Moon over the Bay (Moonlit Nights)

by Morgan Emerson

  The waitress came back and gave Nathan a bright smile when she leaned over a bit too far and set the drink in front of him. He got an eyeful of her pale-pink bra and the wink when she caught him looking. A few months ago Nathan would’ve taken that wink as an invitation to see if her panties matched her bra. Now all he could think about was Jess.

  He’d texted her a few times in the last couple of days but nothing more than: Hi, things are great and I’m super busy-I’ll call later. Nathan wanted to blame the sixteen-hour days and the four a.m. wake up calls, but he couldn’t. During those hours the actors spent a lot of time waiting. And waiting. And every time he sat down, he’d pulled out his cell and looked at it. Sometimes he’d start a text or pull up her number to call her. Other times he’d scroll through the photos he’d taken of her.

  Most of the photos were of her on her damn cell phone. In some she was talking, others she was using her super-speed thumbs on the keypad. But the picture he always stopped on was one she didn’t know he’d taken.

  The sun was barely peaking over the horizon as it was setting, and Jess was sleeping. Her curly red hair was spread out over her white pillow as she lay on her stomach, facing him. The pale freckles that were spattered over her bare shoulder and nose were visible in the setting light. Nathan remembered waking her by kissing every spot he found.

  Now he was surrounded by people just like he always wanted and all he could think about was a woman four-hundred miles away.

  Nathan let out a heavy sigh and finished his drink in one gulp. The burn felt good.

  “Hey there, cutie, you better slow down before you end up under the table drunk off your ass.” He looked to his left and saw one of the extras had taken a seat. Of course she was the redhead.

  “I’ll be all right,” he muttered before leaning over to grab a champagne bottle and an empty glass. He filled it before sitting back and taking a drink.

  “Uh huh, whatever you say.” The woman offered before pouring herself a glass of champagne.

  Nathan tried to listen to the conversations around him, but he wasn’t interested. He just couldn’t not think about Jess. The redhead next to him didn’t help. Not that she looked anything like Jess. This woman was well toned and dressed for attention where Jess was all soft curves and stylish comfort.

  He didn’t know what to do about her. It had seemed so right to tell her he was moving to San Francisco at the time, but now that he was back in LA, he just couldn’t shake how different their backgrounds were. Jess grew up with a silver spoon in her mouth, and Nathan grew up basically parentless. Jess’s parents were overbearing and controlling, while his mom made sure he had necessities but didn’t care past that. Nathan finished his glass and poured another.

  He glanced over at the end of the table and saw one of the studio lawyers flirting with one of his co-stars. She was pretty good looking for her age, but she had at least fifteen years on the guy she was smiling at and touching. Nathan remembered when he had been on the receiving end of such attentions once he started making the audition circuit. He hated it, and watching it now made his alcohol-filled stomach roll.

  Nathan didn’t ever want to feel that way again. And Jess was rich. How many men had she treated like a boy toy? That was what she’d said to him that weekend, how much she’d enjoy having him as her toy boy. How many men had she had then grew tired of? He took another drink. But was she really like that? She seemed way too sweet to be that cruel. He pulled his cell out and looked at it. He typed out a quick text and sent it off. Then he poured himself another glass of champagne when the flirty waitress brought another bottle.

  _____

  The shrilling sound of his phone cut through the fog in Nathan’s brain. He struggled to regain consciousness but it seemed to be lost in the thick haze of booze from the night before. Nathan rolled onto his back as the noise finally stopped. The silence was blissful.

  He tried to recall what had happened yesterday as he slowly started to blink, looking up at the ceiling. A ceiling that didn’t look like the one in his house. Nathan looked to his left and saw an unfamiliar nightstand and lamp. A toilet flushed, and he sat up immediately. As fast as he sat up, he fell back directly while clutching his throbbing head. Nathan heard the bathroom door open and was scared to look.

  “Hey there, cutie,” a woman purred as she sat on the bed near him. Oh no. No. No. No.

  He peeked through his hands to look at the woman.

  How the hell did he manage to get himself into this mess?

  “Nice to see you too.” She smirked as she pulled her dress on over her bra and panties.

  Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit.

  “Well since you’re so chatty, I’m going to take off.” She put on her shoes and headed for the door. Nathan finally recognized her. The extra who’d tried to talk to him last night.

  “Wait, did we . . . you know?” Nathan tried to swallow as he waited for his death sentence.

  The woman snorted. “Not for my lack of wanting.” She gave him a sultry smile, and he felt sick.

  “No need to look so freaked out. After you got super drunk, which I warned you about, I helped you up to the room,” she grabbed her purse and looked at him. “I was worried you’d end up getting sick and dying or something, then they’d shut down production, and I’d be out of a job.” She shrugged.

  “Anyway, you kept calling me ‘Jess,’ and when I managed to get you in bed, you held me and said you loved me. At which point you passed out. Your Jess must be a special girl. Congrats on the part again. See you on Monday,” she said with a wink before shutting the door.

  The relief Nathan felt was swift and overwhelming. Damn. The part! Nathan sat up again, and instead of falling back, he grabbed his phone and went to call Jess. But then he stopped.

  When his agent called about the part a few days ago, he’d been elated. First he was antsy all the way home on the flight and again the next day as he headed to the studio. After a screen test and a table read with the other leads on the show, the producers took everyone out to dinner. That was when the drinks started and didn’t stop until the sun came up, if he remembered correctly.

  While this was only for the pilot episode he had filmed, the studio had high hopes that it would be picked up for the summer schedule. This would mean he’d have to stay in LA. Nathan let out a big sigh and fell back onto the pillows.

  He really liked Jess. Hell, if what the woman from earlier had said was true, he actually loved Jess. Did he really love her though? Nathan knew that he wanted to call her and tell her about everything that happened. But he also didn’t want to think about what this role would mean for the both of them.

  Nathan realized the phone ringing was what had woken him, and when he looked at the screen he saw that it was a missed call from Jess. The indicator said she had left a voicemail. Remembering the panic he briefly felt when he thought he’d had sex with another woman, he couldn’t bring himself to call her back yet. A lump formed in his throat at hurting Jess’s feelings, and he thanked his lucky stars that he had enough sense not to sleep with that woman.

  Once at home, Nathan showered and started working on some of his smaller accounts that he’d let pile up while he was busy with Jess. He chose the jobs that were the least demanding today, producing marketing material and updating some websites and blogs. It kept him busy until his agent’s ringtone filled the air. Layla had received the contract details for negotiation if a full season was ordered and was pleased with the offer. Nathan was shocked to hear the amount. Also, if the pilot were to get picked up, the studio would lease him a house close to the sound stage where it would be shot.

  He couldn’t believe his luck at the moment. Just when he thought all was lost on the acting front, a golden opportunity was presented to him. Then there was Jess. She was everything he never knew he wanted. And now that Kyle was moving to San Francisco permanently, that would leave Nathan alone again. As much as he hated to admit it, he despised being alone and left behind.

&nbs
p; It always made him feel like he had growing up and his mom never being around. When Kyle had brought him home to meet his parents during one summer break, it was like being wrapped in a warm blanket on a cold night. Kyle’s parents accepted Nathan as if he were a long lost son. He had been there with Kyle when his friend’s mom passed and his dad, Miles, wept. The three men grew closer after that, and the idea of not seeing Kyle or Miles as often hurt.

  If the pilot was picked up though, his life would change, and he’d never be alone again. Nathan would be invited into the inner sanctum of Hollywood and TV land. It would be awards shows, interviews, then onto movies and box office success. He leaned back in his chair and clasped his hands on his head. Sure, he could try a long distance thing with Jess, but how long before she wouldn’t be able to handle his schedule? Or the tabloids, if he ever got that famous?

  But could he really only see her again in passing when he visited Kyle and Sadie? What if she started seeing someone else; how would he deal with that? The thought of another man touching her made his blood boil. On the other hand, now that this golden opportunity was laid at his feet, could he walk away for a chance at love? What if she didn’t care for him as much as he did her?

  Nathan rubbed his hands over his face and let out a heavy sigh. He’d never been so conflicted in his life.

  Lost in thought, it took a moment to realize his phone had chimed letting him know he had an email. Nathan jumped over to his email account on the laptop and saw the latest message was from Kyle.

  Hey brother,

  Look what a local Chicago news guy caught with his camera. Sadie and I thought it was fairly telling. Call me when you get a chance.

  Kyle

  Nathan downloaded the photo that was attached in Kyle’s email and opened it immediately as his curiosity was piqued. What he saw was a gorgeous photo taken during Sadie’s show in Chicago. The image struck him so profoundly he was reaching for his phone to make that call, never once taking his eyes off the screen.

  _____

  Jess swallowed the last of the wine in her glass, her third for the evening. She was sitting in her wonderful tub, soaking in the wonderful essential oils. Wonderful!

  If everything was so freakin’ wonderful then why the hell did she feel so miserable?

  Letting out a deep sigh, she acknowledged that she knew exactly why. It’d been a week since she’d heard from the man. Since he sent his “needing time to figure things out” text. It’d been ten stinking days since he walked out her door . . . leaving her alone in her big, sad, empty apartment. It felt so cold now, as if he’d taken the warmth with him when he left her. Even the melodic tones coming through her speakers were sad; Train was singing “This ain’t goodbye.” Pfft. It totally was.

  Hell, she’d turned into a hermit these last ten days. Not helped by the fact that Sadie was gone too; she’d left a couple days ago with Kyle for Los Angeles to help him pack.

  That’s where he was. Blast him all to hell!

  Jess knew she was acting like a heartbroken teenager, but she couldn’t help it. She felt like one. Jess wanted to call him and yell at his voicemail, or send him a scathing email about how awesome she was and how lame he was. She resisted . . . because maybe it was the booze talking.

  An hour later, she was wandering listlessly around her apartment, unable to settle, when her house phone rang. It was the security guard from the front desk telling her she had a delivery from a department store. She didn’t remember ordering anything but allowed the delivery anyway. It might be from her parents or a client. The man knocked on the door once to let her know he’d arrived, and when she opened it, handed her a note as well as a garment bag before running back to the elevators.

  She walked to her room and hung the bag up in her closet, and then she opened and read the note in her hand.

  Jess,

  You looked so beautiful the night of the viewing that I regretted tearing your dress in my haze of lust. Please forgive my Neanderthal behavior and accept this gift as an apology.

  Nathan

  She was at a loss for words. Nothing from him in ten days and now this? Jess shoved the note in the pocket of her robe and unzipped the garment bag. She gasped when she saw the dress inside, running her hand over the silk material. It was just like the dress she wore that night except this was dark purple instead of gray.

  What an infuriating, endearing, stupid man!

  Jess was in shock. She lay on her bed and thought about what this gift meant. Why send it now? It had been a week since she last heard from him. At least she took comfort in the fact he’d thought about her enough to replace the dress. How in the world had he known who had designed the dress? How the hell had he afforded this on a struggling actor’s salary? Weren’t they all broke? Should she call him and thank him? What if this was a goodbye gift?

  Debating about how to handle this new development with Nathan, she was relieved to get a text from Sadie asking her to come to dinner tomorrow, so they could catch up. Jess quickly shot back a reply saying she’d be there. She’d ask Sadie for advice then.

  CHAPTER NINE

  Jess took a deep breath before climbing out of her car in front of Sadie’s apartment block. Today had been a long day. It started with nursing a wicked hangover, followed by lunch with her parents. They, of course, picked up on her foul mood and spent the next hour lecturing her on how people of their stature weren’t irresponsible and let themselves indulge too much. As much as she loved her parents, she hated their uppity ways.

  She knew she must have been in a bad way when, as she was leaving, they both hugged her, and her mother asked what was wrong in a low voice. Jess had pasted on a smile and said nothing, that she’d just got carried away. Though her mother knew otherwise, she’d just nodded and let Jess leave.

  Now it was time to think about the one thing she’d forced herself not to all day. Mr. Sexypants with his blond good looks, striking blue eyes, and charm that simply oozed out of his pores. Not forgetting his drop-dead-gorgeous body and heart-stopping smile. But Jess wasn’t going to think about the way his hand felt on her, or how his lips teased before his teeth devastated. She wasn’t going to think about all the new dirty things she had thought of to do to him. Or how much she just missed him. Nope. She wasn’t going to.

  Jess took a deep breath and squared her shoulders before getting out of her car. It was going to take a lot of strength to see a happy couple. She stepped through the gate to the courtyard and stopped dead. It was like a scene out of a movie. A huge bouquet of red roses sat on the bistro table in front of the fountain, and the surrounding area glittered from the courtyard being filled with hundreds of flickering candles in various shapes and sizes.

  Jess felt her throat tighten and her shoulders drop at the obvious romantic evening Kyle had planned for Sadie. She must not have known before inviting Jess over for dinner. She sighed and decided to not bother the couple. She quietly and quickly walked over and sat the bottle of wine she’d brought on the table and turned to walk away. Except a glance to the right made her realize Sadie’s apartment was dark, which was strange.

  “Jess.”

  Oh my god. She’d know that voice anywhere. The deep, rich sound had haunted her for months in her dreams, but she wasn’t dreaming now. She turned around slowly in the direction of the voice. There he stood, in the light of the candles, wearing dress pants and a fitted shirt rolled up to the elbows, showing off his strong forearms. Damn him for looking so sinful!

  “They went out tonight,” Nathan said and nodded in the direction of Sadie’s apartment.

  “But, didn’t Kyle do this for her? Why would they do that?”

  Jess was a little stunned to see Nathan, in San Francisco. What was he doing here and why hadn’t he called her?

  “You wound me, Jess.” Nathan covered his heart with his hands. “This isn’t for Sadie,” he chuckled and put his hands into his pockets.

  “Bu-but you left,” she stammered. “You left me.” She dropped he
r bag to the ground and looked around again. Was he saying this was for her? Nathan did this for her?

  His expression changed when he moved a step closer and stared at her intently.

  “You’re right. I did leave, and I’m sorry it was in such a rush. But now I’ve left Los Angeles.”

  “You left LA? But why? I don’t understand.” Jess felt as if she were drunk. She sat down in one of the chairs, and Nathan came over to kneel in front of her.

  “For you. It’s for you, Jess. I left LA to live here, so I could be closer to you. If that’s what you want.” Nathan’s warm hands slid over her now shaking ones.

  He’d given it all up for her? To be with her? Pure joy swept through her at what he’d done, but then doubt started to cloud her mind.

  “Wait, what about your pilot? Your career? Wouldn’t that have set you up financially?”

  “It wasn’t a good fit. I’d be stuck playing a ‘surfer dude’ for god knows how long, and to be honest my heart wasn’t in it.”

  “Nathan, you know how much I care for you, but I can’t be with someone who expects me to support them while they do nothing.” Jess pulled her hands away and moved away from Nathan to look at the fountain.

  “You think I’m a fucking freeloader?”

  Jess cringed at the hurt in his voice but she didn’t turn around.

  “That’s bullshit!” Nathan nearly yelled. “Do you really think I’d move here to willingly become your boy toy and not because of how I feel about you?” Nathan placed his hands on her shoulder and turned her.