by Harlow Layne
“Does that mean you’ll go?” I asked, excited.
“I know how much you love the beach and ocean. There’s no way I would deny you. What about Mason? Where will he be?”
I loved that he thought of Mason. I couldn’t contain my smile as I answered. “I get him for Thanksgiving and his dad will have him from the day after Christmas until a couple of days before he goes back to school.”
“Are you okay with that?”
Tears filled my eyes. “I don’t really have much say. It’s in the custody agreement and I don’t have enough money to fight to get what I want.”
There was silence for a few moments when neither of us knew what to say next. My situation sucked but I tried not to dwell on it, and had learned to make the most of it by reading while Mason was gone or hanging out with Ryan. The holidays were the hardest though even if Mason would be with me for Christmas Day, it still hurt that he would be gone for his break.
“Do you have any other information about Mexico? Do you know where?”
“Playa Del Carmen. She told me they planned to fly there on the twenty-sixth and come back January second. Since I’m going to be in LA, I’d like to come a day or two early so that I can see Jenner and give him his Christmas present before heading to Mexico.”
Luke’s eyes widened. “Are you already Christmas shopping?”
“Oh no! I don’t even have any ideas about what to get anyone especially you, Anna, and Jenner. Anna seems to literally have everything so what could I possibly get her.”
“Something from the heart,” Luke answered, sincerely.
“I need to start thinking about it now, so I have enough time to figure it out.”
“Don’t stress out about it. I think she’ll be happy to spend time with you. She won’t need a gift. For now, let’s deal with booking some tickets.”
I would worry about what I was going to get Anna, Jenner and especially Luke, but I’d try to keep it to myself. In the meantime, I was happy to stare at him through my phone as he found a flight that would bring him to me in one month’s time.
“I think Tuesday will work better for arrival. Mason has to go back to school on Monday and you’ll need to work, right?”
“Right.” I felt like I always needed to work, but I was saving up to buy us a better house and the only way to do that was to work my ass off.
“Okay.” Luke drew out the word. “I don't want to overstay my welcome so why don't you tell me when I should book my flight back home.”
If the weekend went well, I had a feeling that I’d never want Luke to leave. “Is Sunday good for you? I don't want to keep you if you have work to do.”
“I would tell you if I had to work and the only thing I need to do is keep a somewhat decent diet and workout. There's no need to worry. I have most of November cleared for when I go to Iceland, and after the beginning of the month, I won't have any more auditions until I've finished shooting the season of Night Shadows.”
Smiling, a high-pitched squeal erupted. I couldn't contain my excitement over Luke being here. “I'm so excited!”
“I can tell,” he chuckled. His eyes twinkling. “What's a good hotel that's close to you?”
A hotel? No, way in hell was Luke not staying with me.
“I thought you’d stay with me. It’ll be a little cramped with Taylor and her family here too, but…”
“Hey.” Luke soothed me with only one word and his gentle tone. “I wasn't sure you were ready to take it to that level yet with Mason. If you want me there, I have no problem staying with you and I can even sleep on the couch.”
A burst of laughter escaped. There was no way that Luke could sleep on my couch and actually get any sleep. He was much too large for that.
“Is someone else sleeping on the couch?”
“Not that I know of. There's no way you would be comfortable on my couch. It's not made for Vikings to sleep on.”
“Viking, huh?” His brows quirked up along with his smile. “If I can sleep in your bed, I am down for that although it will make it harder once I leave to sleep without you.”
“Long distance sucks.” I pouted.
“It does, but I think we can make it work.”
“I do too, but life is so much better when I can wake up with you beside me.”
“I have to agree, which brings us to going to Mexico.”
Luke went over all the flights that were available on the dates that we would be coming and going and the days that I’d be flying to and from LA. I’d still need to get the resort information from Anna and make sure that Jenner would be available for me to visit him while I was there.
After multiple yawns that I tried to cover up because I didn't want to let Luke go (orgasms will do that to you), Luke convinced me to go to bed.
“Think of me there with you and soon enough I’ll be lying next to you, holding you in my arms.”
“I can't wait.” Another yawn escaped, preventing me from saying anything more that was much too soon to say.
“Good night, beautiful.”
“Good night, handsome.”
12
Was it possible to be on cloud nine and be a nervous wreck at the same time? I could barely contain my excitement as I waited for Luke's plane to land. We’d only have a couple of hours to ourselves before I had to go get Mason from school and then introduced them.
Mason knew that Luke was coming, but I wasn't sure how he was going to react to his mom having a boyfriend. He even knew that Luke was staying at our house, but he also knew that his friend Ben was coming with his family and that they’d also be staying with us. To Mason it was just one big happy slumber party. That was unless he freaked out when there was another man in my bed besides his dad. I didn't know what I’d do if for some reason they didn't hit it off or Mason hated Luke.
Ten minutes before his plane was set to land, I parked my car in the short-term parking lot and made my way inside. Our airport was extremely small compared to LAX, and I knew that Luke would have no trouble finding me at the curb, but I wanted to greet him the same way he greeted me in New York. I’d even made a sign with his name on it to hold up. It was cheesy, but also fun. Or at least I thought so.
Luke Sandström was not hard to miss in a crowd. Even if he wasn't a movie and TV star, his height and looks would naturally draw attention. He towered over almost everyone as they made their way to baggage claim. Heads turned, and whispers were uttered with pointed fingers. It made sense that Luke valued his privacy with all the attention he received from the media to the everyday common folk like me. In the small amount of time I was with him in New York, Luke was always gracious to anyone who came up and asked for an autograph or for him to take a selfie with them. He explained how he never gave out personal information to anyone who wasn't a close friend or family in fear that it would get out and create a media frenzy.
I knew the second he spotted me. Luke's pace quickened, and a large smile broke out on his handsome face. I wiggled the sign I was holding before I couldn't stand still any longer.
After Luke said that we needed to keep a certain distance when out in public, I wasn't sure how he’d greet me once he was here. There was no reason to worry. The moment we were close, Luke wrapped his arms around me, lifting me up and kissing me. The kiss was what one would expect when alone, not when there were dozens or more people watching with a great possibility that they might take pictures and post them to social media. Never once had Luke expressed that anything would change when we were out in public.
Setting me down on my feet, I swayed a little before Luke's hands gripped my hips, causing my world to right itself. My eyes feasted as I took him in. Per his standard wardrobe, Luke was in dark, tight jeans that fit him perfectly. I knew that if I turned him around his jeans would be cupping his delectable ass. He had on black boots along with a tight black t-shirt that hugged his biceps, sunglasses on top of the bill of his baseball cap, and a jacket hanging over the bag he had slung over his shoulder.
>
I wanted to devour him right then and there, and the only thing that got me through the next thirty minutes was the thought of the very small amount of time we’d have together before Mason got home.
Clasping my hand in his, Luke placed his sunglasses over his eyes as we started to move through the airport. When I turned to head to baggage claim, he stopped me and informed me that he only had the one bag.
“If I can I prefer not to have to check any baggage. That way I can get in and out of the airport as quickly as possible. In big airports, most especially LAX, it can get pretty crazy once the paparazzi spots you. Having to wait for a suitcase while getting swarmed is not ideal.”
“I can imagine, but as you can see there's no paparazzi here in Fairlane. People may take pictures from far away, but no one is going to attack you or at least I don't think they will. I've lived here all my life and until last year I’d never seen Colton Patrick here.” I shrugged because for me I knew there was a possibility that a celebrity could be in town because for some strange reason there were quite a few from around here. I knew that if I saw one, I’d never bother them, but maybe take a picture and send it to Taylor to let her know who I saw.
Luke smiled down at me as we passed through the doors and out into the chilly air. In Missouri you never knew what the weather was going to be from one day to the next. Only two days ago it had been close to seventy degrees and now as we walked out to my car I could see our breath. It was supposed to stay cold the entire time Luke and Taylor were in Fairlane. I was jealous that they’d leave and go back to warm weather while I’d be stuck in the cold until I left for Mexico.
“This is me.” I pointed to my maroon Camry and popped the trunk. “It's not an Audi, but it's dependable and gets me where I need to go.”
Luke stopped me with a hand to my shoulder. “Are you embarrassed of your car?” I shrugged as I used the remote to unlock the doors while he threw his bag in the trunk. “If you saw the car I was driving around before I got the Audi you’d think this is a luxury vehicle. Don't be embarrassed. You may have wealthy friends, but you don't need to compete. It wasn't that long ago that I was a struggling actor. In fact, I still live the exact same now as I did when I first moved to LA. If anyone should be ashamed it should be me. After four years I should stop mooching off my friends and find my own place, but what's the point when I’d barely be there?”
“You make a good point. Are you going to show me all the pictures you took in Iceland? I’ve been dying to see them.” I asked as I pulled out of the parking lot.
“Of course, but I still plan to take you there one day. Even if it's cold, you’ll think it’s beautiful.”
“I look forward to going with you. From what I’ve seen in pictures its stunning.”
Several minutes later we were on our way to my house when my phone rang. The number that displayed on my dashboard was one I didn’t recognize, but I answered anyway.
“Hello?”
“Alex?” A stranger questioned.
“Yes, who's this?”
“Hey, it's Brad Thomas.”
“Oh, hey, Brad. How are you?” The last time I’d talked to Brad had been when we graduated high school.
“Not so great. I'm calling in case you didn't know that Bill Miller died, and his funeral is on Friday. I called Decker, and he informed me that you two are no longer together.”
Tears instantly trailed down my cheeks. I couldn't believe that Bill had died. We grew up together, and I’d had the biggest crush on him when he moved to Fairlane. The last time I saw him was at a gas station eight years ago. He’d changed so much that I’d barely recognized him.
I hadn't realized that Luke had taken the wheel and pulled us over onto the shoulder until his voice broke through.
“Brad is it?”
“Yeah, who's this?”
“I'm Luke, Alex's boyfriend. We're in the car and… well we had to pull over. I think Alex is too upset to talk right now. If you could give me the information for the funeral, I'll make sure we're there.”
“Is she going to be okay?”
“Yeah, it's obvious that Bill meant something to her and I think she'd like the chance to say goodbye. Do you know if Decker is going to be there?”
“I couldn't say. He got pissed off when I asked him about Alex.”
“Yeah, they don't get along but hopefully for the sake of your friend he'll be cool.”
Luke ended the call and helped me out of the car and into the passenger seat.
“Baby,” Luke called. His concerned face dipped into my vision. “I think I should drive. Can you type your address into my phone's GPS?”
Without a word, I entered my address before handing Luke back his phone. He laced our fingers together and placed them on his thigh as he drove and gave me time to come to terms that my friend had died.
Staring out the window my vision blurred with tears. I saw nothing, but my past with my old friend. Bill was thirty-one and way too young to die. It broke my heart that I lost contact with him, after being friends with him since the moment he stepped into my second-grade class room, and that I’d never get to talk to him again.
I hadn't even noticed that we were in my neighborhood until I saw Luke's hand reach up and hit my garage door opener. He pulled into the garage and shut off the car before coming around to help me out of the car.
My tears had stopped at some point, but I was a walking zombie as I made my way into the house. Luke followed behind, his hand on the small of my back for comfort until we hit my bedroom. Once there, he sat me down on the side of the bed and took off my shoes placing them neatly by my nightstand and then curled himself around me. No words were spoken, but none were needed. Luke gave me exactly what I needed by holding me close to his body and not letting go.
Earlier when I’d set my alarm, it was intended to give me time to clean up before picking up Mason. I thought I would’ve been having amazing sex with Luke, not crying on his shoulder the whole time. I hoped that this wasn’t going to be indicative of his trip here.
“Is it time to get Mason?” Luke asked from behind me, his arms giving me a small squeeze.
“Yeah,” I breathed out. “I’m sorry, Luke. This isn’t how I planned your welcome to Fairlane party to start.”
“I know, but that’s life. It’s unpredictable, and I’m happy that I can be here for you when you need me instead of across the country and not being able to do anything about it. I hate that you lost your friend. I’ll do whatever you need me to do while I’m here even if it’s only to hold you in my arms.”
My voice broke and my chin quivered as I turned in his arms and whispered his name. “Can you go to the funeral with me?” The thought of seeing Bill in his casket caused me physical pain every time I thought about it, and the added thought that I might encounter Decker while at Bill’s funeral was too much to bear.
“Anything you want. Why don’t you go wash your face before you pick Mason up so that he doesn’t see how upset you’ve been?”
I must have looked a wreck. I’d put on makeup and wore mascara to pick up Luke and with all my crying it had to be all over my face. My hands covered my eyes in the insane hope that he could forget the mess that I surely was.
“Hey,” Luke called softly as he peeled my hands away one finger at a time. He smiled down at me with warm eyes. Kissing my forehead, he gave me one last hug before helping me off the bed.
Looking in the mirror, my face wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. There were streaks running through my makeup, but my mascara had miraculously stayed on. Instead of trying to fix my makeup, I washed my face and placed a cold washcloth over my eyes for a few minutes to try to alleviate my red, swollen eyes. The washcloth helped a little, but not enough to fool Mason. The only way he might overlook what I looked like was his excitement over meeting Luke.
Noise filtered down the hall as I made my way out of my bathroom. Luke was making himself feel at home which caused me to smile a little. I was happy t
hat he felt comfortable in my house. I should’ve been helping him instead of breaking down, but I knew that he understood.
“Hey,” I called when I spotted him in the kitchen leaning against the counter drinking a glass of water. “Can I get you something else?”
“Water’s good,” he replied, patting his toned stomach.
“Do you want to stay here while I go get Mason or come with me? His school is pretty close, so it should only take about ten minutes.”
Striding over to me, Luke pulled me into a hug. “I’ll leave that up to you. Would it be better if Mason met me in the car or once he got home?”
“Truthfully, I don’t know. It’s not like I’ve ever done this before. The only other man I’ve brought around him is my friend, Ryan. I’m in uncharted waters here with you.” I rested my head against his chest and breathed in the smell of the ocean and sandalwood. I’d missed how good he smelled. I loved being in his arms and that was a scary feeling. I’d always been an independent person from the time I was a little girl, and now I was desperate to be by his side every moment that I could.
Luke looked down at me, his concern etched on his face. I had a feeling that if I hadn’t lived the hell that Decker had put me through, the little things that Luke did wouldn’t mean as much to me as they did. Maybe it meant I wasn’t ready to start something with him or anyone for that matter, or perhaps it meant that I found the exact right person to be in my life.
“How about I stay here that way you and Mason can have a few minutes by yourselves before he gets home. With everyone that’s going to be here in the next few days it’s going to be pretty crazy. I think you need those few minutes with him.”
“Thank you for knowing what I need even when I don’t. I feel like I’m ruining your trip.”
“Why? Because I didn’t fuck you in your kitchen or against the wall? I didn’t come for sex, Alex. I came to be with you and to meet the people who matter the most to you.”