Limelight (Hollywood Stardust)

by Kim Carmichael

  Wait, what did she say? "Where are the products now?"

  "With Erin." A frustrated huff escaped Bambi’s throat.

  In a sudden surge of energy, he spun back around. "And where is Erin?"

  "In the room." She wrinkled her nose.

  The weakness of relief overtook him, and now he wanted to lie down. "I'm sorry, what is the issue?"

  "Maybe if your first thought is that Erin left without a word to you, it's not me with the issue." She shook her head.

  Bambi had a point, but she didn't have the history. "She doesn't leave." That title belonged to him.

  "Everything she said was right, I don't know why I'm here." Without him having to say a word, she headed for the exit.

  "What do you mean?" He dashed forward and opened the door for her. "Are you all right?"

  She faced him once more. "I'm fine. I just want you to be fine."

  "Tomorrow I will personally make sure you have your own room." He didn't know what else to say. "Did you need anything else?"

  "No, you just told me everything I needed to know." She seemed to give him an extended look, and then without another word, left.

  He peered down the hallway to ensure she got to her room and closed the door. With nothing else to do, he turned out the lights and flopped on the bed. The last thing he wanted was to hurt one of his good friends. Though she hid her motivations with concern for him, he knew she still thought there was a possibility between them. The fact was he hated how the pit in his stomach deepened when he opened the door to find the wrong woman on the other side.

  For what seemed like forever, sleep eluded him. With every bump in the bed, noise in the hall, or one of his own horrid thoughts, his eyes opened. Over and over again he relived the last few days. His mind even went to a retrospective of the day he left his life and Erin and never turned back. Even after he drove away from her and got on the plane to England, she tried to contact him, yet he used Logan to play interference and ignored her, hoping his feelings would vanish.

  Apparently, his strategy didn't work.

  He turned over and hit the not fluffy pillow right as a light knock interrupted his analysis of how his life had become such a disaster.

  There was no doubt who the next visitor would be, and he tensed. Yet, his instinct took over, and he found himself walking across the small cell to open the door.

  In a floor-length sapphire blue robe, a towel draped over her head and holding a pillow, the right woman stood before him.

  Was she the right woman?

  “May I come in?” Her voice came out low with a bit of a sexy rasp.

  He grabbed onto the doorjamb to stop from pulling her inside and throwing her on his bed. In the last ten hours everything around him turned to hell and it was all because of her. “You can’t be here.” He needed to keep his resolve.

  “I’m not here to tattle on anyone, but if you’re worried about the other woman, she’s snoring in the bed by the bathroom and I tiptoed out. I have to say I was relieved she returned so quickly.”

  “This isn’t working.” He scratched his hand across his scalp.

  “I agree.” She looked up at him through her lashes. “I belong where you are.”

  Why did it have to always be her?

  As if on automatic, he opened the door wider. She entered, and he shut the door.

  In the bit of light from the window, she seemed to float across the room. She tossed the towel off her head and claimed what would always be her side of the bed with her pillow. Before sliding into bed, she slipped out of her robe and tossed it aside. The mere flash of her silhouette was enough to cause his body to react. In less than an instant he was hard and ready to indulge in something he didn’t know if he could have again.

  She stretched and arched her back.

  He continued to stand there as she got in his bed.

  “Drew, Mr. Abrams has an important meeting tomorrow and a long drive, come to bed.” She threw back the sheets on his side and gave the mattress a pat. "I tried the products. You’ll be brilliant tomorrow. I don't want to miss it."

  Like a trained animal, or a trapped one, he joined her, and resumed his position staring up at the dark ceiling.

  They lay in silence and he wasn’t sure if she fell asleep until she spoke.

  “Are you mad at me?” she whispered and inched closer.

  “Yes.” He shut his eyes.

  “I deserve it.” She cuddled up to his side. “I don’t know how not to ruin your life.”

  He forced himself to keep breathing. “Well, I keep letting you.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “You can’t stay here.” Even with Erin in his bed, his conversation with Bambi replayed once more. What would she do once she woke up and found Erin missing? This man wasn’t him. He didn’t hurt others to get what he wanted.

  “Do you really want me to leave?” She took hold of his hand and intertwined their fingers. “I promise I’ll get up early and sneak back to my jail cell, you know I never oversleep.”

  No, her leaving was what he feared, and he knew she feared the same with him. Not wanting to give in and tell her to stay, he didn’t speak.

  “Do you want me to go?”

  “What do you want, Erin?” Someone had to have the answers.

  “One day, I would like to get in bed with you and have you take me into your arms without me asking. One day, I want you to kiss me first, because you can’t hold back.” Before he could respond, she continued. “I know I could have had it once, I’m not trying to make you feel guilty, I’m the one who wrecked everything, but you asked what I wanted.”

  “So what if I don’t ever do it?” He tried not to focus on how tight she held his hand. Since their reunion, she was always the first to initiate contact between them.

  “Then I guess I’ll take what I can get.” She swallowed. “I promise. I’ll leave first thing. I couldn’t be in that other room thinking about you. I just want to lie here next to you, please.”

  No, he didn’t want her to leave. Once more, silence overtook the room. Did the twenty years mature her, or was this about her needs that didn’t include him?

  “Do you like this hotel?” He didn’t even know why he asked the question, especially since he knew the answer.

  “It’s okay. I don’t mind it.”

  Fine, maybe he didn’t know the answer. “You don’t hate this place?”

  “Once I changed rooms, it didn’t matter where I was.”

  Unable to stop himself, he turned to his side. “Come here.”

  “Drew?” Her voice shook.

  He let go of her hand and gathered her up into his arms. “Why couldn’t you just come with me in the first place?”

  “I told you. I can’t stop ruining your life.” She rested her face in the crook of his neck.

  He stared off into nothing.

  “You smell so good.”

  “It’s just that little hotel soap.” He didn’t even know what he was saying anymore.

  “It’s just you.” Her breath brushed against him in little puffs. “Someone really needs to tell people what they miss.”

  “What?” He leaned back.

  She lifted her face up. “No one ever tells you that you’re going to miss how a person smells, or how the air changes when they’re near you, or what it’s like to feel safe just by having someone you want hold you.”

  In the darkness, they stared at each other.

  “Do I always have to ask you to kiss me?” Her lips grazed his.

  He should kiss her, he wanted to kiss her, damn it, he needed to kiss her, but since he went back on everything else, he resisted. “Why don’t you wait until I do it on my own since that’s what you want?”

  Rather than arguing or using some ploy to get her way, she nestled down in his arms. “Good night, Drew.”

  He tossed and turned for who knew how long, but now with her here, he could drift off. At least he knew where she was. “Good night, Erin.” Between the tw
o of them, they sent enough mixed messages to break an entire cellular network. No, he wasn’t the man who hurt people, unless he counted crushing one of his true friends and leaving the woman he loved for twenty years.

  HOLLYWOOD STARBURST

  INT. STEVEN’S PARENT’S RESTAURANT. - DAY.

  Waitresses are scurrying about the busy restaurant and the phone continues to ring in the background. Finally, a waitress holding a tray of dirty dishes picks up the receiver.

  WAITRESS

  Delizio’s. How can I help you?

  WAITRESS holds phone between shoulder and chin and nods.

  WAITRESS

  Steven, phone!

  Steven appears from around the corner. He looks over the waitress and takes the phone. The waitress smiles, but shakes her head and returns to work.

  STEVEN’S FATHER, an older attractive man in a business suit, peeks head out from office.

  STEVEN’S FATHER

  (Yells)

  How many times do I have to tell you not to take personal calls here?

  STEVEN waves his father away, turns his back to the rest of the restaurant and lifts phone to his ear.

  STEVEN

  What do you want?

  ROXY (O.S)

  (Filtered)

  To talk to you.

  STEVEN tilts head back and runs fingers through his hair.

  STEVEN

  Well, I’m here.

  ROXY (O.S)

  (Filtered)

  How are you?

  STEVEN

  (Sarcastic laugh)

  I’m totally fine, princess. Is that why you called?

  ROXY (O.S.)

  (Filtered)

  I said I wanted to talk to you.

  STEVEN leans forehead on the wall.

  STEVEN

  Took you long enough.

  ROXY (O.S.)

  (Filtered)

  Every time I tried to call, you either didn’t answer or I chickened out.

  STEVEN

  (Voice hardens)

  At least you had a number to try.

  ROXY (O.S.)

  (Filtered)

  Would you have called me if you had a number?

  STEVEN

  I suppose that’s something we’ll never know.

  ROXY (O.S.)

  (Filtered)

  I spoke to William.

  STEVEN silently pounds fist into the wall.

  STEVEN

  And you’re telling me this because?

  ROXY (O.S.)

  (Filtered)

  I don’t know, maybe I want you to be jealous.

  STEVEN a smile creeps over his face.

  STEVEN

  Don’t play your games with me.

  ROXY (O.S.)

  (Filtered)

  I wasn’t playing games, I was being honest.

  STEVEN

  Sometimes with you it’s hard to tell.

  ROXY (O.S.)

  (Filtered)

  I guess I better go.

  STEVEN presses lips together, balls hand into a fist.

  STEVEN

  Rox?

  ROXY (O.S.)

  (Filtered, breathless)

  Yes

  STEVEN

  By Charles’ calculation you should be home soon.

  ROXY (O.S.)

  (Filtered)

  Yeah. Part of me pictured you and William intercepting me on the highway.

  STEVEN shakes head.

  STEVEN

  It would have been a long shot to find you.

  ROXY (O.S.)

  (Filtered)

  Well, maybe I needed to do this myself.

  STEVEN shrugs.

  STEVEN

  Well, I guess you better go.

  ROXY (O.S.)

  (Filtered)

  All right.

  STEVEN

  Rox –

  ROXY (O.S.)

  (Filtered)

  Yes.

  STEVEN

  You may need to do this alone, but if you need help, you know where to call.

  Chapter Seventeen

  AT 4:55 ERIN’S EYES OPENED. Her timing must be off from nerves. Usually this happened on the first day of waking up on a new set, and in many ways, today could be considered the same thing.

  Toasty, comfortable and still in Drew’s arms, the last thing she wanted to do was move from the bed. Yes, she wanted Drew to hold her, kiss her, make love to her, but the simple act of waking up with him warmed her heart. Maybe if she proved she could be of use on the trip and show him the footage of them together, he would trust her and see where he belonged.

  Above all else, she needed to start out right. Rather than staying where she wanted, she shimmied out of his embrace, brushed her lips against his and reluctantly slid out of bed. Until he kissed her on his own or told her to stop, she would continue on.

  “Erin.” His voice heavy with sleep, he held his hand out.

  “I need to keep my promise to you.” Her robe served as a poor excuse for his arms, but she wrapped the garment around her and bent down to kiss him one more time. “Go back to sleep.”

  He groaned, shook his head and turned over.

  Like a sorority girl sneaking out of the frat house, she tiptoed out of the room. No sooner had his door clicked closed than she froze.

  If her life were a movie, she would have the screenwriter edit in the hotel room key for her. She glanced between Drew’s door and Bambi’s. If she went to door number one, Drew would think she deliberately forgot the key. If she went to door number two, she would wake up the sickening little scientist and the woman needed every ounce of her beauty sleep. No way was door number three an option, returning to the front desk for a new key. If the tabloids were going to get a hold of their escapades, she would rather it be in a better place and with her makeup on. Technically, she wasn’t even at this hotel.

  After scanning her memory for anything that fit this stupid scenario, she stepped in front of door number two and lifted her hand to knock, right as the door opened.

  Ms. Bambi didn’t appear as if she slept much, actually she looked the same as always. If she put a white coat on, no one would know she had her pajamas on.

  “You know, I always get up early and I thought it might be nice to get us some morning coffee, but they didn’t have any.” As Erin walked inside, she held her head up high and looked the deer right in the eye. Yes, eye contact was key. Of course, having a key would have been key as well.

  Bambi closed the door and motioned toward the desk with a steaming Styrofoam cup. “In your bathrobe.”

  “It’s designer.” She went to the makeshift closet with only her clothes hanging on the rod and wondered if Bambi noticed her hanger for the Four Seasons. At least that hotel gave proper hanging devices. “Good luck drinking that. I actually went in search for a proper coffee house.”

  “Why didn’t you just use the coffeemaker in Isaac’s room?” Bambi’s soft, sweet voice didn’t mask the sour undertone.

  Apparently, the woman thought she was stupid or could be tricked with the best of them, but the woman also didn’t know what it was like to live her life in the industry. Every answer needed to be thought out before verbalizing. The other way around could land anyone in the tabloids or worse. “What’s the dress code for today?”

  “I’m going to be in jeans and a t-shirt, but you should probably dress up for Isaac’s business meeting.”

  She turned to discover Bambi’s suitcase open on the bed. “How come you get to dress down?”

  “I did not come on this trip to manage a three-ring circus, and I’m not going to sit around while you and Isaac have sex all night after you put him under some sort of teenage crush spell.” Bambi stomped into the bathroom and collected her few toiletries.

  “Spell?” Erin turned and crossed her arms. “How did I manage to do that?”

  “You know, I used to think Isaac was only a little off and slightly starstruck when he went to see all your movies or shows, and then suddenly Isaac wa
sn’t Isaac, he was Drew, and he came complete with a psycho starlet who thinks she loves him, but will destroy him.” Bambi rushed back to her luggage and threw her items inside.

  Starstruck? She bit her lip to hold back a smile, and the little hint also told her why little Bambi didn’t like her art. “May I ask you a question?” Since Bambi didn’t speak, she continued. “Honestly, you had no idea he was someone other than Isaac?”

  “No, he was Dr. Abrams, a chemist, a professor and the owner of Fluent Words Laboratory.” Bambi grabbed her jeans and managed to get them on under her nightgown, an impressive feat for the non-experienced. “He was the man who learned how to stabilize the polyphenols in the willow berry, the man who has a doctorate, the man who knows how to make supplements that help people.”