by Vicki Essex
“It’s awfully late.”
“It is. Would you mind inviting me in for a cup of coffee or something?” She was being more blunt than usual, but he couldn’t blame her. It was way past both their bedtimes.
He opened the front door and gestured for her to come in. While Jan took a seat at the table, he put a fresh pot of coffee on. The place wasn’t particularly messy—he’d been a bachelor all his life and kept his home tidy—but he picked up a few things around the kitchen, keeping himself busy so he wouldn’t have to sit down and face Janice.
“Have you talked to Mira?” she asked.
“About the night of the meeting? No, but she hasn’t let on that it bothers her. But you know how she hides her feelings.”
“Shane’s been treating her decent, it seems.”
He faltered and cleared his throat. “I told him to back off a bit. I’m not liking where things are going.”
Janice’s brow furrowed. “I thought it was what we wanted. To get her out of the Crown. To open her mind to dating.”
“I don’t want her to get hurt. I don’t want her throwing herself into something we hope is casual, but turns out to be way deeper. Shane is not going to stick around any longer than necessary. He’s only ever been here for one reason, and no matter what else he says, his motives are his own. He’ll leave eventually. And when he does, what are we supposed to do? She’ll either bury herself even deeper than before or...or...” He trailed off, surprised at how agitated he’d become.
“You’re not talking about Mira, are you?” Janice said slowly.
He sighed deeply. “Jan...”
She stood. “You know, I’ve waited for years for a sign that you were ready to see me as more than a friend. I don’t have much more time to wait, and neither do you.”
He backed up a step, the small of his back hitting the counter. “I told you. Jack—”
“Jack is dead.” The words dropped between them like cement bricks. “What he did or didn’t tell you... That’s done. This is about you and me. This has only ever been about you and me.” She took a step closer. “No one else is in this room with us.”
The lightest of floral fragrances wafted from her—not a perfume, but the natural essence of a woman in fullest bloom. She drew closer, her face turning up to his, waiting.
“I...” His voice cracked, and he cleared his throat. “I haven’t done this in a long time, Jan.”
“Neither have I.” A tremulous smile tugged on her lips. “I think we’ve both waited long enough.” Her hands skated over his chest and onto his shoulders.
Her touch undid him. Arty seized her around the waist and dipped his head down, lips meeting, melding. Finally.
She was everything he could ever have hoped for, and so much more. The kiss lay somewhere between sweet and joyous, then things went a different way, and he found himself...
“Well, I guess that answers my next question,” Janice purred. Arty gave a soft gasp as she took him in hand, a grip as sure as he was hard.
“What question would that be?” he managed shakily.
She smiled at him seductively. “Whether you’ll make me breakfast tomorrow morning.”
* * *
THE DAY OF the open house, Mira was so nervous, she couldn’t stop shivering. With the help of Maya and her friends, Shane and his charges and a handful of other community members, the Crown had been transformed. Every burned-out lightbulb had been replaced, every rug shampooed, every seat vacuumed. She was overwhelmed by the outpouring of support.
Carefully, she placed the sign she’d made onto one seat four rows from the projector room and seven seats from the aisle. She roped it off with a silky gold cord then stood back to admire her work.
“‘In memory of Jack Bateman,’” Shane read behind her, and she startled. For a moment she thought Grandpa had been speaking to her, though Shane sounded nothing like him.
“It was his favorite seat in the auditorium. Claimed it was acoustically perfect.” She stared at the chair. It was also the seat he’d died in, but she didn’t say that out loud.
“He’d be proud of you right now.”
She turned away to mask the sudden misting of her eyes. “Are the boys all set up?”
“They’re helping Maya with the final touches to her display. Jacob’s got first shift in the ticket booth. Liam and Matt are on popcorn and drinks duty.” He grinned. “You should think about keeping them on. They’ve worked really hard.”
The corner of her lips tugged up. The boys had worked hard and without complaint under Shane’s watch. It’d taken Mira a while to get used to them being around all day—they weren’t bad kids. They just needed an outlet for their energy.
With Shane directing everyone, it became easier to incorporate herself into the group. And while he was clearly the captain of this ship, she was the admiral, and he always consulted her about where to put things and what to do next, making it look like she knew what she was doing.
“The lineup looks great,” Shane said, admiring the flyers that’d been posted all over town. They’d be showing four films, the final being last year’s summer blockbuster Infinite Destinies. “Maya really came through with those licenses.”
Mira nodded. She was still floored by how easily Maya had procured the licenses, though she wouldn’t disclose the cost of applying for them. All she’d said was “trade secret” while tapping the side of her nose. “Apparently she has contacts in the film industry. She said all she had to do was whisper ‘Save the blank theater’ and people came out of the woodwork to help.”
“Maybe some of those patrons will show up today.”
She shrugged. It wasn’t that she wasn’t excited. It was just that everything had come together so quickly and easily, she wondered how and why she hadn’t made it happen sooner. She silently berated herself for not trying harder, for not being the kind of person to ask for help or make a fuss. Then again, she’d lived for so long trying not to draw attention to herself that she wasn’t sure she would’ve known how. If she had been more of a go-getter, more extroverted, she might have reopened the Crown long before this day.
She was getting her wish now, anyway. And it was all because of Shane Patel.
“Shane.” He halted. “I never said...thank you. For everything you’ve done.”
“You’ve said thank you plenty.”
“But not for this. You...you keep doing these things for me, and I keep accusing you of ulterior motives when all you’ve been is a nice guy. I can see it in the way you treat the boys. You care about people.”
His eyes darkened. “I care about you, Mira.”
Under that dark, heavy-lidded gaze, her skin grew hot as she remembered the taste of his lips, his firm muscles pressed against her. Her knees trembled. “I—”
“Mira? Shane?” Matt ran in. “Maya wants you guys to come see the display.”
Shane glanced at his watch. “It’s almost go time. We’d better make sure everything’s ready.”
In the lobby, Maya had set up a fabulous display of costumes from the era each film represented. There were dresses from the Roaring Twenties, army uniforms from WWII, sixties-era outfits, and finally, an official Captain Jaxon Killian costume. Maya said she’d borrowed it from a friend of a friend.
Mira stared in wonder, especially at the Infinite Destinies costume. It was no cheap Halloween replica: she’d seen this exact costume at the movie premiere in Los Angeles last year. “This is amazing.”
Maya beamed. “And you guys did a great job cleaning up. I bet movie studios would flock here to shoot if they knew about it. I never realized what an architectural gem you had under all the cobwebs.”
Mira ducked her head, embarrassed. Yeah, the place had been a mess.
“Mira, there’s a lineup forming outside,” Jacob called, peerin
g out the door. “It’s not even time for the first show.”
“That’s ’cause they want to see the Crown in all her glory, remember the good old days.” Shane grinned at her. “Whaddya wanna do, boss?”
This was it. She breathed deep.
“Open the box office,” she declared. “And open the doors.”
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
THE THEATER FILLED quickly for the matinee showing of The Jazz Singer, Hollywood’s first “talkie.” Most of the audience was older, many from the retirement home. A couple of the patrons claimed to have seen the movie when it had first been released. After the show, Mira was talking to one of them about it when she realized a crowd had gathered to listen to her. She ended up giving an impromptu history lesson on it. At first she was nervous, but she found it easier to talk to a small crowd about her passion than it had been to talk to the zoning board. The group listened intently, then thanked her as they left.
After lunch, they showed Casablanca. Mira sat quietly through the whole film with Shane at her side. She noticed several rows down that Arty and Janice were sitting together, heads close. Janice whispered something in Arty’s ear and he turned his head and kissed her.
Mira grinned, surprised but pleased. She’d always wondered if something was going on between those two, but everyone in town had known about her grandfather’s feelings for Janice, and that knowledge had probably kept their relationship platonic. Arty was a gruff sort, who kept his business to himself, and Janice hadn’t ever mentioned a romantic interest. Mira had always treated the two like an aunt and uncle. She hoped they’d be happy together.
While Sam crooned “As Time Goes By” on-screen, Shane slid his hand into hers and squeezed, and bent to whisper in her ear, “No matter what the future brings—”
“Shh.” She smiled at him through the dark. His eyes shone and they both turned back to the film.
The midafternoon show was less busy, but there was still a good turnout for West Side Story. Apparently the kids at B. H. Everett had done a production of the show earlier that year and they ended up doing an impromptu singalong with the movie’s soundtrack. They were practically dancing out of the theater afterward.
The final show of the evening brought almost everyone out. Infinite Destinies had made a record-breaking box office gross, and people were still clamoring to see it on the big screen, even if the sound wasn’t perfect and there wasn’t any 3-D. It was a full house, and after hearing about Mira’s matinee lecture on The Jazz Singer, Shane suggested she tell her story about going to the Hollywood premiere.
A tremor shook her to the core and her fingers went numb. “Oh, no one wants to hear that...” Talking to a smallish group of senior citizens who were hard of hearing was different from addressing the whole town after a big movie like Infinite Destinies. She didn’t need to confirm just how uninteresting she was by watching people walk out of the theater.
“Of course they do.” Shane gripped her shoulders. “You’re the face of the Crown. You need to say a few words about the Crown, thank everyone for coming out and supporting you, that kind of thing. You stand here in your grandfather’s place. He would’ve wanted you to be acknowledged.”
Mira’s guts quivered.
“Get Maya to do it.”
“Maya’s busy talking to some guests,” he said hastily, and Mira blinked at him. “It’s gotta be you, Mira.”
She knew he was right, but it didn’t change how much she hated the thought of getting up there in front of everyone. They’d laugh at her. They always laughed at her. She was ridiculous, a nobody trying to be somebody.
No one ever wanted you. You’re nothing but a mistake.
Her parents’ cruel words echoed through her mind. She ground her teeth.
No. I’m not a mistake. I matter.
You’re a selfish nobody who just wants attention, her mother’s memory sneered.
Attention is the last thing I want. All I want is to be left alone.
And how alone will you be with all these people marching in and out of the theater? You don’t even want them here, do you?
Her argument with herself ceased abruptly, and a chill settled over her skin. Shivering, she retreated into her office during the showing of Infinite Destinies.
She sat on her futon as blood pumped into her head until her skull hurt. The past few weeks had brought home an undeniable truth: this whole campaign wasn’t about preserving her grandfather’s legacy. It was about saving her preferred lifestyle, her special world, the one her grandfather had constructed for her in a house made to hold dreams and fantasies. A life completely removed from the harsh realities of the world and her difficult childhood.
She’d berated herself for being selfish, for hoarding her grandfather’s memory, but maybe she’d been right to. She didn’t want people here, putting gum under the seats, tracking dirt over the carpets, spilling drinks everywhere. She didn’t want to play host to a constant stream of people she didn’t know. That had been her grandfather’s dream, not hers.
The bleak realization was interrupted when Maya popped her head into the office. Her cat-eye glasses and smug smile added to her feline mystique. “Miiiraaaaa,” she sang. “I have a surprise for you.”
Puzzled, she followed her out. A cluster of people waited in the lobby. Blinding light suddenly flooded the room as several video cameras turned toward her. She shielded her eyes, hissing as she blinked out the spots.
“Guys, maybe not so much with that light,” a familiar voice chided with good humor, though Mira couldn’t pinpoint or identify who it belonged to. The lights dimmed slightly.
Maya led her toward the group. “This is Mira Bateman. She’s the owner of the Crown and the one who’s trying to save the last of our old theaters.”
“Mira.” The broad silhouette striding toward her, hand extended, looked vaguely familiar. His hair was a shade of blond-brown that reminded her of sunshine and sand, and it was with a start that she realized she’d met him once before. He grinned. “Riley Lee Jackson. I heard you needed help saving the Crown. Thought I’d come check it out, see how I could be useful.”
She accepted his hand numbly, her tongue lolling as her brain overloaded. “Riley Lee Jackson,” she repeated dumbly. “You’re Captain Jaxon Killian in Infinite Destinies. You’re the star of Infinite Destinies. We’re showing Infinite Destinies right now.” She pointed stupidly toward the costume Maya had set up. “That’s your costume.”
“Yes, it is.” He chuckled. “I pulled some strings to have it sent over.”
She was still pumping Riley’s hand. A million questions were going through her head, but only one surfaced. “Why?”
“I have a confession,” Maya volunteered. “I’m friends with Riley’s wife, Kat. We met in New York years ago while we were both waitressing. I knew we’d have to make a splash to save the Crown, so I reached out to her.” She grinned hugely. “I didn’t think Riley would be so accommodating.”
“Hey, it was in a theater just like this one that I first got the acting bug. I read all about the Crown. Your grandfather saved a piece of performing arts history. If my showing up will help keep the place open, I’m glad to do it.”
“I—I—” Mira shook herself, willing her heart to stop slamming against her rib cage. “I don’t know what to say.” She looked from Maya to Riley to the rest of the crowd standing by. Shane grinned at her from the sidelines. “Did you know about this?”
“Maya told me she was bringing him in, but I thought she was joking.” He gave a nervous chuckle. “I’m going to geek out now. Mr. Jackson, I’m a huge fan.”
The Hollywood megastar turned his brilliant smile toward Shane. “Thanks. I think we’re close to the end of the film. Sam?” He glanced at a petite blonde woman in a black pantsuit with four-inch heels. She pulled the auditorium door open and stuck her head in.<
br />
“You’ve got about eight minutes left,” she said a second later.
Riley addressed Mira. “I hope you don’t mind the media circus. My agent, Samantha, thought this would be great publicity for the second film. We’re actually shooting right now.”
“You...you left work for this?”
“For a friend of Kat’s and for a cause like this? Sure. I’ve got some ideas for raising funds for your restoration efforts, too. You into crowdfunding?”
A roar filled her ears. This was all too much. With the support of a Hollywood A-lister like Riley Lee Jackson, she could probably renovate and reopen by next year. Her heart slugged against her rib cage as pressure clamped down on her skull.
“I...” Her vision started to blur. “I...”
“Whoa, easy now.” Shane appeared at her side. “Give us a minute, will you?”
He led her back to the office and sat her on the bed. Some of the haze faded as he pulled out a bottle of juice from the fridge and handed it to her. “You okay?”
Mira shook her head. She was panicking enough having to address the audience. Now a celebrity was here with cameras. Her humiliation would be captured for all the world to see. She hid her face as her breath sawed in and out of her lungs. Why, oh, why would Maya put her in this position?
“You want me to tell them to go?” he asked quietly.
She wanted to say yes. She wanted to tell a man who had millions of fans who could throw money at her to go away. She wanted to crawl back under her covers so she wouldn’t have to confront the selfishness of her motivations.
She couldn’t do any of it, though. She was far too deep into the mess to back out. It would serve no one to be a coward.
She had to go out there and smile and be ever so thankful—even if she was deceiving the whole world.
* * *
SHANE HAD THOUGHT a surprise like this might have made Mira smile, but he should’ve known better. A big celebrity descending on her home with cameras in tow would not have gladdened her. Clearly, she was uncomfortable.