How about some good old-fashioned romance to get the cheating wives story taste out of our mouths. There is a lot of story to tell for Ken and Lainey so this will be multi-chaptered. Parts two and three are written and ready for publication. i envision this as open ended right now, so the sky is the limit for our two heroes.
Enjoy, and thank you for reading! - BH
***Ken
I stood in front of my reflection and dragged the glistening metal across my jawline.
“It’s never gonna work, Ken,” Jen said as she watched me shave off the last of my trademark beard.
“Why is that, Sis?”
“Your eyes. Your beautiful blue eyes sparkle like an ocean of sapphires wet from summer rain.”
That was a line from a review of my first movie. The critic had a crush on me and tried to get me into bed with her. I declined, but she wrote a good review of the film anyway. My sister, on the other hand, uses the line to make fun of me—and she does it often.
“Ugh! Keep that crap up and I’m telling Mom.”
She laughed and hit me with her hairbrush. “What? Are we six again?”
We were typical siblings, with a little rivalry and a lot of love. We were fraternal twins and Jennifer liked to remind me that she’s older by five minutes as often as possible.
“You know a million girls are going to cry over your new look.”
I laughed and said, “Maybe, but I need a fresh start. Besides, Mom always preferred me clean-shaven, and I figure it’s the least I can do for her on the day we bury Dad. Heck, if it gives me just a little bit of anonymity this week, I’ll take it.”
She kissed my clean-shaven cheek and walked out of our childhood bathroom. Nothing had changed, it still had the same toothbrush holder and soap dispenser we had when I was a kid and it was oddly comforting.
Looking at my new, boyish face, I knew I could never be anonymous. I knew I could never have any privacy. That was the price I had been paying since my first acting role. My portrayal of a bearded action hero.
I played Jace Stryker seven more times since that first movie and each was more successful than the previous films. I was also severely typecast and couldn’t get any decent roles outside of the superhero universe films I’d been making for a dozen years.
Don’t get me wrong, I had offers and for good money as well, it’s just that I was already playing an action hero. Why would I want to play more than one? Looking back, if I had taken one of those roles I may have become a huge leading man and not a mere second-name star. Hindsight and all...
“Hurry up, Kinsey, the car is here,” Mom said.
“Stop calling me Kinsey, Mom. You know I hate it,” I said walking into the kitchen. I’d been telling her that since I was a kid. I knew eventually she’d listen.
“I chose that name for you and I’ll use it all I want. Now scoot.”
She chose the name from a soap opera she was watching at the time I was born. My dad nicknamed me Ken and most everyone I knew personally, used the nickname thank God.
Jenny laughed causing Mom to laugh. I smiled, glad my mom and sister could laugh on that hard day.
Our father died of cancer and my mother had her good moments and bad ones since he became ill. She was always one to internalize and bottle up her emotions, and that time was no exception.
I think she had the wrong idea that she had to be strong and put on a brave face for us. In reality, Jen and I just wanted her to have a good cry for the only man she ever loved.
***
“Mom, are you sure you want me to give the eulogy? I don’t want to take any attention away from Dad,” I asked.
I was always worried about how my celebrity status would impact my parents in their sleepy little rural piece of Americana. I rarely talked about my home life with the press and blocked any biographies that included where I came from.
I wanted mom and dad to have their anonymity. I went so far as to say I was from Chicago in my bio rather than the farm town where I grew up, which was closer to Rockford than the Windy City.
“I’m sure it will be fine, Kinsey. Besides, no one will recognize you without the beard. You look five years younger and much more handsome.”
Jen laughed as I stuck my tongue out at her and said, “No getting out of it, little brother. You’re better at public speaking than I am, as we’ve all seen on television.”
I shook my head at her obvious reference to my winning a couple of Golden Globes and some fan’s choice awards. I was more nervous giving those acceptance speeches than I’d ever been in my life.
“There won’t be that many people, we kept it a private interment,” Mom said.
I nodded and went back to reading my notes.
“Mom, do you still want to go to the premiere?” Jen asked.
“Of course, I never miss one. When is it again?”
“Next Wednesday.”
“I’ll be there with bells on.”
“Mom, you’ll be my date then.” I knew Jen would have a fit about Mom being on my arm.
“No way, little brother. The studio wants you to have a hottie on your arm for the red carpet. Mom is going to be my escort.”
“Won’t Cindy be your date, Jennifer?” Mom asked.
“She’s going. You’ll be on both of our arms.”
“When are you going to marry that girl, Jennifer? She’s madly in love with you,” Mom asked. We all knew Jen loved her as much as Cindy loved Jen. I think marriage just scared her.
“Hey, Bro,” Jen called out, deftly changing the subject. “They are serious, you need a date. Do I need to make some calls for you? Kate Ferrell is probably free.”
I wanted to scream, but I took a deep breath and said, “Don’t you dare. She still calls me at least once a week. I’ll never be free of her if you do that.”
“What happened with her, Kinsey? She was such a nice girl,” Mom asked about my last girlfriend. They bonded when I brought her home for Christmas.
“She kept accusing me of cheating on her when I was on the road. She’s talented and beautiful, but bat-shit crazy and jealous.”
Hell, she was more than that, I loved her. I just couldn’t be constantly berated and screamed at for things I didn’t do.
I was planning on proposing to her after wrapping up filming my most recent movie. I hadn’t even set my bags on the floor of my condo when she lit into me. I missed the days when she would welcome me home with a blowjob, but the BJ’s morphed into tirades instead.
That last time, without a word, I turned and walked out of my condo as she embarrassed herself by screaming at me all the way back to my car. The video that my neighbor posted on YouTube got over a million hits the first weekend.
It’s strange living in a world where a man passing you on the stairs can instantly start a video recording. It was what it was, and Kate was roasted on the late-night talk shows over it. She tried to apologize, but I’d had enough.
My mom snapped me out of my reverie.
“You didn’t cheat on her, did you? I raised you better than that.”
“No, Mom. I never cheated on her.”
“Good.”
“Believe it or not, Mom, I don’t want to date actresses anymore. Just once I’d like to meet and settle down with a normal woman.”
I dated actresses exclusively for a decade. I thought that being with a regular girl would never work due to my crazy schedule. Heck, I couldn’t even have a cat.
Jen said, “Maybe now that you’re retiring to the country, you’ll find a sweet farm girl.”
And there went my surprise for my mother. Damn! I was mad.
“What? You’re retiring? When did that come about?” Mom asked.
I rolled my eyes, but not before glaring at my sister.
“I bought the Miller’s farm, Mom. We signed the papers yesterday. Last year, I decided I’d only make one more ‘Patriot Squad’ movie. Jim Steel made it clear to us that he was done and didn’t renew his contract either. Without him, it all kind of falls apart anyway. He’s the big star and there’s not much appetite for Jace Stryker stand-alone films anymore. Plus, I’m burnt out on it all anyway.”
“I can’t believe you’re coming home and didn’t tell me.” She was genuinely hurt and it was all I could do to not go off on Jen. I wouldn’t do that on the day we buried my father.
“I wanted it to be a surprise, Mom, but someone can’t keep her big mouth shut.”
Jen stuck her tongue out at me as if she were a child.
“Well, I think it’s fantastic, Kinsey. What about you, Jennifer? Will you be moving home now that he won’t need his sister running his life anymore?”
“No, I’m going to work for Kate Ferrell. I guess she isn’t happy with her current personal assistant. She saw how I controlled Ken’s life perfectly and reached out to me.”
That surprised me. I didn’t know she had found a new job, nor that it was with my ex-girlfriend. They always did get along though.
“Oh, well, okay. I would’ve liked for you to come home also.”
“I know, Mom,” Jen said. “It’s just that Cindy still works in Hollywood and there isn’t much call for a make-up artist out here in the sticks.”
“I told her I’d give them the money to start a salon or something,” I said. “They won’t take it.”
“Ken, you’ve given me more than enough money. I can’t take anymore from you.”
I shook my head at my sister’s strike at independence. I wished her well, but I’d always be there when she needed me.
“Work on her, Mom. Use your motherly magic guilt powers.”
Mom frowned and said, “No, she needs to follow her own path.”
“Well, the offer will always be on the table, Sis.”
She ignored me and stared out the window.
***
After the funeral, we took a small group to the only restaurant in town that could seat us privately. It was a typical mom-and-pop Greek-owned family restaurant, but it had a banquet room in the basement.
I think every small town had one of those cafe-type places, where the coffee was good and the food was bad. It’s as if they didn’t have any salt and pepper in the kitchen. I’ve even left those places if they didn’t have Cholula hot sauce for my veggie omelet. What can I say? I’m a prima donna about some things.
As soon as I walked downstairs into the party room, my breath was taken away by the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen. She was stunning, with long red hair, sparkling blue eyes, and what I could only imagine was a firm athletic body, under her dowdy work dress. She could compete with any actress in Hollywood, easily. What was she doing working there?
“Are you gonna be okay, Mom?” I asked as I pulled out her chair, never taking my eyes off of the beauty across the room.
