Hollywood Enigma (Hollywood Name Game #5) - Alexa Aston
PROLOGUE
Wynn Youngblood wiped away the last of the greasepaint and then used a cool, wet wipe to soothe his face. Dress rehearsal couldn’t have gone any better. The play would open tomorrow night and run for a week. After that, he had a week of classes left and then finals. The last finals he’d ever take. He’d walk the stage and claim his degree in mathematics and never darken the door of a college classroom again—thanks to being bitten by the acting bug.
As he shed his Elizabethan costume and dressed in the button down shirt and dark navy pants, Wynn couldn’t think of a single person obtaining a mathematics degree from Winters College that wasn’t moving on to a graduate-level program. That’s what you had to do if you were a math major because a bachelors was absolutely worthless on its own. Grad school and a future PhD would’ve been his destiny a year ago until he took a drama class to fulfill a necessary fine arts credit—and found heaven.
Bob Peterson stuck his head in the doorway as Wynn slipped into his loafers.
“Fantastic job today, Wynn. You’ve made this last requirement to get my MFA so easy. I dreaded directing someone who’d only been involved in theater a short time but you’re a dream to work with. Are you going to give acting a chance after graduation?”
He nodded. “I’m giving myself five years. Either I’ll make it or I won’t but I owe myself the opportunity. I’ll definitely hit the east coast and try regional theater this summer. After that, it’s head to the Big Apple and aim for off-off-Broadway or move three thousand miles to LA.”
“You did the regional circuit last year, right?” Bob asked.
“I did. Acted in four plays. Did stage work for another five. The pace was grueling but it taught me a lot. It honed my memorization skills and gave me an opportunity to do both comedy and drama.”
Bob stuck out his hand. Wynn shook it.
“No matter what you do, best of luck to you, Wynn. Go claim that gorgeous girlfriend of yours and celebrate.”
Wynn laughed. “I plan to. See you tomorrow.”
He left the dressing room and hurried to his dorm room. Entering, he saw his brother fussing over a floral arrangement.
“Thanks for picking up the flowers and my jacket, Payne. I owe you,” he said as he slipped into the only blazer he owned.
“Not a problem. I confirmed your reservation at Chez Louis, too. You nervous?”
Payne was the only one who knew Wynn would be proposing to Stephanie tonight. He didn’t know if she’d say yes. If she did, he already knew she wouldn’t wear the ring in public. Stephanie currently wore the Miss Georgia crown and would compete in the Miss USA pageant three weeks from now. She’d already received permission to take her finals early and would miss graduation. Not that she’d been in class this semester since winning the state title a couple of months ago, but Winters College had cut a deal with Stephanie and her parents to award her credit for her last semester based upon all of the activities she was participating in as Miss Georgia. It looked good for the university to have a Miss Georgia come from their ranks, sporting a Winters’ degree.
Pageant contestants had to remain single throughout their reign. Stephanie’s sponsors believed she had an excellent chance to win the national crown, which meant she’d compete as Miss USA in the Miss World competition this summer. If so, they wouldn’t want a ring on her finger during that time and all the questions it might bring up on social media. Wynn accepted this—but he still wanted to ask Stephanie to become his wife tonight before too much craziness set in. Becoming Miss USA would not only allow Stephanie a platform for her issues but give her a high profile, which would help her land the sports broadcasting job she coveted.
Tonight would determine their future plans as a couple, though he’d need to wait to see the outcome of the beauty pageant before deciding the direction of his own career dreams. If Stephanie won the national crown, Wynn was determined to give Broadway a try since she’d be traveling the bulk of the year. Better still, he might land a role in a traveling production. That would be a great way to see the country and hone his acting skills. If she didn’t win Miss USA, he’d need to see where she landed after her reign as