For the Love of You (15 page)

Chapter 16

T
he next few months were a whirlwind of activity. Jewel worked every day perfecting her pieces, and bit by bit the collection grew to an astonishing body of work that replicated the film in a way that was surreal. She worked from many of the photographs that Norm had taken and from the sketches she'd done while watching the film unfold on the grounds and in the house.

She was in constant touch with Mai, who dropped in at least once per week to check on Jewel's progress and to update her on her publicity plans, which had begun to roll out. News stations and several key art magazines had been in touch wanting interviews. “We've got them in the bag,” Mai had said, “but time is key.”

In between Jewel spent as much time as she could with her father, who seemed to grow more and more frail with each passing day. There were times when she would come into his room and see him sitting by the window and he'd remind her of a broken sparrow, trapped on the ground and unable to fly. The vibrant, robust man of her youth was gone. In his place was the shell of her father.

It was her fear and concern for her father that held her back from taking the trip to London to spend some time with Craig and cut short her visit to New York, where he'd gone to do some of the talk shows. She worried constantly that something would happen and she wouldn't be there for her father. There were nights when she would jerk out of her sleep thinking he'd gotten out of the house again. The idea that she would have to leave him for any length of time grew to be less and less of a possibility each day. But the first showings of the work and the film were happening within a week at the Indie Film Festival, then Cannes and Sundance. She didn't know if she would be at any of them.

“Hey, Daddy,” she said softly and crossed the room to where he sat by the window. She took a seat. “How are you today? It's beautiful outside. You want to go for a walk?”

He looked across at her with a faraway expression on his face. He smiled. “You're a pretty little gal.”

Jewel's heart knocked. “Come on, let's go outside.”

Once outside, Jewel held on tightly to her father's thin arm, and they strolled slowly across the glistening green grass of the backyard.

“I had so much fun running around out here when I was little. Do you remember the time when I climbed that tree, the one right over there?” She pointed to the giant maple that was the centerpiece of the property. “Got halfway up and got scared. Couldn't move. Wouldn't go up and couldn't come down.” She chuckled at the memory. “You were the one that coaxed me down.” She squeezed his arm and rested her head on his shoulder. “You climbed up and sat with me, talked with me, told me how proud you were because I was so fearless, that I could do anything, and no matter what you would always be there cheering me on.” Tears rolled down her cheeks. “You held my hand, and we came down the tree together.” She sniffed. “You were always there, like I am now.”

“I had my time,” he said.

The strength and clarity in his voice brought Jewel up short. She held her breath.

“It's your time, baby girl. Time for you to climb down on your own, spread your wings with that nice fella. I'll cheer you on from the sidelines.”

She looked into his face and knew that in that moment, he saw her. Really saw her, and his words weren't some out-of-context ramblings. He was here in the moment with her. Her throat knotted. She wrapped her arms around her father and held on, needing to secure this moment between them just a little while longer. When she finally released him and stepped back to look into his eyes, he was already gone.

* * *

The first article on the return of Jewel Fontaine hit the newsstand a month before the Indie Film Festival. And in the following months, she was on the covers of
Art Noir
,
Contemporary Art
,
People
, and
Cosmo
. She appeared with Craig on the
Today
show and E! to talk about their collaboration without giving too much away. The film and the art worlds were buzzing, and Jewel's phone wouldn't stop ringing.

Craig returned to New Orleans for two weeks and they spent the entire time in bed together to make up for lost time.

“This is all so crazy,” Jewel said the morning Craig was preparing to leave for LA. “I never thought I'd be in this place again.” She looked at him, and for the first time all the excitement turned to doubt. “All the traveling and reporters and people wanting to know everything about me...you.” She sighed and shook her head. “I left all that madness behind and settled for a different kind of life.” She looked at him. “I'd gotten used to it. To the normalcy of it. Sure, it was hard financially, and then you came into my life and changed all that, but...”

Craig sat next to her. He lifted a stray curl from her face and tucked it behind her ear. “So what are you saying?”

“I don't know what I'm saying.” Her eyes pleaded with him to understand. She lowered her head.

“You've been down this road. You know what it's like under the spotlight.”

She shook her head back and forth. “Not like this.”

Craig blew out a breath. “All this craziness is the prelim. Once the film hits, the noise will die down and we can go back to being Jewel and Craig.” He captured her hand in his. His eyes ran over her face. “I got you,” he said. “We're going to do this together. I promise you.”

All at once that day in the tree so long ago, when her dad climbed up to get her and assured her that it was going to be all right, flooded her thoughts and warmed her heart. And all those years later under that very same tree he gave her wings and told her to fly. It was exactly what Craig was doing.

She pressed her head against Craig's chest and shut her eyes. “Thank you, Daddy,” she whispered.

Chapter 17

A
fter much prayer and having her arm twisted by Minerva, Jewel set out with Craig to set fire to the industry. Just as Mai predicted, the unveiling of Jewel's first piece at the Indie Film Festival was a phenomenal success, which only upped the ante for the festivals to follow. Jewel and Craig were bombarded by journalists and photographers, all wanting to know every detail of their lives and their collaboration and to capture every moment.

Just as he'd promised, Craig was with Jewel every step of the way. It had been a while since she'd been under the glare of the spotlight, but with Craig by her side she glided instead of stumbled, and before long it was second nature again.

The biggest coup was the early premieres at targeted theaters. At the end the audiences actually stood for a good five minutes, shouting, applauding and stomping their approval. Upon their exit from the theater, the lobby was lined with Jewel's art, which served as the nightcap of the evening and reinforced the audience's theater experience.

The reviews were stellar, one after the other touting the brilliance of the film and the creative genius of the art. The pairing of the two had set the marketing world on its ear. Things only got better when Craig was nominated for a Golden Globe for best picture and best director. And he was informed that Milan Chase received a nomination for best actress.

Jewel leaped up into his arms and squealed with delight the minute he put the phone down.

“Oh, my God. This is so wonderful! Congratulations, baby.” She kissed him long and hard. “You deserve this.” She caressed his face. “So proud of you.”

“We did this. Me and you. Don't ever think otherwise,” he said, looking deep into her eyes. “It was your home that set the tone. That meant everything. And your renderings bring it all together. We did this.”

She grinned. “If you say so, Mr. Golden Globe nominee.”

“I want you there.”

“Where?”

“At the Globes.”

“Really?”

“Yes, really.” He cupped her face in his hand. “Every step of the way...together, me and you.”

He hadn't spoken to Milan since they'd completed the final edits months earlier, he thought as he held Jewel close. She'd called and left messages on his cell phone, but he'd never called back. Now with her getting the nomination, they would be thrown back in each other's paths. Not a journey he was looking forward to taking.

* * *

“You can't turn down these interviews, man,” Anthony admonished. “It's going to hurt your chances and the chances for the film. We open nationwide in a week. You have a major nomination along with your lead actress. People want to see you together.”

Craig rocked his jaw and slowly paced the floor of his hotel suite.

“At least do one.
Entertainment Tonight.
They're fair and fun. It'll be easy. Besides, you've been able to keep your distance from Milan so far. You've been in the same cities on the same tours.”

“Yeah, but the focus has never just been on me and her. It's not a good look, Tony. There's no telling what Milan may say or do.”

“Look, everything is taped. If she does something crazy, we get it cut out before it airs.”

He turned to his longtime friend. “All right, tell them I'll do it. But I swear, if this thing goes to hell, I'm blaming you.”

“Duly noted.”

* * *

When Craig and Anthony arrived at the studio, they were swept into the green room, prepped and offered food and drink to bide their time.

“You have about a half hour before they get started. I'm going to check on a few things and I'll be back.”

“Cool.” He settled on the couch and plucked a grape from the bunch.

There was a knock at the door.

“Come on in.”

The door eased open, and Milan stepped into his line of sight. He sat up on the couch. “Milan, what are you doing here?”

She stepped fully into the room and shut the door behind her. “I thought we should talk first.”

“Really? About what?”

“About all the mess that has gone down between us.” She sighed and folded her hands in front of her. “When we were together, whether you believe it or not, I really cared for you. Really. I knew I wasn't a big star or a famous model, I was just me. I used to pinch myself to be sure that I wasn't dreaming. Me, Milan Chase from Newark, New Jersey, in a relationship with you.” She chuckled without humor. “I didn't think you would stay,” she said. “I figured it was only a matter of time.”

“You didn't have to lie to me, Milan.”

She lowered her head. “I know. I know that now. But I thought if I told you that I was pregnant that you would stay with me.”

“There never was a baby, Milan! You lied. I did care about you. I could have...maybe cared more. But what you did—” he shook his head “—was unforgivable. To lie and say that you lost it. To pretend to be devastated.” He rubbed his face with his hands then looked up at her. “If I hadn't seen the text message from your partner in crime, Delys, I may have never known.”

“I've said I'm sorry. It won't change what I did. I accept that, but what I came here to say was thank you.”

“For what?”

“For giving me this chance, after all the shit I put you through. I know that you could have picked hundreds of other actors for the part, but you chose me.” Her voice wobbled.

“Because regardless of what you think, you are a helluva good actress. I saw that in you. I knew you could do this, and now you've proven to the world that you can. All you have to do now is have the same belief in yourself that I have in you. This is only the beginning, Milan. You have an amazing future ahead of you. But lies and backstabbing—” he shook his head “—will take you down.”

She sniffed and smiled while trying not to cry. “They're going to have to redo my makeup.”

He got up and crossed the room to stand in front of her. “You're a star. Go get the star treatment.”

She leaned up and kissed his cheek. “Thank you.” She walked out and straight into Anthony.

A look of panic crossed Anthony's face when he saw her wiping her eyes. “Everything cool?”

“Very,” she said and hurried past him.

Anthony came in and shut the door. “What was that about?” he asked, hooking his thumb over his shoulder.

“Finally settling some old business. It's all good.” He clapped Anthony on the back. “Let's get this done. I need to go home to my woman.”

Chapter 18

T
he night of the Golden Globe Awards was more spectacular than Jewel ever imagined. It took all of her good home training to keep her jaw from dropping every time she saw another star. And they were all there, from multiple award-winning actors to the newcomers. Not to mention the music royalty that fanned out among the well-heeled guests.

Craig had reserved two tables for the cast and his family. He was happy to see that Milan brought a date, and she seemed truly happy. Everyone was in place except for his father. It was more than he could have expected, but he had to try.

Since his visit, they'd spoken maybe twice. It was almost as if the conversation had never happened. His father had reverted back to his demeanor of indifference. But Craig would not let that steal his moment tonight.

Now that the film had opened and the full array of Jewel's art had been displayed, her phone would not stop ringing. Every producer and director on the East and West Coasts wanted to hire her to do renderings of their films and their actors. She was in such demand that she could pick and choose whom she wanted to work with. Never in a million years would she have thought that her personal passion would take her to this level. She and Craig had created a whole new genre of art. For well into the future she was financially solvent. The worries she'd had barely a year earlier were a thing of the past. And to add to her blessings, Alyse confided that after seeing the film and her art, she'd been looking into landmark designation for Jewel's home. She was getting some very positive feedback from the committee and the cachet of the Lawson name. But she swore Jewel to secrecy. If it came through, Jewel would never have to worry about the house again.

She squeezed Craig's hand. He turned to her. “I love you,” she whispered. “No matter what happens tonight. You are
my
winner, and I'll prove it to you later.”

“Wicked, wicked woman,” he said against her mouth.

* * *

The evening's festivities were underway, and one after another presenters and winners took to the podium. The room overflowed with good cheer, laughter and plenty of food and drink. It was one big party.

The first of many wins for
Rendezvous With Destiny
kicked off with Milan Chase's win for best actress in a drama. She was so overcome she could barely get her words out as she looked onto the crowd of her contemporaries standing for her.

“There are so many people to thank, but one person stands out above them all. I must thank Craig Lawson, my director, my mentor, my friend. He believed in me when I didn't believe in myself and gave me an opportunity when I didn't deserve it. I'm standing here tonight because of him. Thank you.” She raised her award above her head and was escorted off.

When his name was called for best director, it took several moments for it to register with him. His entire table was on its feet as he pulled himself together and jogged up the steps to the stage.

* * *

Jewel was certain she would simply burst with pride and love as she watched him give his acceptance speech, and to see the love from his colleagues overflow and fill the room was overwhelming.

“There are so many people to thank. My entire crew, who work in front of and behind the scenes. The amazing actors who brought this story to life. I can't thank you enough. Hamilton and Milan, this is because of you,” he said, lifting the statue. “But the one person that I have to thank and pay homage to is my lady, Jewel Fontaine. Her brilliance inspires me. Her beauty overwhelms me. Her selflessness taught me what it means to truly love another person. Without her I would be half the man I've become. And...if you'll have me, Jewel Fontaine, I want to spend the rest of my life with you working on the other half.”

A collective gasp went up from the audience.

Jewel couldn't see for the tears that clouded her eyes. She stood and blew him kisses, mouthing, “Yes, yes, yes.”

Craig grinned like a man finding a million bucks. “Now I'm a real winner. Thank you!”

He was escorted off the stage but held in the wings. The next category was best picture.

She said yes
was all he could think about as he stood on the side pacing back and forth. Visions of their life together played out in front of him. If he had to move back to Louisiana, he would. Whatever she wanted. Maybe he could purchase some property and set up a studio. What about kids? He wanted kids, lots of them, and the best part would be making them.

He was so engrossed in the swirl of his thoughts that it wasn't until the escort shook his arm to tell him they were calling his name did it register that he had won.

Craig walked back on stage in a semidaze. The lights, the people, the applause dazzled him. Best picture. It was the pinnacle of an artist's career.

For several moments he stood at the podium to pull himself together. He looked out at the crowd and found his table. The seat that had been empty wasn't any longer. His vision clouded for a moment. His father was there, clapping and nodding his approval. Craig nearly broke down, and it took all of his willpower to keep it together.

He wasn't sure what he said, if he said too little or too much. All he wanted to do was get off the stage and get to his family.

* * *

When Craig returned to the table, he was swarmed with hugs and kisses and handshakes. His father stood in front of him. Craig stood a step forward. Jake extended his hand, which Craig took. Jake pulled him into a tight bear hug. “I'm proud of you, son,” he whispered. “I always have been.” He clapped him heartily on the back then stepped back and gripped his shoulders. “I hear I'm getting a daughter-in-law.”

Craig turned toward Jewel, and she stepped into his embrace. “Jewel, this is my dad, Jake Lawson.”

“Oh, me and your dad are buddies. Right, Mr. Lawson?”

“When Alyse told me about the house, well... I thought it only right that I take a look from a real estate perspective.”

“Your dad's been working with Alyse on the landmark designation,” Jewel confessed.

“And, uh, no one was going to tell me?”

“Nope,” they all said in unison.

“All this happiness and good news deserves a serious toast,” Myles said and began filling glasses.

Jewel turned in to Craig's body so that they were only a breath apart. “I have something else to tell you.”

“What?”

“I won't be doing any drinking or traveling for a while, and if you had a date in mind for a wedding...well, we may need to move it up.”

He stared into her glowing face then down the curves of her body, hugged in a champagne-toned Vera Wang gown. “Jewel, are you telling me...”

“Twelve weeks. I wanted to wait to be sure. Are you happy?”

“Happy, baby—happy doesn't come close to what I'm feeling.” He didn't care that they were in a room full of people and photographers. He pulled Jewel flush against him and kissed her as if they were the only two people in the world.

“I love you, girl,” he hummed against her mouth to the applause of onlookers.

“I love you right back.”