What the Heart Wants ; Sealed with a Kiss

by Donna Hill

  “Looks that way to me. And you started it.”

  Kendall rolled her eyes and laughed. “Fine. Let’s continue to be friends—but on one condition.”

  Tyson raised one brow. “What’s that?”

  “Can we keep the damn media out of our friendship?”

  “I wouldn’t want it any other way.”

  “Good!” Kendall flopped back on the sofa.

  “Now, about me taking you out.” Kendall looked at Tyson sideways again. “To show my gratitude...” She raised her brows. “You’ll be shooting most of the week, so how about Saturday?”

  “As long as there’s nothing on my calendar, I guess Saturday is fine. Where can we go without the paparazzi tagging along?”

  “Oh. Don’t worry. I’ve got that covered.” Tyson winked. “See you Saturday.”

  Chapter 17

  Kendall had a blast the first few days of filming. Getting into Jocelyn’s character was exhilarating, and the studying she’d done to prepare for the role was definitely paying off. By the time she came out of hair and makeup each day, she felt like a young girl playing dress-up in the exquisite outfits from the fifties and sixties. The old Hollywood glam transported her back in time.

  The first few scenes were easy to get into. More intense scenes were on the horizon, with depictions of the abuse and violence Jocelyn suffered and how she’d almost been taken over by drugs and alcohol in her attempt to escape the madness that had been her life at times. Kendall shed tears as she read some of the scenes, but she was ready to go there to bring Jocelyn’s character to life, transport the pain and make the audience feel. It wasn’t far from what she’d done with singing. Kendall had been taught to inject her emotions into the music. Her mentor had told her that if she didn’t feel it, the people wouldn’t feel it, and if she failed to make her audience feel something, the beauty of her voice would be lost.

  Maddie had escorted her throughout the set on the first day, where she met several other cast members, a few of whom she’d met before and some she was meeting for the first time. Jocelyn’s stepfather’s role was being portrayed by an iconic actor with more than eighty films to his credit. Kendall had grown up watching this man on television and in films and tried not to be star struck. His down-to-earth personality and quick wit made her feel immediately at home in his presence and infused the set with a sense of family. Great chemistry between the actors was already developing. His innate warmth made her wonder how he’d make the transition to portraying the harsh man who had done such wicked things in Jocelyn’s life.

  The entire project made Kendall appreciate Jocelyn’s talent and accomplishments even more. Kendall didn’t believe that everyone was built tough enough to overcome the obstacles people like Jocelyn overcame and still end up being legends. The new actor playing her love interest had yet to arrive. They’d begun by shooting scenes that he wasn’t a part of. Apparently, he’d been held up due to canceled flights out of some part of Europe where he had just finished up another project. Everyone wondered who it was going to be, betting on some of the industry’s most talented actors. The producers were being quiet on the issue, which only fueled the speculation.

  Kendall had arrived early again this morning and was greeted by a cheerful Maddie, who had already taken note of some of her favorite things. She’d had a smoothie prepared and sent to Kendall’s trailer. Kendall sipped and lounged inside the trailer, taking in a few quiet moments before the day started.

  A knock on her door, followed by Maddie yelling, “Hair and makeup in ten!” alerted Kendall to get ready. She dialed her father.

  “Dad!” she sang. Kendall had gotten in the habit of calling him every morning and evening, giving a play-by-play of her day. He seemed to relish the stories about what was happening on set.

  “Morning, baby girl! What’s on the agenda for today?”

  “I get to finally find out who my costar is going to be. They’ve been so hush-hush about it. You know how Hollywood is. They love stirring up a buzz.”

  “You have any idea?”

  “I sure do. I think it’s Elgin Alba. He’s the hottest actor in Hollywood right now.”

  “You’d love that, wouldn’t you!” Booker T. chuckled.

  Kendall giggled. Her dad knew how much she’d fawned over that man even before she became famous herself. A few years her senior, he was the perfect person to play opposite her role. Kendall hoped she’d be able to contain herself, especially after performing love scenes with him. “Ha! But this is work, Dad.” She’d also heard all the rumors about Elgin’s many trysts with costars. And she was no floozy. This was business. As gorgeous as he was, there was no way she’d allow herself to get caught in his web. Actors performed love scenes with gorgeous costars all the time. And this was her new world. She thought about Tyson. He was her new friend, and she couldn’t deny that she was as interested in exploring their new friendship as he was.

  Kendall chatted with her dad for a few more minutes, asking after her brothers and promising to call them. Kendall ended the call, looked at her cell phone and jumped up. She was supposed to be in hair and makeup by now. Way more than ten minutes had passed. She downed the rest of her now-lukewarm smoothie and hightailed it out of the trailer.

  Tyson called while she speed walked toward the building.

  “Good morning, friend.” Tyson’s deep voice poured through the phone like hot lava, warming Kendall more than the brisk walk. That and the tone he used on the word friend made her blush.

  “Good morning to you.” Her voice had lowered an octave or two. She smiled and shook her head at herself. She couldn’t keep Tyson’s sexiness from affecting her.

  “I hear you’re crushing it over there. Might you be a better actor than singer? Is that even possible?”

  Now Kendall’s cheeks burned from blushing. “You sure know how to make a girl feel good early in the morning.” The second that sentence left her mouth, Kendall palmed her forehead.

  “Well! I’m not quite sure how you’d want me to answer that!”

  Kendall laughed. “Don’t!” She held her hand up in a halting motion as if he could see her. “Please, don’t answer that!”

  Tyson’s laugh was sharp, piercing the line. “I’ll go ahead and keep that response to myself. I just called to wish you luck and let you know I look forward to seeing you on Saturday.”

  Kendall tilted her head. A warm smile eased across her lips. “I must say that I’m looking forward to it as well. So where are we going?”

  “Uh, uh, uh,” Tyson objected. Kendall could almost picture him wagging his finger at her. “It’s a surprise.”

  “What if I told you I don’t like surprises?”

  “Then I’d tell you where we’re going. I wouldn’t want to upset you.”

  “You would?” Kendall couldn’t keep the excitement out of her voice.

  “Nope.”

  “Tyson!” she chided.

  “Got ya.”

  Kendall couldn’t help but laugh. “I walked into that, didn’t I?” Kendall slowed her gait as she reached the room to get her hair and makeup done. She stopped right outside the door to finish her conversation with Tyson.

  “Yes. Did you really think I was that easy? I’m insulted.”

  “You’re a mess.”

  “A little of that too.”

  “I can tell. Sorry, but I’ve got to go. I need to get my Jocelyn James on.”

  “Ha! I’d love to see you in character.”

  “Maybe you could stop by the set one day.”

  “Maybe I will.”

  “That would be nice. In the meantime, I’ve gotta run. See you Saturday.”

  “Looking forward to it.”

  Kendall ended the call, took a deep breath and slowly dropped her shoulders as she let it out. The more interactions she had with Tyson, the more she confirmed that there
was something special about him. It had been over a year since she’d been on a date. This was going to be interesting. Thinking about how much fun they’d had the last time they hung out together made her anticipation for Saturday shoot up a few notches. Right now, she had work to do. Kendall took another deep breath, exhaled and tilted her head from one side to the other, stretching her neck as if she were preparing for a boxing match. With her chest up and shoulders back, she stepped into the makeup room.

  Kendall emerged nearly two hours later totally transformed. She looked and felt like the Jocelyn James of the fifties, with a head full of tight curls, long luscious lashes, a fitted dress set low on her shoulders that by today’s terms would be too much coverage for an artist, but back then could have been deemed just a little scandalous. The dress was so narrow at the knees that she was forced to take small steps with one foot directly in front of the other. It gave her an old-school kind of sexiness that infiltrated her being. In this getup, Kendall wasn’t playing Jocelyn James. She was Jocelyn James.

  Maddie emerged and escorted Kendall on set. All eyes were on her as she strolled through the studio.

  “Ah yes. Here she is!” Jack Baker, the producer, clasped his hands and walked over to her. “Stunning, absolutely stunning, and such perfect timing. Your costar has finally arrived. Of course, you’ve met before.”

  Jack turned slightly. Excited, Kendall turned and stood face-to-face with her ex, Storm. The smile melted from her face.

  “Kendall.” Storm’s lips eased into a smile that resembled more of a smirk. He reached out to shake her hand.

  “Storm,” she said, tight-lipped, and left his hand hanging.

  Chapter 18

  Hearing Kendall’s voice made Tyson long to see her face. He chuckled at himself. He couldn’t believe how he’d begun to fall for her. As a man who could always be counted on for standing by his word, Tyson wasn’t the kind to backtrack. Yet his vow to eliminate actresses from his dating pool had lasted no time at all. His reasoning was that Kendall was different: beautiful, unselfish, sexy...talented, and she had substance. Tyson could go on.

  Tyson almost never pursued a woman. There were always plenty at the ready, from groupies to celebrities to executives. Tiffany had pushed herself to the front of the line when she decided she wanted to be with him. She’d made her intentions clear and run off any other woman trying to get his attention. Besides being attractive, Tiffany had ambition that he admired. But ultimately, it was that same ambition that drove them apart.

  Tyson called his assistant.

  “Good morning!”

  “Good morning, Mr. Chandler,” Brianna chirped.

  “Just confirming that my schedule is clear of meetings for the morning. I need to make a stop before coming in.”

  “Sure. Let me check.” The phone went silent for several seconds. “Okay. Yes. You have a conference call at eleven with the New York office. I’ll text you the call-in number and set an alert on your calendar.”

  “Perfect. You’re the best. See you this afternoon.”

  “Okay. You’re going to be back in time to meet with the PR team, right? Or would you like for me to reschedule that meeting?”

  “No! Don’t reschedule. I’ll be back in time. Thanks.” That was one meeting Tyson was not going to miss.

  The fuss created from Tiffany’s interview hadn’t died down. Instead, it started burgeoning into a larger monster. BCG had engaged their PR team to develop a strategy for addressing the public, and part of that was to have Tyson do an exclusive interview with a competing network so it wouldn’t seem as though BCG was holding back or hiding something. Entertainment shows privy to the fact that Tyson was ready to speak were clamoring for the exclusive.

  “See you later, Mr. Blackwell.”

  “Take care.” Tyson ended the call and made a U-turn at the next light. The prospect of seeing Kendall lifted his mood.

  Being in Kendall’s company would be a welcome respite from all that he’d been juggling. The work of a CEO wasn’t easy. After just a few short weeks with his new title, his respect for his father had skyrocketed. There was so much to do. So many people counted on him, needed his leadership, sought his approval. The fate of the entire company rested on him. The level of responsibility was staggering, and Benjamin Blackwell had made it all look so easy. Not to mention the media frenzy that Tiffany had handcrafted. She was still interviewing, giving exclusives and relishing the spotlight. It was sickening. She was in so deep that she hadn’t bothered to notice that some of their mutual friends had begun to distance themselves from her. A few even called to check on Tyson to see how he was dealing with it all. It was clear to everyone but the media and Tiffany that she was taking this way too far. The public were hungry piranhas, and Tiffany happily dangled the bait.

  Tyson navigated his Porsche through the heavy Los Angeles traffic toward the other side of the city, arriving at the studio much later than he’d anticipated. He had less than an hour to see Kendall before finding someplace quiet to take his conference call.

  He handed over his ID at the security desk, and the guard directed him to the lot near the studio where Kendall was filming. The closer he got, the wider his instinctive smile grew. He couldn’t wait to lay eyes on Kendall, especially in character. Tyson wanted to see her in action. Now that he was no longer the producer on this project, there was no real reason that he needed to be on set. Yet BCG was one of the companies invested in the film, and there was nothing to stop him from visiting.

  Tyson parked and made his way through the normal rush that existed on set. Throngs of people from the crew, including set designers, maintenance people, production assistants, engineers, security, actors, directors and extras, milled about doing what they needed to do. Tyson waved at several familiar faces and made his way inside to where they were shooting the current scene.

  Tyson put his phone on vibrate and quietly stepped into the shadows on the set of a smoky lounge where Kendall—as Jocelyn—sat at a bar looking disheveled. Mascara darkened the space under her eyes. She took a frustrated drag from a cigarette before smashing it into an ashtray. Her elbow rested on top of the bar. She held her forehead in her hands, sat up straight, shook off her angst and swatted away tears. Suddenly, she threw back the entire contents of a tumbler containing some amber-colored liquor and slammed down the glass. The entire set was silent, sucked in by the anguish Kendall exuded. Tyson was caught up, wanting to know what had caused the pain and at the same time wanting to run to Kendall to make it all better.

  But she wasn’t Kendall at all. Everything about her was Jocelyn. Kendall had transformed into Jocelyn James and dragged everyone around them into the illusion, pinning them in a trance until the director yelled, “Cut!” At the sound of his voice, Tyson shook his head, willing himself back to reality. Just as he had anticipated, Kendall was a remarkable actress.

  “Beautiful! One more time from the top.”

  Tyson leaned against a wall and settled in, ready to take in this scene from the start. A makeup person hurried to Kendall, dabbed her forehead and cheeks, fluffed her hair and jetted away.

  “Okay. Quiet on the set...aaand...action!”

  Leon loomed over Kendall. Threatened her with his presence.

  “Leave me alone, Leon!” she demanded. “I can’t do this no more.”

  She picked up her drink. He snatched it from her hand. Slammed it down on the table.

  He looked around, drew closer to her “So you too good for me now. If it wasn’t for me, you wouldn’t even be here. I should have left you in the gutter where I found you.”

  “Don’t forget you come from that same gutter, Leon!” she spit.

  He grabbed her shirt. Pulled her so close that the tips of their noses touched. She stood and glared right back into his eyes, challenging him, not backing down.

  She snarled, “Go ahead. Hit me if it’ll make you feel like
a man.”

  Leon drew his free hand back, poised to bring down a slap so hard it was sure to bring her crumpling to her knees. Nearby, several breaths caught audibly.

  “Hey! Hey!” Benny ran in from the opposite side of the bar. He got there just in time to catch Leon’s hand midair, before it landed on her face. “You wanna hit on someone? Try me, punk.”

  Leon wrangled his hands from Benny’s clutches. Jerked his hand away from the front of Kendall’s dress. Tugged on his suit jacket and adjusted his hat.

  “Get out of here,” Benny demanded through clenched teeth. “And don’t let me see you around here again.” His gaze narrowed on Leon even more.

  “Humph!” Leon grunted, looking at Jocelyn’s rescuer and then back at her, sucking his teeth. “I’ll see you later, Jossie.” He sneered. “You need me.” He tugged on his suit one more time. Walked backward until his heel hit the door. All eyes, from the bartender’s to the patrons’, followed him out. Kendall glared at him as he backed out the door.

  “You okay, Jossie?” Benny asked quietly.

  “I didn’t need your help, Benny.” Shame sent her eyes darting throughout the seedy bar. Pride lifted her chin. “I know how to handle myself.”

  He held his hands up in surrender. “Well, I’m here when and if you ever need me.” His smile carried pity, sincerity and a slight gleam. “Just call.” He backed away.

  Jocelyn sat and puffed her cigarette long and hard. Her lips popped at the end of the drag.

  Kendall finished the scene as emotion poured into the space, thickening the air. The director yelled, “Cut!” again. Tyson let out a breath that he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. He wanted to clap, yell “bravo,” but this wasn’t the setting. Everyone around him moved along as usual, performing their duties. The three main actors from the scene joined the director in reviewing a replay on the monitor. They held a brief discussion about it. Tyson remained in the shadows, still seized by her stellar performance, until something hit him. The second man, the rescuer, Benny—that was her ex—Storm. When had he become part of the cast?