"Pssst, Amy."
I turned around and saw Chris standing in the doorway. He was so much taller than I remembered, so much more handsome in real life. There were so many things I wanted to say, but I was frozen on the spot. My heart raced, my palms became sweaty. For a moment I thought if I held my breath he wouldn't notice me and he'd go away, but he did no such thing.
"Amy... I can see you. Won't you come out a second?"
I took a deep breath and looked down at my hands. They were shaking.
"Or is it ok for me to come in? I mean, it says 'Staff Only'?"
I nodded, and he came into the staffroom. There was a deep shame burning within me as I thought of how I must look. A worn-out, tired version of the girl he used to know.
"I can't believe you're here," Chris said, as he looked into my eyes and placed a reassuring hand on my shoulder. I could feel the heat from his touch burning through my uniform into my skin and a wave of attraction spread through me. No one could touch me and make me feel that way.
"My God, I mean...Cassie told me you were working as a waitress, but I hadn't realised you were working with Lorraine. I should have swung by here earlier." He paused. "It's so good to see you. It's been too long."
I was still dumbstruck, and my chest was thudding faster than I'd ever known.
"I hope Daniel didn't give you too much trouble," he said. "I've sent him back to my parent's place. You've just met Cassie's fiancé by the way - or had you met him before?"
"No..." I said shakily. "We hadn't met before he came in here." I hesitated for a moment, wondering if I should say anything to Chris about Daniel's behaviour. I decided I had to. "He was a bit of a jerk. He was trying to come on to me. I can't believe he's Cassie's fiancé - is he always like that?" Once I started speaking the words just tumbled from my mouth.
Chris didn't reply but just stared at the floor.
"You don't like him either, do you?" I asked.
"I didn't say that," he replied defensively.
"You didn't need to."
There was an awkward silence, and I knew we needed to change the subject quickly.
"I didn't know you were back already," I blurted. "Cassie never mentioned it."
"I just flew in a couple of hours ago. I wasn't meant to be here for a couple of days, but I managed to get an earlier flight," he replied.
"It feels weird, seeing you back in Mayfield Springs," I said, stating the obvious.
"Yeah, it feels weird to be back... but you know, I do miss the place."
"Really?" I said, raising an eyebrow.
"Well, sometimes. Like when it's too hot in California, I crave the open spaces and the view of the trees that stretch out the back of my parents' home. Or when I'm at a party, and I hate pretty much everyone there," he chuckled. "And of course, I miss my old friends too."
He looked at me intently, and I felt butterflies begin to flutter in my stomach.
The diner was quiet. Lorraine had switched the TV off in the bar, and I was suddenly aware that she must be eavesdropping from behind the door. She hadn't gone home - her handbag was still in her pigeonhole.
"Euh, I should go," I said, feeling suddenly awkward and self-conscious.
"You need a ride home?" Chris asked as Lorraine pushed open the staffroom door.
"Huh, no thanks - I've got a car. See you tomorrow, Lorraine," I spluttered as I pushed past her towards the exit.
"Amy, wait!" I heard Chris call after me.
But I didn't wait.
The guys from Daniel's bucks night were still milling around their luxury cars in the carpark, and I didn't want to see any of them again. I climbed into my car and screeched out of the parking lot, my tires spitting up gravel as I sped off.
CHAPTER 6
CHRIS
"You're a real asshole you know that?" I said, poking my finger into Daniel's chest as we stood in the carpark of the diner.
"I'm an asshole, am I?" he responded. "What's up with you? It's my bucks night, and we were just having a little bit of fun with a local piece of ass."
I fumed at the way he was referring to Amy. As I looked at him, leaning arrogantly against the Mercedes, I realized I really couldn't stand the guy. I mean, I never did like him much, but it seemed that alcohol brought out the worst in him.
"Who do you think you are treating young girls like that? I asked. "And, if you haven't forgotten, you're meant to be marrying my sister!"
"Hey buddy, relax," said Daniel laughing. " It was just some dumb waitress from this piece of crap hick town. No biggie."
"If you must know, that dumb waitress is going to be maid of honor at your wedding. She's Cassie's best friend. The two of them have been best friends since they were in diapers," I said, wondering if this revelation would take the edge off his arrogance.
Daniel turned pale and looked as though he was about to vomit. He remained silent for a minute before looking back at me.
"So you know her?" he asked.
"Yeah, of course, I know her. I've known her my whole life."
Daniel was silent for a moment, before regaining his confidence.
"So, what's she like in bed, then?" he asked with a predatory glint in his eye. "Someone like you couldn't have grown up in a town like this without bedding every girl here."
Daniel's mates sniggered quietly beside him.
"You're really something," I said. "You stay away from her."
"Why? What the fuck do you care about some waitress? You're a big Hollywood actor, aren't you?" he retorted.
"She's not just some waitress. She's a friend. A really good friend. If it weren't for the fact that Cassie really loves you, I'd beat the hell outta you."
"You'd do no such thing," Daniel sneered.
I could feel the temper rising within me. Daniel had no idea how much I wanted to smash his head at that moment. I'd been training hard for the last few months so I knew I could beat him if I wanted to but I also knew it would only break Cassie's heart.
"I'm getting the hell outta here. I've had enough of hanging around you degenerates," I said, turning away from them and starting to walk across the carpark.
"Oh, what? You think you're better than us now?" Daniel shouted defensively.
"Oh, I know I am," I said patronizingly. "And I want all of you to head to your hotel. You're not welcome at Mom and Dad's in the state you're in," I shouted as I set out to walk back to my parent's place on the outskirts of town. After the events of the last hour, I needed some time to clear my head.
I had to admit that Amy looked beautiful earlier. She was always was one of the cute girls, even if she'd never believed it. Amy blew me away even as she stood there a little disheveled at the end of her shift in her little diner uniform. She was still just the perfect small town girl with a big heart. I couldn't forgive Daniel for coming on to her that way. I couldn't forgive him for Amy, and I couldn't forgive him for my sister.
Daniel needed to get his comeuppance, and I had no idea what my sister saw in him.
"Jerk," I said to no one in particular. "I hope Cassie's ready for him."
I wondered whether I should tell Cassie, but I knew that the shame of canceling her dream wedding two days out would overshadow any concerns about her fiancé. Daniel's shortcomings were something she was going to have to work out by herself.
As I walked through the dark streets, I thought about how far we'd all come. Cassie and I weren't used to this place anymore, where everyone knew each other, and everything closed early. It was just after 10 pm, and there was barely a light on in town. With a population of just a few thousand people and only the famous hot springs to bring people here, Mayfield Springs wasn't a metropolis or a hub of culture, but it was where I was born, and I would always love it.
I reached the corner of Westacre Street, and memories came flooding back to me. Amy's parents lived there, a modest but leafy street on the edge of town. Maybe that's where she still lived. I remembered the times I'd run her home late at night, the fun n
ights we had, making out in the car, the way she kissed me goodnight...
I wanted nothing more at that moment than to see Amy. It was worth a detour down the street to see if she was still up.
The house looked the same as it had the last time I'd seen it, even down to the way the hedges were cut and the way the ornaments were kept in the front garden. The lights in Amy's old house were still on, so I hoped I wouldn't be waking her parents up, but I didn't want to wait until the wedding to see Amy again.
Knocking on their door made me feel like a teenager, waiting for Amy's father to open the door and give me a stern talking-to. But Amy's dad did no such thing as he opened the door with a yawn.
"Chris Taylor?" he said as he took a step back and opened his eyes wide in surprise. "My goodness! It's been so long. Come in, come in."
As I stepped into the house, it was as if I was traveling back in time. The smells were so familiar, and everything was still the same as it had been when I was last here four years ago.
"I'm sorry to be here so late," I said shaking his hand. "It's just I'm in town for Cassie's wedding and..."
"Don't worry kid," he interrupted me. "We follow all your movies, and I'd have to concede that my wife has a little soft spot for you. She won't mind you paying us a late night visit," he said as he tapped the side of his nose conspiratorially.
I laughed as I remembered Amy's mom. A vivacious woman with big bouncing curls of platinum blonde hair. She was a real sweet lady, just like her daughter.
"How is Sue?"
"Oh she's just great," Amy's father nodded. "In fact, she just got home a moment ago. Honey!" he called up the stairs. "We have a very special visitor," he winked at me.
As she walked down the stairs, her petite frame still as energetic as I remembered, she ran a hand through her blonde hair and smiled. She looked just how I remembered her except for a few extra lines around her eyes and some extra pounds around her hips. She still had that delightful and warm smile that made you feel as though you were always safe with her.
"Oh my God!" she clapped her hands to her cheeks. "Chris, How are you? Oh just come here. Let me give you a cuddle."
She wrapped her arms around me and squeezed me tight.
"We've been following your career the whole time you've been away. We've seen all your movies haven't we, Jim."
"Yes, I've told Chris that already, sweetheart."
"We're just so pleased for you and you've grown up to be such a handsome gentleman," she said.
A warmth spread across my gut. These were real people who genuinely liked and cared for me as a person. I missed people like this. In Hollywood, they were all out to get what they could from you and every compliment was laced with a self-serving motive.
"I'm so pleased that you watch my movies. Which one was your favorite?"
"Oh well, I loved the one, what was it called?" Sue waved her hand around as if trying to grasp at the words. "On Love's Edge, that's it. It was just beautiful. I cried my eyes out, didn't I Jim?"
"She did, she cried her eyes out," Amy's Dad rolled his eyes. "But I have a feeling you're not here to find out what my wife's favorite movie is."
"No," I said sheepishly. "I bumped into Amy at the diner earlier and well... I didn't get the chance to speak to her properly. I was walking home to Mom and Dad's, and I thought maybe on the off chance she still lived here..."
"Oh, sweetheart..." Amy's mom interrupted. "Amy moved into her own place not that long ago. But it's not far from here. Let me write down her address."
As Amy's mom leaned on the hallway table and scribbled down the address for me, I felt a little foolish. Of course, Amy wouldn't live here anymore. She had her own life and probably had a boyfriend too.
"Actually," I said hurriedly, "I'll probably just wait until morning to see her. It seems kinda rude just to turn up in the middle of the night."
"Oh don't worry dear," Amy's mom replied. "She'd be pleased to see you I imagine. I've just got home from her place, so if you go now, she won't have gone to bed yet."
I stood under the streetlight outside their house staring at the address written on the piece of paper in my hand. Amy didn't live that far from here, but still would it really be a good idea just to turn up? I wondered why Amy's mom had just come from Amy's house as I knew Amy had been at work until 10, but it didn't appear as if there was a boyfriend on the scene, not tonight anyway, or Sue would have told me to wait until tomorrow.
So what was there to lose?
Nothing, but I was overcome with an incredible anxiety about turning up unannounced at Amy's home.
I played a character once who was always shy and awkward around girls. When his grandmother died, she left him a tiny bottle filled with mysterious green liquid. The magic potion gave him the confidence to be whoever he wanted, and the first thing he asked for was the courage to speak to his dream girl. The movie was terrible and lost money at the box office, but I'd do anything to get my hands on that little green bottle right now.
CHAPTER 7
AMY
Cassie has to know about Daniel. I have to tell her. But what could I possibly say? Oh, by the way, Cassie, I met your fiancé, and he grabbed my ass. He's a raging drunk with a terrible attitude towards women, and he's got some awful friends.
I stared at the underside of my blanket with tears in my eyes. As I lay in bed wishing the next week of my life would just disappear, I at least knew that I had Bella. I thought of her asleep in the room next door and felt comforted by the knowledge that I'd have her forever.
"Absolute asshole," I said with the bedding still pulled up over my head. Now I had two reasons not to want to go to Cassie's wedding - Chris and Daniel. I didn't want to see Daniel ever again.
How dare he humiliate me like that? What does Cassie even see in him? So what if he works on Fifth Avenue at some big advertising firm? If he can't keep it in his pants then why would she want to be with him?
My thoughts tumbled over and over, as tears seeped from the corners of my eyes.
Pull yourself together, Amy, I repeated to myself.
But the more I tried to think reasonably that it all wasn't such a big deal, the more I didn't want to hurt Cassie. I had no idea what to do. If I told her that Daniel was a wretched drunk and a borderline sex offender, she'd more than likely take his side. But if I didn't tell her, then she'd have to find out sooner or later what he was really like.
I rolled over and pulled the blanket back off my face so I could get a breath of fresh air. Men are pigs. They're all cheating losers. Every single one of them. I didn't want to believe that, but I hadn't had the greatest experiences to learn from.
I sat up in bed and switched on my bedside light. It was almost midnight, but I knew if I didn't calm down and get my thoughts straight I wouldn't get to sleep anytime soon. And I needed to sleep...
I must have dropped off because I was woken by someone calling out my name. Panic gripped my heart. What was wrong? Was the house on fire? Why was someone calling me?
I sat, with my eyes open wide, not breathing as I listened for the next sound. "Amy!" That voice sounded familiar. Then another noise. The sound of stones being pelted at my window.
I leaped out of bed to the window and threw the heavy sash window open. It was Chris, standing below and calling out my name.
"Chris?" I couldn't believe my eyes.
"What do you think you're doing?" I hissed. "You scared the life out of me. I thought my house was burning down."
"Oh, sorry," he called back. " I just wanted to see you. I saw your light on, so I thought you were still up."
"Shush," I hissed back. "You're going to wake the whole damn neighborhood. Hang on. I'll get the door."
As I ran down the stairs, I felt as if my heart might beat out of my chest, a combination of adrenalin from having been scared out of my wits and anticipation at seeing Chris. When I got to the front hallway, I stopped for a moment. Breathe, just breathe Amy.
I took a deep inhale to
steady my nerves and then flung open the front door. It's then, as I stood there in my giraffe onesie pajamas, that I felt like a total idiot.
Chris giggled. "Sexy sleepwear."
"Oh, shut up," I said trying not to laugh. "I wasn't expecting any gentlemen callers at this time of night." I ushered him in and shut the door behind him.
"Sorry for waking you, but I didn't want to wait," he said.
"Wait for what?" I asked, still confused and disoriented.
"To say sorry. Daniel's an idiot and an obnoxious one at that. I want you to forget it ever happened."
I snorted. "It should be Daniel apologizing to me not you. And sorry, Chris, but I won't forget."
I walked down the hallway. "I guess you'd better come in now. There's no point in standing in the hall, and I'm not going to get back to sleep anytime soon after that fright."
Chris stepped into the living room and glanced around. "Have you just moved here?"
"Er... Like six months ago," I answered. "Not that long ago."
"I can tell you're not set up yet. You've not got much stuff," Chris said looking around the living room with the TV sitting on an old coffee table, a smallish couch, two threadbare armchairs and one tiny, overflowing bookcase.
I didn't have the heart to tell him that I couldn't afford more things, so I just nodded and lied, "Most of my stuff's still at Mom and Dad's. I just haven't got round to moving it in yet."
"I saw them earlier...your Mom and Dad," Chris said as he eased himself tentatively onto the couch. It looked like he thought it would collapse under him. "They gave me your address. I hope you don't mind."
"I wondered how you found me," I said, "so I'm glad it was through my Mom and Sad and not some weird stalker-like behavior."
Small Town Secret: Mayfield Springs Book 1 Page 3
