by Claire Adams
“Is something wrong?” I asked.
Jess clamped her hand over her mouth and turned around.
I smirked. “Sorry.”
“No,” she said, waving her hand in front of her. “Don’t worry about it. I was lost in my thoughts.”
I came into the room and poured myself a glass of wine. I clinked it with hers and then kissed her. Her lips tasted of wine, reminding me of the first time we had sex. We were a little tipsy that night, but I couldn’t have wine since without thinking of her.
“What were you thinking about?” I asked.
Jess sat on the couch, and I followed. She leaned her head against her hand as if something heavy weighed on her mind.
“I need to ask you something,” she said.
“Anything.”
“Next week is my mom’s birthday, and I was planning to go down there with her to celebrate.”
“Oh,” I said.
“I was able to line up a nanny friend of mine to step in while I’m gone,” she said.
I nodded. “How long would you be gone?”
“Not long,” she said. “I didn’t get the plane ticket yet. I wanted to ask you first.”
“It’s your mother,” I said. “Of course you can go.”
“Thanks.”
“We’re going to miss you.”
She chewed on her lip.
“Was there something else?” I asked.
“I have a backup nanny, but I wanted to see if you and Gina would come with me?”
“To Australia?” I asked.
“Yes.”
“To meet your mother?” I asked.
She hesitated. “Yes.”
Now I knew why she was so deep in thought when I’d come downstairs. She was worried about asking me to meet her mother.
“Are we that serious?” I asked.
She slipped her free hand into mine. “I think so. Don’t you?”
I squeezed her hand. “I do.”
“So, you will come?” she asked.
“Yes, we will come.”
“That’s great!” she said, throwing her arm around me and pulling me close. I gripped my wine glass harder, so I didn’t spill the liquid inside.
When she sat back, she looked positively radiant. I tucked a chunk of hair behind her ear, smoothing my fingertip along the sensitive skin behind her ear.
“Thank you,” she said.
“No, thank you for the invite. A vacation is exactly what we need.”
Chapter Twenty
Jess
As we did most Fridays, Gina and I went to visit Sierra at the record shop. It was a nice change from being cooped up in the house all week due to the fluctuating rain that ruined our plans over the past week. And bringing Gina to the local deli for an end of week lunch would be the kicker. Gina loved to eat out. I tried to prepare her food at home as much as I could though. I always let her take part in making her own meals since she seemed to enjoy it more. But since she and Noah were coming with me to Australia, I wanted to celebrate with Gina somehow.
“Sierra!” Gina said skipping into the record shop.
“Girl, you look damn cute today,” Sierra said.
Gina picked out a frilly lace skirt that bounced with each step. “You said a bad word!”
Sierra waved her hand dismissively. “Believe me, that isn’t the worst I’ve said.”
“What’s the worst?” Gina asked.
“Sierra!” I hissed.
Gina giggled and went to the back of the shop. With our weekly visits, Gina was over the record Sierra played each time for her. Now with each visit, she wanted to hear something new. The smaller children’s section at the back would keep her busy for a little while until she picked the perfect record for her mood.
Sierra went behind the counter and sipped on her coffee.
“What’s going on with you?” I asked.
“I’m feeling a little lonely,” she said.
“How come?” I asked. Anytime she felt alone, she always found someone to fill her bed.
Sierra sighed. “Well, my best friend hasn’t been available for over a week. Her nights are busy.”
I pressed my lips together. “Very funny.”
Sierra smiled and leaned over the counter, glancing at Gina. “So, how’s it going with Noah?”
“Really good,” I said. “I invited Noah and Gina to come along with me to Australia to visit with Mom.”
“Shut up!” Sierra said, her jaw dropping. “He said yes?”
“He did,” I said. “I didn’t expect that when I asked, but I’m so happy they’re coming.”
“That’s so awesome, girl,” Sierra said sincerely. “I’m a little jealous that you haven’t invited me yet.”
“You hate flying,” I said.
“There are drugs I can take,” Sierra said.
“Next time,” I said, turning around to watch Gina. I tucked my hands behind me, pressing them against the counter. If I had to go away without Noah or Gina, I would miss them terribly. Now I didn’t need to know that feeling.
Gina moved to another set of records. Her little face scrunched with concentration. I watched her while Sierra took a customer.
Gina peered over the top of one of the stacks.
What was she looking for?
As if she heard my thoughts, she marched over to us and went behind the counter. She tugged on Sierra’s arm and opened her arms. Sierra hefted Gina onto her hip.
“Where’s that song?” she asked.
“Girl, you’re going to have to be more specific,” Sierra said.
“The song,” Gina said, turning to me. “The down under one.”
Sierra’s eyes bulged.
“Men at Work is the group,” I said. After Noah had told Gina about the trip, she spent the entire day yesterday asking me how to be more Australian. I introduced her to the group. “We listened to it all day on YouTube.”
Sierra grimaced. “I’m glad I wasn’t there. Sorry, sweetie. That’s not my type of music.”
“I don’t think they have that here,” I said and glanced at Sierra. She slowly shook her head with an expression of disgust.
I lightly slapped her arm. “They aren’t that bad.”
“Did Jess tell you I’m going to Australia?” Gina asked Sierra.
“I heard. I’m super jealous.”
“I’m super excited!” Gina said, pumping her fists in the air. “Jess, can you find the song?”
I proceeded to bring the song up on my phone and play it for her. Gina wiggled out of Sierra’s arms and came around the counter to dance with me to the catchy music.
“I’m going to have to ask you to leave,” Sierra said, trying to hold back a smile.
“Come on!” I said, reaching out to her.
“You can’t even dance to this music,” Sierra said. Her facade was cracking.
“Please!” Gina said, and I knew we had her.
“All right,” she said and joined us.
When Noah arrived home that night, he surprised me with three tickets to Sydney.
“Noah,” I said completely taken off guard. “I could have purchased my own ticket. I invited you, remember?”
“It’s fine,” he said, kissing my cheek. Gina was in the living room watching a cartoon, so we didn’t have to worry about hiding anything. “I have the money, and I wanted us to sit together.”
“Thank you,” I said graciously.
“But you have to promise to take us to the real Australia. Of course, we should see some touristy things, but I want to know where you grew up. What places shaped the woman you are today.”
“It’s not that glamorous, I promise,” I said.
“It doesn’t have to be,” he said. “I want to get to know more about you.”
I took a steadying breath. “Okay.” Little did Noah know that I was going to keep much of my past a secret, at least until we were a bit more serious about each other. I liked him, but knowing the shit I’ve been through could be a
deal breaker this early on in the relationship. Besides, he seemed genuinely excited about the trip, and I wanted him to have the best time. At least his first time down there.
“I want to warn you that my mom can be a bit much,” I said.
“I’m sure she’s fine,” he said.
I had to stifle an eye roll. “I hope it’s okay if I don’t stay the night. There are a lot of things I have to do this weekend to prepare for Monday.”
He sighed dramatically, and I laughed.
“Okay,” he said. “But I’m going to need one hell of a kiss to hold me over.”
I glanced toward the living room where Gina still faced the television, oblivious to her father’s and my growing relationship. I dragged him out of view and kissed him.
On the way home, I called Mom. She’d wanted me to come down for her birthday. It was the only way she could guilt me into the trip. She knew I was coming, but not with two extra people.
“Jess!” Mom said when she picked up the phone.
“Hey, Mom,” I said.
“Is everything all right? Are you still coming next week?” She sounded worried.
“Yes, I am.”
“Oh, thank heavens. I thought you were calling to cancel.” I pictured her pacing the kitchen with worry. It made me feel a little guilty that I made her feel that way.
“I’m not calling to cancel. I do have some change in plans though.”
“How so? Are you coming later in the week? I wanted you here for my actual birthday—”
“I’m bringing two people along with me,” I interrupted before she went on too long.
“That friend of yours?”
“No, not Sierra. Noah and Gina.”
There was a long pause on the other end, and I checked to make sure the call was still connected.
“You’re bringing a man here?”
“Is that a problem?”
“A problem?” Mom asked. “It’s not a problem, love. I’m a little surprised is all. You’ve never brought a man home with ya.”
There was a reason for that. Mom could be a little over the top even for an Aussie bloke.
“It must be serious between you two,” she continued.
“It is,” I said. “But his daughter, Gina, doesn’t know about us yet. So, I need you to be on your best behavior.”
She let out a snort. “I’m always on my best behavior.”
“Mom,” I warned.
“All right, all right.”
I detailed the trip to her and told her I’d see her next week. I was sure to hear from her on Sunday, and I’d be offering up another warning to remind her that Noah was also my boss. But I had a feeling he would take anything she said in stride. At least I hoped.
Chapter Twenty-One
Noah
The thirteen-hour flight to Sydney wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. Having the five-hour layover in Los Angeles had helped us adjust before the long stretch. Jess had the forethought to pack Gina a bunch of activities, coloring books and the like, so she was distracted for most of the time.
Though the flight crew did a fantastic job of preparing us for jet lag by turning the lights down low, synchronizing us with the Australian time zone. And our first-class tickets gave us enough room to wander around when we needed to stretch our legs.
When we landed, I was happy to be grounded in this new and exotic place.
Jess’s shoulders visibly relaxed when the wheels of the plane touched the ground.
I looked forward to getting to know the place where she grew up and how she turned into the woman she was today. Gina and I were taking a deeper look into Jess’s life, drawing her closer, turning our tight-knit duo into a trio. At least that’s what I hoped for.
When it was time to disembark the plane, Gina shuffled down the aisle. She zapped her energy around the three-quarter mark of the flight, yet she still hadn’t recovered. I’d have to ask Jess how to get Gina back on a regular time so she could enjoy our stay. A tired Gina was a crabby Gina. And a grumpy Gina was more of a handful than normal.
I ruffled Gina’s hair, and she leaned back, nearly falling over. I took her hand a guided her down the jet bridge into the airport.
I sneaked my other hand behind me and took Jess’s in mine. I squeezed it lightly. We hadn’t breached the topic of our budding relationship to Gina yet, but I still had the urge to touch Jess whenever I could.
“How does it feel to be home?” I asked.
Jess sighed, clearly affected by the long flight as well. “Good. I haven’t been home in a while. I suspect Mom will bring that up as much as she can while we’re here. The guilt can be unbearable sometimes.”
“She probably just misses you,” I said.
“Yeah,” she said dismissively.
“Does she know about us?” I asked in a low voice.
“I had to tell her,” Jess said, her cheeks turning a little pink. “She has a knack for digging around where she doesn’t belong, and I didn’t want her to say something in front of Gina.”
“Good call,” I said.
“Are you mad about it?” she asked, chewing on her lower lip.
“Not at all,” I said. “I want to tell more people about us.”
“It’s too complicated right now,” she said, finishing my thought.
“I know,” I said. “But soon.”
“Really?” she asked.
I nodded. I had the urge to pull Jess into my arms and kiss her to show her how much I felt for her, but I held back. I hoped my feelings came through with a single look.
From the little smirk on her lips, I knew it did.
When we reached the airport, Jess, and I took one of Gina’s hands, protecting her on each side. Though Gina put a lot of weight on both of us, so I knew she was over tired.
“Gina, do you want a piggyback ride?” I asked.
She looked up at me with heavy eyes. “Yeah, Daddy.”
I knelt down, and she climbed onto my back. All of her weight rested on me as I stood.
Jess and I were able to move quickly through the airport down to baggage claim without Gina’s dragging footsteps holding us up.
We followed the signs to our baggage area, and the belt hadn’t started to move yet. I sat Gina down on a bench, and she flopped over, lightly snoring.
“Jessica!” someone shouted from across the way.
Jess clenched her jaw and sighed before turning around.
A woman raced over to us. Her shoes slapped across the floor as she barreled toward us.
“Love, is that you?” She skidded to a stop in front of us. “You look much thinner than I remember.”
“Yes, Mom,” Jess said.
Jess’s mom was shorter than Jess, but quite thin. Her cheeks were sunken in, but her eyes were bright. And the same hazel color as Jess’s. Her eyes were the only indicator they were related. Jess must have received most of her father’s genetics.
Chloe Holland hugged her daughter tightly.
For as much as Jess consistently warned me about her mother’s behavior, I found it hard to believe that this was the woman she spoke about. The tears in her eyes showed affection for her only child.
Chloe’s eyes met mine. “G’day, Noah. Where’s your ankle biter?”
“Excuse me?” I asked.
“Gina’s over there, Mom,” Jess said and pointed toward the bench where Gina was fast asleep. I dreaded waking her up. “She’s a little jet lagged.”
“We’ll get that sorted straight away,” Chloe said. Then she raised her arms up and embraced me. “It’s so nice to meet you. How was the flight?”
While Jess caught up with her mom, I headed over to Gina to sit with her until the baggage carousel started up next to us. The loud sound woke Gina from her cat nap.
“Gina, honey,” I said, not wanting to startle her even more than she already was. “Let’s get the bags—”
“Where’s Jess?” she asked, her eyes darting around the room.
“She’s
catching up with her mom,” I said and pointed to Jess and Chloe across the way.
Gina’s eyes lit up, and a smile stretched across her face. “I want to meet her!” She flung herself off the bench and ran over to Jess, grabbing onto her leg. Jess leaned over and picked Gina up.
I smiled at the two of them while Jess introduced Chloe to my daughter.
Chloe grinned from ear to ear. There was another glimpse of Jess in her mother. Their lips curved the same way when they smiled.
I headed over to pick out our baggage while the girls had their alone time. I planned on making some outings with Gina on our own so that Jess and Chloe could have time to themselves since it had been a while for them. Though, it made me a little remiss to think of not seeing Jess for any extended period.
“What color are your bags?” Chloe said from next to me. I turned to her then glanced behind me, unable to find Jess and Gina in the crowd.
“Where’s—”
“They went to the toilet,” she said.
“Our bags are green,” I said.
“Smart,” she said.
I didn’t travel much, but one of the tips I picked up was to have a different color suitcase than black. It helped pick mine out of the sea of black bags that rotated around the carousel.
“Since Jess doesn’t have a dad, I’m going to be the one to ask about your intentions for my daughter,” she said.
I tried to find the lightness in her tone but was unsuccessful.
“I have no intentions of seeing anyone else, Mrs. Holland.”
“It’s Miss,” she said quickly.
Okay, then Miss Holland it was. Even though I knew her first name, I wanted to make a good impression. The idea of that made me want to laugh. I hadn’t met anyone’s parents since Wendy and I first got together. Even in my thirties, I wanted to make a good impression on Jess’s mom.
“Jess and I might have met under a working relationship, but I assure you I want to be with her.”
“Why haven’t you spoken about this to your lovely daughter?”
I sighed. She dug right into specifics. These were things Jess and I haven’t discussed in detail yet. “Jess and I are taking it slow. We both agreed to that.”