by Trudy Stiles
WATCHING NOELLE TWIRL around, a huge smile plastered on her face, takes my breath away. We’ve been outside exploring the vast gardens here at the Philbrook Museum. Her father was right, it’s breathtaking.
I hold my phone up to try to capture the moment forever and hold down the ‘burst’ function, snapping dozens of pictures.
“What are you doing?” she calls out, laughing.
“Nothing,” I smirk, shoving the phone into my pocket.
“I look like a giant dork spinning around out here like I’m in The Sound of Music.”
She sits on a cement bench, gazing into a small fountain. There’s a bird playing in the water, bathing himself, completely unaware of our presence. Or maybe he’s having so much fun, he doesn’t care that we’re here, spying on him.
I sit down next to her and pull her into my side. “It’s incredible seeing you like this.”
She turns to face me, eyebrow raised. “Like what?”
Alive. Breathing.
“Happy,” I state.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve felt this free,” she admits, smiling. “Each day we get closer to Arizona, I feel more and more like myself. And less like Sawyer.”
“Well, I don’t know Sawyer, I only know Noelle. And the Noelle that’s emerging is amazing.” I place a kiss on her temple, letting my lips linger for a few seconds. She relaxes in my arms.
“I think you’d like Sawyer,” she muses.
“It’s weird that you’re speaking in the third person right now. Heath says ‘stop it,’” I joke.
She bumps her shoulder into mine, and we sit quietly for a few moments.
“I feel close to them,” she says softly.
“That’s a good thing.”
“I also feel closer to the man my father used to be. Before my mother died.”
I can tell she so desperately wishes she knew the man who penned that journal. The man who was so incredibly in love with her mother, their happiness leading them from state to state.
“They can feel you, and I’m willing to bet they’re here with you right now.”
Her eyes light up for a second. “Can we stay here until the sun sets and then go eat?”
“Of course,” I reply, wanting her to revel in this beautiful place for just a little while longer.
We continue to walk through the grounds, holding hands like a couple in love. She tugs on my arm as several fireflies light up the sky. “Look!” We race to the field where hundreds of fireflies are hovering, displaying their bright lights.
“It’s gorgeous!” she exclaims. “Look at them all!”
I capture one in the palm of my hand and place it in front of her.
“I wish we had my firefly house,” she says. “Remember that?”
“Of course. How could I possibly forget? That hung outside your bedroom window every night from June through August.”
It was a beautiful symbol of love and protection from her father. Although it didn’t keep all of the demons away, it gave her hope that those fireflies produced magical fairies that would watch over her.
We capture several more fireflies, cupping them in our hands, rays of light poking through the spaces between our fingers.
“That tickles!” she giggles, opening her hand so her fireflies can fly away into the night.
I do the same and we watch them fly higher, their lights getting dimmer as they get further away.
“As much as this reminds me of my father and what he gave to me when I was little, it reminds me of you more.”
“Yeah?” I ask, curious about what she means.
“You gave the magic back to me after things started getting bad with Tonya. I looked forward to seeing it outside my window, filled with fireflies. All because of you.”
Tears fill her eyes, and I pull her toward me. “No tears,” I demand, kissing them away. My lips brush against her cheeks, and she relaxes in my arms.
“But they’re happy tears,” she insists, looking up into my eyes.
Suddenly, the sky opens up and rain pours down on us. “Shit!” I yell, trying to cover us with my arms. The main building is far off in the distance, so I search for shelter nearby.
“Over here!” I call as I grab her hand, pulling her underneath a small trellis. The rain is coming down in buckets, both of us completely soaked. The overhang barely covers us as I pull her against my body, our wet clothes stuck together.
“Oh my God!” She laughs. “This is insane! The sky was crystal clear just a few minutes ago.”
Both of my arms are wrapped tightly around her waist. She laughs, her happy tears washed away by the rain that pelted us.
“You’re so beautiful,” I say, and her smile fades, a surprised look on her face.
“What?”
“You’re more beautiful than I remember. You’re stunning, Noelle.”
Our faces are inches apart as we try to stay out of the rain. Her eyes dart around my face, landing on my mouth. “I don’t know what to say,” she admits, biting her lower lip.
“Don’t say anything,” I answer her, lowering my lips to hers, softly taking them, making them mine all over again.
She inhales deeply, taking my breath into her mouth as if she’s relying on it to survive. Her hands leave my side as she pulls my mouth more forcefully against hers, hungrily kissing me back like something is sparked deep inside of her.
Rain falls all around us, the humid air becoming cooler. Our tongues entwine as our bodies press more firmly, urgently against each other. Our kiss is passionate, probing, like we’re learning how to kiss all over again. My hands press into her lower back, holding her in place as I kiss all around her lips, pulling them into mine.
“Heath,” she moans softly against my mouth, her fingers caressing the sides of my face. I open my eyes and find her staring at me, her own eyes questioning. “What are we doing?” she asks and pulls away slightly.
“Something we should have done when you showed up on my doorstep,” I admit.
She sighs and kisses me softly, resting her lips on mine. “It feels good, whatever it is.” She drops down a little so her forehead is resting against my chin, her soaking wet hair touching my lips.
“I’ve missed you. My life has been such a blur without you in it,” I say. “I’m sorry for the circumstances that brought you back to life, but I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”
I hope that she would have resurfaced regardless of the immediate situation. At least, I tell myself that.
“A piece of me died the day I left. I’m so sorry I did what I did. I’m so sorry I left you wondering and devastated. I should have fought my father. I should have stayed.” She kisses me again, more desperate this time, pulling my lips to hers.
I love you, Noelle.
The words echo in my head, unable to leave my lips. How can I tell her this after so many years? So much distance between us?
Instead, I pull her up against me and take control of our kiss. Wanting more. Needing more. If only we were back at our room, I’d show her how much I need her. How much I want her.
My lips travel down to her neck, her pulse beating wildly beneath my tongue as I nip and kiss my way back to her mouth. The rain is starting to let up, but we don’t move as we continue to devour each other.
I hear footsteps approach and let go of Noelle.
“The gardens are closed. Kindly make your way to the exit and come back soon,” the attendant says, his voice tight.
Noelle blushes and giggles against my chest. “How embarrassing!”
“Thank you, Sir. We’ll head out now,” I say, tucking Noelle into my side. The remnants of the storm drop a few more raindrops on us as we make it back to my SUV.
“We’re going to make a mess of your car,” she says, reluctant to get in.
“We’re just wet. It’s not like we’re covered in mud,” I assure her. “Get in.”
She steps up and slides into the passenger seat. “I don’t think I’ve ever been this soaked in my life.”<
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My heart races as I remember the nightmare I had. I shake my head, trying to get out the image of her as a cold, wet corpse. Seeing her slip away from me, diving down into the depths of the ocean makes the hair stand on my arms.
“You’re freezing!” she cries, trying to find something in the back to cover me with.
“I’m okay. Just a couple goose bumps.” I crank the heat in the car in an attempt to dry us both.
Seeing her smile begins to shatter the memories of that horrific dream. I don’t ever want to imagine her like that again.
I grip the steering wheel and pull out of the parking lot.
“We can’t go to dinner like this,” she notes. Her tank top is stuck to her still, and her gorgeous hair is wet, heavy over her face.
“You look gorgeous no matter how much rain is dumped on you.”
“Gorgeous like a drowned rat!” She laughs, and I take the turn onto the street our hotel is on.
“Why don’t we get changed and find that restaurant your parents went to?”
“Sounds like a plan,” she says, clasping her hands in her lap.
What I really want to do is stay in our hotel room and make up for all of the years lost, making love to her until tomorrow.
“WELCOME TO CELEBRITY,” a much older man says as we enter. He kisses Noelle on both cheeks and grabs her hands, surprising the two of us.
“Thank you!” She laughs as he leads us through the restaurant.
I feel like we’ve stepped back in time, the place has a ‘lounge’ feel to it. The walls are painted a deep shade of red, matching the carpeting and the scarlet velvet upholstery on the dining chairs. We’re seated in the corner, gold drapes covering the windows.
“This place is so cool,” she says, settling into her seat. “My father wasn’t kidding when he said the owner was a little ‘grabby.’”
I did some reading online before we left the hotel. Apparently, he’s been a fixture here for over fifty years and welcomes all of his female clientele in a similar fashion. However common it is here, nothing prepares you for a stranger grabbing and kissing you.
Noelle reads the menu carefully, her finger moving from item to item. “There’s so many delicious things on this menu, I want to order one of everything.”
“I’m getting the New York strip steak,” I declare and close the menu. I’m very easy to please.
“Maybe I’ll get fish,” she says. “The salmon looks really good.”
A waiter arrives and recites six more specials, and Noelle’s eyes widen. She orders a glass of wine, and I order an IPA, giving her more time to drive herself crazy over all of the meal choices.
Our drinks arrive, and we order our entrees.
She raises her glass for a familiar tradition on this road trip. “Thank you again for making this trip special. I don’t know what I’d do without you. Cheers.” She tips it and clinks it with my pint glass, we both take long sips, eyes locked onto each other’s.
“You have to stop thanking me,” I remind her. “You act like you’re forcing me to stay on the road with you. Like it’s a burden. Trust me, I want to be here.”
She smiles and takes another sip of wine. “I know. But there’s that part of me that worries too much. That’s all. I’ll try to stop thanking you.”
I reach across the table to take her hand in mine. “The fact that I can sit here and hold your hand is thanks enough. You have no idea what goes through my mind every time I can touch you–hold you. You’re real, and I couldn’t be more thankful.”
She lowers her glistening eyes to the table, afraid a tear will spill. But she doesn’t let go of my hand.
“What else did your father love about this place?” I ask, curious.
“I don’t have his journal with me, but if I remember correctly, he said it had an ‘old world charm to it’ that made my mother giddy. Apparently, she fell in love with this place the moment she walked through the doors, feeling like she went back in time.”
“That’s exactly how I felt,” I admit.
“He also thought the turtle cheesecake was the best dessert he’s ever had.”
I laugh, “Well, then, we better save room.”
The owner comes up to our table and smiles, “I hope you’re enjoying yourselves so far.” Then he turns to me. “Please consider posing for a picture with me before you leave. We’d love to include you in the many celebrity faces that have come into my restaurant over the years.”
I swallow the mouthful of beer I had taken before he arrived. “Of course,” I say, nodding. “I’d be honored.”
“Fantastic!” he claps. “I won’t bother you again, enjoy your meals.”
Once he’s out of ear shot I mutter, “How on earth did he know who I am?”
Noelle doesn’t look surprised at all. “Seriously? You may not act like it, but you do have that ‘rock star’ swagger.”
“Swagger? Really?” She’s got to be kidding.
“You exude it. You fill a room with your presence and you don’t even realize it.”
I shake my head and take another swig of beer. “Now you’re talking crap. Stop.”
She laughs. “I think it’s cool.”
We’re distracted by another couple across the room. The man is down on one knee, proposing. “Oh my gosh!” Noelle says, covering her mouth with her hands. “How sweet!”
The woman starts crying, her outstretched hand shaking as the man places a ring on her finger. The entire restaurant breaks out in applause, whistling and cheering follows.
“How romantic,” Noelle says.
I nod. “That was nice.”
Our meals are placed under our noses as we’re watching the couple tell their story to a few tables that surround them.
“That was fast,” Noelle comments and places her cloth napkin on her lap.
We eat our meals, sharing bites with each other like we’ve been doing this for years. She savors the steak when I place it in her mouth, little moans escaping her lips. “So good,” she says. Everything about her actions tonight are sensual, my libido heightened since our passionate kiss at the gardens earlier.
I need to get her alone. Now.
Our plates are cleared, and she’s already ordered the turtle cheesecake. “I’m stuffed, but I have to try it,” she states.
I nod in agreement. Anything to make her happy. Anything to let her live the words from her father’s journal.
And man was he right. That cheesecake was superb.
Noelle is licking her lips, cleaning the remnants of the crust off of the plate we shared. “I need to walk about ten miles to work off this dinner,” she jokes.
I can think of something else that would work this food off even quicker.
“Let’s get out of here,” I demand, dropping a couple hundred dollar bills on the table.
Her eyes are wide, and a sly grin spreads across her face. “You need to take a picture with the owner first.”
She leads me to the front of the restaurant, and the owner steps in front of us. “Thank you for coming to Celebrity, Mr. Strickland. I hope you and your lovely guest had a spectacular meal.”
“It was great,” I admit, and he leads me over next to the wall. Out of nowhere, a girl appears with a camera. We take several photos and he shakes my hand vigorously and, once again, kisses Noelle’s cheeks.
“Thanks again,” he smiles.
I place my hand on Noelle’s lower back, leading her out of the restaurant. The air is considerably cooler and less humid now that the storms have completely passed.
“It turned into a gorgeous night,” she notes as we walk to my SUV.
“It sure did.” I open her door for her, but before she can slide in, I turn her around, grabbing her face between my hands. Her eyes widen as I pull her lips to mine, kissing her with purpose. I need her to know what’s going to come when we get back to our room.
I release her, but still hold onto her face, caressing her cheeks. Our eyes remained locked, and she’s
fully aware of my intentions, although words don’t pass our lips.
We drive back to the hotel in silence, so much tension hanging in the air. My heart pounds as we pull up to the valet. I can’t get her upstairs fast enough.
We walk quickly into the hotel, hand in hand and slip into an empty elevator. As cliché as it is, I don’t wait until we reach our floor. I press her into the back wall, slamming my lips into hers, my body grinding against hers. She gasps when I nip at the side of her neck, my teeth and tongue scraping along her skin. I start to hike her skirt up so I can gain better access to her–I need to feel her against me–but we’re interrupted by the doors opening.
“Room. Now,” she demands.
I grab her around her wrist, pulling her along with me. I feel like a cave man dragging his woman into the cave. I can’t promise I won’t be attacking her like one.
I fumble for the key card, yet, somehow able to open the door, practically catapulting us into the room. Arms and legs are wrapped around each other, our lips clumsily connecting and then slipping away as we try to navigate the dark room.
My cell phone rings and I fumble it in my hand, trying to toss it across the room, but instead I accidentally answer it. Noelle’s lips are on my neck when I say into the phone, “Stuart, not a good time, man.” He texted me earlier today, letting me know he was going to call me tonight to talk about a few media things coming up.
“What?” the voice on the other end of the line asks. And it’s not Stuart.
I freeze, and Noelle’s assault on my neck stops.
Motherfucker.
“Hey, Haley.”
Noelle releases me, backing away, eyes wide. I shake my head, trying to get her to calm down. Her expression is scaring me.
“Heath. What the hell is going on?” she shrieks into the phone.
“What do you mean?” I ask, trying to diffuse multiple situations at once.
Noelle goes into the bedroom and closes the door.
“I’m staring at a tabloid that shows you with a dead girl!” she screams. “A fucking DEAD GIRL!”
I can’t believe I didn’t think of all of the damage control we needed to do. I should have gotten Stuart to be more aggressive. The last person I wanted seeing Noelle before I had a chance to fill her in is Haley.
