The Essential Jagged Ivory (Jagged Ivory Boxed Set)

by Lashell Collins

  “Hello. My name's Cory Dutton. My wife is staying here at the hotel and I need an extra key to her room, please.”

  The girl looked at him blankly for a few seconds and then blushed slightly, looking away. She tapped a few keys on her computer and then cleared her throat.

  “And your wife's name, please?”

  “Donna Dutton,” he replied.

  The girl punched a few more keys. “I'm sorry, sir. I don't have anyone by that name registered in the hotel.”

  Cory frowned slightly, then cleared his own throat. “Uh, well it … it might be under Donna Devlin. She's part of the film crew that's staying here. She's an actress.”

  The girl did some more checking on her computer screen. And Cory noticed that she glanced up, eyeing him covertly a couple of times as she did. She blushed again when they made eye contact, and Cory felt himself getting irritated. Finally she looked up from her computer, and addressed him.

  “Um, I'm sorry, Mr. Dutton,” she said, glancing off to her right in a conspiratorial fashion. “I'm a huge Jagged Ivory fan. But I'm afraid I have to ask you for some identification before I can give you a key to your wife's room.”

  He smiled, a huge wave of relief washing over him as he reached into his bag. “Of course. Will my passport do?” he asked, handing it to her.

  “Yes, sir.” She studied his passport for a second and handed it back to him. Then she produced a key card to Donna's room, telling him, “I saw Jagged Ivory when you were here in the spring. It was an amazing show!”

  “Thank you, Tracy,” he smiled, glancing down at her name badge. “I'm glad you enjoyed it. Uh, can you help me get a room for my friend here?” he said, motioning to his bodyguard.

  “Certainly.”

  She set about getting Bill all checked in, and before they headed off to their rooms, Cory asked, “Tracy, I'm assuming you have a top-notch restaurant with room service in this hotel?”

  “Yes, of course, Mr. Dutton. Our restaurant has won many awards,” she smiled. “You'll find a full menu in your room.”

  “Well, I'm working on a little surprise for my wife, Tracy. You wouldn't, by any chance, be able to help me with some flowers, would you?” he smiled at her, pouring on the charm. And his smile broadened as he watched her blush again.

  “Actually, I … I have a terrific florist to recommend, Mr. Dutton,” she smiled. “I could have them deliver some roses to your room.”

  “Now, that is very sweet of you. But I was actually hoping for some white Gerber daisies,” he smiled. “You see, they're my wife's favorite. I would love two large bouquets of them if they're available.”

  “I'll call the florists immediately and see what I can do,” she smiled.

  “Thank you so much, Tracy,” Cory smiled. “You've been so helpful.”

  “Anything for you, Mr. Dutton,” she blushed again.

  He and Bill made their way up to Donna's room then, and once Cory was safely inside and his bodyguard gone, he spent several seconds just standing in the middle of the small suite, looking around. The room smelled like her, he noticed. She had been living here for over a month now while shooting this film, and the place definitely held her scent and her feel. It put him at ease. Like a warm hug.

  Setting his bag down, he began to wander around the suite and familiarize himself with the place. A few of her clothes were strewn about the bed and he smiled. At home, she was in the habit of changing clothes at least three or four times before finally deciding on what to wear on any given day, and as a result, her things were always strewn about their bed in this manner. His smile grew as he picked up her blouse and neatly folded it. He did the same with the other things and then placed them in a chair.

  Looking around the room, he decided on the perfect area to set up tonight's romantic dinner and he was suddenly wishing it were time already. He found the restaurant's menu in a drawer near the hotel phone and looked over it, quickly ascertaining that his perfect dinner would be carried out to his satisfaction. He was returning the menu to its drawer when the phone rang. With a slight frown, he picked up the receiver.

  “Hello?”

  “Hello. Mr. Dutton? This is Tracy from the front desk.”

  “Yes, Tracy.”

  “I just wanted to let you know that I spoke with the florist personally. Two large bouquets of white Gerber daisies will be delivered to the hotel within the hour, sir. I'll bring them up myself.”

  Cory smiled to himself. The fans' eagerness to please never ceased to amaze him. “Thank you so much, Tracy. Your help has been invaluable today. How can I repay you?”

  There was a small pause on the other end of the line, and for a moment Cory thought they had been disconnected.

  “Um, would you mind … signing something for me?” she meekly asked.

  “I would be more than happy to,” he smiled.

  An hour later, after he had autographed Tracy's vinyl copies of both Seven Deadly Sins and Thank Heaven for Little Girls, Cory found the perfect spot for the two bouquets of flowers. Then he took a shower and relaxed a little. Soon, it would be time to order their dinner and set tonight in motion. And he couldn't wait to see the look of surprise on Donna's face when she walked through the door.

  *****

  She climbed into the SUV and ran her hands through her hair as she sighed, and she settled back onto the seat. Another 14-hour day of filming. And over half of that time was spent shooting one single scene over and over and over again. Ken Watts was a brilliant director, but he could be extremely demanding, and Donna was paying the price for it. Her body ached in places that she didn't even know existed before now, and she would certainly think twice before taking on another action-packed role like this one. What the hell had she been thinking anyway? She wasn't a martial artist, or even athletic, for that matter. Yoga was about the extent of her athleticism. And doing her own stunts? Donna had quickly decided that the next time she did that would be never!

  She hated to admit it, but she was not enjoying making this movie nearly as much as she had the first one. The first one had been a breeze. Wonderful cast and crew to work with, the director was incredible, and the atmosphere was relaxed and fun. Of course, she knew that there were a lot of extenuating circumstances at play this time – like her contentious relationship with her co-star, and all the tension between her and Cory right now. Those factors hadn't existed during the filming of her first movie, and it really made a difference.

  She sighed again as she thought about it, absentmindedly running a hand over her tummy. During filming of that first movie, she'd had Cory's full support, and it had meant so much to her. Naturally though, she could understand why he felt a little bitter about this movie, seeing as it was coming between them. In his mind anyway. Donna knew that to Cory, this movie was the start of their problems. And maybe he was right. They were happy before this movie came along. They were newlyweds and so in love, and so excited about their future. And then this movie happened, with Radcliffe and all of his diva drama, and everything that followed.

  As the car drove on, Donna couldn't stop thinking about Cory and wondering where he was and what he was doing at that very moment. She knew that the band was probably on the move right now. She had a copy of their itinerary and she kept it with her at all times. It just made her feel a little better, knowing that she could pull it out and learn where in the world her husband was at any given moment. Right now, she figured he was probably trying to get comfortable on the tour bus and failing miserably. She caressed her tummy once more as she smiled at the thought. And as she did so, she once again couldn't help remembering the shock of learning she was pregnant. Why had she not figured that out for herself? The possibility never even crossed her mind. And sadly, Donna knew that it was because she hadn't wanted it to. She hadn't wanted to see it. Now, of course, it all made perfect sense to her. The frequent nausea, the dizziness and fatigue, the crying at the drop of a hat. And if the set medic was correct in his calculations, Donna knew that she h
ad to have gotten pregnant right before she left to come to Toronto to make this movie. Possibly even that morning before she left.

  She shook her head as she thought about it all. She still had no clue what she was going to do about the situation. She knew that she should tell Cory. He would be so thrilled – she could just imagine the look on his face. And in spite of herself, she couldn't help the smile that spread across her own face at the thought. This news would make him so unbelievably happy. He would be over the moon. And she could give him that. It was a heady thought. But if she went that route, what would it mean for her career? For their plans to wait a few years before starting their family? The plans she had all but forced Cory into accepting. It would ruin everything. And she would have put him through all of this pain and heartache for nothing. He would be so angry at her. But Donna knew that he would be even angrier if she had an abortion and he found out about it after the fact.

  She felt like such a fool. How had she gotten herself into this mess? It was a no-win situation for her and she knew it. No matter which route she chose, she would lose somehow. Either her career would take the hit or her marriage would. And honestly, she wasn't at all sure that her marriage could take another hit right now. Things were so strained and tense between them lately, and she knew that something like this could potentially push Cory to the point of no return. Donna wasn't prepared to let that happen. She loved Cory so much. She didn't want to hurt him, and she didn't want to do anything to lose him. She already felt as though she were in danger of that as it was, and the thought terrified her. She wanted desperately for things to go back to the way they were. She would give anything if they could get back to that, and she wished that the universe would give her some kind of sign that they could. Just some small indication that she and Cory could work themselves out of this mess they had fallen into, and that they were meant to continue on this journey together.

  She laid her head against the window of the SUV as she thought about it. She knew that she should probably call Cory now, like she did at the end of each day, as per his request. But she was just so tired. And she hated talking to him with an audience, even if it was just her bodyguard and her personal assistant. She would wait until she got back to the hotel when she could talk freely. Maybe she would even get up the courage to tell him about the baby.

  It was nearly midnight by the time she and her assistant strolled slowly through the hotel lobby, led by her bodyguard. And she was so tired she thought she might fall over when they stepped into the elevator. They were all silent on the way up to her floor, and when they said goodnight at her door, Donna was so grateful to finally be done with the day. She leaned against the door when she closed it behind her, breathing in deep and letting out a big sigh. She flipped on the light in the entryway, and as she moved to step away from the door she gasped softly, stopped in her tracks by the sight of her sleeping husband.

  She stood for a moment, not entirely certain that she wasn't conjuring him up in her mind. He sat slumped in a chair near the bed, totally passed out, and Donna couldn't believe he was really there. Her eyes darted quickly around the room, taking in the beautiful table setting with its now burned out candles. And when she wandered quietly over to it, she could see that he had obviously been waiting a long time, as one of the dinner plates was uncovered and half eaten. He had tried to surprise her. He even filled the room with white Gerber daisies. Oh, Cory! It was the sign that she had asked for. The small miracle to let her know that she and Cory still wanted to be together. And she was bowled over by the fact that he had made the effort to come all this way.

  Quietly, she made her way over to him and lightly ran her hand through his hair. He jumped, looking up at her with wild, surprised eyes, and Donna smiled down at him.

  “Hi, baby,” she whispered.

  Cory looked up at her in silence for a beat. “Hi,” he said quietly. He sat up and slowly began stretching his neck, trying to work out the kinks from sleeping in the chair.

  “What are you doing here, Cory?” she asked with a smile.

  He laughed slightly, and shook his head. “Well, I was trying to surprise my wife. But as you can see, that failed miserably.”

  His expression was difficult to read, but the tone of his voice instantly made Donna uneasy. “But you didn't fail,” she said quietly. “I was so shocked when I walked in and saw you here. I thought I was imagining you. And the table and the flowers … it's all so beautiful, baby.”

  Cory said nothing as he continued to sit, shaking his head in a disgusted manner. He wouldn't even look up at her, and Donna could tell that he was pissed.

  “Um, does Otis know that you've gone AWOL?” she asked lightly, trying to add a little humor to the situation as she walked toward the bed and began to remove her jacket.

  “Next show isn't until Friday night in New York. I'll meet them there,” he answered curtly.

  Donna removed her shoes, wondering how to pull him out of the funk he was in. Had he come all this way just to sulk? “How long have you been here?” she asked finally. Might as well jump right into the fray.

  Cory looked down at his watch. “Eight hours,” he answered, finally looking up at her.

  “Oh,” she replied softly. No wonder he was so upset. “You've been here in my room, waiting for me all that time?”

  “Yep,” he answered, still holding her gaze. “Guess the surprise was on me, huh?”

  In her head, Donna knew that this wasn't her fault. But that didn't stop her from trying to apologize. “Cory, I'm sorry. I had no idea you were here. You should have called me.”

  “Well, why would I do that if the point was to surprise you?” he asked sarcastically.

  “But if you had called …”

  “If I had called, you would have been too busy to talk.”

  “But Deb would have answered my phone, Cory. She could have given you some idea about what time I would be getting back!”

  “And my surprise romantic dinner still wouldn't have been worth shit,” he responded. “You know, when you showed up last week, you asked me to come back to Canada with you. And I know, you were being a smartass at the time but … well, here I am. Here I am, Donna! It wasn't easy to get the guys to back my play and reassure the tour manager that I would be in New York on time. It took more than a little convincing for me to actually make this trip happen. And you know what I learned after all of my effort and trouble? I learned that if I did take a break from the band so that I could travel with you … you still wouldn't have any time for me! I spent the entire day sitting in your hotel room waiting for you to get back!”

  “Cory, that's not fair! I didn't know you were here,” she answered. “If I had known, you could have come to the set with me and watched. You wouldn't have been stuck in this room all day!”

  “And how would things be any different on the movie set, Donna?” Cory asked, his voice rising in frustration. “Huh? It would be a change of scenery. But I would still be sitting around all damn day, waiting for you to have a millisecond to say two words to me!”

  Donna was silent as his words echoed around her. She was so tired, all she wanted to do was relax. Why couldn't he seem to stop yelling at her lately? Why was he always so angry with her?

  “Tell me I'm wrong!” He said loudly.

  “It's hard work,” she yelled at him, not able to take anymore. “You think I'm just out here living it up and having a good time? I am working! Making a movie is time consuming, okay? The days can be long sometimes. Eight, ten … sometimes fourteen hours or longer. I don't have any control over that! And this particular movie is kicking my ass! Not that you care! I'm tired and I'm sore. My muscles ache. And I have to get up early and go do it all over again tomorrow! I don't have the strength or the will to argue with you tonight, Cory. I just want to go to bed!”

  Cory stared at her, shocked by her outburst for a moment. Why the hell couldn't they come together on anything lately? Why was he so resentful of this damned movie? The distan
ce between them seemed to grow wider right before his eyes, and the silence threatened to consume him as they glared at one another. “I'll get my own room,” he said quietly. He walked over to where his bag sat on the floor and reached down to pick it up.

  “Cory, you don't have to do that,” she sighed. “That is not what I meant.”

  “I was planning to fly to New York on Friday morning,” he said quietly, ignoring her words. “But I'll leave first thing tomorrow instead. This was obviously a mistake. I guess I'll see you when your movie's finished. You take care of yourself.” He turned and slowly crossed the room to the door.

  “Cory!”

  “I love you, Donna,” he said as he glanced briefly back at her.

  He opened the door and was gone. And Donna couldn't believe that he had actually left. She stood helpless and stunned in the middle of the room for a moment, wondering what the hell had just happened. “Cory?” She rushed to the door and opened it widely, looking up and down the hallway in tears. But he was nowhere to be seen.

  Chapter Twelve

  Donna: Hey. How r u?

  Me: I'm good. You?

  Donna: I'm fine. Been reading Mercy's updates on the website. Tour seems 2 be going well.

  Me: Yeah. How's the filming?

  Donna: It's good. Principle photography should be completed w/in a month. Can't believe I made it this far!

  Me: Great. Congrats. Btw, JI has 3 weeks r&r coming up. Going home for that.