves and place our order.

  I smiled as she walked away. "Bryce does sound a bit like a romance novel," I agreed with Nicole.

  He smiled back; the corner of his lips rose quickly this time as he moved forward in his chair and placed his elbows on the table. "There's a little romance, I suppose."

  "I'm sorry," I immediately apologized, forgetting that his success should be praised. "I rarely watch T.V."

  His laugh was loud and fun. "Not a problem at all. It's refreshing."

  "Refreshing?"

  He shrugged. "You have no predeterminations about me. You're meeting just me and not my character, it's kind of nice. Now when you decide you dislike me, I can only blame it on my own personality."

  "Why would I dislike you?" I was suddenly confused.

  He grinned. "I don't go to church."

  "Huh?" I glanced at Nicole who was also looking more than a bit befuddled.

  "Well, if God lets a stunner like you find me attractive, that would be a real gift…that I've done nothing to deserve." He kept eye contact, but I saw the pronounced Adam's apple move as he swallowed hard and closed his eyes, as if suddenly dying of embarrassment.

  I looked away from the gaze that was now hazel in the gleaming rays of sunshine, and searched for that sarcastic woman I knew, loved and felt comfortable with who lived in my soul.

  Reaching over, I slugged him on the shoulder. "You should see me when you're all liquored up. From a distance, with one eye shut—I'm telling you that whiskey can make me look just like Monroe."

  His laugh came from the bottom of his soul. "She's got nothing on you. Besides, I don't like blondes."

  Nicole cleared her throat. Good, she needed to step in because my brain was already spinning, trying to find the intelligence I knew I'd built up over the years.

  "Mr. McKenna," she began

  He moved his gaze slowly from mine and raised an eyebrow at her. "Matt."

  "Okay, Matt." Nicole sat up straighter in her chair, commanding him to keep his eyes on her. It was good, I needed an intermission.

  "We have a proposition for you that will be beneficial to your career."

  Matt sat back in his chair, keeping a soft smile on his face. "And what's that?"

  Clearing her throat, Nicole pasted the mask of a solid businesswoman on her face. "The writers were in the theatre today because they actually had a deal with the charity organizers that they could choose the celebrities for their pieces themselves. They have final say when it comes to that."

  He nodded.

  "Of course, Jason Marnelli absolutely loves you. In fact, he was the one who asked for you and your friend, Chris because of the work you've done together in the past and how truly outstanding you are when it comes to dancing and singing."

  "Thank you," he said. "We try."

  I took a deep breath, knowing what was coming next and praying that he would see things my way.

  "Anyway," Nicole said. "The finale…Father? Did you watch that one performed?"

  He glanced at me, the flecks of green and brown danced in his eyes. "Yes."

  "The writer didn't like 'America's Sweetheart' for the role."

  "He's quite famous," Matt said, his eyes growing a bit confused.

  "So are you," I interjected.

  A corner of his lips
rose once more. "Thank you."

  When my need took over his looks simply disappeared and the sex appeal was gone. What I needed more than anything was his agreement. "Mr. McKenna—"

  "Matt."

  I cleared my throat. "Father needs a very specific talent which the writer believes you have in spades."

  He thought for a moment. "That's really humbling, considering how intense the work is. And I know that Ms. Stone is a name that's most likely pulling in a lot of money for the charity. I wouldn't want her to get less than she deserved."

  "It's not about her, it's about those children," I responded quickly. "And you are the one who can deliver the message to the audience that she wants delivered."

  His eyebrows furrowed. "Is Ms. Stone here?"

  The question was simple enough, but as I looked into those eyes that held not a hint of humor or doubt whatsoever, I knew Matt already knew the answer.

  I nodded.

  Immediately he reached across the table. "It really is amazing to meet you, Ms. Stone."

  I shook the hand and smiled. "You, too. And…it's Lily." I laughed.

  The waitress reappeared and I gasped when I looked up. The poor girl looked like a flummoxed UPS driver who'd been inundated with monster packages. The coffee pot was resting at a precarious tilt, and the Fish and Chips, as well as the salad, looked as if they were about to hit the floor.

  Quickly, Matt jumped up from his chair, snatching the tray and the scalding pot from her hands. With fluid movements, like the dancer he was, Matt placed everything on the table and took the girl's trembling hand. "Are you okay?"

  She nodded. The glazed gaze returned as if her Prince Charming had saved her from a death defying tumble off a massive horse.

  Nicole's patience quickly evaporated as she sent the server a glare. "We're fine now, dear. GO see to your other customers."

  Matt sat down and I immediately noticed the coffee leaking down his shirt. "Did she burn you?"

  He laughed. "No, I'm fine." Taking a napkin he simply patted his chest dry and picked up his silverware.

  "Huh," I was dumbfounded.

  "What?"

  "A celebrity who doesn't bitch, whine, or sigh at the commoners? Very respectful. You certainly are impressive…in many ways."