Coming Home

by Kimberly McKay

As far as Ned was concerned, the current contestants were too willing to be Chad’s love interest. Although they would provide healthy competition, which would make for great T.V., he needed someone who Chad had to work for. This is where he needed Anne to come in handy.

  Guy had promised him that Anne wasn’t anything like he’d come up against, and he hoped his buddy’s instincts were on target.

  Ned watched her approach and noticed she almost had a saunter to her walk, which he assumed wasn’t easy considering the shoes she had on. She had a sophisticated air, which was almost daunting, yet he saw warmth in her eyes, as extended her hand with a smile.

  Ned thought her straight white teeth and big brown eyes was the icing on the cake. She was a stunner. She wore little make-up, but she didn’t have to. Her natural beauty was something the camera would love. He was almost salivating with the thought of how America would fall in love with her. She was such a stark contrast to most of the candidates lined up for the show.

  Ned reached for her hand and was surprised by its strength. However, when she slipped it from their handshake, he could feel it almost quiver.

  Good. She’s a little nervous. Too confident would be a bad sign.

  He needed to know that she had a vulnerable side, but seeing the goodbye hug she shared earlier could have told him that.

  “Nice to finally meet you.” Anne prayed her apprehension didn’t overshadow the confidence she was trying to portray. “I’m not sure why I’m here really.” She took a step back to take Ned and his limo in. This entire scenario was surreal.

  “Well, you’re here to find love with …”

  Anne’s quickly cut him off. “No, don’t tell me.”

  “Don’t tell you what?”

  “Don’t tell me who it is. I didn’t read about him and don’t care.” She shook her head vigorously.

  Ned’s pulse picked up. He grinned mischievously and opened the door for her.

  “Really? You don’t say?” His voice raised an octave.

  Ned’s thoughts were racing with the possible outcome to her ignorance to Chad’s identity.

  He smiled and ushered her inside the limo, saying, “Slide in and I’ll tell you everything – except who it is.”

  “Deal,” Anne said, letting out the breath she’d been holding in. “I can’t believe I’m doing this.”

  “Oh, think of it as an adventure. From what Guy told me, you’re overdue. Let me provide that for you.” Ned slyly smiled.

  His insides were humming. This was too good to be true.

  As James closed his limo door, Ned’s mind was already spinning with ideas. As he concocted a few surprises … he realized there was something he needed to put in to action right away. Why wait for the show to start taping to have fun?

  “I’ll tell you what ... how about I drop you off to your hotel, where you can a good night’s rest? I asked you to fly out earlier than the other girls so we could spend some time together. Timothy and Chastity told me you weren’t too sure about this process, and I wanted you to be comfortable with me - and the idea of the show. I had arranged for one of my staff to show you around, but instead … why don’t I pick you up for lunch tomorrow just to find out more about you?” He smiled.

  “Sure. That would be nice.” Anne relaxed for the first time since they left the airport. Maybe this wasn’t such a bad idea after all.

  Ned was so happy he almost couldn’t contain himself. He couldn’t wait to see how his unsuspecting bachelorette and bachelor would react to meeting one another tomorrow, before the show even started. He wanted to gauge her reaction to him.

  What harm could come of it? Neither knew the other would be on the show. A preliminary flight check might be just what was needed to gauge their chemistry.

  Chapter 3

  Anne awoke almost ignorant to her surroundings. The sensation that she was lying on a cloud, lined with silk, had her wondering where she was.

  She ran her hand along her sheets, and sat up curious … until the foggy edges of her dreams wore off and the reality of her real life sunk in. Although sheer luxury wasn’t something she’d experienced in a long time, she was no stranger to it.

  After her parents suddenly and traumatically passed, Anne and her little sister, Grace, were destined for a life in foster care – or so they thought.

  Within a week they were unexpectedly shipped off to live with a set of mysterious grandparents, whom they’d never known about. Their new benefactors, Andrew and Lilah Aundine, quickly introduced them to a whole new world, where proper lady-like behavior was highly encouraged and their education about society began.

  Both sisters went from a simple humble lifestyle, to one, which was full of lavish comforts. Their only duty was to behave, and if they weren’t on their best behavior, it was frowned upon.

  Lilah, a cold unforgiving woman, never got over Anne’s mother, Elizabeth’s, betrayal. Promised to marry into another elite family, Elizabeth ran off and married beneath her. It was such a scandal, that Lilah felt shamed for years to come. This was the reason she shunned her daughter and her offspring.

  For years, the media speculated on the runaway heiress, but Lilah controlled how much information got out. It would be unthinkable to let anyone know her daughter, who was in line to inherit millions, gave it all away for the love of a humble military man from the west coast. It made her shiver to think of it.

  Once her daughter died, she did her obligatory duty and took the girls in. However, she made sure they would know well breeding whether it was born to them or not. In essence she made them her puppets, walking a certain way, eating with the right utensils … in the right order, and only speaking of approved subjects – to which their parents were not.

  Being forbidden to speak of their mom and dad was heartbreaking for both girls. Anne simply rebelled; stepping into her mother’s shoes which included speaking her mind, which in turn made Lilah’s blood boil. It was a slap in the face all over again.

  Grace, who was only seven, took any comfort she could find. She needed to be loved, and although she had her sister – she needed a mother figure too.

  Although her loving mother could never be replaced by rigid etiquette or extremely high standards, Grace needed Lilah’s approval all the same.

  Once Anne was old enough for college, she secretly applied to her father’s alma mater, Cal State. It seemed a shot in the dark, so when they sent her an acceptance letter she leaped with joy - only to hide it under her mattress.

  Part of her knew Lilah wouldn’t accept nor pay for her way to go to an unapproved choice for school, so this was her only shot at freedom.

  Her intent was to come home on breaks to be with Grace – and eventually graduate and take Grace to live with her. However, none of this was within the realm of Lilah’s approval.

  Lilah had already arranged for Anne to attend an Ivy League school worthy of an Aundine, and wouldn’t bend on allowing Anne any other recourse.

  In Lilah’s eyes, this was one way she could finally say something positive about her black sheep of a granddaughter and find some redemptive qualities in her.

  The thought of being shipped off to an uptight east coast school had Anne tied in knots. To her that was equivalent to being sent off to an asylum, and she had no intention to doing such to gain her grandmother’s approval.

  Although she was torn, she did what any loving sister would do. She gave up the dream of Cal State, which would finally free herself from the Aundine’s grasp and chose to stay home to be close to her baby sister, Grace. However, Lilah put her foot down, leaving her no choice but to comply.

  Anne never dreamed she’d receive an ultimatum, let alone be forced out of Grace’s life, so sadly she did the only thing she could … and that was to pursue her own life, far away from her grandparents, where she could start over and just be Anne again.

  Once she left to rediscover her roots, where she last lived with her parents, in California, she legally changed her name back to LaSal.

>   This was the straw that broke the camel’s back. To punish her, Lilah cut off all communication and monetary support and it took an act of Congress to have any contact with Grace. Anne did her best to regain a close relationship … but it was as if their bond just slipped away.

  The harsh shrill of the hotel alarm clock put Anne’s memories of her sister on pause. Sighing, she rolled across the King sized bed to push the off button, before sinking back down into her pillows. The bed, although as comfortable as they come, brought no comfort as thoughts of her sister lingered.

  Rolling to her side, she drew in her pillow and stared at her cell phone. It was as if was taunting her from the bedside table. Finally, she reached for it to text Grace a message, and waited, only to get the same result … no response. She tossed her phone to the foot of her bed, desperately wishing she knew how to reach her sister.

  Chapter 4

  From his balcony, Chad Chambers overlooked the pool, and watched as two of his scantily clad neighbors lounged down below, getting their daily dose of sun. One of the women raised their arm in greeting and waved for him to join them.

  He lifted his coffee mug in return, and smiled. He took one last look and shook his head at the comparison of how he lived now - versus his humble beginnings as a struggling actor.

  He always dreamed of living here, in West Hollywood, but never imagined how good life could be. However, Chad would always be a simple man. Instead of spending most of his time at a barrage of parties throughout Beverly Hills – he could be found at the farmer’s market, where he would get groceries or just take walks to clear his mind.

  Chad drained the last of his imported coffee and headed back inside for a refill, as the sound of his doorbell rang through his apartment. He left his mug on the kitchen counter, jogged to his front door, and glanced through his peephole before opening it.

  These days, even with security downstairs, you never knew who would sneak in. He’d had to call the guards more than once on a few crazed fans, which snuck upstairs to his apartment.

  Chad smiled when he saw his friend and fellow actor, Timberly Monet, through the door. She had seen him through this crazy adventure from the very start.

  They used to wait tables together, hoping for their big break. Once he got the lead on Hope’s Miracle, he asked them to look at Timberly for a small role. She came in to read, won them over, and the rest was history. They signed her to four appearances on the show, and by the time she finished – she had other offers coming in. Timberly felt she owed Chad the world, as he’d already handed her every dream she’d imagined.

  As he opened his door, she brushed past him in a whirlwind and promptly set the recycled bag in his kitchen, which was just off the entry.

  “I stopped by the farmer’s market on the way over. I would have been here sooner, but I was pulled in by a few fans, asking for pictures.”

  Chad watched her face contort with disdain, and wondered why she didn’t take more delight with her fans. After all, they were the reason they all still had a job.

  “Oooh. This is new.” Her eyes gleamed, as soon as she spotted his stainless steel built-in wine cooler. “How many bottles fit in here?”

  “Fifty three. Give or take a few.”

  “And you’ve not invited me over for one yet? This is fancy.” She leaned beneath the kitchen island and opened the cooler up, to inspect it further. “I need one of these things now.”

  Chad sighed and said nothing. Her obvious need to keep up with him got old, but they’d been friends for a very long time and he promised himself he’d never lose his roots. Especially, since she knew him back when no one cared who he was. Normally, he felt she kept him grounded, however lately he wasn’t sure she was the same girl he knew from back in their starving actor days. More often than not, he felt her newfound fame had gone to her head.

  He often reminded himself that she was young, and just because he tried desperately to keep his feet on the ground didn’t mean she had to.

  Ready to move on, he grabbed for the bag and peeked inside. “What’d ya get?”

  “You promised to teach me to make your mother’s chili, so I stopped by Manuel’s Meats. My mom is coming for a visit soon, and I wanted to show her that I’m doing something valuable with my time - other than running after another role.”

  “She still doesn’t think you can make a career out here?”

  “No. In her small little world, I’m a huge disappointment. I never finished school,” Timberly groaned. “She thinks I can’t find a man here either, but I keep telling her how wonderful you are.”

  “Timberly, we’ve gone over this. We’re friends. I don’t think I could date anyone in the industry. You’ve seen how many relationships crash and burn under this kind of pressure…” Chad watched Timberly’s brow furrow. “But, I’m happy to teach you how to make my momma’s famous Texas chili.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Well, thanks for the chili lesson. Here, put the meat in your freezer. Since those people stopped me at the market, we’re going to be late for lunch. We’ll cook when we get back.”

  Chad grinned at her lack of cooking finesse, and quickly took the meat from her to put it into refrigerator.

  “First lesson, my friend – don’t put meat in the freezer when you’ll be using it soon.”

  Timberly scrunched her nose, and turned away. If she heard the word ‘friend’ one more time, she swore she was going to lose it. As much as they were together, she thought they might as well be dating. In her mind, all she needed was a little more time to encourage him. Surely he would come around sooner or later.

  The fact that the media already speculated gave her hope that Chad would come to his senses. She knew they made sense, but kept her mouth shut and grabbed her purse.

  “Ready?” She forced a smile.

  “After you little sis.” He waved his arm back to make room for her to pass. He wasn’t trying to rub it in, but she didn’t seem to ever get the hint.

  Timberly squinted and let it pass. After all, she owed him a lot. Without Chad, she wouldn’t have her career. So for now, she’d bide her time and hope that it would all work out in her favor.

  Chapter 5

  If Anne hadn’t seen it with her own eyes, she never would have believed that she was walking on water. The trendy restaurant, Haven, was a Beverly Hills hot spot, where she knew many stars came to dine.

  When living in California, she had thought of trying it because of its famous cuisine, but never made the time. She was too busy with her own restaurant to try anything new.

  You’d think since she and her best friend, Chastity, would frequent a few places in Chinatown or near Silver Lake, she’d feel like a local, but now here she was in Beverly Hills and she officially felt like a fish out of water.

  Anne walked carefully, following Ned through the restaurant over a glass walkway, where wild Koi swam below. Logic told her she couldn’t fall through, but she still walked gingerly over the fish, afraid she’d crack the glass below.

  To her, this place felt like a mixture of National Geographic infused with L.A. style and décor. She looked to her right, where a Serpentine column loomed over her. She swore at any moment, it could jump to life and breathe fire down over the both of them.

  “Right this way.” Tuan, the owner led them to their table. No one got into Haven without reservations, but since Ned was a regular, he used his connections.

  Knowing his leading man for Broadcast Affair had lunch plans here; Ned paid Tuan nicely to set them at a table nearby, where Anne would have a clear sight of Chad Chambers.

  He swiftly pulled out a chair for Anne, who grinned up at him in thanks. He could tell she was impressed with his choice.

  “What do you think?” He asked, as he sat across from her.

  “I’ve heard of this place, but never imagined it being this nice,” she said, eyes wide.

  “Oh, why you wait so long?” Tuan scolded her, in his broken English. “Is this a new friend of yours, Ned? Whe
re you been hiding her?” He gleamed down at Anne, dragging out the last syllable a little too long.

  Anne wanly smiled to Tuan before shifting her eyes to the menu. The more he stared at her, the more awkward she felt.

  Ned could see her clear discomfort and cleared his throat to gain Tuan’s attention.

  “She’s a new friend in town for a short visit.” Ned decided not to explain any further. The less details about today, the better…

  Tuan’s face tightened after being shot down. He was dying to pry any information out of him, but it looked like that wasn’t going to happen. The fact that Ned had asked to sit near Chad Chambers, when he could arrange to see him any time was unusual. And, since he’d shown up with a fresh face he’d never seen before - his mind was racing with possibilities.

  Ned could see the interest in Tuan’s eyes and needed him to back off as quickly as possible. If he continued to pump Ned for information, he could ruin the whole thing. And the last thing he needed was for anyone to mess this up. After all this was just a simple chemistry test … to see if his two cast members would like what they saw.

  “Thank you. We’ll be ready to order in a few minutes.” Ned gave him a tight smile, and nodded in dismissal. Although friends, theirs was a relationship of convenience. And now was not a convenient time for Tuan’s curiosity.

  “What’s good here?” She asked oblivious to everything around her.

  “The garlic noodles are my favorite, but be prepared they’re very spicy. I’d top it off with coconut lemon sorbet.”

  “Coconut lemon sorbet?” She was taken back. It was the craziest combination she’d heard of.

  “It’s kind of a palate cleanser but it’s got a sweet bite to it.” He explained. “Didn’t I read in your bio that you’re a chef?”

  Anne shook her head. “No, I’m just a girl, who likes to cook. I’m not at the level, where I’d call myself a chef. Although, I do make a mean coconut shrimp.”