Starbright (23 page)

“I won’t. I promise.” Beth tightened her grip on the receiver, unable to contain her excitement. “I can’t wait to see you. Is six o’clock all right?”

“I love you, you know that?” She could hear the grin in his voice. “And, yeah, six is perfect.”

“I love you, too, Aidan. See you soon.” With a bright smile, she hung up the telephone.

“Marie?”

Beth whipped around and came face to face with her parents. The lack of curiosity in their expressions led her to believe they hadn’t heard her conversation with Aidan.

“Are you settled all right?” she asked, testing her theory.

Her mother’s smile calmed her nerves. “Yes, your room is lovely, dear. Thank you. I hope we’re not intruding.”

“Oh, Mama, of course you’re not intruding. I want to spend as much time with the two of you as possible. In fact, if you’re not too tired, I’d like to show you the sights this afternoon. Then we can return here and I can make dinner.” She giggled at the intrigue that lit her father’s eyes. “Yes, Papa, I’ll make your favorite shepherd’s pie.”

“Well, if it’s not too much trouble.” Her father maintained a composed front, but she knew how much he missed eating her specialty dish. He always said her mother never made it quite as tasty as she did.

“It’s no trouble at all.” Beth released a deep breath. It was now or never. “I hope you don’t mind, but I’ve invited someone else to dinner tonight—a young man who has been courting me.”

Her father raised his eyebrows. “What is this young man’s name? What does he do for a living?”

“Well, Papa, his name is Aidan, and he’s an actor.”

“An actor?”

Perusing her father’s face, Beth couldn’t tell if he thought this was a good thing or a bad thing.

“And does this actor have a last name?”

Beth gave a sheepish nod. “Evans.”

Recognition brightened her mother’s eyes. “John, remember the film we saw in the fall about the gang member who saves his brother’s life? Aidan Evans is the young man who played the gang member.”

Beth cringed. She wished her mother hadn’t used the phrase
gang member
to describe her beau.

Her father’s eyebrows came together. “Ah, yes. The film was called…”

“
Spike Rollins
,” Beth replied.

A frown tugged at her father’s lips. “From what I’ve read about him, he seems crass and irresponsible.”

“The press exaggerate Aidan’s image to make him and his character one and the same,” Beth hastened to explain. “He’s actually a very wonderful, kind, and—”

She closed her mouth. It was imperative not to be overly exuberant in her description. Not only did she want to avoid raising questions about the true extent of her relationship with Aidan because this was the first her parents were hearing of him, she also didn’t want the romance to come across as nothing but a silly, schoolgirl crush.

She aimed to present a more mature take on her beau, hoping her parents would take her seriously. “Aidan is a nice, respectable young man. I believe you would like him if you gave him a chance.”

“I will withhold judgment until after I meet the boy,” her father said with firm nod.

Beth stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. “Thank you, Papa.”

“Well, I, for one, am excited to meet this young man, Marie.” Her mother placed a hand on her forearm. “You’ve always had a good head on your shoulders. I’m sure it will be a splendid evening.”

Via the studio car arranged by Nathan, Beth showed her parents many of the main attractions that afternoon, including Grauman’s Egyptian Theater and the Hollywood Bowl. Thankfully, she wasn’t recognized too often and only had to sign a handful of autographs. She preferred to give her parents all of her attention.

At the conclusion of the tour, her parents asked to meet with Mr. Mertz at Starlight Studios and thank him personally for their trip. Beth was able to avoid the matter by explaining the studio was closed for the holidays and promising to thank him on their behalf the next time she saw him.

Back at the house, Mr. Bates took a seat in the living room. Beth retrieved the ashtray she and Olivia kept for guests so he could enjoy a cigarette while her mother helped her prepare dinner. By the time six o’clock arrived, everything was ready for Aidan’s arrival.

The three of them sat in the living room, dressed in their best evening attire, when Aidan knocked on the front door. Beth excused herself, unable to eliminate the smile from her face. Her mother looked just as pleased while her father stubbed his cigarette in the ashtray and leaned back in his seat with an expression that gave nothing away.

Beth tried to keep her strides to the foyer at a proper pace, but as soon as she exited the living room, her giddiness propelled her in an all-out sprint down the hallway. Smoothing out her dress, she pulled open the front door.

Aidan stood on the other side, clean-shaven and dressed in the same black suit from yesterday, which had been neatly pressed after spending the night on her living room floor. His hair was tamed slightly and he held two large bouquets of roses, one red in color and the other, sunny yellow.

“Baby, you look…” Aidan’s moonlit gaze scanned her body. “Wow.”

Beth’s cheeks filled with color. “Thank you. You look incredible yourself.”

Aidan brushed his lips to her cheek and passed her the bouquet of red roses. “These are for you.”

Beth brought the flowers to her nose. “Thank you. They’re beautiful.”

They walked down the corridor hand in hand but respectfully let go before entering the living room.

Beth released a slow breath as her parents stood from the sofa to greet her beau.

“Hello, Aidan.” Mrs. Bates extended her hand. “It’s lovely to meet you.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Bates. It’s an honor to meet you.” Aidan shook her hand and offered her the yellow roses. “These are for you, ma’am.”

Mrs. Bates looked at Beth approvingly before accepting them. “Thank you, Aidan. And please, call me Barbara.”

Aidan offered his hand to Beth’s father next. “Good evening, Mr. Bates.”

“Good evening.” He gave Aidan a handshake that matched his firm gaze.

A lull developed after the initial introductions. In an effort to keep things flowing smoothly, Beth gestured to the couches. “Gentlemen, mother, please have a seat. I’ll fetch us some drinks before dinner.”

“I’ll come with you,” her mother said. “We can put our flowers in water.”

Beth’s broad smile overcompensated for her returning jitters. “Good idea.”

Aidan took a seat on the sofa they had slept on last night while her father sat on the opposite one.

Mr. Bates removed his Chesterfields from the breast pocket of his suit jacket and extended the package to her beau. “Cigarette?”

“Thank you, sir.” Aidan took one cigarette from the package and brought it to his lips.

Normally, he refused to smoke around her. By accepting her father’s offer, Beth had confirmation that even though he looked calm and collected on the outside, inside, he felt nervous.

Beth entered the kitchen with her mother.

“He seems like a very polite young man, Marie,” her mother said. “And based on the looks he gives you, he sure seems to fancy you.”

“Yes, he does very much, Mama.” Beth retrieved two vases from under the sink, hoping to conceal her blush. After placing the roses in water, they returned to the living room with two glasses of root beer, her father’s favorite beverage.

“Yes, but—” Mr. Bates’ speech halted upon their entry.

Aidan’s gaze sank to the floor, along with Beth’s heart, as several worst-case scenarios invaded her mind.

“What were you two discussing?” Mrs. Bates’ light tone indicated she was oblivious to the tension in the room. She took a seat next to her husband, smiling widely.

“Nothing.” Mr. Bates took a drag on his cigarette and accepted his drink.

Beth sat next to Aidan, keeping a respectable distance between them. Stubbing out his cigarette, he managed a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. She gave him his root beer and forced her own smile, refusing to showcase her worries.

“So, young man, I understand you’re an actor.” Smoke billowed from her father’s mouth with the comment. “When did you sign your contract with the studio?”

Aidan placed his drink on one of the coasters on the coffee table. “I’m not under contract, actually.”

The arch of Mr. Bates’ eyebrows evidenced his surprise.

“When I agreed to come out to Hollywood to make my first film last spring, part of the deal was I didn’t have to sign with the studio.”

“What’s wrong with being signed?” Mr. Bates demanded, setting down his root beer.

Aidan shrugged. “Nothing, really.”

Mr. Bates exhaled a series smoke rings, fixing him with a wary gaze. “What do you mean by that?”

Aidan shrugged. “I just mean, for me, it wouldn’t work.”

“And why not?”

“I like to have creative freedom and be able to choose which projects I work on.” Aidan picked up his drink again. “I’m sort of a freelance actor, if you will.”

Mr. Bates leaned forward to extinguish his cigarette in the ashtray on the table. “Doesn’t that mean your future projects aren’t guaranteed like they are for my daughter? It seems to me there’s no financial security in being a freelance actor.”

“With all due respect, sir, I understand your position, but the way I figure it is, if I’m able to pick my own projects based on substance and interest, I’ll be more dedicated to my characters, which means I’ll turn out better performances in the end.”

Aidan set down his root beer without taking a drink. “You see, sir, my goal is to secure my future in the industry based on talent alone. Plus, being under contract isn’t what the papers make it out to be. Mertz—” He shot Beth a furtive glance. “I mean,
Mr.
Mertz has the right to terminate contracts at any time if his strict orders are not obeyed.”

“We all need rules to abide by, young man.” Mr. Bates scowled. “Rejecting a studio contract suggests that you’re a difficult young man. A renegade, who doesn’t like anyone telling him what to do.”

“John.” Mrs. Bates’ voice held a gentle warning to it.

He held up his hand. “Now, Barbara, I’m not picking a fight. I’m just trying to learn more about the boy’s thought process, is all.”

Beth gave Aidan an apologetic look, but he didn’t seem at all intimidated by her father’s approach.

“I understand how it may seem, but respectfully, sir, I believe it’s better to be in complete control of my career. I don’t want someone telling me what characters to play. That said, please make no mistake. There is order on the movie sets I work on, and I have no problem following rules laid out by people I admire.”

Mr. Bates pursed his lips. “I see. So you think my daughter is nothing but a studio puppet without a mind of her own, then.”

Aidan’s eyes widened. “No, not at all. Beth is—”

“Marie,” Mr. Bates said hotly, scalding Beth’s hope that the evening would progress without incident. “Her name is
Marie
.”

“Uh, right…” Aidan shifted in his seat. “What I’m trying to say is, of course she’s an intelligent young woman, but I would be lying if I said I’m happy with her being under contract. I believe her projects have been good so far, but—”

“She’s nominated for an Academy Award!” Mr. Bates tossed up his hands in exasperation.

Beth looked to her mother in a panic. Her father talking about her as if she wasn’t in the room was the least of her concerns.

Aidan drew in a patient breath. “I’m aware of that, sir. But may I remind you, so am I.”

Mr. Bates’ eyes narrowed.

Aidan caught Beth’s beseeching stare. “All I’m saying, sir, is that if she wasn’t under contract, she could do great projects like
Sparkling Meadow
all the time, by her own accord, instead of sitting around and waiting for Mr. Mertz to cast her in a rich part. I’d like for her to have the option of turning down projects if she felt they didn’t meet her standards, or if she just wasn’t interested in the character or storyline.”

Mr. Bates paused for a moment. “I want to make sure you’re not a bad influence on my daughter.”

The tenderness that blanketed Aidan’s eyes bestowed Beth with the courage to take his hand. He looked surprised by the gesture but didn’t pull away. She didn’t either, even when her father’s face sharpened with disapproval.

“I care about your daughter very much, Mr. and Mrs. Bates.” Aidan squeezed her hand. “Every decision I make has her in mind, and I’ll always put her best interests first.”

At his words, Beth’s heart filled with so much joy she thought it would burst. Unfortunately, her father looked no less displeased.

With help from her mother, the conversation changed to lighter topics. Mrs. Bates told Aidan about the sights they saw today and gushed about how wonderful Mr. Mertz was for arranging their trip. Beth considered divulging who really arranged everything to prove to her father that Aidan was a good man. Not wanting to risk making matters worse, she followed her beau’s lead and accepted her parents’ high praise of her boss instead.

By the time they moved into the dining room, things seemed much better. Beth could tell her mother approved of Aidan, but her father was difficult to read as usual, even though his comments since leaving the living room were absent of their previous hostility.

During dinner, Aidan and her mother did most of the talking again. Mrs. Bates asked him about his acting experience, and he talked passionately about New York City, the Actors Studio, Mr. Kazan, and Mr. Strasberg. Even her father seemed intrigued by his background.

For her contributions to the conversation, Beth spoke of her visit to the Actors Studio during her
Sparkling Meadow
press tour, her opinions on Method acting, and her final days working on
Venus Rising
.

“So, Aidan, where do your folks live?” Mr. Bates’ casual inquiry sucked the air from the room.

Aidan’s utensils clamored to his plate. The silence that followed felt more excruciating than if he had stabbed his knife into Beth’s heart.

Beth’s gaze fell to the table, anchored by guilt. Amongst today’s excitement, she had forgotten to warn her parents that Aidan’s past was a sensitive issue.