Starbright (35 page)

He assisted her out of the ring and entered the locker room without her. When he emerged, he wore new boxing shorts.

As Beth changed back into her own footwear, she couldn’t believe how far she’d come since going steady with him. She felt much more confident with intimacy than she did only weeks ago and considered seeing Connie’s doctor soon to obtain birth control.

“What are you thinking about, little dove?” Aidan trailed his fingers down the side of her face.

Beth gave a wistful sigh. “How happy I am.”

He kissed her forehead. “Me, too, baby.”

Beth stole a glance at the clock. “Unfortunately, I have to leave now or I’ll be late for my dance lesson.”

“I’ll walk you to the door.”

Aidan removed the tape from her hands and retrieved her purse. He even made sure she had a drink of water before escorting her to the exit.

Beth placed her purse strap over her shoulder, wishing she didn’t have to go. “Enjoy the rest of your workout.”

Aidan kissed her temple. “When I step back into the ring, I won’t be able to think about anything except how much I love you.”

She hugged him tightly. “I love you, too.”

“See you tonight, my beautiful golden girl.” He brushed her hair from her face and backed away.

Beth waved farewell and left the gym with a skip in her step that rivaled the fancy foot maneuvers Aidan used when training. She felt eager to forgo her acting and dance lessons over the next several months and focus all of her energy on
Golden Gloves
, learning as much as she could about Method acting and spending more time with her beau than she had ever dreamed possible this morning.

Beth’s dance teacher canceled her lesson on Wednesday afternoon, so she scheduled an appointment with Connie’s doctor following her morning acting class. As she sat in the back of a limousine between Connie and Olivia, she recalled their explanation about what being fitted for a diaphragm entailed. They insisted there was nothing to fear, but she still felt nervous.

Beth arranged payment for today’s appointment in advance and was unsurprised it cost such a hefty sum. She paid the full amount in cash because claiming it through her Starlight Studios’ health insurance wasn’t an option. Thankfully, she was able to withdraw the money from her savings account without having to explain to Mr. Stern why she needed it.

With Mr. Stern’s assistance, Beth also negotiated her
Golden Gloves
contract and signed the necessary documents, officially committing herself to the project. She had never been a part of a formal read-through before and felt both intimidated and excited to participate in one on Friday.

Another plus was now that she was officially assigned to the film, as she’d assumed, she could forgo her acting and dance classes again, as she had done during production on her other films. Although she had learned a lot at the studio, she felt her experience on
Golden Gloves
would be the ultimate acting lesson because she was working with an esteemed director and actors.

A welcomed distraction from Beth’s appointment was the news that Kazan had requested Olivia’s design expertise for
Golden Gloves
,
which meant they would work together again. Olivia respected Kazan and was excited that he put her in charge of an entire wardrobe team throughout filming. Beth was incredibly proud of Olivia for all she’d accomplished in less than a year in the industry. Nathan had helped her get signed to the studio, but it was her true talent that had gotten her this far.

Additional good news was that, as predicted, Mr. Mertz was elated over Connie’s engagement to Matthew and had approved distribution of new publicity photographs of the couple to all the entertainment papers. The photo shoots were set up to look as though photographers randomly ran into them when they were out on the town, when, in fact, they were taken on the studio backlot or arranged in advance at popular Hollywood hotspots. The purpose of the photographs was to show the world how in love they were. At least that part was true.

Connie loved the attention and talked nonstop about her impending nuptials. She decided on a June wedding, giving her six months of preparation time. With Mr. Mertz’s involvement, plans were already shaping up nicely. He provided her with a staff of people who followed her every instruction on every detail of the wedding, as she desired. The deal was the studio took care of the finances in exchange for full pictorial rights. The wedding was going to cost a fortune, but Mr. Mertz clearly thought he would make the money back at the box office. It was no coincidence that he scheduled the release of Connie’s next film for the same week as the ceremony.

The only aspect of the wedding Mr. Mertz wasn’t involved in was the wedding dress. Connie bestowed that honor to Olivia. She had particular details in mind for parts of the design. Otherwise, Olivia had complete creative freedom. Olivia took her new job very seriously and was busy working on the perfect gown in between clothing preparations for
Golden Gloves
.

Far sooner than Beth expected, the limousine parked at the back of Dr. Goldberg’s Beverly Hills office building.

“Here, put these on.” Olivia handed Beth a scarf and a pair of sunglasses. She and Connie had explained these items were necessary in the off chance someone spotted them. Olivia was not well known, but she did work at the studio, so she didn’t want to take a gamble, either.

Beth covered her hair with the scarf and secured her sunglasses in place. Connie and Olivia did the same, and Connie’s personal chauffeur, Martin, opened the back door of the limousine. Olivia took Beth’s hand and led her to an unmarked door while Connie instructed Martin to return in one hour.

Upon their arrival on the fourth floor, a rope of anxiety tightened around Beth’s stomach. Her only solace came from the fact that what she had with Aidan wasn’t a fling. They were truly in love, and she had no reason to feel ashamed about wanting to grow more intimately with him before marriage, regardless of society’s views on the subject.

Dr. Goldberg’s office was located halfway down the corridor, identified by a gold nameplate mounted on the door. As they entered the office, Beth looked around the waiting room. Thankfully, no one else was present except for a secretary sitting at a small desk in the corner, typing on a typewriter. With the coast clear, the three women removed their headscarves and sunglasses.

“Go check in, Beth.” Olivia gestured to the secretary. “We’ll wait for you in the seating area.”

Beth made her way over to the desk, clutching her purse in hopes of steadying her trembling hands. The secretary looked up but didn’t stop typing.

“Hello.” Beth’s voice sounded soft and unsure. “My name is Marie Bates. I have a one o’clock appointment with Dr. Goldberg.”

The secretary removed a clipboard with an attached sheet of paper and a pen from her desk drawer. “Fill out this form, please.”

Beth took the clipboard and sat in a nearby chair. The questionnaire started with basic things such as her name, address, date of birth, and marital status but then moved on to more personal questions like the reason for her visit and the date of her last menstrual period.

Beth returned the clipboard when she was finished. The secretary stood from her chair and gestured toward a hallway in the back.

“Right this way, Miss Bates.”

Beth caught Connie and Olivia’s encouraging smiles before following the secretary to a room at the end of the corridor. Inside, she was instructed to take off all of her clothes and put on the paper gown draped over the examination table. The secretary left after notifying Beth that Dr. Goldberg would be with her momentarily.

Beth set down her purse and picked the gown off the table, trying to distinguish which part belonged in the front and which in the back. Either way, one part of her would be exposed. She opted for the opening in the back, using the rationale that if she lay down on the table, she could cover her behind. Not that it mattered, given the nature of her appointment. Still, it helped to settle some of her nerves in the meantime.

After putting on the gown, she gripped the back shut and lay down on the white paper draw sheet draped over the thin, plastic mattress covering the examination table. The bottoms of her feet faced the door. To avoid giving the doctor an inappropriate view the moment he entered the room, she chose not to use the stirrups at the end and crossed her legs at the ankles instead.

While she waited, she read the plaques and awards hanging on the walls. They told her that Dr. Goldberg had graduated from Harvard Medical School over twenty years ago and was a highly respected member of the medical community.

The minutes passed slowly, in contrast to her rapidly beating heart. Finally, she heard shuffling on the other side of the door. She crossed her legs tighter as the door opened and Dr. Goldberg appeared, wearing a distinguished white lab coat and carrying a clipboard and stethoscope.

He looked more like a movie star than a physician with his unnatural dark brown hair, deeply tanned skin, and gleaming white smile. If not for reading his medical school certificate, Beth would have assumed he was in his late thirties.

“Miss Sutton. It is very nice to meet you.” He draped his stethoscope over the back of his neck and shut the door. “I’m Dr. Leif Goldberg.”

Although the appointment was booked under her legal name, Dr. Goldberg was in such demand that Connie had to disclose Beth’s studio moniker in order for him to see her in a timely manner.

Beth propped herself up on her elbows and regarded him sheepishly. “Hello, Dr. Goldberg.”

“I understand you’re in the market for birth control.” He placed the clipboard down on the counter. Beth saw it contained her questionnaire.

Her face grew red. “Yes, I am.”

“I’ve fitted many women from the studio, so please don’t worry. You’re in good hands.” He gave a smile that brightened his blue eyes. “From your questionnaire, I see you’re not married.”

Beth shook her head. “No, sir. I mean, Dr. Goldberg.”

“That’s fine.” He gave an elegant wave of his hand. “Here in my office, we specialize in discretion for high profile women such as yourself. You needn’t worry about me judging you in any way.”

Beth’s tense expression eased into a smile. “Thank you, doctor.”

“Let me disinfect my hands and we’ll get right to it.” Dr. Goldberg walked to the sink and washed up. As he reached for his gloves, Beth’s heart stopped.

“All right. Let’s begin.” He slapped the latex against his wrist, securing the second glove. “Now, if you wouldn’t mind, Miss Sutton, please lay flat on your back and place your feet in the stirrups.”

Beth’s eyes widened as she looked down at the stirrups. They were so far apart from each other. She swallowed hard and shakily secured her right foot, followed by her left. The rush of cool air to her exposed bottom-half made her shiver.

Dr. Goldberg moved a rolling stool and small metal cart toward him. The cart had various shiny medical tools on top of it, none of which Beth recognized. When he sat on the stool at her feet, the gown and her elevated knees prevented her from being able to see him. All she could feel was his presence between her legs.

She brought her knees together, her feet remaining in the stirrups.

“Um, Dr. Goldberg?” Beth heard the wheels of the stool rolling along the floor, and then the physician was in full view again.

He flashed a calming smile. “Not to worry. I will tell you when I’m about to begin.”

“Yes, about that.” Beth propped herself up on her elbows again.

“I’ve done this many times before.” Dr. Goldberg’s words sounded sharp, but his smile remained intact.

“It’s not that I believe you aren’t qualified,” she said, hoping he didn’t find her hesitation insulting. “I’m just wondering—if I may be so bold—if you would be able to tell me what you’re going to do before you start. Although I’ve been given an overview from my friends as to what will occur, I still don’t possess enough information to completely calm my nerves.”

Dr. Goldberg chuckled. “My, I’ve never had a female patient request a tutorial before. I must say, I find your inquiry rather refreshing.” He scooted closer to her on his stool. “I will try to explain the procedure to you as simply as possible so that you understand it. The medical jargon can be quite intimidating, and women needn’t concern themselves with such things.”

“Yes, of course. Thank you, Dr. Goldberg.” Beth kept her knees together as he began his explanation.

“Now, this item is a fitting ring.” He reached over to the table and picked up a piece of equipment that looked like an open metal circle. “I will insert various sizes into your vagina to determine which one fits the best.”

Beth eyed the ring uncertainly. “Will it hurt?”

“You may feel slight pressure because I will be placing it against your cervix, but you shouldn’t feel any pain,” Dr. Goldberg replied. “The largest ring that fits comfortably is the one chosen. That tells me what size diaphragm you need.”

Beth wasn’t quite sure where her cervix was located, but she appreciated the information nonetheless. “And the diaphragm is what exactly? And how does it work?”