Anyone But the Superstar (Anyone But You #3)

Epilogue

FELIX

‘How do I look?’ I lift my chin left, then right, studying my reflection in the mirror. ‘Is my beard okay?’

Elizabeth slides one foot into her Birkenstocks, pausing to shake her head at me. ‘You are oddly insecure about your looks for the man recently voted “world’s sexiest”.’

I roll my eyes, while not-so-secretly pleased. The yearly title of World’s Sexiest Man is just another nonsense award given by the tabloids to random Hollywood celebrities, but it has made for some hilarious comebacks against my new frenemies, Chase and Thomas. ‘I was voted that before I grew my beard out, meu tesouro .’

Toeing on her other sandal, Elizabeth double-checks the gift bag by the door, ensuring for the third time that the pastel portrait she made of Jackie is still there. ‘Aren’t you always the one telling me that the sexiest part of a person is their heart?’

‘Yes, yes.’ I push away from the vanity, grabbing my cowboy hat off the bed as I go. ‘But this is different. I made one hell of a mess the first time I met your brothers and mother. I’d rather try to start off on the right foot with your father and sister. ’

‘From what my mother tells me about my father and from what Rose and Trish have told me about my sister, they don’t seem like those kinds of people.’ She pulls at the front of her t-shirt dress, billowing the material as if to cool off.

‘I just can’t believe that my natural beard is finally okayed by wardrobe for a role and now I have to meet your father looking like a shipwrecked cowboy.’

She laughs, continuing to pull at her dress.

Considering the hotel room is set to a chilly sixty-eight degrees, I’m thinking she’s trying to cool the anxiety currently boiling inside her.

I lift her hair off her neck, helping her cool down.

It’s been three months since the end of my filming obligations for Countdown . During that time, I was offered a role, not by Ron, still upset over me missing two days of filming due to my impromptu trip to New York, but by another prominent director. A Broadway director.

Now the beard that had kept me from being recognized is plastered all over New York billboards, having been declared ‘perfect’ by wardrobe for my role as the twisted shipwrecked Duke of Milan, Prospero, in Shakespeare’s play, The Tempest .

On hiatus thanks to Countdown ’s premiere happening this weekend at Space Center Houston, I asked Elizabeth to be my date. I know she doesn’t like being the center of attention, but I had hoped she’d use it as an excuse to finally make a date to meet her biological father and sister.

My hopes paid off.

I kiss her neck before lowering her hair, enjoying the spread of goosebumps that I’m pretty sure have nothing to do with the air conditioning.

‘Thanks.’ Liz reaches up, scratching my cheek. ‘And thanks for coming with me. ’

‘Gimmie some practice?’

Liz’s smile grows, more confident and easy than when we first started this game. ‘I love you.’

I reward her with a light kiss. ‘ Também .’ Then step back with a swat at her ass. ‘Now get.’

Laughing, she grabs her gift, before allowing me to carry it for her. Still looking flushed, but a whole lot cooler.

Liz

This is it. No big deal. Just finally going to meet my father and sister. A renowned scientist and an honest-to-God astronaut.

I cut my eyes to the gift in Felix’s hands as we walk up the driveway to my sister’s house, the temperature a cool eighty-two degrees. Cool if you compare it to the triple digits I endured the last time I was in Houston.

Second, triple and quadruple guessing the portrait I made, I’m glad Felix is here to smack my hand away if I tried to grab it and run it back to the car.

Glad that he’s here in general.

‘I love you.’

My words halt him in the middle of the walkway. The sun, just starting to set, glowing around his tangle of facial hair.

God, that’s one ugly beard.

‘I think you’re nailing this practice thing.’ He tips the brim of his cowboy hat up with his index finger before bending down to brush his lips against mine.

He doesn’t say it this time, but it doesn’t matter. I know I’m loved.

Practice does indeed make perfect .

We continue walking toward the front door, me leaning on his arm.

I’ve done a lot of thinking over the past few months. Good thinking, not just the avoidance of thinking like I did before Felix. I started working on Trish’s manga, designed logos for Bell’s marketing company and even joined Mary in seeing a feelings doctor.

My life is full. I’m happy. I’m excited about what’s to come.

And yet…

I pause at the door, Felix waiting for me to ring the bell.

‘We can go if you’re not ready,’ he offers. ‘But we’re leaving the picture.’ He raises the gift bag. ‘It’s too good to not share.’

Pushing off him, I stand on my own and take a deep breath. Then I ring the bell.

It feels like a few seconds as well as an eternity before someone opens the door with an aggressive yank.

Blonde ponytail swishing from the force of the door, large brown eyes, the shape of which is eerily familiar, staring behind thick, black-framed glasses. Eyes that look me up and down as I do the same to her.

She’s wearing an I need my Space t-shirt with a NASA logo in place of the A, fitted, denim blue jeans and worn, white Converse.

‘I’m Elizabeth.’ I throw out my hand, nearly punching her in the stomach. ‘You can call me Liz.’

She grabs hold of my hand with both of hers, pumping it hard. ‘I’m Jackie.’ She keeps pumping. ‘You can call me, uh—’ she stops pumping and laughs ‘—Jackie, I guess.’

Her nervousness settles my own, and I feel so, so good.

Even better when two men appear behind her.

‘Hello, Elizabeth.’ A man with Jackie’s kind eyes steps up beside my sister .

My eyes.

‘I’m Gerald.’

I manage a lame wave.

‘And I’m Flynn, Jackie’s husband.’

Flynn’s introduction seems to break the spell, and I swing both arms to the side, whacking Felix with one, the gift bag with the other. ‘This is Felix.’

As expected, Jackie’s mouth drops as she turns to the man she didn’t seem to realize was standing there. Unexpectedly, it isn’t his celebrity she comments on. ‘Holy Mercury, that is one ugly beard.’

At Felix’s fallen expression, barely visible from the scraggly of hair, I burst out laughing, as does everyone else.

And when the laughter ebbs and we’re ushered into the house, Felix by my side, I can’t help feeling like I found another place to call home.