Twelve
THE FLIGHT TO LOS ANGELES WENT SMOOTHLY, AND NOW JENNY watched from the backstage wings of the Tonight Show set as her husband hurried their boys into seats near the front of the audience section. The premiere for Unlocked was set for tomorrow night, but first Bailey would appear with Brandon Paul on the talk show—an opportunity that had only come up yesterday.
Ricky turned back to Jim and said something, probably about wanting to be near the aisle. Whatever the concern, Jim positioned himself in the middle of the boys and with a calm look and gentle mannerisms he put an end to the discussion and got everyone seated. Jim saved a seat for her, right next to him. She had promised Bailey she’d stay with her until the show was about to start — or at least until Brandon Paul arrived. They had fifteen minutes until show time, so Jenny hoped Brandon would hurry.
For now, Bailey was changing her clothes, getting into an outfit she had brought with her. Jenny studied the full auditorium and shook her head, amazed. Dear Lord, You sure have given us a crazy life … a life we love, of course. But still … so crazy. She thought about the times they’d spent watching Jim coach the Indianapolis Colts, and how often he’d been shown on a national TV screen. Then the thought that Bailey would be chosen to star opposite Brandon, and now this. Please, Father, let her shine for You. And let people see You when she’s on the Tonight Show. This isn’t about her or about our family …
It was an opportunity to be a light to the world — that’s what Jenny and Jim talked about with Bailey on the flight here. But no question there was added interest when the producers of the Tonight Show figured out Bailey was the daughter of a successful NFL football coach. Talk show hosts liked that sort of thing.
Bailey came up behind her. “Okay …” she sounded nervous. “How do I look?”
The vision Bailey made took Jenny’s breath. “Honey, … you look stunning.” Bailey wore a sea-blue dress with short sleeves and a modest skirt that came to her knees. The dress was cut close to her body, but not in a way that was suggestive.
“Really? You like it?” Her doubts made her sound younger than she was. “You’re sure this is the right color? I brought another one …”
“No.” Jenny smiled and gave her daughter’s hand a squeeze. “This is perfect. You’ve never looked more beautiful.”
A woman in a black pencil skirt walked up and checked her notepad. “Bailey Flanigan?”
“Yes?” Bailey turned.
“Time for makeup.” She smiled at Jenny. “You’re Mom?”
“Yes.” Jenny wasn’t sure if they’d let her tag along. “Can I watch?”
“Certainly.” Again she smiled. “We’re pretty low key back here. As long as you make it out to your seat before the show starts.”
Back in the makeup room, Jenny sat off to the side and watched. She could hardly believe this was her little girl — all grown up and ready to take on the world. Something about the combination of the dress and the way her hair fell around her face as the makeup artist curled it … Bailey looked like a classic beauty, the sort of timeless superstar the world would love to elevate to cover-girl status. Jenny was grateful again that this wasn’t the life Bailey wanted. No matter what sort of impression she made tonight, no paparazzi would follow her back home to Bloomington.
A commotion sounded in the room behind her, and she heard the familiar voice of Brandon Paul. She turned just as he hurried into the makeup area. “Where is she? Where’s my Bailey?”
The woman doing Bailey’s hair had a thick hot curling iron near her face, so she didn’t move. But she waved her hand. “Here … I’m in here.”
Brandon saw Jenny first, and he jogged the last few steps to close the distance between them. “Jenny!” He hugged her for a long time. “I’ve missed you so much! I’m definitely coming back to Bloomington.” He pulled back and searched her eyes in a hurry. “That’s okay, right? I mean, you’re my family away from the insanity of Hollywood.”
“Of course, it’s okay.” Jenny loved the energy Brandon brought into a room. No wonder he was becoming even more of a household name. He had a way of lighting up the silver screen the same way he lit up a room. From what producers of his next picture said, his acting ability had gotten even stronger. Jenny figured that had something to do with the new depth she saw in his eyes, the result of his ever-increasing faith.
He moved to Bailey’s side and waited until the makeup artist released the curl from the iron. Then she stood and the two of them hugged for a long time, so long that again Jenny didn’t have to wonder what Brandon’s feelings were for Bailey. He cared for her very much. Jenny had always believed Brandon might even be in love with Bailey. But nothing would ever come of it. Not as long as Brandon lived and worked in Los Angeles.
As they pulled apart, Brandon looked her up and down. “You are absolutely gorgeous, Bailey Flanigan. Wait till the public gets a look at you.” He winked at her and took the makeup chair beside her. “They’ll talk about how I’m your co-star. It’ll be, ‘Brandon who?’” He laughed, completely teasing her.
“You haven’t changed.” Bailey didn’t look nervous. She never had been around Brandon. Maybe because they were such good friends with the Baxters — and the Baxters’ oldest son was Dayne Matthews — one of the most famous actors to ever grace a movie screen. Or maybe because her father worked around famous athletes all the time. Whatever it was, Jenny loved her daughter’s level-headedness. It was like Jim always said: There wouldn’t be autograph lines in heaven. Might as well not get used to all the attention here on earth.
“The minute one of my guys starts believing all the adoration, he’s done,” Jim had said a number of times. “Fame destroys the people who believe it.”
Bailey certainly didn’t believe it. Even now Jenny knew her enough to know she was playing a role … the role of budding new actress, thrilled to be starring opposite Brandon Paul in the anticipated smash hit Unlocked. The truth was, she was a girl from Bloomington who loved God and her family and who saw Brandon Paul as a friend, not a celebrity. For that reason, she would be calm once she took the set of the Tonight Show, and she would shine for all the world to see.
Jenny had no doubt whatsoever.
HER SPOT ON THE TONIGHT SHOW was slated for fifteen minutes, and Bailey had no idea how she’d fill that much time on national television. The makeup session was over, and they were being set up with hidden microphones. Then one of the production staff led them to the wings, and they waited for the cue. The band played the intro music, and the host welcomed her and Brandon to the set.
Though they walked out together, they didn’t hold hands — the way Brandon suggested. “We can’t give the magazines any fuel,” Bailey giggled with him backstage.
“Even if I want them to talk?” Brandon looked like a little boy asking for his favorite Christmas toy.
“Even then.” Bailey wagged her finger at him, playfully.
Almost as soon as they sat down and made it through introductions, the host ran the trailer for their movie. Bailey had seen it twenty times, easily, but it still choked her up. The movie would bring hope and healing to a generation who needed it—and with God’s help the message would cause people to be kinder to others. Something desperately important for their culture. When the trailer finished, the host bantered a little with Brandon, asking if there was anything to the rumors about him and Bailey.
For a second, Bailey worried that Brandon might tease that yes, there was something to it. But instead he allowed his smile to fall off a little, and he gave Bailey a longing look. “I wish I could say there was, Jay, but truthfully … Bailey’s my friend.” He paused. “Her family introduced me to Jesus while I was on set in Bloomington.”
The Jesus comment made the host nervous, and he made a lame joke about whether Jesus wanted his autograph when they met. But Bailey couldn’t keep from beaming at her friend. Here on national television with all the world watching, as easily as he might’ve talked about surfing or hiking or any other new part of his life, Brandon Paul was talking about Jesus. She couldn’t wait to hug him later.
The discussion of Brandon’s faith turned the interview back to Bailey, and the fact that she was the daughter of Jim Flanigan, NFL coach. “Your father’s always had a strong faith, he’s always shared that with his players, wouldn’t you say?”
“Definitely.” Bailey felt more relaxed than she had all day. She smiled, and she could feel the way her eyes sparkled. “My mom and dad built our family on faith in God. It’s the most important part of our lives.” There. She’d done it. She’d found a way to work her faith into the conversation without sounding forced or preachy. It was exactly what she and her parents had prayed for.
After that, they discussed the film for a few minutes and talked about the powerful message of treating people with respect and stopping bullying. The host spent a few minutes asking Brandon what was next. He didn’t turn the same question to Bailey, which didn’t surprise her. She was the “no-name” in the interview. It was enough that she had a part in Unlocked. Besides, what answer could she give? That she had just recently lost out on a Broadway role?
The interview ended with the host giving a plug for everyone to get to a theater that weekend to see Unlocked. He cut to a commercial break and shook both their hands. “Stop in any time,” he told them. “Brandon, you make sure to see us before your next film releases.”
With the cameras still off and the commercial still playing, Brandon held Bailey’s hand and led her off stage. She didn’t fight him this time. No one but the studio audience was watching, and clearly they had established that their friendship was rooted in faith — deeper and stronger than most Hollywood friendships.
Backstage, Brandon picked her up in his arms and swung her around in a full circle. “You were amazing! Please, Bailey … don’t tell me you’re done making movies. You do every aspect of it so well. The acting, the connecting with people on set … your humility. All of it.” He was talking fast, his words practically running together. “Bailey, please … do another movie. One with me.” He let his head fall back and he laughed out loud. “You were absolutely a pro out there. I was more nervous than you.”
The excitement of what had just happened, the way they’d showed the world a fresh side of moviemaking and the way it could connect to Christ was still working its way through her heart. She buzzed with joy and the thrill of the moment. “What about you? Telling Jay how you met Jesus, like it was nothing unusual?” She laughed, thrilled. She never dreamed the interview would go this well.
There were still two segments to the show, but at the commercial break Bailey’s family had been allowed to exit to the wings. She could hear her brothers in the green room, and she laughed. What a wild experience for all of them — being here at the Tonight Show. The boys would have quite a story when they got back to school after the weekend. Girls in their classes still asked for autographs from Brandon, and so far none of her brothers had complained about the attention.
They met up around the snack table, and a producer motioned for quiet on the set. After the show, the host came back and visited with all of them, even taking time to sign autographs for Bailey’s brothers. The show had taped around five that evening, and by the time they all left out the back door, it was nearly eight o’clock and dark outside. Bailey had been looking forward to the quiet outside the studio after a full day of travel, her appearance on the Today Show, and the three-hour time difference. But they stepped from the backstage quiet to absolute chaos, because gathered out back were too many cameramen to count.
“This way,” her dad motioned them toward a waiting limo. Clearly he had worked this plan out backstage with Brandon’s bodyguards. The two guys wore suits and had builds big enough to be featured on her dad’s offensive line. Together the bodyguards parted the crowd as they led the group to the waiting car.
“Brandon!” someone yelled.
“Over here, Brandon …”
“Are you and Bailey Flanigan dating?”
Bailey chided herself for being caught unprepared. She hadn’t spent an evening with Brandon in a long time, and never here in Los Angeles. As they walked through the mob, Bailey doubted she’d ever seen so many camera flashes in her life. This was twice the paparazzi at the red carpet event in Bloomington for The Last Letter — the film Keith Ellison and Dayne Matthews had produced before Unlocked.
She appreciated how Brandon led the way, right behind his bodyguards and in front of her parents. Not one camera could’ve caught a photo of the two of them together — something he had clearly maneuvered out of respect for her. When they were safe in the stretch limo, everyone seemed too shocked to speak, breathless over the frenzy.
Justin squinted at Brandon in the dim lighting. “You deal with that madness all the time? Like … everywhere you go?”
Brandon shrugged off the inconvenience. “Paparazzi are part of the territory.” He sat back and stretched his legs. Now that they were out of sight he had taken the spot next to Bailey. “There are ways around them. But not after a live appearance like that. They all know the way out of the studio.”
Gradually the boys started talking, admitting that they weren’t sure they could handle the pressure of living under that sort of scrutiny. “What if I had something caught in my teeth?” BJ always had the most off-the-wall comments. “I’d be afraid to eat.”
“Nah,” Brandon laughed. He seemed completely at ease, even if Bailey and her family were still dazed by the onslaught. “If you think that’s bad, wait till tomorrow night. An LA premiere is big enough on its own. But for a movie as talked about as Unlocked … yeah, it’ll be a circus for sure.”
Bailey appreciated how Brandon didn’t credit himself for being the cause of the media attention — even though that was the primary reason. He was definitely different than the guy she’d met the first day she auditioned opposite him for the role of Ella. God had softened his edges and given him a peace. Something he’d been missing before.
Only then did Bailey sit up straighter in the seat and realize the chaos behind them. The paparazzi hadn’t given up, and at least eight or ten cars were dodging traffic, trying to keep up with them. The limo driver must’ve been part of Brandon’s staff, because he drove utterly unfazed. Her brothers didn’t notice. They were quiet and like her, probably tired from the long day of travel and the time difference.
“You okay?” Brandon turned to her, his voice a whisper. “With the cameras and all?”
“Yes. Of course.” She took his hand and squeezed it. But when she went to let go, he gently held on.
“I want this weekend to be perfect.” He smiled at her, and the depth in his eyes was unmistakable. “Please … if you’re ever uncomfortable with the attention, just tell me. My driver can take us somewhere private with almost no notice.”
“Okay.” She giggled. At the other end of the limo, her parents looked happy, in a quiet conversation of their own. Her brothers were dozing off, lulled by the highway drive they were taking and still unaware of the paparazzi behind them. “Where are we going?”
“To my beach house. You’re staying with me.”
“We are?” Bailey had left the arrangements to her mom and now she turned in that direction. “Mom … you knew about this?”
“It made the most sense.” Her mother kept her voice low, so she wouldn’t wake the boys. “Brandon’s used to dealing with paparazzi. We aren’t.”
“Exactly.” Brandon slipped his arm around her shoulders. “I have room for everyone. Don’t worry.” He grinned, but his tone wasn’t flirty like usual. It was more adoring, like he really would do anything to make sure Bailey was comfortable this weekend. “Plus, this way we can spend more time together. If we had to worry about getting in and out of a hotel, we’d never see each other.”
Bailey felt herself relax. Her mother was right—the idea made sense. “No wonder your driver isn’t worried about the paparazzi behind us.”
“What?” Brandon’s voice reverted back to the familiar teasing. “You mean someone’s following us?”
Bailey released his hand and gave him a playful shove. “Very funny.” She crossed her arms so he wouldn’t be tempted to take her fingers in his again. She couldn’t lie. She liked how it felt, riding in Brandon’s comfortable stretch limo and holding hands with him. She cared enough about him that somehow holding hands seemed okay. But still … she didn’t want to give him the wrong idea. She yawned. “How much longer?”
He glanced outside and surveyed the part of the freeway they were driving on. “Fifteen minutes. Maybe twenty.” He settled back against the leather seat and found her eyes again. In the quiet dark of the late night, the friendly intimacy that had been a part of their time on set was instantly back again. “So … where’s the boyfriend?” He made a curious childlike look, and with great exaggeration he peered around their feet and in the shelving behind their headrests. “Nope. Still doesn’t seem to be hanging around.”
Bailey couldn’t help but laugh at him. Brandon entertained her, even when she was tired. “Okay … wanna know the truth?”
“That would be nice.” He leaned back, and this time shifted so he could see her better. “Sort of a general rule of thumb I have with all my friends. Tell the truth … as much as possible anyway.”
“Okay, then …” Bailey had known this moment would come when she and Brandon got together. She wanted to believe she had let Cody Coleman go, that he couldn’t break her heart again. But even thinking about saying the words that Cody wasn’t in her life made her heart ache. “He’s gone.” She refused to let her heart feel the pain here, now … while she was celebrating with Brandon. “He’s not in the picture.”
Brandon could’ve made a joke, teased her that starting tomorrow in theaters everywhere he, Brandon, was definitely “in the picture” with her. But he refrained from saying anything of the sort. Instead he held out his hand and waited until she tucked hers inside it. “I’m sorry, Bailey. His name’s Cody, right?”
“Yes.” She remembered to smile. “It’s okay. We haven’t talked since January. Three months now.”
“How’s your heart with all this?” Again this was a side of Brandon she hadn’t seen. The guy she’d worked with spouted quick one-liners, always able to laugh at any situation. But not now. Once more she had to believe this new maturity could only have come from his deepening faith.
“I’m okay.” She nodded, her eyes still on his. “Moving on, I guess.”
Only when it was obvious she wasn’t going to break down, and that enough time had passed that this situation with Bailey wasn’t a crisis, did Brandon let the hint of a sparkle start up in his eyes. “So …” he gave his best Dumb and Dumber smile, “you’re saying there’s a chance!”
Their eyes held for a moment, and they both burst out laughing, the sort of late night laugh attack that made Brandon eventually reach for a couple pillows — one for him and one for her — to stifle the noise. Dumb and Dumber was a movie they’d called up once on Brandon’s iPad during a break on the set. They’d watched only the funny scenes, and that day they couldn’t stop laughing either.
When they could finally breathe, the driver had already exited the freeway and was winding up a steep canyon road to an enormous house on a hill. Bailey looked the other direction. “Are we at the beach?”
“Yes.” He yawned, put his arm around her again, and leaned his head against hers. “I moved here in February. You’ll love the view when the sun comes up.”
“Feels like that’ll happen in a few hours.” She could’ve fallen asleep right here, like her brothers. The laughter had tired her out, and every wonderful thing about her friendship with Brandon was back to the way it had been the last time they saw each other. All that, and she had no reason not to sit close to him or hold his hand. She was single, after all. If she wanted to date Brandon Paul she could.
Matt Keagan had a girlfriend and Cody couldn’t care less. But tonight with Brandon she felt more at ease than before, more appreciative of the changes that had happened to him since he’d begun living for God. They bid each other goodnight at the bottom of the stairs that led to the guest wing of his house, and Brandon was a complete gentleman. No long hug or hints at anything inappropriate.
As she walked up the stairs, a chill ran down her arms. Brandon Paul … Bailey smiled at the thought. And that night, as she fell asleep in the bed opposite the one two of her brothers shared, she allowed herself to think about the possibility.
Even for just this one night.