In order to persuade him, she skirted around the details and simply said she wanted to go out with a friend and see the sights. She hoped that since Will didn’t need a chaperone, Henry wouldn’t argue if Will agreed to accompany her out on the town today.
Will took a moment to mull over her plan. “I don’t know, Beth. If you get caught …”
“Let me worry about the consequences if I get caught, all right? All you have to do is tell Henry I’m spending the day with you.”
“Yes, but if you get caught lying, then I get caught and—”
“What’s going to happen if you get caught? It’s not like Henry is your chaperone,” Beth replied. “Anyway, if Henry does find out we aren’t together, you can just tell him we got separated. You can put the blame on me and say my carelessness caused me to get lost. And that’s only if we get caught. You said you’re going to be out all day. As long as we return to the hotel at the same time, Henry will have no reason to be suspicious.”
Will frowned. “I’m still not convinced this is a good idea.”
Beth couldn’t believe he felt uneasy about fibbing to Henry. He wasn’t exactly a boy scout. “Can you please do me this favor?”
Will scoffed. “You mean, like the favor you did by refusing to marry me and jilting me out of ten thousand dollars?”
Beth rolled her eyes. “Oh, for goodness’ sake, it’s not like you need the money! Plus, if I hadn’t refused to marry you, you wouldn’t be engaged to your current fiancée, the woman you love with all your heart, remember?”
“Yeah, yeah, okay.” His eyes narrowed. “Who are you going out with, anyway?”
Beth’s cheeks reddened. “A friend.”
“Yes, you said that already. What friend?”
“A good friend.”
Will didn’t let up. “You told me on the flight out here that you’ve never been to New York before, so I’m assuming this friend is from Los Angeles?”
“Yes.” Beth looked anywhere but into his inquisitive eyes.
“Who is it? I might know her.”
“Um …”
Will smirked. “Or him.”
Beth sighed. “Look, I don’t have much time, so stop playing games and tell me now whether you’re going to help. Either way, I’m getting out of this hotel today.”
“All right, I’ll help you,” Will replied. “But you owe me, got it?”
“Fine. Now, can you please accompany me down to the restaurant and tell Henry about our fake plans?”
Will walked toward the door. “I have to grab my coat, hat, and wallet from my room. I’ll meet you in the hallway in two minutes.”
Once he was gone, Beth surveyed her appearance in the mirror. She set her hair in pin curls last night and this morning decided to wear a white cotton blouse, black pants that tapered at the ankle, and black flats for comfort. After selecting a dark gray wool coat that fell to just below her hips, as well as a black purse, she met Will in the hallway outside her room.
Together, they arrived at the restaurant located off the hotel lobby, where Henry was eating breakfast at his usual table in the corner. Excited whispers erupted throughout the room as the patrons recognized Will. As usual, he lapped up the attention.
“Good morning, Henry,” Will said after signing an autograph for a pretty blonde who was dining with her mother.
Henry glanced up from his newspaper. “Good morning, Mr. Everett.”
Beth cleared her throat softly. “Good morning, sir.”
Henry raised his eyebrows at her. He folded his newspaper and placed it on the table next to his coffee and half-eaten omelet.
“Miss Sutton, I thought you would be catching up on your sleep, since it’s your day off. Remember, when you first arrived under my care, we talked about you getting the proper amount of rest so you always look fresh for the press.”
“I’m not tired,” Beth insisted. “I returned to the hotel early yesterday, remember? I came right back after the Actors Studio workshop, checked in with you, just as you requested, and then I ate dinner and retired to my room.” She hoped if she reminded Henry of her good behavior, he would be more likely to agree to the proposition she and Will were about to make.
“Yes, I remember, Miss Sutton.” Henry looked at the coat in her hand and the purse hanging from her shoulder. “Are we going somewhere?”
“Uh …” Beth looked at Will, hoping he would intercede.
Will draped his arm over her shoulders and presented a mega-watt smile. “Beth and I are going to spend the day together.”
Henry huffed. “You’re what?”
“I really want to tour the city,” Beth explained. “I asked Will to take me so you could relax today. You’ve been so busy these last few days, making sure I’m where I’m supposed to be, and on time, so I figured you would be all right with him showing me around instead.”
Henry didn’t look impressed. “I see.”
“So I have your permission?”
He took a sip of his coffee and then cleared his throat. “You’re in luck, Miss Sutton. I, too, am feeling well rested, so it seems I shall be up for accompanying you around town after all.”
Beth blanched and looked at Will. He shrugged.
“Um, that’s very nice of you, Henry,” she said, “but it really isn’t necessary. Will is more than happy to show me around.” She nudged her elbow into Will’s ribs. “Aren’t you, Will?”
Will grimaced and rubbed the spot where her elbow made contact. “Uh, yeah, that’s right. I already have the entire day planned out. We’re going to tour the city and then we’re going to the, uh, baseball game this afternoon. Unfortunately, I only have two tickets.”
Baseball wasn’t part of Beth’s initial plan, but she went along with Will’s addition calmly.
“Yes, baseball,” she said, as though she enjoyed the sport.
Henry swirled his coffee around in his cup. “Well, I’m not much of a baseball fan.”
“And if you inform the press that Beth and I are spending the day together, it’ll be good publicity for the picture,” Will added, fiddling with the brim of the fedora he held in his hands.
Beth smiled. Now he was talking!
“Yes, good publicity, indeed.” Henry paused. “It’s settled, then. You two will go out on the town and have a wonderful time together.”
Beth glanced at the wall clock. She was supposed to meet Aidan in three minutes.
“Thank you, Henry.” She gripped Will’s arm. “Well, we really should get going. I hear this city is pretty big and since I only have this one opportunity, I want to see as much as possible. Before the, uh, baseball game.”
“And what time will you two return?” Henry asked.
“Uh, what time?” Beth didn’t want to say a time that was too early, in case Aidan wanted to spend the evening with her. However, if she said a time that was too late, Henry might object to her going out at all.
“I have dinner reservations for eight o’clock, so after we eat, we’ll come back,” Will said. He’d deviated from Beth’s plan again but she had to admit it was a good digression.
“I need an exact time, Mr. Everett,” Henry said.
Will eyed Beth uncertainly. “Ten o’clock?”
Beth glanced at Henry.
“Nine thirty is more appropriate, Mr. Everett,” he said.
“Nine thirty is very generous of you, Henry.” Beth gave him a polite smile. “Thank you.”
Henry picked up his newspaper. Beth assumed she and Will were dismissed. After saying good-bye, she followed Will out of the restaurant with a genuine grin on her face. Convincing Henry had been easier than she had imagined.
“Wow, I’m sure glad I ain’t a doll,” Will said as they entered the lobby. “There’s no way I’d let anyone keep tabs on me like that.”
“Yes, aren’t you lucky.” Beth’s tone reflected how unjust she felt her treatment was.
“I’m meeting a few friends downtown in an hour. Do you need a lift somewhere?” he a
sked.
“No, thank you. I’m fine,” Beth replied. “And thank you for your help back there. Near the end of the conversation, you were surprisingly convincing.”
Will balked. “Hey, what do you mean surprisingly convincing? I’m an actor, Princess. Lying is second nature to me.”
Beth always thought acting was about truth, not lies. She smiled anyway. “So are you all right with coming back here at nine thirty?”
Will shrugged. “Well, I guess I have to at least stop by so I can escort you inside, or else Henry will get suspicious. After I drop you off, I can always go back out if I want, while you go to bed like a good little girl.” His lips lifted in a smirk.
Beth bit her tongue to keep from responding with a smart remark. Then she realized if Aidan ended their day early, she couldn’t return to the hotel without Will. She needed a back-up plan because she didn’t want to walk around the city by herself until nine thirty at night.
“Is there a number where I can reach you, in case I need to come back earlier?” she asked.
“I’ll be downtown until four,” Will said. “After that, I’m going to a friend’s place for poker and cigars. I can give you his number. He lives just off Fifth, on Sixtieth Street.”
Beth frowned. “That address means nothing to me, unfortunately.”
“It’s within walking distance of the Plaza.” Will placed his fedora on his head. “That is, if I ever actually walked anywhere. By studio car, it’ll take me a few minutes, tops, if you need me to return earlier than nine thirty.”
Beth was surprised he was being so helpful. “Thank you. That would be great.”
She pulled notepaper and a pen from her purse and jotted down the telephone number Will dictated. If Aidan ended their day earlier than four o’clock, she would find something to do on her own until Will arrived at his friend’s house. At least it would still be light out at that time.
Will flashed his broad leading man grin, clearly trying to lay on the same charm that made him so popular with movie audiences. “So, what do you say, Princess? How about giving your savior a nice kiss to say thank you?” He pointed to his cheek. “Come on, lay it on me.”
Beth rose on her tiptoes. She smiled and patted his cheek instead. “Nice try, Will.”
With a pout, he straightened his posture. “Okay, fine. But I still think we would’ve made a great fake married couple, don’t you agree?”
Beth giggled. “I don’t think so.”
Will chuckled. “All right, lovely lady, enjoy your day, and I guess I’ll be seeing you outside the hotel at nine thirty, unless I hear otherwise.” He tipped his hat and walked toward the front door, stopping briefly to sign an autograph for an excited fan before exiting outside.
Beth scanned the lobby to make sure Henry wasn’t watching Will walk away without her. She allowed enough time for Will to leave the premises, and then put on her coat and made her way toward the exit.
The doorman smiled as she approached. “Good morning, Miss. May I have someone assist you to your car?”
“No, thank you, sir,” she replied, buttoning her coat. “I’m actually meeting someone out front who is arriving on foot.”
The doorman nodded and returned to his post. As Beth stepped outside into the sunny, autumn weather, she looked past the cars lined up in front of the hotel and searched for Aidan.
“Can I help you find who you’re looking for?” the doorman asked.
Beth realized she was blocking the way for other guests to enter and exit the hotel.
“No, thank you, sir.” She descended the front steps, anxiously scanning the grounds, hoping Aidan hadn’t thought she wasn’t coming, and left. Or worse, that he changed his mind altogether about showing her around the city.
After several nerve-wracking moments, Beth spotted him standing beside the hotel’s opulent stone fountain with his hands in his jacket pockets and his eyes to the ground. As she crossed the driveway, she admired his dark blue jeans, white T-shirt, and navy blue windbreaker with the collar up. She’d never seen a man look as appealing in casual attire as he did.
Aidan lifted his head as she approached. When their eyes met, Beth thought the butterflies fluttering in her stomach were enough to lift her off the ground. She stopped before him and extended her hand with a smile, hoping to avoid an awkward greeting.
“Hello, Aidan.”
Aidan looked down at her hand suspended between them and raised his eyebrows. An amused smirk played across his lips. Beth’s cheeks reddened as she realized how square she must’ve looked.
“Morning,” he replied, shaking her hand with a gentle grip. He scanned her outfit, his eyes burning with blatant approval. “You look very lovely today.”
Beth’s blush deepened. She wasn’t immune to Aidan’s charms as she was with Will’s. “Thank you.”
Aidan dropped her hand. His eyebrows pinched together as he focused in the distance. “So, uh, the first place I wanted to take you is Central Park.” He jutted his chin across the street.
Beth fiddled with the strap on her purse, unable to look anywhere except at his handsome face. “All right, let’s go.”
Aidan tugged the zipper of his jacket up to mid-chest. “I didn’t know what you’d be interested in seeing, so I came up with a variety of things. I hope that’s okay.”
“That’s sounds wonderful.”
Aidan nodded and they made their way toward the traffic lights at the corner. Their opening conversation slightly awkward, but since this was technically only their first date, Beth reasoned it was only natural that it might take some time before they were completely comfortable around each other. At least, she hoped that was the case.
Chapter Forty-Two
As Aidan escorted Beth toward Central Park, he wanted nothing more than to hold her hand. He knew it was improper this early in their date, so he shoved his hands in the pockets of his jacket and balled them into fists instead.
After nine thirty passed and Aidan still hadn’t seen her, he worried she had changed her mind. Now that their day together had officially started, the last thing he wanted to do was make her feel uncomfortable. It was bad enough that he stammered through their initial conversation like a fool.
The catalyst was that the importance of today weighed heavily on him and his nerves were running the show. Even though he’d made some calls and everything was set to go smoothly, he couldn’t relax. He felt if he messed up in any way, he would ruin his chances with her for good, so he was acting extra careful around her.
Aidan craved a cigarette to fight his jitters, but he’d purposely left his Winstons at home because he remembered from his conversation with Beth during her Venus Rising rehearsal break that she didn’t like smoking. Now, here he was, five minutes into their day, and already fighting the urge to stop into the nearest drugstore and buy a pack.
“Where do you plan on taking me today?” Beth asked as they waited for the light to change. Her eyes twinkled with excitement.
Aidan grinned and shook his head. “Can’t say. It’s a surprise.”
Beth pouted, but the corners of her mouth twitched, indicating she was holding back a smile. Aidan almost gave in right there and told her everything she wanted to know.
“Just leave everything to me,” he said instead.
She giggled. “Don’t worry, I trust you.”
Aidan’s heart swelled as he admired her smile, which he hoped to see a lot of today. He couldn’t believe he had the honor of escorting her around town and would do anything to ensure he never jeopardized her trust in him.
When the light changed, they stepped off the curb and crossed the street.
“So this,” Aidan gestured in front of them as they arrived on the other side, “is Central Park.”
Beth scanned the park with wide eyes. “It’s so beautiful!”
Aidan studied her sweet face. “Yeah, it is.”
She looked down the street, shielding her eyes from the sun. “I can’t even see where the park end
s from here. It seems to stretch on forever.”
“I heard somewhere that it covers eight hundred and forty-eight acres.”
“My goodness!” Beth caught his contented expression. “I really appreciate you showing me around today.”
Aidan’s grin widened. “Anytime. Now, come on, let’s take a walk through the park.”
Just beyond the entrance to the subway was a set of stairs. Aidan gestured for Beth to go first so he could make sure she made it down safely. As they stepped onto a paved pathway and continued their conversation, he remained at an appropriate distance from her and kept his hands in his pockets, his mind preoccupied with thoughts of how he wanted to hold her like he did at the Actors Studio yesterday.
“Is it true Mr. Adams discovered you while you were starring in a play on Broadway?” Beth asked.
Aidan wondered if she heard that on the Starlight Studio lot or if she specifically asked about him. “Yeah, Preston approached me after a matinee performance one day and asked me if I ever thought about going out to Hollywood and making a movie. At that point, I’d had a successful run in the play—nine months—and our last performance was a week away. I also didn’t have another gig lined up. If that hadn’t been the case, I probably never would’ve taken him up on the offer.”
Beth giggled.
Aidan looked at her, confused by her reaction.
“When Nathan approached me at Schwab’s Pharmacy—that’s where I worked before Starlight Studios—he asked me the exact same thing, and told me I reminded him of June Allyson.” She gave a wistful smile. “I thought he was just trying to charm me.”
Aidan laughed. “Are you serious? Man, I thought Nate was cooler than that.” Then he realized the story he’d read about the studio discovering Beth while she worked at an animal shelter was false. “So you worked at Schwab’s on Sunset? Since you wanted to get discovered, that was a good place to get a job.”
Beth shook her head. “Actually, I didn’t know anything about Schwab’s reputation when I applied. I moved to L.A. from Clarkson—a small town in Oregon—in hopes of becoming a teacher and I needed a full-time job close to my apartment to earn money to put toward my schooling. That’s the only reason why I chose it.”
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