She was still without her bra or her top, but she didn"t mind. It almost seemed like Taz had a right to see her this way, like he"d created this part of her and now she had nothing to hide. There was something else going on inside her, a sense of power she"d never felt around him. Taz"s expression, his jagged breathing - all of it was a sign that her body hadn"t only been a tool for the character, but for herself as well. She"d seemed to have gotten to him deeply, physically, and the truth in that was electrifying. Sure, Taz was touched by her acting ability. But was also clearly affected by her body, by the way she looked without clothes and the way she moved in front of the mirror.
When he was finished praising her, he stepped back so she could get dressed, and she did so without any sense of modesty or embarra.s.sment. "You think you got what you were looking for?"
"Definitely. More than I ever imagined."
Andi smiled. She slipped into a light jacket and sized him up. Always in their friendship, Taz had seemed like the one in control, the one perfectly willing to wait for things to reach a more intense level. He was clearly attracted to her, but he was in no hurry to take it further. Drawn to her, but in no rush to date.
But here the tables felt dramatically turned. His cool confidence had been shaken and he seemed like a high school boy crushing on a college woman.
He walked her back to her dorm, and halfway there he took her hand in his again, his fingers between hers. His breathing was back to normal now, and most of his control was in place. "Andi, I was wondering." An easy laugh came from him and he stopped, facing her. "There"s a jazz concert on campus next Sat.u.r.day, and then afterwards, I should have my film edited by then. Maybe you can come back to my place and watch it."
Andi"s heart soared, but she"d learned from him. So she refused to seem overly anxious. "I"d like that." She drew a long breath and let her eyes find his.
As she did, he put his free hand on his chest and looked suddenly startled. "Hey ... I felt that." His eyes danced with that familiar teasing she"d come to love.
"What?" She held back a ripple of laughter, playing up the mock drama of the moment. "You"re having chest pains, Taz? Is that it?"
"No." He touched his fingers to her throat and then laid them again on his chest. "You breathed in." The laughter faded into sheer, unfiltered desire. "And I felt the air."
Her body trembled with the depth of his flattery. In all her life, she"d never known anyone like Taz, never imagined anyone like him. Night shadows hovered around them, and they were alone on the path. It was a moment when her body practically screamed for his touch, his kiss. But he took a step back and finished walking her to the dorm. Before he left, he complimented her again on her acting. Then he told her good-bye. "I"ll be on Facebook later."
"Okay." The increasing distance between them felt like a physical blow. But she wouldn"t make the first move, so she backed up to the steps of her dorm building. It was Friday and Bailey was spending the weekend at home again. Facebook would take the edge off Andi"s loneliness. "See you there."
As she walked back into her dorm, a picture came to mind. A scene from her favorite musical, Phantom of the Opera. Midway through the play, the Phantom has seduced Christine so completely she no longer has a choice in the matter. She belongs to the Phantom, heart and mind, body and soul. In the past, Andi couldn"t relate to the dark connection between the two, but that was no longer the case. Taz had that sort of control over her, and Andi had given it to him willingly. She was not his angel of music, she was his angel of acting.
Never mind the promises she"d made as a young girl; she belonged to Taz now. Whatever he asked of her, she would give because like he said, love needed to be shared. Emotionally, intellectually, and physically. Especially physically.
She i-chatted with Taz for an hour before turning in and fell asleep dreaming of his kiss.
She could hardly wait for Sat.u.r.day.
Twenty-Three.
KEITH FINISHED PACKING EARLY AND FOLLOWED the smell of fresh-brewed Kenyan roast into the kitchen. Lisa was filling two tall mugs, and she glanced at him as he entered the room. "Two more weeks. I can"t wait."
"Me either." Keith took one of the cups and held it under his chin. The hot steam felt good on his face. "We have a dozen meetings between now and then, but the festival has everyone talking. The guys at the studio think we could take top honors."
"I want a front-row seat." Lisa held her cup in both hands and leaned against the kitchen counter. "Have you talked to Andi? I"d like us all to be there."
"She wants to go." He slid up onto the kitchen island and let his legs dangle over the side. It was impossible to be entirely excited about their movie when the topic of Andi came up. "I"m worried about her."
"The boyfriend?"
"Whatever he is." Keith took a quick sip from his coffee. It was still too hot to drink. "His name comes up, but she gets defensive. She won"t admit they"re seeing each other."
"They"re still working on his student film." Lisa"s forehead lined with concern. "I got that much out of her. She dodges the question when I ask if he"s a Christian. She said he"s a spiritual person. Whatever that means."
"I don"t like it. She"s talking about staying on campus for the summer, working at the library and taking a few cla.s.ses."
"Her grades are good. She said she"ll get all As and one B for this last quarter." Lisa lifted the mug to her face and blew at the wisps of steam. "But I"m worried too. She seems different. She used to tell me everything, even her doubts. Now it"s more of a "Good, great, fine" sort of existence."
Good, great, fine. It was the way Keith and Lisa would describe most high school kids in their relationships with their parents. How are you? Good. What about your friends? Great. And your cla.s.ses? Fine. Good, great, fine. They"d always been grateful that they shared a deeper connection with Andi, that she felt compelled to tell Lisa every detail of her high school life. But now ... Keith lowered his coffee cup and stared out the window into the gathering darkness. "What if this is worse than it seems?"
"I"ve been on her Facebook. She doesn"t have a single picture of this Taz guy anywhere. And all the comments on her wall are from high school friends or Bailey Flanigan."
"I"m not sure that"s proof." Keith still had a strong feeling something wasn"t right. "She knows we"re on her Facebook."
"True." Lisa looked more worried than before. "Maybe we should fly out and talk to her?"
Keith thought about that. "I"m not sure if she"d open up to both of us. Maybe you and she can take a day together before the film festival, take the car and go to the beach. You know, create an environment for conversation."
Lisa nodded. "I like that. We have to make time to talk." She thought for a few seconds. "I"m really not that worried. Andi knows the truth as well as anyone on that campus."
"That"s what I keep telling myself." Keith pushed back his fears and concerns. Andi was a good girl. She knew the Bible, and right from wrong. Whoever this guy was, it couldn"t be too serious. Andi was way too smart and levelheaded to fall that fast for a boy who didn"t share her beliefs. At least that"s what Keith had convinced himself. He let the subject pa.s.s. "I told you about NTM, right? We still haven"t got anything in writing with them."
"Doesn"t that worry Luke?"
"He"s suspicious, same as me. But for now we"re pressing ahead with The Last Letter. The studio agreed to a four-hundred-screen theatrical release, but they"re willing to triple that if the movie does well at the festival."
"That"s a miracle, really." She set her mug down on the counter and folded her arms. "Has Chase got a commitment from Kelly yet about the festival?"
"Last time I talked to him, she was planning to stay home. Same as before." The past month had been rocky for their friends, but Chase was committed to talking with Kelly, getting her to open up about her feelings. "She"s seeing a doctor next week, a therapist. In case she"s dealing with depression."
Lisa made a frustrated sound. "She doesn"t need a doctor to tell her she"s depressed. That"s been obvious since Christmas." She threw her hands into the air, then dropped them. "Her husband"s gone half the time, their finances are shaky, and Molly"s still struggling to recover from her broken arm. That"s enough to make the happiest person on earth depressed."
"She needs more time with G.o.d."
"Definitely." Lisa sounded defensive for her friend. "That"s true with most of us, and especially for people battling depression. But she might need some kind of bridge between where she"s at and where she needs to be with G.o.d."
"Bridge?"
"Right. Like an antidepressant." Lisa softened her tone. "Depression is truly a chemical imbalance in the brain. Sometimes medicine is the only way to set life right again."
Keith didn"t want to argue about the issue. "Kelly needs help, we can agree on that."
They were quiet for a long moment, drinking their coffee, lost in their own thoughts. "A reviewer from Variety screened The Last Letter this past week. Loved it, absolutely raved about it. The story will run in a few weeks."
"Really?" Lisa"s face lit up. "I"m so proud of you, Keith. I love you so much. Have I told you that lately?"
He slid back down to the floor, set his mug in the sink, and crossed to her. "All the time." He put his arms around her waist and pulled her close. "That"s why I"m the most blessed man ever."
"I don"t know about that. But I"m proud of you because you deserve it. You and Chase have worked hard, and now it"s all about to pay off." She kissed him, clearly enjoying their closeness. "Tell me about the review."
"They compared the screenplay to something from Arthur Miller." He raised a brow and couldn"t resist a single amazed chuckle. "Not only that, but they likened Jake Olson to a young Marlon Brando."
Lisa stared at him. Then she brought her hand to her mouth, a joyous laugh escaping through her fingers. "Are you serious? Variety hates everyone."
"Not us." Keith caught her face in his hands and kissed her - a kiss of joy and celebration despite the concerns they shared about Andi or Chase and Kelly. They were making movies for G.o.d, and if they were going to change the world with the power of film, they first needed to convince the gatekeepers.
The Variety review was proof the Lord had gone before them.
That would hopefully remain true in the week ahead. He and Chase were flying out first thing in the morning. They wouldn"t need their car for this next round of meetings. Ben Adams had arranged for a driver to take them around in his Bentley. "At this level, it"s better to make an impression," Ben had told them. In addition, they were staying at his place. Their car would only be in the way.
"I"m going to check our airline reservations. Make sure everything"s in place."
"It is." Lisa"s words held a deeper meaning. "It"s more in place than either of us could begin to understand."
Keith was still smiling when he rounded the corner to the computer. He sat down, moved the mouse, and waited for the screen to come to life. It took just seconds to find their reservation and make sure there"d been no changes or scheduled delays. Weather was great. Keith didn"t expect any trouble. He was about to sign off when he realized he hadn"t checked the news - not in several days. It was always good to be aware of the issues as they headed into studio meetings.
He typed " Foxnews.com" in the search line and hit the enter b.u.t.ton. The connection was quick, and almost instantly a list of stories appeared on his screen. One held the name of Brandon Paul.
"What?" he whispered to himself. Panic grabbed hold of his throat and tightened its grip. He desperately scanned the words, trying to make sense of them.
"Brandon Paul Agrees to NTM Movie Deal," the headline read.
Keith wanted to believe it was their movie the story was referring to, but it couldn"t be. Luke would"ve told them if the studio had reached an agreement, if they were ready to make an announcement like this. He clicked the headline and the story came to life. Keith could barely focus as he read.
Executives at NTM Studios announced today that Brandon Paul will star in an NTM original movie about a mentally challenged boy whose love for music gives him wings. The story comes from an NTM original screenplay, and is expected to be filmed later this year. "We are committed to maintaining and building our relationship with Brandon," said Ace L. Rustin, NTM VP of Development. "We"re in the process of negotiating a new five-year deal and doing everything we can to keep him in the NTM family."
That was it, just a news brief. For anyone else checking the headlines at this hour, the story would be nothing more than a bleep on the screen of Hollywood life. Brandon Paul in another movie. Ho-hum. But for Keith and Chase - for them it meant that everything they"d worked on for the past six months was finished. Gone for good.
A fine layer of perspiration broke out across Keith"s brow and he hung his head, trying to catch his breath.
So that was it? Brandon had signed a deal to make a movie almost exactly like Unlocked, without telling them or their attorney or Stephanie? This was Luke Baxter"s worst nightmare coming true.
Keith gripped his knees. Were there no ethics in Hollywood whatsoever? He fought the desire to shout at the screen, to demand that Fox News pull the story because it couldn"t be true. Brandon had promised them this movie.
But there it was in black and white. He lifted his eyes and let himself read the details one more time.
G.o.d, what"s happening? What does this mean? We were so close to making a name for us and for You.
He wanted to run outside and raise his voice to the heavens, begging G.o.d for some kind of understanding. Despite their lawyer"s fears, Keith had told himself this couldn"t happen. Not with G.o.d on their side. But here they were.
He checked the time on the computer and saw it was after eight o"clock. Still early enough to call someone, but who? Should his first contact be with Chase or Luke? He was reaching for the phone, still figuring out what to do and who to call, when the phone rang.
He answered it on the first ring. "h.e.l.lo?"
"Keith." The voice on the other end was serious. Dire, even. "Ben Adams here."
"Ben." Keith stood and paced from the computer to the far wall of windows that overlooked the backyard. Had Ben seen the news already? He decided to play ignorant, at least at first. "Our flight"s set for tomorrow. The meetings are all still in order."
"I"m not calling about that." Ben exhaled, and the sound rattled across the phone lines. "Have you seen the news?"
"Actually, I was just checking it. The NTM story was a complete shock."
"For us too. I"ve got a call in to Luke Baxter. But the timing couldn"t be worse."
Keith waited, his heart racing.
"I met with my financial team today, and my accounts aren"t what they used to be." His voice sounded tired, deeply discouraged. "The whole market thing isn"t of interest to me, not on a day-to-day basis. I"ve tried to look the other way. But the market crash has cost me half my net worth."
Half? Keith felt the floor beneath him shift. He gripped the windowsill and closed his eyes. Ben Adams was supposed to be worth a billion dollars. That meant the change in the market had cost him, what? Five hundred million? Keith couldn"t begin to understand what losing that kind of money might mean to a guy like Ben. "I"m ... I"m sorry."
"We all are. The fact is I planned to sell a portion of my stock portfolio to finance Unlocked. Now I can"t do that. No one would sell in this market." He drew a steady breath. "For that reason, my advisor is warning me not to invest in the film - and I guess that"s especially true now, since it looks like you"ve lost your star and your studio."
Keith blinked his eyes open and stared at the still-darkening sky. Was this really happening? Was he really having this conversation with the man who had seemed so financially stable? "I guess I need to talk to Luke. The NTM announcement doesn"t make sense."
"Either way, I have to pull out. Try to understand." Ben seemed to gather himself somewhat. "I told my advisor I still wanted to provide half the P&A budget for The Last Letter. He wasn"t happy about it, but he agreed." There was a considerable silence. "These are the times that make a man, Keith. Especially a man of G.o.d. You"ll be all right, and so will I. The markets will bounce back; I"ve seen it all before. But we must cling to the Lord, otherwise we"ll lose more than our financial security. We"ll lose hope. And we can"t lose that."
They talked for a few more minutes, though later Keith wouldn"t remember a word of it - nothing but the part about G.o.d and His direction. When they hung up, Keith returned to the computer and dropped, entranced, to the chair. They"d lost the Brandon Paul movie. They"d done everything they could. They had the actor and the author, the funding and the best lawyer in town. But they"d still lost it.
He needed to talk to Luke and Chase and Stephanie Fitzgerald. He needed to know whether Brandon was behind this. And if so, why he"d turned his back on them. But more than that, he needed to talk to the Lord.
With his face buried in his hands, he cried out to G.o.d about what had gone wrong and asked the Lord for wisdom and direction. With no hint of an answer, he asked anyway. He begged for peace and clarity, and most of all he asked G.o.d how it was even possible that they could lose everything they"d worked for - the promise the future held and the ability to influence a generation.
All in five crazy minutes.
Twenty-Four.
THE GIRLS WERE BOTH IN BED when the phone rang at Chase"s house. He was packing again, something he always seemed to be doing, but before he could answer it Kelly must"ve picked it up in the kitchen. The call was probably for her anyway. Laurie Weeks had been in touch a lot lately, making plans for a women"s conference coming to town in a few days.
But after a minute or so, he heard her footsteps. Not until the last few months had he understood how discouraged a person"s footsteps could sound. He could"ve picked out Kelly"s in a room full of people.
"Chase." Her voice held a flicker of concern. "It"s Keith. He doesn"t sound right."
Chase frowned. Life in Hollywood and their roles as producers couldn"t have been any better. He couldn"t imagine why Keith would call - unless a problem had come up with their flights. He took the phone and turned toward the bedroom window. "Hey, what"s up?"
A long pause filled the phone line before Keith finally spoke. "It"s over, buddy."
Chase"s heart hesitated, and then slammed into double time. "What do you mean, it"s over?"
"It"s over. We lost the Brandon Paul movie."
Chase sucked in a quick breath, overcome by disbelief. "That"s crazy. Nothing"s changed. If NTM doesn"t want it we"ll take it somewhere else. That"s what the meetings are for this week."
"Get to your computer. Fox News will help you understand." Keith sounded weary, defeated. There wasn"t even the hint of possibility in his voice.