Stardust (The Starlight Trilogy #3) (26 page)

“No problem, Gadg.” Aidan shrugged. “I mean, if Beth feels up to it.”

She nodded. “Of course.”

Kazan summoned three security guards to accompany them. Curious neighbors, easily identified by their casual evening attire and perplexed expressions, surveyed the commotion from afar as Beth and Aidan posed for photographs and penned their signatures.

The crowd consisted mostly of teenagers, especially young men dressed in jeans and T-shirts—reminiscent of the outfits Aidan wore in
Spike Rollins
. Other bystanders included parents with younger children who were up way past their bedtimes. Even older adults stopped by to wish the couple well. Beth appreciated all the fans, whether they liked her in particular or were simply enthralled by the mystery and glamour of movie making in general.

After greeting everyone and appeasing all autograph and photograph requests, Beth and Aidan asked for quiet so they could commence filming. Some people dispersed, but those who remained pledged their cooperation.

Beth and Aidan received so many gifts security had to help carry them. The couple offered the treats to the crew and brought the rest to Aidan’s trailer so they could sort through it all later and decide what to donate to the local children’s hospital.

After an hour delay, which thankfully Kazan had planned for because of the cake surprise, the cast and crew were ready. Once Beth and Aidan were clear about their directions, they walked toward their starting positions. The crowd stayed true to their promise and watched quietly, giving not only the
Golden Gloves
company a break, but security, too.

Aidan escorted Beth up the front steps of the brownstone that was supposed to house their characters’ apartment. Spotlights stood on either side of them, lighting the way into the still of the night.

Beth squeezed his hand. “It’s so wonderful to be back on set with you.”

“Just think, before long,
Golden Gloves
will be finished.” Aidan’s widening grin warmed her heart, melting away her sadness over the conclusion of their film. “I never thought we’d make it, but here we are.”

Beth beamed. “We have a lot to be thankful for.”

“Damn right we do.” Aidan placed a kiss on the back of her hand.

The first unit camera was positioned in front of them. A boom microphone appeared above their heads.

“Places, everyone! And quiet now. Please and thank you.” Kazan folded his arms across his chest and surveyed the set with a critical eye. He gave a satisfied nod. The clapperboard sounded off. “And…action!”

Mary and Joe descended the stairs and strolled down the block.

“A walk was a lovely idea, honey.” Mary snuggled under her husband’s arm.

“I suggested it because I wanna talk to you.” Joe cast her a tentative glance. “I figured the fresh air would do me some good—you know, help me share what’s on my mind more clearly.”

“This is about your fight tomorrow night, isn’t it?” Mary’s voice carried a softness to cover up her trepidation over what she was about to hear.

“Yeah.” Joe sighed. “I feel guilty about returning to the ring.”

Her eyebrows furrowed. “Why? You’re not to blame for the death of your former opponent.”

“I know. I’ve come to terms with that. It’s more like…well, I feel guilty because I get to box again, whereas he’ll never have the chance. Stepping into that ring…man, there are very few things in life that give me such a thrill. I feel energized, alive, and ready to tackle anything, especially with you in my corner.” Joe’s lips plunged into a frown. “But Mary, isn’t it wrong for me to feel happy? I mean, shouldn’t a part of me always mourn what happened so his memory isn’t lost forever?”

Mary stopped walking and grasped Joe’s hands, gazing into striking green eyes, which—after so many years of torment—finally shone with self-worth. “Because of what happened, you have a renewed appreciation for how precious life is. Many people go through life without any passion, and that’s the biggest shame—
that
is something to feel guilty about. Living life to the fullest is how you honor his memory properly. So please embrace this second chance and accept you’re a good man who deserves happiness and an opportunity to earn the championship title. You’ve worked hard, and you’re a skilled fighter. I’m very proud of you.”

“I always want you to be proud of me.” Joe brushed his hand to her hair. “You encouraged me to return to a sport I love and supported me as I trained. You stood by me as I tackled my demons, believed in me no matter what, and helped me heal. I’ve made it this far, and I’m so afraid I’ll let you down if I lose the title.”

Mary smiled. “Oh, Joe. Don’t you see? You’ve already fought the toughest battle and triumphed. Regardless of what happens tomorrow, you’ll always be a winner to me.”

A broad grin stretched across his face. “You have no idea how much those words mean to me, Mary. Thank you for never deserting me.”

Mary linked her hands behind his neck. “I love you, Joe.”

“I love you, too. Forever.” Threading his fingers in her hair, he bowed his head and pressed his lips to hers in a tender display of dedication and victory.

“Cut! Print that one.”

Beth and Aidan stepped apart. The crew dispersed, setting up for the next scene.

Aidan surprised Beth by taking her face in his hands and placing a firm kiss on her lips. Across the street, the crowd went wild.

When he pulled back, his expression burst with joy. “We did it, Beth. Damn it, baby. We did it.”

Beth wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tightly. “That we did, Aidan.” She tossed a wistful look to the stars. “We mostly certainly did.”

Beth and Aidan’s Central Park West apartment was full of boxes. They didn’t transfer much furniture east, opting instead to donate most of their items and buy new pieces in Manhattan, but much of what they did keep still needed to be unpacked. Beth’s Cadillac and Aidan’s Triumph motorcycle arrived from L.A. earlier in the week, followed by his mother’s piano from Chicago. The piano now sat in their parlor, the focal point of the room. Aidan played the instrument every day, his melodies loud and joyous.

Following completion of
Golden Gloves
in the beginning of August, Beth and Aidan, along with their friends, flew to New York in search of the perfect home. As luck would have it, each couple found an ideal apartment on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. The units were vacant, so they were all able to move in almost right away and put their prior residences on the market. Aidan also terminated the rental agreement on his uptown studio apartment.

Beth and Aidan’s penthouse boasted two floors, with a grand staircase off the main atrium, a study, a parlor, four bedrooms, three bathrooms, two stone terraces—one on each floor, with views of Central Park—a library, gym, sun room, media room, living room, dining room, and many other rooms to which they hadn’t even assigned a purpose. Additional amenities included a security guard stationed in the lobby around the clock and valet parking.

Nathan and Olivia owned a similar suite in the adjacent building, which they purchased with a small mortgage qualified through Olivia’s finances and Nathan’s new business collateral. Matthew and Connie lived four buildings down the street in a duplex that originally belonged to a famous Broadway producer.

Just as they were all settling in, Nathan and Olivia surprised everyone by lawfully becoming husband and wife. Nathan had purchased a new engagement ring with his own money and proposed for the second time. Olivia called and told their friends to meet them at City Hall the following morning. A Justice of the Peace married them in a quaint ceremony with little fanfare. They exchanged gold bands and proclaimed their personally written vows, followed by a delicious brunch at Tavern on the Green with their guests.

The next day, Nathan took Olivia to meet his mother at Bellevue. The new Mrs. Taggart was honored to meet the elder Mrs. Taggart, and she and Nathan arranged to visit the hospital weekly.

Nathan and Olivia experienced great financial success since moving east. Nathan found a reasonably priced office space in downtown Manhattan, and after some renovations, he opened his own public relations firm. Given his solid reputation at Starlight Studios, he immediately signed many notable names, including Beth, Connie, and Aidan. Since then, business was booming. He even had to hire a personal secretary to manage the bevy of client appointments and run the office efficiently. According to Nathan, this was the first time he felt he’d truly accomplished something on his own, adding honorable mention to his new wife, who supported him every step of the way. Most importantly, he looked forward to representing his clients respectfully, having learned from his past mistakes.

As Kazan predicted, Olivia quickly established herself in the Broadway design community. Currently, she was contracted to provide the costumes for three up-and-coming plays staged by the Actors Studio.

Connie and Matthew’s careers thrived as well. Connie signed on to star in a new motion picture, which started filming in New York next week, while Matthew was hard at work writing the new
Golden Gloves
theme song. In the midst of all the activity, they decided on a September wedding, less than a month away.

Saul Stern referred Beth and Connie to an agent based in New York named Jay McGill. Mr. McGill would also manage their financial affairs as well as Aidan’s. They thanked Mr. Stern for his service and for setting them up with someone on the East Coast who had their best interests in mind like he did.

Golden Gloves
’ official release was scheduled for October eighth. Once they completed the publicity for the motion picture at the end of the year, Beth and Aidan had many film options to choose from, but they weren’t sure in which direction they wanted to head yet. Beth cherished her newfound professional freedom and wanted to weigh all options before committing to another project.

The latest news out of L.A. was the permanent collapse of the old Starlight Studios system. Seven-year contracts were now a thing of the past. Actors were buying out their agreements and working as freelance artists like Beth, Aidan, and their friends, and independent production companies were purchasing permits to film in various soundstages on the Starlight Studios lot. However, all the money obtained from these transactions and contract buyouts still didn’t guarantee that investors wouldn’t have to step in to keep the institution functional, since location shoots were becoming more and more popular.

Despite the drastic changes, the movie industry as a whole showed no indication of slowing down. Productions no longer needed to receive consent through a difficult studio boss. Directors and producers now financed films directly through the banks, so more projects were being green lighted than ever before on both coasts.

Living permanently in Manhattan was an adjustment for Beth, but the support of Aidan and her friends made it easy to fall in love with her new home. She looked forward to experiencing her first snowfall in two years and discovering what else the city offered with her beau by her side.

This morning, Aidan returned to New York after ironing out the final postproduction details for 
Golden Gloves
with Kazan in Chicago. He had been unpacking with Beth for hours, working hard, as if he hadn’t spent most of the last two days traveling. They had a lot of wallpapering and painting to complete in almost every room, but they chose to pace themselves so they didn’t get overwhelmed.

After unpacking cutlery in the kitchen, Beth was startled to see moonlight seeping in through the window above the sink. She couldn’t believe it was so late already.

Before she could venture into the living room to suggest they finish for the day, Aidan entered the kitchen with a flushed face and hair wilder than usual—products of his stubbornness and frustration. Acting came to him with freewheeling ease. Setting up electronics did not—not that he would ever admit it.

“Hey, baby.”

“Hey, yourself.” Beth nudged him playfully. “Did you finally win the war with the television?”

Aidan smirked. “How did you know we were fighting?”

She giggled. “You were uttering profanities for the last hour.”

“Yeah, well, I had to show it who’s boss.” He wrapped his arms around her and brought their lips together.

Beth released a whimper, welcoming his tongue, his breath, everything he offered her. Something else that came to him with freewheeling ease? The ability to sweep her off her feet with just one kiss. Oh, how she’d missed him these last couple of nights.

With a lingering moan, Aidan pulled back. “How about we take a walk through the park?”

Beth placed her hand to his cheek. His suggestion appealed to her, but the dark circles under his eyes made her reconsider. ”Are you certain you’re up for it? You must be exhausted from your travels.”

Determined green eyes fastened on her. “I’m never too tired to spend time with you. Plus, some fresh air would be nice after being cooped up in here all day.”

“All right. If you’re sure, then we’ll go. But we shouldn’t stay out too long. You need your sleep.”

Beth wore a pink cotton blouse and black pedal pushers. Her hair was proper, pulled back and curled, and her angel pendant was secured around her neck. She considered adding mascara and lip-gloss but didn’t want to fuss over her appearance for only a casual stroll. It was late enough already, and Aidan’s prompt bedtime was more important than her beauty rituals.

“I’ll fetch my shoes and meet you by the front door.”

“Okay. I’ll be there in a minute.” Aidan headed for the stairs. “I’m gonna change clothes first.”

Beth’s eyebrows knitted together. He was dressed in a clean pair of jeans and a T-shirt. Nothing needed replacing. Maybe the addition of a sweater to combat any evening cool down was appropriate, but that was it. “You look great in what you’re wearing.”

“Thanks, baby.” Aidan returned to her side to brush his lips to her cheek. “But I’ll be right back.”