16
An exceedingly agreeable man and in many respects I think highly of him. —Persuasion
I find my dad interrogating Johnny Love as if he were a high school senior picking up his prom date. They are talking cars. Apparently, Johnny drives a Bentley. My dad is concerned about the safety of the driver’s seat being on the wrong side. Johnny assures him the driver’s seat is on the left. I’m surprised that Johnny’s driving me himself. Parking can be challenging down by the pier; tonight seems like the perfect night to use a driver.
“I promise, sir. I’m quite used to it.” Sir, ah, Johnny can read a room. My dad nods. Johnny picks up a copy of “Sexiest Man Alive”. “This is fabulous. I’m surprised you only have three issues. If I were named Sexiest Man, I’d wallpaper a whole wall with it.”
“You haven’t seen the downstairs bathroom yet.” Dad deadpans.
Johnny laughs and so do I. It’s rare for my dad to make a joke at his own expense. Though I’m not at all sure that Johnny’s offhand comment won’t inspire my dad to create Sexiest Man wallpaper.
“I’m surprised you haven’t been named Sexiest Man,” Dad says to Johnny. “They don’t seem to be all that picky. Freddy West was named Sexiest Man recently.”
“The decision can be political at times,” hedges Johnny. “But I would never argue with that selection. Freddy West is a smokeshow. Wouldn’t you agree, April?”
Both men’s eyes turn on me. “Yep!” I squeak. I quickly lower my voice. “I mean, he is objectively accepted to be exceptionally attractive.”
“I don’t see it,” my dad says. “He needs a haircut.”
“Shall we go,” I say, hoping to shorten this conversation. We are supposed to meet the others at seven.”
Johnny jumps up. “Yes, I wanted to get dinner first.” He looks me up and down. “April, you look stunning.”
I feel a rush of pleasure to have a man my father approves of, even admires somewhat, compliment me in front of him. I have been somewhat dreading tonight, watching Freddy with Rosie. She posted a picture of that kiss all over social media, and all the world responded with heart eyes. They must be a real couple now. So much for Freddy’s cryptic talk about no time for relationships. Now I know that what he really meant was no relationship with me. I don’t see this thing with Johnny going anywhere, but who knows? It definitely feels nice to be admired rather than overlooked.
We stop at a taco stand on the way. Either everyone is too excited about the good food, or they don’t expect to see April Rain and Johnny Love at a taco truck in the park, because no one seems to notice us. I am wearing sunglasses. So is Johnny, but he is also wearing his signature hot pink blazer, so he doesn’t exactly blend in.
After getting our tacos, we sit at a picnic table with a view of the ocean. I take another bite of the taco, which is delicious. I missed tacos in Iowa.
“So, how are the wedding plans going?”
“Pretty good. September and Carlos love your place. We have a caterer and the florist and the invitations. So that’s good.”
“September is lucky to have you.”
“I don’t know. I have no idea what to do for the bachelorette party, and September insists it must be Insta-worthy. I’m not even sure what that means.”
“Maybe I can help,” says Johnny. “Does your sister like Bridgerton ?”
“She loves it.”
“You could have people dress up. I have a friend who helps with their costumes.”
There’s a part of me nervous to take more help from Johnny but after seeing Freddy kiss Rosie last night, I’m throwing caution to the wind.
“That would be brilliant. And every little bit helps.”
“Oh, I know. I was married once,” he says this so wistfully, my heart goes to him.
“That’s right.”
“My wife didn’t care for a big wedding. But my mother had her own ideas. My mother, you should be warned, always has to be the center of everything.”
“Ah, that explains why you’re good with my dad,” I say with new understanding.
“Your dad is an icon.”
“He also has himself painted as God on the ceiling.”
Johnny laughs. “Family can be complicated.”
“Preach.”
“My mom wanted me to be famous, which was challenging because I have many talents, but acting is not one of them.”
I make a sound of protest. But the truth is I have no idea if Johnny can act. I rack my brain to think if I’ve seen him in anything. I believe he was in some movies as a teenager. But I’m fuzzy on his career.
“Don’t waste your breath trying to flatter me. I realized early on that I can’t act or sing. All I’ve got is my pretty face and fierce ambition.” He smiles and winks. “And a little bit of charm.”
At this moment, I can’t argue. The way his eyes wrinkle and the little bit of graying at his temples. Up close, Johnny has his own sort of magnetism.
“I can act. But I can’t write songs. And...” I pause. Maybe it’s not such a good idea to tell Hollywood’s most established gossip about how much I don’t like performing.
“And . . . ?”
“I don’t really like living in a fishbowl. It was nice being out of the limelight for a while.”
“And the moment you came back, I wrote an article about your return. Did you mind?”
“Janene was thrilled.”
“Yes, but how did you feel?’
I take a bite of my carne asada taco. Johnny keeps his eye on me, waiting for my answer. I swallow and take a sip of water.
“It was fine. You were much kinder than you needed to be. Which is for the best since I am my family’s sole breadwinner. I need to start making money.”
“You could write your memoir. People would be very interested in the life of a teen pop star and why you chose to leave.”
“I could.” I take another bite and swallow.
Johnny keeps his eyes on me, waiting for my answer. The way he listens is intoxicating.
“My dad might be narcissistic, hyper-critical, and a spendthrift, but he’s my dad. He and September are all the family I have. And I’m not comfortable exposing all his faults to the world.” I hastily add, “I hope all the things I’ve said here are off the record.”
Johnny flinches. He looks hurt. Then he reaches for my hand across the table. I note how smooth and soft his hand is; he doesn’t have calluses from playing guitar. “April, I have been known to mix business with my personal life. But let me make my intentions clear. I am pursuing you for personal reasons. As a widower with a young son, I am very particular about who I date. And for years now, I have heard good reports of your character.”
“Oh!” I am totally taken aback. First, because Johnny Love looks and sounds completely sincere. Next, because it occurs to me that while I’ve been highly suspicious of his intentions, I have not been interested in him romantically and only agreed to meet him because I thought he might be helpful to my career and the wedding. This realization as he seriously looks into my eyes and tells me how much good he has heard of my character—well, it’s a bit humbling. I am not quite as pure-hearted as I like to think of myself. I am definitely using this man. I hope he only sort of likes me.
All I can muster is a breathless, “I see.”
“I have taken you by surprise,” he says, still holding my hand.
“I admit, I took all your compliments as mere flattery.”
He smiles and nods and turns over my hand, rubbing his thumb in circles lightly over my palm. It’s a pleasant sensation, but I’m not at all sure if I should allow it. I really wasn’t thinking of Johnny Love in a romantic way. But then I think of the photo Rosie posted of her kissing Freddy, and I find myself sliding my fingers between his.
He looks down at our hands intertwined. “I should warn you, that because of my son, I am cautious with relationships. I move slowly.”
That is good news, even if this doesn’t feel slow to me.