“What do you think?” She looked up at him then. And found him looking right at her.
“I think that if you want your hair shorter, you should cut it.”
The response was what she’d been seeking.
But it disappointed her, too.
“Because you don’t care about my looks,” she said out loud. “Which is why I love being with you. Most of the people in my life like me for what I do. Not for who I am. So many of them don’t really even know me. They only see the Hollywood in me.”
Steve had been great that week. So had the two cast members she’d allowed him to tell about her weekend incident. Mostly, she’d wanted—no, needed—life at work to go on as normal. She’d needed to be treated like Doria, not coddled.
“I don’t value your friendship because of your looks.” Michael’s voice fell into the night air. “But I do care about them. Partially because I know you do.”
She took a step. He moved with her. “But...you don’t like looking at me. Not like...not because of my looks.”
“Of course I do, Kace. I’m a guy and you’re beautiful! But I wasn’t drawn to you because of how you look. I don’t hang around because of that. How could I? I don’t have a lot to offer in return in that department.”
“Exactly!” She was referring to the first part of his statement but stopped cold when the rest played itself out in her mind. Turning, leaving her arm entangled with his, she reached up her free hand to touch his face. “I wasn’t referring to the part about you not having a lot to offer in return,” she said softly, tears in her eyes. “Michael, I love looking at you. God, I can’t believe I—”
“Hey.” He wiped her tears. “It’s okay, Kace. This is us. It’s okay.”
Us. God, she loved that. Needed it.
But Lacey’s warning came to mind. She couldn’t lo
se herself in it.
Couldn’t lose sight of him. Or seeing to his needs.
“But you don’t hang around me because of my looks,” she said and then turned back toward the ocean, took another step toward the beach. “That was the exactly part.”
“Are you up for an honest opinion?”
His question surprised her. “I don’t know,” she said honestly. “I’m testing the waters on pretty much everything right now. I have no idea what I’m up for. Except work. I know I’m good there.”
Once again, she drew strength from thoughts of Doria. The set. She’d known, from the time she was a little girl, that the stage, acting, television was for her. In her professional life, she was exactly where she needed to be.
As they took a couple more steps, leaving the car just behind them, she looked over at him again. Studied his chiseled jaw in the moonlight. He always directed her to his good side when they walked together. His picture-perfect, gorgeous side. Switching arms, she moved to the side she liked best. The side that showed her his strength. His character.
“So...let’s test my waters,” she said, looking out toward an ocean she could hear but barely see in the darkness. “Let’s hear your honest opinion.”
“I don’t think you should cut your hair right now.”
Whatever she’d been expecting, it hadn’t been that. Her stomach fell flat. “You don’t.”
“No.”
“Why not?” If he didn’t want to hang around her when she wasn’t beautiful, then...
“Because you’re making the decision based on what happened last weekend.”
Not really. Well, maybe. Sort of.
“I put too much value in my looks.”
“You enjoy being beautiful, Kacey. And you let others enjoy the natural wonder that is you. It’s a unique gift.”
She didn’t have an immediate response other than to feel all warm inside. For a second.