Page 88 of Even After This
Charlie. Young actor. Someone Harlan met with regularly while on set.
I study the man in front of me. “You help people figure out how to work their dreams.”
He slides his gaze to me with a sheepish glint. “I don’t know about that.”
“Then what? What is it you want to do for those guys? Because I know it’s important to you.”
“I want them to have groundwork. Personal, professional, financial. I just see so many idiots, talented idiots, with nothing underneath them while this industry opens up and consumes them.” He taps himself on the chest twice. “I had excellent support, and this industry still ate me alive.”
“Olivia shook your foundation.” I whisper the words, trying not to scare him.
Harlan’s pained eyes take my breath away. “I did everything wrong with Olivia. Her disillusionment caused a fog in my intuition that I rarely have to face.”
“And you think you can protect your guys from the pain of growing up?”
“No.” His answer chokes through a laugh. “But maybe I can help them. Maybe my life can be more meaningful than a movie no one will remember in ten years.”
His broken expression almost undoes me, and for the first time, I see the wounded man before me, grasping for purpose to make sense of his life. I’m not the only one who’s searching for more.
Wiping his hands over his face, he growls. “I don’t know how we got off on this. You’re changing the subject.”
“And you’re making a mistake by not going to the Oscars.” I shoot back my response, mirroring his intensity.
“My decision’s already been put into action.” He exhales andthrows his arms wide. “And it didn’t feel like a sacrifice when I hit the send button.”
Glaring at him, I have no idea what to say. I so desperately want to allow him to extend this care for me, yet I so desperately don’t want to need it.
“The Oscars are Sunday, February twenty-fourth. If you’re not helping Bonnie and Clyde clean bathrooms at the bank, I want you either in a fancy dress or your best sweatpants. You choose.” He prowls one step toward me. “I will be dressed in either a tux or atuxedo T-shirt, according to your lead.” Another slow, predator movement in my direction. “We will order an obscene amount of takeout. Consume all the chocolate you can handle. And we will text Spencer and Sally obnoxious messages during the entire show.” His last stalking stride lands him in front of me, and I can’t help but smile at his perfect plan. Then he takes my breath when he wraps me in his arms and gifts me with a quick brush of his lips on mine.
At his kiss, my entire body tingles. But I can’t ignore a tiny kindling of doubt. Sighing, I rest my hands on his chest. “Promise me if you’re ever nominated, you’ll go.”
“I don’t think superhero movies are what the Academy is looking for.” He presses his lips to my forehead with his words.
I poke him in the side. “Promise.”
He pulls me in closer and speaks into my hair, “Only if you go with me.”
“Hmm.” I nod. “We’ll have to find some kind of cotillion for socializing with celebrities.”
He kisses the top of my head. “I’m impressed with you, Meredith Harper. We talked about my career, the possibility of meeting famous people, and our future without any freaking out.” His tone is light, but he takes a loaded breath. “I want our relationship to be ours. To the extent we can control it, I want to stay out of public scrutiny.”
I agree, not because of his words but because he is strokingmy hair, coaxing me into oblivion. Then I shoot my head up and smack my hands on his shoulders. “I just realized the best part.”
The impact shifts his weight backward, causing him to release an “oomph.”
Full of glee, I grin. “Sally is going to rock the red carpet.”
Harlan leans to the desk, grabs the top sticker sheet, and wrestles one off the page. “She can wear this to the show.” He pulls off a bright pink sticker and presses it to my shirt, studying it with amusement.
Showered today.
22
I broke Hercules.
The quiet moan emanating from the guest bedroom for the last few minutes makes me nervous. I lift my hand to knock on the closed door but hesitate, second-guessing myself.
What should I do?
