Meet Me at the Starlight

Chapter 18

HARLOW

She’d just carried out the Starlight’s trash from last night when Matt met her at the back door with a new pair of brownies.

“Lace them up and follow me.”

“I don’t skate.” Harlow stepped around him and into the safety of the rink. “What happened with your lawyer?”

“I’m ordered to give Dale a wide birth and the state has a month to make their case.” He picked up two Gazette delivery sacks, grabbed her hand, and steered her toward the Beachwalk. “Tyler came through. We’re plastering the town.”

“With?” She peeked inside one of the canvas sacks to see a stack of flyers. “I’ll walk.”

The news from the big green scale motivated her, and this morning she jogged a mile and breakfasted on eggs and no-butter toast. She brought a salad with tuna for lunch and avoided Spike’s Concession like the plague.

Even more troubling than concession food or Matt shoving a pair of skates at her was her early morning dream of Xander. The image of him walking the shores of Cole Island, holding the hands of their beautiful, towheaded children was so real and clear.

The dream ended with a buzz of the Starlight sign, and when she stumbled into the bathroom, the shadow of the T crossed through the window and onto the tile.

“Babe, if you can catwalk down a runway in stilettos, you can skate, trust me.” Matt took a seat at the first bench, kicked off his shoes, and pulled on his skates. “Skating around the town in defense of the Starlight is the best promo. Even my publicist—well, former publicist—couldn’t come up with something so brilliant.”

Babe? That’s the second time this week he’d called her babe, and like the first time, they both pretended the word didn’t linger between them.

“This,” she said, motioning to her tall frame, “does not move on wheels.”

He gave her a bit of a naughty grin, handed her a set of skates, and patted the space next to him. “Shoes off, skates on.”

“You are so annoying.” She’d not confess to Matt, but a small part of her wanted to try.

“We’ll go down the Beachwalk, then up Third Street to Sea Blue Way, cross over to Marlin Avenue and up Pelican Bay. I want a flyer in every shop and business window that will allow it.” He pulled a hammer from his canvas bag. “I’m personally nailing a dozen to the side of the Midnight Theater.”

“Are you dying to be a lightning bolt of controversy?” She sat, cradling the skates in her arms. “He’ll slap you with a vandalism charge.”

“He’ll have to catch me in the act.” He knelt in front of her, pulled off her Keds, and shoved on a brownie. “Come on, HH, work with me here.” He grunted and shoved. “Are you curling your toes?”

“Why would I help you force me into these ugly boots? I was a fashion model.” She laughed and stomped her foot into the boot. “If I get photographed in these—”

“I’ll buy you a pretty white pair once you discover the magic of roller skating. There. Now tie the laces. Not too loose or you’ll twist your ankle.”

“You have this vision of me skating merrily along, and I’m telling you, this is going to be tragic.” She tugged on the laces while Matt shoved on another skate.

“We’re starting by the beach, so if you start to fall, topple into the sand.”

“Oh that’s nice. Just fall into the sand. As if I’ll have a choice.” She laughed despite herself. “You’re such a twit.”

“But a good-looking twit.” He peered up at her, his smile in his eyes. “You said so yourself.”

Yes, yes, she did. Matt skated their shoes back to the rink, then returned to help her stand. Immediately, her feet flew out from under her. He caught her with his mighty-strong right arm.

“I get it now,” she said. “You’re trying to kill me. Death by roller skates.”

“Or maybe I’m trying to hold you in my arms.”

“Matt—”

“H, come on, j-just kidding.” Yet it didn’t feel like kidding. Neither did his comment in the jail yesterday. Something about falling and a trailing, wordless ellipsis . . . Falling for you? Falling in love? “Just glide,” he said. “Don’t resist the forward motion. The wheels know what to do.”

“Oh really? Do they have a degree from Yale?” Harlow inched forward, arms flapping at her side.

“Graduated summa cum laude. H, you’re doing great.” Matt looped the smallest Gazette newspaper sack over her head. “Hand a flyer to anyone and everyone along the beach, and leave some at the food trucks. If you run out, there are more in Granny’s office.”

“Wait, aren’t we doing this together?” She clung to the bag, yet it couldn’t save her. If she went down, the bag went down.

“If we split up, we’ll cover more ground.” Matt skated backward, a big grin on his chiseled face. “Harlow Hayes, it’s time to learn to skate.”

“Is that a metaphor? Huh? Matt Knight, that better not be a metaphor.”

“It’s like walking the runway, HH.”

“It’s nothing like walking a runway.”

Granted, walking a Paris runway hadn’t been easy the first time either. Especially in six-inch spiked heels as her dress fell apart and she strutted all but naked. She was lauded for her professionalism. And to no one’s surprise, that designer didn’t make it.

Stiff-legged and angling forward, Harlow roll-walked toward the food carts. If she made it to Pete’s Pretzels, she was getting one. Flat out. The flyer sack was awkward, and when she tried to adjust it, her feet moved farther and farther apart.

“Here.” She handed a flyer to a couple walking their dog. “Sign the petition at the courthouse. If you do, Matt Knight, the A-list actor, will visit your house.”

By some miracle, she inched her feet together and handed out another flyer. “Save the Starlight. Sign the petition. Matt Knight, the A-list actor will buy you a Lamborghini.”

Her feet rolled apart again, and she painfully pulled them back together. Matt lied. The skates did not know what to do.

Next, she rolled into a group of women, grabbing the nearest arm as a brake. “Do you live in town? Voters? Go sign the Matt Knight A-list actor petition to save his grandmother’s skating rink. He’ll pay for your kids’ college tuition.”

She passed out a few more flyers, finally, barely getting the hang of rolling. Then the Beachwalk took a dip, and she went flying.

“Hey, slow down. Wheels, slow down!” Faux Victorian lamppost up ahead. She hooked her arm around the post and spun, stopping all forward progress when her skates hit sand. “Matt!”

Crumpled in the sand, clinging to the Gazette sack, she spied him yukking it up with a group of clipped-haired men watching the waves and women. Pilots from Eglin. She’d seen them at the rink.

She pulled herself up and carefully, slowly, hitched forward onto the solid concrete of the Beachwalk. Sweat trickled down the side of her face. Her blue sundress clung to her back and torso.

Matt slapped one of them a high five. The real pilot and the fake one finding camaraderie. Matt spotted her and motioned her over. “Harlow, come say hello.”

“I’m busy. Passing out flyers.” As much progress as she’d made in recent weeks, she didn’t need a stand of hunky men giving her the once-over, remarking how they used to have a poster of her on their bedroom wall.

Focusing on keeping her feet together, she managed to stay upright and moving, passing out flyers, promising Sea Blue Beach citizens and probably a handful of tourists dinner with Matt Knight.

“Harlow, hey, what’re you doing?” Simon Caster steadied her as she started to trip.

“Passing out flyers.” She freed herself from the sack as Simon introduced his brothers, Todd and Adam, who had the same ruddy cheeks and John Travolta hair as Simon. “Nice to meet you. Here, Simon, you work for the Starlight. Matt wants one in every business.”

Simon took the bag while Adam—or was it Todd?—just stared. “You’re Harlow Hayes.”

“I told you I mowed her grass, Todd.” Simon made a Bugs Bunny what-a-maroon face.

“Yep, he does.” Harlow turned into the breeze. “I’ll buy you all milkshakes from the Tasty Dip if you empty that sack for me.”

That did the trick. Armed with flyers, Adam and Todd started off, but Simon hung back. “Hey, I was coming to find you. There’s a man at your house,” he said in a low voice. “Looking in the windows. When he saw me, he asked where to find you.”

“That’s weird.” And creepy. She’d had a stalker in her early days. But maybe Dad drove down to surprise her. He’d flown to New York after Xander kicked her to the curb. Sat with her on a friend’s couch, watching movies, holding her hand when she started weeping, offering to have a talk with “that young man.”

“He said he was your fiancé.”

“My fiancé?” Harlow chilled in the sunlight. “Are you sure he said fiancé?”

“Yeah. I didn’t know you even had a boyfriend.”

“Simon, do you know Xander Cole? What he looks like? Dark hair, aristocratic face, New York accent?”

“Oh yeah, that’s him.” Simon grinned. “Didn’t you two break up?”

“Yes, we did.” Harlow started for the house, forgetting her feet had wheels and stumbling into Simon. “For crying out loud.” Dropping down to the Beachwalk, she yanked off the skates and handed them to Simon. “Return these to the Starlight. Please.”

She ran from the beach through town, her sock feet thumping across the asphalt, only slowing when she saw a dark sedan parked along the curb. Xander sat on the porch steps, watching her.

“When Simon told me . . . I didn’t believe it.” She patted her pocket for her keys and gathered her breath. “What are you doing here?” Shoot, her keys were at the Starlight.

“Looking for you.” His posture and expression were utterly Xander Cole. Right down to his khakis and sockless feet sheathed in Italian leather loafers.

“W-where’s Davina?”

“Can we talk? Inside?”

“I don’t have my keys.”

“There’s a spare under that fake rock.” Xander pointed to the one at the far end of the trimmed but neglected flower bed. “I remembered as you came running up.”

“Well, that’s nice to know.” The fake rock, the key, her dream, his sudden appearance felt ominous, as if she should be paying attention to the unseen.

When she unlocked the door, Xander followed her in. There were a few newspapers lying around, but the house was tidy, lived-in, and welcoming.

“The place looks great, H.” Xander turned in a circle. “I’ve not been here since the remodel. You have exquisite taste.”

“Except the chandelier. That was all you.” She bristled a bit when he called her H. That was Matt’s nickname. Xander picked it up on set but surrendered the right to use it when he locked her out of the penthouse.

“I rather like the chandelier. It fits the room.” He smiled. “Strange being here with you standing so far away when my only night here we—”

“Xander, what do you want?” She resented his intimate inference. That he felt free to travel through her memories.

“To talk.” He closed the distance between them. “Harlow, where are your shoes?”

“At the rink. I was passing out flyers on the beach.”

“In socks?”

“I was wearing skates. Talk about what, Xander?”

He laughed softly. “You don’t skate, Harlow. Remember my nephew’s birthday party? When I rented Rockefeller Center? You fell a thousand times before making it halfway around.”

“Don’t tell me you came all the way to Sea Blue Beach to reminisce.” She’d forgotten that night at Rockefeller Center and how he kept telling her, “Everyone’s watching, Harlow. Get it together.” The criticism seemed so unlike him.

He leaned against the back of the couch, crossing his arms and ankles. “This is harder than I thought.” He raised his gaze to her. “I want to get this right. I want you to hear me.”

Sweat trickled down her spine. Where was he going with this? “Xander, wait. I need to shower. I don’t know why you’re here, but I’m a mess. Give me fifteen.”

“Yes, of course.” He reached for her hand when she turned for the stairs. “For the record, you look really sweet, darling.”

Darling? What was he doing?

Her thoughts ran wild as she showered and dressed, selecting a pale pink sundress. It clashed with her recent sunburn, so she changed into a green paisley number, wove her hair into a braid, then dropped to her knees to retrieve her white sneakers from the back of the closet.

As she did, one of the floorboards gave way, and Harlow’s arm crashed through, grazing something cold and hard.

“Harlow, you okay?” Xander called up the stairs.

“Yeah, I fell through a loose floorboard.” Harlow pulled her arm free, examining a red mark and small scrape. Why was there a loose floorboard in her newly restored home?

Grabbing her shoes, she peered into the hole, not seeing anything but floor joist, and fixed the board back into place. In the bathroom, she cleaned the small wound, then headed downstairs.

“You okay?” Xander ran his thumb over the red mark and the scrape and offered to call the contractor. “That might bruise. But you’re not bleeding.”

“I’m fine, Xander.” She sat on the sofa to slip on her shoes—it just seemed proper to be completely dressed—and waited.

“I miss you, Harlow,” he said, sitting next to her. “That’s why I’m here.”

“You miss me? What are you talking about? How did you know where to find me?”

“I gave you the place, didn’t I?”

“You gave me—” She was on her feet. “Did you want me to come here? This wasn’t some long-overdue apology for kicking me out of our home?”

“I wanted you to have the place, Harlow. Honest. You’d put a lot into the remodel, and I thought you deserved it. Also, Jinx told me you’d moved out.”

“You talked to Jinx?”

“That’s not the point, Harlow.”

“It’s entirely the point. Xander, you locked me out of the penthouse. You told security not to let me past the lobby. I couldn’t get my clothes, my jewelry, makeup, or toiletries. Nothing.” She glared at him.

“Davina said she sent you your things.”

“Well, she didn’t.”

“I’m not surprised. More reason to give you this cottage.” He sighed. “I’m sorry for how I treated you. Sorry for how it all went down. I miss you.”

“Xander, you’re on the cover of People with Davina. You’re getting married. You can’t miss me.”

“But I do.” With an exhale, he stood. “I might as well just say it. Harlow, I want you back. That’s why I’m here. I’m deeply, passionately in love with you.”

“Excuse me? You what? Xander, you can’t ... you can’t ... just ... show up ... and say ... What? You’re deeply, passionately in love with me? You’ve ignored me for two years. Do you know how much pain and humiliation you’ve caused me? Also, small detail here, you’re engaged to your ex-wife.”

She thundered into the kitchen. She needed water. And air. At the sink, she filled her glass from this morning and shoved open the window.

“This makes no sense. This makes no sense,” she muttered.

“I know, and I’m sorry for everything.” A calm, cool Xander moved slowly toward her. “I was a total jerk. I don’t know that Xander Cole.” He bent to look into her eyes, but she couldn’t maintain contact. “Some alien possessed me, but I’m free of it now. Harlow, I’m not in love with Davina. I’m still very much in love with you.” His voice softened with sincerity. “I never stopped loving you. I tried. I gave in to Davina’s pleas to give our relationship—and, yes, we had a history—another chance, but now I know the only one for me is you. So, hat in hand, I’m here begging you to give me a second chance. Tell me what I need to do.”

Harlow gulped down her glass of water. “I had a dream about you this morning. You were walking on Cole Island with our kids.”

“Darling, forgive me, but isn’t that a sign? You dreamt of us and here I am. The universe is telling you something.” But was it? “You must miss me too. Listen, I won’t deny or excuse my behavior, but know I’m sincere when I say I love you. I want to marry you and have that family walking on Cole Island.”

Harlow set her glass on the counter with a thud. “Okay, what’d Davina do? Change her mind? That’s why you’re here? Davina doesn’t want kids.”

“I changed my mind, Harlow. Davina is gone. I’m over her. I’m free.”

“But I’m not, Xander.” Her loud reply could’ve been heard at the Starlight. “I came here to get free of you and here you stand. I don’t want to ride this sick merry-go-round of she leaves you, you leave me, now you’re leaving her.”

“I know you love me. Why else would you dream of me?”

“Maybe it was more of a nightmare.”

He laughed low. “Okay, fine, I get it. I showed up out of the blue. You need time to adjust. I think you’re here in Sea Blue Beach because you still love me.”

“That’s a stretch. I came here to get back the power I let you have over me when you broke my heart.”

“I’ll go slow, win your trust. But I’m as real as I’ve ever been.” He was saying all of his words but not listening to hers. A trait she’d overlooked before. “Come back to New York. I’ll pay for you to get a place. We’ll work on us while you get in shape for CCW.”

“Jinx told you about CCW?”

“She knew I’d be proud of you. Darling, that’s fantastic. You always wanted that gig. It’s the perfect job while we raise our kids.”

No, no, this was all wrong. “Can we just cut the crap? You’re here because Davina’s done something, right? Or you heard I might be the new CCW It Girl and wanted me on your arm?”

“Absolutely not. None of that, Harlow. I’m here for you alone. Davina and I have parted company for good. And take CCW off the table, I don’t care. Be a wife and mom if that’s what you want. I’ll support you.”

Harlow stepped onto the back porch and faced the Starlight. Tell me what to do.

“When did you decide this?” she asked.

“Probably six months ago.”

“And you just now decided to tell me? But first you warmed me up with your generous gift. This house. Well, I’m not giving it back.”

“I’m not asking you to give it back. It’s yours free and clear. Harlow, believe me, I love you madly.”

“Don’t say madly. It doesn’t suit you.”

“You want more of the story?” Xander propped against the porch post. “About six months ago, I was on my way home from work, thinking about the evening ahead, and it hit me. I expected to see you on the other side of the door.” He touched her chin and turned her to face his. “I expect you to be there when I wake up. I think of you all the time. I’m here to offer you what you want, Harlow. A family. The house, the white picket fence, children, dogs and cats. A hamster for all I care. I’ll even clean the cage. I’m offering you all of me.”

His presence, his tone, was the Xander she’d loved. “I’d never been in love before you,” she said. “Never made love to anyone. You swept me off my feet. You were so charming and kind and generous, and I thought we had so much in common. A Father Knows Best, Leave It to Beaver future. When you proposed, I was the luckiest woman in the world.”

Between Matt shoving her down the Beachwalk with a sack full of flyers and this conversation, she was spent. And starving. “My whole life was orchestrated by Mom. I trusted her. Leaned on her. Then I met you and transferred all my dependence on her to you. With Mom, I had this twisted idea that I had to make her happy. With you, I had some twisted idea that you would make me happy.”

“I can’t make you happy, Harlow. That’s too tall of an order. But I can be there for all the ups and downs, loving you with all my heart and creating our own happiness. If I’m honest, the happiest I’ve ever been was with you. So give me a chance. Give us another chance.”

She regarded him for a long moment, sinking into his petition. “I don’t know. ... This is so confusing.”

“Then listen to your dream. Trust the vibes of the universe because they’ve been making me think about you like crazy, darling.” He said darling with the patrician H of all blue blood New Englanders. “The question is do you still love me? Even a little?”

“Look at me, Xander.” Harlow stepped back, allowing him to take in her body. “I’m not the Most Beautiful Woman in the World anymore. I’m not the Harlow Hayes, supermodel. What if this is me?” She struck a pose. “Can you love this girl?”

“Harlow, I will love you however, whenever. You are beautiful and sexy, clever and smart. I love the woman on the inside as much as—”

“I think you should go.”

Xander hesitated, then took her hands. “Will you at least think about us? Please?” The gold flecks in his hazel eyes seemed to glow as he spoke. “Can I call you?”

“You can do what you like. No guarantee I’ll answer.”

“Fair enough,” he said, stepping off the porch. “But I’m not giving up. When I want something, I go after it.”

Which Harlow Hayes knew all too well. “Have a safe trip home, Xander.”

“I’ll call soon,” he said. “I’ll prove we belong together.”