Acting Up

by Kristin Wallace

“They’re great.”

  Aaron scuffed his foot on the hardwood floor. “I saw the show.”

  “Oh?”

  “I know I’m not supposed to be watching TV, since I’m grounded, but Lori insisted.”

  Addison hid a grin. “She held you down and everything?”

  “Yeah,” he said, with a smirk.

  “I guess it’s okay, this once,” Addison said. “So, what did you think?”

  “I think my dad is stupid,” he said.

  Addison’s throat tightened. “Yeah?”

  He nodded and gave a sweet smile.

  “Thank you,” she said.

  “Yeah.” Another nod and he turned to head for his room. Aaron was still a man of few words, but the ones he spoke said volumes.

  The smile lasted until she turned on her television.

  “Tonight America learned the fate of the most hated woman in television, Corrine Barrett of the hit drama House of Fashion.”

  Addison stared at the screen as the female news anchor relayed the all-important headline that the witch was dead. They even included a clip showing Corrine meeting her untimely death. It wasn’t any easier watching it the second time.

  The anchorwoman was back. “Of course, now speculation turns to Corrine’s portrayer, Addison Covington. Will this on-screen death mean the death of her career? And where is the controversial actress? No one has seen or heard from her in weeks. Some sources hint that Addison has gone underground to try and avoid the bad press. So, the question is, when will she turn up again, and what will her reception be like when she does?”

  Addison managed to hold her emotions in check until she slipped into bed and turned off the light. Then the tears came, even as she cursed them. She was so tired of feeling sad. When would this end? When would she start feeling like herself again?

  Addison feared the answer might be never.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Addison walked into the house the next day and found Aaron ensconced at the kitchen table with a pile of books. The sight of her stepson reading was unusual enough. His choice of a study partner brought Addison to an abrupt halt.

  Lori Tomas leaned across the table, pointing at something on the page. The teens shared a shy smile.

  Oh, boy.

  Addison cleared her throat.

  Lori jumped up from the table like a bug had bitten her in the bum. “Hi, Ms. Covington.”

  “You’re studying together?” Addison asked.

  “We have a science project,” Lori answered. “We’re trying to decide what we’re going to do.”

  “What’s it for?”

  “Chemistry,” Aaron said.

  “Of course,” Addison drawled. “Maybe something about opposites attracting?” She gave Aaron a pointed look and he blushed deep red.

  The doorbell rang, saving the poor kid from going up in flames.

  “That’s probably my mom,” Lori said.

  Addison gazed at the girl until she started to squirm. “Ask her to come in for tea.”

  Lori made a quick escape. As soon as she’d left, Addison turned back to her boarder. “Be careful with her.”

  Aaron’s mouth dropped open. “What?”

  “She’s not like the girls you hang out with back home.”

  “I know. That’s why I like her. At first I thought she was lame, but then something changed. She’s real, you know? She doesn’t care if my dad’s rich. She’s nice.”

  “You really like her?” Addison asked, unable to shake a sense of unease. “You’re not just hanging out with her because you’re bored?”

  “Hey!” The outraged tone said better than words how Aaron felt.

  So her stepson’s love life was going better than hers, which was both embarrassing and sad.

  Lori returned with Elizabeth, cutting off any further conversation. Addison served the offered tea, and the two women went out to the deck while the lovebirds finished up.

  “Should we be worried about them?” Addison asked, gesturing toward the kitchen.

  Elizabeth gave a knowing chuckle. “I’m not sure how I feel yet. It was so much easier when she still thought boys had cooties.”

  “How do you do this?” Addison wailed. “I’m not even his mother and I want to wrap him in cotton.”

  “I pray. Every day. Every minute. I thank God for Jake, too. I can’t imagine what single parents go through.”

  “Like Ethan.”

  “I know,” Elizabeth said, staring at her glass. “Sometimes I feel guilty because I’m so happy, when he’s had his whole world yanked away. Then I feel guilty for being glad it wasn’t me who lost a spouse. I can’t imagine my life without Jake.”

  “You still love him the same as when you got married?”

  “Oh, no.”

  Addison’s head whipped around. “No?”

  “The love I feel for Jake now can’t even compare to what I felt on my wedding day,” she said. “It’s so much deeper.”

  Addison’s insides twisted in a knot of acute longing. “You’re so lucky.”

  “Luck has nothing to do with it,” Elizabeth said with a shake of her head. “We work at it. I pray for my marriage, too. When we put God first, all the other things seem to fall into place. Of course, I still get excited whenever Jake walks into a room, but the rest takes persistence and commitment.”

  “When did you know Jake was the one?”

  “The first time I went out with him. Senior year. I would have gotten married then, but my mom insisted I go to college first.”

  “Hmm, there’s something else I missed out on.”

  “You didn’t go to college?”

  “I left home when I turned eighteen and went straight to Hollywood.”

  “You’re so brave,” Elizabeth said. “It must have been scary on your own.”

  “I was terrified, but it’s all I ever wanted to do. L.A. will steal your soul if you let it, but it’s also energizing in a way I can’t describe. So much concentrated creative force is invigorating.”

  “Did you live in your car and stuff?”

  The comment brought forth a burst of laughter. “No, but my car was probably nicer than my first apartment. Bigger, too. I got by on bit parts in films and TV shows. Then Merrick came along.”

  “How did you two meet?”

  Addison cast her mind back to the first time she ever saw Merrick. Impossibly handsome, sophisticated, powerful. His aura of power had made him irresistible. If he’d been pudgy and short, Addison still would have been drawn to him.

  “I landed a part in one of those slasher movies,” Addison said. “You know the kind. It starts out with six teenagers and ends with six dead teenagers. I was Dumb Bimbo Number 1. Can you guess how long I lasted?”

  “Not very long?” Elizabeth said with a grin.

  “I got killed off in the first ten minutes. I had a great death scene, though. Merrick was one of the producers. He sought me out after my final scene. Said I had the best scream he’d ever heard, and thought I had a real future. I about died. I mean, he was famous. He’d produced several hit series and some feature films. Of course, now I’m pretty sure my costume caught his attention, not my acting ability. I was dressed in a bathing suit made of little more than a couple of bandages held together with dental floss.”

  “How old were you?”

  “Twenty-three, which is coincidentally the same age as Angela. So rather than being part of the greatest romance of the century, I was merely the placeholder until the next nubile young starlet caught his eye.”

  Elizabeth’s smile was filled with sympathy. “You don’t think he loved you?”

  “Maybe in the beginning. I think he loved the thrill of the chase even more. An ego thing. Knowing he could still attract a woman half his age. My ego did the rest. Merrick pursued me with a relentless passion. Not that he needed to. He had me at hello.”

  “What about Aaron’s mother?”

  “She was a model. They’d already been divorced for a year when Me
rrick and I became involved. Aaron was still a toddler. Merrick and I married a year later. We had one of those fairy tale weddings you see on TV. My whole life seemed like a fairy tale. Honestly, if it hadn’t been for Merrick, I wouldn’t be where I am today.”

  “I’m sure that’s not true,” Elizabeth was quick to say. “You would have made it on your own. You’re so good.”

  “There are lots of good actresses in Hollywood. No, House of Fashion was Merrick’s brainchild, and he created the role of Corrine Barrett for me.”

  “Seriously?”

  “Seriously. I was working pretty steadily, but it was mostly second-tier parts. The girlfriend or the ditzy neighbor. Merrick thought I needed to break away from the dumb blonde roles, and he was right. He was always right when it came to business.”

  “Just not so good when it came to the personal stuff,” Elizabeth said with a sniff. “Not if he could throw away all those years you had together for the next hot young thing.”

  “Sadly, it’s very common in Hollywood. Actually, it’s common everywhere outside of Covington Falls.”

  “We hold on to our values,” Elizabeth said. “We still have our share of disappointments in life, though. I only hope you don’t let the experience with Merrick keep you from finding love again.”

  “It’ll be a long time before I get involved with anyone,” Addison said. “Besides, I’ve already proven I’m terrible when it comes to choosing a partner.”

  “You could do worse than—” Elizabeth broke off, biting her lip as if she’d said too much.

  Addison pinned her friend with a narrow-eyed look. “Than who?”

  Elizabeth glanced away. “Never mind.”

  “No, finish what you were about to say.”

  “I’m sure I don’t know you well enough to give you advice.”

  “Please,” Addison said. “Obviously you’ve got someone in mind.”

  Elizabeth took a breath and plunged into the pool. “Well, I have noticed the sparks between you and Ethan. Actually, it’s more like a bonfire.”

  “We’re just friends,” Addison said automatically.

  “His eyes light up when you walk into a room.”

  “They do?” Addison asked before she could stop herself.

  A teasing grin appeared. “Why do you care? I thought you were friends.”

  “I don’t care.”

  “Okay.” Elizabeth’s knowing smile seemed way too smug.

  Addison stared down at her empty tea glass. “It would never work.”

  “Why not?”

  “We come from two different worlds.”

  “That’s an excuse.”

  “I don’t share his faith.”

  “God can take care of that. Hang around here long enough, and He probably will.”

  Addison shot a suspicious glare out of the corner of her eye. “That almost sounds like a threat.”

  “It’s a sweet promise.”

  Addison tried again. “My life is in L.A.”

  “You can have a life anywhere you choose. Besides, it doesn’t sound like you have much of one to go back to.”

  “Cold,” Addison said with a glare.

  “Truth,” Elizabeth fired back.

  “I think I liked you better when you were intimidated by me.”

  “I liked you better when I thought you were brave.”

  Addison gave a mock gasp and touched a hand to her heart. “Ouch.”

  “Sorry, but you’re just scared,” Elizabeth said. “I can understand why, but you’ve got to remember who you are. Look at what you’ve done with your life. You moved across the country on your own when you were only a few years older than Aaron and Lori. You pursued your dream even though the odds of success were a million to one. And no matter what you claim about Merrick being responsible for your career, it was you who brought Corrine Barrett to life. You, who made House of Fashion a hit. You, who won the Emmys. Merrick may have given you a shot, but you pulled yourself up the rest of the way. Just because your husband didn’t realize what he had doesn’t mean others won’t see your worth and treasure you. It may be Ethan, it may not, but don’t let yourself curl up and die over a stupid man.”

  “Wow, you’re good,” Addison said with a touch of wonder. “You should have been a scriptwriter.”

  Elizabeth’s hands went to her hips. “Did you miss the whole point of what I said?”

  “No, I didn’t, and thank you,” Addison said with a grin. “I guess I let myself get so beat down by Merrick I started to feel like he was more responsible for creating Addison Covington than I was.”

  “Oh—”

  “It was a great speech.”

  “Sorry if I got carried away,” Elizabeth said, her cheeks flushing. “Jake tells me I’m good at getting on my soapbox.”

  Addison touched the other woman’s arm. “Don’t be sorry. I’m sure I needed to hear a rah-rah speech. I am good at pitying myself.”

  “Mom, I’m ready—”

  They turned as Lori and Aaron stepped out onto the porch.

  “Okay, honey,” Elizabeth said. “Go wait by the car. I’ll be right there.” The kids left, and she turned back. “Will you at least think about what I said?”

  “Which part? You said a lot.”

  “About Ethan.”

  “I’ll think about it, but it’s not a good idea to get involved,” Addison said. “I’d only end up hurting him. I am leaving, and I don’t see him pulling up roots and following me back to L.A.”

  Elizabeth didn’t deny it.

  Addison wished she could make her new friend understand. “It’s sweet, and actually I’m honored that you think I’m good enough for your brother-in-law, but it’s just—”

  A sad smile pulled at the corner of Elizabeth’s mouth. “I know. Two different worlds. Just don’t get so wrapped up in what you think you want that you miss what you need.”

  Addison didn’t have an answer, so she led Elizabeth back through the house.

  “Oh, I almost forgot,” Elizabeth said, before she stepped outside. “The spring carnival starts this weekend and we’re all going tomorrow.”

  “What’s it like?”

  “You know on those television shows when you see the old-fashioned county fair with the game booths and rides and the pie-eating contests?”

  “Sure.”

  “It’s exactly like that.”

  “I don’t have to compete in one of those pie-eating things do I?”

  “Not if you don’t want to.”

  “Okay, I might as well experience the grand tour of small-town life.”

  “Great.” Elizabeth turned for the door, but again she paused. “Oh yeah, make sure and bring your checkbook.”

  “Why? They don’t take cash at this fair?”

  “They’re having a special auction, and I think there’s something for sale you’ll be interested in.”

  “Like a trip? I could use a vacation to an exotic island.”

  This time Elizabeth chuckled, and it came out sounding almost wicked. For her anyway. “Not a trip, but something I think you might enjoy even more.”

  Her tone made Addison suspicious. “Like what?”

  Elizabeth winked. “You’ll see tomorrow.”

  “Why can’t you tell me—” But Addison’s friend had hightailed it out the door.

  Chapter Nineteen

  “Is this for real?” Aaron asked in dazed wonder as he and Addison entered the fairgrounds.

  Set decorators couldn’t have done a better job of creating the perfect, small-town fair. A midway lined with games and various booths took up the center of the grounds. Addison could hear bells and whistles mixing with the sounds of children laughing. To the left, a Ferris wheel rotated slowly. A huge, red-striped tent commanded the right side. A barker stood at the entrance, shouting at everyone who passed.

  “Step right up, folks!” he cried. “See the amazing Fire Eater!

  Addison shook her head. “Apparently.”

  “Co
ol,” they said in unison, grinning at each other.

  A group of kids, including Lori, ran past.

  “Hey, Aaron, we’re going to ride the Ferris wheel,” Lori called out.

  Aaron turned, eagerness lighting his eyes.

  “Go on,” Addison said.

  Left alone, Addison began wandering. A carny was trying to drum up business at his game booth. She stopped, eyeing the bottles she would have to knock over with a softball.

  “Give her a shot, little lady,” the carny said. “Win yerself a prize.”

  “It would be faster to give you twenty dollars, and less humiliating for me,” she said.

  His scratched his head. “Do I know you from somewhere?”

  Biting her lip, Addison turned away. “Not anymore.”

  Leaving the carny behind, she strolled down the midway, past a variety of games and food trucks selling sinful treats like elephant ears and corn dogs. The smells were overwhelming.