A/N: As you begin to read this story (if you've read any of my other stuff) you'll notice that this one is different. And, it's not what you might be expecting from me. This one isn't Rent rehearsals, or strip club jokes, or premiere attending. I'm not really sure what you would consider it except FICTION.
As always, I own nothing of Zanessa, HSM or any other places or names used in this story other than magazine articles, CD's, DVD's and other trinkets that remind me of my addiction! :D
I hope you'll stick with me as this story rolls along. Reviews and/or PM's are always welcome - good or bad. Please, feel free to feed my addiction and obsession anytime! ha ha
KTZLF! -adc
They sat in the van outside the popular eatery staring at a particular group of cars that were parked in a line at the outer edge of the parking lot. After minutes with eyes locked on the vehicles Zac looked toward the driver's seat at his wife. Then he turned in his seat and looked at his six month old son through the mirror mounted on the back windshield. The rear-facing seat held the sleeping boy who was the pride of Zac's life.
Nothing had been said since they pulled into the parking lot. The Mrs. sat quietly behind the steering wheel watching her husband intently. "The choice is yours." She finally said for what seemed like the millionth time in the past month.
Zac nodded and looked out the passenger window at the doors of the establishment. His toes tapped, with legs fidgeting as his facial muscles moved in thought.
"Zac," his wife placed a hand on his shoulder to get his attention. When his blue eyes looked into her face she could see the sadness within them. "Say 'yes' if you want to. It's your choice. Don't turn them down because of me…or us." She added nearly as an afterthought.
She tried her best not to mirror the look in his eyes. She had worked for three years to hide the fear in her heart. She honestly expected the man in front of her to end their marriage at any time. It had nothing to do with their love, except that she wasn't his first love.
His first love, she knew, sat behind the doors of the diner. The woman and several of Zac's other friends were there for a specific purpose tonight. Stacey Efron moved her hand from her husband's shoulder to his cheek.
Zac worked to smile at her. "Come in with me. We'll bring Alex in. They'll want to see him anyway. You know they'll ask about him. Especially Luc and Momo…you know they'll want to see him."
Stacey shook her head with a slight pouting smile and hint of disappointment on her face. "You know we can't do that. If we go in there with you, you won't give them an honest answer. We can't be your excuse Zac. I've supported you in every project you've been involved with over the past three years. And I'll support this one as well, if you choose to do it. If you don't, I'll support that too. But it has to be your decision. Alex and I can't make it for you."
Zac placed the heels of his palms over his eyes and pressed firmly. He looked again at his son. The red hair on his little scalp was beginning to resemble that of his mother's. The blue eyes behind those closed lids would likely change to a green, again like Stacey's. Or, they would lighten to a brilliant blue like Zac's. The delicate skin on his arms and legs would be tanned, just as soon as Mrs. Efron would allow Zac to take their son surfing.
Zac smiled behind a window of tears on his eyes. "I can't Stace. I can't go in there and face them…face her."
Stacey crossed her arms over her chest and looked away from him, choosing to look at the sky outside her window. "Are you ashamed? I know Zac, believe me, of all people, I know I'm not your first love. And I know that Alex should be your and Vanessa's baby. But…"
Zac cut her off with a strong yet gentle grip around her upper arm. "Stace no." he emphasized. "How could I be ashamed of our son? I want a family. You and I have started our family. I will never be ashamed of that. Why…" his voice trailed as he glanced toward the black Audi convertible that occupied one of the spaces in that line of cars. "I wouldn't have Alex if Ness and I were still together."
Stacey looked back at Zac and wiped a few tears from under her eyes. "You need to go in Zac. You told them you'd be here twenty minutes ago." She watched as Zac attempted to take in a deep breath.
He reached across the armrest and captured his wife's face between his palms. Zac pulled her toward him and pressed his lips to hers in a loving kiss. "You know I love you. You and Alex…I'm not going anywhere." As she nodded silently he placed another kiss on her forehead and brushed his lips through her bangs. "I mean it Stace. I love you."
She worked to get her voice above a whisper as Zac reached for the handle of the door and opened it. "I love you too." She answered as he swung his legs out the door.
Zac glanced over his shoulder at the woman with auburn hair and lightly freckled complexion. "Don't take off yet, I'm gonna give Alex a kiss." She nodded with understanding.
He climbed from the black Audi Q5 wagon and opened the back door. Zac leaned his head inside and placed a soft kiss on his son's forehead before meeting his wife's eyes in the rearview mirror. "Be good for Mommy, Buddy, ok." He looked again toward Stacey. "Are you sure you won't come in with me? This won't take long. Half an hour tops and we'll be done."
Stacey shook her head. "I can't Zac. You know I love Vanessa too. I can't stand watching her pretending to be happy for us. I hate that even more than watching the two of you stare at each other. You know I'm not jealous of her Zac. I just know what you mean to each other."
Zac pursed his lips together and nodded. He truly loved Stacey. And tonight he would try to remember that love, and his baby boy as he worked to make the decision that could change his life, again.
ZVZVZV
Zac watched for a moment as Stacey turned the car toward the main road and headed out. She was absolutely right. His wife had supported him in his decisions about acting and producing during their entire three year marriage, plus five others before that.
Stacey Beaumont Efron had started at the managing agency because it was something to do. She had a degree in broadcasting. She loved television and movies but knew she would never be in front of the camera. Yet when the time came to find a job, she easily landed the administrative assistant's job at the agency that handled some of Hollywood's best known up and coming actors.
After breezing through the training she sat at the main desk of the office and watched as Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens walked through the doors. Stacey was a mere year younger than Vanessa and shared the actress's delight in looking at the gorgeous young man who accompanied her.
Stacey met the two famous faces after they had been one of Hollywood's hottest items for seven years. She knew of them, knew of their romance, knew of their love. And when she had the opportunity to see them in person she tried not to be a typical fan-girl, but it was tough. Seeing them together made her dream of romance, even more, she began to dream of their wedding, their future together.
Each time the couple came in to speak to their agents Stacey greeted them and struck up a conversation. They were easy to talk to, down to earth people. Zac always said they just wanted to 'keep it real'. And after a few months, both Zac and Vanessa found they could do just that with Stacey.
With her position within the agency Stacey was practically sworn to secrecy. Between that fact, and the comfort that grew between her and the couple, many things were shared between them with a level of trust that matched some of Zac and Vanessa's best friends.
Two and a half years into her job Stacey enjoyed sharing with Zac and Nessa. She had opportunities to be around them outside of work and had even visited each of their homes several times. So when Stacey purchased her home, not far from Vanessa's parents, she hesitantly invited them to her housewarming party.
"It'll just be family and a few friends." She explained to them hopefully. "You don't have to come. I'm just really excited about this and wanted to share it. And I want to thank you. Talking to you guys helped me make up my mind to go ahead a buy a place while I can afford it." She smiled at them both and accepted the eager hugs from them as they assured her that they would be at the party.
The highlight of the party wasn't Zac and Vanessa, as Stacey had expected. It was actually Zac, and Stacey's two young nephews. The three-year-old had quickly latched onto Zac when he and Vanessa arrived. That little one encouraged Zac to 'hold my wittle bwover' and within moments Zac was hooked.
After many apologies from both Stacey, her sister and her mother, Zac finally assured them all, with a soft voice pointed at the baby in his arms, that it was perfectly fine. He didn't mind hanging onto either one of the boys.
Vanessa had watched in amazement from Zac's side, and held the baby once during the two hours that they were at the gathering. But from the background Stacey noticed a change that day. She saw a look on Zac's face that didn't mirror Vanessa's. She saw a man who was enjoying the thoughts of holding onto his own children. And she saw a woman beside him who was, for the first time in years, unsure of what her love was thinking.
It took just another year before Vanessa ultimately made the decision. That was the day that Zac had walked into the agency without speaking to Stacey. It was the day he had asked his management to put all projects on hold 'indefinitely'. It was the day Stacey would remember forever, when he walked toward the outer doors, looked at her with tear-streaked eyes and then rushed out without saying a word as Vanessa walked in wearing the same saddened features.
When Vanessa approached the doors Stacey stood and looked at the actress with a look of fear. "V? What…" she didn't want to finish the question because she was scared of the answer.
Vanessa settled herself and looked at the younger woman and shook her head. "In my mind," she started with a voice rough from crying, "it's children or career at this stage. If I became a mom right now the acting would need to stop. I'm not ready to do that." She paused and pressed her lips together as fresh tears leaked from her eyes. "Zac is."
Stacey's eyes held disbelief while shaking her own head. "No. No, see, that's…you guys can work through anything. It just takes time. He'll see. You'll see." She tried to emphasize when her tears appeared.
Vanessa opened her arms and walked around the desk. As she hugged Stacey she tried to keep explaining. "That's what we've said to each other for the past year. But this is a decision…" she let out a sarcastic laugh, "I don't want children. Maybe in another ten years," the 26 year old claimed. "But not right now. I can't give them the attention that they need and still keep the kind of schedule that I want. It sounds selfish, I know. But it's what I feel in my heart."
Stacey sat back down in her seat and stared straight forward. "Do you still love him?" she asked without looking at Vanessa.
Vanessa sat on the edge of the desk nodding her head slowly. "With all my heart." She answered honestly.
A hurt, sad, empty look made a void expression on Stacey's face. "Then what happens in the next ten years when Zac gets married and has children with someone else?" She turned her head to face Vanessa. "What happens then, when you decide that you want to have Zac's children, but he already has kids, with someone else?"
Vanessa looked down at her hands and swallowed roughly. The lumps had been a constant obstruction in her throat for the past three days while she had cried over this decision. "Then I have to accept that it just wasn't meant to be."
With that, the dark-haired woman had silently walked into a meeting with her managers, and then subsequently walked silently out of the office doors.
Stacey took the next three days, plus the weekend, off to recuperate from the lump that had formed in her throat, at the thought of this couple not being together.
ZVZVZV
In the weeks that followed Stacey watched the various headlines appear on the magazines and tabloids. All sorts of speculations were there about Zac and Vanessa's breakup. And from the dirt she was reading, none of them knew the truth. Neither member of the couple had offered an answer. A privileged few knew the truth. That few hadn't shared with anyone, nor would they.
At the grocery store one afternoon Stacey noticed the headline that she had expected. "Vanessa Wants Her Man…Even If He Does Cheat"
For the first time in her life Stacey Beaumont felt true rage. These people didn't know Zac or Vanessa. The lies had to stop. Stacey grabbed every copy of that magazine yelling "This is bullshit!" in the checkout lane as she proceeded to rip the magazines to shreds.
A manager quickly appeared beside the checkout clerk as a red-faced Stacey approached to pay for her fruit, bagels and pantyhose. She pulled out enough cash to cover the cost of the magazines as well and apologized to the manager. Then she grabbed her purchases and walked out of the store.
She surprised herself at her forwardness when she sat down in her used Chevy Malibu, pulled out her phone and found a number that she had only ever called maybe twice in the past few years. When Zac's voice answered she took a quick, deep breath. "Do you still love her?" she asked.
Zac took a moment to look at the phone to decipher who he was talking to. "Stacey? What?" he asked a bit aimlessly.
"I said, Do you still love her?" she repeated.
"Of course I do." Zac answered somewhat calmly. "What the hell kind of question is that?"
Stacey's eyebrows scrunched together on her forehead before she continued. "Don't get pissy with me Zac Efron." She continued with a harsh edge.
"Well, you know I still love her. I'll love her till the day I die, and hopefully even longer." He spoke softly at the thought of his now ex-girlfriend.
"Then who have you been going out with that makes some National Report jerk think that you've cheated on her? Are you still talking to her?" the thought had certainly crossed her mind several times.
"We've texted. Hearing her voice hurts too much. We've gone out with Britt and Ash...not together I mean, we've gone separately. I've gone out with a couple of other friends, just to let them know what's going on. If I'm in public I'm less likely to get emotional about it." Zac breathed against his phone.
"And this is seriously about having a baby? The whole breakup thing, I mean, because she doesn't want to have kids right now?" Stacey pushed against the phone line.
"Yeah. I'm ready. I want to be a dad." Zac's feelings had been expressed several times to other friends and to his family to try and explain the separation.
"You wanna know the truth Stace? This all sounds so crappy on me. I'm scared that if I don't have a baby now…if I try to wait for Nessa to be ready…she'll never be ready. That's what isn't fair about any of this. I want her so badly. I want her to be the mother of my children. But what happens in ten years when we start trying and we have problems, and then somewhere in her forties she hits menopause and then we don't have our kids? I know it sounds selfish. I know we could adopt. I know there are a LOT of options, but right now we just have different opinions. And it's an opinion that means it's just better if we are friends and not…lovers."
Stacey dipped her chin down to her chest. What he was saying made sense. She'd seen it in other couples. They finally found a topic that they couldn't agree upon. And, at this point, neither one of them was willing to compromise. On this subject there really wasn't a compromise that would allow them to stay together. As much as it hurt, Stacey realized why they had made the decision.
"Hey Stace?" Zac's thoughts were still raw and rolling in his head.
"Yeah?" The young lady responded sadly.
"I'm sorry." Zac tapped his foot on the floor as he repeated the words that he and Vanessa had said to each other just a few weeks ago. It was the last verbal contact they had had.
Stacey shook her head and grasped the steering wheel with the car still in park. "I know I'm preaching to the choir here…but it hurts Zac. I'm not even part of the couple that's breaking up, but my heart sure hurts. I guess it's because I love you both and I've gotten to watch you and I know how much you love each other." She stopped and pulled in a breath and grabbed a napkin from the door pocket to wipe her eyes.
"Can you do me a favor?" Zac took the quiet moment to make the request.
"What's that?" Stacey sniffled.
"Well, a couple actually, I guess." he attempted to state calmly. "When she comes in the office…anytime she comes in the office…tell her that I love her and I always will."
Stacey raised her head and began to shake it, unsure of his request. "Zac, I don't know…"
"Please." He practically pleaded. "Just make sure she knows. You can tell her I'm not gonna stop her from going out with other guys…unless I think they're a really bad match for her. But I just love her, and I always will."
Stacey breathed deeply again letting Zac know that he had won their brief discussion. "Well I'll only do it because I love you both and would do anything to see you back together again."
"Stace." Zac's warning voice wasn't one she was used to, but it made her feel a bit closer to him knowing that she was the recipient of the tone.
1ZVZVZV1
