by Carla Krae
I glanced at him and shrugged. “I like the view. What time will it be when we land?”
“Late. A car will take us on to Mum’s. She told me where to find the key if she’s not still up.”
I nodded. “How long has it been?”
“Before your accident, but I’m a good son, I do call. She’s looking forward to seeing you.”
“It’s been a long time.”
“We’ll be there four days, love. Plenty of time to catch up. Anything you want to see over there?” he asked.
“I don’t know. I didn’t think we’d be sightseeing because of you-know-what.”
“The whole point of vacation is to have fun. I’m not goin’ to deny you the sights! It’s a big city. We’ll blend.”
“If you say so. Can I have a hint where we’re going afterwards?”
He grinned. “Nope! It’s a surprise.”
“One of the places in the brochures?”
“Maybe. I’m not tellin’, sweetheart.”
“Why not? I already know the climate.”
“That would negate the whole surprise concept, Beth. You’ll just have to wait a few days.”
I stuck my tongue out at him and sulked. “Bad enough this flight is eleven hours…”
“There’s a bed in the back.”
“Ha, ha. Not interested in the Mile High Club. Seriously, don’t they have a movie or something?”
“Bored chatting with me already.”
“Jacob, you’ve never been boring a day in your life. I’m an anxious flyer, okay?”
“You’ve never had a problem before.”
I sighed. “You just never noticed. I always have something to do so I don’t think about how high off the ground we are. Forget it…”
He patted the sofa seat. “Come here. If you want to watch a movie, we’ll watch a movie. I’m sorry… I assumed since we’d done this a thousand times, it didn’t bother you.”
I leaned into his shoulder. “Not on a plane this small. It feels different.”
He stifled a grin. “I see. I promise to fly you commercial from now on.”
“Don’t you dare. I hate setting off metal detectors, and the kid that always kicks the back of my seat, the stale air, the bad food--if there’s food--and there’s no leg room!”
“Ah, so that’s why you’re with me.”
I smacked his stomach. “No. Jerk!” I pushed him on the floor, swatting his shoulder. “See if I tell you anything personal again.”
“Ow!--Ha!--stop, woman!” He grabbed my wrist before I could hit him again and rolled us so I ended up flat on my back with him on top. “Got ya.” He was a bit breathless from laughing.
I glared up at him, and wiggled. “Lemme go.”
“Umm, no. I kinda like it here. The view is pretty nice.”
I kinda liked it, too, but I wasn’t going to admit it. “You’re heavy.”
He arched a brow. “You can breathe fine.”
“The floor’s hard. Let me up,” I whined. I pouted for extra measure.
His eyes zeroed in on my lower lip, then he dropped his head to chew on my neck and growl.
“Aaah, no! JACOB!” My neck was insanely ticklish at the wrong times, a family secret--until now. “GAH! Stop! Not the neck, not the NECK!”
****
He stopped when she couldn’t breathe. ‘Course, now he had a little problem caused by her wriggling and squirming to get away. She looked gorgeous all flushed, eyes shining, and his southern brain would like nothing better than to haul her off to that bedroom for the duration of the flight.
But that was more appropriate nine years ago.
“Jacob…you can let me up, now.”
“Oh, right.” He rolled off her and walked to the cabinet of DVDs to adjust himself. “A movie… Comedy, perhaps?”
“Sure.”
He loved watching her laugh. A lot of people had one signature laugh, but she had several sounds depending on what moved her. Even an evil one, though that was the rarest. The staff left them alone except to serve meals, so they watched the movie uninterrupted, and holding her made him the happiest he’d been in a long time.
They ate lunch, another gourmet meal, and she got him talking about his uni days. Like most men, it wasn’t hard to get him spinning tales.
“So, we’re down at the pub to watch the World Cup and this ugly blighter knocks Ned into…and you aren’t paying attention.”
“Huh?”
He chuckled. “Where did you go?”
She flushed. “Nowhere.”
“Love, your eyes were vacant for at least three minutes. Sorry for rattling on.”
“No, I like to hear your stories! I just…got distracted.”
Those red cheeks clued him in to her thoughts. This was going to be a long vacation if she kept looking at him like that. Much as he desired her, he wanted to know how she felt even more.
And didn’t that make him sound like a girl.
“Sir, we’ll be making our approach, soon,” the attendant announced, interrupting the moment.
He smiled at her. “Thanks, pet.”
Beth’s brow furrowed in confusion. She glanced at her watch.
“We’ve only been in the air about five hours.”
“Didn’t I tell you? My mother’s meeting us halfway. We’re staying in New York.”
“You tricked me!”
“I did. Surprise. Mum says the weather’s been dreadful and we discussed my plans, so she proposed it would be better to go to New York, instead. A good friend of the family is letting us use their house in the Hamptons. It’s quite lovely, I assure you.”
She frowned. “Just New York?”
He took her hand. “Where we go next will make you forget all about London.”
“You sound sure of yourself.”
He winked. “Quite sure. Now buckle up.”
****
A limo picked us up for the drive to Southampton. I didn’t want to be a pain, and I appreciated the time away, but I’d been looking forward to seeing England again and sulked for the couple-hour drive to the house.
Or mansion, in this case.
“Wow.”
“Yeah. Eighteen-thousand square feet, I believe, but part of that is the indoor pool. Spent a summer here as a kid. We’re lucky to arrive at sunset so you can still see the grounds.”
“You summered here? And I thought the London house was huge.”
He squirmed. “It’s not a big deal, okay?”
I still didn’t know much about his life before we met.
The Georgian-style estate sat on a lane between a lake and the Atlantic with a few acres on the East End. A gated entry led to a circular drive with an elaborate boxwood garden. The white front door opened as we pulled up and a servant came out with Vivian behind him.
Jacob got out first to embrace his mother. “You look beautiful, Mother. The sea air agrees with you.”
“Flatterer. Where is Elizabeth?”
I allowed the servant to take my hand getting out of the car, and wiggled my fingers to wave. “Hi, Mrs. Lindsey.”
Vivian Lindsey was gorgeous for her age, with honey brown hair and a dancer’s body. She was always impeccably dressed, even in casual clothes, and made grace appear effortless.
She approached me and took my hands, smiling warmly. “Welcome, dear. My son tells me I’ve missed out on quite a lot.”
Ducking my head, I said, “I apologize for being out of touch.”
Vivian looked to Jacob, then back at me. “It’s quite alright. We’ll catch up while he sleeps in, hmm?”
I smiled, relieved. “I’d like that.”
“Now, please, come in and tell me about Los Angeles.”
The double-height entrance hall had a fireplace and an elevator. Most of the rooms faced west, so the setting sun cast golden light throughout the house. It was one of the prettiest houses I’d ever seen.
Vivian directed a servant to show us to our rooms to freshen up. Very subtle to set us at opposite ends
of the hall. Jacob rolled his eyes. I giggled.
“Guess we know the house rules,” I said.
“My mother is an expert at speaking without words.”
“Well, she’d have to be tough to handle you as a child. See you downstairs in a few.”
He shook his head and entered his room.
I fell in love with my room right away. The bed was huge with a nice fluffy comforter and lots of pillows. My luggage was already there, so I put a few things in the closet and bathroom and ran a brush through my hair.
My boyfriend was already downstairs when I sought them out.
“Don’t let me interrupt,” I said, upon finding him with his mother.
They stood as I came in.
“Please, join us,” Vivian said, indicating the sofa she’d been sitting on. “Jacob was about to tell me how you reunited.”
“Mother…”
“I have to get details somehow.”
“He invited me to a concert.”
Vivian looked eager for more. “Did he? And this was recently?”
“Two weeks ago Tuesday,” he said.
She arched a brow at her son. He returned the look with one of his own that said “later”. She sighed and turned back to me.
“So, I know you switched careers. How is the art world treating you, Elizabeth?”
“Pretty well. I’m not famous, or anything, but my photos move at the gallery. And I shoot spreads for an architectural magazine.”
“Freelance?”
I nodded. “So far. The photo editor is a friend. Oh, my father says hello.”
“That’s nice. He’s well?”
“Still working, though he’s home more now that I’m around.”
“Well, your new path in life certainly suits you, Elizabeth. I hope you’ll be able to convince my son to take more time off, as well.”
“I’m here now, Mum.”
“And I’m grateful, dear. I’ve just worried about the pace you’ve been setting the past couple years. The brightest stars burn out the quickest.”
I smiled sympathetically at Jacob, but I couldn’t blame his mother for wanting to see him more often. “I think Jacob is managing his time pretty well, these days.”
She looked pleased at my praise, then checked her watch. “Supper is ready to be served. I hope you both brought an appetite.”
We followed her to the dining room, Jacob resting his hand on my back. His favorites had been prepared. Vivian continued to pepper us with questions, attempting to make up for lost time in one evening. I let Jacob answer them unless something was specifically addressed to me, thankful the subject of our dating relationship had been dropped, for now.
After dessert, she gave us a tour of the house for my benefit.
“I’m guessing these friends of yours don’t have kids,” I whispered to Jacob.
He chuckled. “Not since buying the house, no. I was told to play in the garden room where I couldn’t stain anything.”
“I could never have white furniture.”
“Something else we have in common,” he said, and took my hand.
We ended up back in the living room, the fireplace now lit. Vivian asked him to play something new for her, so he went upstairs for his guitar.
“You’re the only girl he’s ever brought home,” she murmured to me.
“You must have met some of his girlfriends.”
“Oh, I ran into a few when I’d surprise him, but that’s not the same, is it? I’ve never seen him so taken, Elizabeth. Took him long enough.” She shushed my reply when he came down the last few steps.
He checked the tuning, then started into the instrumental of one of the L.A. songs. He didn’t sing the lyrics, but his face said enough, his eyes locking with mine when he looked up. The world fell away in the most intense moment I’d ever experienced. It was so much better to have a nice song written about me.
Vivian cleared her throat after Jacob finished playing. “Well, dears, I’ve only been here since yesterday, so it is getting late for me.”
He set the guitar aside and rose to hug her. “G’night, Mum. Thank you for dinner.
“Sleep well, Mrs. Lindsey.”
“None of that. Call me Vivian, remember?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
We watched his mother leave and go upstairs, then didn’t know what to do next.
“So…” I said.
“Yeah…”
“Well, there’s a giant TV screen in the other room…”
“With a popcorn machine.”
“Okay.” No, this isn’t awkward.
“Yeah.”
We fell asleep in front of a TV again. I woke up first and snuck out. There was this weird tension between us, and I didn’t know how to fix it. It wasn’t just sexual--that was easily dealt with…kind of.
Maybe this was normal for any friends crossing the boundaries into romance? A stage that had to be lived through.
****
Jacob spent another night without a lot of sleep, this one from dozing off in a theater chair. He awoke alone, and sighed. Well, the sun was up, which meant his mother would be having breakfast soon if she wasn’t already. He went upstairs to shave and change clothes, then headed for the kitchen.
“Good morning, Jacob,” Mum greeted him. “Did you sleep well?”
“Not really.” He went straight for the coffee.
“Did something happen last night?”
“No. I just slept at a weird angle. So, get it over with.”
“Hmm?” she questioned innocently.
“The grilling, Mum. I know you want to know every detail.”
“Do you still love her?”
“Yes. Don’t think she believes me, yet.”
“I’m not surprised, though it isn’t your fault, dear. She doubts her ability to keep your attention.”
He turned to her. “Did she tell you that?”
“Darling, I’ve known her for thirteen years. She doesn’t have to tell me when I know you both. Be patient, and honest, and it will turn out fine.”
“Sometimes, it’s so easy, and other times... I thought once we were together again it would just…work.” He sipped from the mug again, then added more sugar. “But I can’t read her like I used to.”
“We all have to work at our relationships, Jacob. You might have learned that lesson earlier in life if you hadn’t been playing the field.”
“I did do the work, Mother. I wasn’t the one who ran.”
“But since? You’re a good man, Jacob. Too good, to keep pretending you are just a rock star.”
“That only went on for a couple years when--”
“When you tried to pretend you weren’t in love with the girl right next to you. Communication is crucial, dear.”
“You didn’t see how she was, Mum. It took a car wreck to crack that wall and she’s still holding back.”
He rinsed out the mug in the sink and left the kitchen.
****
I woke up at eight o’clock the next morning like always and padded into the en-suite bathroom to begin my routine. After I came down and ate, Jacob took me for a walk on the beach.
“I was surprised to see you up before me,” I said.
“The sun was already up by the time I peeled myself out of that theater chair, so I hit the coffee and chatted with Mum instead.”
“Oh. You slept in the screening room all night? No wonder you look stiff today.” Now I felt guilty for sneaking out.
He waved it off. “Nothing a soak in the spa can’t cure.”
“Did your mom ask a lot of questions?”
“A few. Had some insights, too. The Atlantic looks different than the Pacific, doesn’t it?” He paused to consider the more true-blue tint of the waves.
“Different color, yeah. Probably all the kelp back home. Is she okay with us?”
“Fine. I get the impression she wanted it to happen a long time ago.”
“Everyone keeps saying that,” I muttered.<
br />
He glanced at me, but didn’t follow up on my remark. “You know what the first time was I thought you were cute?”
“Huh?”
Okay, random…
“Halloween. All the other girls were wearing the skimpiest thing they could get away with, and you were a hobo clown. I admired that. Took balls.”
“One day that year people laughed with me. God, I hated high school!”
He nudged me. “Wasn’t so bad.”
“For you. You had popularity the day you walked on campus. I was a math nerd. I went to dances only because I worked them. I’m not even telling you what I got voted senior year.”
“You graduated with high marks, got into a good school…”
“Sure! It was easy to be salutatorian when I had no social life. I had nothing else to do. I work my ass off, that’s what I do, and I feel guilty for taking a vacation when I haven’t had one in years. How messed up is that?”
He grinned at me. “Feel better?”
“How can you want me? I’m a neurotic control freak with only one friend and you’re…you!”
“Glad that’s settled, otherwise, I’m wearin’ another bloke’s pants. Okay, okay, listen… You confuse the hell out of me sometimes, but you’re perfect the way you are. And I don’t belong on a pedestal, Beth. Yeah, I’ve had a bit o’ luck here and there, but I’ve got my issues, too. You’ve witnessed most of them first hand.”
“I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to rant. I guess thinking about high school got my blood boiling. They really aren’t fond memories.”
“All of it?”
“Okay, the parts with you weren’t so bad,” I conceded.
He grinned wider. “That’s my girl. Hey, without Geometry class, we wouldn’t be here right now. And I wouldn’t be kissing you.”
Like before, now he was allowed to kiss me, he did it a lot. I could forget anything for his kisses. “Yum.”
He smiled brilliantly. “Ditto. My turn to share?”
I nodded. We fell into step on the beach again.
“Alright. By the time I was five, we lived in the house behind yours. When my dad passed five years later, Mum couldn’t bear to stay, so she moved us to England to live with her family, but she didn’t sell the house. Four years later, we went back--”
“But you came to my school as a junior.”
“I’m gettin’ to that. She put me in private school for an education more like I’d been used to. I came to your school because I got expelled.”
