Limelight (Hollywood Stardust)

by Kim Carmichael

  “You look gorgeous.” With the words out, he entered her.

  At his unexpected action and the sudden, welcomed fullness where she needed it most, she gasped and clutched the edge of the counter. “I’m not seeing how this is helping.” Thankful he went with it, she went immediately back into character.

  “Give it time.” He took his time pulling back, and just as slowly reentered her.

  She shut her eyes, concentrating on the way he felt inside her. How he was a part of her. “Perhaps I need more.”

  “I agree.” His thrusts sped, came at her with ever increasing power and hitting her in exactly the right way.

  “Dr. Fulton.” She pushed back, meeting him every time he embedded himself deep within her. “I’m not sure this is helping. I feel a strange pressure growing within me.”

  “It gets worse before it gets better.” He leaned over her, kissing the back of her neck. “I am experiencing the same build up.”

  She turned back and he captured her lips, a quick peck that ended when he slammed into her.

  “Miss Holland.” Again, he reached his hand to her center, rubbing her most sensitive spot.

  “Oh, Dr. Fulton.” Pleasure shot though her. He prodded her closer and closer to her end and she hit the counter. “I’m going to explode!”

  “Yes, that’s what we want. That’s the end goal,” he panted. “Let go, Miss Holland, now.”

  The way he stayed in character, the way he went with his passion and made love to her right in his lab, the way he always made sure to take care of her, all served to push her over the edge. In a sudden burst, her entire being was wracked with relieving throbs of pleasure that rippled throughout her, only growing stronger. “Dr. Fulton, it feels so good!”

  “Yes, that’s right, just like that.” Now he drove into her faster and then stiffened. “Ride it out.”

  As the euphoria subsided, her knees weakened and she found just as much satisfaction in the flood of warmth at Drew’s release.

  “Damn.” He pressed himself deeper inside her and kissed her shoulder.

  For a couple of minutes they remained in that position. The only movement Drew made was kissing her shoulder and curling his arm around her waist.

  “Dr. Fulton, do we have to get to the experiment now?” She kissed his arm.

  “Miss Holland, that was the experiment.”

  “Did it turn out the way you planned?”

  “It definitely proved the theory of every action has an equal and opposite reaction.” He chuckled. “I love you.”

  They both winced as they separated. She wrapped the lab coat around her and turned toward him. “I love you, Dr. Fulton. We make a pretty good pair if I do say so myself.”

  “I would have to agree with you, Miss Holland.” He gave her a soft kiss. “Speaking of which, there was something I wanted to talk to you about.”

  For the first time in her life, a man said he needed to speak to her, and she didn’t crumble. With Drew there was safety, and she knew it had to be something good. “I do as well, but this time I’ll let the gentleman go first.”

  “I’ve been thinking a lot about this. I want us to work together. Really make it official.” He took her hand and kissed the back. “Actually, we need to make a lot of things official, but let’s start by really giving you the title of Marketing Director.”

  Her heart swelled, especially when she read between the lines and realized what he was really telling her. “I accept your offer, and I’ll raise it. I want us to work together here and on some film projects as well.” Everything was playing out perfectly. Her anxiety at telling him her news melted away.

  He ran a trail of kisses along her jaw line. “We will do Logan’s film, but I think the industry has changed a lot. I watch you struggle, and I watch the effect it all has on you. Why don’t we focus on the lab? You’ll always be the star here and there will be plenty of media opportunities.”

  Wait. The knot of nerves came back full force and she pushed him up. “Do you think I don’t have what it takes anymore?”

  “Of course not. I just want our lives to be less in the public eye. I don’t want everything dictated by an industry that tore us apart before.” His jaw jutted out.

  “I was sort of planning on us living a bit more in the public eye.” She bit the inside of her mouth.

  “What aren’t you telling me?” He backed up. “What’s going on?”

  Her body still weak and recovering from their lovemaking and now her heart speeding at his spot-on accusations, she walked over to her purse and pulled out the contracts. “Look at the opportunity we have.” Her voice shook.

  He swiped the papers away from her and read the top page. “Erin, what have you done?”

  His gaze burned through her. “Reality show?”

  “It’s for us, the lab, for you.” Her throat dried out and she forced herself to swallow, praying he heard her words.

  He tossed the papers to the floor. “Just admit you did it for yourself.”

  She froze.

  “Admit it!” With his outburst, he kicked the contracts. “You did it for you. It’s always been for you.”

  In a move of desperation, she reached out for him.

  Scratching his hands through his hair, he turned away.

  No. This wasn’t happening. It started by turning away and then walking away and then driving away. She forced herself to go to him and put her hand on his back. “Maybe it started for me, but that’s not how it is now.”

  “It’s how it will always be.” He shrugged her away. “I should have known better.”

  She shut her eyes. Things were up. She needed to defy physics and figure out a way for them not to come down.

  HOLLYWOOD STARBURST

  INT. INDIANAPOLIS, IN – SCHOOL LIBRARY. DAY.

  Charles enters the library, looks around and then goes and joins Roxy at a table in the back. Roxy has a book shielding her face.

  CHARLES

  Hey, ready for some studying?

  ROXY doesn’t lower the book or speak. She sniffs.

  CHARLES

  Roxy?

  CHARLES moves to the chair next to her.

  CHARLES

  Why are you crying?

  ROXY hands Charles a newspaper clipping from her notebook.

  CHARLES

  They tore down Hollywood Stardust today.

  ROXY sniffs and nods.

  CHARLES pats her shoulder.

  CHARLES

  Well, at least you got to see it before they destroyed it.

  ROXY

  I’m not sure what’s worse, seeing it and knowing how beautiful it was, or not knowing at all.

  CHARLES

  I think you have to look at it as a great memory. Wouldn’t you have rather seen it before they boarded it up and destroyed it? Now you have a memory.

  ROXY rests her head on Charles’ shoulder.

  ROXY

  I think it’s too soon for it to all be a memory, but I suppose one day I’ll be grateful.

  CHARLES

  I think maybe rather than looking at the past it’s time to look at the future.

  CHARLES reaches in his bag and hands her some pamphlets to colleges.

  ROXY rifles through the papers and hugs them to her chest.

  ROXY

  I don’t know.

  CHARLES

  Just think about it.

  ROXY

  (Nods.)

  I’m going to look forward to a lot of things being a memory.

  CHARLES

  Use your memories to create your future.

  ROXY looks up at Charles.

  ROXY

  How do you know these things?

  CHARLES

  Maybe I have a lot of memories.

  ROXY

  I think of anyone, you have the most amazing future.

  CHARLES

  (Smiles.)

  No matter what, remember this is just a moment in time.

  Chapter Thirty

>   HIS BODY NUMB, HIS MIND reeling, Drew stared at the monitor on the HPLC machine. On the screen were all the peaks and valleys which indicated what components were in the formula. Good thing he wasn’t showing her a proprietary formula. For all he knew, it would have ended up in some reality show. When he showed his love the piece of equipment he never expected anything in this room would be on anything other than the film she continued to record for the lab.

  The film for the lab.

  His focus went to the camera still on the counter.

  The film for the lab.

  Once more, his mind rewound the words, his chest tightened and the room around him seemed to spin. “Erin.”

  “Drew.” Again, she put her hand on him. “Please, we have to learn to work through these things.”

  Before he assumed the worst, he faced her. From the day she stepped into his screen test he had never laid eyes on a more beautiful woman. She had changed, had proved it over and over again. “I want to ask you a question and I want you to answer me honestly.”

  “Of course.” A tear dripped down her cheek, and he fought the urge to take her into his arms and kiss it away.

  “All the filming you’ve done since the beginning of the road trip. Was it really for a promotional video for the lab?” In an effort to stop his shaking, he balled his hand in a fist.

  Her lower lip quivered. “Not in the way I portrayed it.”

  Every time she picked up that damn camera he knew. Deep down, he knew. His gut instinct was always right on except when it came to the woman in front of him. “So when you came tearing over to my house wanting to go on the road trip after you decided to leave me, you only came because you needed material for this show?”

  “No.” She shook her head. “You don’t understand. I was at the agent and he told me what to do, but the whole time I wanted to leave and get to you.”

  “Would you have gone on the trip with me had it not been for the fact you needed an unwilling supporting actor?” He slammed his fist into the lab counter. The entire trip, her support, everything was a lie.

  She wrapped her arms around her shoulders and stepped back. “I don’t know. We weren’t in a good place, but it gave me an excuse to be with you.”

  “You used me, you used my business, you used everything! For what?” He looked up at the ceiling, praying an answer would come to him. “You did the same thing twenty years ago. I must be crazy!”

  “I couldn’t watch you drive away from me again.” Multiple tears fell. “Part of me used it as an excuse.”

  “What did the other part did you use me for?” With no divine answer to be found, he shut his eyes.

  “I needed a job, Drew.” Her voice lowered. “I needed a job.”

  “I thought you had one.” He opened his eyes to his reality.

  “I’m an actress.” All the color had left her features, but honestly, he wasn’t sure if she was upset because of him or because she was found out.

  “I know.” At the end of the day he knew what she was, but he still dreamed of something else.

  “I love you, Drew. I waited twenty years to be with you. I won’t do the show if that’s what it means.” Her voice broke. “Please.”

  “What? And have you miserable, always wondering if you could have reignited your career with some two-bit show?” Sweat broke out all over his body, and he wiped his face. “Reality show? Have you sunk that low?”

  “The agent I spoke to said it was on trend, it would help. I thought we could do it together and show the world Hollywood Glow being born. Look at what happened with a few little appearances we had together. The business would explode.” As if she could fix everything with the promise of money and fame, she held her hand out to him.

  “Then why didn’t you tell me before you ever turned the camera on?” He stared into her eyes.

  Silence cloaked the already oppressive room, answering the question for them.

  “What happens now?” She lowered her hand.

  “We always seem to want different things out of life.” Twenty years ago she wanted to be a star, and he wanted to be a scientist. Some things never changed.

  “Don’t say that.” Her tears continued to fall in a steady stream. “Please, don’t say that.”

  “It’s the truth. Not saying it doesn’t make it less true.” He swore he would be able to pinpoint the moment his heart didn’t break, but withered away. “How can we be together once the joy of being reunited wears off, and we make the other person miserable?”

  “Why did you come back?” She turned away and hid her face in her hands.

  “I wanted my life back.” Where there was silence, her sobs now filled the room. His heart begged him to play the role he’d been handed years ago and take her into his arms, tell her they would work it out, but his mind asked what stunt she would pull next. “I never expected it to be filmed and sold.”

  “I think you wanted payback.” With her back still toward him, she nodded. “You got it. I was shattered the day you left me and I don’t think I’ll recover from this one.”

  Another round of silence took over the space. He couldn’t deny he maybe wanted some payback, or he wouldn’t have toyed with her at the beginning.

  Suddenly, she spun back toward him. Her tears stopped, her hands were on her hips. “You know, you were right. We always want different things.”

  He lifted his chin. The way she said his words smacked of her telling him no one would believe they were together.

  “Somehow, I thought this time we would learn to compromise.” She slid off his lab coat and let it fall to the floor then walked around and redressed. “Maybe we were only together to finish the story. Let us know what it was like for us to be together, and now we know. We know it was glorious, and we know it won’t work.”

  He watched her collect her papers and shove then back into her bag. Where was she going? “Erin.”

  “You know, I understand why you can’t trust me ever again, I get it.” She headed toward the door, bent down and picked up her panties. “It’s just like how I’ll never get over the fear that you’ll disappear on me. Well, this time I’ll make it easy for you.”

  “How so?” Nothing with Erin was easy. They couldn’t do this anymore.

  “I’m going to leave this time.” Without another glance back at him, she dropped her panties into the nearest garbage can and walked out the door.

  The door slammed shut on the woman he loved, and he simply stood there with his pants still around his ankles, just like the Poindexter he tried to fight his whole life.

  * * * *

  RUN AFTER ME.

  Erin ran out of the lab and collided with her car, her hands slapping against the unforgiving cold metal.

  “You have to follow me.” Tears streaming out of her eyes, but she focused on the doors. Any second Drew would run after her, find her here, insist they talk it out. They worked too hard to be together.

  Nothing. Not even the shadow of someone in the office looking to make sure she made it through the dark parking lot all right.

  “Why did you come for me?” This time she asked the question to nothing but the wind. The answer was the same, and she pounded her fist into the roof of her car. “Why!”

  Her scream scratched her throat, and she put her hand up to her neck, touching her necklace. He held on to a damn piece of jewelry for twenty years, and he couldn’t even run after her. She coiled her fingers around the gold and yanked, the chain making a sickening pop as she broke it and it fell limply to the ground.

  Twenty years it waited for her, and she didn’t get to have it for a month.

  “He’s not coming.” The same sensation as the time she went under anesthesia took over her. She didn’t even feel as if she were in her own body.

  Last time he left her, she ended up in the back office of a doctor having her hand stitched up. She didn’t think any doctor could repair what was wrong with her now. When she went to get her keys, she dropped her bag, the content
s spilling all over.

  “Come out here and help me.” She dropped to her knees. The rough asphalt dug into her skin, and her nails scraped against the ground as she corralled what she could. Not caring about anything anymore, she opened the door, threw the bag, the crumpled papers and her wallet on the seat and forced herself inside.

  Only by luck did she manage to get the key in the ignition and start her vehicle. Once more, she turned toward the lab. What was he doing now? Sitting there relieved? Playing with that insane machine?

  One thing was certain, he wasn’t running after her and declaring he couldn’t live without her. He did it before, and he would do it again. She would have to do the same.

  She drove out of the Fluent Words Laboratory parking lot. The name was an anagram for Drew Fulton. He was right under her nose the whole time, and she never knew. If she did, she would have gone running.

  Her hands on ten and two, she took off to see where her car took her. Last time, it took her to Drew. She had no other place in this world she wanted to be, and she couldn’t go there.

  Her driving took on almost a hypnotic state, but all roads always led her to one place. Hollywood. She supposed her and Roxy were the same person after all.

  Through her tears, the lights on Hollywood Boulevard blurred into streaks, and she could barely see. Her car crawled down the famous street. More than once, people honked at her and flipped her off, never knowing who she was besides some woman in a car she couldn’t afford.