Rumor Has It

Part 20

Sorry, I'm slow! I don't get much time to write on weekdays at the moment, but here we go. 

*

As much as Bradley tried to, their first attempt at displaying a believable couple was hard to forget. There had been a spark between them, one that he knew would be impossible to ignore or deny. He was so sure he wasn't imagining it and that Stefani must have felt it too.

It had been sweet and gentle, but something about it made him feel alive in a way that hadn't in quite some time. sweet and gentle and more importantly, not real, he reminded himself. If this was her acting he was in trouble.

He sighed as he packed a bag for Lea and tried to push all thoughts about that kiss from his mind. It didn't help that Malibu was where he was headed, although he had an innocent motive today.

The plan was only to drop Lea off, who was dawdling around in the living room instead of helping him, playing with the ends of her hair as she looked out at the already darkening sky. Her continual insistence to try out Emily's dance class had persisted for longer than the two weeks and Ashley had agreed to take her with them once.

The house was bustling with people, some he knew and some he had not seen before and if his own place was in such a state when he was not even home, he would be nervous. But Ashley didn't look alarmed but very comfortable in the commotion, so it was probably normal for everyone else.

Another woman suddenly appeared behind her when she had just greeted them and even though they had never met, Bradley immediately knew who it was. There had been so many pictures with her in it, both inside the house and that he'd seen when looking up Stefani's work by now. So many similar facial features and the same amused expression he knew from her by now. This could be a good thing, it only depended on how he handled it.

"Hi, I'm Cynthia. I've seen you before, at that event, but I don't think we've met."

"No, it's nice to meet you now.

"And you're Lea?"

He rarely saw her this shy anymore around here, but he could feel his daughter's little hand find his own again like it always used to. She nodded and almost disappeared behind him until Emily showed up and dragged her along with her.

"She'll warm up." Bradley added apologetically.

"I'm sure. Do you want to come inside?"

He was curious enough to want to, but decided he would prefer to get to talk to her more when Stefani was around as well, which was something he thought she likely preferred too.

"Grandma, the cable for my console." Emily's demanding voice came from behind the door and Cynthia frowned.

"Can you say that again, but nicer?"

"Will you help me find the cable, PLEASE." She corrected herself dramatically.

"We can look in a minute, honey. Can you check the box in the living room first?"

She turned back to Bradley and shrugged. "You know how things get."

"It's another phase, I'm guessing."

"I know, I'm sometimes thinking, it's like she's 7 going on 16."

"I do hope Lea will still talk to me this much when she's really 16."

"Oh, feel free to drop her off for a day when you film your screen test in case she gets bored. Ash isn't alone this week and I'll be around."

Bradley nodded solemnly. Filming their final version of the screen test would take a few days and he wasn't nervous about how either of them would do anymore. He trusted Stefani's work ethic and abilities and there would be no way the studio wouldn't accept it.