Page 67 of The Location Shoot
She met him in the living room. “Hi.”
“Sorry I couldn’t be here when you got back. We had a matinee performance,” he said, giving her a peck on the lips.
“How’d it go?” she asked.
“Good. It was a full house. The lighting crew fouled something up in the second act, but it’s doubtful anyone noticed. Tell me, what was it like working with Jean? I know you had a rough go in the beginning, but it sounded like things sorted themselves out. Was it everything you hoped?”
“Yes, it was extraordinary, but . . .”
“Don’t take it personally. His temper is legendary. I’ve heard some actors—”
“I want to have a child,” she blurted out. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to say it that way, but I fear I’ll lose my courage.”
“Charlotte . . .”
“Yes, yes, I know. It’s not a good time to talk about it. There will never be a good time. Is it that you don’t want to have a child? Or is it me? Us? Perhaps you don’t want to have a family with me.”
“Love, is that really what you think?” he asked, rubbing her shoulders.
She glanced down. “I . . . I don’t know.”
“Charlotte, I love you. When we married, you told me how important your career was to you, that it was the most important thing in your life. I promised you we would live as artists. The last thing I want is for you to give any part of that up and then resent me for it.”
“I wouldn’t, ever. Fifteen years ago, acting was all I could think about. There was so much I had yet to discover about my art form, and through it, about myself. My dreams are different now. I want a family. Maybe I wouldn’t be a good mother. Perhaps that’s your concern, and . . .”
“Charlotte, no. You’d be an extraordinary mother,” he said, caressing her cheek. “I looked through the information you found on adoption.”
“You did?”
He nodded. “I didn’t say anything while you were away because I didn’t want to distract you and I really thought you’d be too high on acting again when you returned.”
“The whole time I was gone, I fantasized about us having a baby. I stopped taking my birth control pills when I was away, just in case. I planned to go back on them if you didn’t agree. Can we try the old-fashioned way and see what happens? If we don’t have any luck, we can explore alternatives.”
“I have a couple of hours before I need to get back to the theater. There’s no time like the present.”
She untied her sash and let her robe fall to the floor.
“PUT THE BAGS THERE,” MICHAELdirected his driver. He slipped him a tip and locked the door behind him. He looked around the empty apartment, filled with leather furniture, modern appliances, and deafening silence. He meandered into the kitchen, where his staff had left a meal in the refrigerator. As his dinner was warming up in the microwave, he listened to his voicemail. There were a dozen messages from women, each offering to come over, one offering to welcome him home with nothing but a G-string and a can of whipped cream. He grabbed his phone, trying to decide who to call, but he ended up dialing Lauren’s number.
“Hello?” she said.
“Hey, Lauren. It’s me, Michael.”
“Oh, hi. It’s kind of late.”
“Sorry about that. I just got back from filming in Europe.”
“Sophie’s asleep.”
“Yeah, I figured she would be. How’s she doing?”
“Fine.”
“Did she like the art camp?” he asked.
“Loved it. I fear she may want to follow in your footsteps. Thanks for sending the money.”
“Listen, I was hoping to make plans to see her.”
