“Well, we’re in touch now, aren’t we?”
Grinning and casting side glances at each other, they lingered in silence and the beauty of the morning. Harlow felt a bit giddy and lighthearted, more than she cared to admit, by being in Matt Knight’s presence.
“I should get going. I need to pick up a few things from Biggs before work.” She gathered their empty glasses. “My boss is a tyrant.”
“I’ve heard he’s a real piece of work.” Matt stood, stretched, and started down the walk. He paused and turned back. “I’m just going to say it. I like you, Harlow, and I want to know your story. Can I ask you about Xander or your parents or your career?”
“Is this a two-way street, Matt Knight?”
He made a face, the one that enchanted female moviegoers the world over. “With a few red lights, yes.”
She laughed. “You can ask, Matt. Doesn’t mean I have to answer. But there’s a part of me that wants to leave it all behind. Even though things went wrong between me and Xander, I’d like to believe our years together had meaning.”
At last, she’d found a few words to make sense of it all. Right there, on the porch of her Sea Blue Beach home, in the shadow of the Starlight.
In the kitchen, she gulped another glass of water and watched Matt jog through her backyard toward his dad’s place. She grabbed some grapes from the fridge, frowning at the number of takeout cartons on the shelves. Leftovers never got eaten. She collected the lot and tossed them in the trash.
What would life be like if heronedinner date with Matt had flamed into more? What if Xander had never shown up on set? Because from the moment he introduced himself, she was trapped in his orbit and had no choice but to fall in love.
After her run, she showered, fell asleep catching up on her soaps, and woke up in a sun-soaked room. Now she was running late. Mom called as Harlow headed out on her errands.
“How’s it going?” No “hello” or “how are you?” Just“How’s it going?”
“Did I tell you I have a job at a roller-skating rink?”
“You don’t skate.”
“I sell tickets, count money, wash windows, take out the trash.”
“Harlow, you’re an international beauty. Why are you working at a roller rink? How’s the diet? How much have you lost?”
In moments like these, Harlow wondered about her mother’s love. Matt’s comment on Mom’s controlling ways was nothing new. Half the modeling world had made the same observation.
To be sure, their relationship was complicated. Beyond the typical mother-daughter angst. Anne and Harlow Hayes needed each other somehow. For Mom, Harlow seemed to fill an unseen void. For Harlow, it was a profound need to please the woman who’d given her life.
“I’m not sure.”
“You’ve been down there a month, Harlow. Time is of the essence if you want the CCW job. You’re—”
“Mom, please, stop. What about you? How are the vacation plans with Dad?”
“I’m sending you a book on the Atkins diet.” The woman didn’t know the meaning of the wordstop. “It’s supposed to help shed pounds quickly. I tried a few recipes. I think you’ll like it. Vacation is postponed. Maybe after you sign with CCW, we can all go.”
“Me? I’ll be working. Mom, is everything—” Dare she ask? Prod into her parents’ marriage? Harlow softened. Despite being a complicated woman, Mom loved her family. “Hey, thanks for calling. I’ve got some errands to run before work.”
Walking down her front sidewalk toward Biggs, Harlow felt at home with the sights and sounds of Sea Blue Beach. She passedthe Tasty Dip with resolve and entered the grocery store’s ice-cold atmosphere. Usually after a Mom call, she reached forcomfortin the form of pralines and cream. Today,comfortwas the face of the big green scale.
Glancing around to ensure the coast was clear, Harlow Hayes kicked off her Keds as a trio of ladies entered, glancing at her with a sense of curiosity and sympathy.
For the first time in her life, Harlow felt a part of the general womanhood. She was down with them in the struggle. No longer one of the beautiful people who appeared to have it all together.
“Hello,” she said tentatively. “Do you know if this scale is accurate?”
“I have never stepped on that thing,” the tall one said.
“I’ve not stepped on a scale in twenty years,” the second lady said, patting Harlow’s arm. “They’re such liars.”
Harlow laughed, while the third woman gave her the once-over. “You look familiar.” But she didn’t wait for an answer. Just pushed her squeaky-wheel cart into the store. “Let’s go, y’all.”
