Sleeping Beauty (55 page)

I give him the stink-eye until the stupidity of what he just said dawns on him.

“Oh, sorry…that came out wrong,” he mutters. “It’ll be fine, I promise.”

“Brendan?”

“What?”

“Do I love you?”

I expect him to smile, but he doesn’t. Instead, he pulls me closer until our bodies are flush together. “Like I love you.”

Our next kiss is deeper and lasts a whole lot longer. I guess we lose track of time, because the next thing I know the front door opens.

“Sorry, guys,” says Davin, “but it’s hotter than hell out there, and she was starting to–” He stops short when he sees us. “Oh, gross,” he says. He covers Constance’s eyes with his hand. “Don’t look, CB. They’re sucking face, it’s yucky.”

I pull away from Brendan and take a few steps towards them, feeling ridiculously nervous. I can’t really see her face, what with Davin’s hand over it. When I’m about four feet away, he pulls his hand away. Constance’s blonde hair is wet with sweat, and her eyes are red like she’s been crying. She stares at me, wide-eyed, like she’s never seen me before.

And then she smiles at me.

COPYRIGHT PERMISSIONS

Lyrics used with permission:

"Can't Cry Hard Enough" by David B. Williams and Marvin Etzioni

Copyright 1990 by Peermusic Ltd., Songs of Peer, Ltd. and Prophet Sharing Music

All Rights Reserved.

AFTERWORD

A well-written novel blends facts and fiction so well that it is difficult for the reader to distinguish one from the other. Although many of the places and events in this book are real, I have taken great license with landmarks and geography to create a world of my own design.

In other words, one should not plan a trip to San Clemente Island based on this book; although it’s true that you can obtain permission from the military to surf, dive, or fish in the waters off the island, attempts to land (or go on a jolly little day-hike as in the novel) will likely result in 1) having your rear-end shot off by a Navy patrol; 2) stepping on unexploded ordnance and blowing yourself to bits on the bombing range. (Incidentally, the south side of San Clemente looks like the surface of the moon, so you’re not missing anything. I hear Catalina Island is lovely though, and virtually bomb-free. Just put some thought behind it, that’s all I ask.)

The side-by-side adult and pediatric hospitals mentioned at the beginning of the book are fictional. Earl Tallant’s “private dock” at his Manhattan Beach home on the Strand could not exist since private docks are not allowed there. Chalk that up to another example of literary license.

All of the individuals and characters in this story are fictional. Wait, I take that back: Ellen Paige, Robert Sean Leonard, Adam Sandler, and Sophie Coppola–I’m pretty sure they’re real people, and I appreciate them lowering themselves to the level of “extras” in my story.

Klein-Levin Syndrome (KLS), or “Sleeping Beauty Syndrome” as it’s called, is a real disorder that thankfully affects very few people, mostly adolescents. Although I have thoroughly researched the disorder, and have read multiple accounts of individuals afflicted with the syndrome, I have taken literary license at times with the medical facts to suit the story. In particular, it would be very unusual for a person with KLS to also exhibit symptoms of narcolepsy (cataplexy, sleep paralysis, hypnagogic hallucinations).

Most of the neurologists I’ve met do not resemble Brendan Charmant. In fact, on the whole they’re a pretty dreary bunch. If you find your neurologist returning your unintentional physical advances, please report him immediately to the authorities (
unless
he looks like Brendan Charmant; in that case you’re welcome to use your discretion).

Finally, most people do not have brain surgery one day and run around, helmet or no helmet, four weeks later. If you’ve recently had a portion of your skull removed for any reason, take it easy for awhile, will you? There’s no rush.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

A novel may have a single author, but every novel is the result of the support, insight, and kindness of many, many people. Those who provided factual input for the content of this novel deserve special mention; however, any errors in fact or detail, whether intentional or not, are mine alone.

My deep appreciation to my good friend, Gale Ingram, former model and actress, for describing, in great detail, the workings on TV and film sets. Honestly, after hearing all the unglamorous details, I began to question the sanity of anyone crazy enough to want to work in that industry. More thanks to her for her willingness to beta-read a second book, and for her enthusiasm and support on this journey. Oh, and thanks for providing the names of real restaurants and other locales, (especially those where actors go to “be seen”) to sprinkle throughout the book. Without her, the book would not have even a modicum of “L.A. authenticity.”

I would also like to thank my dear friend, Kara Lanham Jassy, and her husband, Jean-Paul Jassy, who spent good money and lots of time in law school with the intent, no doubt, of answering my legal and courtroom procedure questions a decade and a half later, including those involving attorney conflict-of-interest and confidentiality. I commend them both for their excellent planning. Extra thanks to Kara, my friend since seventh grade, and the first person I ever trusted with my work, for her long-time support, and for setting me straight on how long it takes to get anywhere in L.A. by car. She also has my eternal gratitude for suggesting a better location for characters in the story to live relative to the surf spots and to each other. She also proved invaluable at catching my inaccurate references to real TV shows.

On that note, thank you to Maria Harrington for coming up with a real TV show that could realistically have recurring father/daughter characters. You have spared me lots of disgruntled emails from
House
fans.

Thank you as well to my friend, Allison Leotta, and her husband, Michael Leotta, for painstakingly answering my questions regarding attorney conflict-of -interest and client confidentiality–even if I had to ignore your wisdom and make up my own legal ethics system to fit the novel. Sorry ‘bout that! (Readers: please send all hate mail to me). And thanks for not charging me by the quarter-hour.

My most heartfelt thanks to Susan Tunis, who, despite our long friendship, is never afraid to criticize with gusto. Her ability to spot plotting and characterization flaws (not to mention her uncanny talent for finding typos no one else saw) are so spot-on it makes you wonder if
she
shouldn’t have written your book instead. Her input has made this a better book than it would have been otherwise.

Sincere appreciation goes to my friend, Lisa Mee, who has been a beta reader for both of my novels, and is always willing to gently criticize over a glass of wine, but with so much thoughtfulness and insight that I walk away thinking I’ve thought of all the improvements myself.

Special thanks to Stephanie Nettina for providing the details of her day job as a sonographer, particularly as it pertains to obstetrical ultrasounds in high-risk pregnancies, and who took it in stride that I didn’t know the difference between a sonographer and the guy on a submarine who works the sonar.

My friend, Matt Carroll, who shared his brain injury story with me, never suspecting that I would take his horrendous ordeal and condense it into a few lines of fictional comedy.

Special thanks to my friends, Tiffiny Wine and Jason Stingl, for sharing with me the story of how they met and fell in love, a story that is unbelievably romantic (seriously, like something out of a Twilight novel–but thankfully about three and half books shorter).

Finally, I want to thank my daughter, Myranda, and my son, Corin, who have never loved me any less for the hundreds of hours I have spent away from them in my own fictional worlds. If they had a dollar for every time over the years they have heard me say, “When I finish the book…” Thank you for understanding that even moms have dreams.

Table of Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two