California Summer

by Anita Hughes

  “Luckily I’m a smooth talker, and a fast runner,” Ryan added.

  “It’ll be fun, Rosie,” Colby urged. “It’s like riding Drummer, you just have to hop on and enjoy the ride.”

  * * *

  They arrived at the Pullman estate when it was already dark. Rosie stepped gingerly out of the car. Her legs were stiff from clinging to Drummer as they descended the mountain. When she closed her eyes she still saw the sweeping view, the miles of uninterrupted green and blue.

  Rosie hurried to the cottage, thankful for the cool fog after the blinding sun of the ranch. She didn’t want to bump into Morris or Estelle. She needed to think about Colby’s offer before they gave her advice.

  She opened the cottage door and walked inside. The dress she wore to the dinner party was still crumpled on the floor. She was tempted to call Josh, but he was the one who had walked away. She wasn’t ready to be the one who made the first move.

  Her phone rang and her parents’ number appeared on the screen.

  “Hi, Rosie,” her mother’s voice came over the line. “Your father and I have been so busy preparing for the space launch, we haven’t talked to you all summer. I called the home line and Ben said you were staying in Montecito.”

  Rosie smiled. Her parents used cutting-edge technology to design rockets, but her mother still preferred using a landline.

  “I’m just taking a little break from Hollywood,” Rosie said. “Angelica’s parents offered me their guest cottage for the summer.”

  “The funniest thing happened today. My friend Lucille said her daughter heard a song on the radio by some young pop star. His name was Colby.” Her mother paused. “The song was about a girl who leaves Hollywood to follow her dreams and opens a fish taco store in Montecito. It’s called ‘Rosie.’ Apparently it’s number one on the music charts and it’s all about you.”

  “I was going to tell you,” Rosie admitted, embarrassed. She never hid things from her parents, but she hadn’t known how to tell them about Ben.

  “What does Ben say about all this?” her mother asked. “He didn’t say a thing when I called.”

  “We’re taking a little time to figure things out,” Rosie said evasively. “Ben and I have been together for so long, I just needed a summer to myself.”

  “Are you sure you’re all right? You don’t have to stay with Angelica’s parents. You can come to Florida,” her mother suggested. “The guest room is always here for you.”

  “Florida summers and I don’t get along,” Rosie said, recalling how the sky turned black in the afternoon and there were violent thunderstorms. “Every afternoon at two o’clock our dog, Baxter, and I hid under the bed.”

  “There was nothing to be afraid of.” Her mother laughed. “As long as you didn’t go swimming in the ocean.”

  “I’m fine here and the fish taco store is really taking off. I’ll see you when I come visit in October,” Rosie said and curled up on the sofa. “I’ll bring you and dad a box of Sprinkles Cupcakes.”

  “That sounds delicious,” her mother enthused. “Have a good summer, Rosie. We love you very much.”

  Rosie hung up and the good feelings of being loved receded. She remembered the way Josh stormed down the driveway without looking back. First she had to think about Colby’s offer. Then she had to figure out how to get Josh to talk to her again.

  Fifteen

  Sunlight streamed through the window the next morning and Rosie stepped into the bath. She added a bottle of lavender bubble bath and inhaled the refreshing scent. She had gotten up early, thrown on her running shoes, and driven to Butterfly Beach before she was fully awake. Rosie ran the length of the beach, thinking about Colby’s offer. She knew she was crazy to hesitate. Colby was handing her a golden future.

  Was this how Ben felt when the studio hired Mary Beth? His years of wrestling with unruly scripts and inexperienced actors would give way to being offered the hottest projects. A-list actors like Ryan Reynolds and Scarlett Johansson would line up to work with him. People would murmur, “It’s a Ben Ford film,” when the lights went down and the credits rolled on the screen.

  Rosie didn’t have a dream of running a corporation, spending her days worrying about quality control and product placement. She loved the smell of fish sizzling on the stove at the taco store. She enjoyed chatting with Rachel on the sidewalk at the end of the day. The feeling of satisfaction when she opened the cash register and counted the piles of new bills.

  But Oscar and Estelle led wonderful lives. Their house was filled with antique furniture and fine china, and the parties on the lawn were from another era. And there was such a sense of peace when you entered the gate. It would be heavenly to have the kind of money to surround yourself with people you loved and beautiful things.

  Rosie stopped running and did long stretches, watching the surfers paddle past the break. If Ben had only talked to her about how he felt, things might have been different. They could have debated attaching Mary Beth as executive producer. Rosie could have stepped back and focused her energy on their home.

  She squinted and looked for Josh in the line of surfers. If they had any chance as a couple, they had to make this decision together. But what if Josh didn’t want to see her? He was the one who said he wasn’t good at arguing. He was better at walking away.

  * * *

  There was a knock at the cottage door and Rosie groaned. She wasn’t prepared for a visit from Morris. She didn’t want to be force-fed peanut butter sandwiches or told she deserved this because she didn’t tell Josh how she felt about living together.

  She waited for another knock, but there was silence. Maybe Morris thought she was asleep. She closed her eyes and submerged her body under the bubbles.

  “Is there room for me in that bath?” a male voice asked.

  Rosie flung her arms over her chest and opened her eyes. Josh sat on the edge of the bath. He was pale and he had a day’s stubble on his chin.

  “You don’t have to cover yourself.” He smiled. “Unless you were expecting someone else.”

  “I wasn’t expecting anyone.” Rosie pushed the bubbles from her cheeks.

  “I owe you an apology.” Josh dipped his hand in the water. “My sister called me last night. I told her what happened and she said I overreacted. Once she was asked to be a bridesmaid six times in five months. She loved every minute of it, but when her best friend asked her to be maid of honor, she walked into her closet and tossed all six bridesmaids dresses in the garbage. She said weddings make women do crazy things: not just the bride, but the bridesmaids, the mother of the bride, even the wedding planner.”

  “I like your sister.” Rosie laughed.

  “She’s pretty smart.” Josh nodded. “I’d still like to know why you don’t want to go to Angelica’s wedding, but I’m not going to take it personally.”

  “I can’t explain,” Rosie replied.

  “You can tell me anything,” Josh said. “We have to be honest with each other, Rosie.”

  “I’ll always be honest,” Rosie promised. She wanted to just keep looking at him. She felt as if she had conjured up his presence like a magician.

  “I shouldn’t have stormed off,” Josh said seriously. “I don’t want you to think I’m going to run every time we have an argument.”

  “I believe you.” Rosie nodded and suddenly wanted him so badly. She could taste his mouth, feel his chest on top of hers.

  “Is there anything you want to talk about?” he asked.

  Rosie thought about Colby’s offer. She remembered Estelle’s advice to tell Josh she didn’t want to move in with him. Morris had insisted that she tell Josh she wanted to get married because he couldn’t read her mind. But right now all she wanted was him to wrap his arms around her.

  “There is something.” Rosie reached out of the water and kissed him. “It’s a little complicated.”

  “Then why don’t we talk about it later.” Josh grinned and pulled her out of the bath. He put a towel around her and
kissed her neck. “There’s something important I want to do first.”

  “I guess it can wait,” she whispered, every nerve in her body tingling.

  They moved to the bed and Josh tore off his clothes. His breath was sweet and his shoulders were broad and Rosie swelled with happiness. He entered her and she dug her fingernails into his back, the waves building inside her. She gasped and held him until his body slackened and he rolled onto his side.

  They slept with Rosie tucked against Josh’s chest. When they woke they were starving and Rosie made a picnic of items she found in the cottage’s fridge: a slab of Brie cheese, a bar of chocolate, a bowl of cherries.

  “I feel like I’m raiding a hotel minibar,” Rosie sat cross-legged on the bed and ate cheese on a sourdough roll.

  “Will you come to the Concours d’Elegance?” he asked. “I’ll have to work, but we can stroll through Carmel and drive along 17-Mile Drive. You’ve never seen views like it. The waves crash right on the rocks.”

  “I’d love to.” Rosie nodded, thinking she should tell Josh about Colby’s offer. But she wasn’t quite ready to break the spell.

  “I’ll book a bed-and-breakfast,” Josh said excitedly. “Carmel is a little like Montecito, except it’s always foggy.”

  “Sounds romantic.” Rosie nibbled dark chocolate.

  “We’ll get a room overlooking the ocean.” Josh popped a cherry in Rosie’s mouth. “It’ll have a king-sized bed and one of those funky TVs that only work if you hold the antenna. We’ll keep the window open so the fog blows in and I’ll have to keep you warm.”

  They finished the picnic and Josh drifted off to sleep. Rosie watched his chest rise and fall and promised herself when he woke up she’d tell him everything.

  * * *

  Rosie opened her eyes and Josh’s side of the bed was empty. The sheets were pushed back and there was a note on his pillow. He had to work on Oscar’s cars, but he’d be back for dinner and dessert. He signed it with three x’s and a P.S. to keep the bed warm.

  She wrapped a robe around her and stood by the window. She could lounge around until Josh came back and then share more food and sex. But tomorrow she’d have to return to work and Colby expected an answer by Wednesday. She had to talk about the offer with Josh now, without the distraction of bubble baths and down comforters and dark chocolate.

  * * *

  Rosie entered the garage and her eyes adjusted to the dim light. She wore her red dress and gold Manolos. Her hair was glossy and her wrists were spritzed with perfume.

  “This is a surprise.” Josh looked up from the engine of a yellow Ferrari.

  “I couldn’t wait till you came back.” Rosie smiled. “And I felt like dressing up.”

  “What’s the occasion?” he asked, leaning against the car’s bumper.

  “Being together,” Rosie replied. “Delicious food, great sex.”

  “I’m in favor of all three things.” Josh kissed her. “I just have to fix this engine, and we can go back to being naked.”

  “I do want to talk about something.” Rosie took a deep breath. “Colby and Ryan took me riding yesterday.”

  “Riding?” Josh’s body tensed and the muscles on his neck twitched.

  “At Circle Bar B Ranch. We rode to the top. The view was amazing, I could see all the way to San Diego.” She paused. “Colby had a business proposition. He wants to expand Rosie’s Fish Tacos to more states. He suggested a frozen food line and a line of guacamole sold at supermarkets and gourmet food stores.”

  “You want to sell the taco shop?” he asked stiffly.

  “We’d be partners,” she continued. “Colby and Ryan would provide the backing and I’d supply the recipes. He had some really good ideas: opening stores in states that don’t have many Mexican restaurants. He thinks we could make a lot of money.”

  “We don’t need a lot of money.” Josh’s brow furrowed.

  “We don’t need it,” Rosie agreed. “But wouldn’t it be lovely to own an estate like this. Our children could have a swimming pool, room to play, a couple of big dogs.”

  “Children don’t need a big house. They just need parents who love them,” Josh countered. “What if it wasn’t a success? Celebrity restaurants are like hot-air balloons. If it fails, all that hard work would be for nothing.”

  “Colby is only twenty and he has a fantastic track record. Ryan said he makes more money from his restaurants than recording and touring combined,” Rosie said defensively.

  “I knew you’d get suckered back to Hollywood.” Josh paced around the car.

  “Nothing would change,” Rosie answered. “I’d still run the taco shop.”

  “Everything would change,” Josh cut in. “You’d have endless meetings with Colby and Ryan. You’d stay in LA during the week and come up to Montecito on the weekends.”

  “I thought you wanted us to be financially stable.” Rosie was suddenly angry. “Why can’t you be happy that I have this opportunity?”

  “Why do you want more, when we’re happy now?” Josh glared. “I want you and a couple of kids and a house near the beach. I don’t want to eat TV dinners because you’re at a store opening in Wisconsin. I don’t want to watch you and Colby chatting with Jimmy Fallon on late-night television.”

  “Money isn’t a bad thing,” Rosie protested. “Oscar and Estelle are the happiest couple I know. Money can buy things for people you love; it means you can give your children everything they need.”

  “I want my children to have two parents who want the same thing,” Josh said. “It’s impossible when one parent is a celebrity.”

  “I wouldn’t be a celebrity,” Rosie fumed. “I’d just be partners with Colby, no one would know who I am.”

  “Stop trying to hold Rosie back!” a woman’s voice interjected.

  Rosie turned around and Angelica stepped out of the Aston Martin Spider. She wore a silk robe tied with a yellow belt. Her hair cascaded down her back and her diamond ring glinted on her finger.

  “What are you doing here?” Rosie gasped.

  “If you must know, Dirk and I had sex in the Spider.” Angelica flushed. “I used to bring boyfriends here when I was in high school. Making love in the backseat of a car is so sexy. I lost an earring and I came to find it.”

  “You were eavesdropping?” Rosie asked, horrified.

  “I couldn’t just jump up and leave once you two started fighting,” Angelica explained.

  “Please leave now,” Josh said. He clutched a cloth and his mouth was set in a firm line.

  “Just because you live your whole life in a ten-mile radius, doesn’t mean that Rosie wants to,” Angelica said to Josh. “Colby is a huge star, he could make Rosie a millionaire.”

  “This has nothing to do with you.” Josh gritted his teeth.

  “You’re just afraid that Rosie will realize she can do better,” Angelica countered. “She’s already discovered that. She told my mother she didn’t want to move in with you.”

  Rosie froze. She inhaled sharply but the air wouldn’t go into her lungs. Her knees buckled and she turned from Angelica to Josh.

  “What did you say?” Josh’s mouth quivered.

  “Dirk and I had just arrived. I was standing outside and I overheard Rosie asking my mother for advice.” Angelica patted her hair. “You asked Rosie to move in with you, and she didn’t know how to tell you she didn’t want to.”

  “Did you say that?” Josh turned to Rosie. His eyes were flat. His body was tense, ready for flight.

  “It’s not what I meant,” Rosie pleaded. “That’s what I wanted to discuss in the bath.”

  “Angelica heard you say it to Estelle,” Josh repeated.

  “I didn’t mean it like that,” Rosie said desperately.

  “But you said it,” Josh said slowly. “And you said you’d always be honest. I’ve got things to do. I’ll see you later.”

  “It’s not how it sounds.” Rosie’s eyes filled with tears. “I can explain.”

  Josh rea
ched the door and turned the handle. “That’s not necessary. Angelica made it perfectly clear.”

  “Josh, wait.” She followed him onto the driveway. “I was going to talk about it, we just haven’t had time. It’s more complicated than that.”

  “We’ve had time to make love and eat chocolate.” His eyes were dark. “There was plenty of time to talk about not wanting to live together.”

  “You don’t understand,” she begged. “Angelica twisted my words.”

  “Angelica would never intentionally hurt her best friend.” Josh glared at her. “You’re the one who is twisting things. You told Estelle you didn’t want to live with me and now you can’t think of any easy way to let me down. I’ve got to go, I’m late for work.”

  * * *

  Rosie trudged across the lawn to the cottage and opened the door. Angelica sat on the sofa, leafing through a magazine.

  “I hope you don’t mind me coming in.” She looked up. “The door was unlocked and I wanted to apologize.”

  “It’s a little late for that,” Rosie said tightly. “Josh doesn’t want to talk to me.”

  “I’m sorry it came out that way,” Angelica offered. “But I did you a favor. Josh would just hold you back.”

  “Hold me back!” Rosie retorted. “Is that what Ben’s friends said about me? ‘You should dump Rosie, she’s holding you back.’ If you love someone, they’re not holding you back, they’re part of the journey.”

  “But I heard you say you didn’t want to move in with Josh,” Angelica persisted.

  “I didn’t want to move in with him because I don’t believe in living together. Either person can leave whenever they want to: just pack a suitcase and go.” Rosie crumpled onto the floor. “I wanted to marry Josh, but I didn’t know how to tell him.”

  “Oh.” Angelica sat next to Rosie. “I didn’t know.”

  “That’s why I got flustered when you asked me to be your maid of honor. It’s not that I didn’t want to be at your wedding. It was because I saw Dirk’s face when he looked at you and I wanted Josh to look at me like that.” Rosie gulped and tears streamed down her cheeks. “I know it’s silly. Plenty of couples live together forever, but I wanted a ring and a poufy white dress.”