State of Grace: A Moonflower Cove Romance

by Addison Clarke

  “I do, too.”

  “Maybe we can do this again sometime.”

  “I would love that.”

  “Me too.”

  Alexis would have stayed in Blake’s arms forever if the realities of life hadn’t forced them out of the happiness cocoon and in separate directions for the day. Looking at the clock a few moments after Blake left the apartment, Alexis counted down the hours until she could see her again.

  Chapter 27

  After the emotional night with Alexis, followed by two more viewings of the musical and a lengthy family dinner, Blake was ready to spend her Sunday night alone. She was mentally exhausted, and Alexis told her the same thing after the play. They’d kissed goodbye in the parking lot with the promise to call later, and it felt odd to already miss her a mere hour after last seeing her. Blake looked at her phone and decided to wait until she knew Harper would be asleep before she called Alexis.

  Until then, Blake wanted nothing more than to take a long hot shower and go to bed early. Blake took off the blue button-up she’d worn to the musical’s matinee performance and dinner with Vera, Isla, and the kids and tossed it onto the bed. She kicked off her Vans, and they ricocheted off the wall with a thud.

  The sound of footsteps coming up the stairs made her pause just before she entered the bathroom. Blake groaned, the chances of it being Vera were insanely high, and she was so not in the mood for chit-chat.

  “What the hell...”

  “Hello, Blake.” Salem entered the studio apartment like she owned the place. She was dressed in a black blazer with matching pants and a light grey blouse underneath. The pumps on her feet were undoubtedly Louboutin, and the entire look screamed, ‘I mean business.’ “Why haven’t you returned any of my emails?”

  “Because it’s the twenty-first century, and emails are so lame.”

  “Very funny.” She sat her designer bag onto the old oak table, and Blake noticed how she looked around the apartment. Salem took her phone out of the bag and held it up as she scrolled through it. “I sent you that movie script, and you never responded. I sent you dummied scripts being considered for next season to look over and get your thoughts. You didn’t respond to those either. Oh, and I sent you one about an apartment for rent in Vancouver that was near the new studio, and you never even contacted the listing agent, so have fun living in the suburbs.” Salem spat the word as she looked around the apartment. “Although, apparently, you’ve gotten used to simple living.”

  “I’m sure you didn’t come all this way to yell at me for not returning emails.”

  “I sure didn’t come here because I was running out of things to do in Vancouver. I just needed a break.” Sighing, Salem walked around the room with an almost dreamlike look on her face. Salem had worked hard to ensure that she’d always have the finer things in life, but Blake always thought she’d love a small-town life more if she gave it a shot.

  “What do you want, Salem?”

  “I want you to come back to Vancouver and get back to your life.” Salem crossed her arms over her chest. She was an attractive woman; Blake could admit that. Hell, Blake had dated her after all. But Salem had nothing on Alexis. Salem’s auburn hair was from an expensive salon, chosen for it’s reputation rather than talent, and her red lipstick was always way too bright.

  “I don’t know if I want that life anymore.” Blake crossed her arms as they stood a few feet away from each other. She hated the fact that Salem thought she could still stroll into her life, boss her around, and that Blake would just do what she said. They hadn’t been together in years, and even then, Blake rarely did what Salem told her to do.

  “You’d be throwing away your career if you bail on this.”

  “Maybe, but I really don’t know if I want to continue this career anyway. I don’t expect you to understand, but over the last few weeks, I’ve really been thinking about what I want in life, and the more I think about it, the less it involves being in Hollywood anymore.”

  Salem’s hazel eyes narrowed. “You’re in love.”

  “Excuse me?” Blake scoffed.

  “You have this look when you’re in love.” Her voice was sadder than it had been a moment before. “I know because it’s one you used to have when we were together. But it’s different now. More intense or something. I don’t know. So,” Salem paused, “are you?”

  “Am I what?”

  “In love?”

  Blake took a few beats to compose an answer. She didn’t want to tell Salem about Alexis. It wasn’t because she was ashamed of Alexis or was unsure about their relationship. Blake was beyond proud to call Alexis her girlfriend, and she’d never been more confident in anything as she was in their relationship. But letting Salem into that part of her life meant her two worlds would mingle for the first time, and that thought didn’t sit well with Blake.

  She’d wanted to stay in her safe bubble with Alexis forever. She wanted never to have to face the music of her career ever again. But that was naïve. Sooner or later, her two worlds would collide whether Blake wanted them to or not.

  “What’s it matter, Salem?”

  “You don’t have to tell me.” She shrugged as she sat on the kitchen chair. Blake sat across from her, waiting for her to go on. Salem wasn’t one to ever give up a fight, but all the resolve had left her body. Looking across the table at her, she looked more tired than Blake had ever remembered her being. “For what it’s worth, I’m happy you’re happy.”

  “Thank you,” Blake slowly said as her eyes narrowed at Salem.

  “Look.” Inhaling deeply, Salem pulled another folder out of her bag and slid it across the table to Blake. “This is the script the new studio has approved for the show. They want to use the footage we’ve already filmed and turn it into a made-for-TV movie. They also want to use the movie as a springboard for a new spin-off series. Nothing is official yet, but I am expecting all that to change on Friday.”

  “What’s Friday?” Her entire world was spinning. What would the spin-off be about? Was her character to be involved? Were they bringing in new characters? Would Avery Romano simply fade into the background of oblivion?

  “Their deadline to make a decision, we’ll have all the answers then.” Salem’s jaw clenched. Her words slowly registered to Blake as her heart beat faster. Tapping the folder, Salem lowered her eyes from Blake’s. “Right now the studio thinks you’re bailing. Every other cast member has been to the negotiations and has read over the mock scripts and provided feedback on what they want for their characters. Do you realize how rare an opportunity this is? This studio wants to work with you all to give your characters a happy ending, and here you are throwing your character away.”

  The prospect of being involved in her character’s ending was incredibly intriguing to Blake. It could give her the freedom to have a more flexible schedule if she were a causal guest star instead of a lead. She could pop in a few times a season, make the fans happy, and still live in the Cove.

  Most importantly, she could still be with Alexis.

  “What,” she cleared her throat, “what do they want the spin-off series to be?”

  “There’s some talk on the specifics still, but as you know, a lot of the older actors want out. They’ve played the roles for a while and are ready to move on. But,” she tilted her head from side to side, “they have talked about you, Casey, and Eric staying on and having a series with you three as the focus.”

  Of fucking course.

  Of course, the studio would keep Blake and Eric, who played her character’s boyfriend, and Lily, who played Harper and who many fans shipped with Blake’s character. The faux-love triangle had been going on for years, and Blake always lacked the control to change it. She’d hated the way the writers kept pushing Avery and Harper together only to pair them with men for, as Alexis would put it, hetero-normative reasons.

  However, if Blake had any say and could control the narrative in any way…

  “I’ve spent the last seven years of my li
fe as Avery Romano.”

  “I know that.”

  “But she is a character on a television show.” She shrugged. “She doesn’t exist in real life. What if I give her a happy ending, and I lose mine.”

  “I understand your concern.” Salem nodded, and something in her eyes told Blake that she did indeed understand. It wasn’t lip service. “Look, think about what you want and what you want for Avery. I took the liberty of booking you a plane ticket for Thursday. If things go well, filming will resume within the next few days.”

  Her head was spinning. The prospect of leaving Alexis in a matter of days, for god knows how long, made her stomach churn. Never in her life had Blake expected to fall so hard for anyone, and now that she had, she didn’t want to leave. She wanted to pack up her things, grab Alexis and Harper, and fly to a deserted island so they could live their lives together and in peace.

  But Blake knew that was impossible. She had obligations, whether she liked them or not.

  “I guess I can do that.” Reluctantly, Blake nodded and swallowed the lump in her throat.

  “Thank you.” Sighing with relief, Salem tapped the folder between them once more. “The writers did well, in my opinion. I think you’ll like the script, for what it’s worth. But feel free to jot down any notes you have or anything. I’m sure they would love your feedback.”

  Nodding once, Salem pushed herself up from the table.

  “Hey, Salem?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Do you think I’m crazy?”

  “Oh, that’s a loaded question,” she replied with a wink.

  “I’m serious.” Blake waited until Salem looked back at her before continuing. “Do you think me coming here in search of my mother and sister and ending up falling in love is crazy?”

  Salem paused, evidently thinking about her response before she answered. Similar to Sophia, it wasn’t something she was known to do.

  “You walk to the beat of your own drum, Blake. Always have, always will. Any woman you fall in love with is lucky. I can say that because I know what it’s like to be that woman. I know you’ll treat her like a queen, you’ll bring her random, unexpected gifts, you’ll always make sure her feet are tucked in under the blanket.” Salem smiled sadly. “You’re a catch, Blake. And, as I said, I’m happy you’re happy.”

  “You’ll find it one day.” Blake winked back at her. “You’re a catch too, Salem.”

  They shared a look of understanding. When they were together, they did love each other. Blake was sure of that. But it wasn’t the way that Blake loved Alexis. Salem always wanted something from Blake; her fame, her money, her free time so they could travel together. Alexis was different. Alexis was happy when she and Blake were sitting beside each other on the couch eating popcorn with Harper nestled between them as they watched a movie. Things were simpler with Alexis; things were wonderful with Alexis.

  “I should go.” Salem gathered her bag and slung it on her shoulder. “I’m staying at the inn in town for tonight. I decided to treat myself to a getaway.”

  “You deserve it.”

  “Thank you.” She blushed and turned away from Blake.

  “Why did you come here?”

  “What?”

  “You could have called.”

  “I knew something was up.” Salem shyly shrugged. “I never thought you’d have fallen in love and decided to ghost me, though.”

  “I didn’t ghost you, Miss Drama.”

  “That may be true.” She laughed, and it eased the tension more between them. “You think about all I said, think about what you want, and I’ll see you on Friday, ok?”

  “Ok.” Blake stood, contemplating for a moment if she should hug Salem or not. Deciding against it, Blake stuffed her hands into her pockets. “Enjoy your getaway.”

  “I will. Thanks.”

  Without another word, Salem disappeared as quickly as she’d arrived. Blake waited until she heard the car pull out of the driveway before she dared move a muscle. Blake hit the back of the couch as she let a few frustrated tears fall. Although she’d been trying to deny it, Blake knew that eventually, she’d have to face the elephant in the room.

  She only wished it hadn’t happened so soon.

  At the end of the day, Blake felt obligated to follow through on whatever the new studio decided to do with the series. They would need Blake there, whether it was another season or a movie or – she hated to even think – for a whole new spin-off series. And Blake wanted to be there. She wanted to bring her character’s story arch to a close. She wanted Avery Romano to get a happy ending. Finally.

  But more than that, she wanted Blake Calloway to get a happy ending.

  Chapter 28

  Alexis stood in her white, fuzzy bathrobe in the middle of Sophia and Emily’s apartment with what appeared to be every dress she owned sprawled out on their couch. Beside her, Emily had her hand on her chin and was clearly deep in thought over the conundrum. It’d been over a week since Blake had told Alexis she loved her, and Alexis was fully ready to say it back. The flurry of the play’s final weekend had come to an end, and she was freshly showered after the Sunday matinee performance.

  They were completely immersed in solving the problem of what to wear on her date with Blake. Although they’d been together a few months, they’d yet to go out on a date in public. Things were going to change, though, thanks to Isla. She had used her connections and secured them a table in the back of an elegant Greek restaurant in Portland. They were promised no fanfare and as much privacy as possible by the chef, and Alexis was getting giddy about the prospect of being out with Blake.

  Alexis was even giddier about the fact Blake had booked them a room at the Firefly Inn for the night. The inn was an icon in the Cove. It had a five-star restaurant, a ski course, a spa, and enough reviews on Yelp to leave the inn booked most of the year. Even having lived in the Cove her entire life, Alexis had never stayed there. She could barely contain the excitement of getting to experience that with Blake.

  Of course, that wasn’t the only thing she was hoping to experience with Blake…

  “You’re right.” Emily tossed up her hands as Alexis shook her head to clear her mind. “None of these work.”

  “That’s what I said an hour ago.” Frustrated, Alexis plopped down on the chair. Harper was watching Cinderella on TV, and Alexis wished she could get a custom-fitted dress that perfectly. “I need a fairy godmother,” she remarked as she pointed at the TV.

  “What you need is to have gone shopping once in the last five years for something nice to wear.” Emily held up a dress Alexis hadn’t worn – hell, hadn’t even seen – since her eighth month of pregnancy. “Why do you even still have this one? This is a maternity dress.”

  “Well,” she shrugged and twirled her hair, “I’ve always thought if I met the right person that maybe, perhaps, we would have another kid, and then I’d have a dress to wear.”

  “Someone like…Blake?” Her eyes sparkled as she tossed the dress to the side and picked up another one only to discard it without providing any commentary on it.

  “I mean…I dunno.”

  “What about this one?” Emily held up an elegant black dress.

  “I know for a fact these post-baby hips are not going to fit into that.”

  “What time is your date?”

  “She’s picking me up at seven-thirty.”

  “Shi—shoot.” She winced as she glanced over at Harper. “We barely have an hour.”

  “What are you two chattering about in there?” Sophia walked out of her office with her glasses perched on the end of her nose and a slightly annoyed look plastered on her face. “Some of us are trying to grade papers for this stupid summer class they agreed to teach and need to focus.”

  “That’s what you get for teaching a class in the summer.” Emily held up the black dress she’d picked out for Alexis. “We’re trying to find a dress for Lex to wear on her date.”

  “Oh, that’s gorgeous.” Sophia
ran the fabric between her fingers. “Is it new?”

  “No. I haven’t worn it since before Harper, so there’s no way I can wear it now.”

  “Hush.” Emily pitched her arm.

  “Where are you and Blake going to eat again?”

  “Someplace in Portland. Isla knows the chef.”

  “What is she wearing?”

  “I’m not sure.”

  “Oh, Alexis, have I taught you nothing?” Sophia whined. “You don’t want to clash with your date, so it’s always a wise idea to coordinate your attire. If Blake’s wearing a pantsuit, you could wear a dress. Or vice versa. But the last thing you want is you both to show up wearing a little black dress. It’ll look like you just left a funeral.”

  “Hey, what did Jordan drop off yesterday?” Emily headed for the stairs as Sophia rushed around her and cut her off. She blocked the stairs, and Emily put her hands on her hips to show her annoyance.

  “That is none of your business.”

  “It was a clothing box,” she looked back at Alexis with a smirk.

  “Oooh.”

  “Girls,” Sophia shook her head, “that Saint Laurent only got here from Paris yesterday.”

  “And Alexis would be the perfect model for it.”

  “Oh, please,” Alexis scoffed. “There is no way a dress fit for her is ever going to fit all of this.” She waved a hand over her body in frustration. Alexis could only wish she’d had Sophia’s slender frame instead of her curvy one. Sophia could make any dress look stunning, while Alexis would pull at the fabric around her waist to hide her curves.

  “Stop that.” Another pinch on the arm from Emily.

  “Actually,” Sophia put a finger up to her chin. “I do have something that might work. Come on.” Motioning them to follow her, they headed up the stairs and into the bedroom behind Sophia. Sophia opened the French door to her closet as Emily and Alexis sat on the edge of the bed. After rooting around for a few moments, Sophia emerged with a dress bag and unzipped it slowly before turning it around to show them.

  It was a stunning sky blue, deep V-neck dress with an angled hem that stole the breath right out of Alexis’s lungs. Taking it out of the bag, Sophia held the hanger out to Alexis as she reached out and took it.