Take Four (22 page)

Brandon pulled out her chair for her, but then he took a spot
across from her. “In case anyone has a camera,” he whispered as he winked at her.

He was teasing, but only partly. The truth was something that touched Bailey. Brandon could’ve played up the leading man role tonight, acting like her date and giving anyone who saw them a chance to blast the news across tabloid headlines:
Brandon and His Innocent Costar Take New York City by Storm!
Especially since they were with two married couples. But instead Brandon saw to it that Bailey sat between Katy and Lisa, while he sat between the producers.

Over dinner, Bailey found herself being charmed by Brandon. Not in a way that turned her head or made her forget about Cody, but in a way that disarmed her and made her feel like she was spending the night with a group of old friends. Again, by the time they left the restaurant, news had gotten out. They were interrupted on the way out by people asking for a photo or an autograph, and by the time they climbed in the car, a sea of cameramen were waiting outside, bunched up on either side of the door, all of them snapping pictures a mile a minute and yelling Brandon’s name and then Dayne’s.

“How’d that happen?” Bailey whispered to Katy as they rushed for the waiting Escalade. She was careful to stay between Katy and Lisa as they climbed inside the SUV.

“This is New York City.” Katy handled the throng expertly, not looking directly at them, never hesitating as they entered the vehicle. Once they were inside, Katy laughed. “Wow, it’s been a while.”

“It has.” Dayne chuckled too.

“They recognized you,” Katy nudged him. “Those pictures will definitely see print.”

“I know.” He smiled at Keith. “We’re okay with that. Some tabloid press is a good thing, as long as they can’t do more than report we were here together.”

“I still don’t get it.” Bailey’s head was spinning. She belted herself in, but she turned questioning eyes to Brandon. “How did so many get here so fast?”

“Like Katy said, this is Manhattan.” Brandon looked calm, unaffected. “The paparazzi live here and in LA, because most celebrities split their time between the two cities. The few cameramen hanging out in Bloomington during the shoot are nothing. I actually feel like I have a normal life again.”

“Join the crowd, buddy.” Dayne turned around and high-fived Brandon. “Now you see why I love the place.”

Bailey let this new knowledge about the paparazzi sink in a moment longer. If the press mainly hung out in New York and LA, then celebrities need only leave those places for a little peace from the constant barrage of tabloid exposure. If they didn’t, if they chose to live and eat and work and play in the places where the paparazzi lived in droves, then they could hardly blame anyone but themselves for the attention. It was a comforting detail, one she tucked away for later.

In case this movie was only the beginning.

E
VERY MINUTE THAT PASSED MOVED THEM
closer to the reason they were here, the reason Bailey was so excited about being in New York City: the chance to see Tim perform on a Broadway stage. Bailey settled against the backseat of the Escalade and watched the teeming life moving in every direction through Times Square. The excitement here never grew old—even if this was no longer a place where Bailey wanted to live.

Brandon seemed aware of her thoughts. “Looking forward to seeing Tim?”

“I am.” She appreciated her costar’s sensitivity. He clearly wasn’t threatened by any former boyfriend of Bailey’s. He wasn’t threatened by her current relationship either—whatever it was. “Thank you. If I haven’t told you.”

“I’m just glad you could come.” He patted her knee. “I love this show.”

In the front seat, Keith turned around and smiled at Bailey. “So, what’s Tim say? Should we meet him at the stage door?” He glanced at the Gershwin, coming up on their left. “We’re about an hour early.”

“Definitely.” Tim was thrilled they were coming, and he’d arranged for them to spend the time before the show in the cast greenroom. Bailey grinned. “He says there’s a lot of Brandon Paul fans in the cast.”

They pulled up and Keith climbed out first—to explain at the stage door that their group was there and make sure there was a clear path for the others to get straight from the car to inside the
building. Bailey could hardly believe all that had happened since she’d been to New York City last time, auditioning with Tim in August. Only two months ago she’d been unsure what God had for her, since He’d so soundly closed the door on her attempt at getting a part in
West Side Story
.

She and Tim had texted a few times and talked once since he’d moved to New York. He was attending the church at Times Square, and casually seeing one of the other dancers in the show. He told her he missed her, but he never once asked her about Cody. Bailey was just as glad. Tim would never understand her feelings for Cody, so that was one topic that wouldn’t be discussed tonight. She was sure.

They signed in and took a freight elevator up one floor to the stage level. There, they found Tim with a few of the other ensemble dancers. When he saw Bailey, his eyes lit up. “I can’t believe you’re here.” He hugged her and swung her around and set her down again, his hands on her shoulders. “You won’t believe the show. Every night I have to remind myself I’m really here.”

Brandon walked up and cleared his throat just enough for Tim to remember Bailey wasn’t the only one in the group. “Sorry.” Tim laughed and introduced himself and the other dancers to Brandon and the producers. When he got to Dayne and Katy, he hugged them both, since he’d known the two of them as long as Bailey had. “I miss Bloomington,” he told them. “But, man, do I love it here.”

Tim showed them around the costume area, navigating the group around the time clock and Glinda’s bubble and a dozen other props from the show. As Tim explained what they were seeing and gave the backstage tour, Bailey studied him, analyzing what she was feeling. Here was a guy she’d dated for two years, and yet she didn’t miss him at all—not any more than she might miss any other friend she’d known in high school. Again she was grateful she’d broken up with him, and even more so that they
weren’t enemies. They’d been through too many good times for that.

Halfway through the tour, Tim walked them out on the stage. Since the doors hadn’t opened yet, the theater was empty. Bailey walked out onto the slanted wooden floor where the entire play was performed. The group was busy remarking about what a severe angle the stage had been built at and how difficult it must’ve been to learn how to dance and move on such an angled surface.

But all Bailey could think of was the hundred times she’d taken a stage for the CKT shows or her show run at Indiana university last winter. She loved Broadway, and one day if God allowed, she would be here, too. Performing here or on another stage a few blocks away. There was something so magical about the lore and lure of theater. She and Tim exchanged knowing smiles, and she was sure he could read her mind. This was an arena they had shared for years until now. But at least God was still letting her perform, just on a different sort of stage.

They were still standing there, still taking in the feel of the theater and the sets, when the actress who played Glinda bounced onto the stage and squealed at Brandon Paul. “Someone told me you were here!” She screamed again, very Glinda-like. “I can’t believe it!”

Tim introduced the two of them and, after she’d met the rest of the group, she pulled a camera from her bag to have Bailey snap her picture with Brandon. She was friendly with everyone, but there was no question her attention was devoted to Brandon. “What’re you doing later? I mean, maybe we can all go to my place. I live in a flat on the upper West Side.”

Brandon looked interested for a minute, and Bailey figured this was how he got in trouble so often before filming
Unlocked
. Too many offers, too few no’s. But this time, after only slight hesitation, he explained they’d be back on a plane after the show, headed to Indiana.

“I know, I read about your new movie.” She seemed to actually notice Bailey for the first time, and she stopped, her mouth slightly open. “Wait! You must be…are you Bailey Flanigan? The girl playing Ella?”

“I am.” Bailey could hardly believe this. The star of
Wicked
knew who she was? It was the first time Bailey had felt the headiness of the role she was playing, and how the world clearly viewed it.

“So you’ve done theater, right?”

“I have.” They talked for a little while, until someone showed up at the wings and informed them the doors were opening in ten minutes. In a flurry of activity, the
Wicked
star thanked the group for being there, gushed over Dayne, and finally slipped Brandon a piece of paper as they all exited the stage. She leaned close to him and whispered something Bailey couldn’t hear.

But she would’ve bet the paper held the girl’s phone number.

Only as they were exiting the stage did Bailey notice another dancer had joined them—the same blonde who had been with Tim when they first got off the elevator. Only now she and Tim were holding hands, and he was gazing into her eyes, laughing about something in a private world all their own.

Brandon came up beside her. “Jealous?”

She looked at Tim, at the way he and the dancer seemed more in love than Tim had ever seemed with her. “Definitely not.” Bailey didn’t have to work hard for the confident smile that lifted the corners of her lips. “I’m happy for Tim. This is his world now.”

“Oh,” Brandon gave her an exaggerated look of surprise. “You thought I meant about Tim and the blonde?” He put his arm easily around her shoulders and brought his face close to hers. No one was around to see them back here and, in this moment, no one was paying them any attention. He brought his voice down to a whisper. “I didn’t mean about Tim. I meant about me.” He pulled the slip of paper from his pocket, held it up, and then returned it again. “Glinda gave me her number. In case you missed that.”

“I see,” Bailey nodded slowly, playing along. “And you thought I,” she pointed to herself, as if she were shocked by the possibility, “might be jealous…of her?”

Brandon’s face fell and, though he was teasing, there was something serious in his eyes. “You aren’t?”

“No.” She laughed and slid her arm around his waist. “Call her if you want. Come out here and date her when you’re done in Bloomington.” She smiled at him the way she would smile at Connor. “Whatever makes you happy, Brandon.”

He stopped and took both her hands in his, facing her. “What if…what if you make me happy?”

Her heart pounded, because she knew from his expression that this time he wasn’t teasing at all. Gone was the slick attempt at hitting on her. Instead this was Brandon being genuine and caring, truly interested in her. She didn’t know how to handle the glimpse he’d given her into his heart, so she did the only thing she could do. She giggled. “You make me laugh, you know that?”

For a long moment it looked like he might correct her, explain he wasn’t kidding and he was truly interested in her. But people were being urged to take their places, and warm-ups were happening all around them. Tim was explaining they should probably take their seats, and he was leading them to a secret passageway that ran below the stage to the theater area. So instead of saying anything that might dampen the mood, Brandon allowed his famous smile to fill his face once more. “Come on…” he released one of her hands but kept the other, running after the group so they could all be seated together. “We’ve got the best seats in the house.”

During the show, she thought at first he was going to have her sit between Katy and Lisa again, but at the last minute he took the spot beside her. “Let ’em talk, that’s what I say.”

Bailey wasn’t too worried. They’d managed to get through their entire day without anyone catching them in the same picture
together. And here in the theater there were no flash pictures allowed anyway. The paparazzi would be waiting outside, but not in here.

The show started with a dramatic clash of cymbals and the famous music the entire theater world had come to know. Bailey could hardly breathe, she was so excited, so anxious for Tim and what it must’ve felt like to be in the wings, about to take the stage for
Wicked
right here in New York City. She silently prayed God would bless his performance and that in the midst of the often ungodly lifestyles that made up theater life, Tim would become a very bright light.

The show opened with the ensemble singing to Glinda, who was above them in her bubble. Bailey watched closely and, sure enough, the first thing the actress did was make eye contact with Brandon, seated beside her. Bailey was sure Brandon noticed her make eye contact with him, so what he did next took her by surprise.

He discretely reached for her hand and held it—not with his fingers laced between hers the way he certainly would if this were a date, but in a nonthreatening way that told her he wasn’t interested in Glinda. Not tonight. This trip to New York was a gift to her. To Bailey. And no matter who tried to interrupt their time together, Brandon wasn’t going to let it happen.

Bailey didn’t move her hand. She liked this, sitting here watching Tim perform in
Wicked
, holding Brandon Paul’s hand the way she’d hold the hand of one of her brothers. She felt like they’d reached a new level in their friendship on this whirlwind trip, and she was grateful. The cast began singing “No One Mourns the Wicked,” and as the chorus built, Bailey felt tears in her eyes. How amazing that this was really happening for Tim, and that God had placed her in such a major leading role for her first real acting part? A year ago they’d prayed about the plans
God had for them, but neither of them could’ve dreamed they’d be here.

Well before intermission, before the house lights came up Brandon released her hand. He leaned close again and whispered. “See, Bailey…no one will think a thing.”

“Good.” She smiled at him, careful to keep her tone light. She felt her eyes sparkle in the darkness of the theater seats. “Wouldn’t want you to tarnish my reputation.”

He laughed, and she was grateful he hadn’t taken her too seriously. The last thing she wanted was to hurt him. If he had a crush on her, it would pass. Brandon had plenty of girls to choose from—she’d seen that much back stage before the show. At intermission, Brandon stayed in his seat, his eyes downcast. But, even so, a buzz had begun to spread through the theater, much as it had at FAO Schwarz.
Brandon Paul was here…in person…right in the third row!

A few minutes before the lights went down again, three people lined up to ask him for an autograph or a picture, but the security guards at the front of the theater ordered them back to their seats and apologized to Brandon. Keith must have informed them to keep fans away so they could enjoy the show. “Sorry about that,” one of the guys told them. “It won’t happen again.”

Brandon brushed it off. “No big deal.” And it wasn’t. Brandon had a way of handling the public adoration so that it didn’t make him seem bigger than life. He was approachable—same way he came across on the screen. It was probably one of the reasons he was so wildly popular.

In the second act Brandon held her hand again, and for a few minutes Bailey let the headiness of it all get to her again. This was Brandon Paul, after all. The world’s hottest heartthrob, sitting beside her, asking if she was jealous of Glinda. Brandon Paul with his hand wrapped around hers. What would it be like dating
him? Allowing herself to fall for a guy like Brandon? But as soon as the thought flitted through her mind, she dismissed it.

The idea didn’t resurface until after one in the morning, when they were halfway home on his private jet. By then the cabin was dark and the others were sleeping. Brandon slipped back to the sofa where Bailey was stretched out, and he carefully moved her legs so her feet were on the floor again. He took the spot beside her and put his arm around her again. “This was one of the greatest nights of my life.”

Her heart beat harder than it had since they left Bloomington, and she wondered if he was going to try to kiss her. She swallowed hard, inching just a little away from him. “Isn’t that supposed to be my line?” She laughed quietly. “I’m the one who feels like Cinderella.”

“You could feel like that every day of your life.” He put his hand alongside her face and looked deep into her eyes. “I mean it, Bailey. I’m crazy about you.”

“Brandon,” she uttered a quick urgent prayer for the right words. “Your kindness means the world to me.” She put her hand over his and gently removed it from her face. “But I told you…I’m in love with Cody. If I weren’t…if things were different, maybe…maybe.”

He didn’t break eye contact, didn’t look away. Something in his expression told her he’d probably never been turned down by anyone other than her. “Can you at least…can you consider me as an option? For down the road?”

The fact that he was serious almost made her laugh out loud. Their conversation still felt like something scripted, a scene she might watch in a movie, not a real dialogue playing out between her and Brandon. He was waiting, and she didn’t want to frustrate him. “I can do that.” She nodded, willing herself to be more serious, because in truth it was like her mom had told her a while
ago. Brandon was a person like anyone else, and he saw something in Bailey that he wanted.