Life's What You Make It: Love's Great Adventure Book 1
Page 28
Courtney and Jordan raised their eyebrows in unison. Jordan held out the palm of her hand in front of Courtney’s face and wiggled her fingers. “Pay up.”
Courtney grabbed a five-dollar bill from her clutch and placed it in Jordan’s hand.
“What the hell was that all about?” Tess asked with an irritated tone of voice.
“We had a bet on whether you and Sebastian were a couple of not.”
The comment amused Sebastian and he found himself laughing. “You could have just asked,” he told the girls.
“Tess would never fess up, Sebastian.”
“Then you should have asked me,” he countered, coyly.
“So how long have you two been together?” Jordan asked outright.
Sebastian glanced at Tess, waiting to see if she would respond. “Don’t stop now, you’re on a roll,” Tess told him.
He looked at Jordan. “Define ‘together.’”
Tess sighed aloud and stood up from the table. “I’m going to the ladies’ room.”
Jordan ignored Tess and continued her conversation with Sebastian. “How long have you been kissing her?”
“November.”
“Wow. She never said anything. Why?”
“Because she wanted our relationship to be private. She didn’t want it detracting from our education,” Sebastian explained. “Look, you don’t know what I had to do to get her to agree to come tonight. I wanted her to have this experience. So far she is having a miserable time—please back off a bit.”
Tess arrived back at the table and sat down.
“Here comes dinner,” Sebastian noticed as the waitstaff began to enter the room with trays of food.
After dinner, the curious crowd watched as Sebastian escorted Tess to the dance floor. He was used the attention—it was no different from the paparazzi in London; only no one here took pictures. There were whispers among the crowd. They couldn’t believe Sebastian’s date was Tess. By some miracle, Tess was no longer the dowdy, scholarly bookworm. She was now the beautiful swan in the perfectly fitting, very expensive dress. He sensed Tess’ discomfort and pulled her into an embrace as the DJ put on a slow dance record.
“Everyone is staring at us,” she said, nuzzling her head into his chest, trying to hide from the glances of her fellow students.
“They’re just jealous,” he reasoned.
“You’re enjoying this,” she muttered.
“Immensely.”
“Enjoy it, then. We’re hitting the books tomorrow to study for final exams.”
“Yes, darling, but tonight you’re mine.” He leaned in and whispered in her ear, “You don’t happen to be wearing the La Perla lingerie I bought you at Bergdorf’s?” Even though he had purchased it six months before, he had yet to see her wear it.
She looked up at him with a wicked grin. “What if I am?”
“Oh, then I think we will have to leave this party a little earlier than intended.”
“In that case, I can confirm I am wearing it. But you have to take off the dress to see.”
He closed his eyes and let out a low moan. Taking her by the hand, he escorted her off the dance floor. In no time, they collected her purse from her chair and all but ran out ballroom to get back to his apartment. He wasn’t sure if the ploy was intentional on Tess’ part, but it certainly worked. Sebastian had no desire to stay until the end of the prom when he could spend a quiet, romantic evening in bed with his girl.
They spent the next week taking their final exams. Friday was their last day of high school. The graduation ceremony would occur the next Tuesday evening in the gymnasium. Sebastian and Tess didn’t have time to celebrate, because he had to pack up the efficiency and Tess had a valedictorian speech to write. Sebastian understood how important this speech was to Tess, so he began the packing alone, allowing Tess time to work on her speech.
Sebastian pulled his leather overnight bag out of the closet and placed it on the bed to begin his task. He’d have to be out of the efficiency by the week’s end.
Tess was sitting on the bed, bent over a notebook open on her lap, working on her speech. She scratched out what she’d written and rewrote it repeatedly. Tess refused to start the speech earlier due to the rigid study schedule for final exams. It didn’t really matter what her final test scores were—it wouldn’t change her NYU acceptance or that fact that she would be number one in her class. She had worked too hard and it meant too much to her. She would pour everything she had into this speech.
Sebastian opened the bag and found the corner of an envelope peeking out of the inner pocket: the letters for Nanny. He had forgotten about them. How could I have forgotten, he asked himself? He sat on the corner of the bed, trying not to disturb Tess, and removed them from the bag. Carefully, Sebastian opened his letter, anxious what might be inside. A small, square, black-and-white photograph fell onto his lap. Sebastian picked it up and turned it over. The man in the photo looked just like him, but it wasn’t Sebastian. The date printed on the scalloped edge read July 1965. The man wore tennis whites. He stood in front of the main fountain at the castle, water splashing behind him. Three children sat on the ledge of the fountain wearing wide smiles. “Oh my God,” Sebastian whispered as he realized what he was looking at.
Tess put down her tablet and peered over his shoulder. “What is it?”
“My father,” he said, unable to take his eyes off the image.
“You look just like him,” Tess observed. “Why are you so shocked?”
“This is the first picture I’ve ever seen of him,” Sebastian explained, his breath shallow and quick.
“Really?”
“I told you Lily banished him from our lives. There were no pictures in the house. Like father, like son,” he mused, staring at the image of his young father. “Growing up, no one ever talked about him. The little I do know was thanks to Nanny.”
“So where did the photo come from?” Tess wondered sitting next to him.
“Nanny.” Sebastian unfolded the letter and read it aloud.
My darling Sebastian,
You are well on your way to being the best person you can be. I’m so very proud of you, my son. Remember the things I taught you and use them well.
I know growing up without your father has been difficult for you. Even though I was able to explain what transpired to cause your father’s departure from your life, I know you had so many more questions that I could not answer.
I promised Lady Irons I would never divulge your father’s name while I was employed by her. As you read this, I am gone, and you deserve to know the truth. You are the spitting image of your father, Martin Christopher Baker.
When he disappeared from our lives, I don’t know where he settled. I hope his name will be a starting point if you choose to start a search to find him.
Have a glorious life, my dear boy. I love you more than anything in the world.
Nanny
Sebastian stared at the letter and tried to catch his breath. The news was unbelievable and he was having a difficult time processing it.
“So Irons is Lily’s last name? Your brothers and sisters, what name do they use?” Tess asked in confusion.
“Irons. I guess Lily had it legally changed after the divorce. Max and Victoria never talked about it. Sigourney was too young to remember.”
“That seems pretty extreme. It must not have been easy to accomplish back in the sixties.”
“Not that difficult when you come from a powerful family and have unlimited resources,” he reminded her. Sebastian handed Tess the letter that Nanny had left for her.
Tess opened her letter. It was simple, brief, and to the point—just like Nanny’s personality. She read it aloud as well.
Dearest Tess,
When Sebastian asks you to marry him, say yes.
He will love you forever.
Sincerely,
Nanny Jones
“How did she know? Did you tell her?” Tess asked.
“I
didn’t know I was going to ask you to marry me until the question spilled out of my mouth. It wasn’t planned—you know that. I guess she just knew,” Sebastian reasoned. He reached for Tess’ hand and intertwined his fingers with hers. “Do you really believe there is an afterlife, a place where people you love move onto after they die?”
“Of course I do.”
“Do you really believe it, or was it just engrained into your brain as a child? I was never raised with religion.”
“That’s why they call it faith, Sebastian.”
“But this is odd, don’t you agree? It’s as if Nanny is talking to us from the grave.”
“It’s a gift. Don’t question it.”
“If it’s such a gift, then why didn’t she just tell me what to do? Why did she leave the decision to find my father to me?”
“That’s called free will.”
“Please stop with all the religious mumbo jumbo. I just want you to tell me what to do,” he pleaded.
“It’s not my decision to make.” Tess thought on the matter, and then said, “But if I were you, I think you should focus on the immediate future. Let’s graduate, move into the condo, and begin college. Think about your options. You’ll be in America. You’re going to need someone in England to do the leg work for you if you decide to pursue this. I don’t know what it would cost. But if you want to find your father, I think you need to be in London. Are you willing to do that right now?”
She was right. When he couldn’t think clearly, Tess could. He had gotten along without his father for the first eighteen years of his life. He could certainly wait a few more. All he desired right now was to start his life with Tess. He leaned in and kissed her on the lips. “Thank you.”
Graduation took place in St. Alexander’s gymnasium. Kate Hamilton beamed as her daughter delivered the valedictorian speech to the bright and eager faces of the future. Henry, Alice, and Sigourney applauded Sebastian as he walked across the stage to receive his diploma. After the ceremony, the group settled in for a late dinner at Giovanni’s Italian restaurant. They sat at a large round table dressed in a red-and-white checkered tablecloth with an open bottle of wine.
“Kate, you must be very proud. Tess gave a wonderful speech,” Sigourney complimented.
“I am,” Kate agreed. “I’m glad Sebastian has family so close and that you were able to be here for him today.”
“Are you two heading to any graduation parties tonight?” Henry asked after sipping from his wine glass.
“No, we just wanted a small celebration with our family,” Tess explained. “We get possession of the condo tomorrow, so we didn’t want to be out late.”
When dinner was finished, Sigourney, Henry, and Alice said their goodbyes. Mrs. Hamilton hugged Sebastian and Tess in unison. “Good luck with the settlement tomorrow. I’ll see you on Saturday.”
Sebastian sat on his bed, happy the long day had drawn to a close. “Well, Miss Valedictorian, do you feel different?” he inquired as he unlaced his dress shoes.
“Yeah, I do.”
“How so?”
“I feel like that chapter of my life is over and I’m really excited about our next step together,” she explained, sitting down next to him.
“I, for one, will be very happy to never let you leave my bed again.”
She playfully pushed him over. He fell back onto the bed and she moved on top of him. “I’m ready to celebrate now,” she purred, kissing the corner of his mouth.
Sebastian didn’t need to ask her what she meant as she reached down and felt his excitement growing. Tess put the same energy and determination into her lovemaking skills as she did any other skill she was determined to conquer and master.
“Practice makes perfect,” she reminded.
“You certainly are perfect,” he agreed between kisses, pulling her hair back into a ponytail to keep it from tickling his face.
In the morning, Tess accompanied Sebastian to Margo Milton’s office. After a few hours of signing form after form in the presence of his attorney, Margo handed Sebastian two shiny silver keys to his new home.
He parked the Chevette in the underground garage and took the elevator to the fourth floor. Sebastian took the key out of his pocket and unlocked the door. He swept Tess up in his arms and walked over the threshold.
“What are you doing?” Tess laughed, holding onto his neck.
“I’m taking you inside our first home,” he replied, stepping into the living room.
The condo was modern, with tall, exposed ceilings. Behind them was the kitchen with a breakfast bar. It had a gas range, microwave, double-door refrigerator, and dishwasher. It was very different from the old, dodgy galley kitchen in the efficiency. A spiral metal staircase extended up to a loft over the kitchen. He took her by the hand and pulled her up the stairs. “This will be perfect for your desk. A tranquil place where you can study.”
Once back downstairs, they walked to the master bedroom. It had sliding glass doors that lead out to a concrete balcony which overlooked the Hudson River. There was enough room there for a small table and chairs. Sebastian planned to put their little bistro table there. The master bedroom was complete with an en-suite bathroom that had a sunken spa tub with a separate shower stall. There was a double vanity, so they wouldn’t have to share or shove each other out of the way on hectic mornings. The toilet sat in a little closet for privacy. It seemed the bathroom was nearly the size of the entire efficiency apartment where they’d recently resided.
The second bedroom was smaller and was separated from the master by another bathroom. “Your mom can sleep here when she comes to visit,” he announced, opening the bedroom door.
When they finished looking at all the rooms, they walked into the living room, where the focal point was a floor-to-ceiling window with a stunning view of Manhattan.
“What do you think?” he asked with anticipation, hoping she would love it as much as he did the first time he laid eyes upon it.
“I love it,” she smiled. “I love you.”
“Are you afraid?” he whispered.
Tess shook her head. “No, I’m excited.”
“Me too,” he agreed, leaning down to kiss the crown of her head.
Sebastian and Tess stood arm in arm in front of the full-length plate glass window, admiring the view of Manhattan. Today was the first day of next chapter of their life together. It would be filled with ups and downs, triumphs and tribulations, new experiences and many firsts. Whatever came their way, they would face it together. After all, life really is what you make it.
About the Author
Theresa Troutman lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and their crazy dog, Niko. She loves reading, theatre, traveling and is an active member of the SCBWI.
Other titles by Theresa Troutman:
My Secret Summer
A Special Connection
Love This Life:
Love’s Great Adventure Series Book 2 will be released Summer 2014.
Connect with Theresa:
https://www.facebook.com/theresa.troutman.author
Twitter: @theresatroutman
website: http://theresatroutman.wix.com/theresa-troutman
https://plus.google.com/u/0/115668965539628278155/posts
http://www.pinterest.com/theresa4503/
Table of Contents
Acknowledgements
Part 1 - England 1985 Chapter 1 - The Boy Wonders
Chapter 2 - This Charming Man
Chapter 3 - Blue Monday
Chapter 4 - Stray
Chapter 5 - How Soon Is Now?
Part 2 - America 1985 Chapter 6 - Cruel Summer
Chapter 7 - The Kids in America
Chapter 8 - Come Dancing
Chapter 9 - If Paradise Is Half As Nice
Chapter 10 - Confusion
Chapter 11 - Head Over Heels
Chapter 12 - Mad World
Chapter 13 - Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want
Chapter 14 -
Tempted
Chapter 15 - Need You Tonight
Chapter 16 - Don’t Dream It’s Over
Chapter 17 - It’s My Life
Chapter 18 - Time For A Change
Chapter 19-Never Tear Us Apart
Chapter 20 - Life’s What You Make It
About the Author