As we left the teller window and walked across the lobby on our way to the exit, I grinned a little and muttered, “Easy come, easy go.”
“You’d mentioned before that you were pretty tapped out, so are you sure you want to give that much away? We could go back and change it,” Lorenzo said, as he gestured over his shoulder.
“I’d always wished for the day I could give my parents a windfall like that, and it finally came true. I wouldn’t change that for the world. And I’ll be fine. If I’m careful with my spending, that’ll be more than enough to get by until I’m paid again in a month or so.”
I felt elated as we drove back to the airport, but I knew this was the calm before the storm. I’d probably panic once I got to Mendocino and was plunged into the world of moviemaking. Still though, I was determined to let myself have a few hours to be happy about the contract, which hadn’t left my hands since it was signed.
Lorenzo’s cousin met us in front of the terminal. The two men exchanged back-slapping hugs before handing off the car. Then I had a little time to kill while Lorenzo went through his preflight checks and fueled up, so I wandered to the newsstand and scanned the headlines.
The Trent Chambers scandal hadn’t erupted yet. I was supposed to keep a lid on the fact that I’d replaced him as Alex until the news of his ‘accident’ broke, which was fine by me. Aside from telling my friends and family I’d gotten the part, I really wasn’t eager to make it public. This was already a lot to handle, without adding pushy reporters to the mix.
Soon Lorenzo and I were back in the Cessna. It felt like months had passed since our flight to L.A., but somehow that had just happened the day before. I spent the short flight lost in thought and staring out at the endless expanse of green-blue ocean.
Before long, Catalina came into view. The runway that had been blasted into the top of a mountain looked pretty dicey from this angle, especially since it ended at the edge of a cliff. But there was no reason to worry, because Lorenzo handled the landing the same way he did everything else—with skill and confidence.
We taxied to the plane’s usual spot near the hangar. As soon as he shut off the engine, Lorenzo sent a text. I shot him a look and said, “Tell me Beck isn’t throwing a surprise going-away party and asked you to let him know when I’m arriving.”
He tried to pull off an innocent expression as he muttered, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“You’re a terrible liar.”
After a beat, he dropped the act and asked, “How’d you figure it out from a single text?”
“The timing was suspicious. Also, I know Beck, and this is exactly the type of thing he’d do.”
“Technically, it’s to congratulate you on the movie, not a going away party. Don’t tell Beck I said anything. You know how much he loves surprises.”
“I won’t say a word.”
* * *
Several friends were waiting outside for me when we reached Seahorse Ranch. Lorenzo said, “Go greet your adoring public. I want to put away the picnic basket, so I’ll see you in a minute.”
He went through the side door of the main building, and as I stepped into the courtyard, everyone cheered and applauded. A bunch of big, cardboard gold stars had been layered over the Christmas, Hanukkah, Diwali, and New Year’s decorations, along with a hand-lettered banner which read: Congratulations Will! We all want to be your date to the Oscars.
Beck hugged me and exclaimed, “There he is, the man of the hour! I’m so happy for you, Will.”
“Thank you for throwing me a party.”
He grinned as he let go of me. “I know you hate being the center of attention, which is super weird for an actor. But we all wanted a chance to fawn over you before you take off.”
Vee was the next to grab me in a hug and congratulate me. My cat was right beside him, decked out in her pink rhinestone harness and leash, and I said, “Thanks for looking after my girl last night.”
“It was fun. We had a slumber party and watched The Lion King together.”
“Did you really?” I scooped up the cat and kissed the top of her head.
“Absolutely.”
“You’re awesome, Vee.”
“That’s true.” He smiled at me, and then he asked, “So, when you’re done filming, what are the chances you’ll actually come back here?”
“I haven’t had a chance to think about what I’ll do afterwards.”
“But your career is taking off, so you’ll probably move back to L.A., or even New York, now that you’re a successful actor.”
“I’m not successful. It’s only one movie, and there’s no guarantee it’ll lead to others.”