The Hotel

by Pamela Kelley

  Chapter 38

  “Cami and her co-star Cameron are inseparable, and sources say an engagement announcement could come any day!” The cover of Stars magazine showed a picture of Bella and some pretty blond actor sitting in a car at an In-and-Out Burger. Aunt Vivian pushed the copy of the magazine toward Nick and he shoved it away so hard that it slid off the table.

  It was a Sunday afternoon, and they were all sitting around the dining room table. They’d already eaten dinner and moved on to drinking coffee and snacking on coffee cake for dessert.

  “I just thought you’d want to know, honey,” Aunt Vivian said.

  “I appreciate that,” Nick said slowly. “But the media lies. You can’t believe anything. That’s what Bella always says.”

  His mother sipped her coffee and then weighed in. “We just worry about you honey. This all happened so fast with Bella. She seems lovely, but you really don’t know her well. Maybe she has moved on and it makes sense she’d pick someone in the industry who understands what she is going through. Maybe it’s time for you to do the same thing.”

  “What are you saying?” Nick tried not to sound as angry as he felt at the suggestion. He knew his mother loved him and meant well. But she just didn’t understand how he felt about Bella and how she felt about him. They were in love and it was real.

  “Just that it might not be real, honey. She was here on vacation. For an escape from reality. And she met you and liked you a lot, but you might be part of that fantasy, a vacation fling. I just wouldn’t put so much weight on it lasting. You have a lot of strikes against you. And many miles.”

  She was right about that. They were on opposite sides of the country—about as far apart as possible—and unless he were to move to LA, that wasn’t likely to change anytime soon.

  “The distance is hard,” he agreed.

  “I’m just thinking it might be a good idea for you to move on, too. Get out there and meet some new people, that actually live on Nantucket. There are plenty of eligible women,” his mother said.

  “She’s right,” Paula agreed. “Don’t get me wrong, I love Bella, too. I just hate seeing you so sad.”

  Lucy nodded. “I just wouldn’t put all your eggs in the Bella basket. Even if you don’t date anyone else right away, you need to stop putting your life on hold, and start living again—go out and have fun with your friends, come out with us.”

  He had been hibernating too much. Rushing home to make sure he was there to chat with Bella when she called. He hadn’t gone out with his friends or even his family in a few weeks and that wasn’t like him.

  He nodded. “You’re all right. Not that things need to end with Bella, I don’t know how that is going to go, but I agree that I need to start having fun again. So, where are we going after dinner?”

  Bella worried that Nick might be slowly slipping away from her. And she didn’t blame him one bit. She’d been furious when the pics of her and Cam hit the internet and at the predictions about an engagement. It was so untrue—they were simply sharing burgers together, getting off-set for lunch and talking about how they were going to approach their scenes later that afternoon. Cam had never even looked twice at her. Not romantically. She wasn’t his type—no woman was.

  And it was frustrating because she knew his publicist had sent the tip to the media. Cam was at the beginning of a booming career as a romantic comedy star and was deeply locked in the closet. He hated it and wanted to be truthful, but all of his advisors told him it would be career suicide and a huge financial loss if he came clean too soon in his career. She understood that, but she didn’t like being used as part of his chess game.

  The only good thing was that it got the media focus off of Nick. She’d called him the minute the story hit, to assure him it wasn’t remotely true. He’d seemed to understand, but he also was a bit distant lately as if something had shifted. She’d never had trouble reaching him before—now her calls often went to voice mail and he called her back hours later. Each time, he said he’d been out with friends or family at a bar or restaurant where it was too loud to talk on the phone and he didn’t want to be rude to his friends, either. She understood that, but she’d also gotten used to being his first priority, so it didn’t feel so good to be shifted down the list. But, at the same time, she was glad he was getting out and having fun. She just wished she was there with him.

  She still had another whole month of filming ahead of her. They were on a six day a week schedule to wrap as soon as possible, which was good, but it didn’t leave enough time for even a quick trip to Nantucket. Once they wrapped, she planned to fly there immediately. She couldn’t wait to see Nick. And in the meantime, she was trying to come up with a way to stay there longer. She had something in the works and was crossing her fingers and hoping that everything would fall the way it needed to. Then she could share her good news with Nick. And hopefully, it wouldn’t be too late for them.

  Chapter 39

  Bella was being all mysterious and Nick was intrigued. Her plane was due in at a quarter to four and Nick was at the Nantucket airport at three thirty. She’d been hinting for a few weeks that she had something big brewing but didn’t want to say anything until it was certain. She was afraid she’d jinx herself. He tried to get her to spill but she just told him to be patient and when she saw him, she’d explain everything and hopefully have some very good news to share. She was still waiting on a final phone call, which hadn’t come before she left L.A.

  He parked, went into the airport and got a cup of coffee while he waited. It was a Friday afternoon so there was a steady stream of private jets flying in and taking off. Right on time, he saw a Jet Blue plane landing and walked outside to wait for Bella.

  His heart jumped when he saw her walk off the plane. She scanned the area and then smiled and waved when she saw him. She ran over to him and he pulled her into a bear hug before kissing her hello and then finally speaking. “I can’t believe you’re finally here,” he said.

  She smiled. “You said I can stay with you for as long as I want, right?”

  Nick laughed. “Yes. Forever, if that works for you.”

  She laughed and he realized she probably thought he was kidding. But he’d be happy if she stayed indefinitely. He knew that wasn’t likely, though. He’d settle for a week or two but hoped for longer.

  They walked over to where the luggage racks were being wheeled over from the plane. Bella looked for hers and he was a little surprised to see she had two giant suitcases, more than what she’d had when she stayed at The Whitley for several months. She laughed when she saw his expression.

  “I warned you I might stay a while. Let’s go home and I’ll fill you in.”

  They chatted about inconsequential things on the ride to Nick’s house. He told her about the latest goings on at The Whitley and she updated him on the gossip around her film and also the buzz was really good.

  “I think it’s the best thing I’ve ever done, and everyone felt it was their best work, too. We’re all so excited to see how the movie does. It feels like it might be big.”

  “I’m really happy for you. I read the book, by the way. Just finished it yesterday and you’re right. It’s something special.”

  When they got to the house, he carried in her bags and she followed with her carry-on. Once they were inside, she pulled a bottle of champagne out of her bag and went into the kitchen and opened it over the sink, so it wouldn’t spill.

  He got two glasses out of a cupboard for her and she filled them both. She carried them into the living room and they settled on the sofa in their usual spots. She handed him one of the glasses, and then took off her sunglasses and, as always, he was mesmerized by those gorgeous eyes of hers.

  “So, what are we celebrating?”

  She took a sip and smiled. “I have some really big news, huge, life-changing. For both of us.” She paused dramatically.

  “What is it?” He couldn’t take the suspense.

  “It just closed. I got the
final call when I landed. So now it’s official. I started a production company—Nantucket Rose Films.”

  “Congratulations. Love the name. So, what does that actually mean?”

  “Not a whole lot, until I have something in production, and now I do. That was the phone call I was waiting on. So, first I optioned a book series and put a team together—a director, screenwriter and actress, which is me, and pitched the project to Netflix as a limited TV series. And they just said yes.”

  “Bella, that’s awesome!” Nick knew it was huge for her and he was proud of her, but he wasn’t sure it solved their problem as filming was still likely to be in Hollywood. “Where is the show set?”

  She smiled. “Well, that’s the best part. It’s a six-book women’s fiction series, set on Nantucket. And we’ll be filming most of it here.”

  Now he was well and truly stunned. “Here? Not in Hollywood?”

  “Here. I’ll still have to fly to Hollywood a few times, but just for a day or two. The majority of the work can be done here.”

  “Are you sure you want to give up film, though?” He loved the idea of her working on Nantucket, but not if it meant it could hurt her career-wise.

  “I’m not giving it up. I’m just being pickier about what I do. This will keep me here for the next year or so and I’ll look into other projects after that. I will look into producing my own films, too, which will give me more control over everything. If this series goes well, it will be easier for me to get other projects made.”

  “Well, this is the best news ever. I’m thrilled for you. For both of us.”

  “And you’re sure you don’t mind me staying longer than you expected?” she teased him. “I can always rent a place if it’s inconvenient.”

  He leaned over and kissed her to stop the ridiculousness. “I meant what I said, you can stay here for as long as you like. Forever wouldn’t be too long for me.”

  “I hoped you’d feel that way.”

  “Hold that thought. I’ll be right back.” Nick jumped up and ran upstairs to his bedroom, pulled open the top drawer of his dresser and rummaged around until he found what he was looking for. He went back downstairs and resumed his spot on the sofa.

  Bella raised her eyebrows at him. “What was all that about?”

  He grinned and held out the small chocolate brown velvet box and flipped open the top. “This.”

  Her jaw dropped at the sight of the antique diamond ring.

  “Nick,” she began.

  “Bella, I spotted this not long after you first went back to Hollywood. I was downtown walking around and something made me walk into a jewelry store I’d never set foot in before and it drew me towards it. One look and I knew that I wanted to give it to you. I wasn’t sure when that would be, but I bought it that day and I’ve kept it in a drawer upstairs ever since. And it feels like the right time now.”

  Nick stood, turned around to face Bella and got down on one knee. He held the ring up. “Bella, will you marry me? I meant what I said about forever. When I think of forever, I see it with you. If you’ll have me.”

  Her eyes filled with tears that spilled over as she spoke. “Of course, I will. I love you, Nick.”

  Chapter 40

  Paula was in her office Friday and was thinking about what to do for lunch when her phone rang, and it was her brother, Nick.

  “Hi, Nick, what’s up?”

  “Just wanted to let you know Bella and I are having a cookout on Sunday to celebrate our engagement. Everyone is coming—the rest of the family, Andrea, Marco all our friends. And, hopefully you.”

  She laughed. Nick had told them the good news the day after he’d proposed to Bella and also let them know that she was going to be on Nantucket for at least the next year. They were all thrilled for both of them. “Of course. I’ll be there. Let me know what I can bring.”

  “Whatever you feel like bringing, bottle of wine or a dip or something, it’s all good. There will be tons of food.”

  “I have no doubt. Sounds like fun.”

  Paula hung up the phone and stared out the window, watching the surf crash on the shore. It was early October, but the weather on Nantucket was still beautiful. The fall was always her favorite time of year on the island. It was less crowded with tourists and still warm enough to go to the beach. She thought about Nick and Bella and was really happy for her brother. She’d never seen him like this with anyone before. And they all really liked Bella.

  Everyone seemed settled and happy these days. Lucy was going strong with Jason and Andrea and Marco were pretty serious. She’d never seen Andrea so relaxed and downright pleasant. It was nice to see. And then there was Paula. She hadn’t heard a word from David, but she hadn’t really expected that she would. She was feeling pretty good overall, though, as she’d really settled into her new job and was enjoying it more than she’d ever imagined that she would. She was glad that she’d stepped out of the back office and her comfort zone to try something new.

  She poured herself another cup of coffee and checked some emails while she tried to decide what to do about lunch. She could run home and make a sandwich or order something to be sent up from the restaurant. She was just about to look up the restaurant menu when there was a tap on her door. She turned and did a double take when she saw David standing there.

  “Hey, there. Sorry to interrupt. I thought I might catch you before you went to lunch. I just dropped something off for your grandfather. Truthfully, I could have mailed it, but I wanted an excuse to say hello.”

  “Hi! How are you?”

  He smiled. “I’m good. Really good. Any chance you might want to grab some lunch?”

  “I’d love to…I was about to call the restaurant, actually. We can just go down there, if that works.”

  “Works for me.”

  A few minutes later they were seated by the window and once they put their orders in, David continued to surprise her.

  “So, I have some news. I’m not just visiting. I’ve moved back to Nantucket.”

  “For good?” Paula couldn’t believe it.

  “Yes. I rented a condo downtown and I’m going to rent an office at my dad’s law firm.”

  “What will you be doing?”

  “Well, I was miserable in Kansas City, and I had a lot of time on my hands to research possible business ideas. I approached it like it was a consulting gig for one of my clients and I’m pretty excited about what I came up with. I’m going to do consulting still, but focus on Nantucket and Boston and New York clients, and I’m also going to develop a series of educational trainings that hotels can use for new employees. There’s a real need for it and it lines up with my area of expertise. It’s also something I can do from anywhere.”

  Paula was impressed. “David, that sounds really great. Your parents must be thrilled.”

  “They are. Especially my dad. He likes the idea of having me in the office and just having me around. My mother seems enthusiastic but I’m not sure she really understands it the same way. But that’s okay. I’ll still be able to see her more often and that’s the main thing.”

  “I think that’s wonderful.”

  When their meals came, they chatted as they ate, and Paula caught him up on everyone that they knew and on Bella and Nick’s engagement.

  “They seemed like a great couple. I’m glad they were able to find a way to be together.”

  When they finished, David insisted on paying the check and walked her back to her office.

  “So, there’s one more thing,” he said as she was about to walk through her door.

  “What’s that?”

  “Well, now that I’m back here and we’re not working together, how would you feel like getting dinner, possibly tomorrow night?”

  She smiled. “I’d love that.”

  “Good. Oh, and there’s also this…” He leaned over and kissed her lightly. And it was every bit as good as she’d imagined it would be. He grinned. “I’ve kind of wanted to do that for a while.”r />
  “Me, too,” she admitted. “Oh, about dinner tomorrow night. I forgot that I already have plans.”

  His face fell. “Oh, okay. Another night, then.”

  She grabbed his hand. “No, I have plans already but that’s okay. Nick and Bella are having a party to celebrate their engagement, and everyone will be there. I’d love for you to come with me, if you’d like. It should be fun.”

  “That sounds perfect to me.”

  Epilogue

  Paula held a holiday open house the Saturday of Nantucket’s Christmas Stroll weekend in December. She was excited to host everyone for the first time and they were all in a festive mood. David had helped her decorate the outside of her cottage and surrounding bushes with white twinkling lights. She’d just finishing making a big bowl of Christmas Sangria, with sparkling wine, crushed fruit and a container of rainbow sherbet. It was her signature cocktail and the family demanded she make it every year.

  She and David went downtown the night before so David could experience his first Christmas Stroll in years. They’d walked up and down Main Street and all the side streets, stopping into various shops and participating in a gingerbread cookie decorating event. After walking up an appetite, they’d had dinner at Mimi’s Place. It was pretty much a perfect night.

  And now, as Paula looked around the kitchen and living room of her cottage, she smiled with contentment. Everyone she cared about was there. Nick and Bella were still deliriously happy and she’d just started shooting on her new Netflix show. Andrea and Marco were mixing margaritas over by the sink and laughing as they argued about who made a better one. Paula was actually starting to enjoy Andrea’s company and her cousin seemed to be making an effort to be less ornery, which was much appreciated. Marco seemed to have a good influence on her.