Chapter Text
From Lucy Chen’s perspective, Los Angeles was drenched in sunshine, but camera flashes could be just as bright, and both were equally unavoidable in her world. She was committed to dedicating herself to her work, so she acted in film after film without taking any breaks, because when she did have down time, even just an evening after a long day of filming, she walked into her fancy, expansive mansion…that was empty aside from her echoing footsteps. Lucy set her purse and her keys down in the foyer, then kicked off her shoes, and ambled into her kitchen for a glass of water. Movie sets were chaotic and loud, but life at home was too quiet and too boring. She settled herself on a couch in her living room then turned on her TV to drown out the loneliness, but her cooking show was interrupted when she received a call from her agent, Wesley Evers. “Hey, Wes,” she answered the phone.
“Why don’t you sound happy?” He wondered from the sound of her voice.
“I’m fine,” she replied, even if it was not very convincing.
“You’re usually a better actor than that. Do you not like this new movie?”
“We just started filming. Today was our first day on location, and it wasn’t bad.”
“That doesn’t sound too positive.”
“I…it’s nothing. I guess I’m just in a bad mood.”
“What can I do for my favorite client?”
“Answer a question for me: do you ever wish we could live in a movie?”
“Live in a movie?”
“Yeah, a movie where the world is brighter, things are easier, everything works out in the end, and happy endings are expected. Sometimes, when I’m working on a really good film, I wish I could become my character. Right now, I’m playing this cop that has a career she loves, and she falls in love with her partner, and she gets a promotion. I’m jealous,” she admitted as she crossed her legs to get better situated on her couch. Lucy glanced at the empty space next to her and wished there was someone to fill it.
“Now that I think about it, I’m jealous, too. It’s almost impossible to have it all, but in the make believe world of a movie, I guess it would be easy. I’m jealous, too.”
She smiled wryly. “For my next movie, can you arrange that my costar is some hot, kind, genuine man I can fall in love with by the time we wrap filming?”
“Okay, as long as your other costar is some smart, funny, hot woman I can fall in love with by the time you wrap filming,” he smirked.
“You would probably have better luck than me. Dating a costar has never gone well in my experience.”
“Forget about Chris. You broke up with him, because you weren’t happy together.”
“Was I being too picky? Was I just upset that he didn’t live up to some perfect on screen love interest?”
“No, he was an ass to you. You’ll find an actual person, not a movie character, that you’ll like way better. Maybe we look beyond your pool of costars.”
“Where else will I meet someone? Life isn’t like the movies where I trip and some perfect man catches me.”
“You are one of the biggest actors in the world. I’m sure people would line up for the chance to date you, Lucy.”
“People are in love with the characters I’ve played, but they don’t know the real me.”
“It’s easy enough to show them. Give a guy a chance.”
“Tell you what- the next time that I bump into someone at a coffee shop, or if I reach for something on a shelf and someone else does, too, and we touch hands, I’ll give that person a chance.”
“And, the next beautiful woman I see, I’ll trip her, so I can catch her in my arms and ask her out right afterwards. We’ll make our own perfect lives with happy endings just like the movies.”
“Deal,” she smiled widely enough it was clear in her voice.
“Now that I’ve turned your frown upside down and checked in about the movie, I can let you go. Rest up, okay?”
“I probably should get some sleep before we film tomorrow. It should be a long day,” she said then she yawned.
“Good night.”
“Good night, Wes.” Lucy ended the call, exhaled deeply, then turned off the TV; it was time to go to sleep and enter a dream world as uncomplicated as movies and more exciting than her actual life.
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After sitting in a chair to get her hair and makeup applied, Lucy had to walk down the blocked off area where she was filming. In the middle of a normal street in Los Angeles, set designers created a perfect, clean fictional version of the city for her character to patrol. The polyester was heavy under the hot sun, and she was grateful for the chance to take it off during her lunch break. “How do real cops wear this uniform all day?” She asked herself before changing into a breezy sundress. After putting on some sunglasses in the hopes she would not be recognized, she stepped away from the set to get some fresh air, but paparazzi found her. They were on her heels snapping pictures and calling after her. It was an occupational hazard, but an annoying one nonetheless, so she ducked into an alley to escape. Lucy glanced over her shoulder and was thankful that she was no longer being followed. Just to be sure that a paparazzo would not surprise her, she hastened into the nearest store. In her frazzled state, she was not looking where she was going and tripped over her own feet into the doorway.
For a moment, her heart stopped when she thought she was going to fall to the ground, but then, she felt arms beneath her, catching her midair. Lucy’s eyes widened when she met a set of scowling blue ones. “Oh,” was all she said in surprise that one second she was falling and suddenly, she was in a stranger’s arms. A handsome stranger with a nice jaw line, dirty blonde hair, pretty eyes, and good enough reflexes that he saved her from hitting the floor. “Th-thank you,” she sputtered out.
“Are you okay?” The handsome stranger asked.
“I’m good. Thanks for the save,” she smiled softly up at him.
He realized he was still cradling her back, so he used his hold on her to set her feet on the floor. Once she was steady enough, he picked up the books he had been shelving but dropped when she stumbled into his store and practically right into his arms.
Lucy surveyed the store she had gracelessly fallen into. It was a tidy but old bookstore with tall shelves filled with books of all kinds and sizes. “I can’t remember the last time I was in a bookstore.”
“Everyone buys their books online now, but nothing beats looking at the covers and picking one out in person.”
“Haven’t you heard the term: ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’?”
“A couple billion times,” he said and rolled his eyes.
“Guess that’s a hazard of working in a bookstore,” she smirked.
“Unfortunately, I don’t just work here, I own the place.”
“Really? I don’t think that’s unfortunate. Your store has a certain charm.”
“That’s a nice way to say it’s old.”
Lucy snickered.
He liked her smile. “Can I help you find anything?”
She had no intention of getting a book when she stepped into the store, but for the chance to spend a few more minutes with him, she decided, “Can you point me in the direction of the romance section?”
“Of course you like romance novels,” he grumbled.
“Don’t say it like that. There’s nothing wrong with romance novels. They’re like rom coms with cute couples and happy endings.”
“I don’t really like rom coms or any movies for that matter.” He gestured around the space. “I prefer books.”
She realized the stranger had not asked for her autograph or acted weirdly around her as most people did when they recognized her. There was a chance that she literally stumbled upon the only person in the world that did not know her by her fame. “You don’t watch movies at all?”
“There are a few old Westerns I like, but nothing from this century,” he answered then pointed to a section in the corner. “Here are all of the romance books.”
“Got any recommendations?” He scrunched his nose in response. “You don’t like romance novels?”
“Do I look like a guy who likes romance novels?” He shot back.
“Everyone likes romance. Love makes the world go around.”
“No, money makes the world go around,” he corrected her.
“Money really doesn’t. When they say it doesn’t buy happiness, it’s true.” She had more money than she would ever know how to spend, but she was unhappy.
“If romance novels make you happy, then you can buy some happiness for $17.95.” He offered her a random book he took off the shelf.
Lucy read the cover of the novel in his hand. “You think ‘The Great Gatsby’ is a romance novel? It has such a sad ending.”
“There’s love in it.”
“A love story that doesn’t end well. Gatsby wanted the one woman he could never have. That’s tragic. You should put it in the section for books with sad endings.”
“No one would want to check out anything in a section called ‘Sad Endings’.”
“You’re probably right. Maybe shelf it with the classic American novels.”
“I don’t have a section like that.”
“Why not?”
He shrugged. “This is the way it’s always been.”
“You don’t like change, do you?”
“Not really.”
“Well, you might want to think about moving ‘The Great Gatsby’ out of the romance section.”
“Got it.” He already planned to do so when she left.
She scanned the titles and paused. “Oh, I’ve only ever seen the movie. I’ve never read this one.” Lucy took the novel off the shelf. “I’ll take it.” After turning it over, she said, “Looks like happiness comes at the low, low price of $19.95 today.”
He smiled back at her as if it was impossible to keep his lips from curving upwards in her presence.
Lucy went with him to the register to purchase her book. “Have you ever read ‘The Notebook’?”
“No, but my sister loves the movie.”
“So, you’re the only one in your family that doesn’t watch movies?”
“Pretty much.”
“You should read it, too. Since you don’t like movies, at least try out the book.”
“I already told you I’m not a big fan of romance novels.”
“Give it a chance. It’s a beautiful story about how love endures.”
“Technically, Gatsby’s love for Daisy endures, too.”
“Yeah, but only one has a happy ending, and I bet since you own the place, you don’t even have to pay for a copy of the book and get your happiness for free.”
“I’ll think about it.”
“That’s a nice way of saying ‘no’,” she smiled then handed him her credit card to pay for her book.
He replied, “Thank you. I’m Tim, by the way.”
“Nice to meet you. I’m Lucy.” She hardly ever had to introduce herself to someone that did not recognize her. She liked being somewhere where her fame was inconsequential.
“Well, Lucy,” he liked having a name to go with the beautiful face of his newest customer and how it sounded in his mouth. “If you ever want to buy some more happiness at a low price, come again.”
She scanned the quaint bookstore with its welcoming energy, the emptiness aside from her and the handsome bookstore owner, the anonymity of the last place in Los Angeles where she could be herself and not some movie star, and replied with promise, “I think I will. Next time I stop by, you can tell me if you liked ‘The Notebook’.”
“I don’t want to lie to you. I don’t think I’ll read it.”
“The honesty is refreshing,” she grinned before accepting her purchased book. “Thanks for selling me some happiness, Tim.”
“My pleasure.”
As quickly as she came into his store, she left like a whirlwind of brightness and beauty unlike anyone he had ever met before. He knew Lucy was special, and he hoped she would grace his bookstore again. Until then, he went over to the romance section to pick up a copy of “The Notebook”. In the quiet store where very few customers frequented, he had plenty of time to immerse himself in books, so he sunk into one of the old chairs in the reading area at the back of the store and read a novel he never thought he would ever touch, but one interaction with a pretty stranger, and he was cracking open a Nicolas Sparks book.
