Starbright

by Richland, Alexandra

  Matthew’s manager made his way to Aidan’s side of the glass and extended his hand with a big smile on his face and dollar signs flashing in his eyes.

  “Allow me to introduce myself,” he said as Aidan stood from the piano bench. “My name is Merv Lewis.”

  Aidan shook Merv’s hand reluctantly.

  “Aidan Evans.” He stuck with a formal introduction, although he had a hunch Merv knew who he was already.

  Merv surveyed the piano. “Why are you recording a single?”

  “It’s not a single,” Aidan said sharply. “I didn’t record it for the public.”

  Merv didn’t look the least bit deterred, supporting his reputation as the most cutthroat manager in the music business. “That was an original composition. I’m sure of it.”

  Aidan clenched his jaw, imprisoning the harsh reply that simmered on his tongue. He exhaled a slow breath through his nose. “I’m not interested in a music career. I just came here to record for personal reasons, that’s it.”

  “That tune would sound great with lyrics,” Merv said, as though Aidan hadn’t spoken. “Do you sing, Mr. Evans? With your thriving film career and popularity, we could make—”

  “No.” A flush of anger rose in Aidan’s cheeks.

  “No, you don’t sing, or—”

  “No, I’m not interested. Period.” Aidan drove his hand through his hair and headed into the next room.

  “One damn take!” Chuck gave Aidan an enthusiastic pat on the back. “Remarkable!”

  “I heard you the first time.” Aidan shrugged him off and moved toward the exit.

  Matthew loosened his tie upon his approach, looking as easygoing as usual. “Evans, did you get an invite to Romanoff’s for Valentine’s Day?”

  Aidan collected himself enough for small talk, though the frantic need to escape brewed like lava under his skin.

  “Yeah, Beth and I each got one.” He made sure his voice was low enough that Merv and Chuck wouldn’t hear him. “She wants to go, so I said I’d go, too.”

  “Excellent.” Matthew rubbed his hands together. “We’re going to have a blast. I’ve gone every year since I moved to Hollywood and have never been disappointed.”

  Aidan felt the tension lift from his shoulders. “I guess I gotta wear a suit, huh?”

  “You’re Aidan ‘Golden Boy’ Evans. You can wear whatever you want.” Matthew nudged an elbow into his ribs. “Although, Connie, Olivia, and Beth went shopping the other day and bought fancy gowns for the festivities, so I don’t think it’s in your best interest to wear your typical attire.”

  Aidan grinned. “Olivia already said she’d help me find a suit.”

  “Just know you’ll never look as dapper as me, no matter how hard you try.” Matthew pulled on the lapels of his suit jacket in a boastful manner. Aidan chuckled. “Anyway, we’re done here. I just have to go over some things with Merv, and then I’m meeting Connie at Starlight Studios. I’ll drop off your record at your house sometime in the next few days.”

  “Sounds good, and thanks again for everything.” Aidan headed for the door, fishing his car keys out of his pocket and looking forward to freedom and fresh air.

  “Mr. Evans.”

  Aidan curled his hand around his keys as he turned to Merv.

  “Young man, are you sure you’re not interested in cutting a single? I’ve heard you’re adverse to contracts. I’d be willing to make an exception and work with you on a song by song basis.”

  Aidan bit back a curse only because Merv was Matthew’s manager. “I appreciate the offer, but like I said already, it’s a no-go.” He sounded controlled, but anger surged inside him, boiling close to the brim. “I have no interest in entering the music business, and if you don’t mind, I’d appreciate it if you kept what you saw here today to yourself.”

  Merv held up his hands. “Understood, Mr. Evans. I just couldn’t have you walk out the door without making one last attempt to convince you to return to the studio in an official capacity.”

  “Yeah, I get that.” Aidan’s reply spewed bitterly from his lips. “But my answer is still no.”

  “I respect your decision.” A broad smile, this time with overpowering sincerity, crossed Merv’s face. “I must say though, son, there’s a place in Heaven for the person who taught you how to play so beautifully. You have a true gift.”

  Aidan reached out to a nearby filing cabinet to steady himself as a vision of his mother’s broken, bloody body invaded his mind, throwing off his equilibrium like a spinning top that had lost momentum. The gruesome image was far from angelic, reflecting the actions of a man Aidan felt could only have been sent to their home by the devil himself.

  He squeezed his eyes shut, desperate to suppress the memories, as nausea coiled in his stomach like a defensive cobra, its venom making his heart beat at a deadly pace. He hadn’t experienced a vision in a while and felt terrified that they hadn’t stopped for good like he’d assumed. He hoped his nightmares wouldn’t return, too.

  “Are you all right, Aidan?” Matthew’s voice sounded miles away, void of its usual casual charm.

  The vision passed without developing completely. Aidan forced his eyes open and pushed away from the filing cabinet, looking everywhere but at the three men who regarded him curiously.

  “Uh, yeah. I’m good.” The words lodged in his throat. “Anyway, I gotta go.”

  Aidan put on his sunglasses to hide his watery eyes on his walk to the parking lot. In the privacy of his Porsche, he smashed his hands into the steering wheel with a curse and breathed in and out as much air as possible until his lungs burned and his sickness passed.

  What remained, however, felt much worse. A tortured soul, shattered by self-doubt, shame, and a tremendous fear that, despite his best efforts, he would never be worthy of Beth’s love like he had daydreamed while playing piano in the studio this afternoon.

  In the early evening on Valentine’s Day, Aidan stood on Beth’s front porch, holding a dozen red roses and attempting to adjust his crooked tie without success. He knocked twice and waited.

  When the door opened, Aidan almost dropped the bouquet to the ground. Dappled sunlight spilled into the house, dancing over Beth’s curled brown hair, which framed her face and fell to just below her ears. She wore an evening gown that was flame red and called to him like a beacon. The bodice was form fitting, as if her creamy skin had been poured into it, and the full skirt met her ankles, complemented by black high heels. Even dressed in a designer black suit, he felt inferior.

  Aidan stepped inside and closed the door behind him, ensuring Beth didn’t notice her present in the driveway. With a kiss to her cheek, an electric current vibrated under his skin.

  “You look incredible.”

  “And you look very handsome.” Beth graced him with a smile that cut through the dim light of the foyer. “Are those flowers for me?”

  Aidan extended the bouquet, his eyes feasting on her everywhere at once. “Happy Valentine’s Day.”

  She took the bouquet off his hands. “What a lovely gift. Thank you.”

  Aidan suppressed a grin. She was in for a big surprise if she thought the roses were her only present.

  “I got you something, too.” Beth gestured toward the kitchen. “Let me put the roses in water and then we can go into the living room.”

  Aidan brought his lips to her ear. “I already have the greatest gift of all. You.”

  Beth gave a demure giggle and took his hand, leading him down the hallway with a sultry sway of her hips. Aidan gripped her fingers tightly, as if he was afraid she might disappear, nothing but a mirage conjured up by his mind to trick him into believing he was worthy of such perfection.

  Beth collected a vase from under the sink and filled it with water. After removing the cellophane wrapping, she placed the roses inside the vase and fanned them out until she was satisfied. With a buoyant smile, she placed the vase on the kitchen table.

  “They look lovely in here.” She took a step back, admir
ing the flowers from afar.

  Aidan regarded her with the same appreciation. “I’m happy you like them.”

  “Very much so.” She turned to him, toying with the angel pendent around her neck. Since Christmas, she had never removed the necklace, and Aidan never took off the ring she bought him—unless they were on set. He felt it bound him to her whenever they were apart, which thankfully wasn’t often.

  “I can’t wait to spend the evening with you.” Aidan closed the gap between their lips. The air around him crackled to life like a kindled fire. “But first, I have something else for you.”

  “What do you mean? You already gave me flowers.”

  He tugged on her hand gently. “Follow me.”

  She giggled on their way to the foyer. “Aidan, what’s going on?”

  He pulled her in for a deep kiss as they reached the front door, and then he stood behind her. With his hands on her hips, he leaned over her shoulder and brushed his lips to her ear. “Close your eyes, little dove.”

  Beth did as he requested.

  Aidan opened the front door. With hesitant steps, Beth walked outside under his guidance.

  Aidan stopped her as they reached the driveway. “Okay, open your eyes.”

  “Oh my gosh!” Beth’s hand flew to her mouth. “But this—this can’t be for me!”

  Aidan dropped the keys to her new car into her palm. “Happy Valentine’s Day.”

  “Oh, Aidan, I love you!” She flung her arms around his neck, gracing him with the smile that had charmed movie audiences all over the country, but in this moment, was meant solely for him. “What kind is it?”

  “It’s a brand new, top-of-the-line, 1954 Cadillac Eldorado Sports Convertible in white Orlon.” Aidan led her down the driveway. “Only five hundred and thirty-two of them were made in the world. It has automatic transmission, a V8 engine, power steering, two hundred and thirty horsepower—”

  “That’s much too powerful for me!” Beth leaned over the passenger door and petted the white leather seats as if they were an exotic animal.

  Aidan chuckled. “Don’t worry. It’s got a lot of kick to it, but its safety is unmatched.”

  Beth frowned. “Does this mean you won’t be driving me to and from the studio anymore?”

  Aidan exhaled a deep breath. He was glad her expression wasn’t because she didn’t like her gift. “You can’t get rid of me that easily. I only wanted you to own your own car as backup, just in case.”

  “Good. Now that I know you haven’t abandoned me, I can appreciate my new car thoroughly.”

  With a playful shriek, Beth hopped into the driver’s seat. Dwarfed by the Cadillac’s large size, she gripped the steering wheel and pretended to drive it with an endearing, childlike wonder that made Aidan’s heart palpitate with merriment.

  “Can you take me out driving tomorrow?” she asked. “I’d like a refresher course before I go out on my own since I haven’t driven in a while.”

  Aidan nodded. “Sure. No problem.”

  “Now it’s time for your gift!”

  Beth led Aidan back inside the house with hurried steps and ushered him into the living room. He grinned the entire way, feeding off her excitement.

  Beth dropped his hand and set her car keys on the coffee table before walking over to the fireplace and picking up an envelope wrapped in a dark blue ribbon. She presented the gift with a smile that rewarded him a million times over.

  “Happy Valentine’s Day.”

  Aidan took a seat on the couch and removed two tickets from the envelope. When he read the event information, he leapt to his feet. “You got me tickets to the Heavy Weight Boxing Championship at Madison Square Garden in June!”

  “Ringside.” A proud smile accompanied Beth’s reply. “I figured we could go together, if you don’t mind my company. Golden Gloves will be finished long before then, and if I’m tied to another project, I’ll do my best to get away for a few days. My hope is that our relationship will be public knowledge by that time. But even if it isn’t, we’ll still go. I don’t care. I want to spend the evening with you, watching something I know you enjoy very much.”

  “You’d seriously go to a boxing match with me?” Aidan pulled his wallet out of his pocket and placed the tickets inside.

  Beth nodded. “I have tremendous respect for the sport now, thanks to filming Golden Gloves.”

  Aidan tucked his wallet away. “We can get a hotel room—”

  “Or we could stay at your apartment.”

  Aidan grinned. He still felt his shabby Manhattan residence wasn’t worthy of her, but sharing his bed with her—the same bed where he’d spent many lonely, miserable nights—was a very attractive offer.

  “That sounds perfect.” Aidan placed kisses across her cheek and down her neck.

  Her head fell back as a blissful sigh escaped her lips.

  “Baby, the tickets must’ve cost you a fortune.” With a delicate kiss to her angel pendent, he murmured, “Please, let me pay for them.”

  “You bought me a car, and you think the tickets are too expensive?” Beth linked her hands behind his neck and gave him a pout worthy of a temptress. “Please accept them as a gift from me.”

  Aidan wasn’t comfortable with her spending money on him, but there was no way he could say no to her. “Okay, I will.”

  She smiled and nestled her head against his chest.

  “Actually, the car and flowers aren’t your only gifts.”

  Beth was quick to pull back from him, her eyes wide in protest. “But you’ve already given me so much.”

  “Stay here. I’ll be right back.” Aidan’s steps faltered with the reminder of what occurred at the end of his visit to RCA Victor.

  He grabbed Beth’s car keys off the table and darted to the front door without giving himself a chance to dwell on the fact that, although the Cadillac was the flashiest gift of the evening, he wanted Beth to like her final present the most.

  In the driveway, he opened the Cadillac’s trunk and picked up the vinyl record Matthew had dropped off at his house yesterday. He returned to the house and met Beth in the living room. At a loss for what to say, he simply handed over the gift.

  Beth removed the disc from its sleeve and read the title. “ ‘Awakening.’ ”

  Aidan found the courage to look at her, though his gaze was hesitant. “I recorded our song. Of course, I’ll play it for you whenever you want, but I figured, you know, maybe you’d like to own a copy.”

  Beth brushed her fingers along the record like it was made of diamonds. “Aidan, this is the loveliest gift I have ever received.”

  He jammed his hands into his pockets and shrugged. “It’s no big deal, really.”

  Beth embraced him so tightly he had troubled breathing.

  “No,” she said firmly. “This is something special. Very special. Thank you.”

  Aidan’s worry over his experience at the studio vanished completely. “I’m glad you like it.”

  “Can we listen to it before we go?”

  Aidan grinned. “You bet.”

  Beth loaded the record on the hi-fi while Aidan turned on the table lamp, since the sun was now almost gone for the day. He stretched out on the same couch they had shared on Christmas Day and she lay on top of him, resting her head on his chest and tangling her legs with his.

  Aidan brushed his hand to her hair as their song drifted throughout the room so beautifully he almost forgot he was the one playing it. When the needle lifted, enveloping them in silence, they didn’t move from the couch. With Beth’s ear pressed to his rib cage, he hoped she heard the fervent pounding of his heart and knew every beat was for her.

  The shrill cry of the telephone stirred them. Beth groaned and stood. Aidan linked his hands behind his head as she walked across the room and lifted the receiver to her ear.

  “Hello.” She paused for the caller’s response and then giggled. “Yes, Liv, we’re leaving now.”

  Aidan grinned and shook his head. Olivia had the w
orst timing.

  Reluctantly, he rose from the coach and removed the record from the hi-fi. As he placed it back in its sleeve, he came to terms with the fact there would be no more quiet moments with Beth until they returned from Romanoff’s.

  By the time Beth hung up the telephone, Aidan was holding her gently and nuzzling her neck. Although he preferred to stay in, Beth looked forward to a fun-filled evening with their friends. With Olivia gone for the next several nights, they had plenty of opportunities for alone time.

  “Olivia and Nathan are leaving now,” she said. “Connie and Matthew are already at the restaurant. Apparently, Frank Sinatra owes them a drink after losing a bet to Matthew about whose Valentine’s Day single would reach number one this week.”

  Aidan drifted his lips down her neck. “I’m just going to walk back to my house to get my Porsche, and then I’ll swing by here to pick you up.”

  “Why don’t we take my car?”

  Aidan’s kisses stopped, giving way to a chuckle. “No offense, baby, but your Cadillac isn’t exactly my style.”

  “Watch what you say about my car, buster.” Beth tried not to smile but lost the battle. “It’s a luxurious, exclusive machine. Only five hundred and thirty-two of them were made in the world, you know. You should feel lucky I’m letting you drive it.”

  “Well, when you put it that way.” With a playful growl, Aidan placed a sloppy kiss to her cheek.

  Giggling, Beth wriggled out of his grasp. “I’ll get my purse from my bedroom and then we can leave.”

  Aidan’s expression grew serious.

  “So, you’re sure about tonight?” he said as she crossed the room.

  Beth regarded him over her shoulder with slight irritation. They’d had this discussion several times since receiving their invitations, and he knew she was tired of it. Still, he felt obligated to ask one final time.

  “Yes, I’m sure. The way I see it is, as long as we’re not overly affectionate, we’ll be fine. It may be Valentine’s Day, but we’ll be sitting at a table with mutual friends. We shouldn’t draw suspicion, but even if we do, I don’t care. I want to spend the evening with you at Romanoff’s and I won’t let anyone ruin it for me.”