Page 2 of Cinematic Destinies (Red Carpet Romance #3)

“ E lla, where are you?” Finn called.

“Georgia’s room.”

Finn bounded upstairs and found Ella standing in a flowing yellow sundress, arranging a bouquet of colorful wildflowers.

He came up behind her, slipped one hand around her waist, and moved her long spiral curls over before planting a delicate kiss on her shoulder.

“Hi, love,” he whispered. “Those are pretty.”

“Wildflowers for Georgia, white roses for Betty, and daisies for our sweet Albert,” she said.

“I know it’s only a long weekend, but I’m so excited they’re all coming.

We’re hardly together as a family anymore.

They’ll all be busy over the summer, and who knows when we’ll be together again. So, I wanted to make things special.”

“Come here,” he said, turning her to face him. “You always make everything special.” He ran his finger along her hairline and kissed her softly.

“I worry about them, you know,” she said.

“Why, love? They’re all fine.”

“Betty works such long hours. Seems she’s always at the hospital and she only ever mentions one friend.

I don’t think she dates at all. Must be lonely in New York City on her own.

” Ella stopped and shook her head. “When she was little, she always looked out for her siblings and other younger children. Now she spends all her time taking care of others, and I worry about who will take care of her.”

“She used to be such a romantic at heart. Don’t you remember how obsessed she was with fairy-tale movies and stories? She’d refuse to leave the house without her wand and tiara.”

“And the princess dresses. Heavens, she would throw a fit if I wouldn’t let her wear one. And now . . .”

“Now?” Finn asked.

“It’s like she’s lost that part of herself, her romantic nature. She’s become so serious. All work and no play.”

“Medical school was a huge undertaking. Now she’s dealing with the demands of her residency, but eventually she’ll make time for other things,” he assured her.

“Finn, do you really think life just waits for us? Love is inconvenient. It doesn’t oblige our schedules. It requires an open heart and I’m just not sure if . . .”

“Hey,” he whispered, stroking her cheek. “She’ll find her way.”

“I worry about Albert too. My shy, quiet, gentle Albert. He must get lonely, all the way on the other side of the country. We’ve always been so close, but lately when we FaceTime, I can’t tell if he’s happy. I look into his soft blue eyes and . . .” She trailed off.

“He’s just a late bloomer. I know you were hoping he’d move back home after school, but going to Boston was good for him.

The animation classes he’s taking this summer along with his art degree will open a lot of doors.

It’s good for him to explore different ways to use his talent.

More importantly, he’s finding out who he is. ”

“I hope so.” She glanced over at the vase. “Then there’s our little wildflower, Georgia. She spends her life flitting from one place to the next, no roots, no real home base, one casual lover after the other.”

“Sounds like someone I know, my bohemian bride,” he said with a chuckle.

“Don’t start with that.”

“Ella, you and Georgia have always been so much alike. It’s why you’re at odds sometimes. She inherited your sense of humor, free spirit, wanderlust. The universe was damn clear because she’s even your spitting image.”

“Don’t blame me. You’re the actor. She’s following in your footsteps.”

“Baby, she’s just adventurous. That comes from you.

It’s one of the things I fell in love with.

Remember in the beginning how afraid you were of truly giving yourself to me?

You were terrified I’d try to tame you, when all I wanted in the world was to love you.

” Finn took her face in both his hands and leaned his forehead against hers, lingering for a long intimate moment.

He pulled back and kissed her passionately, weaving his fingers into her hair.

“That’s still all I want, to love you,” he whispered, nibbling on her earlobe.

Ella wrapped her arms around him and softly said, “Love me right now. Take me to our room.”

BETTY WALKED INTO THE RESIDENTS’ LOUNGE, chugging a bottle of water.

“Hey, you’re still here?” Khalil asked, sitting up from the bench he was sprawled out on.

“The delivery took forever. I felt sorry for the mother. But when she held her newborn, she seemed to forget all about the labor,” Betty replied, tossing her empty bottle in the recycling bin and opening her locker.

“Best part of OB-GYN, right? We get to be a part of a lot of happy endings,” he said.

She smiled. “Or happy beginnings, really. What are you still doing here? Didn’t your shift end hours ago?”

“Oh, uh, just thought I’d stick around a bit,” he stammered.

“Suit yourself,” she said with a shrug.

Khalil watched as Betty stretched her arms, extending her tall, lean frame. She pulled the scrunchie out of her hair, releasing wavy blonde locks down to the middle of her back, and took a small roller suitcase out of her locker.

“You must be looking forward to seeing your family,” he remarked.

She nodded. “My folks have been asking us to visit for so long. I feel bad because I do miss them, but you know what our lives are like. No time for anything.”

“Yeah, we’ve really got to find a way to have a life,” he muttered.

“Georgia’s probably gonna be going on and on about her next film and whatever rando she’s been sleeping with.

She dates guys for like five minutes. Honestly, I don’t see the point.

I’d rather just be at home soaking in a warm bath doing a crossword.

” Khalil took a breath like he was going to respond, but she continued, “So, do you have big plans this weekend? Finally going to catch a Broadway play?”

He shook his head. “Doing a double. Figured without you here to kick my ass in Scrabble and overindulge on international takeout, I might as well get in the extra hours.”

She smiled and started toward the door, wheeling her suitcase behind her.

“You’re leaving straight from here?” he asked.

“Uh-huh. I brought my stuff just in case. Figured I might not have time to go home,” she replied.

“Don’t you want to change into street clothes?”

“No time,” Betty said. “My dad sent his jet, and I’m already barely going to make the departure time. We’re stopping in Boston on the way to LA to pick up my brother, so I can’t be late.”

“Well, if anyone can rock blue scrubs and black clogs, it’s you,” Khalil said.

She laughed. “It wouldn’t faze them, they’re used to me, but I’ll change on the jet.”

“Have a nice weekend.”

“You too.”

“Betty,” he called, before she made it out the door. She turned to face him and raised her eyebrows. “When you get back, Scrabble and takeout? We could try that new Indian place.”

“Sure,” she replied. “Sounds great. Bye.”

“Bye.”

ALBERT SCOOPED UP HIS NOTEBOOKS AND colored pencils and stuck them in his laptop bag.

“Don’t forget your headphones. For the plane,” Ryan said, gesturing to the table.

“Thanks,” Albert replied, sticking the headphones in the side pouch of his suitcase. “Listen, I gotta go. My ride’s outside.”

“Wait,” Ryan said.

“My sister is pretty uptight. She’ll be upset if I’m late for the flight.”

“Please,” he said, grazing Albert’s hand and looking straight into his blue eyes. “Just sit with me for a minute. I’m sorry about last night and . . .”

“I really can’t be late,” Albert muttered, averting his gaze.

Ryan sighed. He extended his hand and implored, “Please, just give me a minute.”

Albert reluctantly sat on the couch but kept his hands in his lap.

“What I said last night came out all wrong. I didn’t mean it to sound like an ultimatum. But you’ve always said you’re really close with your parents. Your mother already knows, and you said she completely accepts you. If you’d only tell your father then . . .”

“You don’t understand.”

“Then explain it to me.”

Albert ran his hand through his sideswept ash-brown hair and took a deep breath.

“My dad’s a movie star, a leading man. And .

. . he and my mom have this iconic love story.

He proposed to her in front of the whole world, like it was nothing.

They even named me after Albie Hughes, you know, the famous actor, and . . .”

“What?” Ryan asked.

“I don’t want to disappoint anyone, that’s all. I’m different from them and maybe I just want to fit in.”

“Can’t you fit in being yourself?”

“I’m . . . I’m not ready. I understand if you don’t want to hang out anymore. Please lock up when you go back to your place. I’m sorry, I have to go,” he said, rising. He opened the apartment door, and Ryan called to him.

“Al, you spend so much time drawing superheroes. Maybe it’s time to be the hero of your own story. You deserve that. You deserve to be who you are. We all do.”

“Yeah,” he whispered, gently closing the door behind him.

“FUCK, WHERE’S MY OTHER SHOE?” Georgia yelped, searching the floor, wearing only a G-string.

“Come back to bed, baby.”

“I can’t,” she said, looking under the couch.

“You’ve got a great ass. Bring it back over here.”

“Ah, here it is!” she exclaimed, holding up the brown leather sandal. “For a minute I thought I’d have to drive all the way to LA barefoot.”

She stepped into the sandals and slipped her short sundress over her head, her long light brown spiral curls flowing freely down her back.

“Oh, come on, baby. Don’t cover up that smoking bod. Just one more round.”

“Can’t,” she said, leaning down to give him a quick smooch. “My folks are expecting me. They all think I’m flighty as it is. My siblings are traveling from across the country, so if I’m the one who’s late, well, pretty much proves their point.”

“What if I promise to make you squeal?” he teased, extending his tattooed arms.

“Sorry, but I gotta bolt,” Georgia said with a giggle, leaning down again to give him one more peck. She ran her finger above the piercing over his eyebrow and said, “Have a great summer. Good luck with your band.”

“Wait. When will you be back in San Fran?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know, like maybe never. After LA I’ll be abroad for the summer making a movie. Then, who knows. Maybe I’ll go to New York to do theater again. Or maybe I’ll take a break. I’d love to live in Tahiti or somewhere tropical for a while.”

“You know where to find me,” he said with a devilish glint in his eyes.

She smiled, revealing the dimples in her heart-shaped face, grabbed her slouchy hobo bag, and left.

“THAT WAS AMAZING,” FINN WHISPERED, rolling beside Ella, his body still trembling. He gently swept his fingers from her brow to her cheekbone. “You are so beautiful. When I look into those piercing green eyes, I don’t ever want to look away.”

“You’re the most handsome man I’ve ever seen, my love,” she said, kissing him softly.

“I’m an old man,” he said with a chuckle. “I’m lucky you still want me.”

“You just get sexier and sexier,” she insisted, running her fingers through his salt-and-pepper hair and across the lines fanning out from his sea-colored eyes. “You are my everything, now and forever.”

“And you’re mine,” he whispered, squeezing her shoulder and planting a tiny kiss on the tip of her nose. He stared adoringly at her as if searching for the words to express how he was feeling, and eventually said, “Marry me, Ella.”

She giggled and said, “Maybe you’re getting senile after all. We’re already married.”

Finn laughed. “Our thirtieth anniversary is coming up this fall. Let’s renew our vows. There’s nothing that would make me happier than marrying you again. Say yes.”

“Yes,” she said, smiling brightly. She lifted his hand and sprinkled little kisses on his fingers.

He pulled her closer and she settled against him. “I know you always worry about when we can get the family together. We can tell the kids this weekend to mark their calendars. Just an intimate celebration of our life and love, here in our home, where we got married.”

“That sounds perfect,” Ella said. She smiled, but it quickly evaporated, and her gaze fell downward. “I just wish . . .”

He lifted her chin until her eyes met his. “What is it, love?”

“The children. I want them to have all that life has to offer. To live and love with gusto. Like we’ve tried to do, but each in their own way.”

“I want that too.”

“I know you don’t think I should worry . . .”

“You’re an extraordinary mother. I love how you know them, how you look out for them. But we have to trust the job we did. They’re okay.”

“I hope so.”

“All we can do is live and love with everything we have. Allow them to see the example we set.”

“Sometimes I think their choices reflect their desire to be different from us, no matter the cost. Especially Georgia. She worships you, but . . .”

“Hey,” Finn said, caressing her shoulder. “She loves you fiercely. It’s just that you’re so much alike, whether you two see it or not, and she craves independence. Autonomy.”

Ella sighed.

“Come here,” he said, guiding her head to his chest and wrapping her in his strong arms. “Right now, just be with me.”

“Always, my love.”