His Leading Lady (18 page)

“Didn’t think of that, did you? Asshole.”
Mark headed for the showers, chuckling all the way. Now that he was
leaving, he was getting more playing time than ever. He took it as
more training, more knowledge, more practice making quick judgments
and decisions. It would help him be the best in Delaware.

In his heart, he relished the chance to play
against the Gamblers. To throw against Darvin’s team made his mouth
water. He’d have his revenge on the playing field, against the man
who tried to ruin Penny.

Harley had one more year on his contract, so
he’d not be joining Mark in Delaware, though the Demons showed
strong interest in signing him. Mark was sad to leave his best
friend. He hoped they could be together again, but he was looking
forward to getting on with his life. He’d be relieved to get away
from Darvin Sweetwater and some of the other guys on the team who
had made cracks about Penny. A fresh start and a bucket of money
looked damn good.

Meg would help him manage his new wealth, and
he’d pay off all the old loans.
I’ll have enough left over to
buy a house.
The idea of his own house sent shivers down his
spine.
With Penny’s career in the toilet, she’ll come to
Delaware with me. Nothing holding her here.
Not that he was
happy about what had happened to her, but it seemed to work out for
the best, from his point of view. He couldn’t stop smiling. He was
going to have the life he wanted, after all.

He brought Harley home with him, planning to
take Penny, Meg, and Harley out to dinner to celebrate. The two
guys were pushing and shoving playfully in the hall. Mark walked in
to Meg packing books in a box.

“Where’s Penny?”

“She went home.”

“This is her home now.” Mark threw his keys
in the ceramic bowl. Harley went to the fridge and pulled out three
bottles of beer. After popping the tops, he passed them out.

“Are you sure about that?”

“Of course, I am. We have an understanding.
She’s got the keys to this place, and she’s coming to Delaware with
me.”

“Really?” Meg cocked her head. “Have you
talked to her today?”

“What could have changed from last night to
tonight?”

“Plenty.”

Mark started to sweat. He stood in front of
his sister. “If you’re holding something back, now is the time to
spit it out. Did she find someone else?”

“You need to talk to her.” Meg lowered her
head and continued to place books in the carton.

Frustration erupted in Mark. He kicked aside
the box. Meg jumped back, retreating to Harley’s lap for
protection.

“Tell me what the
hell
is going on.”
Mark was barely able to get the words out. “Is it another guy? Her
co-star?”

“No. Don’t come near me when you’re like
this. Calm down. Call her. Hear it from her.”

Mark took a swig of his beer and sat down.
“I’m sorry. It’s not you. It’s just…there’s so much riding on
this…on her. I thought we had this worked out.”

“Things change sometimes. Call her.”

He picked up his cell. A sick feeling in the
pit of his stomach made his hand tremble as the phone dialed.

On a plane to Japan

Penny put down her book and stared out the
window. Flying first class made the long trip a little easier.
I
should be going over my lines. Sleeping, something.
But she
couldn’t focus on what she should be doing when her heart ached.
Mark’s in Delaware, and I’m stuck on a plane, committed to this
movie. Damn. Why did I do this?

She thought about her last phone conversation
with Mark. He had been understanding, but insistent. He’d agreed
she should have her career, as long as it didn’t interfere with
them being together. But acting didn’t cooperate with Mark’s plans.
She chewed her thumb nail as she thought about her life.

Penny wanted to blame Mark’s lack of a
marriage proposal for their being separated. But that explanation
didn’t cut it. Although she’d been miffed he’d insisted she come
with him, but hadn’t suggested marriage, the real reason she had
made other plans was to give herself time to decide.
Do I really
want to marry Mark? Do I want to become a football wife? Is
designing still my dream? Or do I want to go full speed ahead with
acting? Try to become a star?

So many questions without answers gnawed at
Penny. She thought about her mother and what her advice would have
been, had she survived.
Be happy. That’s what she would have
said.
It didn’t do Penny any good, as she wasn’t sure where the
key to her happiness lay, but suspected she’d find it with Mark.
One fact became clear. Wherever she was, if Mark wasn’t with her,
all she could do was think about him.

When the plane landed, contemplating her
future took a backseat to getting along in a new country, where
most people didn’t speak English and everything from the food, to
the signs, to the environment was foreign to her. Penny huddled
together with the other actors. This time, they took her in, and
she made friends. At night, some of the actors and crew paired off.
It wasn’t that Penny didn’t have offers—she had plenty. But she
refused to get involved with any other men.

She chuckled to herself at how much Mark
Davis had wound himself around her heart. He was like a thick,
stone wall, protecting her from encroachment by other guys. She had
no interest in any man other than Mark.
If the cast wonders
about my sexual orientation, who cares? I’m here for a couple of
months. That’s all. My private life is my own business.

She threw herself into the movie with
everything she had. Her part was still a supporting role, not a
starring one, but it was meaty. She was the heroine’s best friend
and competition. It was normal to shoot fourteen-hour days, so as
not to waste a second on this expensive location. Penny worked
harder than ever. Yet, she wasn’t satisfied with her performance.
Perfection appeared to be just beyond her grasp. She couldn’t shake
a feeling of unrest.

Filming was difficult, as the weather had not
cooperated. It was cold and rainy, and Penny had to perform her
scenes without a coat or jacket. By the time the director yelled
cut, she was shivering. Takes and retakes wore her out. Then, she
ended up getting sick, delaying shooting even more.
Being sick
and alone, without someone to care for you, sucks. I need my mom, a
nurse, Mark, someone.

Although she had made good friends with two
members of the cast, she had little time for socializing. Penny was
adamant about her fidelity. She avoided bars and situations where
someone might make a pass at her. It was a lonely existence, but
one with no regrets. Before turning out the lights for the night,
Penny crossed off each day on a small calendar.

Keith pressured her to sign contracts for two
more films, but she resisted.

“Can I finish this one first, Keith, before I
decide on the next one?”

“Sign the contract. I’ll get you a month off
to recoup. Same with the third one. You’ll have three movies out in
a year and be in great demand.”

“That’s another eight months of my life,
maybe more.”

“Yeah, so? You got something better to do?
You’ll be famous.”

Maybe I do, but I’m not telling you.
“Let’s see how this one goes, before I sign on for the next.”

“They want to know now. Just sign. It’s good
money.”

“Another supporting role?”

“Yep. That’s your bread and butter, babe. The
girl who never gets the guy. You’ll make a fortune doing her part
on the big screen.”

Penny made an excuse to get rid of Keith and
put the phone away. His words hit her between the eyes.
Am I the
girl who never gets the guy? Do I want to spend my life like
her?

She boarded a plane for the States two weeks
after her talk with Keith. A ticket to Los Angeles came with plans
for publicity shots the next week. Penny had lots of time to get
ready for her next rendezvous. She leaned back in her comfortable,
first class seat and sipped champagne as she stared out the window.
The guy next to her pressed for her number.
A star isn’t rude to
fans. She’s nice. Polite. Find a nice way to tell him to shut the
hell up.

He finally fell asleep, his head lolling
dangerously close to her shoulder. Penny couldn’t rest peacefully.
She dozed in bits and woke from a bad dream or an accidental poke
from the man in the other seat. When they landed in Seattle, she
eased out from under the scrutiny of the rabid fan and made her way
to the gate for her connecting flight to Los Angeles.

As she walked through the airport, a small
billboard advertisement caught her eye. It was for insurance and
showed a man, a woman, and two children standing in the yard of her
ideal house. The pitched roof, front porch, and white picket fence
caught her eye. She stopped to stare and heard a little voice in
her head. Her eyes watered as she gazed at the picture.

They called final boarding for her flight to
L.A.

Penny looked around then directed her feet
toward the customer service counter.

****

March, Wilmington, Delaware

Mark had spent his first month in Delaware
house shopping, meeting local residents, and posing for publicity
shots. Dozens of fans dropped casseroles, cakes, or brownies on his
doorstep to welcome their newly famous neighbor. Wilmington was
abuzz about the Delaware Demons. Even southern New Jersey residents
were scooping up season tickets at a rapid rate.

Mark had been interviewed by the local
newspapers and the television and radio stations. He couldn’t go
out to dinner with his sister without being mobbed by fans and
honored by restaurants. His picture was taken and hung on the wall
at every restaurant he frequented. His fame drove Meg nuts. She
craved privacy, one thing Mark would never possess again.

He got lost a few times on the road to the
new stadium. Delaware was a picturesque state, and even when he
ended up taking a roundabout route to practice, he enjoyed the
scenery. Since everyone was new on the team, no one had formed
alliances, or a sense of ownership over their position yet. Mark
enjoyed meeting his friendly, new teammates, some who were rookies
like him, and some who were seasoned veterans.

Practice was as strenuous as it was in Las
Vegas. The coaches in Delaware were as demanding and as
foul-mouthed. Mark was right at home. Most of his teammates were
married. Some had kids. He looked forward to becoming one of the
married players. Uncertainty about Penny—when she’d be through
shooting her current movie, and if she’d give up her career to
marry him and move to Delaware—was always on his mind.
Gotta
happen. Please, God.

Mark hadn’t proposed, hadn’t wanted to demand
she choose between him and the movie business. Perhaps he’d hung
back because he was afraid she’d choose film over him. So, he
waited, trying to be patient, to hear from her that she was ready
to move on. Though he wanted to settle down with her more than
anything, those words had not been spoken yet, and his doubt about
their future together grew.

He missed her even more when it came to
setting up his new life in Delaware. Indecision gripped Mark’s guts
when it came to choosing new colors for walls or wallpaper.
Penny would know what to do
. But she wasn’t there. Penny’s
career had taken flight when the
Academy Awards
nominations
were announced, and she was among the candidates for Best
Supporting Actress. She had had three movie offers to choose from,
one paying more than the next, and none had nude scenes.

Mark had seen
The Natural Girl.
He
agreed with the
Academy
. Penny’s performance had been
perfection. But Mark knew he wasn’t a very good judge, as he was
completely, madly in love with her. Everything she did was amazing
to him. He had been almost as let down as she when she didn’t win.
She joked about it, but he could see the disappointment in her
eyes.
Like blowing the play-offs or the Super Bowl. I’d be
depressed too.

Penny had picked herself up and continued
with her contractual obligations, flying off to shoot a new movie.
Mark had sent his new address to her when he found the house. She
congratulated him, but didn’t comment on the picture he sent.
Yeah, it even has the white picket fence, baby.
He knew in
his heart no one else would do. So, he waited, distracting himself
with training, decorating, fixing up the house, and hanging out
with his sister.

Penny was still in Japan filming. She’d been
there for several months. With the time difference, Mark’s workout
schedule, learning the Demons’ playbook, and working on the house,
email between them had dwindled. Mark suspected Penny was having an
affair with a co-star, and he didn’t have the heart to find out. He
buried his breaking heart in a flurry of activity.

Megan knew what was up, but kept her mouth
shut. She loved Penny like a sister and prayed the actress would
reunite with Mark, though chances grew slimmer as time passed. Meg
and Mark didn’t talk much about Penny’s return, but they never gave
up hope, either.

“She knows my number. She has my address. I’m
not hiding. When she’s ready, she’ll come back to me,” he said,
while they worked on the house or ate dinner.

“I know, Lug. She will. She will,” Meg
agreed.

Sometimes, he’d stand at the window, looking
out at the chilly, gray March day, staring at the sea in the
distance, hoping for the sight of a taxi pulling into his drive
with Penny in the back.

****

Harley and Mark hauled groceries and cans of
paint from his SUV into the snug little house near the beach. The
comfortable, three-bedroom house had half an acre of land, an
attic, a basement, a fireplace, and a white picket fence. Mark’s
hope hadn’t died.