The Actor (15 page)

One day, Marc
came home with his arms filled with roses. He grinned, making Laura’s heart
take a leap.

Anyone else
would look like an idiot in purple sunglasses. When he puts them on, it’s sexy.

“Happy
anniversary. You’re the best thing to ever happen to me.”

What?

He must have
seen her blank face.

“Today, one year
ago, you stopped by my table and changed my life.”

Was that
today? How did he remember?

Alannah came out
of her room to see what was going on.

“Oh wow, dad.
Did you buy the whole store?”

His eyes
glittered.

“Naah, they had
carnations too and I don’t care much for those. Unless you’re dreaming of
becoming a florist? I can go back and buy it.”

He winked and
Alannah shook her head.

“What do you
lovely ladies say about roller-skating and ice cream?”

Roller-skating?
Are you crazy? It’s bad enough on ice, and now you want to do it on wheels.

The girl beamed.

“Wha’cha say we
pick up Aidan and make it a family day?”

She ran off to
get a phone, and Marc put the flowers down so he could pull Laura close. When
she glanced into his eyes, all fear of shoes on wheels disappeared. His arms
around her made her melt, and she’d happily agree to jump off a cliff if he
asked her. She had gone to get an autograph, and ended up with a family and a
new life.

“I’m blessed.”

As expected,
everyone was really good at roller-skating except her, and Aidan became king of
the rink. Still, when Marc held her up with an arm around her waist and Alannah
held her hand it wasn’t bad.

Laura had
expected living with a teenager would be hard, but the girl had matured. Marc
fought a valiant battle to stay sober, and Alannah made it easier; now he did
it for both of them.

She helped Laura
too. Now, when they were over the initial awkwardness and anger, she spent time
driving, picking up, shopping clothes, doing her own homework, and helping
Alannah with hers. It filled the days when Marc was at work.

Bill often came
by and cursed so much Laura wanted to hold her ears. She couldn’t figure out
why and made a point of staying out of the way. One day she
had
to pass
through the living room when the men were in the study, and she saw Alannah
pressed against the wall just outside.

She nodded
towards the kitchen.

“Spying isn’t
nice.”

“I know, but
it’s interesting. C’mon, you want to know too.”

“No I don’t.”

Alannah lifted
an eyebrow, clearly neither convinced nor impressed. It was a good time to be
honest.

“Okay, I’m
dying of curiosity.”

“That’s what I
thought. Dad is turning down job offers.”

Interesting.

“Maybe he
doesn’t want them.“

That night,
lying next to him in bed, she asked, “Bill’s been around a lot. He seems kinda
mad.”

She could feel
Marc shrug.

“He wants me to
go places you can’t follow. I’m not going off filming on my own.”

The mere
thought of him leaving made her stomach fill with ice. She couldn’t tell him
that.

“I appreciate
the notion, but don’t let me hold you back.”

“No… I can’t
succumb to temptation if I stay away from it. If I’m travelling, you’re going
with me. The plan might not get me through the rest of my life, but for now
it’s the best I have.”

I don’t know
what to say.

She lay staring
up at the ceiling for a long time. How did she of all people become a lifeline
for someone like him? She wanted to ask if he still thought he was shattered
and losing his own personality, but he slept, and it wasn’t the best subject of
discussion anyway. If he had forgotten about it, nothing good would come from
reminding him.

The next day,
Lawrence called.

“Laura, how
long have you been in the country?”

“I don’t know…”

“Look in your
passport.”

She moseyed
over to the dresser and pulled it out. “It says… Oh crap.”

“I tried to
remember the first day we met. You have to leave tomorrow, don’t you?”

Crap, crap,
crap, crap.

“What happens
if I just stay?”

She could
almost hear him shrug.

“Probably
nothing, but if you hop across the border and come back you won’t have to find
out.”

It shouldn’t
be this difficult.

“Can I apply to
have the time extended?”

“Sure, if we
thought about this a month ago. I’ll call Marc, maybe you can fly to New York
and go sightseeing or something.”

I don’t want
to go sightseeing.

When the lawyer
hung up, she tossed the phone on the bed.

“Bloody
bureaucratic hell why does everything have to be so fucking complicated?”

Alannah’s face
peeked in.

“Are you okay?”

“Yes. No. I
guess… I think I’ll have to leave for a couple of days.”

The girl pulled
a hand through her hair and looked more nine than fourteen.

“Maybe… Would
you drive me to my mom’s and pick me up when you get back? Or maybe I could
stay at Madeleine’s. You
are
coming back, right? You’re not leaving us?”

“Oh no, honey…
It’s just some bureaucratic…”
bullshit
“…papers that need to be right.
I’ll be back before you know it. Come here.”

She sat on the
side of the bed and patted the spot next to her.

“I will be back
in a couple of days, maybe sooner. I promise. You don’t have to leave just
because I’m not here. You live here, you can stay.”

Alannah bit her
lip and looked away.

“No… What if
he… You know.”

Oh God,
she’s still afraid of him.

Laura hugged
the girl and she didn’t struggle.

“Okay, but
let’s not worry about it until tomorrow. We can talk to him about it when he
comes home tonight. I wish you could come with me, but I don’t think your mom
would approve with this short notice.”

Laura’s phone
chimed a happy tune.

“It’s your dad,
I’ve gotta talk to him, okay?”

Alannah nodded,
but still looked like a little girl when she walked towards the door.

Marc sounded
fatigued.

“Hey… Lawrence
called me.”

“Me too. Good
thing someone else is thinking for me, I had no idea.”

“I’ve booked
you on a plane to Vegas tomorrow. Three nights at the Bellagio, you’ll have fun
there.”

“Are you coming
with me?

“I can’t. I
have that custody-divorce thing tomorrow.”

I always
wanted to go to Vegas, but not all alone. And what about your plan, sweetheart?

“I don’t want
to go.”

It was hard not
to sound like a sulking child.

“I know. I
don’t want you to. Lawrence explained in great detail why you should.”

Would it be
the end of the world if I left a couple of days late? This is all my fault. If
I hadn’t been so excited over coming here I might have paid attention. I should
have kept track of the time…

Marc’s voice
woke her from the bout of depression.

“It will be
okay, sweetheart.”

I hope so.

His positive
outlook didn’t seem genuine, but at least he tried to see things from the
bright side, so she tried too. She still had tears in her eyes when he drove
her to the airport the next morning.

I’m scared.
What if everything changes? There are too many things that can go wrong at
once.

She’d grown
used to having Alannah in the house. Lawrence had assured them everything that
remained of Marc’s divorce was technicalities, but what if someone decided to
take the girl away?

He struggled so
hard with keeping his darker sides at bay. If today went badly and she wasn’t
there for him, maybe he’d disappear and resurface after two weeks, or not at
all.

I don’t
think there will ever be a good time for leaving, but it could hardly be worse.

Marc’s voice
shook her out of her thoughts.

“You’ll take
care of yourself, right? A car will pick you up at the airport, and Lawrence
booked some show for you tonight. He and Thomas both think you’ll love it. The
hotel has all the details. It’s a great place, they’ll take care of you.”

Can you
please stop the car so I can throw up?

“I will, if you
promise to take care of yourself too.”

He glanced over
at her. “I really wish you didn’t have to go right now, but I’ll do my darndest
to be a good boy.”

She bit her lip
and looked out the passenger window, wishing it had been summer so she could at
least hide behind sunglasses. He shouldn’t have to see her cry.

“Hey, don’t
look like that, you’ll be back here in no-time.”

She couldn’t
answer, but nodded and forced a smile.

Marc walked her
as close to the terminal as he could follow and pulled her close.

“I’ll be in
court when you land, but call me and leave a voice mail so I know everything
went well. I’ll worry.”

Staring into
his eyes gave a revelation.

He’s just as
scared as I am, but he hides it better.

“I will. I love
you.”

Walking away
was more difficult than she could ever have imagined.

*****

Being excited
over something that left Marc in trouble seemed wrong, but when a limo drove
her to a huge hotel, passing all sorts of interesting sights, she couldn’t keep
the depressed attitude anymore.

Everything was
so big.

The driver gave
her a little tour, and her amazed eyes stared at the buildings, large
fountains, a sphinx, an Eiffel tower, a statue of liberty and a giant lit up
balloon…

“Wow.”

The hotel was
no less impressing. The suite seemed the size of their house. As much money as
he must have spent on the trip she should probably try to enjoy it.

Las Vegas in
the dark impressed her even more.

I wonder
what it costs just to power all these lights.

She had a good
day despite all misgivings, until she returned to the hotel after the show.

It was much too
late to call Marc, and the rooms were so big they made her home sick. All of a
sudden, she wanted to cry and wallow in self-pity.

As soon as she
went to bed she imagined all sorts of noises that could mean a band of
murderers breaking in. She slipped out of the sheets several times and tiptoed
around the room, but she was alone, of course. Knowing she was silly didn’t
help. She tossed and turned into the wee hours of the morning.

If you were
here, I’d be sleeping like a rock. I hope your night is going better.

She eventually
dozed off and woke from the phone ringing.

What time is
it? Five…

Marc spoke
slowly, and his voice sounded thick.

“I’m sorry to
wake you up. I just… I couldn’t wait any longer.”

“That’s okay, I
missed you. I wanted to call you last night, but I didn’t want to wake you
.
”

He laughed
softly.

“I wanted you
to call. You should have.”

We’re so
cute. And silly.

“How did
yesterday go?”

“Pretty well. I
am now an unmarried man. Alannah is old enough to choose where she lives, and I
think she’ll pick us, at least for a while. Aidan will stay with Anne, but come
visit every other or third weekend or some shit like that.”

He slurred and
she could almost see him rub his forehead.

You’ve been
out partying all night, haven’t you?

“Did you sleep
at all?”

“No… How do you
like Vegas?”

”It’s great,
but it would be better if you were here. Hey, I sinned. I bought a camera with
your credit card.”

“Thatta girl. I
hope you got a nice one.” He fell silent for a moment. “Maybe… Maybe I could
fly out there, unless you want peace and quiet.”

“Marc, I’d love
for you to come here. I could meet you at the airport.”

I miss you
every second. Time apart is clearly overrated.

“I wouldn’t be
any fun. I’d probably fall asleep as soon as I set foot in the room.”

“That’s fine.
At least we could sleep together. Now, why did you stay up all night?”

The phone went
silent for a moment and she imagined him shrugging.

“Alannah left
to stay at her mom’s, and without you the house was so empty.”

“So what did
you do?”

Keep your
voice calm. Whatever he says, don’t yell.

“I went out for
dinner.”

And you got
high, met a girl, and banged her?

Assuming the
worst might not be nice, but after all this time she knew him well.

She didn’t say
anything, and he sounded guarded.

“There are so
many temptations in the world out there.”

“I know. Did
you fall for them?”

“Almost. Don’t
worry, I kept my nose clean and my dick in my pants. I’ve been sitting here
drinking all night, waiting for you to wake up.”

I don’t know
what to say.

His voice told
more of the story than his words. Getting through the night had clearly been a
struggle.

“Laura… Since
you moved in with me I haven’t had sex with any other woman, and I won’t. I’m
horrible at many things, but that is one promise I will keep.”

“I’m very happy
to hear that, Marc. Would you do something for me? Don’t drive to the airport,
take a taxi.”

“Okay.”

*****

Knowing he
would come made her giddy and fatigue enhanced the emotion.

She scurried
around the room accomplishing nothing for quite some time before settling down
enough to call the front desk and ask for a car.