Thank you for reading! I finished this and decided it really should go up with chapter 2. Hope you enjoy.

Oh, I don't own anything except the plot, which really belongs to my inner muse. ;)

Dinner with Derek was nice. I didn't know he was capable of being kind and downright sweet, but he proved me wrong. He didn't mention his lost love again and I didn't bring it up. It was obviously something he kept close to his chest. If he wanted to talk about it again, I'd let him bring it up. He didn't bring up Dev either, other than asking me if a few times if I was okay, mainly when he made me laugh and the laughing caused me to wince in pain.

The second night of being Marilyn went almost as well as the first night. My adrenalin was pumping and I hardly felt the pain, at least until the performace was over. I was sitting in the dressing room when he alked in.

"What are you still doing here? Everyone's left for the night." He paused before asking, "Are you ok?" I continued sitting there lost in thought. "Karen!" He almost yelled breaking me out of my fog, his presence simultaneously relaxing me and putting me on edge.

"Oh sorry, what did you say?" I asked, trying to focus on his words and not the million things running through my mind.

"What are you still doing here, Love? Everyone else has left for the night."
"Oh, I just," I stumbled over my words, fighting the urge to run away and also fighting the urge to run into his arms and have him hold me, "I guess I lost track of time. It's been a long day."
He smiled his sweet smile, the one that made my heart skip a beat and said, "Would you like a ride to the hotel? I'm headed there anyway." He added as an afterthought.

"Sure, that'd be great. Thanks." I said, standing up and realizing that my ankle hurt more now than it had all day, as I started to collapse. I felt his strong arms catch me and looking into his cool green eyes, I whispered, "Thank you."
"Are you okay?" he asked me for the hundredth time today.
"Yea, I guess my ankle hurts a little more than I realized." I said, smiling shyly, embarrassed that I had just fallen into his arms.

"Would you like me to carry you to the car?" he asked with his voice full of worry.

"No, I'm fine. I just…could you maybe help a little?" I asked, resistant to being carried. He wrapped his arm around me and helped me out to the car.

"Thank you for doing this. It means the world to me." I said, not wanting to give him the wrong idea, but wanting to make sure he knew how much I appreciated his willingness to help me out, even if it was only because I was his star, which was something I was seriously beginning to doubt.

"Of course darling, whatever you need, I'm here for you." He said in a voice that was almost shy and hesitant, something I had never heard or thought I would hear coming from him. He was Derek Wills after all, known all over Broadway and the theater community, as being a womanizing heartless man. And here he was, having a heart and showing it to me. I was flattered beyond words, and scared that it was really just a game he was playing with my heart. I was sure I couldn't make it through yet another heartbreak right now.

We got to the hotel and I was pulled from my thoughts.

"Can you walk or do you need some help?" he asked.

"I think I can make it on my own. It must have fallen asleep." I got out of the car and limped towards the hotel door. He hurried ahead of me and held the door open for me, smiling gently as I hobbled along. We made it to the fifth floor which is where we were both staying and I turned to the right and he turned to the left, ready to go our separate ways, when he stopped and looked at me.

"No one else here knows. The theater business is brutal and I don't like to share things so no one knows that I lost my Becca. To be honest no one knew that I had my Becca either. It's just not something I share with everyone." He said, looking down at his feet trying to hide the tears in his eyes.

"Your secret is safe with me. I won't tell anyone."
"I know, I just… you're different from the other girls Karen. I just wanted you to know that."

"Thank you Derek. I can't, right now, there's too much, I just…"

"I didn't mean to imply anything; I just thought you should know I'm not like this with everyone."

"Oh, trust me Derek, I know you're not like this with everyone." I said, smiling my first genuine smile since before Dev had broken my heart. "Derek, would you… I'm sorry… I…Dev had a key to my room. Would you mind walking me there, just in case?"

"It would be my pleasure." He said, wrapping his arm around mine and walking me to my room.

The room was empty when we arrived at the door and we said goodnight to each other, but before we could go, he leaned in and gave me a soft, gentle kiss on the forehead.

"Sleep well, Karen." He said as he walked away.

"You too, Derek." I said, waving slightly as he closed the door behind him.

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