Role of a Lifetime: Out of Hollywood Romance

by Cora Davies

  "Yeah," he answered. Despite the freezing temperature, her body melted at the sound of his voice. Deep and raspy, he still had some of the Georgia accent he moved to town with all those years ago.

  "Well, the only reason I'm asking, is because I saw the beer lights and the sign in your window and I just wasn't sure if you read it..."

  "Jesus Molly, are you serious? Right now you want to talk about the lights?" Jack stared at her, brows furrowed. Molly searched for something to say, but her thoughts were interrupted by the stranger.

  Before the trio was off the sidewalk, the man turned around and winked to Molly. "You sure you don't want to come back with me now? Keep a man nice and warm on his vacation."

  Molly felt of a pit of fire in her chest at the fear the man caused in her and stepped back. As much as she kept telling herself the man was drunk and harmless, his gaze frightened her. Before she could open her mouth to speak, Jack stepped between them. She watched his fists clench at both sides, always the defender. He was easily twice the man's size in broadness, and his presence made her calm immediately. "Come on now man, let's get you in the warm car."

  She wanted to slip her hand into his and pull him back to protect her. Instead, she squeezed her hands together instead as if she was ringing out a cloth. "Thank you Brian and Rachel." Then after forcing the name to her lips, "Jack."

  He smiled at her, a sad smile, but a smile nonetheless, and her heart broke. With that smile, he turned around and helped Brian escort the man to the back of the cruiser. As soon as his attention was diverted, she turned around and ran inside of her shop securely shutting the door and checking the lock three times.

  Molly leaned her head back against the door's glass and surveyed her winter wonderland. The joy she felt decorating created had been washed away with Molly's confused feelings. Bing Crosby crooned through the shop's speakers, and when the song was over she finally turned and looked outside. Brian's car was gone and so was Jack.

  "Jack," she whispered, liking the way his name sounded on her lips. How had things gone so wrong?

  She jumped as her phone began to vibrate and looked at the screen. "Jeremy, how are you, babe?"

  As her boyfriend began to speak, she forced herself to tune into the current conversation. Stop thinking about Jack! The guilt washed over her about the thoughts that had been running through her head about her ex-boyfriend.

  "Molly! Are you even listening to me?" Jeremy demanded.

  "I'm sorry, something just happened and it kind of spooked me-" Molly was interrupted.

  "Okay, that's great babe. Look, I know I said I was taking some time off in December-"

  "You aren't coming home anymore?" she asked, Jack suddenly far from her mind as she felt the desperation to see her boyfriend who she had not seen in two months.

  "Shit, will you let me finish? Damn, always running your mouth, it's a wonder I can tell you anything," Jeremy started barking into the phone, and Molly felt herself shrink. Jeremy's promotion left him stressed and angry so often anymore. It was only for a little while, he promised. They were going to hire another person to split the workload, and then things would be back to normal. "As I was saying, I am still coming home, I just have to bring work with me. I'm going to be staying at my parents because there is no room at the crap, sorry, craft store for my setup. I'll have an office there."

  "Okay, I understand," Molly said backing away from the window and taking her eyes off Jack's front door at last. Molly felt her voice crack as she walked upstairs talking to Jeremy. She tried to tell him about what had just happened with the man in her window.

  "Babe, just put a curtain up." Jeremy laughed. "Look, I gotta go, they're waiting on me for this meeting."

  He hung up right as Molly looked at her clock. A meeting at ten o'clock at night?

  Chapter Four

  Jack tossed his flannel jacket on top of a pile of dirty clothes in the corner of his bedroom. The bar had closed almost an hour ago, and it was almost three in the morning. Luckily, it was a quiet night after the minor excitement. It was the first night of snow, and most men had been at home fixing things up for winter. Finding the snow chains, digging out the shovels, and checking engine fluid levels. It was exactly the kind of quiet Jack needed to process his feelings after talking to Molly that night.

  Jack opened his bedroom curtains. They were thick and quilted. Designed to keep the cool inside in the summer and the freeze outside in the winter. His grandmother had made them for him when he was a little boy, and though the red fire engines had begun to fade from years of sunlight and washing, they still did the job.

  He looked across Main Street to Molly's bedroom window. The curtains were closed, just as they had been every time he had walked the perimeter of her shop this evening. Every time he took out the trash, and he took it out more often than he needed to that evening, he looked outside for the drunk stranger. Something about the man bothered Jack, and while he was sure Molly would not accept his assistance, he wanted to check that things were okay with his own eyes. He hoped she was sleeping, and not lying in bed scared.

  When the drunk man looked at Molly that way and made a step toward her, it was all Jack could do to not throw the man to the ground. No woman should be spoken to like that, and Jack knew that better than anyone.

  Jack thought about seeing Molly tonight, it was better than those glances from across the street. He pictured the way the moonlight streaked through her auburn hair, making it look as though it was made from the stars themselves. He felt a stirring in his pants as he thought of how she had forgotten to zip up her jacket. He could see all the curves of her body, the curves he had only seen from a distance for the past few years. His mind traveled all the way from her breasts that rounded out her t-shirt just right, all the way down to the way her jeans hugged her hips. She was curved in the way a woman should be- not like all those damn stick figures running around these days.

  He wanted to grab her right then and there right before the stranger took a step toward her. Obsessing about those damn lights. She was the reason he had bought them, just to be on her mind a little. Years had changed a man, and he wanted a chance to show her that. But spending time with her? He did not know how to do that. Jack wanted Molly to come to him. He shook his head. What was he thinking? She was the reason he was getting into the brewery with a couple of old friends from his uncle's fishing boat. Well, one of the reasons. To get away from her. Buying some beer lights might get her frustrated and talking with him, but it was not going to make her fall in love with him again. That time had passed.

  She had a boyfriend too, that dick Jeremy Hudson. She was not into the kind of man Jack was, he knew that. He was too old fashioned, too boring, and he had fucked up too bad at prom. Instead, she wanted someone like Jeremy.

  The asshole had been in Jack's bar a few times with some of his buddies and each time there was another problem. They were a smug bunch of rich guys, living off mommy and daddy's money most often. Or in the boyfriend's case, had been handed a position in some other town because of who his parents were.

  Jack was still leaning against his window looking towards her apartment window when suddenly her curtains flew open. Jack hit the floor. What are you doing man? Hiding like a teenage girl?

  He sat up and leaned against his bed, feeling the old spring mattress dig into his back. Molly stood in her window in a red nightgown that was form fitting and ended just below her panty line. Illuminated by the light behind her, she cupped her face to look out the window and seemed to search the street below her. She looked over to his window, and his heart quickened, even though he knew she could not see him. He fought the urge to walk to the window and wave to her. No, in all honesty, he fought the urge to cross the street and take her to bed with him this instant.

  Then, as fast as she had yanked the curtains open, she pulled them shut and was gone. He wanted to be in the same room with her. He wanted to caress her through the thin material of her nightgown. He wanted to feel her b
ody tense as he kissed every square inch of her until she cried out his name. He closed his eyes and envisioned pulling her nightgown over her head and taking her to new heights. Jack had good dreams that night.

  Chapter Five

  Molly chewed on her pencil as Doug Sanders slammed his hammer down on the old wooden teacher's podium. Doug was the president of the Dickens Council, and entirely too serious about his job if you asked anyone but Molly. Molly, however, believed his seriousness and passion for rules and order were integral parts to a happy Dickens season. Doug was tall dark and handsome enough to make most girls swoon, including Molly last year. However, after working closely with him on the Dickens Council, she discovered that two Christmas enthusiasts did not make a sane pairing. She was almost sure he never picked up on her crush, or, at least, no more of a crush than any other woman in town had on him. She felt lucky about that too, because Jeremy was the jealous type.

  To Doug's left sat Bridget Smith, the tall blond bimbo looking but smart as a tack Vice President on the council. She was also sarcastic as hell which made Molly both crave her friendship and want to run like hell from it. Finally, between Molly and Bridget was handsome and broad-shouldered Eli Dunlap. He moved to town from the city with his parents when Molly was away at college, and they dated for a few months when she came back. His absolute contentment at working at his dad’s gas station for the rest of his life had been a quick turn off for a young and idealistic Molly, though, and their physical attraction fizzled out. Molly sat with her pencil poised above the crisp blank page of the composition notebook, ready to fulfill her secretarial duties of taking notes.

  Molly pressed the pencil to the top of the legal pad to write the day’s date and jumped a little when the lead snapped. Doug rolled his eyes at her, likely thinking about the fact that he kept reminding Molly to bring a laptop. He looked around the room at the gossiping crowd and motioned towards the back of the classroom.

  "Sorry Doug," she shrugged, smiling shyly at him. "I'm just gonna go..."

  Molly quickly walked towards the back of the classroom that served as the Dickens Council meeting room. She shivered as she passed by the windows, feeling the draft from the winter chill. She had resisted the urge to scan the Main Street business owners as they filtered in, pretending like she was busy texting. In all honesty, she just did not want to look around and chance seeing Jack's smoldering glare again.

  Still feeling guilty for the emotions she entertained the night before when she saw Jack, Molly had been trying to think happy thoughts about her boyfriend all morning. It was not doing much good to get the vision of Jack's large arms and green eyes out of her head, though. Jack. Molly sighed then shook her head. Stop thinking about him!

  Instead, Molly concentrated on the Rudolph pencil in her hand and jabbing it into the old school pencil sharpener attached to the wall. As she listened to the pencil shaving and the sound of mixed conversation around the room, she looked over one shoulder then the next. Stretching and accounting for all the Main Street owners.

  He's not here! She realized in surprise.

  She tapped her pencil against her thigh and spun around to look again, her long auburn hair spinning around her shoulders. He was definitely not there. She stomped her way back up the aisle and threw herself down into her seat at the head of the room behind the long desk. Why do you care? She scolded herself. It's not about Jack, exactly, it's Dickens village and everyone is supposed to be here!

  "What's wrong with you?" Eli asked. Molly smelled the spearmint coming off his breath as he spoke. Even when they dated he had been a chewing gum addict.

  "Jack Millings isn't here," she whispered venomously. Eli looked around and shrugged. "He has beer lights hanging up in his doorway."

  "He does own a bar Mols," Eli said.

  "He owns a bar in Dickens Village for the next four weeks." Molly jabbed a finger in Eli's direction, and the man rolled his eyes. "There were no beer bottle Christmas lights in the 18th century." Molly scanned the room again quickly, then turned her frustration on Eli. "Why are you on the committee anyway if you don't care about authenticity?"

  "I'm pretty sure there were no twinkling white Christmas lights back then either," Bridget leaned over Eli to whisper at Molly. Molly shot her a daggered look and Bridget leaned back into her own seat again. She mumbled," Authenticity."

  Molly noticed Eli looked a little red around the ears and his cheeks. "Eli, are you okay? You have a fever or something?"

  Eli shook his head and glared at Molly. Oh, I get it. She had not noticed before, but maybe Eli had a thing for Bridget? Bridget was more serious than the girls Eli usually ran around with, but maybe he was growing up.

  Molly jolted straight up in her seat as a loud boom rang out, and she realized it was a fist hitting the desk in front of her. She slowly turned to see who had hit the table and felt herself flame just as Eli had a moment ago.

  Jack was standing right in front of Molly, nostrils flared, breathing heavy. He had a cross between irritation and plain anger in his eyes, and Molly puffed herself up ready for whatever argument he was presenting to the Council. Is it me, or is he even sexier when he is mad? He had been mad the night before too when the drunk man propositioned Molly, and seeing him angry now made her think of that moment. He had defended her honor, she realized as her blush deepened a little more.

  Jack was still standing in front of her, not speaking. Molly dug her fingernails into her thighs and forced herself to break the silence.

  "Jack, I'm glad you made it." The words sounded forced, even to Molly. "I believe you were the last Main Street owner we were waiting on." Jack picked up the piece of paper he had slammed onto the desk and waved it around in front of her.

  "What is this?" He demanded, and Molly trembled at the sound of his gruff voice.

  "A piece of paper- I do believe," Molly said with the largest and brightest smile she could retrieve. She heard her voice getting higher with each word, but could do nothing to stop it. "Now, if you'll have a seat, I believe Doug wanted to start. Doug?"

  She looked over to Doug as she called out his name, finally breaking her eye contact from Jack. Doug was looking over in mild interest but did not answer. Molly turned to Eli for support, but he cleared his throat and turned to study a map on the wall.

  "This is not just a normal piece of paper. This is another one of your Dickens bullshit propaganda," Jack growled.

  "Propaganda might be taking it a little far," Molly tried to chuckle and break the tension, but as the laugh left her mouth Jack's eyes narrowed.

  "I petitioned the council to leave my bar out of this nonsense. It's too much work for me to convert everything to "a pleasant 18th century quiet English pub"," Jack's voice oozed sarcasm. "Not to mention the money. For what? One month a year, that I don't even benefit from." Jack's voice raised and as he turned around to address the twenty or so business owners in the room. "I suppose I'm the only one here, aren't I? I sure am. I am the only one who does not benefit from this Dickens Village every year. Instead, I lose the few custumers I do have for the month because you're all out playing around in costumes."

  "Why is it that you feel like you don't benefit from the Village?" Doug asked finally finding his way to the podium.

  Jack's voice seemed to lower and become steady again as he realized he had the full attention of the council. "I have an over 21 business, and in case you didn't notice, Dickens is mostly families with small children. None of them are leaving their kids out on the street like a-" Jack reached his hands around in the air as though he was searching for the right words. "18th century Dickens street urchin- so they can come in and buy a beer.

  "When I woke up this afternoon I found this on my front door," Jack began waving the flier around again as Molly sat back in her seat, bobbing her head around trying to read what it said. "From another overzealous Christmas enthusiast!"

  He threw the flier at Molly and walked to the back row collapsing into an empty seat. Molly snatched the flie
r up from where it had fallen on the floor and read it aloud. "All outdoor Christmas decorations must be approved by Dickens Council. Right, well we all know that? Any and all decor placed outside of a business in the spirit of mocking the holiday festival will be seized by the city. Oh."

  "Where are my lights, Molly Smith?" Jack asked, kicking up his steel toed boots on the desk in front of him. This was not Molly's work, but he was convinced it was.

  "I don't know," she stammered.

  "Oh they just magically disappeared, maybe ran off with the spirit of Christmas?" Jack asked propping his hands behind his head.

  "Now, Mr. Millings, there is no reason so act so rude," Bridget said with a disgusted voice, but Molly thought she was probably enjoying the drama. Drama at Molly's expense.

  "Molly had nothing to do with the flier or the beer lights being confiscated," Doug said. "I did that on my own first thing this morning Jack. You know, you benefit from the small business council year round, but when it comes to the Dickens Village, you act as though we are asking you to run naked through the streets on Christmas day- okay no. You'd probably do that one."

  There was a small chuckle that ran through the men in the room, and a couple of high pitched uncomfortable women giggles. Molly thought they must have been thinking about Jack running down Main Street Christmas morning, naked except for steel toed boots and a Santa hat. Maybe a scarf too, they were not barbarians. Molly snorted, then blushed a little as she looked up to see Jack looking at her yet again. Quizzical expression on his face, but she could tell he was also irritated with Doug's joke.

  "I want my decorations back," Jack said to Doug but did not take his eyes off Molly. She stared back, willing herself not to break the eye contact, but she was feeling dizzy from his energy. His penetrating stare was too hard for her to read.