Love After War (13 page)

She paused and stared into his eyes. “Why do I feel like there's a
but
coming?”

Adrian tilted his head to the side and started to tell her what the
but
was, but he knew the main thing he needed to do was get her upstairs in that hotel room so he could kiss her without the prying eyes of security cameras or Imani.

Too late. “Dana,” she called out. “Where have you been?”

Dana raised her eyebrow as Adrian wrapped his arm around her waist, as if he were bracing for Hurricane Imani.

Adrian glanced at the man standing beside her; he looked as if he wanted nothing more than to go upstairs and go to sleep. How in the hell did he deal with this woman? Actresses were his least favorite people in the world, because they always seemed to have to be on. Imani, he'd surmised, was no different.

Imani cut her eyes at Adrian and then sidled up to Dana. “You're kind of losing your mind. Ian was looking for you.”

“Did he sober up any?”

Imani held her index fingers a few inches apart. “But how drunk are you?”

“We'll talk later,” she said, glancing over her shoulder at Adrian. He kissed her on the back of her neck.

“In other words, we'll see you in the morning,” Adrian said, then offered Imani a sly grin. Just as she was about to respond to him, the man Adrian assumed was her husband grasped her elbow.

“Good night, adults,” he said, looking pointedly at Imani. “Let's go.”

Imani glanced at Dana and Adrian, then turned to her husband. “Whatever,” she whispered, and followed him inside without another word.

Adrian made a mental note to send that man a case of his favorite drink.

“We should go too,” Adrian said to Dana. “Since you have work to do and I want to distract you.”

She shook her head and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. “Let's go.” They dashed inside and decided to take the stairs to her room rather than wait for the elevator. Adrian took the steps two at a time and Dana laughed while struggling to keep up.

“Slow down,” she said, pretending to be out of breath. “I'm going to be so tired when I get to the room that I'm going straight to sleep.”

He stopped, turned around, and scooped her up into his arms. “I don't think so.”

With Dana in his arms, Adrian bounded up the remaining steps until they reached her floor.

“Whew,” he said.

“Hey! No one told you to play Mr. Fireman.”

“There's a hose joke in there but I'm going to let that go.”

Dana burst out laughing as he lowered her to the floor so that she could open the door. “Remember, I need to do a little work.”

“Fine, I'll order room service since we didn't get to eat at my place. Well, food anyway.”

She glanced at him over her shoulder as she crossed to her laptop. “You are so bad,” she said as he perused the menu. Booting her computer, Dana plugged the memory card from her camera in and Adrian took notice of a picture that had nothing to do with Hollywood or the movies. It was Elliot Crawford. She didn't notice Adrian glaring at the screen over her shoulder as she edited a picture of Elliot and his granddaughter standing in front of the construction site. He got a brief view of some of the protesters standing behind the grandfather and granddaughter. Elliot looked like he was pointing out points of architecture to the little girl.

As if she understands what the hell he's saying. I wonder if that baby understands that the man holding her is a lying asshole.
Adrian turned away from the picture, feeling ridiculous because he was jealous of a baby. He crossed over to the balcony doors and opened them. Taking a deep breath, he questioned his plan to bring his father down. His mother's final wish hadn't been for war; she wanted him to know who his father was and possibly get to know him. Looking back at Dana as she plugged away on the computer, he smiled, then turned his eyes upward to the sky.

“You're behind this, aren't you,” he whispered to the heavens. “She brings out the best in me. You've always said that.” Adrian sighed. He'd been so angry that he had allowed his emotions to take him down a dark road. Now he was regretting what he'd done to Solomon. His brother wasn't his enemy and he shouldn't have set up that photo. Just as he was about to reach for his cell phone, he felt Dana's arms wrap around his waist.

“Room service just arrived. What are you doing out here?”

“Thinking, talking to Mom, and thanking God that you came back to me.” He turned around and kissed Dana on the forehead.

“Adrian.”

“Listen,” he said, cutting her off. “I made the biggest mistake of my life when I made you believe that I was with those women. I should've been open and honest with you about how I was feeling.”

“Adrian, that's the past, but if we're going to have a future, you have to be honest with me about everything.” She stroked his cheek. “Come on, let's eat and crawl into bed.”

The next morning, Dana woke up nestled in Adrian's arms and she didn't want to move an inch. The heat of his body felt so delicious and comfortable.
Just five more minutes,
she thought as she snuggled closer to him. He brushed his lips against her neck and she smiled. “I thought you were sleeping,” she said as she felt the hard thickness of his erection against her bottom.

“Sleep is overrated,” he whispered, then nibbled her ear.

Dana wanted to give in to the passion, to the heat and desire bubbling inside her belly, but she had to pull out of his embrace.

“I have to shower and get to work,” she groaned. “I have to meet with Lois from the publicity department for breakfast.”

“Lois can eat without you,” he said, stroking her hip. “Take the day off.”

“Says the man who works all night.” She reluctantly moved his hand from her hip. “The sooner I finish with this meeting, the sooner we can link up and get right back into bed.”

He gently bit her shoulder. “How much longer are you going to be working on this assignment?”

“Well, technically today is my last day. But I was going to start on a new project, something more personal to me.”

Adrian propped up on his elbows. “What's that?”

“My photo book. I want to look at more than the glamour and glitz of Hollywood and Broadway.”

“So this means you're going to be in LA for an extended period of time, huh? How much of that time do I get?”

She turned around and faced him, tilting her head to the side. “Well, I've been trying to figure that out myself. Do I have a reason to spend more time with you?”

Adrian chuckled as he took her right hand and placed it on his hardness. “Here's one reason.” Then he took her hand and placed it against his chest. “But here's the main reason. You can't take my heart to New York and if you leave me again, it's going to break.”

Dana shook her head. “Cute but corny, Mr. Bryant. I could stay, but I know I don't want to spend the next few weeks in a hotel.”

“I know exactly where you can stay,” he said.

“Will there be omelets?”

“Every day.”

She kissed him and hopped out of bed. “Then I guess I'll be staying in LA. And I don't want to hear one word about my bike.”

Adrian groaned and flipped over on his stomach. “I still don't think that thing is safe. Especially since you have this need for speed.”

Dana grabbed her toiletries from the dresser and turned to Adrian. “Explain this to me—if you're so worried about my need for speed, what was the purpose of buying me a Corvette?”

“Four wheels instead of two,” he said matter-of-factly. “I know motorcycles are your thing, so I'm going to try and accept it.”

“I appreciate that because you don't have much choice in the matter, sweetheart.” She dashed into the bathroom before Adrian could muster a reply.

Sitting up in the bed, he listened for the shower to start. When he heard the water going full blast, Adrian picked up his cell phone and called Elliot.

“Son,” the older man said, forgoing a hello. “I have to say this is a surprise.”

“Are you always so damned smug?” Adrian gritted out.

“I hope you didn't call me for an argument.”

Adrian sighed. “No, I didn't. I want to meet with you. We should talk. Face-to-face.”

“When would you like to meet, Adrian? We have a lot that we need to discuss and clear up.”

“Yes, we do. I have some time this morning around eleven. Where would you like to meet?”

“There's a Japanese restaurant on Wilshire— Takami Sushi and Robata. We can meet there at noon.” Adrian wasn't going to allow Elliot to schedule what time they'd meet. He'd been waiting on his father for years, Elliot could wait for him now.

“That works for me,” he said. “I'll see you there.”

Adrian ended the call at the precise moment that Dana finished her shower. If he left when she did, he'd have time to go home, shower, and mentally prepare himself to forgive his father. Dana walked out of the bathroom wrapped in a white towel and all Adrian wanted to do was pull the towel from her body and make love to her for the rest of his life.

The rest of his life. That's how long he wanted to be with Dana. And in order for him to be with her and love her the way she deserved, he had to bury his anger and hatred toward his father. Maybe there would come a time when he'd think of Elliot as family. Maybe making peace with him today would be the first step in the right direction. He couldn't help but wonder if his father would apologize for what he did to his mother. That's what hurt Adrian the most, the fact that his mother died thinking of a man who seemingly didn't give a damn about her.

Thinking about Pamela's last day wasn't helping him.

“Adrian? Did you hear me?” Dana asked, snapping him back to reality.

“No, what did you say?”

Dana rolled her eyes. “I asked if you wanted to meet for dinner around seven.”

“That's fine. Do you think you can meet me at the club? I have to go over my books, and since we're closed tonight, this is the best time.”

“All right,” she said. “I'll pick up some takeout and Starbucks.”

Adrian climbed out of bed and crossed over to her. She had pulled on a pair of black lace boy shorts and a matching bra. Damn, how had he missed that? She looked delicious. Those hips were calling his hands. He heeded that call and pulled her into his arms. “Do you really have to put clothes on and leave?”

“Yes.” She leaned back against his chest, not wanting to leave at all. “And if you don't let me go, it's going to be that much harder for me to leave.”

He thrust his hips into her backside. “It's already hard, baby.”

Dana pulled away from him. “Hold that thought until I get off work and I will make it worth your while.”

He winked at her. “I know you will.”

Dana quickly dressed, grabbed her camera, and gave Adrian a slow smoldering kiss, then dashed out the door. Once he was alone, Adrian started thinking about his father again. Would he get the answers his inner little boy needed? Did Elliot think Adrian wasn't good enough for him to love? Adrian pulled his clothes on, shaking his head. “I don't have time for this.” He headed to his car and drove home so that he could shower and make it to the restaurant.

“I hope I'm doing the right thing, Mama,” he said as he grabbed his jacket and walked out the door.

 

 

When Dana arrived at the studio, she was surprised to see Ian there. He was sporting a pair of dark shades and a New Orleans Saints hat.

“Hi,” Dana said.

Ian nodded. “Thank you for last night. I got my bike this morning.”

“Looks like you got more than that. A bad hangover as well, huh?”

Ian nodded. “Bradley Cooper made millions from pretending to feel as bad as I do.”

“Why were you drinking so much on what should've been one of the best nights of your career?” Dana asked as they took a seat at the empty service table.

Ian removed his glasses, revealing his red-rimmed eyes. “Wasn't the smartest move I've ever made. But I'm glad you were there to keep me from making a total fool of myself.”

“So were you looking for a date or a babysitter?”

Ian smirked. “I guess that's a fair question. Maybe I knew your heart wasn't in it,” he said, then slid a copy of the
Times
across the table. Dana looked down at the paper and saw that photographers had captured her and Adrian leaving the movie premiere on Ian's motorcycle. Beside the picture of Dana and Adrian was the photo of Solomon Crawford taking a slap from Heather Williams. Dana didn't bother to read the story; the headline said it all: M
ORE
D
RAMA THAN THE
M
OVIE
.

Ian shrugged. “I guess he won.”

“It was never a competition,” she replied. “I think you're a nice guy and maybe in a different time and place we would've worked. But . . .”

“As the cliché goes, the heart wants what the heart wants. And if I'm honest, I shouldn't even try to bring anyone else into my mess of a life.”

“So, last night wasn't an isolated incident?”

Ian shook his head. “Best-kept secret in Hollywood,” he said with a wistful smile. “I thought about it when I woke up in a pile of my puke. This can't go on. So, since my next film doesn't start shooting for a while, I'm going to check into a program so that the next time the right woman comes along, I'll be ready for her.”

“That's good for you,” Dana said. “How are you going to keep this quiet?”

He smiled and shrugged. “I think that's what this meeting is about this morning. Do you realize the power you have on people?”

“What do you mean?”

“Dana, I've had this problem for a while and I've paid women off to keep it quiet and so far I've been lucky. No rumors, no stories leaked to the press. But last night, I saw something when you looked at me and I was ashamed of myself.”

“Ian, we all have faults and I'm far from perfect. I hope you're doing this for you and not—”

“Oh, I am doing this for me. I'm finally ready to accept my faults and fix it.”

Dana reached across the table and hugged him. “I'm happy for you and I'm going to be rooting for you.”

“I'm guessing by the time I get my act together, you and the guy on the back of my bike will be off into the sunset.” Ian stroked her arm as they parted.

“It just wasn't our time,” she said.

He brushed his fingers across her smooth cheek as Lois approached them. “What does Er ykah Badu say? Maybe next lifetime?”

Before Dana could respond to Ian, Lois jumped into the conversation. “Sorry for the delay, Dana,” she said. “Because of Ian's decision to go into rehab, we need to show him in a better setting, you know. So people won't assume that he was drinking and riding.”

Dana nodded. “I see some great photos with Ian in a suit.”

“Hey,” he said. “Do I get a say in this?”

Lois laughed. “Absolutely not. I love the idea. Maybe we can get a few with his shirt open as well?”

Ian turned toward Lois and shook his head with a sly smile. “That sounds even better.”

“Then let's get started,” Dana said as she reached for her camera bag.

Adrian arrived at the restaurant five minutes late. He spotted his father sitting at the bar sipping on what looked like water. Crossing over to him, Adrian felt like a little boy. He steeled himself when he reached the old man.

“Fa—Elliot.”

“Good to see you, son,” he said.

Adrian's body tensed when the older man called him son.
You're here to make peace. He is your father. At some point, you're going to accept that.
“Let's get a table,” Adrian said.

Elliot rose to his feet and waved for a waiter. “We're ready,” he told the man when he approached them.

“Very well, sir. Follow me.” The waiter led them to a semiprivate table in the back of the restaurant. Adrian glanced out at the Los Angeles skyline. The sun bathed the city in gold and he took it as a sign that his mother was smiling, seeing the two men she loved together.

Once they'd ordered their drinks and Elliot waved the waiter away, Adrian looked directly into his father's face. He searched for more similarities between them. The eyes were the same. They had a similar complexion, and their lips were shaped the same.

“Do you have something you want to say?” Elliot picked up his glass and sipped his tonic water.

“My mother really loved you. She thought about you often, I've discovered.”

“If circumstances had been different, your mother and I would've been happy together. Pamela was the light of my life.”

Adrian narrowed his eyes at Elliot. “Then why didn't you marry her?”

“Things were very complicated. I didn't love Cynthia as a man should love his wife. She was a cold woman and I was a means to an end for her and she was for me as well. I'm ashamed to say that I married her for the money.”

Adrian shook his head, wondering how his mother could love a man this heartless. “Once you had all the money you wanted, you could've left,” Adrian replied, wishing he'd asked for something stronger than strawberry lemonade.

“Cynthia wanted children and she wanted a family. We had a contract. If I left, I'd lose everything and I wouldn't have been able to support you and your mother financially.”