Dedicated to Kenny b/c I love and appreciate you for reading and b/c when I'm all finished and I go back to edit the story to fix my mistakes, I am enlisting your help to figure out what kind of motorcycle Holly rides :)
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Chapter 26
I awoke from a deep sleep in an unfamiliar bed, squinting as the daylight splayed across my face. The room was not my own, either. I started to panic, but as suddenly as the fear had come it left as realization pierced my sluggish brain.
Today was Thanksgiving. Yesterday James had surprised me after lunch with an envelope. Inside was a gift: One night at this resort and spa complete with full on pampering package. He said I deserved the time off to relax, but I think he just didn’t want me moping around thinking about how I had no family.
Still, it was a sweet gesture and I’d taken advantage. Yesterday I’d received a full body Swedish massage, a pedicure, manicure, facial, deep tissue towel wrap, aromatherapy, and some very good wine. After a good night’s sleep I felt like it was time to head home. Check out wasn’t for a few more hours, but I missed the comfort of the guest house and James’ easygoing presence.
Despite my calming time at the resort, thoughts of being alone and not celebrating Turkey day were at the forefront of my mind as I pulled into James’ driveway. I put on a happy face as I opened the front door, wanting James to know how much I appreciated his gift. Making my way towards the living room, I prepared a thank you in my head, but when I peered into the dining room my mind went blank.
The normal small round oak table and matching two chairs that we always sat at had been replaced by a long rectangular table that could easily seat ten. Its soft oak finish was covered down the center by a red cotton runner. On top it was casually decorated with a few vases filled with autumn colored flowers: Soft yellows of sunflowers, yellow-orange roses with tinges of red on the tips of the petals, orange daisies and lilies, and just a few small red roses. Between the vases were short wide ivory candles that were already lit, casting a soft light on the place settings around the table.
I walked up to the seat at the far end and saw my name elegantly hand written on an ivory place card which sat next to a red rose upon a small yellow plate on top of a larger red plate. Silverware sat to the right in front of a wine glass, water glass, and champagne flute. I walked clockwise around the table reading off the names as I passed: Brayden, Drew, Max. They were all actors on James’ show. I’d seen them briefly a few times but never officially met them. Caroline. If it wasn’t mistaken the only woman by that name was James’ mother. James. His place card was at the head of the table at the opposite end from me, a little far for my liking. Tony, Sammie. I was really hoping not to see their names. Greta. That name was entirely unfamiliar so I continued. Trudy. I halted, hoping it would be my friend Trudy, I really missed her. The few times we talked were about Jon and it would be really great to spend the holiday catching up.
I stood back in front of my place setting looking over the table in front of me. That’s when I noticed the rose next to my name card was the only one. Every other setting had an ivory card on their yelow plate, but no flower. I picked it up and smelled it enjoying the sweet aroma, smiling at how beautiful this was already. Was this his plan all along? To get me out of the house so he could surprise me with a real Thanksgiving meal? Tears welled up in my eyes at the thought of spending the day with friends; a makeshift family of sorts.
“Holls?”
I turned around, only barely realizing I was wearing a pair of black yoga pants tucked into my Uggs and an oversized blue t-shirt that hung off one shoulder. My hair was in a messy bun and my face was free of all beauty products. Not to mention a tear was falling down my cheek.
“I wasn’t expecting you back for another couple hours.”
Forgetting my embarrassment about my looks I took in James’ form. He was in his usual attire, faded jeans and a tight black t-shirt, house shoes on his feet. His short hair had no gel in it and he hadn’t shaved. An oven mitt was on one hand and there was what appeared to be flour and some other unknown ingredients on his shirt. I laughed at that and he looked down immediately to see what’s he’d spilled on himself. He smiled at the stains and looked back up at me.
“What is all this?” I knew the answer but I needed to hear it to believe everything was real.
“Happy Thanksgiving, Holls. I know you said you didn’t care, but I think you deserve to celebrate in memory of your father. I don’t think he’d want you to spend it alone or pretend like it was just another day,” he said, his soft voice making me melt at the sweetness of his words.
“You planned all this?” I gestured to the dining room.
“I got you out of the house and relaxing yesterday and what was supposed to be more of today,” his tone became one of disproval at my early arrival, “and I called in reinforcements. Wasn’t too hard.”
“Reinforcements?” I asked tentatively.
“Yeah… Why don’t you go hang out in the guest house and come back in a couple hours? She’ll kill me if you see all this before it’s finished,” he persuaded as he nudged me towards the slider.
She? A small pang of what could so not be jealousy wormed its way through my stomach playing with my nerves.
“I promise all will be revealed when you come back,” he smiled at me as I stood outside the door. “Did you have a good time at the resort? Pamper yourself at least a little?” he asked, seeming hopeful.
“Oh wow, I totally forgot when I saw the setup in there, yes of course, I loved it! Thank you for doing that, it was actually really great, just what I needed.”
A strand of my hair fell loose around my face and blew softly in the wind. He reached out and caught it, pushing it behind my ear. “I’m glad. See you in a bit.” With that he shut the door and walked off to join whomever this ‘she’ was.
Two hours later I was dressed in form fitting ivory sweater dress that reached a few inches above my knee and had ¾ sleeves. The collar hung loosely displaying just the subtlest amount of cleavage. I paired it with strappy tan heels and headed for the house.
The dining room was devoid of any people so I allowed the delicious smells wafting through the house to lead me to the kitchen. The first thing I noticed was the back of a woman. Her hair was a pale blonde with white and silver tints that fell into a straight neat bob stopping just below her ears. She was a little taller than me and of average build in a pale yellow button-up and black dress pants and flats. The ties of an apron were visible around her neck and waist.
“Hello?” I asked, weary of interrupting her but curious to know who she was. She turned around and smiled brightly at me. She a soft, kind and youthful face of a woman in her fifties. There was no mistaking the similarities, she was James’ mother. Her eyes were a pale blue like his, that also sparkled, but in a less dreamy and more wise and knowing way. Her fair skin, rosy cheeks, and pink lips which were still forming a big smile made her appear like an inviting, warm person which didn’t surprise me.
“You must be Holly. It’s great to finally meet you; I’m James’ mum, Caroline.” I couldn’t miss her distinct British accent. She walked over and as I went to shake her hand she pulled me into a tight comforting hug.
“It’s nice to meet you too Mrs. McCalman,” I told her when she finally released me.
“Caroline, please.”
“I hope this doesn’t sound rude, because it’s wonderful to have you, but why are you here? I mean, James said he doesn’t even celebrate Thanksgiving so I’m surprised to see you’ve flown all the way over to make this elaborate meal,” I motioned around the kitchen only then noting all the many pots and pans and dishes of food.
She just laughed and sent me a knowing smile. “Anything to make my James happy… and to meet the girl who makes him so happy. Now, why don’t you go check on him and see if he needs help picking out something to wear. He’s taking a little long and the guests will be here shortly.” With that she turned and went back to work, moving around the kitchen with ease.
I was left to walk down the hall to James’ room wondering who this mystery girl was that made him so happy and why I’d never met her. I didn’t know who Greta was… could be her. Unless it was Sammie, but I trusted him when he said he didn’t feel that way about her.
Lost in my thoughts, I pushed open his door without knocking and froze a few steps in as I took in his unbelievably strong chest. He was barefoot and had on black slacks instead of his usual jeans, his clean white shirt remained unbuttoned to my utter dismay and pleasure. There was product in his short hair, but it still remained slightly messy. His face was clean shaven and I could smell a hint of his cologne from across the room. He stilled when he saw me.
“Your mom wanted me to check on you. She said you were running late?” It came out as a question because I didn’t know what to say and his shirtless form was distracting.
“Ah, yeah. It’s these damn small buttons.” He laughed, slightly embarrassed pointing to his wrist. I nodded and walked over taking his right hand and working the two small buttons into the holes. My eyes stayed trained on their task, though the rest of me wanted badly for them to rake over the hard planes of his pecks and abs.
I let go and grabbed his left, ignoring how strong his forearms were under my hands. He interrupted my thoughts, “I hope this is okay.”
I looked up at him, my hands stopping their work, “What do you mean?”
“Well, I thought this would be a good idea, give you new memories, but I never considered that maybe this might upset you. And now I’m wondering…”
“No, are you crazy? This is the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me... Thank you.”
As I stared into those icy glittering orbs I felt myself losing the mental footing I’d been trying to hold onto. My body leaned forward of its own volition as his did the same. His eyes broke from mine to glance at my lips and then back, as if waiting for me to stop him. My hand slid from his wrist up his arm. When it landed on his chest I knew I had to stop immediately or I would lose all control.
I brought my other hand up and used both to grab his shirt. I looked down at it and inhaled deeply before buttoning it up. He stood motionless as I did so, his fresh breath tickling my neck and shoulders as he inhaled and exhaled shakily.
“All done,” I said meeting his eyes again. The look on his face was the same as he had in his trailer when he kissed me. My breath caught in my throat and he placed one hand on my hip while he searched my eyes for an unknown emotion. He leaned forward slowly.
The doorbell chimed loudly, interrupting our moment. I jumped slightly and James looked behind me down the hallway.
“Can you get that dear, I’m nearly done,” his mom yelled from the kitchen.
“Thanks for your help.”
I stopped him before he could leave. “How bout I get the door, seeing as I have on shoes?” I asked trying to lighten the mood and pretend that nothing almost happened. Did something almost happen?
He looked down at his bare feet and agreed so I went to the entry way and opened the door to find Trudy and an older woman with the same olive skin tone and jet black hair. Trudy launched herself at me, “Holly! I’m so glad we could make it, this was a great idea!”
I laughed at her enthusiasm and hugged her back, “Thank you for coming. It was really all James.”
“Mmmmmhm,” came from her mouth in a high pitched tone when she let go and looked at me pointedly. I felt like I was missing something.
Turning to the woman I introduced myself, “Hi, I’m Holly.”
“Oh yes I’ve heard all about you, sugar. I’m Greta, Trudy’s ma,” she stated with a southern drawl that didn't seem to fit her exotic look as she handed me a pie.
“Ma flew here to be with me and I wasn’t sure what we were gonna do when she arrived, so when I bumped into James at Café St. Clare’s a few weeks ago and he invited us I was thrilled!” Trudy announced. He’d been planning for three weeks? Wow.
“Well, come in. Let me take your coats.” I placed their jackets and purses on the coat rack and ushered them into the living room. As if on cue Caroline strolled in setting a plate of appetizers on the table and introducing herself to the women before rushing back into the kitchen, pie in hand. I went to get them their drinks and when I came back James was talking animatedly about the meteor shower we’d seen.
“… got to check it out next year. It was amazing and that was from here; imagine from up in the mountains further away from the lights of the city. I mean, Holls how many shooting stars did we see?”
I handed Trudy and her mom their drinks, a diet coke and a glass of red wine respectively. “Too many to count, it was pretty incredible,” I told them. “James, can I get you something to drink?”
He stood up abruptly, “I can get it, why don’t you sit down and relax?” He left the room before I could protest and came back rather quickly with two beers, one for each of us.
I turned the football game on, wanting to see the score. “This is what you Americans call football?” he asked, laughing as he watched. I gave him the evil eye but before I could comment the doorbell was ringing yet again.
Sammie and Tony were next to arrive, bringing with them a bottle of expensive looking champagne. Luckily, James was the one to answer the door because I really didn’t want to deal with the awkwardness of being alone with the two of them for the first time since James and I walked out on dinner.
Almost immediately the last three guests arrived: Brayden, Drew, and Max. They were quite the mixture. Brayden had a young, innocent face and smaller set built with dirty blonde hair and blue eyes. He was quiet initially, listening and only speaking occasionally. Drew was a burly man in his fifties with a long gray-brown beard and even longer pony tail with a clean black button up tucked into his jeans. His cowboy boots were the same warm tan as his belt. He was all smiles and jokes, immediately making each person feel at ease. Max was the smartass of the group, teasing about mistakes made on set. He was in his early thirties, a shaved head and green eyes with rather large and obvious muscles. He opted to wear a simple cotton long sleeved brown shirt and khakis.
Introductions were made, more drinks were poured and before I knew it everyone was mingling as I watched them from the doorway.
Drew was across the room by the fireplace speaking with Greta. I couldn’t hear exactly what they were saying, but by the looks of it they were having a great time. She was holding her stomach laughing while he used his hands to describe something. I’d never met Trudy’s mother before, but I knew she’d raised Trudy on her own when her father left. Even if there was no love connection it was nice sto see her mother interact and have fun.
Probably the most entertaining thing in the room was Caroline and Brayden sitting on one of the loveseats watching football. It was clear he was enthralled by every play and she kept asking him questions about what was happening. She had a mischievous glint to her face and I could tell she was messing with him. He didn’t have that apiphone until she began talking about rules for soccer –or what she called real football- and then they were in a debate about the two. Minutes later her plan was successful and he was out of his shell and talking, all bashfulness gone.
Once he realized Trudy was working for ‘The Jonathon Roberts’ as he called him, Tony cornered her on the other loveseat and began probing her for information. “How does Jon feel about his representation? He deserves the best film opportunities he can get and the right kind of pay for an actor of his magnitude. Not everyone has the power and connections to do that like I do.” Poor Trudy was at a loss for how to handle the situation. She really wasn’t cut out for the sharks of Hollywood.
“I’m really not sure, Mr. Cordova. He seems happy with Joan.”
“Whittaker, eh? She is a savage… but can he trust her to be there for him? It’s important to know who you can turn to…” I tuned him out, tired of the overplayed sale scheme. He made car salesmen look like saints. It worked in Jon’s favor because that was Tony’s job, but hearing it constantly caused a slow pounding in my temple.
While Tony was busy being his usual scummy self, his wife was doing the same. She was on one end of the couch with Max next to her and James on Max’s other side. Her low-cut tan halter dress was revealing as she leaned in towards the men. “How do they find such handsome men like the two of you for this show of yours?” she asked, running a hand over Max’s rather large bicep. He seemed surprised by her contact, but didn’t pull away.
“It’s like Tony says, this is LA, everyone is good looking here,” James replied, lightening the mood.
She leaned forward even more so she was closer to James, “Don’t worry Jamesy you’ll always be my favorite of the bunch.” She winked and gave him a sly, seductive smile. It didn’t feel right watching her hit on him but I stayed put wondering what he would say.
His eyes flickered over to me, “Excuse me for a sec,” he told them, eyes still on mine.
He joined me, “What are you doing over here by yourself?”
“Just watching everyone, taking in the feel of the holiday.”
He surveyed the room as I had, listening to the conversations then leaned towards me to whisper in my ear. “Trudy’s not going to last much longer with Tony over there before she breaks and I’m afraid Sammie’s gonna try to pull Max into a closet. Think we should save them?”
I laughed and nodded.
“All right everyone, shall we eat then?” he asked loudly so the whole room could hear.