Life's What You Make It: Love's Great Adventure Book 1

by Troutman, Theresa

  “Time changes love. It twists and turns and shifts it into something different,” her mom tried to explain.

  “Is it better?”

  “I think so. You get a deeper understanding of the person you’re in love with—the things that make that person tick. The sex is amazing when you have that kind of deep connection with someone.” She smiled to herself.

  “Okay, I’m not really comfortable discussing your sex life. I’ve got a speech to write,” she told her mom and eagerly ran up the stairs.

  The FBLA meeting wrapped up around four o’clock. Tess found a pay phone outside the gym and dialed Sebastian. “Hey,” she greeted him.

  “Hey, are you finished?”

  “Yep, I’ll be there in half an hour.”

  “Stay for dinner?”

  “Yes, I’d like that,” she replied and hung up the receiver.

  The grandfather clock standing guard in the marbled foyer chimed on the hour, and at the same time there was a knock at the front door. Alice bustled in from the kitchen to open it. “Hello, is Sebastian in?” the tall, slender beauty asked in a clipped British accent.

  “Yes, please come in,” Alice replied, inviting her inside. She took the young woman’s designer coat to hang in the closet. “I can get him for you if you would like to wait.”

  “No, please just tell me where I might find him,” she commanded with a sense of urgency, her eyes straining to see up the long staircase to the second floor.

  “His room is up the stairs, third door on the right.”

  “Thank you,” she breathed as she scurried up the staircase.

  Her knock on Sebastian’s door was brief before she opened it. Sebastian was seated in front of the fireplace, his head buried in a book. His back was to the door. “That was quick,” he quipped, assuming it was Tess who entered.

  “How did you know I was coming?” Penelope asked in confusion.

  Sebastian dropped his book and sprang out of the chair. He quickly turned to face her, stunned to see her in his room. “Penny, what are you doing here?” She was standing in the doorway wearing a white wool dress and black pumps. Even though she had just stepped off a seven-hour flight, she looked impeccable. He noticed the distress on her face.

  She rushed across the room and into his arms, holding onto him so tightly that he found he could barely breathe. “Oh, God, how I’ve missed you,” she muttered to him, burying her face into his neck.

  The smell of lavender filled his nostrils as she clung to him. It was nice to have her in his arms again.

  She pulled back slightly, looking into his eyes for a long moment before kissing him. He’d forgotten what a good kisser she was and momentarily lost his mind, kissing her back until he shook himself free, coming to his senses. “Penny, wait,” he blurted breathlessly.

  “I’ve thought about this moment for so many months,” she purred, tugging at his sweater in an attempt to remove it.

  “Pen, stop. I need to tell you something,” he reiterated, gently pushing her away.

  It was at that very moment, with Penelope’s hands still tugging at his sweater and his hands on her shoulders, his hair slightly tussled, that Tess walked into the doorway. She went unnoticed by the former lovers and quickly backed out into the hall and out of view.

  “Pen, I’m very happy to see you again and I would like nothing more than to take you to bed right now, but I can’t. I love Tess.”

  “Who is Tess?” Penny asked, trying to hide her rejection.

  “Tess Hamilton is my girlfriend,” he informed her, stepping away from Penny.

  Penny’s body suddenly swayed and the she fell onto the sofa with a complete lack of grace. “Girlfriend? You, in love? In a monogamous relationship?” she spurted out in one breath.

  Sebastian burst into laughter as he joined her on the sofa, propping his feet on the coffee table. “God, Pen, I wasn’t that bad!”

  “Yes, you were,” she retorted, disagreeing with him. “I was there. Who were those twins you spent that one weekend shagging?”

  “Well, I’m a changed man. Tess makes me want to be a better person—a different person. She’s amazing,” he announced, grinning from ear to ear.

  There was a quiet moment between them. Penny sat distraught, shaking her head. “What happened to us, Sebastian? We were the Libertines.”

  “We grew up, Penny,” he responded, putting his arm around her shoulder to comfort her. “Why are you here? Where’s Alistair?”

  “We broke up.” As soon as she said it aloud, she burst into tears. “He cheated on me.”

  “Can you forgive him? After all, we did have an affair behind his back,” Sebastian reminded her.

  “Yes, but he never found out. I had to suffer the humiliation of finding out about his tryst in The Sun. Everyone knew before I did. I was gutted, Sebastian. In my anger, I confronted him, told him to bugger off, and caught the first flight out of London.”

  “You’re too good for Alistair and you really don’t want to lead a life of duty to the public anyway. Penny, you are a stunning beauty. You could have your pick of any man you want,” he finished, trying to build up her confidence.

  “I can’t have you,” Penny lamented. “And you were so much better in bed.”

  Sebastian smiled. “I’m glad you came to visit. I’m always here for you,” he reassured, taking her slender, delicate hand in his.

  A sudden thud came from the hallway. Sebastian jumped up to see what had happened. He found a vase had fallen off the credenza, with Tess crouching over it, trying to clean up the shards of broken porcelain. After the initial shock of seeing her there, he had a sudden realization that she had been listening to his conversation with Penny.

  “Tess, leave it. Alice can clean it up.” He bent down next to Tess and took her hand. “Come with me. I want you to meet someone.”

  “No, I should go. You have a guest.” She stood up, straightening the simple blouse and skirt she wore.

  “How much did you overhear?” His attention was distracted by the sight of Penny appearing in the doorway. He took a deep breath. He couldn’t handle two mental girls at the same time. He didn’t have the strength.

  “You must be Tess,” Penny announced, forcing a smile.

  “And you’re Penny,” Tess coolly replied, eyeing the other girl.

  “Where are my manners?” Penny said to herself as she wiped her tears away and extended her hand to Tess. “I’m Penelope Stanton.”

  “The Libertine,” Tess said, shaking her hand.

  “And you’re the girl who’s won his heart.”

  “I’m standing right here, you two.” Sebastian ushered them both inside his bedroom and closed the door behind him. He glanced at his mattress and let his mind wander for a brief moment, imagining what it would be like to take them both to bed right now. He quickly shook the thought away. The girls sat on the sofa, as far away from each other as possible. Sebastian poured them each a small measure of scotch. He handed the girls a tumbler of golden liquid and said, “You really should drink this.” He directed his words specifically to Tess.

  She swallowed it in one quick gulp and shook as the warm alcohol slid down her throat. “Well, this is awkward,” Tess chimed in, breaking the silence.

  “Having past and present lovers in the same room usually is,” Penny added.

  “I’m not his lover,” Tess tersely replied, as if repulsed by the idea.

  “Sorry, I just assumed.”

  “Can we please not discuss sex?” Sebastian pleaded. “It’s not good decorum.”

  “Fine by me,” Tess agreed. “I could really use a Diet Coke,” she said, looking at Sebastian and handing him her empty glass.

  He looked at the girls with a great deal of suspicion. Against his better judgment, he left them to fulfill Tess’ request.

  Once alone, Penny turned to Tess and said, “I don’t know how you did it, but you made that man fall completely in love with you. It’s quite a feat.” Tess didn’t respond, so Penn
y continued. “He’s a good friend. It’s nice to see him happy. Take care of him.” She stood and picked up her handbag and began to head for the door.

  “Wait, Penny, can I ask you something?”

  Penny stopped and turned around to face Tess. “Yes.”

  “I know about his past. All those girls and he was never in love before?”

  She had a sad look in her eyes. “Never, not even with me. But I’d like to think that if I had chosen Sebastian over Alistair, we would have fallen in love,” she replied with a wistful smile.

  “What’s it like—having sex with him?” Tess asked before she could stop herself.

  “You Americans are certainly straightforward.”

  “I’m sorry. It was rude of me to ask.”

  “It’s been on your mind, though.”

  “Yes.”

  Penny remembered fondly, momentarily lost in thought. “It was lovely. He was passionate and giving.” She stopped when she heard steps in the hall. Sebastian was carrying a tray with crystal goblets filled with ice and two bottles of Diet Coke. He had also added a bowl of strawberries and another of chocolate. Nothing soothes an irritated woman better than chocolate, he figured.

  Sebastian stepped into the room, only to find Penny about to leave. “What are you doing?”

  “I’m going to the airport. I shouldn’t have come unannounced.”

  “You can’t,” Tess interrupted, standing up from the sofa. “You came a long way. You must be exhausted. You should stay.”

  “Please stay, Pen,” Sebastian agreed.

  “Thank you, both of you,” she said grateful for their kindness.

  Tess walked over to Sebastian and took the Diet Coke from the tray. “I’m heading home. Take care of Penny. She needs you right now.”

  He couldn’t believe how amazing Tess was acting. There seemed to be no jealously, only understanding. Sebastian leaned in and kissed her on the lips. “I love you.”

  “Okay,” she smiled. “I’ll call you in the morning.” And then she was gone.

  Penny watched the whole incident play out and was gobsmacked. “You tell her you love her and her response is ‘Okay?’”

  Sebastian chuckled. “Yes, it’s her thing. I know she loves me. She just hasn’t mustered the courage to say it yet.”

  “She’s one of a kind.”

  “That she is,” he agreed. “How about we get you a nice, hot bath?”

  “Yes, but only if you’ll pull up a chair and talk with me.”

  Sebastian raised his brow with suspicion. “Just talk?”

  “Yes, but bring the scotch and cigarettes and the chocolate, too.”

  He gently kissed her on the forehead. “Deal.”

  Penny sunk into the deep tub brimming with iridescent bubbles. She let out a heavy breath and closed her eyes. There was a knock on the door. “Are you settled? May I come in?” Sebastian asked.

  “Yes.”

  He entered carrying a tray with food and drink. Sebastian set it down the on the floor, then handed Penny a glass of scotch.

  She took a small sip then placed the glass on the ledge of the tub. “Light me a cigarette, will you?”

  He did as requested, then sat down on the closed lid of the toilet. “Feeling better?”

  “Yes, thank you for letting me stay.” She took a deep drag on the Dunhill and slowly let the smoke escape her parted lips. “I like your Tess Hamilton. Though I have to admit, she’s nothing like the girls you dated back home. What made you fall in love with her?”

  Sebastian contemplated the question. There were so many things he loved about Tess; he wasn’t sure how to verbalize them. Finally he said, “She’s everything I’m not and everything I want to be.”

  “You’ve got it bad and she hasn’t even had sex with you yet.”

  “It’s a bone of contention between us.”

  Penny began to giggle uncontrollably, water splashing around her breasts. “Bone of contention.”

  Sebastian eyed her wearily, and then began to laugh, too. “Penis jokes, Penny? Honestly?”

  “Sorry,” she apologized as the giggles faded away. “I really did miss you, Sebastian. My offer still stands, if you want to relieve some tension. We were good together, remember?”

  “Please, don’t tempt me.”

  “Can’t blame a girl who’s just flown seven thousand miles for trying.”

  “You’re a wicked vixen. You know that, don’t you?” he teased right back, picking up her hand and kissing it.

  “I don’t understand how Tess can resist your charms. How far have you gotten with her?”

  “Penny! I’m not going to answer that.”

  “When you left the room, she asked me what it was like to have sex with you.”

  “She did?” Sebastian asked in disbelief.

  Penny nodded her head as she took another sip of scotch. “She’s been thinking about it a lot. I reckon it won’t be long before she says yes.”

  Penny and Sebastian talked as old friends do, catching up on the latest gossip, reminiscing about old times and filling each other in on their lives apart. Several hours had passed before her eyes became heavy with sleep and Sebastian put her to bed in a guest room down the hall.

  When he was back in his own room, he picked up the phone and rang Tess. It was already ten thirty in the evening. Thankfully, she answered. “You’re still up,” he muttered, exhausted from the day, but happy to hear her voice.

  “How’s Penny?”

  “She’s sleeping. Thank you for being so supportive today. She’s pretty upset about the breakup.”

  “Is she going to be okay, Sebastian?”

  “She’ll be fine. I was going to let her stay here for a while. Are you all right with that?” For some reason, he wanted her approval.

  “It’s your house. You don’t have to ask my permission.”

  “I love you. If you’re uncomfortable in any way, just say it. She can stay with Sigourney. I know Penny’s always keen on shopping, especially when the exchange rate is in her favor.” He tried to make light of the situation.

  “I’m fine with her staying. I trust you.”

  “Come over tomorrow for brunch. I’d like for you two to get to know each other better.”

  “I’d like that,” Tess agreed. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  Sebastian hung up the phone when he heard the click on her end. He closed his eyes, laid back, and took a deep breath. More than ever, he was glad to have Tess in his life.

  Chapter 15 - Need You Tonight

  Spring break had finally arrived and Sebastian was relieved. The countdown had begun: less than three months left of high school. Less than three months until his new life began with Tess. He was very excited about his condo purchase, even if he hadn’t had the nerve to tell Tess yet. When the time was right, he would know, and then they would have a conversation about moving in together.

  It was Saturday morning. Sebastian made his way to Nanny’s room to escort her to breakfast with Henry and Alice. He knocked on her bedroom door and waited for a response, but there wasn’t any. He knocked again, louder this time. When there was no answer, he entered the room. Nanny was still asleep in bed.

  Sebastian smiled. “Wake up, sleepyhead. Breakfast is ready.” She didn’t stir. He suddenly got a sinking feeling that something was terribly wrong. Sebastian sat on the edge of the bed and took her hand. It was ice cold and her fingers had begun to turn blue. “No, no, no,” he muttered, closing his eyes tightly, hoping this was nothing more than a bad dream.

  Slowly opening his eyes, the scene remained the same. This wasn’t a dream. Panic set in and he ran into the hallway and shouted at the top of his lungs. “Henry, call 911!”

  Henry and Alice raced up the back stairs when they heard his cry for help. Sebastian leaned against the wall for support. When his knees gave out, he slowly slid to a sitting position on the floor in the hallway. Henry began to administer CPR. Alice dialed 911 and then called Nanny Jones’ physician.
Sebastian repeatedly banged the back of his head against the wall to try to drown out the noise inside Nanny’s room.

  Alice made her way downstairs to wait for the ambulance. Henry continued to administer CPR until the paramedics rushed into the room, with a police officer following close behind. Relinquishing his post, Henry walked into the hall and knelt down in front of Sebastian. “I’m so sorry…” His voice trailed off.

  “Don’t say it,” Sebastian pleaded.

  Alice escorted Dr. Wexler into Nanny’s room. He was carrying a black leather medical bag and soon joined the other personnel. Sebastian walked back into the room and watched as the doctor examined the lifeless body. Looking at her ashen face, all he could think was, not again. It wasn’t supposed to end this way.

  Henry, who had stepped up beside him, put a hand on his shoulder and eased him aside. “Do you want me to call your mother?”

  “I don’t have a mother anymore,” Sebastian replied in a daze.

  Henry rephrased his question. “Would you like me to call Lady Irons?”

  “No! She has no say in this.” His eyes glazed over in disbelief. “Nanny wanted to be cremated and her ashes scattered in the rose garden at the castle. It was here favorite place.”

  “Does she have any family?”

  “I was her only family.” How could he possibly call a funeral home and ask them to take her away? “Henry, will you help me take care of the arrangements?”

  “Anything you need.”

  Doctor Wexler called the time of death at 9:42 a.m. Solemnly, he approached Sebastian and Henry. “I’m very sorry for your loss. We can transport the body to the coroner if you would you like an autopsy, or you can have the body sent directly to the funeral home.”

  “Get out!” Sebastian yelled, deeming him an insensitive oaf.

  Henry quickly ushered the offending man out into the hall so they could talk in private. The paramedics packed their equipment and left the room.

  “I have some questions we need to go through,” the police officer announced, stepping in front of Sebastian.

  The two of them went back and forth as information was assimilated. Sebastian hardly remembered any of the questions, he just answered as they were asked. When the officer was satisfied with the questioning and deemed no foul play was evident, he left Edgewood to file his report.