by Alice Raine
Cait had popped to the studios to get something she’d left there last week on her run, so I was waiting outside on my own itching to get inside and look around.
Fidgeting impatiently, I pulled out my phone and wondered if Sean would be free for a quick chat. We had agreed that if he was on set and not able to talk he would turn his phone off, so I figured it was worth a try.
Pressing call I waited, and was thrilled when it rang and connected almost immediately. ‘Hey, my gorgeous girl. This is a nice surprise. How are you?’
‘Hey, babe. I’m good, just waiting for Cait. We’re viewing the house near her studios. They look quite fancy through the fences.’
‘Studio City, right? It is pretty nice in there. When are you moving in?’
‘Ha, I’ve got to see if I like it first! But if we do, the woman said we can get the keys today, so I guess we’d move some stuff in over the weekend.’
‘Let me know how you get on.’ Sean paused, and I could tell from the tone of his voice that he had something else to say. ‘I’m glad you called, actually … I was wondering what you were doing on Monday?’
‘Nothing, why?’
‘I have a visitor coming, someone I’d really like you to meet,’ he said mysteriously.
Well and truly intrigued now, I narrowed my eyes. ‘Who?’
‘It’s a secret.’ The smile in his voice was obvious, but I immediately tensed up as memories of the last time Sean took me to meet “someone secret” flooded my mind.
‘Nuh-uh, no way. No more secret visits to people Sean. That didn’t work out so well for us last time, did it?’
The pause down the line told me that Sean was taking a second or two to fully realise what I was talking about, but as soon as he did I heard a horrified gasp. ‘Allie, no. This is completely different. This is something good.’
He’d said the last secret visit would be good too, and now my teeth were fully clenched. I trusted him, but memories of our visit with Savannah were still so fresh that it made me feel fragile to even think about it.
‘Fine, fine, I’ll tell you.’ He paused and I definitely heard a loud swallow down the line. ‘I … I want you to meet my mum,’ Sean blurted. ‘Would you like that, or is it too soon?’
Too soon? Like his almost-but-not-quite-proposal at his beach house? I drew in a deep breath and released it through my nose as I pictured him down on one knee again. Yes, it was perhaps a little early, but things with us had moved fast from the start, so why break tradition now? Besides, the way he sounded so unsure showed his vulnerability, which I supposed made two of us, and my teeth immediately unclenched as I fell a little more in love with him.
‘I would love to meet her, Sean. Thank you.’
A relieved breath whistled down the line and Sean chuckled. ‘She’s flying in on Sunday for work, but we’re meeting on Monday for lunch at my new house.’
‘OK.’ My voice sounded all whispery and shy and I felt my cheeks blushing. Wow. Meeting his mother? Things really were getting serious between us.
What with potentially moving house over the weekend then meeting Sean and his mum, it looked like I was going to have a busy few days ahead.
Cait
I’d left Allie outside the studios while I quickly nipped in to pick up the water bottle and running jumper I’d left there last week. After being kissed half senseless by Jack in the woods, I’d dashed straight out and left them behind at the starting point. Mel had messaged me to say she’d put them in her locker for me, and I’d decided to pop in to grab them.
I was now heading to meet Allie, but the problem was that my over-active imagination had started conjuring up images of Jack all over the place. A brief glimpse of a brown head of hair a few seconds ago had been all it took to set me on to high alert.
What would I say to him next time I saw him? After our intense showdown at the Getty Centre, and my giveaway nod, my mind was running wild. He’d clearly seen through my lies now, so did I front up and tell the complete truth about how I felt, or keep trying to deny my feelings?
As a consequence, I was practically sprinting towards the exit like a lunatic, so it would seem I had moved on from denial to avoidance. I wouldn’t deny how I felt any more, but I would avoid discussing it, or seeing him. Seeing as we worked at the same studio complex there were clearly some serious flaws to this plan, but it was the only one I could formulate at the moment so it would have to do.
I could have called for a golf cart to take me back to the entrance or tried to flag one down, but I didn’t. I was so paranoid about standing still in case Jack appeared from somewhere that I ran hell for leather until my lungs burnt and my face was streaming with sweat.
Arriving at the studios’ gates, I bent forward to rest my hands on my knees, feeling like I’d run a bloody marathon as I desperately tried to drag some air into my lungs.
‘Woah! What the heck, Cait? You were running like a pack of zombies were on your tail.’
I felt Allie’s hand land on my lower back and the contact somehow grounded me, making me feel slightly calmer as a rueful smile spread on my lips from my stupid overreaction.
Standing up, I took a deep breath, wiped the sheen of sweat from my cheeks, and tried to give Allie a casual smile. I clearly failed, because she plonked both hands on her hips and gave me her best what-the-fuck? look.
Groaning, I closed my eyes in embarrassment. I was totally freaking out – again – over a man I barely knew and seriously needed to get a frigging grip. ‘Nothing. It’s nothing, I’m just being stupid.’
I could see that Allie was suspicious, so I gave her the brightest smile I could manage. Which considering I’d just run faster than Usain bloody Bolt was actually surprisingly difficult. I seriously needed to get a grip on myself. I couldn’t go sprinting around like that every day, I’d end up with a flipping hernia.
‘We’ve just got time to eat before our viewing if we’re quick,’ Allie announced, handing me over one of the delicious-looking chicken wraps we’d bought on our way over earlier.
We ate in silence for several moments until Allie shifted and then nudged me to get my attention. ‘So … guess what? I just spoke to Sean and I’m meeting his mum on Monday.’
Swallowing my mouthful, a smile burst to my face at her news. ‘Really? Wow, that’s a big step.’
‘It is.’ Nibbling on her sandwich she looked across at me nervously. ‘Do you think it’s too soon?’
‘Nah. Time doesn’t matter, it’s obvious you guys are perfect for each other.’
Smiling wistfully, Allie nodded and finished her sandwich. ‘I’m so excited, Cait. Me and you living together properly, it’s going to be great!’ Allie’s enthusiasm was contagious, and as we began to make our way towards the gates, my earlier panic about Jack melted away. It’d be fine. I’d arrive for work, do my shift, and leave. Thinking about it that simply I realised that the chances of seeing him really were slim to none.
Once we had passed the first security gate, we were met again by Tina, the woman who had showed me around the first time. After briefly introducing herself to Allie, she led us toward the house babbling excitably about the opportunities it presented for us.
Allie
Looking around the rooms, my excitement levels rose and rose until I was bouncing on the spot by the time we met Tina downstairs in the lounge again. As Cait had said, the place was small – although perhaps snug was a nicer adjective – but it was undeniably appealing; spread over three floors it had general living space on the ground floor, and the top two floors contained double bedrooms with small en suites.
Every room was partly furnished too, which was good, because on our miniscule budget we couldn’t really afford to splash out on furniture. The ground floor was my favourite part, because it had a lounge/diner that led through to a small well-appointed kitchen, behind which was the jewel of the place … a large deck which spanned the width of the property, providing an outdoor eating area with stunning views of the communal g
ardens.
I was thrilled with the house, and it was obvious that Cait was relieved by my enthusiasm. ‘I’m so glad you like it!’ she said with a grin.
‘How could I not like it?’ Poking my head out to look at the covered deck again, I called, ‘It has a deck! I can see us spending many evenings out there with a glass of wine.’
‘Me too! I think I actually like the place more than the first time I viewed it.’
Once we signed the contract with Tina and gave the deposit, she winked and handed us a ring containing the keys. ‘There’s two sets, front and back doors and a window key. Enjoy, ladies!’
Grasping the keys, Cait and I made our way back into the warm afternoon. Clutching at Cait’s hands, I bobbed up and down practically bursting with excitement. ‘OhmygodIloveit!’ I was so excited that all my words rushed together in one long breath, causing Cait to promptly burst out laughing.
‘Imagine, we’ll be living right opposite the studio so we’ll be able to watch all the stars coming and going! How exciting will that be?’
Cait raised an eyebrow, giving me a wry smile. ‘You’re dating one of the hottest actors on the planet, why the heck would you be bothered about watching other celebrities?’
The excited smile on my face doubled at her words until I probably looked well and truly smug. ‘That’s true.’
‘So, when shall we move in?’
Cait shrugged, ‘Well, I start work next week and it would be handy to be in before then.’ She paused thoughtfully and jangled the keys. ‘Now we have these babies, I reckon we get in as soon as possible’
I had one suitcase, and Cait a single backpack, so ‘moving’ wouldn’t exactly be a taxing task. ‘I think tomorrow looks like moving day!’ I agreed happily, making a mental note to buy some champagne to toast our new venture.
TWENTY-FIVE
Sean
It was stupid just how nervous I was as the car containing my mother became visible in the distance. But I was. Really bloody nervous. Nervous to the point where the clamminess of my hands had nothing to do with the humid air and my stomach was flip-flopping all over the place.
My parents were based in the UK, in the home counties just west of London, but my mother worked for a large international chain of bookstores and was frequently over in the US and Canada for purchasing and distribution meetings. Regardless of how busy my schedule with work was, I always made time to squeeze in a quick visit, but this would be the first time that our meet-up would be a party of three.
Ramming my hands in my pockets, I tried not to think about the importance of this impending meeting. It would be the first time since Elena that I would be introducing my mum to a girlfriend. I thought about it harder and realised that actually, it was going to be the first time ever introducing my mum to a girl that I truly cared about. I’d dated a string of girls in my teens, none of which had been important enough to warrant meeting my parents, and Mum had met Elena because she’d visited me on set, but even Elena had only been a casual girlfriend.
Bloody hell. I hoped Allie and my mum got on.
The car arrived by the front steps and David climbed out of the driver’s seat, but I held him off with a wave and a smile as I approached the passenger door to open it. David had done a cracking job for me so far this morning, picking Allie up at just gone ten and dropping her here before heading straight back out to Downtown LA where my mother was staying.
So now was crunch time.
‘Sean, love, it’s so good to see you!’ My mum slid from the car and immediately pulled me into a tight hug. Allie was lovely, laid back, and sweet, and much like my mum in a lot of ways, so they would no doubt get on like a house on fire. That’s what I was hoping, anyway.
‘Hi, Mum. Come on in and see the new place.’ I took the small holdall from her hand and guided her up the steps as she ‘oohhed’ and ‘ahhhed’ over the wraparound balcony and the glimpse of the sea.
‘It looks very fancy, dear.’ Which it did, but nowhere near as fancy as some of the other properties the estate agent had showed me. Once they’d realised that it was me, the agents had increased the budget boundaries and taken me to see some absolute mansions, hoping to snag an extra-large commission. But I’d stuck to my four-bed maximum, and was thrilled with the place.
‘Yeah, it is pretty nice.’ Once we were inside I cleared my throat and dropped my bombshell. ‘Actually, there’s someone here I’d like you to meet.’ I might have ended up telling Allie about today’s meeting, but I’d kept my mum in the dark. I wasn’t sure if it was just to up the surprise factor or because I’d been too nervous to tell her that I was finally in a relationship, but I guess the time for delaying was up.
As we walked along the corridor, Mum frowned up at me, the curiosity obvious in her clear blue gaze. ‘Oh?’
Arriving in the lounge I nodded, left her side, and quickly strode across to Allie, who was waiting by the couch, looking just as nervous as I felt.
‘Mum, this is Allie. Allie, my mum, Sophie.’ I watched as my mum’s gaze settled on Allie and her eyebrows rose in surprise.
‘Hi, Mrs Phillips. It’s great to meet you.’ Allie’s voice wobbled a little but she overcame her nervousness and stepped forward to shake my mum’s hand. The greeting looked a bit formal, but I supposed grabbing my mum for a hug was probably a bit premature.
‘Hello, Allie, it’s nice to meet you too.’ Mum smiled hesitantly, obviously trying to work out what was going on, so I decided to make it obvious by sliding my hand down Allie’s arm and linking our fingers. The action wasn’t missed by my mum’s shrewd gaze.
‘We’re dating. Allie’s my girlfriend.’ My tone softened and I couldn’t help giving her hand a squeeze and flashing my girl a quick wink.
A look of pleasant surprise crossed Mum’s face, which was priceless, and did quite a lot to relieve some of my tension.
‘Well then, it is really lovely to meet you, Allie!’ Mum added with a small chuckle. ‘I didn’t expect this today, that’s for sure!’ Looking down at her stark suit she smiled, a wry quirk to her dark eyebrows, and looked at me. ‘You could have warned me, I look like a monster in this outfit. Can I quickly change?’
‘Of course. I’ll show you to a guest room.’
‘I hate wearing these things but I had an important meeting with the CEO of my company this morning, hence my battle wear,’ Mum explained to Allie while giving the lapel of her suit a tug. ‘Just give me two minutes, and then we can all relax.’
Walking to the only guest room that had any furniture, I placed Mum’s bag on the side and turned to her, expecting an inquisition. Instead, I got a soft smile and a single statement. ‘Well, well. This is a turn up for the books. She’s very pretty, Sean.’
Pride warmed my cheeks. ‘Yeah. She’s lovely too, you’ll see once you’ve spent a little while with her.’
‘I’m glad you’ve finally met someone.’ Mum was unzipping her small day bag and pulling out a blouse, but I could hear a slight hesitation in her voice. ‘You’ve been careful though, haven’t you? I mean, she’s not after you for your money, is she?’
I could see why she would have that concern, I was pretty famous, after all, but a laugh burst from my throat and I grinned at my mum and shook my head. ‘Definitely not. Allie didn’t even recognise me when we met.’ A fond smile curved my lips as I recalled the moment on Christmas Eve when she’d been looking through my DVD collection and finally realised. She’d looked horrified, and completely genuine too.
‘Apart from the fact that I completely trust her, she’s very independent where it comes to money. She insists on paying half the bill when we go out.’ On the limited occasions we actually could go out, I thought grimly. ‘As well as working hard as a teacher and saving some money, she got some inheritance from her great aunt. Allie might not be rich, but she’s definitely not after me for my cash.’
‘Sorry if I sound paranoid, but I am your mum, it’s my job to worry about these things.’
‘I
know, Mum. Come here,’ I pulled her in for another hug and then stepped back. ‘I’ll let you change. I thought we could have a BBQ, so meet us out on the deck when you’re ready.’
Allie
So far, things weren’t going too badly.
When Sean’s mum had arrived the first thing I’d noticed were the similarities between them in their dark hair and blue eyes. The second thing that had struck me, was that she’d looked quite severe and unapproachable in her business suit and perfect make-up, and my stomach had tightened up until I’d got cramping, nervous pains.
Sophie had looked so professional and stylish that her appearance was a million miles away from my laid back ways. I’d panicked that she might deem me not good enough for her son, but since her return after changing, her demeanour had noticeably relaxed as had her attire, because she was now dressed in jeans and a pale pink blouse.
The BBQ had been delicious, Sean cooking it all with an easy familiarity that made me think he must actually quite like cooking. There was still so much I didn’t know about him, which was at once sad but exciting, because it meant there would be lots of new experiences in our future together once the engagement farce had been sorted out.
Conversation was surprisingly easy. Sophie’s blue eyes assessed me whenever she thought I wasn’t looking, but I could only assume that she liked what she saw, because as the afternoon wore on it seemed obvious that she was pleased by the presence of me in Sean’s life.
We chatted about how different life was out here compared to in the UK, and found that we had lots in common. It turned out that she worked with books too, as a distribution manager, and I excitedly told her I was in the midst of penning my own trilogy of fantasy novels.
‘Sean didn’t tell me you were a writer! You must send me a copy when you’re done, I have some good friends in the industry that might be able to help you out.’ I’d had some vague interest from a publisher, but it sounded like having Sophie as a friend could have its advantages.
‘I’ll grab the white wine and top you ladies up.’ Sean stood, dropping a quick kiss on my temple, and headed to the kitchen. His kiss wasn’t missed by his mother, who watched his affection with interest and then smiled fondly. It looked very much like an approval, and I felt the last of my tension flow from my body. Phew. Looked like I’d won her over.