SVH08-Heartbreaker (9 page)

Before they could be swept out to sea, Bill scooped DeeDee up in his arms and carried her up the beach to their towels. There he helped her strip off her wet suit, then tenderly dried her, DeeDee felt weak. When she tried to stand up, her knees collapsed beneath her, and she plopped back down on the sand.

"Hey, take it easy," Bill cautioned, sliding a a protective arm about her. "I figured I'd lost you back there. I wouldn't want to have you flaking out on me now."

"You're shaking, too," she said, content to curl up against the warm, solid bulk of his chest.

"You really had me scared," he admitted. "Boy, when you wipe out, you really know how to do it Hollywood style." He smoothed her hair away from her cheek. Gingerly he touched her bruised temple. "Are you OK now?"

"I think so. I don't even remember how it happened. It seemed like one minute I was hanging on for dear life, and the next minute you were...." Her voice trailed off uncertainly.

Bill reddened. "Look, DeeDee, I know what a jerk you must think I am. I mean, there you are practically drowned, and I--I--" He hung his head. "I guess I don't know what got into me."

"Whatever it was, I'm glad it did." She laughed shakily. "You know, when we were learning mouth-to-mouth on that dumb doll in health ed, I never knew it could be so much fun."

A slow grin spread across his face. "Yeah, I know what you mean."

"Bill?"

"Yeah?"

"What I really want to say is thanks. For rescuing me. I feel like such an idiot, putting you through all that."

Bill was staring at her in an odd, intense way. "I'm the one who's been an idiot, DeeDee," he said softly. "I guess I was so flipped about Jessica, I couldn't see past the end of my nose."

"I understand, Bill. I really do."

"I mean, who was I kidding?" he went on. "As far as she was concerned, I didn't even exist--unless she wanted something."

So he hadn't been so blind to Jessica's

manipulations after all, DeeDee realized. "Bill, you don't have to explain anything to me," she said.

"I want to." He cupped her face in his hands as tenderly as if she'd been a fragile, priceless treasure. "DeeDee, I must have been totally out of it not to see what a terrific person you are."

DeeDee tried to speak, but she couldn't find her voice.

"Not just terrific," he went on, "but terrific-looking, too. And a great kisser."

"Oh, Bill ..."

He drew her closer, kissing her with a passionate tenderness that made her feel as if the sky had shaken loose and the ground had been snatched out from under her. She started to feel dizzy again. There was a strange humming in her ears.

"I love you, Bill," she whispered, only half aware that it was she, and not someone else, who had said the words.

He paused for the space of a heartbeat, then said, "I think I'm in love with you, too. In fact, I must've been all along, only I was too stupid to see it."

"What about Jessica?" she asked timidly, afraid to rock this precious boat but knowing she couldn't bear to be held in suspense.

Bill's answer left no room for doubt. "Jessica who?" he murmured as he eased her back onto the sand and covered her mouth with his.

Twelve

"If you don't watch what you're doing, you're going to burn a hole in my head with that thing!" Jessica warned her sister.

Elizabeth was so wrapped up in her thoughts about Todd, she'd accidentally pressed the curling iron up against Jessica's scalp as she styled her sister's hair for the play.

"Sorry, Jess. Guess my mind was somewhere else."

Jessica let out a long, exasperated sigh. "Give me three guesses--Todd, right? You've been moping around all week about that creep. Honestly, Liz. Here I am starring in a play that could be the beginning of a Hollywood career.
I'm
the one who should be a wreck."

Clearly, she was anything but. In fact, Elizabeth thought, if her sister had been any more buoyant this past week, they would've had to anchor her to keep her from floating off into

space. There was obviously no doubt in Jessica's mind that
she
was the one DeeDee's father had. noticed.

By contrast, Elizabeth's week had been the longest, most miserable one of her life. She had been sick most of the week, which had enabled her to avoid Todd. But staying at home hadn't helped. Without Todd, she felt empty and alone. She tried hating him, but it was no use. The truth was she really missed him. The night before, Enid had talked her into going to a movie, but Elizabeth hadn't been able to concentrate on what was happening on the screen. All she could see was Todd and Patsy, their arms locked about one another in a passionate embrace....

"Really, Liz, what did you expect?" Jessica babbled on. "I told you in the very beginning he was trouble. Something like this was bound to happen sooner or later."

Elizabeth resisted the impulse to remind her sister that she had gone after Todd herself before he made it clear he was interested in Elizabeth. Jessica was wound up as it was over this play. It wouldn't do to get her any more excited.

"I'm not mad at Todd anymore," Elizabeth replied glumly. "After all, he was in love with Patsy
before
he met me."

"There you go, making excuses again.

Honestly, Liz, there is such a thing as being
too
forgiving."

"I never heard you complain when it was
you
I was forgiving," she said, twisting a lock of Jessica's hair around the curling iron.

"Ouch! Careful, will you? I'm not starring in
The Bride of Frankenstein,
remember? I won't make much of an impression on DeeDee's father with my hair in shreds."

"Sorry."

"Look, Liz, I
am
sorry about what happened with Todd, but don't let it get you down. Anyway, he's nothing compared to the men you'll be meeting in Hollywood."

"Hollywood?" Elizabeth echoed. "What on earth are you talking about?"

"You didn't think I was going to leave you behind, did you? Lizzie, you're my very own dearest twin sister! I'd simply die if you weren't there with me."

Uh-oh,
Elizabeth said silently,
here we go again.
"What exactly did you picture me doing while you're busy being a star?"

"You'll be my stand-in, of course!"

"Gee, thanks a lot, Jess."

But Jessica had obviously missed the sarcasm in her sister's voice. "Don't you see? It's absolutely perfect. What other superstar has an identical double?"

Elizabeth giggled. "If Richard Gere has one, I'd like to know where he lives."

"You could even sign autographs for me when my hand got tired. No one would have to know it wasn't me." She grinned mischievously. "And just think of all the fun we could have playing tricks on everybody."

"Sounds terrific. Too bad I won't be there to enjoy any of it."

"Why not?" Jessica looked positively offended.

"Well, actually, I'd sort of decided to throw my life away on something frivolous--like college."

"Can't you stop thinking about serious stuff for once? What's college compared to a fantastic opportunity like this?"

"Jess, you're acting as if the whole thing is already decided. Nothing's settled yet, remember?"

Jessica scowled at her. "How could I forget with my big sister constantly reminding me? Don't you have any faith in me?"

"I'm not putting you down, Jess. Honestly I'm not. I've seen you act, and I happen to think you're fantastic--onstage
and
off," she added, smiling.

"Very funny. But I'm telling you--this is a sure thing. I can
feel
it."

"I hope you're right, I really do. I just happen to be a firm believer in seeing things with my own eyes. Journalistic instinct, I guess."

"OK," Jessica said sulkily, "but if you ever

decide to become Barbara Walters the Second, don't count on me to give you an interview. I may be too busy."

Mr. Jaworski, his plump cheeks pink with excitement, stuck his head behind the backstage curtain. "I've never seen anything like it! Every seat in the auditorium is sold--now they're buying standing room!"

"I guess word has gotten out," Jessica said. "They all know DeeDee's father and his producer friend are coming."

Jessica patted her hair, which had turned out perfectly in spite of her misgivings about Elizabeth's frame of mind. "Do I look OK? I really want to make a good impression on Mr. Gordon."

"Don't worry," Lila said, "you look fine."

"Fine?" Jessica couldn't conceal her disappointment. "That's it--just fine?"

"OK," Lila conceded with a laugh. "You look unbelievably, fantastically, awesomely ravishing."

"That's better."

Lila whirled about playfully. "Now it's your turn to tell me how ravishing I look."

"Gee, Lila," Jessica teased, "why don't you ask Roger? I'm sure he'd be happy to tell you how gorgeous you look."

They both glanced over at Roger Barrett, who was too busy helping with the scenery to notice.

"He probably dreams about you at night." Jessica closed her eyes and affected a breathy whisper. "Oh, Roger, darling, kiss me, kiss me...."

Lila laughed, "Stop it, Jess! I wouldn't speak to that creep even in his
dreams,
and you know it."

Just then Jessica spotted Bill with his arm around DeeDee. Now it was Lila's turn to tease.

"Looks like the competition has won out. Have you noticed how chummy those two have gotten lately?"

Jessica glanced over and shrugged. "So what?"

"I thought you wanted Bill to be your eternal slave,"

"If he'd rather be with DeeDee, let him. She's more his type, anyway. The two of them can sit out in the water on their surfboards until they shrivel up like prunes for all I care."

Lila stared at her friend as if she'd suddenly started speaking a foreign language. "This doesn't sound like the Jessica Wakefield I know. Are you sure you didn't get hit over the head or something on the way over?"

"Let's just say I have more important things on my mind than what Bill and DeeDee are doing."

"Oh, I get it." Lila dropped her voice to a

conspiratorial whisper. "More important, as in movie contract?"

Jessica only smiled mysteriously. Pretty soon it would all be out in the open, and then she could really celebrate. She couldn't wait to see the look on Elizabeth's face when the good news was announced. As far as Bill was concerned, Jessica found it only slightly annoying that he was paying more attention to DeeDee nowadays. Bill was nothing. Soon she would be dating rich movie stars who drove Jaguars and Maseratis. Guys like Bill would be lucky to get her autograph.

"Did you hear about DeeDee coming in third in the surfing championship this morning?" Lila asked.

"Yeah, Cara told me," Jessica replied disinterestedly. She was more absorbed in examining her nail polish.

"Bill was there. He got so excited for her he kissed her in front of everyone. I can't believe Bill would do a thing like that."

"Neither can I, but miracles have been known to happen."

Mr. Jaworski interrupted them to announce it was nearly curtain time. The entire backstage area was in a frenzy. The players were scurrying around, muttering their lines and trying not to bump into the stagehands, who were lugging around props and pieces of scenery. By contrast, Jessica felt fairly calm. Despite the

butterflies in her stomach, she was confident DeeDee's father knew true talent when he saw it. She didn't have to try hard; it just shone through naturally.

"Break a leg, Bill," she offered with unusual expansiveness as they took their places onstage. She even felt a little sorry for him. It must be hard for poor Bill to act opposite someone with so much more talent than he.

"Thanks. You, too," he muttered, avoiding her eyes.

He'd been avoiding her a lot this past week, whenever they weren't rehearsing. Under any other circumstances, Jessica would have been livid, but now she was prepared to be forgiving. Even handsome Tom McKay had paled somewhat in comparison to the Warren Beatty types she would soon be linked with. Let Bill have DeeDee, she thought. Those two nerds deserved each other.

Then the curtain was going up, and the auditorium thundered with applause. The lights were hot against her face. Her heart was beating too fast, and her palms felt slippery. But the instant she opened her mouth to say her first lines, her panic was forgotten.

Jessica, the born actress, was in her element.

Elizabeth hugged her sister. "Oh, Jess, you were fantastic! I cried practically the whole way

through! It's a good thing Mom brought extra

tissues."

"I'll second that," Mr. Wakefield chimed in, stepping over to scoop Jessica into his arms. "Between the two of them, I was afraid they were going to flood the auditorium."

Mrs. Wakefield shot her husband a wry look. "I suppose you'd like us to believe you were sniffling for the last ten minutes because you're coming down with a cold?"

He grinned sheepishly. "I never argue a case when the deck is stacked against me. In this case, I concede. You were truly spellbinding, sweetheart."

"Especially that scene at the end," Elizabeth offered, "when you go looking for Bud and find out he's married to Angelina. It was so sad."

But obviously not for Bill and DeeDee, Elizabeth thought. DeeDee had played the small role of Angelina. It was ironic the way it had all turned out--both onstage and off.

The play had been a huge success. The audience had given Bill and Jessica a standing ovation when it was their turn to take a bow. Jessica just stood there glowing, as if she were used to receiving such adulation. When the stage manager trotted out to thrust a bouquet of roses into her arms, she blew a kiss to the audience. Elizabeth thought the cheers would never stop. She was proud of her sister. She really did hope

everything would turn out the way Jessica wanted it to.

DeeDee's father, a tall man with a bushy, blond mustache, was wending his way toward them. He stopped briefly to congratulate Lois Waller, who had played a minor part. She couldn't hear what he was saying, though; there was too much noise. The backstage area had become a madhouse, with the cast members babbling in relief now that it was all over and their friends and family clustering around them to tell them how fantastic they were.