A Sweet Mess

by Jayci Lee

  “I like the way you dress,” Covergirl observed. “You have a pretty unique sense of style.”

  “But?” There was a big but coming.

  “Well, let’s give it an extra little pop.” She scrutinized Aubrey like a butcher about to slice off a choice slab of meat. “I think we should go with an Alexa Chung feel.”

  “Alexa who?”

  “Alexa Chung. Probably one of the most influential fashionistas in the world today.” She was clearly appalled at Aubrey’s ignorance. “Whatever she wears, it becomes the hot now trend. Casual chic, boho chic, city chic.”

  “And if she wore a potato sack, it would be called burlap chic.” Aubrey laughed, which turned into an awkward cough when the stylist glared at her. Apparently, Alexa Chung was too sacred to joke about.

  “Can you suck in your stomach a little?” She struggled to zip Aubrey’s dress up.

  “What?” Aubrey frowned but did as she was told.

  With more grumbling from the stylist, Aubrey was zipped up, powdered, and made generally presentable. She pursed her lips as she studied herself in the mirror, twisting left and right. Her clothes did feel tight around her waist and bust.

  She was probably bloated because her period was finally coming. Wait. What’s today’s date? After some quick math, Aubrey realized she’d missed two periods. Oh, shit. Of course, she knew she was late—just not that late. She’d gone through times when stress made her period stop for a month or two—like when she’d left home and when she’d opened Comfort Zone.

  Since she’d been stressed to the max when she was on the brink of losing Comfort Zone—when things had felt hopeless—she hadn’t thought anything of being late. But now … now she felt far less desperate. The move and the renovations were in progress. She had a real chance of saving Comfort Zone. Then why was her period still late? And why were her clothes so tight?

  Aubrey forced down her panic before it could start. With the stress from the past few months, her hormones were understandably out of whack. Other than the double-the-bloating inconvenience, there wasn’t cause for alarm. Landon had used condoms on their night in Weldon and every time since.

  She must’ve put on a few extra pounds. It would be a miracle if she hadn’t gained weight since she’d been indulging herself with never-ending deliciousness the entire time at Bosque Verde. It was the price of spending so much time with chefs, foodies, and vintners.

  With her doubts and worries close to the surface, Aubrey stepped into the line of fire and stood before a camera for the first time in her life. Reality became eerie and blurred with blinding lights and black-eyed cameras pointing at her, their sharp intensity piercing and accusatory. Wow us, they demanded. Sweat pooled between her breasts and down her spine, and her mouth refused to form the lines written for her.

  And the appalling scene repeated over and over again.

  “Cut!”

  Aubrey blinked. The director bolted out of his chair and stormed through the kitchen. When the lights finally dimmed, she recovered from her walking coma and realized she’d wasted everyone’s morning.

  Wringing her cold fingers, she leaned over to Aria. “I don’t think he likes me much.”

  “Don’t worry about Stan.” Aria winked at her. “He can be bad tempered, but he’s a good guy for the most part. He’ll come around.”

  “Thanks. And sorry for wasting everyone’s time like this. I don’t know why I just can’t get the words out.” Aubrey would’ve buried her face in her hands if she weren’t afraid of messing up her makeup. Covergirl would kill her if she did.

  “I got it.” Aria snapped her fingers, and her brown eyes lit up like lightbulbs. “That’s the problem. You’re struggling because we’re feeding you the lines. Reciting other people’s words isn’t easy for everyone. We just have to roll with it, improv-style.”

  “Sounds risky.” And potentially disastrous. “I don’t want to cause any more problems.”

  “Trust me.” Aria was already walking out the way the director had run off. “I’ll go talk to Signor Huffy Pants.”

  Aubrey avoided meeting anyone’s eyes and shuffled off to grab some water. By the time she finished the bottle, Aria and Stan returned arm in arm. He was still red in the face, but he looked more alarmed than angry. The poor man had obviously been bamboozled by Aria.

  “All right,” he said, settling in his chair. “Use the script as a guideline, but you could use your own words for this episode.”

  When given the chance to be herself, Aubrey’s passion for desserts spoke for itself. Aria was quick on her feet and was able to guide her along with great questions and perfectly timed comments. They were actually able to finish filming her first segment on schedule.

  “Oh, thank goodness.” Aubrey sagged onto the kitchen floor when they wrapped up for the day. “I honestly don’t know how you do this. It’s exhausting.”

  “It is, but it’s so much fun.”

  “I can tell you’re having fun.” Aubrey didn’t want to offend Aria, but it was about as fun as scraping burned cake off the bottom of a pan. “As for me, my part of the filming can’t be over soon enough.”

  “Well, I think you did splendidly, sweetheart,” Aria said with a warm smile.

  Smiling back at her, Aubrey thought how fortunate she was to have Aria on her side. She genuinely liked the warm, vivacious woman.

  “You’re pretty awesome, you know that?” Aubrey said.

  “Well, yes. Maybe a little.” Aria’s laughter twinkled in the air. “And so are you. Never doubt that.”

  “Thank you.”

  Aubrey stared at her hands. With less than a week left at Bosque Verde, she was worried about the renovations at the diner. She’d been communicating with her contractor, but his team was running far behind. The old appliances were out, but the new ones hadn’t been installed because the permits hadn’t come through. It took multiple phone calls to have something done and more calls to have it fixed. She was bleeding money. The renovation costs could exceed her carefully planned budget, and it was only going to get worse, from the sound of things.

  Aubrey glanced around her. The set kitchen looked beautiful, but it had taken a lot of wrong turns before coming together. She should’ve paid more attention to Landon’s headaches with its progress. But her plate had been so full, she’d chosen to hide her head under the sand.

  She hadn’t mentioned her renovation nightmare to Landon. They hadn’t discussed their relationship or where it was headed beyond their time in Bosque Verde. Aubrey wasn’t ready for it to end, but Landon hadn’t made any promises. If she told him about her troubles with the expansion, he might feel obliged to help and end up staying with her longer than he’d wanted.

  Her heart bled, her head hurt, and her entire body ached.

  “Is everything okay?” A warm hand covered hers.

  “I’ve been struggling a bit with Comfort Zone’s expansion.” Aria was her friend, and no matter what happened with Landon, she hoped Aria would remain her friend.

  “Oh, honey. Why didn’t you mention this sooner?” Her friend listened attentively and asked insightful questions as Aubrey laid out her problems. “Is that all?”

  Aubrey’s eyes widened. “Isn’t that enough?”

  “Hang on. I can’t believe you’re having contractor problems. I mean, I can believe it, but your timing is unreal.” Aria fished out her cell phone and dialed a number from memory. She spoke so rapidly, Aubrey couldn’t quite follow her one-sided conversation. It sounded like she was discussing Comfort Zone’s expansion, and it seemed to have gone well, because Aria turned to her with a wide smile. “I have a plan.”

  “A plan?” She’d just needed to unload. She’d never expected a plan.

  “As far as renovations go, your problems are comparatively minor. I called in a favor with my close friend and favorite TV contractor. You know those guys who tear down buildings to studs then rebuild them in two days?” Aubrey nodded with her mouth gaping. “Well, he and his team are
wrapping up a project next week. Once they finish, they could get your kitchen renovated and your dining area remodeled in about two weeks’ time. They obviously need to see your place for more accurate time and cost estimates, but they’ll be working for a steep discount.”

  “Is fairy godmother your side job?”

  “Nope. You’re just extremely lucky. He begged me to cook for his wedding reception a few weeks ago, and I couldn’t say no.” She shrugged as if to say, Whaddaya do? “The silly man offered to build me a cabin in exchange, but what am I going to do with a cabin? Renovating the space for Comfort Zone is a much better deal.”

  “How am I going to repay you?”

  “You don’t owe me a thing. We’re friends, and I’m happy to help,” said Aria. “And one more thing. You should tell the current contractor to wrap up what he’s doing and clear out so our team can have a smooth transition.”

  “Okay. Of course. Thank you so much. If there’s anything I can do, please let me know.” Aubrey wrapped her in a tight hug, feeling the crushing weight lift from her. “You don’t know how much this means to me.”

  “It’s my absolute pleasure. Now release me. I can’t breathe.”

  “Sorry.” Aubrey grinned sheepishly. “And please don’t tell Landon about Comfort Zone. I don’t want him to worry any more about me and my bakery.”

  “Sure.” She arched a graceful eyebrow but agreed without question.

  “Aubrey? Aria?”

  Aubrey started at the sound of Landon’s voice, and Aria squeezed her hand in reassurance.

  Then her heart nearly stopped. In the craze of her filming debut, Aubrey had briefly forgotten about her missed periods. Her anxiety returned in a rush. What if I’m pregnant? That wasn’t possible. Stress always screwed up her cycle. There was no reason to freak out.

  Landon chuckled as he came around the bend. “Why are you ladies hiding down there?”

  “Oh, girl talk, you know,” Aria said. She made collapsing from exhaustion sound mischievous. “Anyway, are you ready to go over the details of the last three episodes? The team should be coming back from dinner soon.”

  “Can’t wait.” Landon wearily massaged the back of his neck. When Aubrey covered a huge yawn, he studied her with concern. “You look beat.”

  “I’m fine,” she lied.

  “I heard you did great,” he said, rewarding her with the Smile.

  “Everyone was very understanding and patient.” The compliment embarrassed her. She’d botched the first half of the filming, adding to everyone’s work.

  “Is she always this modest?” Aria smirked at Landon.

  “No, she’s unbearably egotistical.” Aubrey stopped mid–eye roll to smother another yawn. Landon frowned. “You need some rest. I’ll drive you back to the villa.”

  “Don’t be silly. I don’t want you to drive back and forth because of me. You don’t seem all that perky either.” Landon looked incredibly sexy with his mussed-up hair and five-o’clock shadow, but sexy or not, he was too tired to chauffeur her around. “I’ll just wait here until you guys finish.”

  “That’ll be hours later, and you won’t get any rest with all of us making a ruckus. Knowing our director, there’s bound to be some door slamming as well.” His lips drew into a thin line, and he raked his hand through his hair. “I’ll drive you over now. It’s not a big deal.”

  “Absolutely not.” Aubrey crossed her arms and glared at him. He was so stubborn.

  “Oh, stop it, you two. If somebody saw you now, they would think you guys like, like each other.” Aria placed air quotes around the second like.

  Landon and Aubrey turned to glare at her.

  “Here, Aubrey.” Aria handed her the keys to her Mercedes. “You can take my car. I’ll drive back with Landon to the villa when we’re done and pick up the car from there. Problem solved.”

  “Don’t mind if I do.” Aubrey snatched up the car keys without missing a beat.

  Aria and Landon stood gaping at her, surprised by her lightning-fast acquiescence. They didn’t know she’d been eyeing the red lovely for a while now. She’d learned to appreciate well-engineered cars in her grand theft auto days, and she particularly enjoyed the smooth drive of a Mercedes.

  Eager to get behind the wheel, Aubrey waved at Aria and Landon over her shoulder and fast-walked out to the driveway. She rolled the top down on the bright red car, preparing to enjoy the wind in her hair. The engine purred to a start. Oh yeah. Grinning broadly, she vroomed away from the schoolhouse.

  It was exhilarating. The powerful engine propelled the car to not-technically legal speed in mere seconds, but her body remained suspended in plush luxury. She could really get used to driving around in a fancy toy like this. Not a chance, idiot. It was a luxury she couldn’t afford anymore. Freedom had a price, and she’d gladly paid it.

  Aubrey glided to a stop in front of the villa and killed the engine with a satisfied sigh. After a lingering touch on the dashboard, she stepped out of the car and let herself inside the house. It felt empty, dark, and chilly with Landon away, and the thrill of the joyride faded into a dull gray. Feeling listless, Aubrey headed to her room.

  Maybe she should draw herself a bubble bath. She wished Landon were there to join her. Ugh. This was getting pathetic. She could entertain herself for one evening without Landon. As she walked into her bedroom, the ominous shower music from Psycho played from her back pocket.

  “Tara.” It was her best friend’s ringtone. “Man, I miss you.”

  “You miss me, my ass. If you miss me so much, why haven’t you called in days? Hmm? Nothing to say to that, eh?” Tara snorted.

  Her friend’s ribbing made her so happy that tears welled up in her eyes. Aubrey suddenly ached for the familiarity of Weldon and Comfort Zone, and Tara’s voice sounded like home.

  “Sorry, sorry. There’s just so much going on, and I have no idea what I’m doing. All I know for certain is that I’m not meant for show business.” Aubrey couldn’t stop her weepy blubbering. “I’m making a complete fool of myself. My new recipes turned out well, but what’s the fucking point? The viewers can’t even taste them.”

  “Chill, Bree. I’m sure you’re doing great.”

  That pushed Aubrey over the edge, and she started sniffling in earnest. “I’m sorry. I don’t know why I’m crying. I’m just so happy to hear your voice.”

  The line went silent for three seconds. “Hey, is everything okay? Are you okay?”

  No. I’m going to throw up. With a hand clapped over her mouth, she rushed for the bathroom and hurled into the toilet.

  “Aubrey? Hello?” Tara sounded like a panicked ant, barely audible from the phone by her side.

  “Hang on,” Aubrey croaked, flushing the toilet. Then she dragged herself upright, rinsed her mouth, and splashed cold water on her face.

  “What in the world is going on? Did you just throw up?”

  “I think I love him.” As the whispered words left her mouth, Aubrey knew it was true. She loved him, and she’d been too terrified to admit it to herself. And I might be pregnant. Tears streamed down her cheeks. “We’ve been together the last few days.”

  “Together? In what sense?”

  “Together as in heart, body, and soul.” Aubrey trembled and pressed the phone closer against her cheek to avoid dropping it.

  “Heart and soul? That’s quite a declaration coming from a commitment-phobe.” Tara’s words wobbled, but Aubrey could hear the smile in her voice. “I’m so happy for you, Bree. You deserve to have love and happiness in your life.”

  But loving him didn’t guarantee reciprocated love or happiness for Aubrey. Not at all. It merely exposed her to loss and heartbreak. She tugged on her bottom lip, pinching it tightly between her thumb and index finger.

  “Have you told Landon how you feel about him?”

  “No, I didn’t even know until now. Besides, we haven’t talked about what happens after Bosque Verde.” She gulped in mouthfuls of air as panic closed in around her.
“He might not want to continue with this—us—after the filming is done.”

  “I will mess him up if he breaks your heart.” Tara sighed and gentled her tone. “But you have to tell him, Bree. If you really love him, don’t let anything stand in your way. I know it’s scary, but this is a chance worth taking. You deserve to be happy.”

  “Thank you.” Aubrey swallowed a fist-size lump in her throat. “I love you.”

  “I love you, too.” Tara cleared her throat. “Now go on and do your thing. I already know which maid of honor dress I’m wearing at your wedding.”

  * * *

  Aubrey was fast asleep by the time Landon got back to the villa. She was snuggled under the covers with her hand tucked under her chin. She’s fucking adorable. Undressing quickly, he lowered himself on the bed and molded his body to hers.

  She was wearing her gray slip, her body full and warm with sleep. Did I say adorable? I meant to say sexy as hell. He groaned, pressing closer to her. The scraps of silk she called pajamas were pure torture. But he reminded himself of the dark circles under her eyes that afternoon. She was exhausted and needed rest.

  He carefully extracted himself from her side and pulled on a T-shirt and a pair of boxers to rein himself in before getting back in bed. He kissed the top of her head and held her tightly. He listened to her even breathing with his hand splayed over the smooth curve of her hip, and Landon wished they could stay like this forever. In a beautiful cocoon with only the two of them.

  She meant more to him than any other woman he’d been with, and he couldn’t imagine letting her go. But what choice did he have? Her portion of the filming would be over in days, and she would return to Comfort Zone and the dream she’d worked so hard for. Her path was set.

  As for him, he didn’t even know where he wanted to live or what he wanted to do after the filming. Should he continue traveling and critiquing restaurants? For how long? Or could he finally let go of his past and open his restaurant? The thought alone made his chest tighten with anxiety. His meticulously planned life was shaking at the core, and all he wanted was this woman by his side.