Behind the Scenes

by K. M. Scott

  Too impatient to give up another moment, Alexis waved her on. “I’ll meet you at the top. Don’t dawdle. We have too much to get to today!”

  She took the stairs two at a time and reached the top just as Lauren yelled up from the bottom, “Wait for me!”

  Alexis scanned the scene in front of her, loving this place. The beach and ocean lay just a few yards away, closer than she’d been to the water in far too long. Looking down, she saw real wood beneath her feet. A real wood boardwalk like she’d seen in the movies. She’d just assumed that had changed and they’d gone to something vinyl instead.

  Lauren joined her, and as she struggled to catch her breath, Alexis pointed down at the Boardwalk. “It’s real wood! How cool is that?”

  Confused by her excitement, her assistant didn’t even bother to look down. “I thought they all were made of wood. Isn’t that what makes them boardwalks, after all?”

  “Let’s go! I want to hit the beach first before we do anything else,” Alexis said, tugging Lauren’s arm to make sure she kept up this time.

  They ran across the wooden planks and down the stairs to the beach, dropping their bags in the sand. Although the calendar said October, the temperature still hovered in the low sixties, warm enough for Alexis to dip her toes into the water just to feel it against her skin.

  They slid their shoes off and tossed them behind as they stepped into the ocean. Both looked down in shock at how chilly the water felt, so after just a few seconds, they ran back to grab their shoes and head to where they dropped off their bags.

  Flopping down onto the sand, Alexis buried her feet beneath it and laughed. “I haven’t felt water that cold since we were kids in Minnesota. This definitely isn’t LA.”

  Lauren covered her hands with the ends of the sleeves on her sweater and folded her arms across her chest. “Definitely not. I know it’s probably above sixty now, but it’s chilly.”

  “Oh, that’s just because your feet are cold. Put them under the sand like I did. You’ll get warm.”

  Alexis tilted her head back and closed her eyes to let the heat of the sun hit her face. This place wasn’t LA, but it was still pretty damn wonderful.

  “This feels so incredible. I’m so glad we did this. Aren’t you?” she asked her friend.

  When Lauren didn’t answer, she opened her eyes and looked over at her sitting there nervously looking around instead of enjoying herself. “What are you doing?”

  “I’m looking.”

  “For what?”

  She didn’t say anything, but Alexis knew what worried her. Lauren feared the stalker even more than she did. She loved her for that, but today wasn’t the day for worry.

  Tugging her arm so she’d lie down in the sand, she said, “Just relax. No one noticed us or even cares. Let yourself enjoy the sun hitting your face and the sand all around you. Pretend this is our very own private beach.”

  “I just worry. Maybe we should have told Paul or Hunter. What if someone sees us?”

  “Then we talk to them. If they’re hot guys, we definitely talk to them.”

  Lying there, she felt just like she used to back home in LA with the sun beating down on her and the sand between her toes. She’d missed that so much.

  Lauren, however, couldn’t seem to get comfortable. Nudging her, she said, “Those people over there are looking at us. What do we do?”

  Opening her eyes, Alexis looked around but saw no one looking at them. “Jeez, Lauren. You’re such a worry wart. Trust me. In this wig, nobody knows it’s me, so we’re just two girls relaxing on the beach. Stop acting guilty and no one will even care we’re here.”

  She knew her friend likely wouldn’t relax, but that’s exactly what she needed. For as stressed as her life was, Lauren’s sometimes seemed even worse. As her assistant, she helped Alexis with every aspect of her life, but even more, she worried about her more than anyone else in her world. Alexis wanted her to enjoy this day as much as she was.

  Closing her eyes again, she let the stress of the past few months ebb away and wished her best friend could have the same relief. It felt incredible to sit out in the open under the sun and just let go of all the bad.

  In truth, little of her life could ever be considered truly bad. She knew that. She had more money than she’d ever dreamed of. She could go anywhere and do anything she liked. She could buy anything her heart desired.

  But more often than not, her fame kept her trapped in her home. It wasn’t the worst hardship in the world, but it wasn’t what she thought life would be like before she became famous.

  She’d always dreamed of traveling the world and meeting glamorous people. She’d achieved all that and more. When she began modeling, she dreamed of becoming an actress and showing the world she was more than just a pretty face.

  Nowadays, she dreamed of just being happy and not having to spend every day under the watchful eyes of people who believed danger lurked around every corner. Of having the chance to walk out of her house and simply go to the corner store or to the park.

  Or the beach for a few hours with her nearest and dearest friend.

  For fifteen minutes, she worked to empty her mind of everything. The stalker. Moving away from her home. Hunter. All of it. For the first time in too long, she truly relaxed.

  Lauren touched her on the arm, rousing her from daydreaming about absolutely nothing. “We forgot to put on sunscreen. I think my nose is starting to burn, Alexis. Can we get out of the sun?”

  Obviously, her friend hadn’t been able to find a way to relax. Giving in, she sat up. “Fine. We’ll go. Get your stuff.”

  Sad to have to leave the beach so soon, she grabbed her bag and headed back toward the stairs. Lauren hurried to catch up with her as she started to walk down the Boardwalk, reading each sign and inhaling the smell of greasy French fries and sugary sweet cotton candy as they passed a food stand.

  “Where are we going?” Lauren asked breathlessly, still not fully recovered from running up the stairs.

  Alexis took her hand and swung their arms back and forth. Smiling, she said, “I don’t know, and that’s the best part. All I know is I want to eat some popcorn and salt water taffy and drink lemonade. And after I do that, then I want to ride that rollercoaster next to the water and head into a casino to gamble.”

  Her explanation earned her a timid smile. Lauren always worried needlessly about things. But she wouldn’t let that ruin their day.

  “Don’t worry. We’re fine. We’re on the Boardwalk in Atlantic City, and oh my God! Look at that!”

  “What? What is it?” Lauren asked in a panicked voice.

  She dropped her hand and pointed at the flashing lights on the Ripley’s Believe It or Not sign about a block ahead of them. “That’s the place where they have all those freaky things like bearded ladies and midget horses!”

  “Bearded ladies? What are you talking about?”

  “Yes!” Alexis squealed. Pulling Lauren down the Boardwalk, she said excitedly, “Come on! Let’s go see some freaky stuff!”

  A half hour later, they walked out of the Ripley’s exhibit and back out into the sun. Seeing the shrunken heads and a wax figure of the world’s tallest man, among other bizarre things, had calmed Lauren enough so she could laugh about how wild that place had been.

  “That was the weirdest bunch of things I’ve ever seen,” she said.

  Alexis looked down the Boardwalk for where to go to next. At that moment, a craving for something sweet and chocolatey came over her. Turning to face Lauren, she said, “I want fudge. Do you think they sell fudge anywhere here?”

  “I don’t know, but now I want some too,” Lauren said as she headed toward the stores in front of them.

  “I’m having so much fun,” Alexis said as she peered into the store windows looking for candy. “I needed this so much. I’m so tired of living like a butterfly under glass.”

  She stopped in front of a white building and pointed at the window. “There’s our fudge. I bet I can ge
t some salt water taffy here too. See the boxes stacked up on the counter? I promised Carla I’d bring her some back.”

  They walked into the store and stopped dead in the doorway as the intoxicating smell of sugar and chocolate hit them. Alexis rarely indulged in sweet treats because once she had a little, she always wanted more. Today, she didn’t care, though.

  “Oh my God! This place smells like heaven!”

  A group of tourists turned around and stared, so Lauren leaned over and whispered in her ear, “Let me get the fudge and taffy. We don’t want anyone to recognize you. What kind do you want?”

  Alexis craned her neck to look at the choices in the glass candy cases in front of them. “Get a pound of peanut butter fudge and a box of taffy for Carla.”

  “Okay. Wait for me over there near the shelves and keep your glasses on.”

  Lauren got in line and Alexis stepped back so she was out of the way of other customers. As she waited, she saw a couple come in holding hands. Around her age, they looked so carefree and happy, like they didn’t have a trouble in the world. They talked and laughed about something, and she noticed how comfortable they appeared with one another.

  She wanted to be in a relationship like that. One that she could feel comfortable enough to laugh and be herself with a man again. She hadn’t been that way since the early days when she and Jackson began dating.

  Tapping her on the shoulder, Lauren pulled her out of her thoughts. “Hey, let’s go. If I stay here much longer, I’m going to gain ten pounds.”

  “Okay. Let’s go back to the beach and gorge on peanut butter fudge.”

  The candy smelled so good they didn’t even make it back to the beach before they opened up the little white box and each took out a piece of fudge. The sweet aroma of the chocolate and peanut butter combined with the salty scent of the ocean nearby to create the most incredible sensation as Alexis inhaled a deep breath of air.

  And then the fudge hit her tongue and she knew she was as close to heaven as she’d ever been.

  “Oh, this is so good,” she said as Lauren nodded. “Who knew New Jersey had such great stuff?”

  “No more until we get back down there and sit on the sand. I think I’m getting a sugar rush already,” Lauren joked as she took the box of fudge and stuffed it back into the bag.

  They hurried down the stairs and ran a little ways to a spot away from people playing Frisbee down closer to the water. Throwing their bags off to the side, they sat down and Lauren handed Alexis her third piece of fudge.

  Like before, the moment it hit her tongue, the sweetness made her eyes roll back into her head. “That is so good. God, I could eat this all day.”

  “Me too, but we shouldn’t,” Lauren cautioned, putting the box of fudge away once again.

  As they reveled in the decadent taste of the peanut butter fudge, a male’s voice said, “Hey ladies! How would you like some company on this fine day?”

  Lauren’s hand clamped down on Alexis’s forearm, but Alexis opened her eyes and from behind her sunglasses looked up to see two young guys standing over them. One had blond hair that almost hit his shoulders and a great tan. She quickly let her eyes travel down from his head and liked what she saw. Great body with muscles and a nice face.

  The other one had shorter, dark hair and wore sunglasses. Slightly thinner than his friend, he also had a nice tan, even if his body wasn’t as good.

  “We’re just enjoying some fudge. What kind of company were you thinking of?” Alexis said with a smile, enjoying the flirtation with the two men.

  Lauren looked over at her with horror in her eyes. “Alexis!”

  The blond crouched down in front of them and touched her leg. “So your name is Alexis. A gorgeous name for a gorgeous woman.”

  Suddenly, fear began to overwhelm her. Her chest began to hurt, like someone was sitting on it, and she couldn’t get enough air into her lungs. The blond was too close, his friend felt like he was looming over them, and Lauren kept squeezing her arm. It all became too much for her.

  She pulled her legs up away from the blond and wrapped her arms around her knees. “No, thanks. We’re going to be leaving soon.”

  “Yeah, we have to go,” Lauren said nervously.

  But neither man seemed to get the hint. The one standing in front of Lauren extended his hand to grab hers. “Come on. Loosen up.”

  She yanked her hand away from his hold as Alexis began to rock back and forth, burying her head in her knees to hide. “Just leave us alone.”

  A hand touched her chin to lift her head, and Alexis almost screamed. Swinging her hands in front of her to make him go away, she knocked her glasses off her face and her wig began to fall off. She knew instantly by the look of recognition on both men’s faces that they knew exactly who she was.

  As she frantically worked to straighten the wig and find her glasses, the blond said, “Holy shit! You’re Alexis Marchand.”

  Everything began to spin out of control around her, and there on the wide open beach, she felt like the world was closing in on her. She put her head down and begged Lauren to make them go away.

  “Leave her alone! Go away!” she shouted at the two of them.

  “Can we get your autograph? We’re huge fans. Just one autograph. And a picture. Nobody’s going to believe we met you on the beach today if we don’t get a pic,” one of them said right next to Alexis’s ear.

  “Leave me alone!” she screamed, pushing her hands out to make him go away.

  Other people began to stop nearby and watch as the guys began to complain. Grabbing her hands, the dark haired one held her wrists tightly. “Don’t be a bitch. We just want a picture and your autograph. You’re not too good for that, are you?”

  Then the other one began taunting her. “Chaz, I think she thinks she’s too good to be seen with us. A big Hollywood actress too good to be hanging out with guys like us. Is that how it is?”

  Alexis squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head, hoping they’d just go away. All she wanted to do was have a nice day at the beach with Lauren. She just wanted to eat some fudge and feel the sand between her toes. She never wanted to make anyone angry. She never wanted to even have anyone notice her.

  Why couldn’t they understand that? Why wouldn’t they just go away and leave her be?

  “Go away! We’re not bothering anyone. Why won’t you just leave us alone?” Lauren screamed.

  “All we want is for her to not act like a stuck up bitch. Who does she think she is?” one of them snapped.

  His words echoed in her head. Bitch. Who does she think she is?

  With her face buried in her knees, she prayed to God for someone to make them stop. She wasn’t a bitch. She would never treat someone like they were treating her. Why didn’t they understand she was a human being just like them?

  Was it too much to ask for the world to understand she had feelings too?

  Tears welled in her eyes as she rocked back and forth silently begging for it all to be over. Then she heard a third male voice and every muscle in her body tensed as she waited in terror for something to happen.

  “Get away from her! Get the hell out of here!” the man bellowed.

  She knew that voice. Looking up, she watched Hunter chase the two men off and then get rid of all the onlookers who had begun to gather around them. Embarrassed, she covered her face with her hands to avoid facing him.

  This wasn’t what she wanted to happen.

  “We’re going. Now,” he said sternly.

  Leaning over, Lauren whispered in Alexis’s ear, “It’s okay. Hunter’s here. He made those guys go away. We’re okay.”

  As she rubbed her back to make her feel better, she didn’t know the truth, but Alexis did. Nothing was okay. All she’d wanted was a day away and to enjoy the sun at the beach for just a few hours with her best friend. She couldn’t even have that now.

  Chapter Ten

  Alexis sat huddled over on the sand hiding her face as Lauren stood looking at Hunter
with pure guilt in her eyes. She should feel guilty. An entire household had been sent into a tailspin because the two of them wanted to act like teenage runaways.

  “Lauren, get her bag and start walking toward the car.”

  “Where is it?”

  He pointed toward the street a block away and said nothing more to her. Everything he wanted to say wouldn’t have been helpful at that moment anyway.

  She ran off, and he crouched down in front of Alexis, who still hadn’t said a word to him. She looked so frail, so broken sitting there hugging her knees to her chest, her face hidden so he couldn’t see if she was crying.

  “Alexis, we need to go,” he said as gently as his mood would allow. “Don’t worry. We’ll get you out of here.”

  Scooping her up in his arms, he walked toward the steps nearby as he saw a few people point at them. Even with that brown wig, he would have known it was her, so it didn’t surprise him strangers did too. Her face was too recognizable.

  She curled up in his arms and hid her face in his shoulder as he walked silently across the Boardwalk and down the other set of stairs. Her body trembled against his chest, and every so often she let out a quiet sob. Other than that, she didn’t make a move to fight him, something he was genuinely thankful for.

  This moment didn’t need to have an argument added to it.

  They reached the car, and he set her down in the backseat before closing the door to see Lauren waiting to get in with her. Not this time, though. He wanted her alone for the ride back to the apartment.

  “What are we going to do about the car that brought us here?” Lauren asked as she reached to open the car door.

  Kyle and Malcolm walked toward him, so he pointed at her and told them, “Take Lauren and go with her in the car they came down in. I’ll take Alexis. We’ll meet back at the penthouse.”

  “But she needs me,” Lauren said in a tearful voice. “It’s my job to help her with this kind of thing.”

  “You already did enough, don’t you think?” he said, barely able to contain his anger over what the two of them had done.

  His accusation stunned her, and for a moment her mouth hung open as she struggled to find the words to say in response. Hunter knew this hadn’t been Lauren’s fault. He’d only been around Alexis for a short time, but he knew who called the shots.