by C. J. Corbin
“Let me go in and peek at the baby first, okay?” I said to her.
Bill caught both the kids, “You stay here with me while Aunt Bess sees Owen.”
I poked my head into the master bedroom and saw Lisa sitting in a rocking chair and nursing Owen. She looked up at smiled and beckoned me in.
“Hey,” I whispered.
Lisa smiled, “Hi Bess. See what you have to look forward to?”
Owen’s sweet angelic face made me grin wildly. He was sound asleep and she offered him to me while she righted her clothing. I took a deep breath while I cuddled him closely. There was nothing better than baby smell. He moved in my arms to find a comfortable position and opened his eyes. I expected an onslaught of wails since he wasn’t been held by his mother, but he adjusted himself and his eyes closed again.
“He’s such a good baby,” Lisa said as she smoothed her clothes. “Nothing seems to bother him.” She put her earrings and shoes on while running her hands through her light brown hair. “We won’t be gone long, I promise. There’s a bottle in the refrigerator if you need it, but I think he’s down for the count right now.”
“Don’t worry about us. We’ll be fine.”
“By the way, where’s Dad?”
“Basketball.”
She smirked, “I’m not surprised. He loves being with the kids, he just doesn’t like to be alone with them.”
“It’s a lot of responsibility for him - he’s almost seventy.”
“Oh please. He’s in better shape today than he was five years ago. I don’t let him get away with that.”
I shrugged and inwardly rolled my eyes. My sister, no one was going to be a slacker around her.
We tucked Owen into his bassinet and joined the kids and Bill in the living room.
Bill opened the front door and ushered my sister out while she was giving me the final few instructions.
“There’s lasagna in the oven. Help yourself. The kids have already had dinner and their baths. Bedtime is in forty-five minutes.”
I nodded. “Have fun. We’ll all be fine.”
“We won’t be gone long, I promise,” Lisa called out as my brother-in-law closed the door behind her.
We played for an hour and the kids started yawning. They didn’t want to go to bed, but I promised to come again during the week. I tucked both of them in with a short story and they were fast asleep in less than five minutes.
The ring of my cell phone startled me as I sat down on the couch.
“Babe.” Michael’s voice sounded tired.
“Hi,” I answered. “So, you made it to Churchill safely?”
“Yeah, the small plane that flew us here from Winnipeg was a trip. A few of the guys lost their lunch during the flight. The plane was jumping around like crazy.”
“Now it’s another two hour train ride to the place you’re staying at? I looked at my watch, “Wow!” I exclaimed, “You won’t be there before midnight.”
“It’s been a long day and it is freaking cold outside. I forgot how cold it gets here. Damn, I’ve gotten soft living in California. It’s so cold, it hurts to breathe.”
“Don’t you go freezing off any important bits, okay?”
He laughed and his voice sounded instantly lighter. “Okay, no freezing off important bits. But, I don’t have bits, I have really big, huge, giant sized…” he trailed off.
“Yes, you do,” I growled, “I don’t want those frozen either.”
“How are you doing?”
“I’m babysitting.”
“So you’re in nirvana.”
I smiled, “Yeah, pretty much.”
“Okay Babe, I need to get over to the train. I’ll email you tomorrow. I won’t be able to call you until next Saturday when I’ll be back in town.”
“Okay,” I said, “I love you.”
“I love you more,” he whispered.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
The studio sent a car for me the next morning. Someone must have told them about my coffee habit because there was a large decaf latte waiting for me in the cup holder in the backseat, and it was still hot. The ride to the offices located in Santa Monica was a short one and the limo pulled in front of the building precisely at nine-thirty. I was nervous, excited and didn’t know what to expect. I was also surprised I hadn’t heard from Nancy, but then ever since her engagement, her heart was not totally in her job any longer.
The studio’s offices were up on the top floor and the elevator opened up to the reception area. A woman sat behind a large oval desk which was shaped like an old-time movie reel. It was clever and made me smile. The large panoramic ceiling to floor windows showed the Santa Monica beach and the Pacific Ocean to full advantage and I wondered if the sunsets were blinding if you had to wait in the reception area.
“Miss Sommars, welcome!” The receptionist gave me a big smile and rose from her desk. “Raven Jay is waiting for you in the conference room. Can I get you some refreshments? A latte perhaps?”
I smiled back and shook my head. “No, thank you. I had coffee in the limo.”
She opened the door which led into the main offices and again there were the large windows showing the beach with rows of cubicles in the center of the room. No one looked up from their desks; I guessed they were used to seeing celebrities and I was certainly no one famous. Although, I did notice a few copies of my books lying on employees desks and I wondered if they knew I was coming.
She knocked softly on a door and then opened it. The conference room was almost decadent in its lushness. Big leather chairs that would be easy to get lost in surrounded a huge mahogany table placed in the center of the room. A credenza at the far end of the room, filled with fruit, pastries, bagels, juices, snacks, and an espresso machine made sure no one was going to go hungry here.
I spotted Nancy instantly. I recognized the person she was sitting next to immediately as well. Raven Jay stood up. She wore black tailored slacks and a large white blouse with long sleeves rolled up to her elbows. Her short-cropped black hair was in a spiky style, and when she came around the table with her hand outstretched, I noticed her boots. It was hard not to. She wore the most beautiful pair of leather cowboy boots. The intricate designs carved into them reminded me of some of the wall carvings I’d seen in the caves in New Mexico. And, she was tall, with her boots on, towering over me, which is not an easy thing to do.
“Elizabeth! My brilliant writer!” Her English accent was unmistakable. “Oh, I’ve wanted to meet you for so long.” She took my hand and held it in both of hers. “I love your work! Absolutely love it. It’s as if you are watching a scene in a movie.”
I nodded, shaking her hand, “That’s what I see when I’m writing, a movie.”
“You write so clearly, I hardly have a job to do. We’re going to make a wicked movie!”
I began to blush profusely and pointed to Marissa seated at the end of the table. “Marissa, the actual screenwriter deserves most of the credit. She’s done a beautiful job with the book.” Nancy indicated to the chair next to her and I quickly took a seat.
“You created the story and the characters!” Raven Jay continued to exclaim. She retrieved an apple from the cornucopia of fruit and took a big loud bite just as the two producers entered the room. “We are going to have such fun making this movie!”
We waited for a few minutes while everyone settled themselves down with breakfast. ’I'd have loved to have a bagel and the lox looked so tempting, but I had my oatmeal before I left the house and I could have seen Michael’s face if he knew I was eating raw fish, smoked or not. Nancy begged off breakfast too indicating that her dressmaker would kill her if she gained any weight between now and the wedding next month.
At noon, the local deli next door delivered lunch and a couple of hours later they delivered freshly baked cookies. We worked until seven and I was happy we didn’t have to make too many changes. Most of them were to expedite the story. Marissa had remained very true to the book capturing the essential details and when Rav
en Jay shared some of the storyboards, I could see how everything would come together.
I begged off dinner after our meeting and Nancy offered to take me back to Dad’s house. Just before we arrived, my phone beeped and my fingers scrolled through the screen. I grinned when I saw the email from Michael. He’d attached a few pictures too.
Nancy had caught the grin. “Michael?”
I nodded, “Yeah. He can’t call from the lodge, but he promised to send an email.”
“How’s he doing?”
I read the email silently and decided I definitely was not going to share all the naughty stuff he wrote. “He’s doing great. It’s cold. Very, very cold. They found a momma polar bear and her three cubs this morning. The zoo guys were really excited. He sent a picture he took.” I waited for a moment while the picture downloaded on my phone. I exhaled deeply, “Wow! Darn, he really is a phenomenal photographer.”
“Let me see.” She said as she leaned over at the stop light. “Wow is right! He is amazing. Look at the momma’s face - she knows people are out there. Look at her paw the way she’s touching her one cub. She’s very alert.”
I sighed and touched my stomach. “I miss him. Both of us do.”
Nancy patted my arm, “It won’t be that long, only three weeks.” She pulled into the driveway. “Do you want me to pick you up tomorrow?” She laughed, “Or would you rather limo it?”
I grinned, “I don’t know... Are you going to bring me a latte?”
She laughed back, “You are so spoiled!”
I got out of her car, and blew her a kiss. “Of course I want you to pick me up. Love you!” I waved goodbye and she waited until I was inside of the house before she left.
Dad had left a note for me on the dining room table.
“Sweet Pea, I’ve gone over to Lisa’s; she’s feeding me. If you haven’t had dinner, come on over. I fed the dogs, and they’re with me. Dad.”
The kids would already be in bed and fast asleep if I dropped by my sister’s house and, in truth, I was exhausted. After taking a quick shower, I put on my nightgown and grabbed my iPad. While I downloaded Michael’s newest picture, I re-read the part of his email I didn’t share with Nancy.
“Babe, why am I stuck in a houseful of crazy photographers and zoologists? I should be snuggled up next to you, talking to our baby. I miss you like crazy. I want to do all sorts of things with you, like make you scream in my ear over and over again. Hell, I even miss the scratches from my Hellcat. Shit, now I’m hard. What am I going to do without your creamy, wet warmth? Mmmm… buried all the way up to my balls, deep inside of you … I hope I’m at least making you horny. Now, I have to go out in the snow so I don’t embarrass myself in front of the guys. I miss you baby. Always your man…Michael.”
His email made me grin. I typed back my reply and hit send.
“My sweet man, horny achieved. I miss you and love you too. Have you ever thought about being a romance writer?”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
The following day, we finished the script review and I signed off on all the changes. Raven Jay was right; it was going to be an awesome movie. Although not part of my contract, Raven Jay insisted I review the actor's audition tapes. She showed me the photo of the lead male character, and I was surprised how much he looked like Michael. When I had a moment, I pulled up the book on my e-reader and marveled at the fact I almost completely described Michael in my first book. It was odd no one ever mentioned the similarity to me especially since he was the one Wendy ended up with in the last book. I wondered what it all meant.
When I arrived back at Dad's house at the end of the day, I immediately noticed a long gold box sitting on the dining room table. Dad pointed to it, "This came for you about 15 minutes ago. By the looks of it, I'm figuring it's from Michael. He does like to spend money, doesn't he? You know, you can probably tell him that he's already caught you, he doesn't need to keep pursuing you. Have you spoken to him about a prenup? You know I think that would be a good idea. Especially the way he spends money, and after all his first marriage wasn't all that successful."
Dad continued to ramble on while I lifted the lid to the box. Inside were a dozen beautiful long stem red roses.
"Oh!" I commented lifting one rose to my nose. "Aren't these magnificent?" I looked over to Dad, "Don't give me any of your guff. I know how you spoiled Mom. She told me how romantic you were."
His cheeks reddened slightly, "She did?"
"Yes."
He puffed a bit, "Well..." and then said, "You better get those into a vase, who knows how long they were in the delivery van."
I took the box with me into the kitchen and pulled a chair over to the cupboard. Mom had always kept the vases on the top shelf in the kitchen and as tall as I was, I still needed help reaching them.
Dad followed me and when he realized my intention of climbing onto the chair, he raised his voice, "What do you think you're doing?"
"I'm getting a vase."
"Not by climbing on the chair." He opened the cabinet and pointed up to the vases, "Which one do you want?"
"The one with the gold rim." I answered. "I'm perfectly capable of climbing on the chair."
"Sweet Pea, you were never very graceful, honey. The last thing I need is for you to fall off the chair. I'm sure I'd be a dead man." He commented as he reached up for the vase.
All of a sudden, I felt like the fourteen-year old gangly teenager I’d always tried to forget. I’d not grown into my height gracefully. Being the tallest in class had been awkward for me because I towered over everyone. By the time I hit seventeen, some of the boys had begun to catch up with me. It hadn’t been easy being the tallest girl. Everyone had expected me to play sports but I never excelled in sports, and I was known for being graceless and having two left feet.
I pouted, "That's not very nice Dad. I'm not that bad anymore."
He put his arm around my shoulder and kissed the top of my head, "Now Sweet Pea, you know what I'm talking about. You need to be careful."
I rolled my eyes and sighed.
"Are you going to come with me to Lisa's for dinner?"
I shook my head, "No. You go ahead. I'm tired and they keep stuffing me over at the studio offices."
He nodded and grabbed his keys from the hook on the wall behind him. "I shouldn't be too late, but I think Bill and I are going to catch the basketball game on T.V. too."
"Have fun." I said as I filled the vase with water and began to snip off the ends of the roses.
The front door closed behind me and I looked down at the dogs. "Guess it's just us now." They both thumped their tails on the floor.
I stood in the kitchen after I finished arranging the roses. How many times had I watched my mother filling a vase with flowers Dad had brought her? They’d always been super affectionate with each other and watching them interact together taught me how married couples were supposed to behave. Unfortunately, I hurried into my first marriage and it had been a disaster. Sure enough, everyone warned me about Kevin but I was blind to it.
I sniffed one of the roses and the smell reminded me of Michael. “Michael is different,” I whispered into the rose, “I know he is. Mom, you’d love Michael. He’s kind and thoughtful, smart, and sexy,” I giggled. “All those things you told me to look for in a man.”
Holly came over, bumped her head against my leg, and licked my hand. I reached down and scratched her under the chin and around her ears. Rudy, who was not going to be ignored, walked over to me and pushed Holly out of the way. I petted both of them as their wagging tails bumped heavily against the front of the stove and the cabinets.
Even though I wasn't hungry, I still checked inside the refrigerator. By the evidence of the empty shelves, it was obvious he spent most evenings over at Lisa's house for dinner. Since I wasn't much of a cook, it didn't look like Dad would have to change his habits over the next two weeks.
However, Dad could be counted on to have ice cream in the freezer. I grabbed an ice cream ba
r from one of the open boxes and peeled off the wrapper.
"Mmmmm..." I rumbled after taking a big bite of the chocolate covered bar. "Yummy."
I checked for email on my phone and found Michael hadn’t sent one yet. Frowning, I tapped out a quick note to him thanking him for the roses. I hoped he was still able to access his email, although he’d mentioned the internet connection at the lodge was not always reliable.
Walking out to the front porch, I sat down on the steps to eat my ice cream bar when Ryan drove into his driveway. He waved at me when he got out of his SUV placing a pizza box on the roof.
“Hey Elizabeth, how are you doing?” He smiled broadly at me as he slammed the door shut.
“Good.” I laughed, “Just another day in the movie biz.”
He grinned back. “I have this pizza. Come on over and share it with me.”
“I’m just having dessert.” I waved my half-eaten ice cream bar at him.
"Come on. Don‘t make me eat alone. I don’t even have dogs to keep me company.”
I looked at him. He did seem pathetic holding his pizza box. “Oh... okay.”
He grinned again and waited for me to walk through the plants up to his driveway. Ryan grabbed my arm and helped me easily over the small cinderblock fence, his grasp surprisingly strong. He set me right on my feet and I followed him up the few steps to his front door.
“It’s kind of messy,” he said as he opened the door and led me in.
Kind of messy? It looked like an atom bomb had exploded in the living room. There was stuff strewn everywhere, not a surface was left untouched.
“Ryan, you need a housekeeper or something,” I remarked. I didn’t know where to step.
He laughed, “I’ve tried, but they keep running away.”
I picked a jacket up off the floor and draped it over a dining room chair. “I’m surprised you don’t have dead bodies hidden underneath the piles.”
He pushed a pile of newspapers over to clear a space on the dining room table and pulled paper plates out of a nearby drawer along with paper napkins.
