Then & Now

by Karen A. Leppert

  “It’s a risky business, but you always liked to defy convention.”

  “That’s true. Here, can you cut these too?” He handed Sarah two onions. “I’ve already started on the red peppers. Try one.” He took a slice and held it up to Sarah’s mouth. Her eyes widened, yet she obediently opened her mouth and bit down on the sweet pepper.

  “I’m sorry,” he murmured. “Too weird, huh?”

  “Yes,” she answered with a stiff voice. Silence and an annoying awkwardness filled the room.

  “I’ve got just the thing to ease this tension. Come on.”

  Sarah hesitated.

  “Trust me.”

  He led her down to the entertainment room. Sarah stood gaping. “You’re living the good life. You should be proud of yourself.”

  Seth’s embarrassment surprised him. “Thanks. Here.” He handed Sarah a Wii remote control and nunchucks. “How about a boxing match?” He selected his Wii Mii. “Have you played before?”

  “Yes.” She began creating her Wii Mii character. “Prepare to pick yourself off the floor.”

  “Oh, Sarah, you talk a good game, but can you follow through?”

  Her eyes shot daggers at him. “Bring it on!” She pushed the start button before he put his wristbands on.

  “I see how you want to play this.”

  Sarah shrugged. “What? I can’t help it if you’re slow.”

  “Okay, okay. You’ve met your match, baby.”

  “Don’t call me baby.” Sarah jumped up and down, jabbing the remote and nunchucks toward his Wii Mii character. “This is awesome on such a massive screen.”

  Seth didn’t respond. He was too busy trying to keep up. Sarah’s gyrations challenged his concentration. His Wii Mii got knocked down within seconds, and Sarah danced in a circle with her fist pumping in the air.

  “Hey, you’re blocking my view.”

  “You better watch her.” Johnny laughed from behind them. “She cheats.”

  “Tell me about it.” Seth jumped up and down, trying to resurrect his pathetic Wii Mii off the floor.

  “I do not.”

  Seth twitched. “Sarah, you’re moving around so much, I’m trying to avoid getting hit… for real. It’s hard to concentrate on the screen.”

  “Excuses, excuses.”

  Johnny laughed. “I’m getting a beer. Does anyone want one?”

  Seth answered, “No, I need to keep my wits about me.” His Wii Mii was standing but dazed. He could relate. “Hah, I’m back in the game.”

  “Not for long,” Sarah warned.

  She was right. He suffered a knockout within seconds.

  “You need to work on your concentration.”

  “That’s Sarah’s strategy.” Johnny came toward them, beer in hand.

  Seth wiped beads of sweat from his brow. “Come on, Sarah. I’m challenging you to another game.” The intercom buzzed. “Abby must be here. Johnny, will you get the gate and bring Abby down?”

  “Sure.”

  Seth looked at Sarah. “Are you ready?”

  “You bet I am.” Sarah raised her fist in a boxer stance and jumped from side to side. “You really want a piece of me?”

  “I did, at one time.” Seth made his voice velvety smooth, hoping to agitate her.

  “Not funny. Let’s keep this G-rated.”

  The game began.

  “I hope you don’t mind. I asked Johnny to join us,” he blurted between jabs. “I thought you might be more comfortable.”

  “If you’re trying to distract me with this conversation, it won’t work.”

  The second game ended as badly as the others. Sarah won and performed another victory dance around the room.

  “You’re a terrible winner.”

  “Yep.” Johnny laughed.

  Sarah passed Johnny and gave Abby a high-five. Abby joined Sarah to dance around the room. The two stopped in front of Seth, gloating.

  “Did you have trouble finding my house?”

  “No problem at all,” Abby answered.

  “I’m hungry.” Sarah frowned. “Oh, that’s right. You’re cooking. I sure hope you’re good at that.”

  Seth gave her a playful punch on the arm. “I need to start the grill.” He went out to the patio to prep the grill while Sarah and Abby gathered the ingredients for the fajitas.

  Johnny plopped in a chair and drank another beer. “Hey, I’m here for moral support.”

  “I wish everyone else felt that way.”

  “They will. You just have to show them how cool everything is between the two of you.”

  “Yeah, but first I have to make Sarah feel cool with it.”

  “She’s getting there.”

  “I hope so.”

  “Why are you doing this? You have plenty of friends; your family’s here. You want for practically nothing. Why would you want to rock the boat…expose yourself to something so painful in your life?”

  “Good question.” Seth shrugged. “Closure, I suppose. I’ve wasted so much energy loving and hating Sarah. I’m tired of it. I do wonder why Sarah’s doing this.”

  “Guilt,” Johnny answered.

  “We’re both guilty.”

  “Sarah doesn’t know that.”

  “But I do, and I have to live with it. I suppose I’ll tell her someday.”

  “I thought you said the past was the past. Why don’t you practice what you preach?”

  “Well, things seem to be going good tonight. Sarah’s more relaxed than I’ve ever seen her with me.”

  “You have to understand, you’re a lot to deal with now. You’re famous, rich, good looking. Sarah’s probably intimidated by all this, and she’s probably kicking herself for ditching you.”

  “I don’t think so. She never shows any regret over us.”

  Abby and Sarah, their hands weighted down with food, fumbled with the French doors to the patio. Seth rushed over to help.

  Johnny sipped beer and watched. “You got that all right?”

  Abby glared at him. “Yes, Johnny.”

  “Do you want to eat out here?” Seth asked.

  “That sounds good to me,” Abby answered.

  “Could you get the plates and stuff from the kitchen?”

  “Sure,” Sarah answered. “Where are they?”

  “Johnny, can you help the girls? You know where everything is.”

  Johnny groaned. “Why didn’t we just order carryout? This is too much work.”

  Alone, Seth looked at the sunset, which seemed symbolic to him. His old relationship with Sarah was over and a new one beginning. He thought of Dad. The permanence of his father’s death made Seth appreciate the fact Sarah was here, not in the way Seth had thought she would be but still, she was here.

  And that would be enough…for now.

  DINNER AND A MOVIE…WITH A MOVIE STAR!

  SARAH

  Seth waited for her in the doorway, looking incredibly handsome. The western hadn’t wrapped up shooting, so he still had a closely cropped five o’clock shadow, which framed his enticing lips.

  I kissed those lips.

  His hair looked longer than usual and disheveled in a sexy way…as if he had been running his hands through it.

  I ran my hands through it.

  The Wii boxing game provided a welcome distraction, until Seth punched and jabbed so hard his biceps bulged from the strain, sending Sarah into a tailspin of memories of how his arms had felt around her and how safe and loved they had made her feel. Her only consolation was the pleasure of knocking Seth’s Wii Mii out—three times.

  He more than made up for his lack of gaming skills through his mastery of grilling. The fajitas were delicious and the dinner conversation jovial. Lights from the swimming pool illuminated the patio, inviting them to linger.

  “So, you’re headed back to reshoot scenes?” Johnny asked.

  Seth nodded. “I leave Friday and will be gone a couple of weeks.”

  “Any cute cowgirls?”

  “No, but I did get
propositioned.”

  “Ooh!” Abby exclaimed.

  “By one of the cowboys,” he clarified. “I was nervous at night; he slept on the bunk above me.”

  Sarah laughed. “Oh my.”

  Seth pointed at her. “Exactly.”

  “Your own personal Brokeback Mountain,” she added.

  Seth shivered and they laughed. “Hey, are we going to watch a movie tonight?”

  He led them to an entertainment room, which looked like a small movie theater, with each row slightly elevated for easy viewing and a fully stocked bar with every candy and drink and a popcorn machine. A two-person recliner sat front and center, complete with a blanket and pillows.

  They picked Meet the Parents, a good choice—no love story, no nude scenes, and funny—what Sarah saw of it before she fell asleep. The combination of stress and a wine cooler—being a light drinker—had taken its toll.

  Sarah woke to find the room empty with only a small light on over the bar. She stumbled up the steps to the main floor. Sunlight filtered from the French doors to the patio onto the hardwood floors in the hallway.

  I’m going to kill Abby.

  Seth sat on the patio, reading the newspaper and drinking coffee. He wore a pair of sweats and nothing else. No shirt…no shoes. His hair looked rumpled from sleeping, and he had more stubble. He looked gorgeous.

  He noticed her and waved for her to join him.

  Sarah hedged, imagining what she must look and smell like.

  Seth must have sensed her hesitation; he walked over to the French doors and opened them. “Hey, sleepyhead. How about a cup of coffee?”

  Without waiting for an answer, he returned to the table and his newspaper. Sarah ran her hands through her hair and found it a tangled mess. A cup of coffee sounded good, and it might mask her morning breath. She crept to the patio, her head down, and her face burning red.

  “Good morning?” she whispered.

  Seth stood and held out a chair for her. “Yes, it is.”

  She waved him away. “Morning breath.”

  “There’s a bathroom in the pool house.”

  “Do you have an extra toothbrush?”

  “Yeah, people crash here all the time, so Tessa keeps it well stocked.”

  Sarah smiled politely while imagining the women Seth entertained at the house. “I bet I’m not your typical houseguest.” She

  ruffled her hair and twisted her lip.

  Seth laughed and then winced. She must have been a sight.

  “Yet another moment when you can count your blessings we didn’t end up together,” she offered as a consolation.

  “That’s not funny. You twisted your lower lip.”

  “A bad habit that drives my mother crazy.”

  “I remember. It drove me crazy too, but in a good way. Don’t you remember?”

  “I do now. I thought the sight of me…in the morning, frightened you.”

  He groaned. “No.”

  “My bad.” She pointed to the bathroom. “I’ll be right back. I promise, no more smart remarks.”

  “Thank you.”

  Sarah tried to avoid the mirror while brushing her teeth, but temptation won out. Her hair puffed in an oversize bouffant right out of the fifties. She dampened it and tried to smash it down to no avail. Next, she washed her face to remove her day-old makeup. This didn’t help. Ugh! She pinched her cheeks to add color. For once, she felt thankful she blushed so much.

  Giving up, she joined Seth at the table, where a cup of coffee awaited her. “This is so good!” she exclaimed, after taking a careful sip.

  “It’s pumpkin spice, I think.”

  “It’s like being at Starbucks.” Such a small-town girl.

  He leaned back in the chair and grinned.

  “What?” she asked.

  “I enjoy moments like this.”

  “You sound like one of those Maxwell House commercials.”

  “I love sharing the luxuries my life affords me. It helps me remember how lucky I am. You should have seen my mother the first time she came here.”

  “She must be proud of you.”

  “I suppose so, but that’s not what I meant. She got in the hot tub…with me. My mother…in a bathing suit…in a hot tub. Her expression was priceless. It was hysterical, and a little creepy.” He laughed heartily and her heart leaped.

  Sarah laughed and relaxed a touch.

  “I’m glad to see you smiling. I thought you’d pitch a fit if we didn’t wake you.”

  “Now that you mention it, how did that happen?”

  “You fell asleep. Johnny and Abby wouldn’t wake you, and I don’t know where Tessa keeps the broom.”

  “Very funny. I guess we’re even. You got to sleep at my house, and now I’ve slept here.”

  Seth thought for a minute and scowled. “I could say something about that last comment, but I won’t. Anyway, Abby said you had a late class.”

  Wait ’til get a hold of her. “I do.” She looked around. “Your house is beautiful. Is it hard to believe this is yours?”

  “At first, I felt scared. It’s a lot of responsibility.”

  “You’re young to have so much.”

  “I’m lucky.”

  “Do you like acting?”

  “For the most part. There’s a lot of standing around. Certain scenes can be difficult.”

  Sarah cocked her head. “How so?”

  “You won’t believe me. Sex scenes are embarrassing.”

  “You’re right. I don’t believe you.”

  He shook his head. “No one ever does. Think about it. People are standing around. You’re naked, and you don’t know the other actor. Sometimes you’ve met right before the scene.”

  “Not buying it. It might be embarrassing if you couldn’t…control yourself.”

  Seth grunted. “Not a problem for me. I’m always too nervous and embarrassed to even think about that.”

  “I don’t know—naked, beautiful women, and you’re naked too? I don’t believe you. What other scenes?”

  “Crying scenes.”

  “How do you prepare for those?”

  “I think of my father.”

  Sarah wanted to reach over and grab his hand, but wouldn’t break her number one rule. “I imagine it would. Seth, I was so sorry about your father. He was a lovely man.”

  “Yes, he was.”

  Their eyes met, and she forced herself to hold his gaze. It was the only way to show her true remorse.

  Seth blinked back tears. “I miss him so much. I suppose he’s one of the reasons I wanted to fix things between us. I’ll never see him or talk to him, not in this world anyway. You’re here. I have the chance. It’s as simple as that. I didn’t like your being afraid of me, and I don’t like causing you or anyone else pain. I could fix this. My reasons are purely selfish.”

  “I’m glad you were selfish then. Thank you. And I don’t hate you.”

  “It seemed that way. Let’s change the subject. Tell me about Aunt CeCe.”

  “Now it’s my turn to get emotional.” Sarah smiled. “Aunt CeCe’s my Tessa…a second mother and sometimes more of a mother to me than my own. I know that sounds terrible, but it’s true.”

  “What was it like living with her?”

  “Wonderful. I miss her terribly.”

  Seth looked a little sad at her answer. Sarah knew why.

  “Don’t get me wrong. It was hard when I first moved there. My entire life turned upside down.” She paused, contemplating how much she should share. “Aunt CeCe made a difficult situation bearable. She gave me a home, not a house, but a real home to go to. My last year of high school wasn’t what I thought it would be. Nothing was, but I got through it…all of it, and here I am.” She smiled through tears.

  “I’m glad you had Aunt CeCe, and I’m sorry you went through such a bad time.”

  “It was entirely my choice…my fault. Seth, do you want to talk about what happened?” She had to ask but hoped he wouldn’t take her up on the
offer.

  “No. Maybe someday, but not now.” His eyes pleaded. “Let’s change the subject again.”

  Sarah sighed with relief. “I’ll tell you whenever you want. I must warn you, though…”

  “Sarah, I don’t need any warnings. My imagination’s thought of every possible scenario. I may never want to talk about it. I’m not sure the details will help me.”

  “Just the same, if you decide…”

  “I know. I’ll ask when I’m ready.”

  Sarah reached out and tapped his hand lightly. “I am sorry.”

  “So am I.” He took a deep breath. “Wow, this isn’t what I expected.”

  “Me either. Hurry! Ask me another question.”

  “How did you decide to move to LA?”

  “Oh, that’s a good one.” She smiled, and Seth smiled back. “It was Jeff’s doing. I came to visit during the holidays. Boy, that was always an experience.”

  “How so?”

  “Every time I visited felt like a covert operation.” She laughed. “Avoiding you was my assignment. Molly had me so fearful of you. Don’t you know? You hated me. I didn’t believe any of it, actually.”

  “Why not?”

  “I’d seen you through the years, in magazines and television shows. You didn’t look like you were suffering to me. You’d clearly moved on. Anyway, Jeff tried to get me to move here…to be close to Kathy and Molly.”

  Seth laughed. “Molly?”

  “Yes, to repair our relationship. I’d been in touch with Johnny and Pat. I guess you knew that.”

  “Yes. Johnny would tell me about you.”

  “Traitor.” She laughed.

  “He didn’t tell you about me?”

  “He didn’t have to. I knew everything, even things I didn’t care to know. Talk about overexposure. Anyway, I visited for the holiday, and Jeff took it upon himself to make appointments to tour local colleges.”

  “And…”

  “I met Abby. She was so nice and I liked St. Mary’s. It was my chance. The financial aid was incredible; Jeff offered me the house. I went to night school back home, and it was taking forever. Being close to Kathy and Jeff was tempting too. I knew they would be having children. I wanted to be a part of that, not just a long-distance aunt.”

  “I can understand that.”