Casting Lacey

by Elle Spencer

  “A first dance song?”

  “Yeah.” Quinn looked out the side window. “But, I would never actually play that song at my wedding.”

  “Why not? If you love the song, who cares what other people think?”

  “I chose it when I was a kid. It’s silly. Let’s go.”

  Lacey turned in her seat. “We’ll go, right after you promise me that you’ll play that damn song at your wedding.”

  Quinn turned and shook her finger. “Don’t even try to pretend you’re some hopeless romantic, Lacey Matthews. I know better.”

  Lacey ignored the comment. “Promise me. We’re not leaving until you promise me.”

  Quinn threw her hands in the air. “Fine! I promise, okay?”

  “Okay.” Satisfied, Lacey put on her seat belt. “Since I’m your BFF now, I’ll probably be there, at your wedding - the Kincaid/Strong wedding. I’ll be the fucking maid of honor or something.”

  Quinn cracked a smile. “I’m not marrying Ginny Strong. Dating, maybe. I don’t know, we’ll see.” She turned to Lacey again. “Would you really be my maid of honor?”

  Lacey rolled her eyes. “Do I have a choice? I mean, I’ve never really been someone’s BFF before, but I think it’s a requirement. That, and taking you to Vegas for your bachelorette party. Chippendale’s…or some other nonsense.”

  “Really? Not the Thunder from Down Under?”

  “Oh yuck. Now I’ll have to make it as lesbian as it can be, just to get that image out of my head. Obviously, that means we scrap Vegas and go play softball in Northampton.”

  Quinn gave Lacey’s leg a reassuring pat. “I think it’s best that you not stress about it. Marriage isn’t really something I want to do again anyway.”

  “WHAT?” They stopped at a light, Lacey’s eyes firmly planted on Quinn. “What the fuck are we doing this for, then?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “THIS!” Lacey waved her hand between them. “The fake girlfriend thing! Coming out! What’s it all for if not so you can find the love of your life?”

  Quinn shrugged. “It doesn’t mean I have to marry her.”

  Lacey’s mouth hung open. “Yes, it does!”

  “No, it doesn’t.”

  Someone honked their horn when the light turned green. Lacey focused on the road, but her head was slowly shaking in disbelief.

  “What is your problem?” Quinn asked. “You said yourself that Dani is the love of your life, but I’m pretty sure you never bothered to marry her.”

  Quinn was right. Something had always held Lacey back from ever mentioning marriage with Dani, but she wasn’t going to admit it. “She’s young. She wasn’t ready.”

  “And that’s for the best, right? Since she broke up with you anyway? Why go through an ugly divorce?” Quinn waved her hand in dramatic slo-mo. The words, ugly divorce seemed to take a bit too much effort to pronounce.

  “Fine.” Lacey turned on some music. “We just see it differently, that’s all. And I think you’re a little drunk, so let’s just listen to some music.”

  “It goes both ways, you know. If you have a wedding one day, I’ll be there, standing next to you, as your maid of honor, if you want me to. Even if it’s what’s her name you choose to marry.”

  “Really?” Quinn was definitely drunk. Sober, she would never agree to such a thing. “Even if it’s Dani I marry?”

  Quinn offered her pinky finger. “Pinky swears.”

  “Pinky swears don’t really count when you’re three sheets to the wind.”

  “Whu? That’s so not true, Lace. They should espesh…espesh…lee count when your best friend is drunk.

  Lacey pursed her lips together and silently giggled.

  ***

  Quinn came out of the bathroom and staggered to her bed. Luckily, she still had her robe on, but she didn’t waste any time ditching it before she got into bed. “I drank too much tonight.”

  On any other night, Lacey might’ve chosen to enjoy the view, but with Quinn being inebriated, it felt wrong. She turned away and waited until she heard Quinn sigh in relief as her head hit the pillow. She sat on the edge of the bed with her legs crossed. “Do you want me to stay in the guest room so I’m closer?”

  Quinn closed her eyes. “No, I’ll be fine.” Her hand landed on Lacey’s bare leg. “You looked really cute in this skirt tonight.” Her fingers played with the edge of the skirt. Lacey could do nothing but silently watch. “Lace?”

  “Yeah, honey?” Lacey cringed. Once again, the truth came spilling out before she could stop it.

  Quinn opened her eyes. “I like it when you call me that.”

  Shit. “Oh, I have all kinds of little pet names for you. Miss Fancy Pants, Miss OCD, Miss Pain in My Ass. I could go on and on.”

  Quinn rolled onto her side. “I don’t have OCD.”

  “Yes, you do. But let’s not fight tonight. Not after that lovely meal.”

  “I’m just very organized. There’s a big difference. And I don’t call you, Miss Throw Shit Anywhere I Please.”

  Lacey laughed. “Okay, you got me there.”

  Quinn smiled proudly, her hand still on Lacey’s thigh. “Did you know I came busting out of the closet tonight?”

  “Yeah. I was there, remember?” She’d never seen Quinn quite this tipsy. It was kind of cute.

  “Oh, yeah.” Quinn flopped onto her back. “The not really a kiss, kiss.” She abruptly sat up on her elbows. “Twice. Why did you not kiss me, twice?”

  Lacey urged Quinn to lay back down with a push on her shoulder, then she ran her fingers through her hair, knowing that would relax her fairly quickly. “We’ve kissed on the set several times. It’s not like you don’t know what it feels like.”

  Quinn closed her eyes. “Mmm…I know what Selena feels like. Jordan likes Selena.”

  “Yeah. Selena likes Jordan too.”

  Quinn’s breathing deepened. Lacey kept running her fingers through her hair until she was sure she was asleep. “Goodnight, love,” she whispered. She ran the back of her fingers over Quinn’s cheek and then stood up. She looked back one more time before she shut the door.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  Jack turned on the TV. The three of them stood together in Quinn’s living room. “They’ve been teasing it through the entire show.”

  Lacey nudged Quinn. “Your life will never be the same.”

  Jack turned to Lacey. “Do you have your own publicist? Because if anyone’s life is about to change, it’s yours.”

  “I can’t afford you, Jack.”

  “I’ll give you a deal.”

  Quinn pointed at the TV. “Here we go.”

  And the story you’ve been waiting for…has life imitated art? The star herself isn’t talking, but a new photo might just say it all. Quinn Kincaid, star of the highly rated series, Jordan’s Appeal, has spoken extensively about her character, Jordan Ellis, falling in love with a woman, played by Lacey Matthews of the daytime soap, Light of Day. What she hasn’t talked about, are the rumors currently swirling around the two actors that seem to hint at a real-life romance. Is this photo taken on Saturday at a Starbucks in West Hollywood proof that Quinn Kincaid is just as in love with Lacey Matthews as Jordan is with Selena? Take a look folks and let us know what you think on Twitter and Facebook.

  Jack turned off the TV. “Perfect. That’s exactly what we want.”

  “What’s next?” Quinn had been here before. She knew what was next. Dating Greer Farris, then eloping, then divorcing him – the paparazzi had been relentless through it all. She shivered at the thought of what was next, but it would be worth it, she tried to tell herself. She was mostly asking the question for Lacey’s sake. Jack would be more diplomatic in his descriptions.

  “A paparazzi shitstorm.”

  Quinn’s eyes shuttered closed. So much for diplomacy, Jack.

  “You’ll be hounded until they get something more concrete, which we’re not going to give them. Not yet, anyway. And Lacey, you need to warn y
our family. If you want any other advice from me, I have a contract out in my car.”

  Quinn turned to Lacey. “I don’t usually say this when he’s in the room, but Jack is the best, and you’ll want him in front of you on this. Also, things could get a bit complicated if you were to go with someone else.”

  Lacey gave her a nod. “Get the contract, Jack.”

  “Excellent. I need an hour with both of you, right now.”

  As Jack walked to the front door, both Lacey and Quinn’s phones started ringing. “For the next few hours, let everyone leave a voicemail!” Jack yelled back at them.

  ***

  Lacey hated lying to her father. She covered her eyes with her hand.

  “Honey, are you there?”

  “Yeah, Dad. I’m here.”

  “So, are the rumors true? Are you really dating Quinn?”

  “Yeah. It’s um…it just happened, unexpectedly.” Lacey knew her dad wouldn’t be surprised by the news. He’d seen something between them. Too bad whatever he’d seen, wasn’t real.

  “That’s the best kind, when you don’t see it coming. Your mother and I…”

  “Dad.” Lacey didn’t want to cry, and if her father told her the story that she’d heard a thousand time before… “Tell me, Dad. Tell me about you and Mom.”

  Ben chuckled into the phone. “You know the story. And I’m so happy for you, honey. You have everything you want now, right? A job, doing what you love. A good woman. Who could ask for more?”

  Lacey’s heart sank. One day soon, she’d have to admit that she’d lied to him. “Yeah, I guess so.”

  “Do you love her, honey? You sound kind of sad.”

  Lacey stood in the doorway of the guesthouse. She could see Quinn in the main house, wiping down the kitchen counter, even though it wasn’t dirty. “Yeah. I love her, Dad. She’s amazing. Everything. My dream woman.” She chuckled to herself. “I’m…you know…so gone I can barely breathe.” She bent over and put a hand on her knee, trying to get some air.

  “Breathe, honey. I know the feeling, but you have to keep breathing. Keep moving. And when it feels right, you know what to do.”

  “Yeah, I do,” Lacey gasped for air, her emotions surfacing.

  “I’m so happy for you, baby.” Ben’s voice cracked. “I could see it when I was there, how good you two are together. It’s different, you know?”

  “How so?” Lacey stood back up, holding her stomach as she watched Quinn.

  “I liked Dani, but to see you with someone like Quinn…so much your equal…a good partner…”

  Was her dad crying? She pressed the phone to her ear. “Dad?”

  “I’m fine, honey. It just makes me think of your mother and how happy she’d be for you.”

  Lacey couldn’t take it anymore. He’d be devastated when she and Quinn broke up in a few months. God, how would she ever tell him the truth? It broke her heart, just thinking about it. “I have to go now, Dad. If anyone bothers you, just give them Jack’s phone number, okay?”

  “I will. Take care, honey.”

  ***

  Lacey sat on the end of a lounger with her phone clasped between her hands, covering her mouth, almost like she was praying. She was so deep in thought, she jumped when Quinn shouted, “Drinks outside?”

  “Yeah!” she shouted back. It was an unseasonably warm evening. Not a cloud in the sky and very little breeze blowing. Lacey moved closer to the main house where two loungers were sitting next to each other with a table in between. Quinn set the wine glasses on the table and handed the bottle to Lacey. “Will you do the honors?”

  Lacey read the label before she opened it. “This looks familiar.”

  “Yeah. Remember the wine Ginny sent to the table at Nobu?”

  “Ohhhh…I loved that wine.”

  “I know. And we have a lot to celebrate.” Quinn lay back in the lounger, looking relaxed and happy. Pretty much the exact opposite of how Lacey was feeling. “You know,” Quinn said, looking around. “I’ve lived in this house for a few years now, and I’ve never spent this much time out here. It’s really quite beautiful.”

  Lacey twisted the corkscrew into the bottle. “I love it out here. The swimming pool is about the size of my apartment in New York, so I kind of feel like I’m on a permanent vacation.”

  “I’m glad you’re happy here.” Lacey didn’t reply, so Quinn turned to her. “You are…happy here, right?”

  Lacey ignored the question as she poured the wine. She held out her glass for a toast. “What are we celebrating?”

  Quinn didn’t pick up her glass. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing. To the good life. Now, hit my glass.”

  Quinn raised her glass. “To the good life. Now, tell me what’s wrong.”

  Lacey swirled and inhaled the wine before she took a sip. “It’s just Dani and my dad. He’s so excited about us, he can hardly contain himself. Meanwhile, Dani is...not giving up.”

  Quinn didn’t reply, and Lacey didn’t really blame her. It was a mess on her side, and Quinn couldn’t fix it. No one could. “I should start house hunting,” Lacey said.

  “You can’t afford this town.” Quinn took a long sip of her wine. “God, that’s good.”

  “Maybe not this neighborhood, but I can find something smaller.”

  “A smaller home in a good neighborhood will run you at least 1.5 million. Probably, more.”

  “I can rent.”

  Quinn was silent for a minute, so Lacey leaned back on the lounger. She glanced at Quinn’s short shorts and let her eyes wander down her legs. “Do you want to go for a swim?”

  “Are you trying to get me naked?”

  Lacey shrugged. “You go in the hot tub naked, so why not the pool?”

  “You’re not very subtle.”

  “You like that about me. Now tell me what we’re celebrating.” Lacey knew, but she wanted to hear it from Quinn. Get her take on how things went with her big “coming out.”

  Quinn turned to Lacey, excitement filling her eyes. “We’re celebrating the fact that the world doesn’t seem to mind that I’ve fallen in love with a woman.” The phrasing wasn’t lost on Lacey, nor was the fact that her heart skipped a beat. As usual, the joy lasted about two seconds before Quinn slapped her back into reality. Not the fake reality, but the real reality. “It’s a real shame they don’t give Emmys for this shit because we’re selling the hell out of it.”

  Lacey forced a smile. “We sure are. They really seem to love it.”

  “I can’t thank you enough, Lace. I know it’s been a pain in the ass to take care of me and carry on this little charade.”

  “You’re paying me well. I’ve never had so much cash in the bank.”

  Quinn turned onto her side, fully facing Lacey. “Is there anything else I can do for you?”

  Anything else you can do for me? What is this shit? If Quinn was going to have the nerve to say it like that, all laying on her side being sexy while she said it, Lacey would let her eyes wander down Quinn’s bare legs and back up to her chest again. “You know what I want.” She motioned with her head toward the pool.

  “And you say I’m gay.”

  Lacey downed the rest of the glass and poured herself more wine. She took a big swallow and picked up her phone. “Would you like some music? I’m sure I have a striptease on here somewhere.”

  Quinn didn’t take her eyes off of Lacey, waiting for her to make eye contact again. When she finally did, she said, “How many seconds would it take for me to seduce you?”

  Lacey’s eyebrows rose. “Seconds? God, you’re so arrogant.”

  “I’m taking into account the glass and a half of wine you just drank in under a minute.”

  This was a trick of some kind. Lacey wouldn’t fall for it. She was smarter than that. Her eyes flicked to Quinn’s chest again. Since she’d rolled onto her side, even more cleavage was showing. Soft, luscious breasts that were begging to be worshipped. She pulled her eyes away and said, “You have no intenti
on of trying to seduce me, so it’s really a moot point.” She lifted her glass. “Cheers.”

  “Thirty seconds? A minute?”

  Lacey ignored the question, sipping her wine and keeping her eyes straight ahead. Quinn set her glass down and stood up. “I think all it would take, is me holding out my hand.”

  Lacey shook her head in disgust. “You are such a…”

  “You’re the one who wanted to play,” Quinn said, lowering her hand. “You’re always flirting and blatantly cat calling and trying to get me naked, but the second I say anything…”

  “I’ve never flirted with you.” Lacey took another sip of her wine. “Not once.”

  “What are you talking about? Of course, you have.”

  “Appreciated your gorgeous figure? Yes, I’ve definitely done that. But you got naked in front of me all on your own…and of course I’m going to look. You knew that when you stripped down to nothing.”

  “But you’ve never flirted?” Quinn asked in confusion.

  Lacey shook her head. “Why would I?”

  Quinn sat back down. “Why wouldn’t you?”

  “Because flirting is real. And we’re not real. Which of course is something you constantly feel the need to remind me of. And eventually, you’re going to fake break up with me and I’m going to pack my real bags and walk away from here with a shitload of real cash and another season on network prime-time fucking must-see TV. So, gratitude, yes. But flirting? No.”

  Quinn looked both sad and confused, like she was in the middle of being dumped. Was she really so clueless? Lacey took a deep breath and softened her tone. “Quinn, I really hope you’ll call Ginny Strong when this is all over and ask her out because you deserve it. You deserve to have the real thing and now that you’re out…well, they’re going to be banging down your door, because someone like you doesn’t stay single for long.”

  “I think that’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me.”

  Lacey raised an eyebrow. “Really? Because I thought the nicest thing I ever said to you, was that your pussy felt good in my mouth.”

  Quinn flopped back on the lounger, laughing. “You never said that.”

  “Oh really? I meant to mention it after we shot our love scene. Because what I got of it, felt great.”