The Director (Hollywood Nights) (16 page)

           
“Just take it to the kitchen, we’ll
be right in.” Jed moved them forward. He was really glad he hadn’t taken her
bra and underwear off. He whispered, “Yeah, our clothes are down that way.”

           
She looked in the directions he
pointed and squeaked out, “Jed!”

           
He laughed. God, he loved her. One
minute she was kissing the man’s wife to make him jealous and the next she was
freaking out because she had to get out and face him in her underwear.

           
“Believe me,” Jed kissed her quickly
and stroked a finger over her eyebrow as she scowled. “He’s seeing you in more
than what I saw Frankie wearing. This looks like a bathing suit. A nice, wet,
clinging…”

           
He nuzzled the side of her neck and
placed a nibble there. She surrendered with, “You are incorrigible.”

           
Shay rolled her shoulders back as
she walked up the beach. Jonas had gotten impatient for them to return and he
leaned in the doorway. Because Shay still had her clothes on, Jonas probably
thought they were genuinely just swimming. It was kind of funny that the person
who had the most sex in their family was also the most naïve. Jed was proud of
his little brother, he didn’t outright ogle Shay. He shifted awkwardly in the
doorway and then let her past.

           
Jed grabbed two towels out of the
cabinet she didn’t even pay attention to. He wrapped one around his waist and
carried the other inside with him. “Here, babe.”

           
She was freezing. It was obvious. She
looked at him and they both realized as she said it, “I don’t have any clothes
here.”

           
Jonas snickered behind them.

           
“Go, get the pizza ready,” Jed said
over his shoulder. His brother had finally put the whole scene together. To her
he said, “Just grab some of mine.”

           
Shay went to get dressed. Jed walked
into the kitchen where his baby brother stood at the counter already eating a
slice of the pizza, “I came to apologize.”

           
Jed nodded.

           
“She was right. I shouldn’t have
questioned you in front of everyone like that. She didn’t have to kiss Frankie
though. But…” He smirked. “I do see why Frankie can feel a little lesbian
around Shay.”

           
“I think we both lucked out in that
department,” Jed conceded and picked up a slice of pizza. “She’s going to New
York with me.”

           
“Is she? Frankie would have told me
that.” Jonas overestimated Frankie’s place in everyone else’s lives. “What
about her job? They might want her on the third movie.”

           
Jed shook his head, “She’s coming
with me.”

           
“I was hoping you would stay.” He looked
towards the doorway to see if she was near and said, “I don’t want my daughter
growing up without knowing you. Buddy knows you a little, but not like he does
me. I hate that for Janice and I just can’t…I’m a little nervous, Jed. You’re
my big brother. Buddy makes this shit look easy. Marriage, family…”

           
Jonas broke off as the sound of
footsteps neared.

           
“I get it. I’m not going any farther
than New York for a while,” Jed looked over to see the main reason that
statement was true as she entered the kitchen. “My clothes look terrible on
you.”

           
Jonas spoke before thinking and
said, “Compared to what?”

           
They both looked at him and Shay
laughed. She said, “Compared to Frankie maybe?”

           
Shay slid her arm around Jed’s waist
and he offered her a bite of his pizza slice.

           
“Of course,” Jonas blushed. “I
mean…you know what I mean. Don’t tell her I said that.”

           
“I wouldn’t dare,” Shay said
seriously. “Frankie is beautiful. You know that.
 
I know you know that. You’re going to have
gorgeous babies.”

           
“We are,” Jonas said with pride.

***

           
“That’s the last of it,” she said as
she pulled the hatch on the back of the SUV closed. She didn’t sell her house. He
worried that she still needed the security of her own place. He didn’t like it,
but he understood. If he had it his way, she would be added to his main
accounts and their lives would be merged in every way. In his mind, they were.
The rest was formality.

She had rented the house to an
older couple that would fit right in the retirement community. He had accepted
the beach house from his father in the event they returned to California. He
could loan it out as his dad had done for years. It gave them a place to go
when they were there. He had promised his little brother he would make more
effort to be around. Shay was attached to Frankie and excited for them. He knew
he would visit because she would want to.
 

She looked at him and said, “We
are really driving across country.”

           
“We sure are,” he nodded. “The good
news,” he pulled out a handheld camera and pressed record. “It gives us a great
opportunity to test the idea out. Remember, it’s just ten minute spots to air at
random on the channel. So tell me, what are some essentials everyone should
have when taking a road trip?”

           
She looked at the house, at the vehicle,
and then finally at him and the camera. “Everyone should have a map in addition
to a navigation system, snacks, drinks, and most importantly, a good travel
companion. Don’t take a trip like this alone.”

           
He hit stop and asked, “Do we have
snacks and drinks?”

           
She shook her head no and said, “We
need to get some.”

***

They drove for ten days across
the nation. By the time they hit the half way mark, he was convinced she would
become a household name. He had pulled out the professional quality camera at
the second stop when she played with a bunch of rescued dogs being transported
from one state to another. He was sure that interview would air and the
organization would be glad to have been in the right place, or more accurately
the right rest stop, at the right time. They stopped at tourist attractions and
any other place that looked interesting along the way. He had enjoyed the
travel, but was excited to be home.

           
He pulled up to the front of his
building and looked at the woman sleeping in the passenger seat. She was going
to be living with him from now until forever if he had it his way. He stroked
her cheek and said, “Shay. Babe, wake up. We’re here.”

           
The doorman came out.

“Mr. Gunner.” Mario stood outside
the driver side door. He gave up on waking Shay. He got out and explained his
current situation.

Jed thanked one of the security
guards for the help getting into his condo. He had Shay in his arms and the
door would have been a lot to manage. As the door was closing the guy said,
“Welcome home.”

He inhaled deeply. He
was
home. He carried her to his bed and
tried to get her out of her clothes without waking her up. He was unsuccessful.

“Where are we?” she asked as she
held her arms up to let him pull the shirt over her head.

“Home,” he said quietly. He was
nervous. She was there in his house, their home, and she would either love or
hate it. He had requested some of the things specifically, but a professional
had come to decorate the place. Soon, her things would arrive and the merger of
noticeable stuff would begin.

Her lower lip pushed out and her
brows drew close together. “You were supposed to wake me up when we got close
to the city.”

“I tried, sweetheart. You were
knocked out.” He did try, a little.

“Oh,” she said as she yawned,
stretched. She smiled at him and he leaned in to kiss her. She quickly moved
her hands to his back, pulled at him, and all too easily he was on top of her.
He kicked off his shoes, and settled in. He wasn’t really tired. He was too
amped up about coming home, bringing her with him, and starting work on
something that wasn’t depressing.

Her lips parted, his tongue slid
along hers. She slid her hands down his back and began pulling his shirt up. He
made her work for every inch she uncovered. She was getting pretty frustrated
with him, but he didn’t care. He finally let her pull the shirt off. Instead of
kissing her lips he kissed the spot right under her earlobe, and then her neck.

“Jed,” she breathed his name. He
loved hearing it that way.

“Mmmmm?” he hummed against her
throat before kissing it again.

“Who’s that girl?” she asked in
an entirely different tone of voice.

He stilled immediately. He had
forgotten all about the picture. He pushed up and off of Shay. He sat on the
bed next to her, the heat of the moment was erased and then replaced by the
chill of her fingers leaving his flesh as she sat up next to him. He looked at
the photo of Dana on his nightstand. “Ahh, shit. I forgot that was there.”

“That’s her, isn’t it?” Shay
reached for the picture. She traced a finger along the frame. He was so awkward,
unsure of what to say or do next; all he could do was wait. She finally said,
“Seventeen, huh. She was pretty.”

“Yeah,” he admitted quietly.

“You loved her a lot.” Shay sat
the photo back on the nightstand and got out of the bed. She looked around the
room as she pulled her t-shirt back on. He was worried about everything, the
décor, the temperature, and the immediate issue. She finally looked at him and
said, “You still love her.”

“I love you,” he said it
automatically, naturally as breathing, and she looked stunned. “I loved her.
She was my first love. We had been in school together since kindergarten. We dated
since we were twelve…she was my first everything… It was nothing. I know that
now.”

“Hey,” she frowned at him. “Don’t
do that.”

“Do what?” He could hear his
heart pounding in his ears. He practically held his breath for her next word.

“You don’t have to minimize your feelings
for her because of me. I can’t compete with a dead woman, but I don’t have to.
I know you love me. I just…can’t have sex while your high school sweetheart is looking
at me. It’s creepy.”

He closed both of his eyes and
breathed a sigh of relief. “Yeah, I can see where that might be weird.”

He picked up the photo and
carried it to the living room. She followed him. He bent down, pulled out a
photo album, and once it was open he did something he never thought he would
do. He placed the only picture he still had of Dana inside of it.
 
That night, the darkest of his life, he had
destroyed all evidence of her. Then he opened the envelope she had left him the
day she did it. The picture had prevented him from making another cut and taking
his own life. He looked at the back of it, at her handwriting. He silently read
the words there: Don’t let the end of my life be the end of yours. I’m sorry. I
love you, Dana.

He closed the album and put it
back in its place. He stood to look at Shay. She was watching him. He rubbed
his hands up and down his thighs and over the jeans he was wearing. A million
words were competing in his mind, but none of them seemed right. He desperately
needed a cigarette. He had kept that hidden from her, but he didn’t always
smoke so it was easy. He was out of the electronic cartridges that allowed it
to remain his dirty little secret. Along the trip he could sneak out during her
bathroom time. She used a lot of products so it was always enough time to
unwind and smoke if he needed to.

“Do you have anything to eat?”
Shay asked.

He finally got out, “Probably
not, but we can order in, or go out. It’s only ten.”

Chapter
12

Shay was a bit overwhelmed. He
had said it. Under duress, but he said it nonetheless. He opted to run out and
grab some food rather than remain in the awkward space between them. He didn’t
even look in his kitchen; he pulled on his shirt and shoes and practically ran
out of there. She waited about a half second after he closed the door to pull
that album out and look at it. She was glad she was already on the floor
because she may have fallen otherwise. So much about his family and their
constant worry and walking on egg shells made sense now.

           
She flipped through the rest of the
photos and enjoyed the reflections that he kept of his life. Not one other
photo of Dana was present. She knew there was a greater story behind it.
Tonight was not the night to ask.

She put the photo album back and
looked around the loft he referred to as a house. He was very neat and organized.
The furnishings were nice; the whole place looked like someone had spent time
putting it together. Frankie would be proud of his obsessive compulsive
organization skills. Shay wondered how easy it would be for him to adjust to
her brand of organized chaos now that it would be in his house, not hers.

She looked at the furniture and
thought about adding color through the use of pillows and throws. His house was
primarily neutral, natural, and masculine. The only room that looked lived in
was the one she suspected was his office. It had a few pictures of his family
on the wall. Nothing award driven, all casual, comfortable, real. She wasn’t
sure if he had the art framed or if it came that way, but it was signed with a
green hand stamped with paint that she was sure belonged to his nephew.