Mind the Line

by Jennifer Domenico

  “She will because I do.” Glancing at her briefly before looking back at the road, I add, “Very much.”

  Avery watches me for a moment. “I like you too, Ellis.”

  “Amazing considering what an arse I was our first meeting.”

  She laughs softly. “You were blindsided.”

  “I was, but it was necessary. I wouldn’t have agreed otherwise. It worked out as it should have.”

  “So far so good.”

  Indeed.

  Twenty minutes later we arrive at my mum’s house, and I sigh when I see the multitude of cars parked out front.

  “What’s wrong?” Avery asks.

  “I fear we’re about to walk into a circus.”

  “Why?”

  “Clearly my mum invited others. I apologize in advance, but I think you’re the featured appearance tonight.”

  She laughs. “I imagine she doesn’t have a lot of Americans over for dinner.”

  “No, and furthermore, she’s never had a woman brought by me over for dinner.”

  “Never?”

  “No.”

  Avery nods. “Ah. Okay.” She turns towards me. “It’s okay with me if, you know, if you want her to believe there’s more going on here. I mean, if you told her I’m your girlfriend or something.”

  “I told her we were colleagues, but I’m sure she still wonders why I would invite you over. I suppose we all wonder that. Do you?”

  “No. You just wanted to.”

  “Why did you say yes?”

  She smiles. “I just wanted to, Ellis.”

  As I study her face, I can imagine what kissing her must be like. “We should go inside.”

  “Yeah. Let’s go inside.”

  After exiting the car, we approach the house, and when I open the door and we walk inside, everyone in the room stops talking and looks at us. My eyes shift around at my cousins, my aunts and uncles, a few of my mum’s church friends, and of course my mum, my brother, and his girlfriend.

  “Hello,” I say, as Avery just smiles. “Everyone. This is Avery Kennedy.” I smile. “Avery, this is apparently everyone I know.”

  My mum walks straight to Avery with a huge grin on her face. “Hello, Avery.”

  Avery flashes the most stunning smile I’ve seen to date. “Pleased to meet you, ma’am.”

  “Oh, no, please call me mum.”

  “No,” I say, shooting mum a look. “Call her Eleanor.”

  Mum graces us with her childlike giggle. “Fine, call me Eleanor, dear. Welcome to my home.”

  “Thank you so much for having me.”

  “Oh, your accent is lovely.”

  “Thank you.”

  Mum looks up at me. “I mentioned to a few people we were having an American guest, and they insisted on coming over.”

  “I’m certain that’s exactly how it happened, mum.”

  “The more the merrier.”

  “Yes.” I glance at Avery. “Would you like a drink?”

  “Yes, please.”

  As I walk to my mum’s liquor cabinet, I watch Avery as she’s introduced to everyone. She handles it gracefully, as she handles everything, and I’m struck with the sudden realization that she fits so perfectly into my life. If only she were mine.

  “She’s so lovely,” I hear my mum say as I pour Avery’s scotch.

  “Yes, mum, she is, but please remember she’s not my girlfriend.”

  “Yet.”

  “Mum.” I raise my eyebrows. “She’s a friend.”

  “I know.” She clasps her hands together. “But she’s lovely. I’ve never seen such a beautiful smile.”

  I agree. “Yes.”

  “I hope you’re not angry with me for inviting others. It’s just that it’s such a unique opportunity. “

  “I could never be angry with you, mum. You know this.”

  “Thank you, son. I made a glorious roast tonight. I do hope she likes it.”

  “She will. You’re the best cook in England, how could she not.”

  She cups my cheek. “I’m so happy to have you here.”

  “I know.” I lean down and kiss her cheek. “I should get back to our guest.”

  “Of course.”

  As I make my way back to Avery, who’s surrounded by relatives of mine, I pause for a moment and just watch her. She fields questions with aplomb, a skill she’s honed through her work I assume. She isn’t flustered at all, and honestly, she looks like a celebrity at a press conference.

  “Alright, everyone, can you give Avery some breathing room, please?” Everyone disperses and then it’s just me and her as I hand her the drink. “So sorry.”

  “Don’t be.” She sips her drink. “Everyone’s kind. They just want to know stuff about America.”

  “Doesn’t surprise me.”

  “Me neither.”

  She flashes her pretty blue eyes up at me, and I have to fight the continuous urge I have to kiss her. “We should sit at the table. Supper will be ready soon.”

  “I’m starving.”

  “You will be fed. No one leaves my mum’s table hungry.”

  “Good thing I wore something forgiving.”

  “And stunning.”

  She offers a slight smile. “Thank you. Will you show me around later?”

  “Of course.”

  “Good.”

  She walks away, and as she does, I’m left breathless in her wake.

  Chapter 20 Avery

  As we take our seats at the huge rectangular table, I smile at all the faces smiling back at me. I must be exotic to them, a fact I find infinitely amusing considering I’m just a girl from the Midwest. Eleanor comes out of the kitchen carrying a roast, while several other women follow her all with platters and dishes in their hands. As they set it down, I look at everything excited to eat. I see a beautiful roast beef, a bowl of mashed potatoes, a platter of roasted veggies, and something that looks like rolls, but not quite.

  Eleanor smiles. “Traditional Sunday Roast dinner. Roast beef, veg, potatoes, and Yorkshire pudding, of course.”

  I look around for a bowl of pudding. “Pudding?”

  Ellis smiles, sitting next to me. “I’ll show you what to do with your Yorkshire pudding.”

  “Make the plate for her, Ellis, dear,” his mother says. “Be a gentleman.”

  “Yes, mum.”

  I have to stifle a laugh seeing Ellis so submissive to his mother’s will. She’s a beautiful woman, retaining a youthful air about her. Her hair is dark and her eyes are just as deep and blue as her son’s. When she smiles, I see where he got his stunning smile from. She’s tiny, thin, and petite in stature, but her personality fills the room. I immediately like her.

  Ellis puts a few slices of roast on my plate, all the accompaniment, then he takes several of the rolls and pours gravy over them.

  “These are Yorkshire Puddings.”

  “Oh.” I furrow my brow. “I was looking for dessert.”

  “Dessert?” Ellis’s brother, Joseph asks. “Why?”

  “In America, pudding is sweet and creamy, like custard.”

  “Oh. It’s not just called custard?”

  I smile, shaking my head. “Custard is a specific type of pudding. We call this, um, a dinner roll, I guess, but ours are denser and more bready than these.”

  “Well,” he smiles. “Try these. My mum’s are the best.”

  “I can’t wait.” I dig into my meal as everyone watches me.

  Ellis leans close. “Try to get a bit of everything in one bite. It’s best that way.”

  “Okay.” I do as he suggests, and then take my bite, chewing slowly. Eleanor is watching me in anticipation of my reaction. After swallowing, I smile. “Honestly, it’s one of the best things I’ve ever tasted. This gravy is divine.”

  “Told you,” James says.

  Ellis chuckles, leaning into me again. “You’ve made my mother very happy.”

  “She’s made me happy. I’m about to eat my weight in Yorkshire Pudding.�
�

  He laughs. “I could make a comment about how we could burn some calories later.”

  “But you won’t because we’re colleagues.”

  He winks. “Exactly.”

  I eat my meal, answering random America questions in between bites. I’m very aware of his mother’s ever watchful eye on me and my interactions with Ellis. For his part, he’s relaxed and happy, two states I’ve never seen him in. It’s nice to see a different side of him.

  His brother couldn’t be more opposite. Shorter, heavier set, with a frantic energy about him, he talks a lot, dotes on his girlfriend, a sweet woman also on the plump side, and shovels his mum’s cooking in his face in between all of that.

  I learn as the meal goes on that Joseph followed his father’s path becoming a plumber. His girlfriend, Fran, is a school teacher. Eleanor beams with pride every time either son speaks.

  “Avery,” Eleanor begins. “What will you do for the Christmas holiday?”

  “Oh. I haven’t thought about it yet. I have to get through Thanksgiving first.”

  Ellis chuckles, as I glance at him. “What?”

  “I was considering some sort of England versus America joke.”

  I raise my eyebrow. “But wisely decided against it?”

  “For the sake of diplomatic relations, I’ll let it go.”

  I laugh softly, play punching his arm. “You’re not just a pretty face.”

  “Neither are you, but oh, what a pretty face you’ve got.”

  When I look up, his mother is watching us with a huge smile. I quickly avert my eyes and focus on my potatoes.

  “Well,” Eleanor continues. “If you don’t have plans for Christmas, you are welcome to spend it here with us. It’s important to have family around you, and any friend of Ellis’s is a friend of ours.”

  “Mother,” Ellis says. “Please. Don’t put her on the spot.”

  “It’s just that your parents—”

  “Mum!”

  Eleanor’s face flushes red. “I’m sorry, Avery. I just want you to feel like you have people who care.”

  Ellis shifts uncomfortably next to me, so I place my hand on his thigh. “Thank you so much, Eleanor. Your invite means a lot to me. My sister and brother-in-law live here so I expect I’ll be with them, but should things change, I’ll discuss it with Ellis.”

  She smiles. “Of course, dear.”

  After dinner, Ellis excuses us from the table and leads me through the formal living room and into the library. He closes the wood doors behind us and exhales.

  “Your training prepared you well for dinner with my family.”

  I laugh. “I had a wonderful time.”

  “So did I.”

  He walks closer with the same look he had earlier right before he almost kissed me. I feel my body tense, torn between wanting to feel his lips on mine and knowing we shouldn’t cross that line. Once we do, there’s no coming back.

  “You’re safe with me, Avery,” he says, softly.

  “I know.”

  “You look nervous.”

  I shake my head. “I’m fine.”

  “Good.” He smiles. “This is my favorite room. We had a library in my childhood home. Books were always so important to both parents. When I told my mum I was buying her a house, the first thing she said was it needs a library.” He walks over to a bookcase, selecting a book and flipping its pages. “Before she moved in, I made sure every book was moved and this room was set up so she would feel like it was home for her.”

  “I’m sure she appreciated it.”

  He nods. “She deserves it. I would pluck the moon from the sky and give it to her if I could.”

  “That’s beautiful, Ellis.”

  He puts the book back, glancing at me. “What she said is true.”

  “What?”

  “That we want you to feel like you have people who care. I care, Avery. Very much.”

  “I know. I care about you too.”

  He smiles. “I know. It’s so obvious to me.”

  Turning away from his intense gaze, I walk over to another bookcase and pull out a tattered book with a blue leather binding. As I flip it open, it has all sorts of newspaper clippings, articles, and photos of Ellis folded up and stuffed between its pages.

  “What’s this?”

  He walks closer, glancing over my shoulder. “My father’s idea of a scrapbook.”

  I look up at him confused. “I thought you said he wasn’t proud of you. Clearly he was if he kept these things.”

  “That isn’t how you show your son you’re proud. Do you know when I found that book?”

  “No.”

  “Moving my mother to this house. She didn’t even know of its existence.”

  “But it does exist, Ellis.”

  “And?” His body is tense and his jaw set as he gazes at the book in my hand. “Why couldn’t he tell me to my face? Why did he always criticize when he could’ve just accepted? Why hide his feelings when he could’ve just told me?”

  I’m quiet for a moment as I consider his words. “I didn’t know him, obviously, but maybe he helped you more than you know.”

  “How so?”

  “You wanted his acceptance, right? You wanted to prove you made the right choice and show him that you were successful?”

  “Yes.”

  “The more he withheld his acceptance, the harder you worked, yes?”

  Ellis’s jaw relaxes slightly. “Yes.”

  “Is it possible that the man you are today, the success you’ve enjoyed, the career you’ve created is because of the drive and determination you developed in response to your father?”

  “I suppose it’s possible.” He flashes his eyes at me. “I wish before he died he told me how he felt.”

  “How did he die?”

  “Massive heart attack.”

  I smile, rubbing his arm. “Maybe he planned to someday and just ran out of time.”

  Ellis fixes his eyes on mine as his mouth falls open slightly. “I’ve actually never thought of it this way before.”

  Patting his arm, I grin. “Just call me Avery Kennedy, publicist and amateur relationship counselor.”

  Ellis laughs softly. “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.” I half shrug. “I should take my own advice. I’ve been angry for years that I lost everyone close to me. Maybe…they didn’t mean to leave. They just ran out of time.”

  “Yes, perhaps that’s it.” He takes the book from me, setting it back on the shelf. “Avery…”

  “Yes?”

  He reaches out, cupping my cheek, and causing my breath to hitch. “I don’t know what it is about you, but when you’re around, I feel…” He pauses, still studying my face. “Better.”

  “Better?”

  He nods. “About everything.”

  “I’m glad.”

  He moves closer still until our bodies just touch. I know he’s going to kiss me, so I brace myself for what that’s going to do to me. Melt me into a hopeless mess I suspect.

  “Are you going to kiss me?”

  “Will you allow it?”

  I nod softly, closing my eyes, but we pause when we hear the knock on the door and his mother calls his name. I laugh to myself. Cock blocked by mum again.

  Ellis opens the door. “I was showing her the library.”

  “Ah,” Eleanor says, smiling. “I was just checking everything was alright. I hope I didn’t interrupt anything.”

  “Not at all. In fact, I think it’s time I got Avery home. We have a busy week coming up.”

  Stepping forward, I take his mother’s hands in mine. “Thank you so much for dinner and welcoming me into your home. I had a wonderful time.”

  “You are always welcome here, dear.” Her eyes shift to her son. “Any time.”

  “Thank you again.”

  After Ellis helps me with my coat and we say goodbye to everyone, we walk out to his car. Sitting in my seat waiting for him to join me, I wonder if he’ll kiss me g
oodnight.

  He gets in beside me, briefly smiles, then starts the car. We ride in silence to my sister’s home, as soft music fills the space between us. When we arrive, he glances at me.

  “When do you think you might like to move in?”

  “Whenever. All I have are clothes.”

  “How about Wednesday? I can come over after work and help you bring over your things, and then I’ll make dinner for the four of us.”

  “That sounds good.”

  “Excellent. Will you be in the office tomorrow?”

  “Do you need me?”

  “No. I have my monthly board meeting so I’m tied up most of the day.”

  “Okay. We can meet Tuesday and plan the rest of the month.”

  “That’s a good plan. We need to finalize Paris as well.”

  I wait a moment, wondering what’s going on since he won’t look at me. “Are you okay?”

  “Not at all, Avery.” He looks at me and smiles. “I have to ask you to leave now before I can’t do what I promised.”

  Smiling, I nod. “Good night, Ellis.”

  “Tonight... was honestly one of the best nights I’ve had in a very long time. Thank you for joining me.”

  “Thank you for inviting me. Maybe you’ll do it again someday.”

  “I assure you I will.” He grins. “Eleanor will demand it.”

  Laughing softly, I bravely brush my fingers across his cheek as he closes his eyes and sighs. He’s so handsome it’s almost unreal. When he opens his eyes, he looks at me with such an intensity, I have to look away to avoid jumping him. This is getting more and more difficult.

  Smiling, he leans into my hand and kisses it. “Good night, Avery.”

  “Good night, Ellis. Thank you again. I really enjoyed it.”

  “Trust me, the pleasure was mine.”

  As I step out of the car, I wave and walk to the front door more confused than ever. If it’s this hard right now to resist him, what the hell am I gonna do in Paris?

  ◆◆◆

  ​Wednesday evening, in my bedroom, I finish packing up my clothing. I can’t believe I’m going to be living in such a luxurious apartment. Not to mention right next door to Ellis. Since he dropped me off Sunday night, I can’t stop thinking of him. Folding a sweater, I plop down on the bed and sigh. The problem is I’m not only thinking about sex with him. I want to hear his voice, see his face, listen to his laugh. I want to know more about this life outside of Equis. I want to know what he dreams about, what scares him, what excites him. I want to eat dinner at his mum’s house and talk about Christmas. I want to do everything there is to do in Paris with him. I shouldn’t want any of it, but that doesn’t mean I don’t.