Starbright (26 page)

A knock at the door interrupted his apology. With a curse, he stood from the bed and stalked across the room.

“Matt, what the hell?” He yanked the door open. “I said I wasn’t—”

He snapped his mouth shut, feeling a rush of color to his cheeks as Olivia and Connie scrambled away from him, their eyes alight with terror.

“Uh, hey.” He dragged his hand through his hair. “What’s up?”

The f
rosty demeanor he was accustomed to from Connie returned.
She straightened her posture and took a step toward him, staring him in the eye. Olivia hovered in the background.

“We’ve come for Beth,” she said hotly.

“Okay. Hold on.”

Aidan’s intention was to call Beth to the door, but Olivia and Connie brushed past him and entered the room, ruining his hope for more alone time with her.

Beth sat up in bed to greet them.

“Hey, you, long time no see!” Olivia plopped down on the mattress, smiling like she had no idea something was wrong.

Connie, on the other hand, shot Aidan a murderous look.
If Beth wasn’t here, he bet she’d be reading him the riot act right about now.

“We’ve booked manicures and pedicures at the Sands’ spa.” Olivia tugged on Beth’s hand. “Come on, we have less than five minutes to get down there.”

Beth looked to Aidan. The hurt in her eyes made his heart reel.

“That sounds like fun.” She shifted her attention back to Olivia. The smile that overtook her lips wasn’t an Oscar-winning performance.

Aidan understood why she wanted to go off with her friends, but the rejection didn’t feel any less painful. He was ashamed of his behavior and wanted desperately to make amends, but as he watched Beth collect her purse and room key, he knew he would have to wait until later.

As Beth moved past him toward the door, he reached out and grasped her arm lightly. She stopped walking and peered at him, her expression void of emotion.

With a dip of his head, their eyes were equal. “We’re okay, right?”

Olivia and Connie traded awkward glances.

“Uh, we’ll wait for you in the hallway, Beth.” Olivia scurried out of the room.

Connie took her time leaving, fixing Aidan with another killer glare. For the first time since he met her, he didn’t blame her for hating him.

As the door closed behind them, Aidan took Beth’s hand. “You know I’m only putting my foot down because I love you and want to treat you respectfully, right?”

Beth’s free hand floated to her angel pendant. She gave him a look that derailed his hope his explanation would suffice. “I have to leave. I have an appointment to keep.”

Without waiting for a response, she slipped away from him and walked out the door.

Aidan gave a swift kick to the wall, cursing himself for handling everything so poorly. Surveying the empty suite, he decided he needed to get out of here or else he’d go crazy. He made sure Beth had enough time to leave the floor and then headed downstairs to find Nathan and Matthew.

Aidan wasn’t in their room when Beth returned from the spa. After waiting over an hour for him, she gathered the items she needed for the concert and walked down the hall to the RCA Victor suite to get ready with Connie and Olivia. Thankfully, they never inquired into her solemn mood, even though she was certain they knew something was wrong.

Nathan called later that afternoon, informing them he and Aidan would get ready in Matthew’s dressing quarters in the Copa Room. Although rejection continued to gnaw at her, Beth missed her beau and looked forward to their reunion at the show.

Beth opted to wear a pale pink chiffon gown with pearl detailing on the bodice and silver-colored pumps in an effort to dazzle him. Olivia wore a sea blue, sequined ball gown and matching high heels while Connie was dressed in a mint green backless gown that accentuated her curvy figure.

As Beth entered the Copa Room with Olivia and Connie, she scanned the bustling crowd for Aidan. Nathan stood and waved to them from one of the circular tables situated right in front of the stage. Her breath caught as Aidan turned around in the adjacent chair and met her gaze. She wanted to rush over to him and calm the despair loaded in his eyes, but she forced a collected charade. One wrong move could raise suspicion amongst the other guests, many of whom were employed by Starlight Studios.

Matthew and Aidan stood to join Nathan in greeting them. All three men were dressed in black suits, black ties, and white dress shirts. Olivia and Connie greeted their beaux with amorous kisses and graciously accepted help in getting seated. In contrast, Beth stopped about a foot from Aidan, clutching her purse with both hands and eyeing him tentatively. She wished to greet him the same way, but with their argument fresh in her mind, she didn’t know if he’d want her to, even if it were at all possible. The notion made her stomach churn far greater than it did during their bumpy airplane ride from L.A.

In spite of the awareness that they needed to remain discreet, Beth couldn’t pry her eyes from Aidan. It felt as though she’d been transported into a dream sequence, like those commonly seen in Starlight Studios’ most romantic motion pictures. Her surroundings blurred, her pulse quickened. Aidan was the only item in focus, as if her eyes were cameras, filming his close-up in glorious Technicolor. His hair looked like he had tugged on it like mad lately, and his clean-shaven face showed off his chiseled jaw and high cheekbones. Most significantly, his green eyes bore into hers with such love that her worry over the impact of their argument vaporized.

“Good evening, Beth.” His greeting sounded hesitant.

Beth swallowed hard, suffocated by the invisible restraints keeping them from acting as a couple—restraints that were in danger of giving way under the force of her true desire to be in his arms and tell him how much she loved him.

“Good evening, Aidan,” she replied cordially.

“You look… stunning.” The last word was coated with awe.

Heat rose in her cheeks. “Thank you.”

“May I?” He motioned to her chair, staring at her as though he’d get down on his knees and beg if she said no.

“Yes, you may.” Her tone remained affable, but her eyes flared with gratitude.

Under the stares of their friends, she sat down and placed her purse on the table. Aidan moved behind her and pushed in her chair. She tossed a timid smile over her shoulder, reveling in the goose bumps that arose on her skin from his nearness.

“Thank you.”

His gaze darted to her lips before settling back on her eyes. “You’re welcome.”

Aidan took a seat beside her and rested a tentative hand on her thigh under the tablecloth. With her next look, Beth told him that she welcomed the touch, that the emotional tension between them was gone. The relief that softened his features indicated he read her loud and clear.

Olivia giggled beside her. “Well, it’s about time, you two.”

Across the table, Connie rolled her eyes and raised her hand to obtain the attention of the waiter. Beth still didn’t understand her friend’s dislike of Aidan but refused to dwell on it tonight.

As she scanned her vicinity, she wasn’t surprised to find her former costar and notorious partygoer, William Everett, sitting three tables away with his arm draped over the shoulders of a voluptuous blonde, who was most definitely not his fiancée from a few months ago.

During their
Sparkling Meadow
press tour, Beth thought it was only a matter of time before Will moved on from Anita Young. His wandering eye and large ego didn’t make him strong husband material, in her honest opinion.

The house band played celebratory tunes as more people filed to their seats. One of the later arrivals was Lydia Dale, who entered the room wearing a slinky sequined number that complemented her red hair and hugged her curves. As she weaved around the back tables, swaying her hips with dancer’s grace, she waved to familiar faces like she was the guest of honor. Patrons turned in their chairs to gawk. Unfortunately, her first stop was Beth’s table.

“Hello, everyone.” Lydia trained her eyes on Aidan, despite her general greeting.

Beth said a polite hello, along with her friends. Aidan didn’t acknowledge Lydia at all. Was it because he found Lydia attractive like many of the other male guests clearly did and didn’t want to risk offending her for the second time tonight?

There was no denying that Lydia was gorgeous—the epitome of a mature, confident woman with her dancer’s figure and catwalk strut. The only thing that provided Beth with some solace was her personality didn’t match her outer beauty.

“Aren’t you going to say hello, handsome?” Lydia wrapped her arms around Aidan, pressing her cleavage in his face.

Olivia inhaled a sharp breath, taking with it all the oxygen in the room as far as Beth was concerned, since she suddenly had difficulty breathing. The exchange between Lydia and Aidan captured the attention of every guest. No one at the table said anything as tensions mounted. Thankfully, Aidan was not someone who needed backup.

Hatred ignited his eyes and he shrugged Lydia off immediately.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” His tone was evocative of the one he’d used with Beth during their argument. With the reminder, her insecurities over not being able to please him festered.

Lydia gave a seductive pout, jutting out her chest in the process.

“What a party pooper, you are,” she said, slurring her words.

She was intoxicated, which surprised Beth, since the night was still young.

Aidan shook his head. “Why don’t you go bug someone else?”

“And what if I want to give you my undivided attention?” Lydia batted her eyelashes.

“Leave.” The anger in Aidan’s stare was unrelenting.

With a sulk, Lydia stalked off to her assigned table on the other side of the room. She was still too close for Beth’s comfort.

“What was that about?” Connie glowered at Aidan.

Beth opened her mouth to explain, but Nathan jumped to his defense first. “Lydia tried to seduce Aidan when he first came to Hollywood and he turned her down.”

“You turned her down?” Connie eyed Aidan skeptically.

Beth felt his hand on her leg again.

“Yeah, I did.”

As Aidan caressed her knee, Beth felt his love in the deepest parts of her, as clear as if he’d said the words aloud. Although she felt insecure about some things, she knew for certain he’d never done anything intimate with Lydia in the past. Thank goodness.

A young man approached the table, wearing a press pass around his neck and holding a camera. “Good evening, folks. How about a picture?”

Beth’s eyes darted to Nathan.

“Hello, Gil.” Nathan grinned at the photographer, looking as calm as usual. “No photos, all right?”

“Come on, just one for
The Times
.” Gil winked. “Then I’ll leave you all alone.”

Nathan tossed his napkin on the table and sighed. “Fine.”

Beth tensed, hoping he had a plan. He didn’t let her down.

“You should split the table in half and take two photos. That way you won’t cut anyone out.”

“Sure.” Gil gestured to Connie, Matthew, and Aidan. “I’ll take one of you three, and then I’ll get the rest of you.”

Aidan looked at Beth curiously, but to her relief, he scooted his chair toward Matthew and Connie without a fuss. The photographs were taken, and Gil moved on to the next table. Crisis averted.

A waiter took that opportunity to approach the table. He stopped beside Beth first. “Would you like some champagne, miss?”

“Well…” Beth shifted her gaze to Aidan.

He leaned into her. “I’ll look after you, little dove.”

He stroked her thigh under the tablecloth. A delicious tingle wafted across her skin.

Beth smiled at the waiter. “Sure, why not? It is New Year’s Eve, after all.”

The waiter filled her flute and moved on to Olivia, who also agreed to a drink.

Dinner was served promptly at seven thirty. Beth, Connie, and Olivia drank champagne as they ate while Matthew, Nathan, and Aidan opted for sparkling water. Matthew didn’t want to drink before his show, and Nathan followed Aidan’s lead, wanting to stay sober to keep an eye on Olivia.

After emptying half of her glass, Beth was giggling at the silliest things. Her cheeks also felt flushed and her heart fluttered, but she wasn’t sure if the alcohol was responsible or Aidan’s exhilarating closeness.

Once dessert finished, Matthew rose from his chair. “All right, folks, I gotta go. My manager is flashing me signals from side stage.”

“Have a wonderful show, sweetie.” Connie stood and placed a sensual kiss on his lips.

Matthew returned the kiss with equal passion, earning some wolf whistles from the crowd.

Beth watched the exchange, masking her concern over whether Aidan found her as sexy as Matthew—and the rest of America, for that matter—found Connie.

“Break a leg,” Olivia said, snuggling up to Nathan.

Matthew grinned. “Will do.”

As he took off for backstage, Connie sat down and followed him with her eyes, smiling like a woman deeply in love. Beth frowned and downed the rest of her champagne, jealous of her friends’ abilities to flaunt their romantic relationships to the world.