The Fan Letter (28 page)

Leslie silently climbed in the back and set her briefcase on the floorboard. She was desperately trying not to cry and didn’t trust her voice just then. Of all the people who had told her this same speech over the years since her unexpected divorce, Richard’s had just touched her the most, and she had no idea why she was so affected.

“Who knows I am here?” she managed to ask after a few moments of expected silence.

“Only Ron, Eddie, Linda, and I. She’s in town for the summer.”

Leslie gave a small smile. Eddie. Of course he was in on this. “Where’s the restaurant?”

“It’s a club, actually,” Avery explained as they drove along, heading towards the ocean. “We’ve rented the whole shebang for tonight. There’ll be dinner and dancing and a wonderful view of the ocean.”

Leslie removed her security badge and looked at it. “I guess I won’t be needing this,” was her comment as she tossed it on the floor next to her briefcase.

He glanced at her face. “Are you going to pout the whole night, or are you going to enjoy being with your friends again?”

Leslie looked out the window as they sped along the freeway. All she could picture was Tom’s face as she had said good-bye.

At her silence, Avery added, “Phillip was invited to attend. He’s leaving for a movie in New York early tomorrow morning, so I don’t know how long he can stay. He’s interested in his next script for the series.”

“So am I,” Leslie commented with a ghost of a smile. “After my rest I’ll probably do another Rex story.”

“Good. He’ll be pleased to hear that.”

Leslie returned her eyes to the cityscape, and Richard lapsed into silence.

L
eslie now in the midst of a happy, mingling crowd, was being welcomed by the other writers and introduced to some of the crew she hadn’t met yet. Everyone was in a party mood. The season had ended on a high note, everyone was renewed for the fall and signed on for the next season.

Eddie and Linda Chase warmly hugged her with Eddie commenting that he was glad she decided to come after all.

“Hmph,” Leslie sniffed. “I was kidnapped and you know it!”

“Whatever,” Eddie waved her off as he took Linda’s arm and led her over to meet someone.

Leslie turned to go to the picture window overlooking the Pacific Ocean. She ran into Tina who crossed her path. They had an awkward moment until Leslie said, “I think you’re doing a wonderful job with Jane. You’ve made her just what I wanted her to be.”

Tina smiled warmly at the unexpected praise. “Thanks, Leslie.” She paused and then added, “I was a little apprehensive earlier when Eddie told me you might be here. But he reminded me that we’re all working towards the same goal of an excellent show. I do like your scripts. But, I admit I was afraid you’d make Jane into some evil shrew.”

Leslie laughed at that. “No, I’d never do that!” she admitted. “After all, she’s very dear to me.”

Tina looked away for a moment and waved to one of the guests. He came over and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “Leslie, this is my boyfriend, Mike Barnes.”

Leslie shook his hand. “Yes, I recognize you from the Sunday News Events Show. It’s nice to finally meet you. I don’t watch your show nearly as often as I should,” she admitted with a laugh, feeling more at ease by the moment.

There was a huge commotion over by the front door of the club. All eyes turned to see what was happening.

Tom and Maxwell made a grand entrance wearing gold crowns and red cloaks borrowed from Costumes. They were good-naturedly cheered and applauded as a path was made for them to enter. Maxwell regally waved and bestowed blessings on the little people around them.

When Tina turned back to Leslie to continue their conversation, all she could see was Leslie’s back as she hurried out the back door and onto the terrace where canopied tables stood waiting for guests. Leslie almost ran down the wooden stairs that led to the private beach. There would be dancing down there later, but now the colorful lanterns swayed over empty sand.

Tina glanced up at Mike. “Oh, dear. That’s not the reaction Eddie was hoping for. I’d better go tell him what happened with our reluctant guest.”

Eddie was busy trying on Tom’s crown. “I really should be wearing this,” he was reasoning, “since you and Maxwell robbed me of my much-deserved award these two years…. Tina!” he called as she approached. “Don’t you think this fits me better?”

She grinned at all three of them. “I think you all look silly,” she declared, “but then, what do I know? I’m new. Eddie, I wanted you to meet someone, my friend Mike Barnes,” as she clamped onto his arm and led him away from the group.

Eddie tossed the crown back to Tom as he was drug away. “I already know Mike. I was the one who introduced you,” he started to protest.

“I know,” Tina replied and then lowered her voice when they had walked a ways from the group. “Leslie just ran out the back door towards the beach. We were chatting when Maxwell and Tom came in. Next thing I knew she was gone. I thought you should know.”

Eddie made a disgusted noise as he looked out the window. “Boy, she’s still being stubborn! And after all this time, too. Well,” he thought out loud, “looks like Uncle Eddie will have to try another approach.”

“What are you going to do?”

“Heck if I know,” he admitted. “I’ll see if I can get Tom to go to her. I was hoping their eyes would meet across the crowded room and all that stuff.”

Tina gave him a lovely smile. “Why, Mr. Chase, you are the hopeless romantic, aren’t you?”

Eddie grinned back. “Yeah. Linda loves it!”

He left Tina and headed back to find Tom. After a private whisper, “Leslie is down on the beach,” he was surprised when Tom immediately hurried to the door, his face a mixture of hope and hesitancy. Eddie looked fairly stunned. “Gosh, didn’t realize it would be that easy.”

A murmur went through all those in attendance as they saw Tom leave. Within a few minutes all had glanced towards the oceanview windows before resuming their conversations. They all as one had the same knowing smile on their lips as they silently wished their friends success.

A latecomer entered the private party and towered over most of the guests. He was enthusiastically welcomed and greeted as he made his way over to the head of the studio.

“Phillip,” Richard offered his hand. “Glad you could make it.”

“Thanks for the invitation, Richard. Unfortunately I can only stay about an hour or I won’t get enough sleep tonight. I hate five a.m. flights. Nice turnout,” he commented, accepting a shrimp cocktail from a passing waiter.

“Hey, old man!” Eddie exclaimed, slapping him on the back. “About time you put in an appearance.”

“Edward. Linda, how nice to see you again. It seems we’re exchanging coasts. I’m on my way to New York,” Phillip told her.

“Which movie did you get, Phil?”

“SECRET HEARTS, SECRET LIES. It’s a mystery and love story. A. T. Enright is directing,” he added as he glanced over the room. “Where’s Tom? I wanted to say hello.”

Avery looked to Eddie to respond. “Um, he’s here. He’s down at the beach.”

“Beach?” Phillip echoed. “That’s odd. He has enough of that at his place.”

“He’s out there talking to Leslie. Well,” he hesitated, “we’re hoping they’re talking.”

“Bun…Leslie’s here, too? Wonderful!” Phillip exclaimed. “I was hoping she would be. I have something for her. It’s about time we finally get to meet each other face to face.”

Phillip strode off towards the door before the others could say anything.

“Bad timing, Beck” Eddie muttered after him.

Phillip walked out on the terrace and looked for Leslie and Tom, not understanding the possible meaning of their being together. Walking to the railed edge he looked down and saw them. He silently watched for a moment, his face going blank. For a moment or two he fingered a small gold box he had taken out of his pocket. Bringing it up to his lips, he tapped it a few times, deep in thought as he stared unseeing at the ocean. When he turned to reenter the club, he found Eddie just inside the door watching him.

Tried as he might, Phillip’s smile still sagged a little and his eyes lost a little of their gleam. “It doesn’t appear to be a very good time to meet Bunny,” he commented quietly as he looked at the little box in his hand. “I need to get home and get some sleep, Edward. Would you give this to our Madame Author for me, please? Tell her…. No. Just tell her I’m sorry our paths never crossed. Perhaps next time.”

Eddie accepted the golden box and nodded as Phillip headed towards the front door. As he disappeared, Eddie wondered if it had been a look of disappointment he had seen or something deeper. He had never fully understood the ifs or the whats that had passed between Leslie and Phillip. That chance fan letter he had received so long ago had touched all their lives. Phillip’s life had changed dramatically as had Leslie’s. Now Phillip was gone for an extended filming in New York. It appeared as if he had just received a silent reply to an unanswered question he had had a long time.

Eddie’s curiosity overcame him. He casually backed into a quiet corner so he would be unobserved by the others. He opened the hinged box to see what Phillip had left behind. A smile erased his furrowed brow. It was the solid gold bunny lapel pin with the Ceylon blue sapphire eyes that Phillip had worn when he won his first award.

W
hat of Leslie and Tom, though? What had Phillip seen when he looked over the railing?

Not that many moments earlier, a dry-mouthed, nervous Tom Young had spotted Leslie sitting on the bottom step of the landing staring fixedly at the incoming waves. She was holding her arms close to her body, shivering.

Giving himself an Irish accent like one of the sound technicians, he remarked casually, “Well, Miss, you be lookin’ a might cold. Would ya be needin’ a coat now?”

“No, thanks, Sean. I’m not cold really. I….” She glanced up and saw Tom standing there. Whatever she had planned on saying was never uttered.

As she shakily stood, Tom descended the rest of the steps. He put his hands on her arms. “You’re shaking like a leaf,” he exclaimed. “You should be inside.”

“The…the breeze is warm. I’m…I…” she stammered. She looked into his amber eyes and could see the love and the hope in them. All the years of self-doubt dropped away. Her shaking stopped. Reaching up, she put a steady hand on his cheek. As he leaned his face into the caress, she smiled. “You really do care, don’t you?” and her hand dropped.

“I always have. You just never believed me.” He dropped his hands from her arms and picked her hand up again. “Let’s go back inside and tell everyone you’ve changed your mind about moving down here. With me.”

Leslie pulled back on her hand to bring him closer. Her other hand went behind his neck, her eyes resting on his lips. “We’ll tell them…in a minute or so,” she barely whispered as he encircled her with his arms and sealed the promise with a long awaited, passionate kiss.