"Sam smiled. "I can't wait to tell my mother—she's also a great Black fan—I've actually shaken her hand, talked to her for an entire afternoon, and even had a hug from her."
After the two women said goodbye to Jem and left the room, Annelie turned to Jem and shrugged. "Glad they didn't pick up on any special glances. I don't want any rumors. If—and I say if—I give this role to Carolyn, it's by merit only, no other reason."
Jem raised an eyebrow. "I hope you'll be able to tell the difference. Be sure any decision you make is made for the right reason."
Annelie knew the other woman was right. "I will."
"You look tired too. The luncheon turned into an all-day event. Are you going to get some rest?"
"It's too early for me yet. I have some correspondence to take care of, and then I'll unwind with a glass of apple juice on the patio. It looks like it's going to be a lovely evening."
"I should go home and get started on those last three chapters. I didn't want to raise false hopes, but it looks like Kitty may have her biggest hit so far. I had to force myself to read slowly and make notes, when really I wanted to plow through the pages and devour the book."
"That good, huh?"
"That good."
The two women hugged again, and Jem left.
Annelie strolled into her study and opened her e-mail, looking for messages marked "urgent." She wanted them out of the way before the weekend, since she had several things planned with Kitty and Sam. An hour and a half later she turned off the computer, went to the kitchen, and poured a glass of juice, then wandered out to the fully screened-in part of the patio. Sitting down in a deck chair, she inhaled the humid, scented evening air. It was still early, and she had no desire to go to bed yet.
Carolyn had taken her by surprise in the kitchen. The narrow lips, becoming so full when she smiled, had parted as Carolyn had touched her arm. It had taken all of Annelie's willpower not to respond to the beautiful woman.
Annelie thought about Jem's warnings. She agreed with the other woman's assessment of Carolyn Black in many ways. Still, Jem hadn't seen Carolyn when the diva persona left and made room for the real woman.
She sipped her juice. Maybe that was it. They'd joked around in the kitchen, decorating the chocolate mousse and acting like two friends— not the producer and the actress. Carolyn had offered the raspberry with a truly innocent look in her eyes, and only when Annelie's lips had grazed her fingertips had the situation altered.
To watch Carolyn slip back into her part as herself, the diva with an image to uphold, had been like witnessing a miracle. From looking flustered and embarrassed in the kitchen, the actress had swept into the living room as if she had entered a Broadway stage in front of adoring fans and simply owned the situation. She had told her anecdote, her voice steady and humorous, and her audience had swallowed it hook, line, and sinker.
Still, there had been several moments when their eyes had locked. The fact that the two of them had been sitting almost touching hadn't helped.
Annelie had, as a starstruck teenager, followed Carolyn's career, first as Devon Harper on TV and later as a stage and screen actress. She had never kept a scrapbook, and the small allowance her mother could afford to give her did not provide her enough cash to go and see her movies, except on special occasions. Something about the elegant face with the compelling eyes and the throaty, purring voice spoke to Annelie on so many levels. She suspected it always would.
Annelie drank the last of her juice and rose. Whatever Carolyn's motive was for trying to kiss her, it wouldn't happen again, she was pretty sure. The actress had seemed devastated when Annelie pulled back. Remembering how tired and subdued she looked just before she left, Annelie wondered if she should have offered to pick Carolyn up at the airport when she got back from D.C. on Sunday. Considering it for a moment, she decided that making such an offer might imply she was willing to compromise her principles. Carolyn was bent on getting that reading, and Annelie didn't want to do it before the convention. That would be asking for trouble.
She walked into the quiet house and put the empty glass into the dishwasher and continued to the bedroom. Running the shower, she frowned. What could have happened if she'd let Carolyn kiss her? As far as she knew, all of Carolyn Black's previous relationships had been with men, suggesting she didn't harbor any authentic interest in Annelie. More than likely, Jem was right to caution her. Carolyn was not above manipulating anyone who stood in her way. She had a solid reputation for being an arrogant star.
Undressing and stepping into the shower, Annelie closed her eyes, enjoying the pulsating water massaging her stiff shoulders. Despite what Jem said, a strange feeling had existed between her and Carolyn in the kitchen, something almost tangible. She had glimpsed the real Carolyn just for a moment, and she wanted to see her again.
The water streamed down her body like caressing hands. Chastising herself for indulging in futile fantasies, Annelie reached for the soap and a sponge, then scrubbed her skin until it glowed.
An annoying voice inside her head kept asking if she was trying to wash away the feeling of Carolyn's touch, however brief.
She simply did not know.
Chapter Five
Carolyn was relieved that only a handful of people were on the return flight to Miami. She had both seats in first class to herself, and even if the flight attendants' glances revealed they recognized her, they were professional enough to leave her alone. They probably saw enough celebrities to last them a lifetime.
Pulling her legs up under her, Carolyn moved restlessly in the seat. She had not slept well during the stay with her sister. Little Pamela had been nothing short of ecstatic to see her and demanded most of her attention. Beth, in turn, looked pale and nauseated most of the weekend, and all Carolyn could do was provide supportive comments about her tenuous pregnancy.
Late that Saturday, after Carolyn gave up falling asleep in their guest room, she ran into Joe in the kitchen. Her migraine had escalated since the flight on Friday evening and was now close to unbearable.
"Are you okay, Lyn?" Joe looked concerned.
"Just need some juice for my pills. I'll be okay."
"Headaches again?"
"Yes."
After a brief silence her brother-in-law walked up to her and put a reassuring arm around her shoulder. "You're so protective toward Beth, but you'd tell me if something was really wrong, wouldn't you?"
Fighting back tears, Carolyn leaned into the brotherly touch, tempted to actually cry on his shoulder. "Of course I would. It's nothing I can't handle." Nothing I haven't handled before in so many different ways.
"I've never seen you this pale and tired," Joe insisted, his voice kind. "I know this weekend isn't turning out to be much of a rest. It's just that Pamela adores you, and Beth…well, I guess Beth will always be your kid sister if you don't cut her loose a bit."
Carolyn gave him a sharp look. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Beth's thirty-four, but I guess to you she'll always be the baby you mothered from the time you were twelve."
Carolyn had swallowed an acerbic retort, knowing he was right. Beth and John had depended on her for motherly affection for so long. Their struggles had strengthened their ties, and when John moved out of the house at twenty-one to go to art school, Carolyn had missed him terribly.
Carolyn stared wordlessly at her brother-in-law. Wondering, not for the first time, if Beth knew what a treasure he was, she raised her hand and patted his upper arm.
"I know, Joey, I know. One day, I'll get around to it."
Her half-joking tone of voice had worked. Joe grinned. "Just let me know if there's ever anything I can take care of for you. Promise."