Escorting the Actress by Leigh James

Kyle

I rolledover and looked at Lowell the next morning. She was still asleep. I ran my hand down her hair and just stared, hoping I didn't wake her.

She was so beautiful that looking at her hurt.

Last night had been the best night of my life. I didn't want it to be over. I wasn't ready for today. Not yet.

We had to go see my father this morning. The fact that he wanted to speak with Lowell was ominous. I knew he'd made me an excellent offer; I also knew I couldn't accept it—not right now. But Lowell wanted me to. My father was smart; if he suspected that Lowell cared for me, he'd want her to hear him out.

But I couldn't leave Lowell. She had her premiere coming up. She still had to deal with Lucas and the fallout from her puking incident. She still needed me.

But I was fooling myself.She didn't need me. I needed her.

I watched her chest rise and fall peacefully. The truth was, I didn't want to be away from her. I didn't want to send her back to big, bad Los Angeles alone, even though she was more than capable of handling herself. It wasn't just that I didn't want to let her down—I didn't want to be away from her.

Not now. Not ever.

Last night had confirmed my feelings for her. But I had to make some real changes in my life. If I was ever going to have something to offer her, I needed a career. I couldn't be her boyfriend if I was just an ex-escort or a less-than-minimum-wage surfing instructor.

I also knew my father's offer was the only one I would get. I had no resume, no education, no experience. So I had to find a way for him to understand that I would accept the position, but I needed a little more time. After Lowell's premiere, I would go to work for him and become legitimate and build my own life.

Then I would finally be the man Lowell deserved.

---

We waitedoutside Pierce's office. A cold sweat trickled down my back, but I tried to appear calm. Lowell smiled at me, but I saw the stress in her eyes. It had been over ten years since she'd seen my father, and they hadn't parted under friendly circumstances.

After what seemed like forever, his MIT assistant poked her head out. "Pierce will see you now."

I looked at Lowell. "Are you sure you want to do this? You don't have to come in there with me if you don't want to."

She put her hand in mine and squeezed. "I'm coming to support you. We're in this together, remember? Plus, we don't need to make him any more upset than he already is."

I tried to draw strength from her as we went inside. Now I felt as if I were the one walking the plank. We rounded the corner ofthe cool, concrete room, and there he was, scowling out the window.

He turned toward us, his eyes running over me briefly before turning to Lowell. Shock registered on his face. "Lowell? Is that… really you? I can't even believe you're the same girl."

"Hello, Pierce."

He just continued to stare at her as though he was in shock.

"You've seen her movies, Dad. And the pictures. You knew she looked different."

My father looked at her as if she had three heads. "That is not just different. No offense, young lady, but you were never a looker like your mother."

"Watch it," I said, my tone warning.

Lowell was being strong for me. She seemed to shrug off his brash rudeness. "Coming from you, Pierce, I'll take that as a compliment."

My father looked chastised. He ran his hands through his hair—what was left of it. "I didn't say that to be mean. Sorry. I think I used up all of my mean where your mother was concerned. How is she, anyway?"

Lowell's face went from surprised, to confused, to wary in an instant. "She's okay. She's in Asia right now on a spiritual retreat. I just spoke with her."

"I heard she got divorced again," Pierce said.

"She didn't like Number Four that much," Lowell admitted.

"Poor bastard," my father said. "Well, when you speak to her again, please give her my regards."

Lowell raised her eyebrows. "You're kidding, right?"

Pierce sighed heavily. "No, young lady, I'm not."

She watched his face. "Well… excuse me for being surprised, but the last time I saw you two together, it was really ugly."

"I remember. I've had a lot of time on my hands lately. I've been thinking about her and about him." He jerked his head at me. "How I screwed things up."

Lowell's face softened. "My mother is a piece of work. I'll be the first one to admit that."

"I shouldn't have pushed so hard in court. What's more money anyway? Then maybe she wouldn't have had to get married again. She's never had a job. It's not like she could support herself."

My jaw was practically on the floor as I listened to my father. He has sympathy for Caroline Barton? Since when?

"Well… that's very chivalrous of you. My mother would probably pass out if she heard you say it." Lowell looked baffled.

Pierce nodded. "Maybe I should tell her when she gets back."

Lowell's eyes were huge in her face. "Right. Huh."

"As for you two"—he pointed at us—"I called you in here for a reason. This ends today. Right now. Kyle, you come to work for me. I'll give you a competitive salary. After six months, if you prove yourself, I'll reinstate your trust. I want you to be successful. I've always wanted that. This is the first time in years that you've actually seemed capable of being responsible. But I can't have you being a paid 'date,' or whatever you are. And you two can't be together. It's wrong on so many levels, it literally makes my head hurt."

Lowell responded first. "If I could just say one thing, Mr. Richards? Kyle has been nothing short of wonderful to me. I made some really big mistakes, and he's helped me turn everything around. I called the service as a last-ditch effort to save my career. He didn't know it was me who was… hiring him until he showed up at my house."

"He told me the same story."

Lowell looked at Pierce, her eyes pleading. "It's true. This has all been a show for the press. Kyle's actually really gifted at public relations. He'll be great working for your company in that capacity. Everybody loves him."

"That's part of my son's problem," Pierce said. "Everybody does love him. He's had it too easy—he's never worked a day in his life."

"He's been working for me," she said, "and he's amazing at winning the press over. It's not a bad thing that everyone loves him, sir. It's a gift."

Her words left me with a weird mix of emotions. Her kindness never ceased to amaze me. She saw me in a way nobody else did.

I faced my father, who was looking at me with raised eyebrows. "What?"

He crossed his arms. "You have a gift?"

I smiled, feeling exposed. "I guess Lowell sees the best in me."

"But you two aren't a real couple." He sounded extremely skeptical, and also as if he were waiting for an answer.

I didn't have one for him. "I'm ready to come to work for you, Dad. I just need more time. I made a promise to Lowell, and part of me acting like an adult is not going back on my promises."

Pierce inspected my face. "What's the difference with you? Is it her?" He motioned to Lowell, who was sitting perfectly still, silent and pale. "Because really, you two can't be together. If the press finds out that she's your stepsister, her career's over. She isn't going to choose you over her career."

Lowell opened her mouth and then shut it again.

"You shouldn't choose her over your career either," my father said. Satisfied that he'd won the argument, he sat back in his chair.

"I don't want her to give up her career for me, and I don't want this to get out." I looked at him. "I told you—I'll come to work for you, but I have to wrap things up in Los Angeles first."

My father leaned over his desk. "Eric showed me the pictures of you two from yesterday. You've been followed here. Your every move is being documented. Hell, somebody could be waiting outside my door right now." He pinched the bridge of his nose. "Giving you a chance is a risk for me, Kyle. I can't have it come out that you've been a male escort and that you've been escorting your stepsister. That'd completely ruin me." He jerked his thumb at Lowell. "Her too. And I can tell you don't want that." He took a deep breath. "I'm truly sorry. Lowell, I'd be happy to reimburse you for what you paid Kyle. I'll give you enough to start another PR blitz. Or hire another young man."

Lowell shook her head. "You don't have to do that, Mr. Richards. I don't need your money. I'm fine."

I turned to her. "You're fine because I'm not leaving you. We're going to that premiere."

"Not if you want your trust back, you're not." My father looked at me. I must've looked stricken, because his face changed from stern to apologetic. "I'm sorry, son, but I can't risk this right now. I have too much at stake."

"Actually, I'm the one who's got—"

"It's okay, Kyle," Lowell said. "Your father's right. If he's got a big press blitz coming up, it's too risky for all of us. I don't want the public to find out how we… came together. And I don't want them finding out about our parents." She looked at me. "I'll be fine. You've done wonders for me. I'm going to be okay."

I clenched my hands into fists. "Let's talk about this outside." I turned to my father and nodded at him tightly. "Dad."

"You need to come back here tomorrow morning. You start work then," he said. "Lowell, it was a pleasure seeing you. You've grown into a mature, thoughtful young woman. Thank you for cooperating. Give Caroline my regards. Tell her I've been… thinking about her."

Lowell nodded, clearly shocked by his lack of animosity toward her mother. It was weird, but I ignored it, grabbing her elbow and dragging her out of the office. I had bigger things to deal with right now.

"You have to listen to him," she said as I stalked down the hall beside her.

"I'm an adult." I heard the anger in my own voice. "He can't tell me what to do."

She shook her head. "You need to listen to me then. This is your one shot. He's going to give you a position that you'll be brilliant at, and you'll get your trust back. That's millions of dollars we're talking about. You can't give that up for me."

I stopped, and turning, I pressed her back against the wall. Anger and sadness ripped through me as I looked at her beautiful face. "I'm not leaving you. Period. He's my father. He'll wait."

She shook her head, and although I saw sadness in her eyes, stubbornness rolled off of her in waves. "He's not going to give you another chance, Kyle. He has his launch coming up—if you cross him now, it's all over."

I leaned over her, wanting to crush my lips against hers and stop this stupid conversation. "Your premiere's next week." Unable to stop myself, I ran my lips along her jawline. "It's just a week. He'll be fine."

Her breathing deepened, and she looked at me, lips parted, responding to my touch. Our eyes locked but only for a second; she shook her head as if to shake off the heat between us.

"No," she said, her tone final, "he won't. And I can't let you lose this opportunity. Not for me."

"It's not your choice. It's mine."

She drew herself up to her full height and pulled away from me stiffly. "You should always make the right choice. Staying with me is the wrong one, and I can't accept that."

"What are you saying?" I felt stupidly, ridiculously close to tears.

She must have sensed my impending breakdown, because she seemed to calm down. She smiled weakly and patted my arm. "Let's not talk about it anymore right now. We're both upset. We'll figure it out."

"Together," I said stubbornly. For some reason, even though my arms were still around her, I felt as though I was losing her.

"Together."

I wrapped my arms tighter around her as we headed to the car, but I felt as if she was already gone.