Once in a Blue Moon

S
he had not expected to ever see him again.

But here he was, walking through the door with Danny Archer and Carol Nieman, all three of them smiling like Cheshire cats and talking in that light, self-satisfied way that betokened the end of a deal.

Isabelle’s stomach clenched. She wanted to turn and run away, yet there was nothing she could do except stand and watch them walk across the soundstage toward her and the rest of the cast.

She recognized Michael immediately despite the fact that it had been over ten years since she’d seen him. He still walked in that intensely masculine, loose-limbed way, like an animal on the prowl; his body was still lean and powerful. And the smile flashing across his face was just as charming as ever. Charm, after all, was his stock in trade, Isabelle thought sardonically.

“Curtis Townsend,” Phil Ridley murmured beside her.

“What?” Isabelle glanced at Phil, confused.

Phil nodded toward the producer and assistant producer and the man in between them, buttressed like a prize. “I’ll lay you odds that he’s going to play Curtis Townsend. You know, the brother they keep talking about.”

“Oh.” Recent scripts had been rife with references to Mark Townsend’s brother, Curtis, a character who had left the show years before. There had been a great deal of speculation that the character was to be brought back.

Isabelle’s stomach knotted even tighter.
Surely that could not be. Surely she was not doomed to having Michael Traynor permanently around her—in the same studio twelve hours a day, seeing him in the actor’s lounge, running into him walking along the hallway, even rehearsing and acting opposite him on the set!
Panic seized her. She knew she could not bear it.

“People!” Danny Archer was speaking now into the waiting silence, smiling at the cast and crew. He loved having them all hanging on his words. “I have someone here I want you to meet. His name is Michael Traynor.” His grin broadened, and he gave a jovial little laugh. “A name I’m sure you’ve all heard of. I’m proud to say that we have managed to woo him away from New York and that other show, which shall remain nameless.” He paused for the polite murmur of laughter. “Starting next week, he is going to be our new Curtis Townsend.”

Phil cast Isabelle an arch look, raising his brows. Isabelle felt sick.
How could this be happening?
She had thought Michael safe in New York, tied by his popularity in “Eden Crossing.” She had blithely believed that she would never have to see him again, never have to face the past that lay between them.

“Let me introduce you to your castmates, Michael,” Danny continued, propelling Michael forward with a hand on his elbow. “Of course, Lena you already know.”

Michael smiled, reaching out to take her hand. “Yes. Thank you again for reading with me in the audition.”

Lena almost simpered. “It was a pleasure.” Obviously Michael hadn’t lost a bit of his charm, Isabelle thought sourly.

“This is Paul Kusorka—he plays Chase Manning. And Vivian Blair...”

They were proceeding down the line, coming ever closer to her. Isabelle knew that she would have to meet Michael face-to-face. She steeled herself. She must not let him realize how much seeing him again shook her. She would not let him have that power over her, that satisfaction.

Another thought struck her:
Would he even remember her? Recognize her?
It had been ten years, after all, and she was well aware of how much less important that summer had been to
him
than it had been to her. It would be a relief, of course, if he looked at her without recognition, with the vague, indeterminate charm of a new acquaintance—but how humiliating, as well. A painful reminder of the fact that she had been nothing but a summer fling for him, easily forgotten when he returned to New York.

She raised her chin, assuming a cool expression. She was determined not to let her face reflect any response to him, whether he remembered her or not. She would be aloof, remote, unaffected by him.

Danny and Michael were two people away now, chatting with Lyle Gordon, the director. Isabelle waited, surreptitiously wiping her sweating palm against her skirt.

Michael glanced away from Lyle and his eyes moved to Phil, then to Isabelle. She felt the full force of his magnetic blue gaze. It was hard to hide the involuntary quiver that ran through her.
God, he was handsome.

Distant memory could not prepare her for the power of his looks. He was older now, the thick black hair shorter and tamed into a more conservative style, as befitted the upright doctor that Curtis Townsend was supposed to be. But the lines in his face only added interest to his smooth good looks, the added flesh removing some of the gauntness of his prominent facial bones. His eyes held a more haunting look of experience and wisdom.

There was none of the surprise in his face that Isabelle had felt when she saw him enter the room. But there was no blankness, either; he knew her, and he had known that she would be here. Then he must have recognized her name when Danny or Carol had told him about the other cast members. Or perhaps he’d even noticed that she was on “All Our Tomorrows” before he had auditioned for the part. Obviously it made no difference to him that she was on the show. But, then, she told herself, she didn’t know why she should expect that it would. Michael Traynor no doubt felt no pain at the mention of her name; he would not flinch at the idea of working with her. A brief summer affair would not loom large in his past.

Now they were standing in front of her, and Danny was saying her name. Isabelle forced herself to smile and extend her hand to Michael. She felt so stiff, she thought her cheeks might crack.

“Hello.”

“Isabelle.”

“You two know each other?” Archer asked in surprise.

“Yes. We know each other.” Michael smiled faintly, looking into Isabelle’s face. His hand was warm around hers. She realized that she remembered exactly how his skin felt.

“We met a long time ago,” Isabelle explained coolly to Danny, “at a summer theater.” She turned to Michael, gazing challengingly into his eyes, willing herself not to notice their disturbing blueness. “I’m surprised that you remember me.”

Michael’s dark, straight brows went up at that statement. “I could hardly forget you,” he said simply.

She wished that she could say that she had forgotten him, but, of course, it would be too rude, as well as untrue. How could she forget him, when everyday she found herself looking into that same face when she gazed at her daughter?

“Of course not,” Danny agreed, grinning. “Who could forget a woman who looks like you, Isabelle?”

Isabelle gave him a perfunctory smile. “Thank you, Danny. Let’s just hope the viewers don’t.”

Behind Michael, Carol Nieman, laughed. “Hardly likely. You’re everyone’s favorite villainess, and you know it.” She cast a roguish glance at Michael. “Isabelle’s our resident man-eater, you see—Jessica Randall.”

Michael nodded. “I know.”

“Yes, of course. She’s devouring your character’s brother at the moment.”

Michael smiled at Isabelle slightly and released her hand. She hadn’t realized that he had continued to hold it until that moment; her hand was a little empty and cold now.

“I look forward to working with you.”

“Oh, I doubt we’ll have many scenes together,” Isabelle replied breezily, turning and walking away from Michael without waiting to see his expression.

She strode through the increasing crowd on the set, smiling and nodding at people, trying to look calm and unconcerned, as if she were just strolling back to her dressing room. As if she were not running away.

* * *

Isabelle closed the door of her dressing room behind her and collapsed heavily into the chair in front of her mirror. She leaned her elbows upon the vanity and rested her head on her hands.

How could this have happened?
It seemed the most appalling trick of fate. She had long ago dismissed the fear that she might meet Michael again. Why, it had been years since she had even thought about him—at least in any more than a brief, passing way. And now, to have him turn up, here on her set....

For a moment she panicked and thought of running, of packing up and taking Jenny and moving away. Then she drew a long breath and forced herself to calm down. That was ridiculous; she couldn’t overturn her life and run simply because an old boyfriend had appeared. And that’s all he was, she reminded herself: an old boyfriend. Someone who had once, for a brief summer, had a place in her life and who no longer did.

It was not a disaster. Other women had old lovers re-appear in their lives; why, here among the relatively small acting world of L.A., some women had to face their ex’s all the time, even right after they had split up. At least she had had ten years for the wounds to heal before she had to face Michael again.

Isabelle raised her head and looked at herself in the mirror. She didn’t like what she saw: the frown line between her eyes, the vulnerable mouth, the anxiety looming in her eyes. She looked like a victim, she thought, and she was determined never to be that, never to think of herself that way. Those horrible, pain-filled two years after Michael left her were a thing of the past; she was not the frightened, lonely girl she had been then. She had taken control of her life; she had gone after what she wanted; she had taken care of herself and of Jenny—so well, in fact, that most people would be envious of her life now.

She ought to thank Michael for what he had done, really; it had enabled her to be the person she was now. Sometimes she wondered if she would ever have had the strength or the nerve to have packed up and come to L.A., to pit herself against the terrible odds of becoming a successful actress, if Michael had not left her. The odds were, she knew, that she would not have done what she did, that she would have become merely an appendage of him.

And she was
not
going to sink back into being a frightened young woman simply because he had shown up again. Isabelle drew another deep breath, willing her face into lines of tranquility, forcing the fear from her eyes, firming her mouth.
There, that was better.

Isabelle turned from the mirror and settled down to consider her situation. She did not like the idea of being on the same show with Michael. But there was little hope of his leaving anytime soon, not after Danny had just hired him—and with such obvious pride. Danny considered getting Michael away from “Eden Crossing” a tremendous coup; she could tell by the way he was crowing about him. “Eden” was, after all, the most successful daytime soap, whereas “All Our Tomorrows” had been the perennial runner-up, ;ns1 in its time slot, but ;ns2 overall to “Eden.” Everyone knew that that fact chafed Danny; no doubt he was hopeful that with the added attraction of Michael Traynor, their show would overtake “Eden” in the ratings. Indeed, he was probably right. Whatever Isabelle might feel about Michael Traynor, he was one of the most popular actors on daytime television, and his presence might be just the impetus they needed to push “Tomorrows” over the top.

If anyone left, if would have to be her, and Isabelle knew that she did not want to go. The show had made her very popular, and she enjoyed playing her character. Besides, the money was good, and though she could in all likelihood get a part that paid as well on another soap, she could not be absolutely sure. And with a child like Jenny, financial security was very important. Jenny would always have to have someone to look after her to some extent. That was why Isabelle kept salting away a big hunk of her salary into Jenny’s trust fund every year.

Nor was it only the security of money that Jenny required. She needed to stay in the same house with the same housekeeper to pick her up from school each day, and her mother to spend regular time with her. Isabelle could not take a job on one of the soaps shooting in New York nor could she be in a movie that spent months shooting on location. Even a nighttime series required more time away from home than Isabelle wanted to spend. That was why the “Tomorrows” role was so perfect. “Tomorrows” was probably the best organized, best-run production in town; shooting was scheduled so that one’s scenes were all together on certain days, with the result that even the most popular actors, such as Isabelle, worked only three or four days a week. It wasn’t like other shows she had been in where she might have to be at the set all day only to shoot a scene or two. Isabelle was often able to be home with Jenny two afternoons a week after school, as well as on the weekends.

Besides, she enjoyed her role on “Tomorrows.” She liked the cast and crew, and the writers and directors were good. All in all, she did not want to give up her part on it.

And there was no reason why she should, Isabelle told herself firmly. She would be acting like a schoolgirl if she left the show simply to get away from Michael Traynor.
After all, what could happen?
It wasn’t as if she were in danger of being hurt by him again. No, she had learned her lesson the first time. She had gotten over him long ago, and she intended to stay that way. And she was old enough and wise enough now that he could not charm her into loving him against her better wishes.

Moreover, she doubted that he would try. Why should Michael be interested in her? She was only a girl he had had a brief fling with one summer; she obviously had not meant much to him, given how easily he had left her. If he were, by some chance, attracted to her again, all she had to do was let him know that she was not interested, and he would drop the matter. It wasn’t as if he had seduced or forced her the first time; she had fallen willingly into his arms. Michael had never pushed her; she had to give him that. He could get any number of women he wanted, after all; he didn’t have to pursue or push.

Surely she was adult enough to handle having to see him around the set, Isabelle told herself, even to play a scene with him now or then. It was unlikely that they would be together in many scenes. Her character, the wicked Jessica, had her hooks in Mark Townsend, the brother of the character Michael would play. And obviously, from his having auditioned with Lena, the writers intended to kindle a romance between Lena’s character, Abby, and his.