Starbright (40 page)

Her hope was their
Golden Gloves
costars front was enough to save her from being punished for sending her chauffeured car away this morning and driving with Aidan to the studio instead. Mr. Mertz’s threat before Christmas about her staying away from Aidan was tossed out the moment he agreed to cast her in
Golden Gloves
, and rationally, she knew he had no authority over with whom she could associate. Still, she was well aware her opportunity to play Mary was in jeopardy.

Aidan parked in front of Mr. Mertz’s office building and cut the engine. Beth expected him to jump out of the car. Instead, he turned to her and brushed his fingers across her cheek. She was glad he’d put the top up before they drove off so they had some privacy.

“You don’t have to do this, you know.”

Beth stood her ground. “I’m going in with you.”

Aidan pulled his hand away. “Fine, but let me do the talking.”

As pitiful as it was to allow him to fight her battles for her, Beth nodded. Her presence in the meeting was all she could confidently offer at this time because of how afraid she was of Mr. Mertz. She hoped it was enough to show Aidan she wanted to protect their relationship as much as he did.

Aidan’s strides were brisk and purposeful as he led her into the building. When they arrived at the top floor, his demeanor changed entirely. The hostility that emanated from him as he fastened his gaze on Mr. Mertz’s closed office doors left her feeling thankful he was on her side, which said a lot, given how merciless her boss could be.

“Good afternoon,” Ethel said from behind her desk. Nathan’s secretary, Caroline, was not present.

Aidan ignored Ethel and stalked across the reception room. Beth hurried after him.

“Excuse me, Mr. Evans! Miss Sutton!” Ethel rose from her seat. “You cannot just barge in there!”

Aidan shoved open the double doors to Mr. Mertz’s office. Beth remained in tow, doing everything she could not to make eye contact with the secretary.

“I apologize, Mr. Mertz, but they wouldn’t listen!” Ethel exclaimed, entering after them.

Aidan stopped in the middle of the office. Beth stood slightly behind him, feeling much safer that way. He was a tornado of fury and she didn’t want to get in the path of his destruction.

Mr. Mertz sat behind his desk with the telephone receiver to his ear and the panoramic view of his empire behind him. He moved his ruthless black eyes to Beth. She shivered and looked away.

“I’ll call you back,” he said into the receiver and then hung up.

Ethel jumped in front of Aidan. “I’m sorry, sir—”

“That will be all, Ms. Ashby.” Mr. Mertz’s order sounded frighteningly dark, corresponding with his incensed expression.

Ethel left the office in a hurry, closing the doors behind her.

“Who do you two think you are?” Mr. Mertz sounded as prickly as a cactus. “You’re only allowed to enter my office with my permission.”

Beth dropped her gaze like an obedient slave, wishing she had the gall to defend herself.

Aidan marched up to the desk without fear, his leather shoes squeaking across the polished marble floor. “You said you wanted to see Beth, so here she is.”

“Exactly. Miss Sutton. Not you.” Mr. Mertz’s sharp tone sliced through Beth’s residual confidence.

Aidan gave a flippant shrug. “We only have an hour for lunch, and I don’t want this waste-of-time meeting cutting into our read-through this afternoon. I came to ensure it’s wrapped up quickly, so you can forget about kicking me out of here.”

Mr. Mertz glowered at him. “You cannot deem the meeting unnecessary if you don’t know what it’s about.”

“Well, then, how about you enlighten me?” Aidan crossed his arms over his chest.

“I heard some information today that disappointed me greatly, Miss Sutton.”

Beth blanched as she met Mr. Mertz’s icy gaze. This time, she forced herself not to look away. If he saw she was afraid, he would have confirmation she and Aidan had something to hide.

“You turned away the chauffeured car I arranged for you and arrived at the studio with Mr. Evans instead.” Disapproval shadowed Mr. Mertz’s portly face. “I demand an explanation.”

Beth did the first thing that came to mind. She glanced at her beau for help.

Aidan remained unfazed by her boss’s attitude. “Look, it’s perfectly fine for two costars to work on their lines together off studio grounds. You can’t change the rules for Beth just because you hate me.” His lips lifted into a cocky smirk. “Although, I gotta say, Luther, I’m flattered you’re giving me such personal attention.”

Mr. Mertz’s nostrils flared. “First of all, I wasn’t addressing you. Secondly, you can study your lines on studio grounds.”

Aidan shook his head. “I refuse to arrive at the studio early, or stay late, when we can rehearse in locations much more convenient for us.”

Mr. Mertz’s lips thinned. “If you two won’t follow my rules, then you shall not rehearse.”

Aidan rolled his eyes. “I don’t know what you do around here, but in New York, at the Actors Studio, where actors actually care about giving authentic performances, rehearsals are essential. So you can bet Beth and I are gonna rehearse together whenever, and wherever, we damn well please.”

Mr. Mertz shifted his glare to Beth. “Answer me,
Marie
. Why did you turn away the chauffeured car this morning?”

Beth’s stomach knotted. Addressing her by her legal name was a haunting reminder that he had made her who she was in the entertainment industry and could, with a stroke of his pen, destroy her.

She cleared her throat in a bid to find her voice. “You see, sir, we rehearsed this morning before the read-through because we want to act out our characters as realistically as possible.” Compared to Aidan, her response sounded like it came from a scared child.

Mr. Mertz leaned forward in his chair and tented his hands under his chin. “Well, if that’s the case, why isn’t Mr. Evans working closely alongside Mr. Geary or Ms. Lowel, for instance?”

“Beth’s not Method trained like they are, so Gadg instructed me to work extra closely with her to ensure she doesn’t mess up when we go in front of the cameras and waste our time.”

Aidan’s words pelted Beth like sharp stones. She swallowed hard, reminding herself it was all a ruse.

Mr. Mertz’s mouth twisted bitterly. “Miss Sutton is not the only cast member who isn’t trained in the Method. Your explanation holds no merit.”

Aidan took an intimidating step forward. “Beth’s character is the most important person to Joe, so it’s crucial we perfect our onscreen chemistry more than anyone else. I’m more concerned about making sure she doesn’t ruin our film by not being able to portray her character properly than caring what you think about us hanging out together. Trust me. She needs the extra help if she expects to cut it on
Golden Gloves
. After all, it’s your studio that trained her—”

“Don’t get smart with me, boy!”

“And it’s only the first day. Who’s to say I won’t rehearse with other cast members off studio grounds as well? You’ve got no argument.” Aidan turned to the door with a gesture for Beth to follow him. “Come on, we’re leaving.”

“How dare you speak to me this way!”

Aidan wheeled around to face Mr. Mertz. “You don’t own me.”

“Maybe not. But I do own
her
.” Mr. Mertz’s menacing gaze flashed to Beth, strengthening the authenticity of his threat.

The blood drained from her face.

Aidan’s hands curled at his sides, his body forming a rigid stance. “You leave her out of this.”

Mr. Mertz’s lips twisted into a wicked grin. “You’re awfully protective of Miss Sutton, aren’t you, Mr. Evans?”

Beth studied Aidan’s tightening fists in a panic. Finally, the tension eased from his body.

“The broad doesn’t deserve to be picked on, is all,” he said, sounding eerily controlled. “So leave her the hell alone. We’ve got a serious film to do, and we don’t need any more interference.”

With a commanding, virile strut, Aidan left the office.

Beth gave a pathetic bow of her head. “Thank you for your time, Mr. Mertz.”

She scrambled after her beau, closing the doors behind her.

When she caught up with Aidan, he’d already pushed the button for the elevator and was pacing the reception room under Ethel’s disapproving stare. The clench of his jaw told her to give him a moment. They rode to the lobby in unbearable silence.

Even so, Beth thought the air felt lighter as they emerged from the building. Although the meeting hadn’t gone ideally, she still had her role in
Golden Gloves
and her studio contract, which were most important to her, aside from her relationship with Aidan.

Aidan opened the passenger door, his manner still standoffish. Beth took her seat, and through the windshield, watched him walk to the driver’s side with a shove of his hand through his hair. The tension that lingered between them after he sat down behind the wheel and slammed the door locked her heart in a vice grip.

Finally, Aidan shifted in his seat and looked at her. “You know I didn’t mean it, right?” His soft voice was a welcome relief after how harsh he’d sounded in Mr. Mertz’s office.

Beth tilted her head inquisitively. “Didn’t mean what?”

“What I said to Mertz about you not being a good actress and needing extra help from me.” He regarded her apologetically. “I figured it was a good enough excuse to get him to back off.”

She frowned. “I must admit you sounded very convincing, but I know that’s only because you’re such a great actor. It’s dealing with my boss that really has me so shaken.”

Aidan stared out the windshield, gritting his teeth. “Man, I hate that goddamn Mertz.”

By the time they drove away from the office building, their lunch hour was over. Beth placed her hand to her stomach, willing the hunger pains that had replaced her anxiety over the meeting to go away.

Surprisingly, Aidan parked in front of the commissary. “You like the chicken soup from here, right?”

Beth nodded. “Yes, but won’t Mr. Kazan—”

“I’ll be right back.” Aidan exited the Porsche and entered the commissary. He returned a few minutes later with a paper bag in hand. As he reclaimed his seat behind the wheel and shut the door, the familiar aroma of steaming chicken soup filled the car.

“You can eat it during the read-through.” He handed her the bag. “I’ll clear it with Gadg.”

“Thank you.” Beth unrolled the top of the bag and peered inside. There was only enough food for one person. “Did you not get anything for yourself?”

Aidan started the engine. “I’m not hungry.”

A fear far greater than what Beth felt in Mr. Mertz’s office seized her heart. She hoped the news about returning to Chicago, the city Aidan had abandoned years ago to escape from his father, hadn’t affected him to the point he had lost his appetite. Besieged by the memory of his condition on Halloween, she vowed to never let him get that bad again.

Beth spent the next three hours reading the rest of the
Golden Gloves
script with her director, Aidan, and the other principle cast members.

After addressing everyone’s final comments about the script, Kazan stood from his chair at the head of the table. “Excellent job, gang. Keep working on your lines. Practice. Also, don’t forget your initial wardrobe fittings on Monday. I’ll see you all then.”

As the rest of the cast collected their scripts and left the room, Beth put on her coat and stopped to chat with Wade, who was still going over his lines. She wanted to make up for her lack of communication with him earlier due to her nerves.

“Are you enjoying the project so far?” she asked as Aidan waited by the door.

Wade glanced at her briefly before returning his attention to his heavily marked script. “It’s wonderful. I’m learning a lot. I’ve already quit Schwab’s so I can dedicate myself fully to Sal.”

Beth placed her hand on his shoulder. “Please remember to get some rest this weekend.”

“I will,” he said without looking up.

Beth could relate to Wade’s pursuit of perfection, but hoped he wouldn’t run himself into the ground in the process. It was futile to reason with him at this point, so she bid him good night and left the room with Aidan. In the hallway, they came across Kazan. The three of them rode the elevator to the ground floor together.

In the lobby, Connie and Matthew entered through the front doors. Beth called out to them and they walked over to her.

Aidan and Matthew shook hands, and then Matthew shook Kazan’s hand, as though they’d known each other for years. Beth wasn’t aware they were previously acquainted.

Kazan gave the crooner a casual smile. “Thanks for accepting the job, Matt.”

“My pleasure,” Matthew replied. “I came by to tell you in person how grateful I am that you requested me. I’m glad I caught you before you left for the day.”

Aidan looked as confused as Beth felt.

“Matthew has been commissioned by Mr. Kazan and RCA Victor to sing the
Golden Gloves
theme song,” Connie explained.

Beth clasped her hands together. “That’s wonderful!”

Matthew smirked. “When they show a close-up of Aidan’s mug at the end of the film after the final bout, my rich, velvety voice will play in the background. The women will weep.”

Aidan nudged Matthew’s arm playfully. “Yeah, I bet they’ll weep when they hear you sing.”

As the men’s deep laughter echoed throughout the lobby, Beth’s worry about Aidan’s recent behavior vanished.

“Do you folks wanna grab some grub at the commissary?” Matthew asked, bringing his arm around Connie’s waist.

“Thanks for the invitation, but I can’t,” Kazan replied.

Beth regarded Aidan hopefully. “I’m quite hungry. What about you?”

He shrugged. “I’m not, but we can still go.”

“Actually, Aidan, I’d like to discuss some things with you in my office before I head out, if you don’t mind,” Kazan said. “It won’t take long.”

Aidan raised his eyebrows at Beth. “Is that okay?”

“Absolutely. You can meet us at the commissary when you’re finished.”

He nodded. “Okay, Gadg. Let’s go.”

“Come on, ladies, the Bentley awaits.” Matthew gestured to the exit, and the women accompanied him out of the building.