“She was angelic. This photo barely does her justice. Despite the fact we weren’t rich, she had a lot of style and great taste. I guess you’d say, Bohemian chic. She knew how to make cheap vintage finds from flea markets look like a million bucks.”
“Do you still have some of her clothes?”
“Yes, but they don’t fit me.” I laugh lightly. “On special occasions, I wear some of the jewelry my father saved up to buy her and use her beaded handbags.” My voice chokes up. “Sadly, her wedding ring and band, which she never took off, were lost at sea.”
Brandon runs a finger from my cheek to my chin. “So, your parents were in love?”
The affectionate gesture brings awareness to the pulsing bundle of nerves between my legs. I quirk a small smile.
“Totally. My father was my mother’s one and only. The love of her life. Her hero. Mama cried for days when he died in that wildfire. I think if she’d lived, she would have never remarried. That’s how great their love was.”
Brandon takes in a deep breath. “My parents were the same way. Sometimes I think perishing together was a blessing. They never had to suffer the pain of loss.”
I detect sadness in Brandon’s voice, an emotion I’ve never witnessed. And his eyes look forlorn. “They died in a car crash, right?”
“Yeah. Some motherf*ck
er in a van went through a red light. He didn’t suffer a scratch, but both my parents died upon impact. My mother was decapitated.”
“Oh my God!” I gasp. “That’s horrible!” Though I read a little about the fatal crash online, I didn’t know the sordid details. Resisting the urge to comfort him physically with a hug or the mere touch of my hand, I ask him if his parents’ untimely and violent demise affected him.
“A lot. I was angry at the world. I wanted to kill that bastard who ran into them. He served some time, but he should have rotted in hell.”
“How did you get over it?”
“I moved to LA and funneled my pain and anger into acting. It was a release.”
“You studied with the legendary Bella Stadler, right?”
He blinks his eyes several times in rapid succession as if remembering something.
“Are you having some kind of memory breakthrough?” His mind is definitely elsewhere, and he doesn’t answer me. “Brandon, are you okay?”
His eyes continue to flutter, and then he responds. “Yeah, I’m good. Bella was an amazing woman. She made me the actor…and the man I am today.”
I process his words. I recall reading somewhere that Bella was rumored to have affairs with many of her talented, handsome protégés. Did Brandon sleep with his teacher? His master? I refrain from asking and instead give him a compliment.
“You’re a really good actor, Brandon.”
He cocks a brow, as if in disbelief. “Really? You think so?”
I smile at him warmly, touched by what I think is a genuine, humble moment of self-doubt. “I know so. Hel-lo-O. You won the Golden Globe.”
“But still. I don’t think I’m a Brando. Or anywhere close to Connery.”
He’s referring to Marlon Brando and Sean Connery, his two favorite actors according to Wiki. I once read all actors are insecure. Even the best. I guess he’s no different. My gorgeous, bigger than life action-hero boss, People Magazine’s “Sexiest Man Alive,” is just human. The egotistical ass*ole
is actually quite adorable with his insecurity complex. I look deep into his eyes.
“Brandon, you’re as good as they are. In fact, better. One day you’re going to win an Oscar.”
That sexy lopsided smile plays on his lips. “You’re just kissing my ass.”
I wish. The thought of my lips on those perfect buns of steel makes my heart skip a beat and my skin heat. “No, I’m telling you the truth.”
His smile widens. “If and when I do win, I’m going to thank you.”
I twitch back a small, melancholic smile. His fiancée, America’s stunning “It Girl,” Katrina Moore will be there when he does.
“Do you believe in happily ever after?” I think back to my erotic Cinderella dream and wonder if there’s such a thing.
Brandon’s smile falls from his face and his brows furrow as if in deep thought. “I don’t know. Even with finding a great love, happily ever after may not exist.”
My heart clenches. So, Katrina is his great love? A pang of jealousy stabs me.
“What do you mean?” I ask shakily.
“Just look at our parents. They never got theirs. A happily ever after ending is not promised to everyone because tomorrow isn’t promised to anyone.”