“What did you order?” Kate asked curious.
Erin grinned “Roast beef and plenty of vegetables as well as desert and a nice wine.”
Kate laughed. She’d end up eating most of the vegetables and a little of the meat and Erin would end up eating most of the meat as well as the desert. They had eaten together for a while and this was a joke between them. By the end of dinner Kate asked “so what brings you to Seattle?”
They had talked about the weather, the boys, both hers and hers as well as the pets but Kate’s innocent inquiry made Erin laugh. Pulling a box out of her pocket she handed it to Kate and said “Happy Birthday babe” and waited expectantly as Kate wiped her fingers and mouth on her napkin before unwrapping the gaily wrapped package.
Kate swallowed the mouth full of food she had by using the wine as an inducement. Opening the package she found her mouth going dry when she realized it was a ring box. Opening it her suspicion was confirmed when she saw a beautiful solitaire diamond in Irish Gold. She looked up at Erin, waiting for her to speak.
Erin saw the confusion on Kate’s face. She enjoyed surprising her whenever she could but she knew this had probably made Kate speechless. Smiling she gently said “yes, it’s an engagement ring. No it doesn’t have to mean anything unless you want it to” she knew Kate felt very strongly about Erin’s public persona, in their home life though they were very well matched and she appreciated Kate’s discretion. “I want YOU to know though that I consider us forever and not just friends” her glance took in the eternity ring that Kate was never without and that she wore constantly. They had exchanged them two years ago.
Kate teared up. She wanted this woman forever as well. It wasn’t easy, it hadn’t been easy, and it still wouldn’t BE easy. They couldn’t go out in public together and had to make do with behind closed doors. Their kids all practiced discretion as well and rarely made references to their mother’s ‘girlfriend’. Everyone stepped on egg shells, sometimes it was very hard. Such a public declaration though could be ruinous to Erin’s career. Kate wasn’t willing to do that though. She closed the box and slid it across the table. “No thank you.” She got up suddenly from the table leaving a stunned Erin sitting there.
She sat on the couch of the suite. She was angry, she was annoyed. She felt as though Erin was teasing her. An engagement ring of all things!
Erin was hurt and angry. She thought that Kate would have loved wearing her ring even if they could never publicly acknowledge their relationship. She had slipped once with Sandy and sort of acknowledged their relationship but the tabloids had moved on so quickly to other scandals that her slip had gone on almost unnoticed. She had to move careful with Kate. Following Kate to the couch she sat down right next to her and asked “you don’t want my ring?”
Kate looked at her sadly and shook her head “Erin, we can’t ever marry, what would be the point?”
“Kate” her anger made her voice louder than she intended and she adjusted it as she continued “I love you. I want YOU to know that I WOULD marry you if I could, that’s all this means. Who knows? Maybe SOMEDAY we could marry.”
Kate looked at the earnest loving face before her and realized she was being thrown a bone. She appreciated the gesture, she really did but it didn’t MEAN anything if they could NEVER act on it. She didn’t want to hurt Erin though and not accepting the ring would hurt. She reached for the box that Erin held in her hand, surprised when Erin pulled it out of her reach.
Erin flipped open the box and pulled out the ring. Gently and gracefully she went to her knees before Kate on the sofa and taking Kate’s left hand in hers she coolly slid the engagement on her third finger nestling next to the eternity ring already settled there as she asked “Kate McCall, will you SOMEDAY, marry me?”
Kate’s eyes teared up seeing how touching Erin had made this moment. Reaching out with her right hand she cupped Erin’s chin as she leaned in for a kiss and breathed “yes, someday.”
Kate felt odd wearing an engagement ring next to the eternity ring but no one noticed it or so she thought. Although she wrote novels that had women coming in droves to meet and greet the writer she accepted their casual flirtations as though it were nothing. Adept at smooth talk she rarely had to get rid of a persistent or more aggressive admirers. It was a lot easier when she did signings for Macc Katell and then it was a hoards of pre-teenagers both male and female who admired and adored her. At least they didn’t hit on her. Erin watched her for a while before she had to leave to catch her plane. She observed her smoothly talk to teenagers in the same way she handled Peter. One little girl she overheard Kate talking to told her she was 10, her name was Amber, and it was her birthday, her mother nodding enthusiastically behind her she told Kate that all she had wanted to do was meet Macc Katell.
Kate smiled at her ardent admirer. Ten years old! Wow, what a compliment. “It’s your birthday? Well it’s my birthday too! We Scorpio’s have to stick together.” The girl went on to tell Kate that she wrote too. Kate took a moment to think before writing a special note to her new found friend:
“Dear Amber, HAPPY BIRTHDAY! It’s wonderful to realize
That we share not only a birthday but a love of adventure and
reading. Don’t ever lose that.
Sincerely,
Macc Katell aka Katrina ‘Kate’ McCall”
She dated it and handed the book back to Amber. Amber gave her an enthusiastic hug, let her mother take a picture of the two of them, and gave her a thank you as she left with her beaming mother.
Erin smiled as she waved goodbye to Kate who nodded. They would both be in Chicago but managed to miss each other but they would be in New York the following week despite their hectic schedules they would find a day or evening together if they could. They could stay at the apartment in New York that Erin kept there.
Erin was surprised when her agent and manager Norm handed her a package on her birthday. It wasn’t like him and at her confused look he quickly reassured her “it’s not from me” she laughed at him and quickly unwrapped the package. Inside was a leather bound script of her current movie with the date and title embossed in the leather. Inside on the leather written in script was the words “Academy Award winning story by Omar Khalid, Kate McCall, and Faith and George Kovochny” Erin smiled at the words hoping they were prophetic. On the inside of the back cover was written everyone’s name that had had anything to do with the production of the film and their titles. She was touched, this had taken a lot of work. She still laughed and showed Norm the words “Academy Award” to his evident pleasure as well. “She is foretelling the future now is she?” it was his dearest hope for his friend and client. Erin was touched, it was such a unique gift from Kate but how had she done it? No script had been allowed off the lot once the final one had been agreed upon for secrecy’s sake. She would ask her when she saw her in New York.
Kate arrived in New York tired. After Chicago she had gone up into Wisconsin not only for book signings and promotions but to attend her family’s Thanksgiving. Her sister’s in law had pounced on her new ring and her refusal to tell them anything had made for a stressful vacation. They had tried wheedling it out of her boys and Jill but those three had kept amazingly silent. Kate was a little saddened as Erin had promised to attend this year’s family dinner but had to cancel at the last minute. Kate was glad she hadn’t told anyone she was planning on bringing a date, much less who it was. It would have been impossible to put the cat back in the bag with her family once they had known so she bore their teasing and their questions and gave them no information. She was glad to escape to New York. The doorman checked her identification carefully when she got dropped off by the cab. Erin had left instructions that she was to be allowed into her apartment but they didn’t just let anyone into this building and Ms. Ingram’s privacy was paramount. Kate understood that but she was tired, she was pmsing, and she just wasn’t in the mood. She was about to snap when he finally led her to a private elevator and pushed the app
ropriate button for her. She sagged with relief when the elevator opened directly to the foyer of the apartment and she could let her suitcase down. Erin was due to arrive anytime for the premiere here in New York and Kate had time to look around. A small three bedroom flat it overlooked Central Park East. It wasn’t flashy, you would never have known anyone of importance lived here and Kate realized it was just a place to stay. Erin didn’t ‘live’ here. Her home, their homes, were in California. She did enough business though in New York that having an apartment here was just a necessity. A hotel room didn’t allow you to relax. Kate realized though the whole place could use a thorough cleaning when she saw a layer of dust on the shelves and coffee table. Erin ferociously guarded her privacy and let no one clean up after or for her if she could do it herself. Kate found a vacuum and had the living room and kitchen dusted and vacuumed before Erin got there. She had just sat down to a well-earned glass of wine when she heard a chime indicating the private elevator was coming to this floor. She didn’t get up and Erin saw her stretched out on the couch with her feet on the coffee table with a glass of wine in her hand and laughed. She saw the vacuum sitting and waiting to go back in its closet or down the hall to the bedroom, glancing around she realized that Kate must have cleaned.
Dropping her own luggage bag she said dryly “make yourself at home.”
Saluting her with her glass of wine Kate answered “I did and I have, have some?”
Erin grinned, pleased to see Kate after having missed her two weeks ago in Chicago. She stepped down into her living room and went to give Kate a kiss on the couch and ended up in her arms being greeted very enthusiastically. She found herself on her back with Kate pinning her and kissing her determinedly. She relished the feel of Kate’s body on her own and felt instant arousal. Despite both of them feeling a little PMS’y they had a delightful time greeting each other.
Awhile later Erin asked “do you want to go out for dinner?” They had made it to the bedroom and were wrapped around each other just enjoying the after bliss feeling of naked body against naked body.
“Mmmm no way, I don’t want to move. Let’s order something in if we HAVE to eat.” Kate made no move to move away from Erin or her body. If anything she seemed to pull closer if that was possible.
Erin loved this about Kate. She showed in so many ways that she loved Erin with her mouth, her hands, and her body. Her words excited Erin and aroused her in ways she hadn’t expected. Erin loved the little surprises that Kate still managed to stir into their relationship. It was never dull.
The next day Kate went off to the largest Barnes & Noble in the country right off of Central Park for a gigantic book signing while Erin spent the day lounging around and relaxing for the New York premiere of her movie. Last week had been Miami and she spent most of the week doing interviews and meeting people that could help promote it as well as future contacts that Norm felt she should know. Parties to dinners she was in a constant whirl and she was tired. She was glad that New York would be the last until after the New Year. The movie had been getting rave reviews and all the papers predicted an incredible award season for it. All the paperwork had gone in to qualify the movie for the various awards and in the next few weeks they would hear the nominations. There was a long road though between being nominated and actually winning. She knew though this movie had been one of her best. She didn’t know if it was the luck she had in her personal life with Kate or the fact that Kate had worked on the script as well but it was an incredible piece of work and she knew in her gut this was IT!
Kate didn’t go to the New York premiere. For one she was too tired with her own work and for another Erin hadn’t invited her because Norm felt if Kate was seen too often that people would talk. He jealously guarded Erin and her reputation. She was his meal ticket and had been with her nearly 30 years. He was often her date for various gala’s and didn’t realize how often Kate kept herself out of Erin’s life for the sake of her career. He thought it was his wise council that Erin followed. He had been very upset at her slip a few years back with Sandy but had neatly covered it up with other gossip for the tabloids that he had let slip about others. Few if any of the reporters he used had followed up on Erin’s slip and they had weathered the minor storm.
As Erin left sooner than Kate who had book signings scheduled for a while around New York City as well as the surrounding area it left a few days for Kate alone in the apartment. Kate did most of her Christmas shopping that year in New York. Brad called her from Wisconsin where he was in his last year at the University and asked her opinion about giving Jill an engagement ring this year for Christmas. Kate wholeheartedly gave her endorsement and wired him the money the next day. He called to protest at the amount but she pointed out he could pay her back when he had a paying job and he didn’t want to stint on his future wife’s ring! She discretely called Jill’s parents who she had met once or twice over the years and arranged for them to come out to California for the day after Christmas to celebrate their mutual children’s engagement. It was agreed that Jill’s two sisters would come as well but not know about the engagement or trip until Christmas day so as not to ruin Jill’s surprise. As Jill had celebrated the last two Christmas’ in California with Brad and his family they wouldn’t suspect anything unusual about this Christmas.
Kate returned home to Los Angeles a few days before Christmas. She was worn out at the schedule she had been keeping but happy to know what a success her books were becoming all the way around. Erin picked her up in a window tinted limo, keeping herself in the car while the driver held up a Kate McCall sign at the baggage claim. Kate was so happy to see her, especially when Erin put the window up to separate them from the driver and proceeded to show Kate exactly how happy SHE was to have Kate home. Kate arrived at the house disheveled but pleased. Peter and Elijah pounced on her the moment she walked in the door with plans to get back to Santa Barbara and decorate as well as see C.A.T. and D.O.G. which they hadn’t in the last month or so with Kate and Erin’s schedule. The next day they drove up in two cars and headed north. Erin was amused when both boys chose to ride with Kate and catch up with her, they had Erin home a few days earlier and she guessed they were all caught up.
Sean was pleased to see them all. He had driven down to L.A. for his job a couple of times and visited with the boys, even taking them out to lunch much to Sandy’s annoyance as they had stayed with her when Kate and Erin were out working. He hadn’t decorated anything and the three boys enthusiastically went out and bought a tree, decorated it with both their mom’s and then started on the outside of the house and grounds. Before Brad and Jill showed up the day before Christmas the decorations were done, the packages were piled under the tree, and delicious smells were emanating from the kitchen where Erin and Kate were baking cookies and other treats for their mixed brood.
“Remember, if the tree falls over this year, it isn’t my fault!” Kate joked as she hadn’t bought it or put it up this time and an hour later was in stitches as the whole thing came down under C.A.T. They all joined in to tie it up and replace the decorations and determinedly shoed the oversized kitty away from it whenever he tried to get to it again.
Christmas morning dawned bright and early. As usual Elijah was the first one up. As the adults had stayed up very late talking no one really wanted to get out of bed but Elijah was persistent and they all reluctantly got up. The usual sweaters and trinkets were unwrapped. Kate had given Erin a complete leather desk set. Kate had been sneaky wrapping each of the items separately so it seemed that Erin had a lot of presents. She had even wrapped a box of Cracker Jacks much to Erin’s amusement. Erin’s own gifts to Kate were well received. Peter received a basketball with a string attached. The string led through the living room, through the kitchen, outdoors behind the garages to a basketball hoop that delighted him. He had been thrilled to get on his school’s team and hinted broadly that he needed somewhere to practice. Sean and Brad had put it together and hidden it in the garage the day before
and then wheeled it outside for the surprise.
Erin had thought that she had opened all the delightful desk gifts from Kate when the last package was given her. A beautiful calligraphic pen set etched with her initials were tied with a string. This string led through the living room to the office where she found an antique desk waiting for all her leather desk things. She recognized the desk from a day shopping trip that she and Kate as well as the boys had taken months ago. She was amazed and delighted to find it. Giving Kate a hug and a kiss she laughed at the boys’ groans of pretended dismay at this public display of affection. They were used to their mom’s now and actually were pleased with their relationship. It was loving, they were genuinely in love with each other, and that love extended to their families. The boys felt like friends too and their family togetherness at this holiday was a custom they all enjoyed, the girls included.
Finally though it was Brad’s turn to give the last gift. Kate and Erin stood in the kitchen and watched as Brad handed a fairly large box to Jill. Inside was another box neatly wrapped and tied. Inside this one was another and so on. She was getting annoyed until she got to the size of a ring box and she lost all color to her face as she opened it and Brad slid off the couch where he had watched her laughing as she opened box upon box. On his knee he proposed right then and there in front of his family. Crying openly Jill shouted “YES YES YES” as she agreed to marry him. Popping corks announced the celebration as Erin and Kate opened champagne and made mimosas. Champagne for the adults or mimosa’s and sparkling cider for Peter and Elijah or any of the adults who preferred it on their empty stomachs. It was a lively celebration and breakfast was joyous.
To Love a Shooting Star Page 14