Welcome to Blissville

by Walker, Aimee Nicole

  Brittney snorted and said, “Until Mom accidentally sells it on purpose again.”

  “Brittney!” Mom said.

  “I knew it was no accident,” I stated accusingly, narrowing my eyes at my mom. “How could you?”

  “Honey, you were getting a little old to be carrying that thing around. I thought it was one of the reasons you had a hard time making friends,” she said softly. “I just wanted you to be happy.”

  She had a good point, but still. “I wasn’t that old,” I grumbled.

  “Kyle, you were twelve,” Jenn countered. “Mom had to act fast or you would’ve taken that thing to high school with you.”

  “Laugh it up, Jenn-Jenn,” I said, “but I know what really happened to Mr. Pumperknickle.” She dragged that stuffed cat with her from her first step to second grade.

  “Mom!” Jenn said accusingly. “Did you sell Mr. Pumperknickle?”

  “Oh, honey,” my mom said sadly. “I couldn’t have given that thing away. At least I made a few bucks off Kyle’s lunchbox.”

  “I don’t think I’ve ever felt so betrayed,” I replied dramatically. I’d known all along that my mom sold the lunchbox and why, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t tease her.

  “Honey, at least I didn’t tell Chaz about the time you—”

  “I published a book,” Chaz blurted out, cutting off whatever she’d been about to say. “That’s what I plan to do full time if, or when, I leave Curl Up and Dye.” His announcement sidetracked my mom from what she’d been about to say. My man had thrown himself on the sword to spare me. Chaz winked playfully as he was bombarded with one question after the other about his writing. Surprisingly, he told them everything. My mom and sisters broke the No Phones at the Table rule to buy his book even though he told them he’d gladly give them a copy.

  I loved the way Chaz glowed when he talked about his passion for telling stories and the easy way he interacted with my family. It didn’t feel like it was the first time I brought him home and I was certain it woudn’t be the last. I couldn’t remember the last time I laughed so hard and felt so happy. I knew the biggest reason for my happiness wasn’t my cool lunchbox, my amazing new home, or my crazy family; it was the man smiling at me from across the table.

  “You really haven’t traveled out of Ohio until now?” Kyle asked me for the second time as we got in the back of the hired car. He asked me the first time when I confessed that I was flying for the first time when we boarded the plane.

  “No,” I said again. I wasn’t annoyed by Kyle’s question because he asked out of surprise, not derision. The things I worried would turn Kyle away from me, actually drew him closer. He loved that I had limited experiences so that he could be with me as I discovered new and exciting things. He thought I was refreshing, not unsophisticated.

  “I wish we were staying longer than four days then,” Kyle replied. “There are so many things I want to show you.”

  “We can always come back.”

  “Yeah, but there’s nothing like Christmastime in New York,” Kyle said. “Are you excited about tomorrow?”

  “Yes, but nervous too,” I answered honestly. “I’m not convinced I need an agent, and I don’t want to disappoint my idol.”

  Kyle reached for my hand, and I resented the gloves we wore that kept me from feeling his flesh against mine. “You can’t disappoint anyone,” he said softly. “Everyone loves you and she will too.”

  I was happy that only one of the four days involved book stuff so that I could have plenty of time to sightsee with Kyle. As excited as I was to attend the book convention and meet Agnes, I was more excited to see what Kyle had planned for us. He refused to tell me anything, but I loved surprises almost as much as I loved him.

  I considered myself an imaginative person, but not even I could’ve written a date as romantic as the one Kyle planned for us. Our excursion started late in the afternoon when he took me to see the Rockette’s at Radio City Music Hall. “You can’t have Christmas in New York without the Rockettes,” Kyle said.

  “It was amazing,” I told him. “Thank you so much.”

  “Baby, we’re just getting started,” Kyle said.

  He wasn’t joking either. After the show, he took me to an incredible dinner where I ate exotic foods I would never find in Ohio. I thought that would be the end of our night, but he had one more surprise up his sleeve when he took me on a horse-drawn carriage ride through the city. I snuggled beneath a flannel blanket with him and took it all in. I loved the cold crisp air, the sounds of hooves clomping against the pavement, and the taste of hot chocolate on my tongue. My favorite thing of all was the way Kyle smiled at me as I enjoyed each of those things.

  A light snow began to fall from the sky on our ride back to the hotel. Kyle pulled me to him and kissed me tenderly while snowflakes fell all around us. It was so ridiculously romantic that I expected a director to yell, “cut,” at any second. It was too impractical and perfect to be real, but I wasn’t dreaming. Not even I could imagine the adoration and sensual promise that simmered in Kyle’s eyes when he looked at me.

  “You’re not the only one with a surprise,” I told Kyle when we strolled through the hotel lobby. “I wanted to find the right time to give it to you, and I can’t imagine I’ll have a better night than this one.”

  “This weekend was supposed to be about you,” Kyle said, but I saw the excitement in his eyes. He probably thought he was getting another lunchbox or comic book to add to his collection and I hoped he wouldn’t be disappointed.

  I instructed him to sit on the couch while I retrieved his gift from my suitcase. I blew out a shaky breath when I handed the box to him.

  “You look really nervous,” Kyle said. “Terrified, actually.”

  “I am,” I admitted. It was the boldest move I’d made in my life. “Go ahead and open it.”

  Kyle took his time pulling off the ribbon and removing the paper, unlike the time I gave him the lunchbox. Of course, he was probably reacting to the energy I put out in the room. I was nervous and made him edgy too. After what seemed like twenty minutes, Kyle pushed aside the tissue paper and looked down at his gift.

  “It’s your new book!” he said excitedly and lifted the paperback out of the box. “I’m so excited that I get to hold it in my hands months before anyone else can.”

  “There’s more,” I told Kyle. He looked into the empty box then back at me. “It’s inside the book.” I saw the minute he realized what I meant. He swallowed hard then opened the book to the dedication page.

  To Kyle,

  You put the stars in my eyes, fireworks in my heart, and magic in my words. I love you.

  I held my breath the entire time he read the words I’d written to him, worrying that the sentiment was too sappy. Hell, I might as well have started singing Bette Midler’s “The Wind Beneath My Wings.” I started to feel a little lightheaded and wondered how many times he’d read the words and why hadn’t he said anything. Oh my God! It’s too late to change it if he hates it. Breathe, dumb ass, or you’ll be dead before he has a chance to tell you.

  I breathed easy when Kyle looked up at me and said, “Wow,” in an awed voice. I recalled the times when that word was all I could say to express feelings so intense that words failed me. “I love you too.” Kyle set his book aside, and we reached for each other.

  I kissed Kyle the way I had wanted to that magical night beneath the stars while fireworks exploded in the sky. I reached for Kyle and held him close rather than pushing him away. I kept my eyes open, so I could see every expression on his face when I kissed him in all the places that drove him wild, like the back of his knees, his ticklish rib cage, and the crease between his pelvis and thigh. I heard the whispered words of love as Kyle lay me down and slid inside me. I felt the way his body trembled when I ran my hands up and down his spine as he made love to me. But what stood out to me the most that night was the look in Kyle’s eyes that promised me a love beyond my wildest imagination and greater than my mos
t vivid dreams.

  There are some moments in life that you don’t ever want to end. You don’t want to fall asleep because you’re afraid that you won’t recapture that moment again. You just know there won’t be another time in your life when everything aligns so perfectly again. Then you wake up the next morning beside the person that brought you so much pleasure the night before, and you’re grateful that you get another chance to recapture those feelings again, or perhaps surpass the memory.

  That was how I felt once I opened my eyes and stretched the next morning. I was ready to go forth and conquer, starting with my morning wood. I nestled into the covers and allowed my imagination to run free while I plotted the many things I could do to start Kyle’s day off right.

  “Asshole,” I heard Kyle sneer.

  “What?” I rolled over quickly and found Kyle reading the book I gave him.

  “This Gideon is a real asshole,” he said. “Poor Jamie. He’s not responsible for what his father did. What kind of psychopath sets out to do something like this?” Kyle looked over at me suspiciously. “Should I be worried about how you can come up with such disturbing plots?”

  “You don’t have to be a psychotic asshole to write about them,” I told Kyle. I took the book out of his hands and tossed it on the bed. “No one thinks Stephen King is actually a killer clown.”

  Kyle laughed and said, “You have a good point.”

  “There are times when hands-on experience has its advantages though,” I told Kyle. I slipped my hand beneath the sheet and fisted Kyle’s erection. “You don’t mind if I practice my skills on you so that the experience shines through in my writing, do you?”

  “Use me, baby,” Kyle said magnanimously, kicking the sheet and covers off him. “It’s all in the name of art.”

  “Welcome to Ambrosia’s,” the hostess said cheerfully. “Do you have a reservation?”

  “We’re meeting Agnes Simmons and Jennifer Sugarbaker,” I replied.

  “They’re both here already,” she told me. “Follow me, and I’ll show you to your table.”

  Kyle placed his hand on the small of my back and gave me a little nudge. He had noticed how tense I was on the ride over and tried to talk me down from the ledge. “You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do. You don’t owe them anything, babe.” I knew he was right even if I did feel a tiny bit of pressure to please my idol.

  Agnes was the first to spot us as we approached. She smiled broadly and rose to her feet when she was certain that the hostess was indeed bringing us to her table. I had never posted a picture of myself on social media so she couldn’t be sure until I introduced myself.

  “Please call me Chaz,” I told her. “This is my boyfriend, Kyle.” I never got tired of calling him my boyfriend.

  “It’s nice to meet you both,” Agnes said. “This is Jennifer Sugarbaker.”

  Jennifer shook my hand then Kyle’s and gestured for us to have a seat. “Are you enjoying your trip so far?”

  “I’m having an amazing time,” I told them. “I appreciate your interest in having me as a client, Jennifer. I confess to being a little baffled since I’ve only released one book.”

  “I’ve known Agnes for twenty years, and her instincts are always right,” Jennifer said. “I cannot believe that you’ve only written one novel. There’s a maturity to your writing that most people only achieve after many years of experience, if at all. I have a dossier for you to take home and look over that will detail the services I provide and the fees I charge. I’m at your disposal to answer any questions that you have, but tonight I’d like to get to know you as an individual. I spend a lot of time with my clients, and quite frankly I want to work with people I admire and respect.” Jennifer chuckled and said, “Pardon my bluntness, but it won’t matter to me if you’re the most talented writer with the largest income potential if you’re an asshole. I won’t rep people I don’t respect or who reflect poorly on me. Tell me who Chaz Hamilton, aka C.B. Hesterson, is.”

  Holy shit! I was basically auditioning to see if I was good enough to be one of her clients. What she said made a lot of sense, and I had no problem with it. However, I was known to blurt out the most awkward things at the worst possible time. I was certain my panic was written all over my face as I sat there staring at her with unblinking eyes.

  “He knows a lot of things about assholes, but he isn’t one of them,” Kyle said when the silence stretched long enough to become awkward. “He sure can write them well. Wait until you meet Gideon.”

  Kyle’s praise snapped me back to reality. While I wasn’t sure I wanted or needed an agent, I wanted to make a good impression, if for no other reason, to thank Agnes for believing in me. If that failed, I hadn’t lost anything because I had the most amazing man in my life.

  “Honestly, I find talking about myself boring and a little pretentious. What does one say about themselves? Let’s see,” I said then tried to come up with something. “I wake up every day thankful for the life I have and the people in it. I have a wonderful family, the best friends a man could ask for, and an incredible man who makes all book boyfriends look like chumps.” I looked at Agnes and said, “Even your Alexander.”

  Agnes gasped and clutched her chest playfully. “Shut your mouth!” There was no heat in her words, only laughter, and I was encouraged to let my guard down further and have some fun.

  “I have a hairless cat named Harry, and I manage my best friend’s salon when I’m not writing. Although, I don’t plan on working there much longer. We hired a new receptionist who I think could fill my shoes in a heartbeat and a smoking hot new stylist that—”

  “What smoking hot new stylist?” Kyle asked.

  “I told you about Wren,” I answered.

  “You said ‘we hired a new stylist today’ but neglected to mention he was smoking hot. You surely never told me about him.”

  “Babe, get a grip,” I told Kyle. “I’m only interested because I think he’d make a great book character with his broodiness and mysterious vibe.”

  “I see how involved you get in your ‘research,’” Kyle said, busting out the cutesy air quotes again. “I’ve been on the receiving end of it a few times.”

  “Giving end too, if I do recall correctly.” I leaned forward and gave him a quick kiss. “Dr. Dimples has no competition for my heart.”

  “Isn’t that the sweetest thing,” Agnes said.

  I had been so wrapped up in my conversation with Kyle that I momentarily forgot where we were and what we were doing. He had that effect on me quite often. “Sorry for getting sappy,” I told the ladies, “and for oversharing.”

  “Your personality is as refreshing as your writing,” Jennifer said then leaned forward. “Did you say that you have a hairless cat named Harry?”

  “Yes,” I replied. “I planned to name him Dobby after the elf on Harry Potter, but it didn’t match his personality.”

  “But Harry does?” Jennifer asked again.

  “He’s stoic and serious like I expect someone named Harry would be and I—”

  “Cut the crap,” Kyle said. “You named him after your ginger crush, Prince Harry.”

  “Did not,” I said with a scoff. Okay, it was totally true. I vowed never to lie to Kyle again, but I saw his reaction to my comment about Wren. “Who told you that?”

  “Josh.” Damn him.

  “Did you know that Josh’s macaroni and cheese isn’t homemade? It comes frozen from the grocery store, and he heats it up then passes it off as homemade.” Not that Kyle ate the macaroni because of the carbs. “Tell everyone you know.” I’d get even with Josh if it was the last thing I did.

  Agnes and Jennifer’s laughter once again pulled me back to reality. Jennifer was smiling and shaking her head while Agnes studied me closely.

  “I know that look,” Kyle said to Agnes. “She’s thinking about making us into book characters.”

  “I would, but no one would believe me. There’d be at least one person saying with shouty capita
ls that people like you two don’t exist. I’d have to make you less adorable and sweet.”

  I turned to Kyle and said, “See!”

  The meal was scrumptious and the conversation even better. Agnes told us about her family and shared that her grandson, Chase, and his husband, Gray, were about to welcome their second child into the world. She couldn’t wait to get her hands on her great-grandson. It was one of the most memorable evenings of my life. I knew that I was going to sign with Jennifer’s agency before I even bothered reading the dossier. Sometimes you just knew the right fit when you found it.

  I chuckled as I walked up the stairs in search of Chaz, although I didn’t need to follow the smell of coffee or sounds of his grumbling to find him. He was in his “cave” trying to sort his characters out, and it sounded like he was having a difficult time doing it.

  “You never do what I want you to,” I heard him grumble as I approached the door to his office. “That wasn’t in the outline, Drew. You’re not following the script!” I had snickered when Chaz told me he used his fake gamer name in his latest book. He confessed that choosing names for his characters was one of the hardest things for him.

  I entered the room, but he was too engrossed at whatever he saw on his laptop to notice me. Harry sat on the corner of his desk glaring at Chaz and swishing his long, skinny tail from side to side. I suspected Harry was more pissed about the ugly-ass Christmas sweater Chaz put on him than being ignored.

  When we got back from New York, we gave up the pretense that we wanted to live separately. Over the next week, Chaz brought Harry over for visits to see how he got along with my pets. Otis looked at Harry like he was trying to figure out what kind of cat he was and Sadie just wanted to be friends. Harry acted like a royal prince and stared down his regal nose at my pets like they were peasants.

  “It’s because they’re not wearing snazzy clothes,” Chaz had said. Sadie gave Chaz a look that dared him to try it.