Starlight

by Alexandra Richland

  Kazan nodded in agreement.

  Beth looked at Aidan. His eyes remained fixed ahead.

  “Your embrace at the end was poignant,” Mr. Strasberg continued. “Another important tool that Method actors should utilize, besides drawing emotions from their own previous experiences, is the technique that less is more. A seemingly simple gesture can sometimes be much more effective in conveying emotions than words. That said, I believe everyone in this room would agree that the hug you two shared was very moving. We didn’t need verbal confirmation that you still cared about each other––that you would work toward recovering your relationship, and wouldn’t give up on your love. We felt it and just knew. Good job to you both.”

  Kazan stood and looked to the audience. “The workshop is adjourned for today.”

  Chatter erupted throughout the room as the students rose to their feet. Beth turned to Aidan. He hesitated before meeting her gaze.

  “I’m sorry I got carried away with the scene.” He ran his hand through his hair. “I hope I wasn’t too intense for you.”

  With each layer he carefully exposed, Beth began to see more of the scared boy within. If he wasn’t ready to admit they shared much more than a fictional exchange during the scene, then she wasn’t going to push the issue. If she’d learned anything from his script, it was he would open up to her eventually. She just had to give him time.

  “You could never frighten me.” With her reply, she hoped he got the point that she was here for him, no matter what.

  Kazan snuck up behind Aidan and ruffled his hair.

  “What the––?” Ducking out from under from the director’s hand, Aidan turned around. He grinned when he saw who it was. “Gadg, you know the rules about the hair.”

  Smiling, Kazan looked at Beth. “So, Elizabeth, you’re starring in that new motion picture, Sparkling Meadow, aren’t you?”

  Heat rose in her cheeks. She couldn’t believe he knew who she was. “Yes, sir. The premiere is in two days. And please, call me Beth.”

  “How long have you been signed to Starlight Studios, Beth?”

  “Since June.”

  Kazan placed his hands in his pockets. “To tell you the truth, I’m surprised you’re a contract actress.”

  Beth’s eyebrows drew together. “What do you mean?”

  “Usually, Luther Mertz’s ingénues aren’t very talented and are signed for other reasons, but you, my dear, show great potential. Your acting today was superb and you handled the pressure very well. There are Actors Studio members who’ve been here for years and still never offer to come up to perform at the front. Then, when I do finally drag them up there, they’re nervous wrecks. So forgive me if I’m a bit surprised you’re a contract actress.”

  “It’s quite all right.” She stole a coy look at Aidan.

  Kazan shrugged. “Hey, I don’t blame you. I know the draws of Hollywood. I’ve been out there a few times myself to direct films for Luther.”

  “I’m a big fan of your work,” Beth admitted.

  He grinned. “Why, thank you.”

  A young man called Kazan’s name from across the room. The director signaled he would be with the person in a moment, and then turned to Aidan. “Don’t leave yet. We should catch up. Just give me a few minutes.”

  Aidan nodded and Kazan disappeared into the crowd.

  Patricia approached, smiling and holding Beth’s purse and jacket. Beth had completely forgotten about her. She felt guilty, because if it weren’t for the actress’s generous invitation, she wouldn’t have attended the workshop in the first place and run into Aidan.

  “Beth, you were fantastic.” Patricia turned to Aidan. “And it’s nice to see you back here.”

  Aidan kept his eyes on Beth. “Thanks, Pat. You too.”

  Patricia handed Beth her belongings. “I’m sorry, but I have to cut our conversation short. I’m meeting a friend for dinner.”

  Beth gave her a quick hug. “Thank you so much for inviting me to attend a workshop here. It was a wonderful experience.”

  “Anytime, Beth.” Patricia put on her coat. “Feel free to call me up the next time you’re in New York. Good luck with your premiere and happy birthday, even though I’m a few days early.” With a wave, she rushed toward the exit.

  Beth turned to Aidan. “So, uh, what are you doing here?” she asked, desperate to break the silence between them.

  “What am I doing here?” He chuckled. “What are you doing here?”

  Beth giggled. “No, I meant what are you doing in New York?”

  Aidan folded his arms across his chest, accentuating the lean muscles of his shoulders and arms. “I just needed a break from Hollywood for a few days.”

  Beth swallowed hard before looking away, hoping he hadn’t caught her gaze of admiration. “Oh, I see. Well, as you know, I’m here for my premiere. The other night, Patricia told me about these workshops and I wanted to see for myself what they were all about.”

  “How do you like the city so far? Have you seen a lot of the sights?”

  Beth looked down at her feet. “Actually no, I haven’t. I’ve been so busy talking to the press that I haven’t had time to see much of anything.”

  “Well, what have you seen?”

  She gestured to the room sheepishly. “Just this … pretty much.”

  His eyes widened. “Are you serious?”

  She nodded and looked back to the floor.

  “What are you doing after this?”

  Beth lifted her gaze hopefully, but her excitement was fleeting. Given Henry’s strict orders, she would be unable to take Aidan up on his offer to show her around town, if he was, in fact, offering.

  “I’m under strict instruction from my chaperone to return to my hotel immediately after this workshop.” Her stomach twisted tighter with every word. “Actually, my driver is probably here already.”

  “Oh, okay.” Aidan scratched behind his ear.

  “But I have the whole day off tomorrow,” she amended quickly––a little too quickly. She hoped she hadn’t seemed too forward.

  Aidan’s eyes darted back to hers “Tomorrow? I’m free tomorrow, too.”

  Beth didn’t want to jump to conclusions. “Oh, really? What a coincidence.”

  “Well, since we’re both free, I can show you around. You know, if you’re up for it …”

  Beth’s heart leapt, but then she remembered Henry. There was no way he would allow her to tour the city with Aidan.

  “It’s okay if you can’t,” Aidan said after a few moments.

  “It’s not that I don’t want to,” she replied. “It’s just that, as per Mr. Mertz’s rules, I’m not allowed to leave my hotel without a chaperone. Attending this workshop was a rare exception and took a lot of convincing on my part. I don’t believe I’ll be granted an opportunity like this again, even if I begged.”

  Aidan took a step toward her. “I’ll be your chaperone.”

  Beth looked up at him. She felt faint standing so close to him, reminiscent of the intoxication she experienced during their scene.

  “Please come out with me tomorrow.” His velvety voice generated another wave of delightful tremors throughout her body. “I promise I’ll take care of you.”

  Pinned by his dedicated gaze, she replied, “All right, I will.”

  Aidan flashed a knee-buckling grin. “Okay, I’ll pick you up in front of your hotel.”

  Beth nodded, keeping her excitement in check. “That sounds great.”

  “Where are you staying?”

  “The Plaza Hotel at Fifth Avenue and Central Park South,” she said, proud to share her new knowledge.

  Aidan laughed. “Yeah, I think I may have heard of that one before.”

  Beth blushed. “So what time will you come by in the studio car to pick me up?”

  Aidan raised his eyebrows. “Studio car? Beth, you can’t see New York properly from a chauffeured car. You gotta walk around and take the subway to truly experience the energy of the city.”

/>   “The subway?”

  “Yeah, the subway.”

  Beth pursed her lips. “I’ve never been on the subway before. I heard it’s dangerous.”

  Aidan shook his head. “I’ll be with you the entire time, and like I said, I promise I won’t let anything happen to you.”

  The sincerity behind his words made Beth respond immediately. “The subway it is, then.”

  Aidan chuckled. “So, is tomorrow morning at nine thirty good for you?”

  “Nine thirty is perfect.”

  “Okay, good.”

  Beth glanced at the clock on the wall behind him. She was late meeting Gordon. Although she didn’t want to leave, it was best not to give Henry a reason to be cross with her. “I’m very sorry, but I really shouldn’t make my chauffeur wait any longer.”

  Aidan cleared his throat. “It’s okay. I gotta head out soon, anyway.” A silence befell them. “So, uh, let me walk you out.”

  Beth smiled. “Thank you.”

  Aidan took her coat and helped her put it on. With her cheeks colored pink, she thanked him for his assistance. She felt giddy; no other man had ever treated her so chivalrously.

  With her purse tucked under her arm, she fastened the buttons on her coat and followed Aidan across the room and downstairs. Several people stopped him to say hello and he was gracious to every one of them. She could tell he was truly in his element here.

  Aidan propped the door open with one hand, and Beth walked past him and down the front steps to street level. Gordon stood on the sidewalk in front of the building, his hands clasped in front of him. The studio limousine was parked behind him, adjacent to the curb.

  Beth turned to Aidan. “It was a pleasure running into you.”

  His return grin warmed her cheeks in spite of the chilly breeze. “The pleasure was all mine.”

  Beth gave him a quick wave and headed toward Gordon. Knowing Aidan was watching her, it took all of her dedication not to skip to the limousine.

  Gordon opened the back door. “So, how did it go, kiddo?” His eyes darted in Aidan’s direction.

  “It went very well. Thank you for driving me.” She slid into the back seat.

  As Gordon closed the door and took his seat behind the wheel, she stared at Aidan through the tinted window. A plethora of butterflies spawned in her stomach at the sight of him. With his back propping the front door open and his arms crossed over his chest, he watched the limousine pull away from the curb, looking every bit the rebel with his cool and confident expression.

  Once he was out of view, Beth focused on the passing scenery with a smile. Tomorrow, the sights wouldn’t be blurred glimpses through a tinted car window, and she had the best possible tour guide. As excited as she was about their date, however, she still had one major issue to contend with which could potentially interfere with her plans: She had to figure out how she was going to sneak past Henry.

  ***

  Presenting a collected exterior, Aidan watched Beth’s limousine pull out into traffic. Inside, he grinned like a clown. Spending the day with her tomorrow was more than he’d ever expected. He was thankful she was giving him another chance and excited to show her everything he loved about the city.

  He couldn’t believe she’d been in New York almost a week and hadn’t seen anything except the Plaza Hotel and the Actors Studio. Then again, given Mr. Mertz’s reputation, it wasn’t a surprise that she was controlled so strictly. Aidan agreed that Beth shouldn’t go out by herself, but he didn’t like her treated like a slave, either.

  At least for tomorrow she wouldn’t have to worry about the studio and Mr. Mertz’s rules. He was going to show her a great time and hopefully she would travel to Boston with wonderful memories of New York and, if he was lucky, him as well.

  Aidan recalled how incredible it felt holding Beth in his arms and how he wished Kazan hadn’t stopped the scene so soon. He never wanted to let her go. His character’s feeling paralleled his own and he let his real experiences fuel his performance, inadvertently reaching out to her in the only way he knew how. He didn’t know if she caught on, but he still felt relieved when she said she would stick by him no matter what. If he didn’t make any mistakes, he believed tomorrow had the potential to be the start of something great between them.

  “Excuse me, Spike. Can I have your autograph?”

  Aidan looked away from the street. Kazan stood behind him, an impish grin stretched across his face.

  Aidan smirked. “Very funny.”

  “Come on, kid, shut the door.” Kazan gestured indoors. “You’re letting all the creative air out of the building.”

  Aidan stepped inside, letting the door close behind him.

  Kazan placed a hand on his shoulder. “Seriously, how are you?”

  Aidan shrugged. “Yeah, it’s going okay. The fame thing’s kind of rough, but overall, I know I have no right to complain.”

  “Just wait ’til you win an Oscar.” Kazan winked, alluding to the Academy Award he won for directing the 1947 film, Gentleman’s Agreement. “You haven’t seen anything yet.”

  “Hey, if I wanted the Oscar, I’d have done my first film with you,” Aidan joked.

  “Well, I’m working on a waterfront picture at the moment that’s giving me a lot of grief, but after that’s in the can we should talk about working together. I actually have a project in mind, if you’re up to it.”

  “Sure, Gadg. Drop me a line when you’re ready.”

  Kazan nodded.

  “So what’s the deal with the waterfront movie?” Aidan asked. “I’ve heard rumors.”

  Kazan pinched the bridge of his nose. “Where do I start? Well, the first problem was Mertz refused to back the thing because he was concerned about the subject matter. Then when he finally agreed to do the picture, he had all of these goddamn guidelines on how it should be made.”

  Aidan rolled his eyes. “Figures.”

  Kazan chuckled. “I told him where he could shove his rules, and eventually, he came around. He knew the script was too good to pass up. After that, I thought everything was gonna be easy, but then I was faced with a casting issue.

  “Initially, I offered the part to Brando, but he turned it down. But get this––I placed bits of paper in between the pages of the script I sent him and when I got the script back with a note saying he wasn’t impressed with it, the pieces were still there. He hadn’t even read the damn thing!

  “Then I offered the role to Sinatra and he accepted it right away, no bullshit. I mean, the lead character is from Hoboken for Christ’s sake––he fits the part perfectly. Anyway, now Brando wants the part, and he’s the better actor, so I don’t know what I’m gonna do. You know how Frank is. You get on his bad side and it’s for life.” Kazan sighed. “This picture has given me a permanent migraine and I haven’t even started filming yet.”

  “Why put yourself through all that grief for one film?”

  “It’s a damn good script, that’s why,” Kazan replied with conviction. “And because everyone in this business who actually gives a damn recognizes a good project when they see it, and will do anything to bring it to fruition. We’re slaves to our work because it means more to us than even our sanity.”

  Aidan understood the director’s point. He was proud of Spike Rollins, regardless of his disdain for fame and how much filming the tough scenes affected him.

  Kazan laughed. “And who knows, maybe someone will actually go and see it, if I ever get it done.”

  Aidan clapped a hand on his back. “We’re a crazy bunch of fuck-ups, aren’t we, Gadg?”

  “That, my friend, we are.” Kazan’s face brightened. “Hey, a few of us are heading to Sardi’s in an hour. Why don’t you come, too? We can catch up more and you can see some more familiar faces.”

  Aidan shrugged. “Sure, why not?”

  “If you wanna wait around for me, we can walk over there together. Or do you need to go home and change first?” He scanned Aidan’s clothes and grinned. “Sorry, I forgot who
I was talking to. Lucky you’re so famous or else there’s no way they’d let you in the door.”

  Sardi’s had a strict dress code; one of the several reasons Aidan never frequented the joint while living in New York––the most important one being how it was the popular hangout for the pretentious Broadway elite. Aidan preferred Cromwell’s Pharmacy in the lobby of the NBC building at Thirty Rockefeller Plaza, also known as the poor man’s Sardi’s or the actor’s drugstore.

  Out-of-work actors could sit there undisturbed for hours and hold deep discussions about art and life. The latest issues of Variety and Show Business always floated around for them to check for potential work, and the bank of telephones along one wall allowed them to contact their agents. Aidan wasn’t desperate for acting gigs anymore, and when he had gone to Cromwell’s, he didn’t socialize, only listened, but he still felt he fit in there more than Sardi’s. He would go tonight, though, because Kazan invited him.

  Aidan agreed to meet Kazan outside in fifteen minutes. He wanted time to himself and get some fresh air anyway. He walked up the stairs, grabbed his jacket off his chair, and took his Winstons out of the pocket before going back outside.

  As he stood in front of the building, taking long drags on his cigarette, he recalled Patricia Neal’s comment about Beth’s birthday coming up soon. He decided to call Nathan tonight and find out from Olivia when it was. He wanted to buy her a present.

  As for their day tomorrow, Aidan had no clue what Beth wanted to see and could only hope she liked what he decided on. There were some things that the old, pre-Beth Aidan never would’ve come up with, but the new Aidan was somewhat of a sentimental guy. His list of ideas was long. He needed to come up with some sort of itinerary of the essentials so he wouldn’t miss anything he’d think she would enjoy.

  After Sardi’s, he would get down to work. It was time to call in a few favors.

  Chapter Forty-One

  At nine o’clock in the morning on the day Beth was spending with Aidan, she stood in her hotel room with Will, trying to convince him to help her leave the hotel without Henry chaperoning. Her resources were limited. Unfortunately, Will was her only hope.