Dante crossed the living area to stare out over the skyline. The living definition of a pretty boy, he looked younger than his thirty-two years in designer jeans, white shirt and tie with a gray vest. Whereas Irvin was growing weary with the celebrity life, it was all Dante knew. He was the son of music legends, had grown up in front of the camera and enjoyed the fame that came with being a star.
“You should sell me this apartment,” Dante said when Irvin came over and handed him his drink.
“You shouldn’t get your hopes up,” Irvin said and took a sip of the cola.
“One day I’ll convince you.”
“I doubt it.”
Dante chuckled and lifted the glass. “Are you going to bring her here?”
“Who?”
“The winner of the contest.” Dante gave him a sly look. “Are you going to show her all that New York has to offer?”
“You know I don’t bring women back here. It’s the one place where I can escape, when Kitty’s not around, at least.” They both chuckled at that. “Besides, I doubt I’ll get a half hour alone with the woman. Kitty will have every appearance scheduled and I’ll just show up, do my charming smile, sign an autograph and then come back here to blessed silence.”
“Pity.”
“Not at all. This isn’t a sleazy way to shag some woman. I can go for a ride without going through this much trouble. It’s to raise money for the foundation.”
“I’m just saying it wouldn’t hurt to have a little fun out of it. Obviously if she entered, she’s interested in you.”
“I’m not taking advantage of a fan just to get my kicks. Besides, I have more important things to worry about than showing her a good time.”
As if summoned, his phone chimed again. He rushed across the room to where he’d left it on the bar. Disappointment stooped his shoulders as he read the email from Kitty, reminding him to check the itinerary. With a swear, he dropped the phone back onto the bar.
“What’s got you so worked up?” Dante asked.
“I’m waiting on a response about my screenplay.”
“You finally sent it off. Good for you. You know it’ll get picked up.”
“I don’t want it picked up because of who I am. I want it picked up because it’s a good story.”
“Who cares why it’s picked up as long as it is? You worked on it for over a year. Push your weight around in Hollywood and get it made.”
“That’s not the way.”
“It is the way. What’s the point of all this fame if we don’t put it to good use?” Dante spread his arms to encompass the spacious area.
“I’ll wait and hear before I make a decision about pushing my weight around.”
“Who did you send it to?”
“Kevin Lipinski.”
Dante cringed. “He’s the toughest producer out there. And he hates screenplays from superstars. Are you trying to kill your writing career before it starts?”
“If he says yes, then I’ll know it’s good. If he says no...he’ll at least give me a reason why he doesn’t like it.”
“And tear you to pieces in the meantime. There’s nothing that guy likes better than to put celebrities with inflated egos in their place.”
Which was exactly why Irvin had sent it to him. If he had any chance of getting behind the camera, this was the test. If Kevin liked his script, Irvin planned to barter and plead to direct it. He’d earned his money and his fame, repaid his mother the debt he owed before she passed away, and now he was ready to move behind the camera. He loved Hollywood, loved the satisfaction of bringing a story to life and the pride when it was done well. But he could experience all those things without being the half-naked guy on-screen. It was his one shot to keep the security he had now without many of the headaches.
“I don’t have an inflated ego to burst,” Irvin said.
“You say that now, but wait until his comments come back.”
Irvin drank his cola to swallow the sinking feeling that Dante might be right.
“I don’t have to go,” Faith said, twisting a pair of underwear in her hands.
Virginia Logan rolled her wheelchair across the threshold into Faith’s room. She shot Faith the same “are you crazy” look she’d given her when Faith was a girl and asked to stay out past her curfew. Except now the left side of her scowl drooped a little. It was still a vast improvement from the complete loss of motion and feeling Virginia had had on that side right after the stroke.
“Have you lost your mind, child?” Virginia asked in the softly slurred voice that still held a lot of her old spunk. “You deserve this vacation and a dozen more like it.”
Faith tossed the underwear in the bag. “I don’t deserve anything. I should stay. I could have filled in for one of the nurses who needed off this weekend. I’m so close to paying off the credit card, it seems foolish to lose twenty-four hours of overtime to hang out with an actor and party.”
“There’s nothing wrong with enjoying yourself when the opportunity arises.” Her mama wheeled closer and reached out her hand. Faith took it and squeezed. “You gave up a lot moving back here from Houston to take care of me and your dad. As much as I hate that you had to sacrifice so much, I’m also grateful.”
“It was nothing. Especially after what Love did to you two.”
Virginia sighed and let go of Faith’s hand. “It’s time for you to stop feeling guilty over what your sister did.”
“I know, Mama, but we’re twins. I should have sensed that she was capable of taking advantage of you.”
Virginia laughed and patted Faith’s arm. “This is real life, not some sci-fi movie. Just because you’re her twin doesn’t mean you can read her mind. There was no way any of us would have sensed that Love would get caught up in drugs or steal our money and skip town while I was in the hospital.”
“But shouldn’t I have realized that something was wrong with her? Heard it in her voice, or had some clue that she could be so heartless?”
“Your sister isn’t heartless, Faith. She’s sick. Thank the good Lord she finally agreed to go to rehab.”
Faith turned away from her mama. She walked over to the closet and calmly took down a few sundresses for the trip. She wanted to scream at her mama’s insistence on trying to find the good in Love. Despite years of dealing with Love’s fight against addiction, when she’d wiped out their parents’ savings the day after her mama suffered a stroke, Faith considered that the end of her relationship with her sister. Her parents had worked hard to build up their nest egg for retirement. Her mama had worked as a schoolteacher and principal for twenty years. Her dad had been a superintendent at a delivery company for years until he was flung from his delivery truck four years ago in an accident and broke his back in three places. Thankfully he could walk, but the injury prevented him from working. Her mama had taken care of him before her stroke.
Faith couldn’t forgive Love for stealing from their parents. Who were already struggling after her dad’s injury. From what her mama said, Love had got away with all of their savings. Savings that would have gone a long way toward helping pay the ongoing medical bills and retrofit the house to accommodate her disabled parents. All things she’d depleted her savings to pay for and worked hard to continue to pay for.
“Love isn’t sick, Mama. She’s