Moon over the Bay (Moonlit Nights) Read online

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  Table of Contents

  Copyright

  Dedication

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Epilogue

  About the Author

  Sunrise

  Talk to the Moon

  COPYRIGHT

  Moon over the Bay

  Copyright © 2014 Morgan Emerson

  First Edition June 2014

  Published in Australia

  Digital ISBN: 978-0-9923696-6-8

  Bottom Drawer Publications

  www.bottomdrawerpublications.net

  Cover Art by Mumson Designs © 2014

  [email protected]

  Cover content used for illustrative purposes only, and any person depicted is a model.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to an actual person, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales, is entirely coincidental.

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of the Publisher, except where permitted by law. To request permission and for all other inquiries, contact Bottom Drawer Publications by email: [email protected]

  DEDICATION

  I want to start off by thanking my critique partner, Roxy Mews. Besides helping a fledgling author be the best she can be, Roxy is the consummate cheerleader. If it weren't for her, I'm not sure where my writing career would be at this moment.

  To my best friend, Tommy, there is no way to say thank you enough for the countless hours helping me plot and research whatever my crazy mind thinks up. Thank you to my other best friend and sister, Jessica, for her undying support and encouragement and making me feel good when I need it.

  Lastly, I want to thank my family. I love you guys to the moon and back. Thank you for letting me follow my dream.

  CHAPTER ONE

  Nathan Wolfe dropped into the seat of his Mustang, throwing his messenger bag next to him. Another casting call, another waste of time. He was so sick of hearing the same things: you’re too tall, you’re too blond, you’re too all-American, you’re not dark enough, you’re not manly enough. He snorted. He could show those annoying casting agents a thing or two about manly. Didn’t matter anyway, Nathan would never see those people again. He was over this whole cattle-call audition process. He was starting to think he was over the whole acting thing.

  He gassed it as he backed out of the parking space at the production offices in Burbank and roared toward home. Located on a mountain overlooking the San Fernando Valley, just north of LA, it was Nathan’s favorite place. He shared the house with his best friend from college. Lately, though, it felt like he lived alone. Kyle spent all his time in San Francisco these days to be with the love of his life.

  After pulling into the driveway, he was surprised to see Kyle’s Audi in the garage. Nathan smiled. Maybe a few beers with his friend would make the day better.

  He climbed out of the car and walked in the side door. Kyle was sitting at the kitchen island using his phone. He was wearing a goofy grin, which of course meant he must be texting with his girlfriend.

  “Hey, man, nice to see you home for a change,” Nathan teased as he sat his bag down.

  “Hey, bro, how’s it going? Audition today?” Kyle asked, standing to give Nathan a welcoming hug. Something Nathan would never ever admit he needed.

  “Yeah, it was crap though. Same shit as always. I’m too ‘whatever’ for the role. Today I was too ‘surfer.’ I’m kind of over it.” Nathan rolled his eyes before heading to the fridge.

  “Ah man, that sucks. I’m sorry,” Kyle said absentmindedly as he went to sort through the mail.

  “Eh, I’ll survive. Besides I’m almost too busy for auditions anyway. I’ve been buried with graphic-design work for a huge company website and some other marketing stuff that I almost forgot to do today.” Nathan twisted the cap off his beer and took a drink. “To be honest, I think I’m going to take a break from acting.” Nathan sighed. Kyle looked up from the mail and stared in shock.

  “What? Why? I mean I know it’s been a while since you’ve had a job, but I know you’re going to land something awesome soon,” Kyle offered.

  Nathan was always touched at the unwavering support Kyle gave him. They’d moved to Los Angeles after college because Nathan wanted to be an actor, and Kyle thought he could do it. Now years later, Nathan had nothing really to show for the few gigs he’d landed except his Mustang he bought with his first big check.

  “Thanks man, I appreciate it. It’s been a rough couple of weeks and with you not here . . .” Nathan trailed off, shrugging. He really hated to sound needy, but Kyle and his dad were all the family Nathan had. Sure they texted all the time, but it wasn’t the same as when he and Kyle sat in the backyard and watched the sun go down. His auditions were getting to him lately; he’d even quit the dumb valet job he’d been suffering through, because hoping to get noticed by a casting agent wasn’t panning out anyway. He’d been spending more time on his graphic design business while he re-evaluated his life.

  “I know . . . and I’m sorry for not being around, and now I’m packing up to head back up there tomorrow. I only came back to go into the office for some face to face meetings today,” Kyle said. Nathan fought the disappointment that flooded him. Another weekend in the house, alone.

  “Hey, why don’t you come with me this weekend? I’ve got to come back for a big client meeting on Monday, so I’m not going to stay long. I even have somewhere you can stay,” Kyle said with hope in his features.

  “Fine, I’ll come. But you’re paying, and I’m not listening to you do the humpty hump with Sadie all weekend,” Nathan stated. Maybe the change of scenery would lift his mood and get his creative juices flowing.

  _____

  Jess Dempsey had just walked in the door of her apartment when her cell rang. Quickly sitting down her purse on the entry table she pulled out her phone. She smiled when she saw it was Sadie—one of her favorite people.

  “Hey, sweetie, what’s up?” Jess took off her coat and turned on the lights in her apartment as she made her way into the living room.

  “Hey, Jess, how was dinner?” She could hear running water in the background, which meant Sadie was probably washing her paint-stained hands.

  “Oh, you know, the same thing: ‘You should consider joining us in the family real-estate business. You need a man. Being an art agent isn’t a real career, you need to let go of this art crap.’ Crap?! I swear I’m adopted.” Jess huffed as she fell onto the couch. It faced a wall made entirely of glass, and she could see the Golden Gate Bridge twinkle as the moon hung over the bay.

  “I’m sorry to hear that, doll. You know they love you, but sometimes people are blinded by ambition, and they lose sight of the important stuff. Like what really makes you happy.”

  Sadie was so sweet. She wanted to see the best in everyone. Jess, however knew most people were full of shit and only cared for themselves.

  “And here I thought you’d get mad about them calling art ‘crap.’” Jess quipped.

  “I don’t think your parents think art is crap as much as they think you working in the industry is the crap part.”

  “Yes, well, I didn’t go to Yale and do
uble major in Liberal Arts and Art History for fun. Of course, I think they are mostly thankful I ended up without any artistic talent. Gawd forbid I try my hand at being a starving artist. Gah at the very idea!” Sadie and Jess both laughed at the imitation of Jess’s mother.

  “I can tell you from experience, living off soup in a bag is not nearly as fun as it sounds.”

  Jess laughed. She could imagine that would suck, but of course her parents would never allow that.

  “But hey, I have a favor to ask,” Sadie said.

  “Sure, shoot.”

  “You know the furnished apartment downstairs across the courtyard from me?”

  “Yeah, the one that’s been sitting there empty for months. Which of course my father gave me crap about at dinner.” Jess picked up her iPad from her coffee table and idly scrolled through her emails as they spoke.

  “How would he . . .” Sadie started to say but hesitated. “Never mind. Anyway, I was wondering if we could use it. Well, I mean if Kyle’s best friend could stay there this weekend?”

  “Sure, he can stay there. When will he be getting in?” Jess asked.

  Jess never minded lending out the apartment while it was empty. Though her father would blow a gasket knowing she was “renting” a piece of property for free. Oh, the horror! Her parents meant well, but they were a bit suffocating for Jess.

  “They get in pretty early, like eight o’clock, and since we all know how much I love mornings, the guys are going to cab it over here,” Sadie said.

  Jess chuckled. Sadie was like a hibernating bear that got poked when it came to mornings. Unlike Jess, who loved the mornings and hated the cold lonely nights.

  “Okay, I don’t have anything going on until ten, so I’ll come over and bring you coffee along with the keys to the unit.” She double-checked her calendar on the iPad even though she didn’t need to. Jess loved making lists and never forgot anything.

  “You’re the best! You know, it makes me sad your parents are more focused on money then supporting your career. You’re really great at what you do, and I’d have been lost at the beginning if not for you,” Sadie said which made Jess tear up a little.

  Her parents’ whole world revolved around money. They had been in the real estate and banking business for generations. Her father’s family was among the first Irish settlers here in California that struck it big with gold. Her mother’s family had been a part of the very first bank in San Francisco. To say her family was from old money was an understatement. They might actually have more money than God.

  “Thank you, sweetie. You’re a great artist, so it makes my job easy.” Jess still remembered the first time she saw Sadie’s work at a gallery five years ago. She had contacted Sadie the next day, and the two hit it right off.

  After they ended their call, she walked into the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of wine and a glass before heading to the bathroom. Jess striped off her clothes as the tub filled, and poured herself a glass before sinking deep into the ancient clawed foot tub. Even though the rest of her apartment was fairly modern with all white and cream colors and high tech like the building, she’d had the bathroom redone to her specifications, which included the fabulous bathtub.

  Jess knew she was hypocritical when it came to her parents’ money, but it would be silly to hate what it provided. Looking around her bathroom and thinking about her penthouse apartment with the amazing view of the Golden Gate Bridge, it was evident she’d accepted her parents’ extravagant need to have the best. But at least she could say she wasn’t totally dependent on their wealth, because every designer bag and pair of expensive shoes she owned were bought with her own money.

  As Florence sang about cosmic love in the background, Jess relaxed as she mentally went through her list of things to do tomorrow. Even though it was work related, going over the list and being prepared eased her mind.

  CHAPTER TWO

  Nathan was sitting in the courtyard outside Sadie’s apartment staring blankly at his laptop. He was supposed to be working on building a website but his mind kept drifting.

  First, he thought about Sadie’s face when he and Kyle had walked into the apartment. She looked like a little girl who had been given a unicorn from Santa. The couple shared a very passionate kiss. They were so into it that Nathan had to be an asshole and cough loudly to break it up before they went at it in the entry way. After they broke apart, Sadie gave Nathan a bright smile and hug. She really was fantastic—anyone who could remove the stick from Kyle’s ass deserved his admiration.

  Which led Nathan to daydreaming about the day he’d have a woman who would look at him like he was her sun and the moon. He realized a small part of him was jealous at how happy Kyle was now with Sadie. Nathan wanted a woman to spoil, cherish, love, and all those other ridiculously mushy things. He’d never in a million years admit to it aloud, but he was man enough to admit it to himself.

  The irony of wanting to take care of someone was not lost on him. After having a father who died when he was a toddler and a mother who barely noticed she had a kid once he could fend for himself, the idea of taking care of someone should be foreign to him. But in reality it had the opposite effect; it made him want to depend on someone and have them depend on him. He’d had enough of being independent. Nathan had put himself through college while his mom was busy trying to score her next trophy wife position. He had made friends all through school and college who were more his family than she ever was.

  Drama class, in a sense, had been his therapy. For years Nathan was able to pretend he was someone else. During that time he was Peter Pan, Willy Loman, Sweeney Todd, and his personal favorite, Tony from West Side Story. All the time spent getting lost in characters kept Nathan from thinking about his own life.

  Looking back at the last few years, he realized there was no need to continue to be someone else. He had a good life now; he had a steady flow of work even without acting. Kyle and his dad, Miles, were the best family a guy like him could ask for.

  Nathan didn’t need to get lost in a role now that he didn’t have to hide from his loneliness. The whole process of acting almost felt like a habit instead of a dream. His graphic design business had been on a steady incline for a while now, and Nathan felt a lot of pride in pleasing his clients. But if he wasn’t going to pretend to be someone else, then who was he? Could he really give up on the dream he’d had for as long as he could . . .

  “Shit!”

  Nathan looked over at the gate to the courtyard when he heard the jingle of keys as they fell to the ground followed by another curse. He sat his laptop down on the table next to his chaise lounge and ran over to help.

  “Here, let me get the gate for you,” he said when he noticed someone trying to bend down with a carrier full of coffees and a big white bag dangling from one hand.

  “Thank you, I didn’t realize the gate was sticking. Guess I’ll have Sadie send someone out here to fix . . .” The voice trailed off at the very moment Nathan’s brain quit working.

  In front of him was a goddess with fiery red hair and the largest gray eyes he had ever seen. She was simply stunning, and Nathan was at a loss of words.

  She stared at him briefly before blinking and looking down to reposition her items carefully.

  “Thanks again,” she said. “You must be Kyle’s friend?”

  “That’s me, I’m Nathan Wolfe. It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Nathan stated confidently. “And you must be Jess?” Nathan wanted her to say no. If she were Sadie’s friend then he wouldn’t be able to do the naughty things he was thinking while looking at her shiny pink, pouty lips.

  “Yes, Jess Dempsey.”

  Damn!

  “Here let me take that.” Nathan said as he held his hand out for the coffees, watching Jess blush. She handed over the coffees and placed her hand in his other extended hand and shook it. He immediately felt a tingling sensation run up his arm.

  He gestured for her to lead the way to Sadie’s apartment. As she stepped ahead of
him, he had the chance to admire the view. She wore a pale-pink top, the same color as her lips, under a gray jacket that stopped at her waist giving him a perfect view of her body.

  Jess briefly looked behind her, and Nathan was glad he wasn’t staring at her ass.

  The black leather knee-high boots she wore with dark-blue pants accentuated her lean legs, and they looked to be painted on they were so formfitting. The sight sent Nathan’s blood rushing south of the border.

  “I smell coffee!” Sadie announced as she greeted Jess at the door and grabbed one of the coffees from the tray that Nathan was still holding.

  After a round of hugs, Jess mentioned the gate was sticking. Sadie managed to nod as she guzzled her coffee. “Okay, I’ll call someone to check it out. Sorry I can’t stay, guys, but I’ve got an appointment in an hour, so let me show Nathan around the apartment, and we’ll catch up later, okay?”

  “Thanks for the room!” Sadie added.

  Jess waved her hand as if it was nothing. Nathan nodded at Kyle as they headed back toward the door.

  Jess led Nathan back across the courtyard to the spare unit and dug in her huge purse for a set of keys. After unlocking the door, Nathan followed her in to inspect his new weekend accommodations.

  “Even though the building is old, everything works and housekeeping comes once a week so you have fresh linens. All you’ll need is to buy some food if you decide to eat here. Just please toss anything out that might spoil when you leave.” Jess gestured around with her delicate hands.

  He followed her into the kitchen where she laid her purse on the counter. It was a nice place. All the furniture was fairly new and in great shape. The kitchen had been remodeled and had new appliances.

  As Jess was explaining how everything worked, Nathan couldn’t take his eyes off of her shiny lips. He wondered if the gloss was flavored. Jess kept running her fingers through the tendrils of hair below her messy bun and playing with the zipper on her jacket. Was she always nervous like this, or was it because of him? God he wanted to kiss her.