Learning

  Members of the audience still waited outside, holding out their playbills and getting autographs from the cast as they walked out the door. But Bailey was new, and she was ensemble. No one would be looking for her — unless maybe they read the program and saw that she was in the current hit film Unlocked. She chuckled to herself. With Brandon leading the way, they’d never guess she was anything more than a friend of one of the cast members maybe. He moved quickly, and where the rest of the cast turned left out the door and walked along the line of fans, signing autographs, Brandon led her to the right. They pressed past a few people milling about and darted to the curb.

  Like he’d promised, waiting there was a striking black carriage with a pretty roof — fringe and all. The driver was dressed in a tuxedo, and his two horses were stately and proud, decorative tassels on their headdresses. Brandon helped her inside, and then he slipped in beside her. They were pulling away when one of the women waiting for an autograph turned and pointed. “Hey … that’s Brandon Paul and Bailey Flanigan!”

  A flurry of gasps and camera phones shot up from the crowd, but by the time they might capture a picture, Bailey and Brandon were gone.

  “Not bad, huh?”

  Bailey sat back in the carriage, laughing at what it was like to be him. “Actually … better than I thought. You were ready.”

  “I’m always ready.” He winked at her. “See, Bailey, … my life isn’t that crazy.” He gave an exaggerated look over his shoulder and behind the carriage. He tossed his hands. “No paparazzi.” He turned so he could see her better, the teasing that she loved about him written in his expression. “Just like being with any other guy.”

  This time she laughed out loud. “Okay … I’ll tell myself that.”

  Clearly Brandon had planned this out, because the driver knew where to go. As they rode, Brandon studied her, searched her heart. “I’ve been looking forward to this for a month. Ever since I was at your house helping you pack.” He grinned. “Your mom knew about it, by the way. I told her … just in case they were going to be here tonight.”

  “They’re coming this weekend. The whole family — they’ll watch it Saturday night.”

  “I know.” He puffed out his chest and crossed his fingers. “Your mom and I are like this.”

  “Okay.” She felt the joy of his presence through to her soul. Again she laughed, because that’s the effect he had on her. She couldn’t stop smiling. “I’ll have to talk to her about that later.”

  “Yes. You do that.” He sank a little deeper into the back of the carriage and looked at her, just looked right into her eyes for a long moment. “You can never stop singing and dancing, Bailey. You’re way too good.”

  “Hmmm … I wasn’t sure tonight.” Her voice was quieter now, and despite the honking yellow cabs and roar of traffic and noise from the jam-packed sidewalks, the moment became more intimate. Like they were the only ones in the city.

  “You were scared, that’s all.” He took her hands in his, and gently he ran his thumb over her fingers. “You were perfect. Like I knew you’d be. I mean, you’re so pretty and you’re one of the best actors I’ve worked with.” He wasn’t teasing, and in his seriousness Brandon showed a vulnerability that was almost more attractive than his usual easy confidence. “But watching you tonight … you were amazing.”

  “Thanks.” Bailey allowed her eyes to stay locked on his. They were comfortable together — no matter how much time had passed or how few nights like this they’d ever shared. “I can tell you mean it.”

  “Definitely.” His teasing eyes were back. “I mean, if you would’ve bombed I’d just tell you straight out.” He took on a heavy New York accent. “Bailey, are you kiddin’ me? That was terrible!”

  She giggled at him, at the way he could become any character he wanted in as much time as it took him to breathe in. They were headed toward Fifth Avenue — at least she thought so. A quick glance outside the carriage and she saw Radio City Music Hall. “Where are we going?”

  “To London … or the Bahamas … or France.” He laughed. “If we had more time, anyway. But since we’re both actors, I suppose we can pretend.”

  “Meaning … you’re not going to answer me.” She turned to him again, and found that he’d slid a little closer. “I mean … do you have a plan?”

  “Bailey, …” He still had her hands in his, and again his eyes worked their way straight through her. “I told you. I always have a plan.”

  She grinned, and at the depths of her being she knew he was telling the truth. This trip to New York, his time with her, none of it was an accident or by chance. He might want to seem spontaneous, but he had a plan.

  Bailey believed that with all her heart.

  Seven

  HE WAS ASKING HER ABOUT THE REST OF THE CAST WHEN THE driver pulled the carriage to the curb. The man looked like he might’ve been from another country. If he knew who Brandon was, he didn’t let it show.

  Only then did Bailey realize where they were. “The Empire State Building!” she gasped. “What a great idea!” They climbed out of the carriage, and Bailey looked straight up. “I’ve never been here.”

  “Me either.” Brandon said a few words to the driver about being back in an hour. Then he took Bailey’s hand and led her to the door. His baseball cap was still pulled low over his eyes, the hood still in place. “I decided I’m way too old to have never been to the top of the Empire State Building.”

  She loved this, the way he could turn any activity into an event, a memory she would treasure always. “Oh, yes, … way too old.” He walked in and went to the right, where a guard was standing. Immediately the man acknowledged Brandon, as if the two of them had talked before. At the same time, the guy snapped into motion. “Right this way,” he said. He nodded at Brandon and smiled at Bailey.

  What had Brandon done? She felt a chill of excitement run down her arms and back. They would have their own escort to the top, was that it? The guard took them to an elevator marked Express. They waited less than a minute, not long enough for the other tourists and passersby to understand what was happening, to catch a glimpse of Brandon beneath the hood or to figure out whether Bailey looked familiar.

  Then the elevator shot them to the top of the building in less than a minute. Halfway up Bailey felt a popping in her eardrum. She looked at the numbers whizzing by on the lighted panel. “A hundred floors? We’re going up a hundred floors?”

  “No, …” Brandon looked at the guard, and the man winked at him. “Tell her, Joey.”

  “We’re going to the 103rd floor, miss.” The man’s accent was as thick as the one Brandon had pretended to have just minutes ago. He waved his thumb at Brandon. “Your boyfriend here called weeks ago. Worked it out with the bigs upstairs. No one gets onto the 103rd floor …” Joey grinned at Brandon. “Except him.” The man lifted his hands and let them fall to his sides. “They just lifted the security ban a few years ago. Even still, only high-ranking officials and government types usually get up here.” He shrugged. “Pays to be famous, that’s what I always say.”

  “Brandon!” She squeezed his hand. “That’s so high!”

  “It’s a clear night.” Joey smiled. “Should be perfect.”

  Bailey wanted to tell him that it already was, that she couldn’t have imagined a more perfect night than the one Brandon had already given her. But the elevator was opening, and as they stepped out, Bailey stopped. Her hand flew to her mouth and she stared at the expanse of city below her. “Brandon …” His name was barely a whisper on her lips. “It’s like we’re flying, like a dream.”

  He leaned close and spoke softly near her ear. “Being with you … is a dream.”

  Brandon nodded to Joey, who stepped out and to the side, where he took a discreet position to the right of the elevator. He kept his eyes straight ahead, the perfect guard. Brandon had obviously arranged for all of this, the special guard, the ride to the 103rd floor … and now the added safety of knowing that Joey was going to watch
over them while they were up here. Bailey felt like a princess, and everything below her looked like some magical kingdom. “I’ve seen pictures …” Bailey walked beside him as they went to the railing and looked out. Her heart raced within her, the feeling of being so high above the city so exhilarating she could hardly draw a breath. “But they were nothing to being up here … to seeing it for myself.”

  He removed his hood and turned his baseball cap around so she could see his eyes better. Then he slipped his arm around her shoulders and held her close. “Joey tells me … every few steps the view changes … it’s another entirely different look at the city.”

  “Mmm.” Bailey snuggled in close to him. The wind was chilly up here, and she could feel the building sway ever so slightly. “It’s absolutely beautiful.”

  “On a clear day, I guess you can see almost eighty miles in any direction.”

  “Which means …” She looked up at him, and she could feel her eyes shining.

  He understood what she meant, and he smiled. “Which means we’ll have to come back up here again … in the daytime.”

  “Exactly.” She leaned her head against his shoulder, and for a long while they stayed like that, quiet, caught up in the view of the city and what it was like being together this way — all alone, with the rest of the world far below them.

  Finally he took her hand again and they walked partway around the observatory. The floor was open air, but with a roof and a safety railing system that would’ve prevented anyone from falling or jumping off. They stopped far enough away from the elevator that they were no longer in eye contact with Joey. Which was just as well … because Bailey liked the feeling — she and Brandon up here, no one else but the two of them.

  “See that dark area?” He pointed toward a place in the distance where there were no lights. “I think that’s Central Park.”

  “Oh, right … it must be.” Again she felt a shiver of cold. The wind was even stronger on this side of the building, and even though it was mid-May, it couldn’t have been much over forty degrees tonight.

  “You’re cold.” He turned to her and again he eased his arms around her waist. “Here … let me keep you warm.”

  His sweatshirt and thermal didn’t seem like much, but his body was much warmer than hers, and the nearness of him cut the chill immediately. She wore jeans almost the same color as his, a long-sleeved flowing sort of shirt, and a lightweight jacket with a high collar. It was one of her favorite outfits, and she was grateful she’d worn it. She looked into his eyes, and she was certain beyond a doubt that this was the better view. Even here on the 103rd floor. “Your eyes are so pretty … do you know that?”

  “Eyes are a window to the soul.” His look warmed her even more than his body. “Right?”

  “Very nice.”

  “And the eyes are the lamp of the body.”

  “Hmm. You’ve been reading your Bible.”

  “I have.” His eyes grew more serious, but his smile remained. “I love reading the Bible. It makes sense of the whole world — even Hollywood.”

  “Especially Hollywood.”

  “Yes.” He chuckled and gave a single shake of his head as if to say he knew it well. “Especially there.” He paused, never once looking away. “So if the eyes are the window to the soul … then it’s no wonder you like my eyes.” He framed her face with his hands, the two of them lost in each other. “Because … Bailey, you’ve captured my soul.” He came closer, and for a few seconds she wondered if he might kiss her. But instead he brushed the side of his face against hers. He looked at her again. “When you see into my eyes, you’re seeing the reflection of yourself … the way you live inside me — whether you’re with me or not.”

  His words couldn’t have been more beautiful if they were scripted. She wasn’t sure what to say, and for a long time she said nothing. Was this really happening? She and Brandon Paul at the very top of the Empire State Building? And was he really telling her that he’d moved past the crush he had on her, and that now … now he was in love with her? Her body trembled, and not because of the cold. She took a long breath and stepped back — even though she didn’t want to. Brandon was passionate about everything he did, everything he said. If he really felt this way for her, then they would both need to be careful. Even now she felt herself almost drugged by his presence.

  “Come on.” She heard the desire in her voice, and she was embarrassed by it. She had to be so careful … so on her guard. Brandon had much more experience at this sort of thing, but now they both wanted to honor God with whatever this was between them. “We need to see the rest of the view.”

  If he knew how caught up in the moment she was, he didn’t show it. He respected her decision to walk a little, and he allowed the conversation to lighten. They took turns pointing out landmarks — the Brooklyn Bridge and the financial district, the place where the Twin Towers had stood.

  As they walked they talked about his current movie and his co-stars. “They’re hard to work with …” This was the first time Brandon had admitted anything other than joy and happiness about his life or his work or his feelings about the people around him. She was glad he trusted her enough to talk about it. “I’ve caught a few of them laughing about me … you know, my new faith.” He grinned in a way that said he wasn’t going to lose sleep over the fact. “There’s nothing I can do about it.”

  “I get that feeling from a few of my castmates too. Like they think I’m judging them because of what I believe.”

  “Do they know? That you’re a Christian?” Brandon stopped and leaned on the railing.

  “Yes, they know.” Bailey had thought about it a little since the show had ended. She’d told Chrissy about how she’d prayed for the show to go well … and a few of the other girls had probably heard her. She talked about her faith like she breathed. It wasn’t something she thought about first. Bailey guessed the girls might’ve shared her comment with the guys who seemed to be whispering about her. “They already think I’m young … and that I only won my spot because of Unlocked. They know I don’t drink or pop pills. I’m pretty different, I guess.”

  Brandon sighed. “You’d think that would be a good thing.” He shook his head. A slight bit of frustration worked its way into his tone. “I mean, I used to be out of control. Drinking … drugs,” a shadow of shame fell over his face, “doing things with girls … stuff I never should’ve done.” He worked the muscles in his jaw and looked out at the city for a long minute. “When I think about how I used to be it … it makes me sick.”

  “But your peers had no problem with it.” Bailey’s voice was soft. She understood. “Funny how the world is, huh?”

  “Yeah. Because they were doing the same things.” He shrugged again, and his expression relaxed. “The Bible talks about that too. ‘In this world you will have trouble …’”

  “ ‘But be of good cheer, for He has overcome the world.’ Exactly what I was thinking earlier tonight. Before the show.”

  “The whole thing … the world …” He took her hands and drew her close once more. “That’s why I had to see you this weekend. I could take only so much on the set without feeling you in my arms, looking into your eyes. Not through a computer, but here. Like this … in person.”

  Again Bailey wondered if he might kiss her. A part of her wanted him to, wanted it as badly as she wanted her next heartbeat. But she wasn’t ready to agree to a relationship with him, so that meant she had no right kissing him. However magical such a moment — here high above the city — might feel.

  “What are you thinking?” Again he put his hand alongside her face, his touch feather light against her skin.

  “About you …” She couldn’t break eye contact, couldn’t look away. Her heart beat so loudly within her she wondered if he could hear it.

  “Mmm.” He came closer still, his face inches from hers. “That’s the most wonderful thing I’ve heard all night.”

  She smiled, holding onto the moment. “Thank you … fo
r bringing me here.”

  “It’s the best night I’ve had since …” He looked like he might be racking his brain, going over every possible other night in his life. “Best night since I stood on the balcony of my house with this crazy beautiful girl and the stars dancing overhead … to the sound of the pounding surf.”

  “You know …” Her voice was soft against his cheek. “You could be a poet … if the acting thing doesn’t work out.”

  “Thanks. I’ll keep that in mind.” He leaned back, his breathing just the slightest bit faster than before. “I have an idea.” He ran his fingers along her hair, down her arm.

  “Hmm.” For a few seconds she could hardly remember where they were, or that they didn’t have forever to be like this. “Whatever it is … I should probably say no.”

  “Bailey, …” He didn’t laugh, didn’t look away. “I wouldn’t ask you to do something you wouldn’t want to do … something that would hurt both of us or … disappoint God.”

  This was the boldest Brandon had been. He had a storied past, everyone knew that. But now that he was a Christian, he had changed in every possible way. Still, Bailey wasn’t sure if he had adopted God’s view on sex. Now, though, he’d made himself extremely clear. He understood that there was a line of purity, and he would neither cross it nor ask her to cross it. She put her arms loosely around his waist, curious. “What’s your idea?”

  “Well …” The teasing was back. “About that love story … the one we both still want to shoot someday.”

  “Yes.” She could only imagine how much fun they’d have on a movie like that. But with her working here on Broadway the odds of it ever happening were slim. At least for now. “I read the script. Or maybe I wrote it.” She giggled at the ultra-serious face he was making. “I love it.”