An Exceptional Twist

by Kimi Flores

  “What are you doing?” Stefen was starting to get irritated by her erratic driving as she swerved from side to side and sped up, then slowed down.

  Bri groaned, “This guy behind me is trying to pass, and there is no way I'm letting him pass.”

  “It’s a one lane highway here,” Stefen sighed. “Wait until it opens up and just let him by. Don’t break our caravan. I don’t want to hear Mom riding your ass about it later.” He huffed. “Wait, why did you say it like that? Do you know him?”

  Stefen turned around but couldn't get a good look at the driver. Bri didn't answer. Instead, she picked up speed for the next fifteen miles until they heard the engine revving behind them.

  The black Porsche passed and the driver gave her a dirty look. Stefen watched Bri lift her hand to the window.

  “Did you just flip him off?” Dani laughed nervously, still keeping her death grip on the safety handle.

  “Yes, I did,” she said, unashamed. “He’s an asshole.”

  Moving her head from side to side, Dani asked, “Are you crazy, girl? We’re in L.A. He could have a gun.”

  “Dani,” Leah giggled. “It’s Santa Barbara. People don't normally wave guns out here.”

  Ten minutes later, they pulled into Zachary's vineyard.

  Stefen was answering texts from all the family traveling behind. “Go over there and drive all the way to the back.” He directed them around toward the dirt road on the left. “That's where his house is.”

  Buddy, Zachary's dog, came running up to them as they parked. Stefen noticed that the Porsche his sister had been racing was parked close by.

  He opened Leah's door, getting her attention and pointing with his eyes to the other car. “This ought to be interesting.”

  Leah raised her eyebrows, and whispered, “What was that about anyway?”

  He shrugged. “No idea, but I have a feeling we’re about to find out.”

  He wrapped his arm around her waist and led her toward the front door. His sister was still in the car, fussing over her make-up when everyone else pulled in. It was amazing the caravan of family members were able to keep up a decent pace behind Speed Racer.

  Zachary stepped out to greet them. “Hey, how’s it going? I'm so glad you all could make it.” He offered a friendly smile.

  After greeting each other, Stefen asked, “Hey who does that Porsche belong to?”

  “My cousin, Josh. He’s hanging out with us today. Hope you don't mind.”

  “Not at all but, just so you know, he and my sister, Mario Andretti over there, just did some drag racing down the one-fifty-four. I don't know that they’ll be on friendly terms.”

  Zachary laughed out loud. “Well, this should be fun.” He hugged and kissed Leah on the cheek. “How are you doing?”

  A small smile appeared on her lips. “Great. Looking forward to today.”

  It will be even better when we’re alone and finally get to talk.

  Even though they were friends with Zachary, it bugged him when any other guy touched her. He could hear his sister huffing behind him, which meant that she also saw the car parked in front. Everyone else came up at the same time. Introductions were made, but the only one that caught his eye was the interaction between Zachary and Dani.

  Leah pointed it out with those beautiful lips of hers, then whispered in his ear, “Look at Dani. She is totally blushing. I haven't ever seen her blush before.”

  Stefen rolled his eyes. Here she goes with that matchmaking again.

  But when he turned to see what she was talking about, he had to agree. “Zachary seems to notice, too. Look at him watching her.”

  Leah and Stefen stood so close that their chests were touching.

  Peeking past Leah's' shoulder, he caught his mom fuming past them, giving him the stare down. He backed away, not wanting her to cause a scene. He didn't need her hassling him about this.

  Leah looked at him with a mix of pity and irritation, and his stomach churned. I never want to see that look on her face again.

  Narrowing her eyes, she snapped, “Mommy doesn't like you talking to the help, huh? Old habits die hard, Stefen.” She attempted to walk inside where everyone else had gone, but he held her arms and pulled her back.

  “Please don't do that. You know what you mean to me. I just don't want to deal with her today.”

  “Careful, Stefen, Mommy Dearest might see you again.” She swallowed hard, then spun around and walked away before he could say anything further.

  And now his mom was stalking toward him again. Fan-fucking-tastic.

  “Stefen, would you please keep your hands off of that girl?” She dusted the lint off of his shoulder. “I've been with you for less than twenty-four hours now, and you can't seem to stop touching her. You swore to me yesterday that you didn't have anything going on with her, but I’m starting to think you’re lying.” She stood up straight, her arms across her chest.

  “Mom,” he groaned, closing his eyes. “Please don't start.” He didn’t have the balls to tell his overbearing mother that he was in love with Leah.

  What the hell is wrong with me?

  They made their way through the large Tuscan-style home and into the huge backyard. The large space was filled with lush greenery and flowers, and a couple of long tables were set-up inside of a rustic gazebo.

  Zachary introduced his cousin, Josh, to everyone once Leah joined the group.

  “I remember you,” Stefen said as he stepped up to Leah’s side, placing his arm around her waist again. When she didn’t pull away, he stayed put. Stefen turned to his sister and motioned back and forth between them. “Bri, didn't you guys hang out in New York?”

  She sneered over her shoulder. “Absolutely not.”

  Josh looked as though he was trying to place her.

  “I remember seeing a picture of you guys together in one of those magazines.” He turned back. “You're Josh Tucker, the actor, right?”

  Josh didn’t seem thrilled that he was recognized, but nodded anyway. “It was a long time ago. I don’t act anymore.”

  “We were just in the same crowd,” Bri said without looking at Josh.

  “Really? When?” Josh’s face said that he had no idea who Bri was.

  Stefen glanced at his sister. If looks could kill, Josh would be face down on the grass.

  “Doesn't matter. Like you said, it was a very long time ago.” Bri turned with a huff, and Josh shrugged his shoulders, evidently not interested in pursuing it.

  Stefen would have to ask her about this later, when they were alone and she wasn’t all pissed off.

  Extending his hand, Stefen introduced himself. “Well it's nice to meet you. I'm Stefen and that stubborn girl over there is my sister, Bri.”

  Josh looked down, shrugged, then shook Stefen’s hand. “Nice to meet you. Your sister and I already made eye contact when she gave me the finger.” One side of Josh's mouth lifted up into a smirk, then he took a swig of his drink.

  Bri, who was still within ear shot, flipped her hair over her shoulder and glared at him.

  Leaning in, Josh whispered, “I have a feeling I wasn't very nice to her in my previous life, but I don't remember. I wasn’t nice to many people back then.”

  Abby held her belly fondly as she and Caleb approached. “I thought you looked familiar,” Abby said, smiling ear to ear.

  Stefen took another look at Josh to gauge his reaction. This guy didn’t look as though he wanted to be recognized as the teenage actor he once was.

  “It was a lifetime ago. I live out here on my horse ranch now, far from Hollywood and that lifestyle,” he raised his eyebrows, “on purpose.”

  “Oh, well I enjoyed your movies when they were out.” Abby smiled at Josh as Caleb wrapped his arms around her.

  Zachary raised his hands, then rubbed them together, addressing the large group. “I have to warn everyone. I love to cook for a crowd. I prepared a traditional Spanish Paella here with shrimp, sausage, and chicken.” He pointed to the table f
illed with platters of food. “There’s also a vegetarian version with artichokes, mushrooms, peas, and green olives, as well as a salad, lots of bread with olive tapenade and plenty of drinks. Help yourself and please enjoy. Let me know if you need anything else.”

  The food smelled exquisite, and Stefen was starving. Coffee was the only substance burning a hole through his stomach.

  Filling his plate with food, he purposely sat next to Leah to prove a point. He really didn't care what his mother thought. He wanted Leah to know he was choosing her. The only reason he’d backed down earlier was because he didn't want to deal with the shitstorm his mom tended to throw when she didn’t get her way.

  “Don't sit too close,” Leah teased, but he could tell her feelings were hurt.

  “Leah, seriously.” He sighed. “I'm sorry. C’mere.” Draping his arm across her shoulders, he leaned in and kissed her forehead.

  She was looking up, presumably at his mother.

  “Don't worry about her,” he assured, rubbing her arm. “She doesn't need to figure out our relationship. That's only for you and me to understand. Just ignore her. I think we make a pretty great team, but we still need to talk.” He smiled, squeezed her shoulder, then he dug into his food.

  She shook her head before they both looked at Abby and Caleb across the table from them.

  Stefen heard his cousin whisper to Abby, “Je t'aime de tout mon cœur,” before kissing her on the tip of her nose. Abby closed her eyes, enjoying the affection.

  After taking a bite of Zachary’s incredible cuisine, Stefen casually glanced at Leah, wondering if she’d heard what Caleb said. And if she did, would she remember Stefen speaking those same words to her, the night they went to the French restaurant? He was even more curious if she’d know what those words meant.

  Leah looked up at him, her eyes widening as she opened her mouth to say something. Anticipation filled him as he rubbed his fingers on the palms of his hands. Ask me. His eyes widened. He was ready for this. I want everyone to know—I’m in love with you.

  As fate would have it, though, Zachary bent forward between them. “Hey Leah, my dad wanted to make sure you saw him before you left. I think he has a crush on you.” He winked.

  She turned and looked around. “Sure, where is he?”

  Lifting his eyes, Zachary pointed toward the house. “In the living room. He isn’t feeling very good. I was just about to bring him his food.”

  Slapping her hands down on her thighs, Leah stood up. “Perfect. My sister and I can take it to him. She works with geriatric patients and loves spending time with older gentleman.” Probably just to razzle her sister, Leah said it loud enough for Dani to hear from across the table.

  Zachary looked up, knowing exactly which woman was her sister and a carefree smile crossed his mouth. “He would really enjoy having two beautiful women check in with him.”

  Dani smiled bashfully. Interesting.

  Groggily rubbing his eyes, Stefen made his way down the stairs and into his kitchen to brew some coffee. He stopped at the entry when he saw Leah reaching for something on the top shelf. Getting a little closer to help her out, he noticed that she had long metal cooking tongs in her hand and was trying to grab something with them.

  “What are you doing?” he asked, still half asleep.

  “I'm trying to get the coffee filters down.” She stretched up on her bare tiptoes, grasping for her prize.

  Enjoying the view, he stepped back and leaned against the doorframe, staring. She was wearing a tank top and tiny cotton shorts that barely covered her butt cheeks.

  I love her curves, he thought, blinking away the fantasies of what he wanted to do right that second. I love everything about her body.

  “Why are you using tongs?” he asked, more to get his mind off of her seductive body in his kitchen.

  She peeked over her shoulder. “Some of us are more vertically challenged than others.” Catching the tumbling filters, she spun around and grinned victoriously as she held them up.

  With a slight shake of his head, he snickered. “Incredible. You are too much. Why don't you use a step stool?”

  Exaggerating her eye roll, she dropped her shoulders and playfully huffed, “Because the tongs work quicker.”

  Once the coffee was prepared, she flipped it on, and they stared at the machine brewing the magic formula that was sure to jolt their brains to life. He was glad she’d stayed last night after they’d dropped Bri off at the airport. Waking up with Leah in his home was something he would never grow tired of. Although he’d prefer to wake up and find her next to him in his bed. For now, he would take what he could get.

  It was early afternoon, but they’d both slept in and were still in their pajamas.

  Tired of watching the coffee pot, Leah began to prepare breakfast. “I’ll make us some omelets.” She gave him an alluring look.

  Keeping a watchful eye on her, he thought, this, I could get used to.

  We’re talking about this shit today, and hopefully she’ll be in my bed from this point on.

  Taking him out of his thoughts, Leah asked, “So did you hear Bri and Dani talking about moving here?” She cracked a few eggs into a bowl and began to whisk some milk in.

  Leaning against the counter, he nodded, “Yeah. How awesome would it be to have both of our sisters living in town? I think it’s cool that they clicked right away. Bri really needs a good friend.” Pushing himself away from the counter, he fetched the homemade bruschetta out of the fridge, he held it up to see if she wanted to add it to the omelets. Once she nodded, he retrieved some parmesan cheese, then placed both containers on the counter.

  “Yeah, Dani needs a good girlfriend, too. And with the lay-offs at the hospital and Elena moving in, Dani is ready to move on and finally open her own business as an at-home nurse. Honestly, I think it was Zachary’s dad that sealed the deal.”

  Knowing exactly how she liked hers, Stefen poured each of them a cup of coffee. “We should go look at some places for them. If we bug them enough about it, and send them pictures of places, that might be the little nudge they need. Now that they’re settled back into their everyday lives, they may reconsider coming.”

  Peering over her shoulder as she cooked their eggs, Leah mentioned, “You could always contact your real estate agent to help us out. I bet she’d do anything for you.” Her shoulders vibrated as she giggled.

  He took a sip, then gave his retort, “Yeah, I don’t think so, smartass.” He was tempted to swat her ass, but thought better of it. The next time his hand had contact with that behind, he was going to cherish it.

  Watching her and not saying anything was unnerving. The longer they went without talking was driving him insane. Setting his coffee on the counter, he huffed out a breath, then ran his hands through his hair.

  Leah glanced at him as she flipped an omelet over.

  He hoped his nervous jitters wouldn’t get the best of him. “Can we talk?”

  Swallowing, she turned around and leaned against the counter, resting her palms against the granite. “Yeah.” She breathed out and nodded.

  At the worst time, a knock sounded at the door. Stefen cocked his head to the side. “I'm not expecting anyone. Are you?”

  “Uh-uh.” She frowned.

  Out of nowhere, he was struck with an uneasy feeling as he made his way toward the door. He never had unexpected guests. Since this community was gated, the only way someone could come in unannounced, was to follow another car in.

  Fear had no place in his new life, but he’d be lying if he said that he wasn’t skeptical about opening the door. Peering through the peep hole, he saw an unwelcome visitor from his past.

  “Damn,” he muttered between clenched teeth. He glanced toward the kitchen, where Leah had stayed behind. Nice fucking timing.

  Yanking the door open, he found his ex, Lisa, standing there in all her polished, spoiled glory. “Oh Stefen,” she squealed. “I've been so worried about you.” She launched herself onto him.

>   “Oomph...what are you doing here? And how did you find me?” Stefen peeled her off of his body.

  Lisa pouted her big puffy lips at him. “Your mom gave me your address and said I needed to see you right away. She told me that you’d come to your senses and wanted me back.”

  Of course she did. He was going to have a chat with his mother.

  Lisa had been his mother’s puppet for as long as he could remember. He felt guilty about the roll he’d played in keeping her in his family’s lives, but he really wished she had moved on by now.

  His lips pressed into a thin, angry line as he shook his head. “I'll have to call and thank her.” His tone was sarcastic. “I thought I made it clear that I didn't want to see you anymore. Don’t you think I would’ve called you myself if I wanted you back?”

  Lisa flipped her blonde hair over her shoulder and lifted her chin. “Oh, you always say that but never mean it.” She waved him off. “I know you can't resist me. I was really worried about you.” She ran her long polish-covered claw down his chest, never once looking at his face.

  Stefen held back a growl. She’s so delusional.

  Taking a few steps away, Stefen glared at her. “Well, since it's been months, I doubt you were that worried.”

  Maybe he had no desire to see her after he was attacked, but she never even bothered to check on him. He crossed his arms over his chest, debating what to do.

  Lisa continued to run her fingernail down his chest as she whined, “Let me get you out of those clothes and into bed. I'll show you how worried I've been.” Pushing past him, she slinked into the living room, then spun around, giving him a questioning look. “Wait, it’s noon. Why are you still in your pajamas?”

  Annoyed by her presence, he made an attempt to get rid of her. “I told you, Lisa. I'm not interested anymore. And I’m not alone. I don't know what I have to do to get you to understand.” He opened the door even wider. “It. Is. Over. Please leave.”

  Surprised, she squinted and took a really close look at his face. She scrunched up her nose with repulsion. “Shouldn’t you have fixed your eye by now? It’s kind of creeping me out. I know it’s you, but I’m having a hard time believing you still look like that.” Using her same index claw, she pointed to his face.