Choices

She trailed her fingers down his arm.

"How did you get this scar?"

Spencer's breathing hitched when she touched him.

He shrugged "A work-related accident. There's no big story behind it."

When Lindsey looked at him, his eyes were steady on her. A smile played at her lips and she hated that he could do this to her. It shouldn't be like this.

She was a fool thinking she could have him. What was Spencer's interest in her? She wasn't tall or blonde or curvy or any of the things men usually wanted.

Was he using her to get back at Melissa?

When they finally arrived at the campground, Spencer spread a tablecloth on a shady picnic table, and unpacked the basket, removing jars of pickles, preserves, drinks, and sandwiches.

Lindsey sat across from him, her hair up in a sexy ponytail.

"It's beautiful out here," she said taking a look around. "Living in Los Angeles made me forget how beautiful Middletown is."

"It sure is," he said, looking straight at her.

Lindsey felt herself blush. She grabbed a sandwich and gave it a bite.

The way Spencer looked at her made her feel like a woman.

"Are you okay?" He asked picking a sandwich from the plate and giving it a bite.

"I am. Will you answer me a question?"

"Sure."

"Why did you take all this wonderful trouble, and for what purpose have you brought me here?"

"That makes two questions, Linds," said Spencer with a smile. "You're lucky today I have a two-for-one deal going."

She looked into Spencer's eyes, searching for any clues to the man behind them. She felt shivers dance up and down her spine.

"The short answer is that I missed not being able to talk with you again the other night. Apparently, Mel thought your presence wasn't necessary," he pouted in a very sincere way.

"I also think that you deserve a day off from the wicked witch of the west." Spencer laughed at his own joke, and added, trying to put her at ease, "Don't read too much into this. We are just two friends spending time together. I missed that."

"Look, Spencer, it's no secret that Melissa wants you back in her life..."

He nodded his head as he took another bite.

"So?" Spencer asked with his mouth half full.

"What part of 'my sister and boss is in love with you don't you understand?"

"The part about it not being true," he answered flatly. "Melissa is not in love with me."

Lindsey stared at Spencer as long as she could without getting lost in his blue eyes.

"Guys are notorious for missing that kind of stuff. You don't hear the things she says, the way she goes on about you," Lindsey said, pleading for understanding.

"Mel needs a man who doesn't have a problem being an accessory she wears at parties and social events," Spencer replied calmly. "We would never be a real couple. I'd be a secondary character in the movie of her life."

"She doesn't have a chance with you, does she?" Lindsey asked, twisting her mouth.

"Hallelujah! She has seen the light!" Spencer said raising his arms. Then, he pulled a serious face. "No, she doesn't. And she knows it," Spencer took another bite of his sandwich, chewing and staring at the lake. "Can you do me a favor?"

"Sure," Lindsey said without hesitation.

"Can we not discuss Melissa anymore?" He stared at Lindsey, and he could see the surprise in her eyes. "She is in the past, and it's time for me to move on. Let's talk about us."

He stood up and sat at her side.

No, no, no. Lindsey needed to remove herself from the equation.

"This between us can't happen, Spencer. We're better off far away from each other."

"You might be. I'm not. Don't tell me you don't feel the same way..."

Of course, she felt it. She wanted to be with him. It was not only a physical but truly soulful feeling. But it wasn't as simple as want alone.

Spencer took her hand and they made their way toward the lake's shore. Fingers knitted together, they walked at the water's edge. Spencer realized how easy it was to be with Lindsey. She could stay tranquil no matter how crazy the people around her became. No doubt it was a trait she'd cultivated in dealing with her sister's demanding ways.

Spencer wasn't sure how long they stayed side by side, their bodies pressing against each other with nothing but the sound of their breathing between them, but he knew damn well he wouldn't be the one to break their connection or their silence. It was the most comfortable stillness he had ever experienced.

Until it ended.

The ringing of her cell phone caused Lindsey to pull away.

She pulled out her cell phone, only breaking eye contact when she looked at the screen. "It's Mel. I should get this."

A growl escaped from Spencer's throat.

"Hello, Mel. What can I do for you...? What?! How did he know...? No, of course I didn't tell him. Okay, I'll be back immediately."

She hung up and looked at Spencer.

"I have to go. The bad guys are arriving."

"Bad guys?"

"Mel's agent is coming to Middletown to take her back to LA. She just got a call from him announcing his arrival."

That meant Lindsey was going away too. Spencer held her arm.

"I don't want you to go."

"It is all happening way too fast for me to process. Please don't press me, give me a little time." It was an excuse and they both knew it.

"You are choosing Mel over your own happiness."

"I can't leave Mel."

"She can find another assistant."

"I'm not just her assistant, I'm her sister," Lindsey said. "She needs me."

She was choosing her obligation to her sister over being happy with him. And he couldn't figure out why.

Frustration and impatience got the better of him.

"Well, thank God you won't have to deal with me for very long. Once you leave here you can go back to your glamorous life as an assistant and forget you ever met me."

Lindsey fought back the tears that formed in her eyes. She placed a hand on his cheek looking straight into his eyes. "You don't actually believe that, do you? You think for one second that I'd just forget you?"

"It doesn't matter." He looked away.

"It matters to me." she squeezed his shoulder.

And then she kissed him. Completely. She kissed all his thoughts right out of his head; she kissed him until he couldn't have even said his name to save his own life.

When they finally broke apart, Lindsey was flushed.

"I never felt this way before. Being around you hurts too much. I wish I was braver, but I'm not."

Her phone rang again.

"Get in the truck, I'll take you back to town before the Queen of Hearts gets mad."

They drove in silence till Spencer parked in front of Lindsey's house.

"Are you worried?" he asked.

Lindsey nodded and forced a slight smile.

"About Mel?"

"In part, they are going to argue back and forth and it's not going to be pretty. But, I'm worried about us. Mel can never know how we feel. She'll make my life a living hell if she knows."

"So you're not allowed to date?" Spencer asked. "That seems a bit much."

"It's not that I can't date," Lindsey didn't tell Spencer that her sister had a knack for ruining every chance at romance that came her way. "It's more that I can't date YOU. You're off-limits."

If it weren't for Lindsey's peculiar attachment to being her sister's assistant, he could've delighted in having found the perfect woman.

"Promise me you won't tell her anything about today... about the kiss," Lindsey begged, stumbling on her words, her thoughts, her emotions.

"If that's what you want I won't. But, Lindsey, your life plan can't be being your sister's assistant. You deserve to have a life of your own."

"You deserve so much better than me."

The reality was that they couldn't be together. He wanted something impossible for her to give.

CHAPTER 14

As soon as Spencer and Lindsey entered the house, Mel wasted no time with pleasantries.

"Where the hell were you? You were gone for hours."

Spencer stepped in front of her.

"I'm the one to blame, Mel. I wanted to show Lindsey some furniture I was building and we lost all notion of time," he apologized.

Mel looked at Spencer and then at her sister, whose face was red, and then back at Spencer.

Lindsey couldn't concentrate. Not with Spencer looking at her. She hated that she couldn't tell him how she felt. She hated that when Melissa looked at him, she felt nothing but murderous rage. She wanted to be the only one looking at him like this.

"You know I need to know where you are all the time. I needed you here with me."

Lindsey sensed the mines beneath her feet, but for once in her life, she didn't care.

"I'm already here, okay. Stop making such a fuss because I took a couple of hours for myself, for God's sake! I'm your assistant, not your slave. Forgive me for having spent a couple of hours catching up with a friend!"

Mel looked at his sister trying to decide what to say or what to do.

"Okay, I'm sorry. I'm nervous. You don't need to be such a bitch. We have bigger issues to deal with right now."

The sound of a car halting and its doors banging was followed by a hard knock on the door.

Lindsey opened the door to find Carl Carson standing outside. He looked worried and exhausted.

He walked past Lindsey and asked.

"Mel! I know you are here. The game is over! Stop hiding! Mel!"

The sound of the door slamming made Lindsey jump.

Melissa recognized the voice immediately as her insides shriveled up and died on the spot.

Melissa walked into the room, looked at her agent, and went into attack mode. She knew her agent would never let her stay. And she wasn't ready to leave.

"What the hell are you doing here? You can't just barge into my mother's house and start screaming like you own the place." Mel's voice was strong and very pissed off.

"Don't think I didn't know you were screening my calls!" Carl Carson replied.

Melissa straightened her back and sucked in a breath. "I didn't want to talk to you. I told you I needed some time for myself. Didn't your mama teach you any manners?"

"My mother was a junkie who slept with everyone to buy drugs," Carl Carson snapped back.

Lindsey rushed to Melissa's side, and Spencer followed her.

"Do you want me to kick his ass out of the house?" Spencer asked Melissa.

His voice alone caused Melissa's breathing to even out, even though her heart wouldn't stop pounding out beats like crazy. Spencer would protect her. He would keep her safe.

"Oh, this is just priceless." Carl's laugh sounded sinister. "I can see now why you left LA and the reason you didn't want to come home! You've been a bad girl!"

Melissa twisted her lips in disgust. Somehow everything that came out of her agent's mouth sounded sleazy.

She wouldn't be surprised if Carl tried to sign Spencer to his agency. He never missed the opportunity to represent a pretty face.

"You are a jerk," she muttered. "A thief believes that all people are thieves."

It was like being in an abusive relationship where freedom only came from being away from your abuser. Separated by a few states seemed like a good start. Her soul had soared when she had cut off ties with everyone who controlled her in LA, but it spectacularly crashed to the ground as soon as Carl's voice broke the sanctity of the peaceful space she had found for herself.

"I brought you a present, Mel." Carl eyed her. "Although I have to admit that I didn't realize you wouldn't need it."

Confused, Melissa frowned at him. Whatever her agent referred to was completely lost on her until she heard the gentle knock on the screen door.

Carl Carson opened the front door and Brandon Allen came inside, his face forlorn and his hair mussed in what she was sure was a calculated way.

Spencer tensed up and clenched his fists. He had recognized him, of course. His first instinct was to rip his head off, but that would achieve nothing, except assault charges. So he stood there giving him the evil eye and let Melissa deal with the jerk.

Melissa couldn't believe her eyes. It was one thing for her agent to come and play hardball, but it was downright dirty to bring Brandon with him.

"Brandon?" Emotion tinged her words, and Brandon's face softened, clearly mistaking the meaning of her tone.

Spencer must have misunderstood too because he took a step away from her.

Surprised, she glanced at Spencer, wanting to tell him that he had it all wrong. She didn't want Brandon; her tone only reflected her surprise at seeing him there, nothing else.

"I missed you, babe," Brandon said using his best smile.

"Don't call me babe, you cheating piece of shit. Why are you even here?" Melissa said harshly.

"Because I wanted to see you and clear the air between us."

When Brandon took a step toward her, Melissa edged back. She fumbled for Spencer's hand and linked her fingers with his. "I don't want anything to do with you. We don't belong together. You're delusional."

"Don't say that." Brandon's voice sounded like a snake trying to hypnotize Mel so he could eat her. Spencer let out a low warning growl.

The air crackled in the emotionally charged room as Spencer stood a little taller and flexed his muscles as he boomed at Brandon, "Your ears busted or something, pretty boy? Did you hear the lady or not?"

"I heard her," Brandon said, sounding more like a punk kid trying to talk back to his parents. "But we have history. Did you think she was going to stay in this backwater town with you? What are you? A farmer?" He laughed, and Melissa's agent followed suit.

From the corner of her eye, Lindsey could see Spencer's hands ball into fists at his side.

"You're a good-looking guy, I'll give you that." Brandon smirked at Spencer, then said smugly, "But there's no way that this thing you two have going on would ever last in California. I'm sure it was a nice little fling, but it's over now. Do you need me to write you a check to make you feel better?"

"Brandon!" Melissa shouted as Spencer once again growled and took a couple of steps towards Brandon. Lindsey squeezed his hand pushing him back.

This was the type of game everyone played in Hollywood, but Spencer had never had to deal with this kind of thing before.

"You cheated on me with farmer boy, I cheated on you, that makes us even. Let's forgive and forget."

"Nothing is going on between Melissa and me, you sick creep," Spencer growled.

"Don't listen to him," Lindsey whispered at Spencer. "He is just trying to get inside your head. Please don't let him. They don't know you at all."

"Enough, Brandon," Carl Carson scowled him down. "We both know you don't stand a chance in a fight with farmer boy. Look at his arms. Unlike yours, those are not gym muscles. This is not a scene from your movies, if he punches your nose it will break."

Carl's words wiped the smile off the young actor's face. Then, the agent softened his tone, obviously changing tactics. "I'm sure you're a reasonable guy. You can certainly understand that Mel has been off the radar for a couple of weeks now and, well, that's not good for business or her reputation."

Mel flinched at his words. Carl Carlson looked at her.

"You cleaned your schedule, left the city all of a sudden and you haven't been seen in weeks. Cassandra had to fill in for you at that charity event. The rumor mill hasn't stopped churning out stories. The main rumor is that you had a nervous breakdown caused by Brandon's infidelity and got admitted in a private facility."

"I don't believe you," Mel said and crossed her arms over her chest as she narrowed her eyes at her agent.

Then she turned and snapped at her sister, "You didn't track the press on me?"

"We wanted a few days off from reality. I didn't think..." Lindsey apologized.

Carl Carson pulled out his phone and swiped at the screen before turning it to her. A tabloid headline read:

"Mel Dawn had a mental breakdown over Brandon's cheating. Details Inside!"

"Oh my God! Why didn't you put a stop to this?" Mel asked as the horror of it all came crashing down around her. She sucked in a quick breath, her head shaking as tears filled her eyes.

"Because bad publicity is still publicity. It's a front-page story. As long as people are talking about you, you're still relevant. It doesn't matter what they're saying as long as they're saying something."

Her agent's features settled into what looked like pity and disapproval. "Honestly, Mel, we have been working on putting out that fire, releasing statements nonstop, but they're very hard to corroborate when no one can find you or talk to you. Everyone believes these stories because no one's seen you. This little stunt you pulled backfired. Big time."

"I'm sure you're trying really hard to stop it all. You're probably calling in the tips," she shouted, and Carl Carson's face reddened.

Lindsey turned to her sister. "We'll talk to the press. We'll figure a way out of this. Once they know the real reason, they'll believe you."

Mel nodded slowly.

"Pack my things, we're leaving right now. There's no time to waste. When I get back, I'll put out a statement or something."

Carl Carson also nodded, approving her words.

Mel turned to her agent and Brandon.

"Now get out of my house! Both of you! I don't care what you do or where you go as long as you stay the hell away from me."

"Mel, I had already arranged a flight for us..." her agent started to say.

"I can arrange my own flights. Out!"

CHAPTER 15

"It has been a nice break from reality," Melissa muttered closing her bag and taking one last look at her room. She was feeling so frustrated. "Good times are over and now I have to go back to my chains. At least we'll be able to attend Malcom Powers' party."

Mel looked at her sister who was standing at her side. She looked completely dejected.

"Sadly, we have to go back. We have to set things right before they get out of hand. I'll write a statement in my Twitter account denying the rumors and indicating that I was dealing with a personal matter."

Lindsey nodded over at her older sister, absentmindedly.

"Linds?"

Reality had hit Lindsey's stomach like a boulder crashing off a cliff.

"That sounds good, Mel. What do you want to do about Spencer?"

"Do you think he would agree to come to LA with us?"

"No. I don't think so. Even if he had forgiven you for what you did, and that's a huge 'if', I don't think Spencer would agree to move to LA." Lindsey said softly, unable to hide the deep sadness in her words. "Our lifestyle is too different from his. Besides, he'll never give up his furniture business."

"I make enough for both of us. He doesn't need to work."

"Does she know Spencer at all? He'll never accept that. He loves building furniture. He loves his work," Lindsey's thoughts were screaming in her mind now. She pressed her lips together and took a deep breath.

"You like him." Mel's voice had taken on a coolness that made Lindsey shiver. "You like my boyfriend."

With a shaky laugh that wouldn't fool anyone, Lindsey replied, "Everybody likes Spence. He has a good heart. Children and dogs love him,"

"But everybody didn't go on a date with him." Mel's eyes were locked on her sister's. "This is Middletown, Linds. People here are worse than paparazzi. They saw you climb into his truck and head out of town. You lied to me."

Lindsey's chest tightened. She was barely able to draw breath enough to defend herself.

"He wanted to talk with me in private. He was disappointed I wasn't here the other day for dinner."

"Talk with you? What about?"

"That's personal. I know the notion might sound strange to you, but I do have a personal life," Lindsey crossed her arms on her chest and waited with her chin thrust out, daring her sister to disagree.

"Are you trying to steal my boyfriend from me, Sister?"

"I wouldn't call it stealing," Lindsey thought.