A Captivating Conundrum

by Amy Lignor

  "I can't wait for the Prescott's to come and see me. They'll love me in the play."

  "I'm sure they already do, kiddo. The play will just be icing on the cake." I winked.

  Matthew snorted, "Figures I'd be working with a girl who will totally upstage me."

  I rested my hand on his leg. "Well, when the show comes to Broadway you can have all the accolades for yourself. Amber will be far too busy for the stage once she becomes a Prescott."

  "I will?" Her face dropped a bit.

  "Well, not forever. But I would assume family, school—all that stuff is something to concentrate on for a while."

  She nodded. "Okay. BUT, you come too!"

  I nodded. "I will. I'll be the visitor they can't get rid of!"

  She smiled wide.

  "Besides, you and I have to go to Opening Night and cheer for old Matt, here."

  "My two favorite ladies watching me?" He put on his Hollywood smile. "Now that sounds like a very good night."

  Suddenly the SUV came to a rapid stop sending us flying into the front seat. Rolling my eyes and trying to calm my jumping stomach, I stepped out in front of my apartment and realized that the SUV was actually on the sidewalk, not next to it.

  "Here we are!"

  "Jesus, Nicole," I groaned. "You're gonna kill someone."

  I turned to see Bobby's angry face as he pulled up fast and stepped from his car. Chris was just a tad paler, clutching his chest as if the heart attack was coming at any minute.

  "Oh, there you are," Nicole said. "About time."

  Bobby shook his head. "Why is there never a cop out when you're driving? Hell, when I go ten miles over the speed limit in the middle of bloody nowhere they're all over the place."

  Nicole reached up and pinched his cheek. "I have a gift."

  "Yeah, the gift of manslaughter."

  Laughing, Nicole turned and gave me a hug. "Get back to work up there. I still need Book Two, you know," said the New York literary agent. Yup…I'm home again.

  "Ma'am, Yes, Ma'am!" I saluted my drill sergeant.

  "Chris and I are headed out," Matt said.

  I looked at Chris who was leaning up against the SUV as Bobby spoke in calm, soothing tones. It was true. Getting to know Nicole was frightening.

  "Have a blast," I said, leaning in and giving him a kiss. The kiss was stronger than I assumed it would be, as Matt's hand went behind my neck and held me in place.

  "She has to WORK!"

  I giggled against his lips, as Matt sighed.

  "You've had her for yourself and it's back to work now. Books don't write themselves, you KNOW!"

  Stepping away from me, Matt bowed at the waist and turned to Chris.

  Chris stared wide-eyed at the SUV, as Nicole jumped back in and, without giving me any time to say goodbye to Amber, hit the gas pedal and received a one-finger salute from what seemed like all the city dwellers within twenty blocks.

  Chris stared at the back of her completely un-dented SUV and looked at Matt. "Can we walk?"

  "It's blocks away," Matt replied.

  Chris nodded. "That's okay. You're always telling me that exercise is good." Turning slowly, still a bit green, Chris kissed Bobby goodbye and my partner and I watched them stroll down the street.

  Suddenly Chris turned around and waved back. "Love you."

  I smiled up at a blushing Bobby. "I think he means you."

  "Get your ass upstairs and go to work." He straightened his back and waved his finger in my face. "Books don't write themselves, you KNOW!"

  Thirty-Two

  ~ His ~

  I don't think I can describe Tiffany's to a person who has never been inside its doors. To me, the instant sparkle makes you feel as you've entered the palace of Zeus.

  Chris walked almost as fast as Nicole drove once we entered the legendary store, as if he already knew exactly what item had been created to represent his love for Bobby. When I saw the piece he picked, I was surprised. Nothing ornate, nothing flashy—just simple, elegant and understated. A lot like Bobby, in fact.

  "What do you think?" Chris held up the ring.

  "I think that's Bobby."

  Chris smiled. "Me too."

  The lady looked at us as if I was the recipient of Chris's choice. I shook my head and her smile seemed to grow wider. "If there's anything I can help you with, please let me know," she said, in a throaty voice.

  I nodded, disliking the suggestive tone. Moving slowly away from the case, she glanced back over her shoulder and sent me a 'come hither' look which made her immediately pale in my eyes. Of course, after Beth, even the diamonds seemed dull.

  "You're lucky, you know." Chris laughed, staring at the back of the saleswoman.

  "Why's that?"

  "Beth."

  "I'd say she's a freakin miracle."

  Patting me on the arm, we strolled from cabinet to cabinet. "No, I mean," Chris pointed at the woman who was now staring at me from her place across the room as if she was about to fly into my arms. "Beth is so relaxed about things like this—fans, adoring chicks, annoying women who hit on you."

  "What makes you say that?"

  "Beth's independent and has her own stellar career, but it just happens to be a career that would allow her to stand beside you when you need her. She's not one of those women who would be attached to your hip pocket, or holding on to your rising star." Chris laughed, as I remembered a few relationships that did have that vibe I really didn't like. "And she's secure in herself, I'll give her that."

  "She has no reason not to be," I said, wondering if—with her beauty—my jealous streak would rear its ugly head just a time or two more.

  Chris knew what I was thinking and laughed. "When you were dancing with her in that bar and watching the other men looking at her, you were relaxed, too."

  I raised an eyebrow.

  "Well," he added. "Proprietary, but relaxed."

  I laughed. "Hard not to be. Beth…"

  "Doesn't look like anyone else." Chris nodded. "But I would think her being so relaxed and not one of those actress/model/showgirls, who want the camera, would be nice for you. Especially considering the fact that your star is going to rise much higher."

  My heart beat a tad faster, hoping he was right. I still had so many goals I wanted to reach. "I wouldn't mind Beth being a little proprietary once in a while." I smirked, coming to rest in front of the emerald shining among the sparkling diamonds.

  Chris laughed. "She's a Scorpio, dear. Proprietary is something that's in there…as you should know. But she wouldn't be all bossy and naggy."

  "Yeah," I laughed. "Bossy and naggy is a pain."

  "I'm just saying." Chris nodded at the ring. "Beth is different…in all categories. You've hit the jackpot." He offered me a small, odd stare. "Unless you screw it up, of course."

  "Thanks for the vote of confidence."

  ~***~

  As we walked back to Beth's apartment I tried the cell, noticing for the first time that I had way too many unreturned messages. I suppose this was payback for having the time of my life and ignoring the rest of the world.

  Chris shrugged. "Well, when you're a star, you're a star." He looked at the list. "This Chance, guy has called like a billion times in the last three days. Who's he? Your doctor?"

  I shook my head. "Just part of the crew." I chose to ignore the messages for the moment, not wanting to deal with some silly story about girls or sports. Dialing Beth, it went straight to voicemail and I began to laugh, listening to Amber's strong voice inform the caller that 'Star' was not there at the moment and I should just leave my name and number. When the beep resounded, I told Beth we were on our way back, knowing she was already locked behind a door putting the finishing touches to the next story that would have the world talking.

  Chris stared at the bag in my hand. "When are you going to say it? I already know you love her. So?"

  I took a deep breath. "Tomorrow night. After the show."

  "Good choice." Chris nodded. "All wo
rk will be over, and magic will be in the air in this grand city." He clapped his hands. "I wish I could be there. What are you wearing, by the way?"

  "A tuxedo."

  Chris put his hand on his hip. "Please tell me it's Armani?"

  "Yes, sir," I answered quickly; knowing that if Chris found out it wasn't I would soon be wishing that Nicole had hit me with her SUV.

  ~ Hers ~

  Everyone in the world will tell you about a day in their lives where they seriously had their mind on one thing and one thing only—sex. They wanted the incredible hands they remembered to touch them, and the incredible lips they were dying to kiss appear out of thin air. Of course, irony being what it is, Fate always picks that one day to make sure you are overloaded with work. Fate picks that day to make sure a small 'Hitler' with a loud voice barrages you with constant calls, faxes and texts, trying to get everything ready.

  Nicole was excited, and I assumed I should've been nervous about dropping the veil of Lily Stone and becoming just plain, old me in front of the world. But I wasn't. Lily Stone had served her purpose, and I was actually kind of happy about being able to meet fans, go to book signings and not have to live as a conundrum—a puzzle for the world to figure out. I so loved the letters I received from readers that I was truly thrilled to finally have a chance to speak with them in person.

  I buried the 'one bad moment,' leaving it far behind. Staring out at the city I loved so much, I thought about Matt and how my 'coming out' may or may not affect him. In his position there were already stories, cameras—even lies and innuendo that were spread like manure. But my background was clean, so any tabloids would have to work hard to make things up if they wanted to make me look bad. I still remembered that when Nicole had mentioned the unveiling Matt had lit up, as if he wanted to stand beside me as I said goodbye to Lily Stone once and for all.

  I took a deep breath. It was so nice to have someone who wanted to support me. Odd, really. It was almost as if we fell into some kind of partnership that came with all the other billions of amazing things he'd brought into my life.

  As I began the ending for Book Two and set my characters in their places for what would lead to the final tale of a trilogy that hopefully no one would soon forget, I heard the key in the lock. "Bobby, seriously, I'm almost finished."

  "Hello, beautiful." I looked up and stared at those riveting blue eyes. "Sorry, Bobby gave me the key."

  My frustration turned into a smile immediately, despite how hard I tried to keep it off my face. This man had power; I could see why Matt had become such a beloved actor because every time he walked through a door the air literally felt lighter.

  "And how was your shopping excursion? Did Chris find what he wanted for the show?"

  Walking around my desk, Matt turned my chair toward him. Placing his hands on the armrests, he leaned forward. "He found the perfect something."

  "And, you?"

  He shrugged. "They didn't have one of you, so I came back here for perfection."

  I rolled my eyes. "Oh, my God. Who writes your lines?"

  He laughed. "I'm heading to the theatre. Nicole has formally ordered me to arrive there ASAP in order to rehearse. I swear, she's way worse than my agent."

  "This is true," I agreed, reaching up to touch the stubble that was growing in on the stunning face.

  "Actually my agent could take lessons from Nicole on how to make anyone kowtow. I'd bet money on the fact that she could have Obama following her orders in seconds," he grimaced. "There goes Europe."

  I nodded. "She'd blow up everything except New York City and Texas."

  He raised an eyebrow.

  "She wouldn't want to hurt Ken." I grinned.

  "Ah, yes. The man who could put us all six-feet-under."

  Without a thought in my head, I grabbed Matt's face and claimed those stunning lips for my own as quickly as possible, knowing from the clicking sound in the distance that this was most likely the last chance I'd ever get. When I pulled away I stared into a face that looked as passionate as I felt.

  "I would really like to toss you down on this desk right here, right now," he said, patting the glass.

  My heart practically leapt into my mouth as my body cried out, screaming at my brain to remember how amazing he'd felt inside me and to give it another go right this second.

  Matt's lips captured mine.

  "Are you DONE?" Nicole's voice echoed in my ears.

  I pulled back and sighed, watching the fire fade from his eyes and feeling it fade from every body part I owned. "You know, it's like living in a convent with Mother Superior constantly up my ass," I muttered.

  "And YOU." Nicole pointed at Matt. "I am sitting down there WAITING for you to come out and head to rehearsal."

  "You do remember, Nicole," I began, "that Matt is actually doing this as a FAVOR, right? This is not a job; it's out of the kindness of his own heart. He's a celebrity, and you yapping at him all the time is probably not what he signed on for."

  Nicole stepped back, as a smile slowly spread across her face. "I'm sure he got a LOT he didn't sign on for, so forgive me for not feeling bad for him."

  Matt laughed. "She's so right."

  "We don't have time for love and affection," Nicole sighed, glancing at her watch.

  "You know?" I said. "My plans were to finish the book in the next hour, then take this man into the bedroom, draw him a bath, give him a massage, and use his body like there's no tomorrow."

  "I'm good with that plan," Matt spoke loudly.

  Nicole tapped her foot. "Rehearsal."

  I pushed against Matt's chest. "Just go. We won't get rid of her. Trust me, she'll jump in the tub with you."

  "Well, I didn't know THAT was an option," Nicole said, with a wink. "Okey-doke then, I'm good with your plan, too."

  I laughed. "Leave! Out! Be Gone!" I smiled at him. "Both of you…off to work you go."

  ~***~

  When the last period had been placed on the last sentence, I twisted my chair around and stared out at the evening. I loved the lights—the vibrancy of this city. If anyone ever needed any 'spark' of imagination or fire in their lives—this was the skyline to get it from.

  Shutting down the computer and saying 'so long' to my characters until next time, I headed to the kitchen and reached for the pots, pans, coffee maker—everything that made me feel calm—and began cooking.

  It was an hour later that the small, slightly weary-sounding knock came at the door. Chris and Bobby had long since departed for their own evening excursion, and when I opened the door I realized the knock certainly fit the exhausted man delivering it.

  Matt stepped inside, put his arms around my waist and let his head fall to my shoulder. "I thought you were kidding," said the tired voice. "But I think she's way more like Mussolini than Hitler. Either way, one of those bastards has to be in her family tree somewhere."

  I couldn't help but laugh as I patted the thick head of hair and led him slowly to the sofa. "Sit."

  He fell into the cushions.

  "You look terrible."

  He nodded. "Thanks a lot. How come you look fantastic?"

  "You took Nicole with you."

  "Ah, that's right." Matt reached for my hand and tried to pull me into his lap.

  "Nope." I stayed standing. "You have a bath to take and then a meal to consume."

  I watched the light come on in those beautiful eyes. "Really?"

  "It's all about you tonight. It's like Survivor. You're still alive after Hurricane Nicole, so you get a reward."

  I used all the strength I had to pull the almost lifeless body off the couch and point him straight to the bedroom.

  He locked his hand in mine. "Come with me."

  "Not a chance." I grinned. "I am the maker of the meal."

  His jaw tightened. "You are the meal."

  "Go take a bath. Relax."

  A small whine came from the figure as I stepped away and went back to my work.

  When Matt returned, he looked
far better. "See? You've washed Nic's commanding presence off—I like to call it the Silkwood treatment."

  He laughed, staring down at the table with wide eyes. "You did all this for me?"

  "No, the elves came and helped." Pushing him into the chair, I placed a kiss on his neck. God, I loved the smell of him.

  Watching a man devour food like a caged animal that's just been given meat after ten days on a vegetarian diet, is actually kind of arousing when you think about it. I don't really know if that's the 'caveman' thing us chicks want every once in a while, but it was absolutely engaging to see Matt treat his food like I'd given him a new lung or kidney to grant him twenty more years of life.

  "Did you finish the book?" he mumbled between bites.

  I nodded. "Yup, all done. Ready for the next one."

  He sat back. "Don't you take a break in between?"

  I shrugged. "Depends. As a writer you never know how, when, or where the story's going to hit you. You just get that feeling one day and it all begins again. You get lost in it, it's hard for others," I said, noting the warning tone in my voice. It seemed that no matter how hard I wanted to keep him at my table, I also wanted Matt to know what he was in for if he stayed.

  "A man would need to be understanding of that," he said.

  "Yes."

  "Just like a woman would have to be okay with the whole acting, performing gig."

  I grinned at the handsome face across from me. "Well, I'm sure the love scenes would be a chore for the girlfriend to have to watch."

  "It takes a certain personality not to be upset."

  I grinned. "If you're asking, I'm not the jealous type."

  "I might be," Matt responded quickly. "I mean, I didn't think I was, but you are…"

  "Not an actress who does love scenes."

  He laughed. "Got me there."

  "Don't worry," I said. "If I was ever with a man like that I would only beat up the chicks who wanted him off-screen."

  His smile grew wider. "You mean, like fans?"

  "Oh, no," I replied. "Fans are fine; even crushes are fine like that lovelorn waitress. I mean the crones who're out for themselves."

  He raised an eyebrow. "You can tell which ones those are?"