#WIPWednesday 2015 Excerpt #3 #contemporaryromance

WIP Wednesday #3

Here's excerpt #1. And excerpt #2.

This is from chapter 3:

Ending up in his office, she settled into the soft leather chair, pulled out her phone, and pushed the button for a preset number.  The blinds were open, showing the garden in cloud-filtered light.

“Lawson residence.”

“Hey, Darcy.”

“Beth? Hey! Are you just getting in?”  Her sister-in-law always had a cheerful greeting for everybody.

“We didn’t party that hard. The sun woke me up.”

“So pull the drapes and go back to sleep, silly.”

“Tried. Too much light. I’m not used to a room with windows.”

“You’re not at home? Ohhh…”

“Not like that. The guest room.”

“Okay. Well, what can I do ya for?”

“I don’t know. I got your message, I was awake, I dialed…”

“And…”

“I don’t know. I didn’t know what to do with being awake by myself.”

“Did you have fun last night?”

“Yeah. Once inside the theater, anyway. I hope I never have to walk another red carpet.”

“Well, if I didn’t know you well, I’m not sure I would’ve recognized you without knowing you were with Jake Lindsey.”

“We tried to make me look as different as possible without it getting ridiculous. I didn’t look ridiculous, did I?”

“Not to me. You were beautiful. Like a model. Mysterious.”

Beth groaned.  “Great, now people will be more curious.”

“Aw, I’m sure plenty of things about the show were more interesting than you.”

“Thanks.”

“You know what I mean, Beth.”

“I do. Sorry. This whole thing has really pushed my neuroses. I’ve told Jacob he’s crazy for picking the most private person in the world to date.”

“Love finds a way, sweetie. You’ll figure out how to make the private and public parts work out.”

“I hope so, but the invasiveness scares me. It won’t stop unless he fades into obscurity.”

“And you can’t ask him to give up music.”

“Of course not. I’d rather break up. He loves his life. It was his dream practically from birth. That’s what makes it tough for me, though…if we try to make a life together, I have to make all the compromises.”

“You don’t know if you can do it.”

Beth chewed on her thumb.  “No.”

“Aw, honey.”

Beth wished she was local.  Really wished for Mom.  Well, if her mother hadn’t died, her life since eighteen would be completely different.  There was no doubt in her mind about that. 

“Hey, you could always move near us. No one would have a clue a big celebrity was in Small Town USA.”

Laughing, she said, “I don’t think Jacob would like a life that quiet, but getting out of L.A. isn’t a bad idea, if he’d be willing to part with the big city hustle.”

“If your brother could settle down, your man can, too. Listen, I have to get the baby’s lunch ready, but it was good talking to you.”

“You, too.”

“Call any time, ‘kay? Love ya.”  Darcy hung up.

Sighing, Beth turned off her phone.