“I could’ve played that role in Big,” he whispered to her as they rode up. “Watch me. Twinkle toes, for sure.”
She laughed and again she appreciated that he didn’t stay by her side. Not that they had anyone tailing them yet, but still…she’d made it clear she didn’t want people assuming they were dating, and on this day he was very careful to make sure no one might’ve thought so.
Upstairs, the five of them watched Brandon dance across the keys. He was true to his word, and Bailey figured he’d been here a number of times. His rendition of “The Entertainer” was both charming and spot on.
“You try it.” He waved to Bailey.
By now a few moms and their kids had stopped, and several of them were whispering to each other. One was on her cell phone. Brandon Paul! Here in FAO Schwarz!
Bailey couldn’t resist joining in. She took off her shoes and joined him. “Okay, stand back. Watch this.” She had learned only a few songs from Connor over the years, but she could hold her own on “Mary Had a Little Lamb.” She found Middle C and jumped up onto the E key and back down on D and C, then up again along the same notes. But she messed up and hit the C twice, and when she aimed for the E, she was laughing so hard she accidentally hit the D.
“Mmm-hmm, just as I thought.” Brandon brushed his knuckles against his shirt. “No one can touch me on the life-size piano.”
“Not fair.” Bailey was still laughing, trying to catch her breath. She was standing close enough to him that the other people watching couldn’t hear what she was saying. “What’d you do, rent the place out and take lessons?”
“Well…” he grinned, the grin that was beginning to grow on her. “Actually, yes. They closed early one night and let the cast of my NTM TV show in, and well…yeah, they gave us lessons.”
“Ah-haaa…See? I knew it!” she pointed at him. She tried her song again, but she made a complete mess of it. Again she laughed, this time half bent over. She could barely walk by the time she reached her shoes, and only then did she notice how the crowd around the piano area had grown.
One little boy—maybe 8 years old—stepped up to Brandon with a piece of paper and a pen. “Hey, could I have your autograph?”
“Sure.” Brandon smiled graciously. He signed the boy’s paper, and before he could get his own shoes on, he was asked five more times. Within a few minutes people were posing with him, snapping photos with their phones and calling out to other shoppers in the store, telling them Brandon Paul was here. Really…right here!
Bailey pulled away with the producers and their wives, and she stood next to Katy. “Crazy, huh?” Katy smiled, amused. “I remember when that was Dayne.”
The only reason it wasn’t Dayne now was because he was looking down, intent on a puzzle in his hand, as if the pieces contained some pressing information. Katy helped, too, shielding him from the people—all of whom were too distracted by Brandon to think that a second megastar might be here in their midst.
Katy was still standing very close to Bailey. “So…what do you think about him?”
“Brandon?” She watched him, surrounded now by a growing crowd of fans. “He’s nicer than I thought.” A quick side glance at Katy allowed her to express with her eyes what could’ve been missed in the commotion. “I’m not interested, if that’s what you mean.”
“Cody?” Katy knew her, and now her eyes softened. Clearly she had noticed that Cody hadn’t been around on set, and that Bailey hadn’t talked to him at yesterday’s game.
“We’re struggling.” Bailey bit her lip. She didn’t really want to think about Cody today, in the middle of feeling like Cinderella at her first ball. But there was no way around it when she was talking to Katy. Dayne’s wife knew her as well as almost anyone. Katy had lived with them, after all, back at the same time Cody did. Katy was like a sister, and so Bailey appreciated that she’d ask now about Cody. Katy was still watching her, still waiting for the rest of Bailey’s answer. “There’s no reason really. He started staying away, and then…Monday he sent me a text intended for some other girl. I don’t know…” She sighed and the sound lingered in her heart. “We need to talk. But at this rate that probably won’t happen until we’re done with the shoot. I’m not even sure I want it to happen until then. I need to focus on my work.”
Katy’s smile was kind, proof she truly cared. “I remember how hard those years were, when I was your age and even for years after. Always wondering why love wasn’t easier.”
“until you and Dayne.” Bailey was happy for Katy, for how things had worked out.
“Dayne?” She whispered his name, but her laugh was straight out loud. “Nothing about Dayne was ever easy.” She let her laughter fade, and she looked deep into Bailey’s eyes. “When you think about Cody, keep that in mind.”
A few yards away, Brandon raised his hand and smiled big at the people still gathering. “Gotta go, folks!” He motioned to Keith, who took the cue and was immediately at his side. “Thanks for saying hi!” Brandon waved, and his eyes were genuine.
Keith put his arm around Brandon and ushered him through the crowd. Lisa stayed on the other side, while Katy and Dayne and Bailey followed. Dayne averted his eyes from the crowd, and in a rush of chaos, they made it through the store and to the waiting car outside.
“To Sardi’s,” Brandon told the driver. He laughed as he took his seat in the back row with Bailey. “Wow…people are crazy.”
“You’re used to it.” Bailey was curious. “You handled it really well.”
“I guess.” He shook his head and brushed his hair off his forehead. “I’m not sure you ever really get used to a scene like that.”
“True.” Dayne laughed. He sat next to Katy and Lisa in the second row. Keith stayed up front next to the driver, passing on information about where they were headed. “There’s always that sense you can’t possibly give everyone what they want. And it just takes a few people criticizing you or cussing you out because you didn’t sign something for them, and you feel like forgetting the whole thing.”
“Which, by the way, I noticed you did quite successfully.” Brandon leaned forward and gave Dayne a look of mock frustration. “You coulda helped me out there, buddy.”
“No, thanks.” Dayne laughed and took Katy’s hand in his. “It’s your turn, my friend.”
They made their way up Fifth Avenue, past the window shoppers and business people pushing ahead in both directions, past the jewelry district and Radio City Music Hall. Sardi’s was on West Forty-fourth Street, and after fifteen minutes of serious traffic in Times Square they pulled up out front.
Bailey had eaten at Sardi’s before, and the well-known restaurant could always be counted on for quality food and service. But more than that, it was fun seeing the caricatures of celebrities, which lined the walls. “Let me guess,” Bailey said to Brandon as they stepped out of the car. “You’ve already got your own picture in Sardi’s.”
“He does.” Keith put his arm around Lisa as they headed toward the front door. “I asked when I made reservations. I requested that we have a table near his picture.”
“You did?” Bailey was amazed. The whole day was like something from an unbelievable dream. “Do they know he’s with us?”
“No.” He looked at Dayne and the two of them shared a knowing smile. “My guess is they will soon enough.”
Again Brandon wore the beret, but this time he kept the sunglasses in the car. He used Dayne’s trick—averting his eyes, acting fascinated by a menu at the front desk and the pattern of the carpet as they were seated. But, even so, Bailey watched more than a few heads turn as they were led to their table.
Brandon pulled out her chair for her, but then he took a spot across from her. “In case anyone has a camera,” he whispered as he winked at her.
He was teasing, but only partly. The truth was something that touched Bailey. Brandon could’ve played up the leading man role tonight, acting like her date and giving anyone who saw them a chance to blast the news across
tabloid headlines: Brandon and His Innocent Costar Take New York City by Storm! Especially since they were with two married couples. But instead Brandon saw to it that Bailey sat between Katy and Lisa, while he sat between the producers.
Over dinner, Bailey found herself being charmed by Brandon. Not in a way that turned her head or made her forget about Cody, but in a way that disarmed her and made her feel like she was spending the night with a group of old friends. Again, by the time they left the restaurant, news had gotten out. They were interrupted on the way out by people asking for a photo or an autograph, and by the time they climbed in the car, a sea of cameramen were waiting outside, bunched up on either side of the door, all of them snapping pictures a mile a minute and yelling Brandon’s name and then Dayne’s.
“How’d that happen?” Bailey whispered to Katy as they rushed for the waiting Escalade. She was careful to stay between Katy and Lisa as they climbed inside the SUV.
“This is New York City.” Katy handled the throng expertly, not looking directly at them, never hesitating as they entered the vehicle. Once they were inside, Katy laughed. “Wow, it’s been a while.”
“It has.” Dayne chuckled too.
“They recognized you,” Katy nudged him. “Those pictures will definitely see print.”
“I know.” He smiled at Keith. “We’re okay with that. Some tabloid press is a good thing, as long as they can’t do more than report we were here together.”
“I still don’t get it.” Bailey’s head was spinning. She belted herself in, but she turned questioning eyes to Brandon. “How did so many get here so fast?”
“Like Katy said, this is Manhattan.” Brandon looked calm, unaffected. “The paparazzi live here and in LA, because most celebrities split their time between the two cities. The few cameramen hanging out in Bloomington during the shoot are nothing. I actually feel like I have a normal life again.”
“Join the crowd, buddy.” Dayne turned around and high-fived Brandon. “Now you see why I love the place.”
Bailey let this new knowledge about the paparazzi sink in a moment longer. If the press mainly hung out in New York and LA, then celebrities need only leave those places for a little peace from the constant barrage of tabloid exposure. If they didn’t, if they chose to live and eat and work and play in the places where the paparazzi lived in droves, then they could hardly blame anyone but themselves for the attention. It was a comforting detail, one she tucked away for later.
In case this movie was only the beginning.
Twenty-Two
EVERY MINUTE THAT PASSED MOVED THEM closer to the reason they were here, the reason Bailey was so excited about being in New York City: the chance to see Tim perform on a Broadway stage. Bailey settled against the backseat of the Escalade and watched the teeming life moving in every direction through Times Square. The excitement here never grew old—even if this was no longer a place where Bailey wanted to live.
Brandon seemed aware of her thoughts. “Looking forward to seeing Tim?”
“I am.” She appreciated her costar’s sensitivity. He clearly wasn’t threatened by any former boyfriend of Bailey’s. He wasn’t threatened by her current relationship either—whatever it was. “Thank you. If I haven’t told you.”
“I’m just glad you could come.” He patted her knee. “I love this show.”
In the front seat, Keith turned around and smiled at Bailey. “So, what’s Tim say? Should we meet him at the stage door?” He glanced at the Gershwin, coming up on their left. “We’re about an hour early.”
“Definitely.” Tim was thrilled they were coming, and he’d arranged for them to spend the time before the show in the cast greenroom. Bailey grinned. “He says there’s a lot of Brandon Paul fans in the cast.”
They pulled up and Keith climbed out first—to explain at the stage door that their group was there and make sure there was a clear path for the others to get straight from the car to inside the building. Bailey could hardly believe all that had happened since she’d been to New York City last time, auditioning with Tim in August. Only two months ago she’d been unsure what God had for her, since He’d so soundly closed the door on her attempt at getting a part in West Side Story.
She and Tim had texted a few times and talked once since he’d moved to New York. He was attending the church at Times Square, and casually seeing one of the other dancers in the show. He told her he missed her, but he never once asked her about Cody. Bailey was just as glad. Tim would never understand her feelings for Cody, so that was one topic that wouldn’t be discussed tonight. She was sure.
They signed in and took a freight elevator up one floor to the stage level. There, they found Tim with a few of the other ensemble dancers. When he saw Bailey, his eyes lit up. “I can’t believe you’re here.” He hugged her and swung her around and set her down again, his hands on her shoulders. “You won’t believe the show. Every night I have to remind myself I’m really here.”
Brandon walked up and cleared his throat just enough for Tim to remember Bailey wasn’t the only one in the group. “Sorry.” Tim laughed and introduced himself and the other dancers to Brandon and the producers. When he got to Dayne and Katy, he hugged them both, since he’d known the two of them as long as Bailey had. “I miss Bloomington,” he told them. “But, man, do I love it here.”
Tim showed them around the costume area, navigating the group around the time clock and Glinda’s bubble and a dozen other props from the show. As Tim explained what they were seeing and gave the backstage tour, Bailey studied him, analyzing what she was feeling. Here was a guy she’d dated for two years, and yet she didn’t miss him at all—not any more than she might miss any other friend she’d known in high school. Again she was grateful she’d broken up with him, and even more so that they weren’t enemies. They’d been through too many good times for that.
Halfway through the tour, Tim walked them out on the stage. Since the doors hadn’t opened yet, the theater was empty. Bailey walked out onto the slanted wooden floor where the entire play was performed. The group was busy remarking about what a severe angle the stage had been built at and how difficult it must’ve been to learn how to dance and move on such an angled surface.
But all Bailey could think of was the hundred times she’d taken a stage for the CKT shows or her show run at Indiana university last winter. She loved Broadway, and one day if God allowed, she would be here, too. Performing here or on another stage a few blocks away. There was something so magical about the lore and lure of theater. She and Tim exchanged knowing smiles, and she was sure he could read her mind. This was an arena they had shared for years until now. But at least God was still letting her perform, just on a different sort of stage.
They were still standing there, still taking in the feel of the theater and the sets, when the actress who played Glinda bounced onto the stage and squealed at Brandon Paul. “Someone told me you were here!” She screamed again, very Glinda-like. “I can’t believe it!”
Tim introduced the two of them and, after she’d met the rest of the group, she pulled a camera from her bag to have Bailey snap her picture with Brandon. She was friendly with everyone, but there was no question her attention was devoted to Brandon. “What’re you doing later? I mean, maybe we can all go to my place. I live in a flat on the upper West Side.”
Brandon looked interested for a minute, and Bailey figured this was how he got in trouble so often before filming Unlocked. Too many offers, too few no’s. But this time, after only slight hesitation, he explained they’d be back on a plane after the show, headed to Indiana.
“I know, I read about your new movie.” She seemed to actually notice Bailey for the first time, and she stopped, her mouth slightly open. “Wait! You must be…are you Bailey Flanigan? The girl playing Ella?”
“I am.” Bailey could hardly believe this. The star of Wicked knew who she was? It was the first time Bailey had felt the headiness of the role she was playing, and how the world clearly viewed it.
br /> “So you’ve done theater, right?”
“I have.” They talked for a little while, until someone showed up at the wings and informed them the doors were opening in ten minutes. In a flurry of activity, the Wicked star thanked the group for being there, gushed over Dayne, and finally slipped Brandon a piece of paper as they all exited the stage. She leaned close to him and whispered something Bailey couldn’t hear.
But she would’ve bet the paper held the girl’s phone number.
Only as they were exiting the stage did Bailey notice another dancer had joined them—the same blonde who had been with Tim when they first got off the elevator. Only now she and Tim were holding hands, and he was gazing into her eyes, laughing about something in a private world all their own.
Brandon came up beside her. “Jealous?”
She looked at Tim, at the way he and the dancer seemed more in love than Tim had ever seemed with her. “Definitely not.” Bailey didn’t have to work hard for the confident smile that lifted the corners of her lips. “I’m happy for Tim. This is his world now.”
“Oh,” Brandon gave her an exaggerated look of surprise. “You thought I meant about Tim and the blonde?” He put his arm easily around her shoulders and brought his face close to hers. No one was around to see them back here and, in this moment, no one was paying them any attention. He brought his voice down to a whisper. “I didn’t mean about Tim. I meant about me.” He pulled the slip of paper from his pocket, held it up, and then returned it again. “Glinda gave me her number. In case you missed that.”
“I see,” Bailey nodded slowly, playing along. “And you thought I,” she pointed to herself, as if she were shocked by the possibility, “might be jealous…of her?”
Brandon’s face fell and, though he was teasing, there was something serious in his eyes. “You aren’t?”
“No.” She laughed and slid her arm around his waist. “Call her if you want. Come out here and date her when you’re done in Bloomington.” She smiled at him the way she would smile at Connor. “Whatever makes you happy, Brandon.”