Michael upped his pace so he could slip his arm around her waist again. When they entered the living room, David looked up at them, but immediately focused on the television show again. Charity couldn’t help but notice how he was clenching his jaw together.
His eyes only darted back onto them when Michael spoke. “I’m sorry to hear Suzette isn’t feeling well. You look all done in yourself.”
David nodded and looked back toward the television set. “She’s had a rough couple of days but I think she’s through the worst of it. The doctor said it was just a virus. We are doing everything possible to make sure she’s going to feel better soon.” For a fraction of a second he glanced at Charity, but then returned his full attention to the television. “You have been stuck here for two days rocking and walking. Suzette’s already feeling better so go have some fun while you can.”
When Charity didn’t answer he met her eyes again. There was enough heat in that brief moment that even Michael must have felt it because he tightened his grip on her waist. When David saw Michael’s reaction he returned his attention to the television again. Charity didn’t know what else to do but leave. It wasn’t her first choice to go to the award’s show. A night of glitz and glamour wasn’t her style. She received the most satisfaction from being at home with Suzette, and as much as she hated to admit it, with David too. She thought it was ironic for her to be going to one of the biggest awards shows in Hollywood, and she only wanted to be where she wasn’t wanted or needed. She had no right to feel sorry for herself, but she did.
Knowing she should leave, she stalled. “Do you know where all of her medications are and how much of each one to give her?”
David refused to look their way. He nodded. “Go. Go. We’re fine. Go have some fun.”
When Charity didn’t move, Michael took her arm and nudged her toward the door. “You have the number to my phone service. They know how to track me down if you need anything. I will bring Charity right back if Suzette needs her.”
David nodded. “I know how to reach you.”
When Charity dug her heels in to look back at David, Michael whispered, “It will be all right. The man has already said he’ll call if he needs you. Come on. This is your big night. It isn’t every night you’re nominated for an Oscar. Come on and enjoy the spotlight. You deserve it.”
Charity gave Suzette a longing look as she let herself be pulled out of the house and to Michael’s car. Charity knew she was out of excuses.
Michael opened the car door and helped her get in. As soon as he slipped into the driver’s seat he flashed a bright smile. “I have a surprise for you.”
Once they were settled in the car, she finally noticed how nice Michael looked. While he always presented a dashing figure, tonight he wore a tailored black tuxedo and had styled his long hair so it hung loose down his back. It made him appear to be as rakish as she had always thought him to be. “What’s my surprise?”
He turned the key and the sports car’s engine rumbled to life. Michael winked before shifting into first gear. “You’ll see. It’s waiting for you at the theater. I think you will love it.”
He sped out of David’s long drive way into the darkness of the night. Charity watched his profile in the lights along the roadside. She couldn’t figure out why she hadn’t fallen for him. So many others had. She was afraid he was beginning to develop feelings for her. She hoped not, because she was never going to be able to return those feelings. Life had gotten really complicated in just a few short weeks.
She watched the landscape as the small sports car sped out of David’s neighborhood. “I can’t remember the last time I had a surprise from anyone.”
Michael reached over and placed his hand over hers. “You’re going to love this one. I have been planning it for weeks. You have no idea how many times I almost let what I was doing slip out. It hasn’t been easy keeping it a secret.”
She couldn’t help but be caught up in his boyish excitement. She smiled and tried to leave David and Suzette out of her thoughts. Michael had gone to so much trouble to make this night special for her. It wasn’t fair to not appreciate all of his efforts, so she relaxed into the soft leather seat and willed her mind to stop betraying her. She couldn’t keep giving her heart to men who didn’t appreciate its worth. In the future she needed to guard it better and, in the meantime, she had to find a way to conceal her new found love from David.
The rest of the drive to LA was passed with lighthearted conversation and, in no time, Michael was pulling up alongside the red carpet leading into the theater. The crowd that had gathered behind the barricades was boisterous and grew louder with each celebrity that arrived. When they recognized Charity, several began making cat calls and someone whistled.
A well-dressed young man ran up to the car and opened the door for Charity. He offered his hand to help her out of the low slung sports car. An equally well-dressed young man ran over to Michael’s side to take the car keys, but before Michael handed them over, he leveled a stern look on the attendant. He reached into his tuxedo jacket pocket and pulled out a hundred-dollar bill. “This is for you. You take good care of this car, and there’s another one just like it for you after the show.”
The attendant smiled and politely took the large bill. He didn’t bother looking at the money but quickly stuck it in his coat pocket. “Yes sir. Don’t worry about a thing. I’ll treat her like she’s mine.”
Michael laughed, but reached over and touched the attendant’s arm before he could get into the car. “Not too much like your own. Okay? I don’t want any scratches on her when I get back.”
To Michael’s credit, once he had turned over his keys, he focused all of his attention back on Charity. He offered his arm and escorted her down the red carpet. They were immediately blinded by flashing bulbs and about every second step they were stopped to be interviewed by the entertainment reporters. She was grateful for Michael’s support. Even after all of the personal appearances she still got butterflies whenever she was on display. A couple of times he squeezed her elbow to just let her know there was nothing to worry about.
As they made it through all of the reporters and entered the lobby, Charity asked, “So where’s my big surprise?”
Michael chuckled. “You didn’t forget. Just a few more minutes and you will see.”
On the way to their seats they were stopped several times by other actors. Michael represented most of them, so it took a long time to ever reach the front where they were seated. Charity was amazed by all the people that Michael knew, but she guessed that was why he was so good at his job. As an usher was finally motioning them to their seats, Charity noticed a blonde lady in a striking yellow gown smiling at her. It took Charity several moments to realize the beautiful woman was her mother. She ran into her arms. “Are you my surprise?”
Charity and Judy were in their own little world as they hugged and kissed each other. They paid no attention to the small crowd that had gathered around them.
After a moment of exchanging hugs and kisses Judy pulled away to get a better look at Charity. “You look beautiful tonight. I like what you had done to your hair. It’s very becoming.”
Charity touched the curls on the back of her head. “David insisted I go out this afternoon and have it done. I’m glad now he insisted. I didn’t think about all of the entertainment reporters waiting out front. They look for things to tear into you about. It would have been awful showing up with a bad hairdo.” She leaned back before grinning and nodding her approval. “You are very stunning tonight. Dad should be here to see this. He would never let you leave the house again.” It was eye-opening to see just how beautiful her mother was. She had to wonder if every child refused to really look at their parents, and see the people that they really were.
She turned to Michael. It was touching to see how happy he was by her reaction to his big surprise. She didn’t stop to think and hugged him. “Thank you. I love my surprise.”
When she drew back, he t
ugged her forward and briefly touched his lips to hers. He whispered next to her ear. “It was my pleasure. It makes me happy to see you happy.”
While Michael didn’t say the words, his expression clearly said how much he loved her. Charity knew then the night was not going to end happily. She had the entire night ahead of her where she could do nothing about what she knew had to be done. More than just being surrounded by people all night long, she knew the publicity hounds could blow it all out of proportion and make it worse on them both.
She squared her shoulders and turned to face her mother again. “I think we should take our seats.”
When they were finally seated, Judy leaned over so she and Charity could talk without being overheard. “Michael called a couple of days ago and asked if I could fly out to be with you tonight. He thought you might be homesick and need to see your mother. He arranged for my plane ticket and for us to sit together.”
Charity tried not to cry. If she did she might never stop. Instead she hugged Judy again. “Thanks mom, for coming.”
Judy patted her back. “You don’t have to thank me for wanting to be at one of the most important events in my daughter’s life.”
A few minutes later the lights dimmed and the orchestra began playing an intro. On one side, Judy held one hand, and on the other side, Michael held her other hand. Charity was so nervous about what was going to happen after the show and thinking about how Suzette and David were her everything. The event went by in a jumbled blur. She only heard Johnny Mathis sing because Judy had been so excited to see him in person. The rest of it was just a backdrop of music, announcements, clapping, and acceptance speeches, but none of it seemed important enough to register. Would David know how much medicine to give Suzette if her fever spiked up again? What if Suzette cried for her, and she wasn’t there? What if Michael told her he loved her? Too many questions and not enough answers.
Charity’s mind was so preoccupied, she didn’t even hear her name called from the stage. Michael had to finally lean over and nudge her. It took her a moment to come out of her fog long enough to realize she was expected to go up on the stage, make some sort of acknowledgment for the award, and accept the Oscar. She should have felt something, but she didn’t. The award was meaningless. Charity looked around at all of the smiling faces. Judy was crying. Charles was clapping and cheering. So many people were so excited for her.
Knowing there was nothing left to do but do what was expected of her, she managed a smile, and stood. Michael stood too. He hugged her before she headed toward the stage. Her knees almost gave out as she climbed the steps. Once she reached the elaborate podium, she faced the cheering, standing crowd. She had no clue what to say. It had never occurred to her that she was going to win. She had only accepted the invitation at Charles’ insistence. So here she was without anything prepared to say. She took the coward’s way out, and said very little.
“Thank you very much for this.” She held up the shining gold man. It was cold to the touch. “I’m proud to accept this honor tonight. I can’t thank Charles Bennett enough for seeing something in me no one else did and for giving me a chance. This award really belongs to all the people who worked so hard and tirelessly each day on the set of Touchdown of the Heart. Thanks to the entire cast who gave this film everything they had through the heat and the cold. This is their award. Thank you.” She almost moved away from the microphone before leaning forward and adding, “I also need to thank David Warren. He never gave up on me or stopped believing I could match his level of expertise. I’m grateful for his patience and kindness.”
Charity let herself be led to the backstage area where all the reporters crowded around her. She tried to answer all their questions with her heart and mind elsewhere. She smiled. She answered whatever stupid or crazy question was asked of her, and many of the questions were just plain asinine. By the time they were finished with their questions and pictures her feet and back hurt. She had been running on very little sleep since Suzette fell ill and the stress and lack of sleep hit her all at once. After several minutes of being surrounded by people that she didn’t know, someone touched her elbow. She turned around to see Charles smiling down at her.
He enveloped her in a huge hug. When he pulled back, he said, “I told you. You never believed me when I told you that you are an outstanding actress. I hope you believe me now.”
Charity found all the attention embarrassing. “Thanks Charles. You have always been very supportive of me. I appreciate everything you have done for me. If it weren’t for you, I would not be here tonight. You certainly took a chance on me and I’ll never forget it.”
It was Charles’ turn to be embarrassed. “I didn’t take a chance on you. I knew from the moment you came on stage, you had what it took to make it big in this business. You would have regardless of whether I helped you or not. It might not have been this soon, but you would have found your way here on your own.”
He hugged her again, and then moved away so all her other well-wishers could congratulate her. Judy and Michael finally were able to push their way through the crowd to tell her how proud they were of her. Judy hugged her daughter, and then moved aside so Michael could give his congratulations. He started to kiss her on the cheek, but changed his mind and kissed her lightly on the lips.
“Well how does it feel to win your first award? Not everyone wins an Oscar for their very first movie.”
Charity was ashamed to say she really didn’t feel the joy everyone assumed she would feel. She was surprised at how unimportant it was to her. While it was nice to be recognized for her work in Touch Down of the Heart, even if she hadn’t won the award tonight it wouldn’t have mattered. She had plenty of time to win awards. She was running out of time to win what meant the most to her. She didn’t want to be a vague memory in Suzette’s small mind, or a distant memory to the man she knew now that she loved. She wanted to be in their lives. She wanted to be a part of their family. At some other time in her life this night might have been more important. She looked around at all the smiling faces around her, and she wondered if they would understand what she was feeling. She seriously doubted if anyone, other than her mom, would.
Michael did his best to not look disappointed when Charity declined to go to any of the big celebrations after the show. He took them directly to the beach house. Charity knew that he would have rather stayed to party with the other winners. Charity wasn’t in the mood and Judy was tired from the long trip. When they finally arrived at the house, Judy discreetly rushed in ahead of them, so they could say their good nights without her being in the middle of it.
He trailed a fingertip along the curve of her jaw line. The wind had started to pick up outside. It felt like a storm was coming across the water. The wind tossed Charity’s curls so Michael used a finger to move them off her face. “You know, just the two of us could go and have a small party of our own. I know how you hate big crowds.”
Charity had no one to blame but herself. She had suspected for weeks now that Michael was beginning to have feelings for her. She had been unable to deal with the thought that Michael had fallen in love with her, or at least thought that he was in love with her. She had always assumed his roving eye would keep her safe from that ever happening. She could see the way he was looking at her, and she wasn’t sure what to do about it. She couldn’t stop the sigh that escaped, or the sudden motion backwards when he leaned in to kiss her. She noted the hurt on his face, and was instantly sorry that her spontaneous reaction hurt him.
Charity reached up to touch his face, but it was his turn to back away. He tried to keep the bitterness out of his voice, but he failed miserably. “It’s my fault. I wasn’t going to rush you, but just being so close to you, makes me forget what I should or shouldn’t do. I’m not blind. I see how you look at David.”
There wasn’t time to deny anything before he turned on his heels and left her standing by the door. She watched the tail lights disappear down the driveway. How many other people k
new how she felt about David? She prayed no one else had guessed her feelings.
When Charity entered the living room she found her mom on the sofa talking to David. Suzette was awake and looked very content with her head on David’s shoulder. As soon as Charity walked into the room, Suzette’s head popped up and she held her arms out toward Charity. It was her signal to be picked up.
Charity slipped off her high heels. She walked over to the rocking chair and bent down to Suzette’s level. “Hey, sweetie! Are you feeling better?” She touched Suzette’s forehead. “Fever’s still down. That’s good.”
David stood and handed Suzette to Charity. “She feels much better, and I’m so happy to see you! I’ve had to go to the bathroom for about an hour now, but every time I went to put her in her crib she started whining. It made me feel like such a jerk, so I was just sitting here praying you wouldn’t go to any of the after parties.” He grinned. “Is that selfish?”
Something about his boyish smile sent a tiny quiver into the pit of her stomach. She couldn’t help but smile back. “No.”
He quickly handed Charity all of Suzette’s accessories: her bear, her blanket, and sippy cup. He then surprised Charity by kissing her on the cheek. “Congratulations! How does it feel to be among the Hollywood elect? You have arrived, me lady.”
The kiss had been more like a quick peck but Charity stored away the memory and hid her pleasure from it by snuggling a kiss of her own into the nape of Suzette’s neck. She was rewarded by Suzette’s squealing, and giving her a sloppy kiss of her own. Both father’s and daughter’s kisses were the best thing that had happened to her all night. How many other people in Hollywood would trade an Oscar for two kisses? Charity would give everything she had for these two people, and their happiness.
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