“Yes, I’m positive Addison. No one will bother you here. You need this time to figure out what you want to do about your shares.”
“Dad wanted me to run the company didn’t he?”
“I think Father wanted you to, when you were ready. I don’t think he was expecting to pass when he did.”
She sighed as she sat on the couch, picking up a photograph, “Do you ever wonder what it would’ve been like if we’d been raised apart?”
“Addison now is not the time to worry about the past. It’s time to focus on the future. The fridge is stocked, electricity is on, no Wi-Fi or cell service, but you need time to think, focus, those will just distract you.” She stood at the doorway. “I will call the landline tomorrow afternoon at one. Don’t answer if it rings at any other time, okay?”
“Okay, Bella, thank you.”
“Anytime Addison, anytime.” She exited, a smile crossing her face as she walked off.
“Cut!” The director checked with a few others and then called for the set-up of the next scene.
Shayla and Cassandra moved away from the set, stopping when they saw Alice.
“Hello girls.” Alice had colored her hair a mousy brown; she wore a pale blue waitress uniform.
“Mother” Was all Shayla could say, her stomach was twisting into knots she hadn’t known it could form until now.
“Places for the diner scene!”
Cassandra squeezed Shayla’s hand before walking away, watching from a distance.
Shayla followed Alice towards the set, suddenly feeling out of place on the set, more like a daughter on take your daughter to work day. Her mother seemed so comfortable, it was odd, and yet reassuring.
The scenes moved quickly, easily, and before Shayla knew it, they were done.
Shayla quickly left the set, hoping that Alice wouldn’t follow. She needed space and air.
“Shayla Daniels!” Alice called out in the dressing room hallway.
She turned slowly, suddenly feeling like a child in trouble. Maybe she was? “Mother”
“Let’s talk.”
Shayla led her to her dressing room, sitting on the couch while her Mother looked around, “Well, what do you want to talk about?”
“The fact that you ran away and left a note instead of confronting me.”
“That’s what I do, I run away. I always have. I did from you and Dad, I did from Brad, the only thing I haven’t ever run away from is this.”
“Brad?”
“Yeah, the older guy I slept with throughout college.” Shayla confessed as she watched her foot shake. “Do you know what I was doing Senior year? I was picking up men on the train and blowing them in alleys in the city. One day I decided I didn’t want to lose my virginity to Carter, I wanted a real man. So I found a young professional on the train. I spent the next four years pleasing him, being a pawn in his games.”
Alice’s face fell, “Shayla, I had no idea.”
“Oh please, you had an idea. When you visited me at my old apartment. He owns it Mother, and the kicker, he’s your neighbor.”
Alice had no words as her mouth hung open, watching her daughter confess. Finally after a few moments of silence she spoke, “When you were young, you don’t remember this, but you would come here to the studio, with me, stay in my dressing room which was also number 9. You loved it here. I worked a lot then, I didn’t always get to spend time with you, or your brother.”
“I don’t remember you working when I was older.”
Alice shrugged, “Towards the end of my run here, I was very fortunate that I usually had an early call time and was out before you and Paul would ever notice.”
“Why didn’t you want me to become an actress?” Shayla looked at her mother, waiting for an answer.
“Well, I was afraid you would struggle. I fear that every day. I know what’s happening in this business particularly this part.”
“I guess I get that.” Shayla stood up, “We’re better, we’re not okay yet. This is going to take time, but if you’re willing to work on our mother daughter relationship, while Maeve and Addison work on theirs, then so am I.”
“I think we can do that.” Alice went to the door, “Shayla, who was the young man you were seeing when you were back home?”
Shayla smiled, “Zach Jensen, I’m still seeing him. He’s moving to New York in January, before he leaves for Spring Training for the Yankees.”
Alice nodded, “Much better choice than Carter. He’s a mess.”
“Carter? He’s a teacher, how is he a mess?”
“You haven’t heard? Last night that dreadful Eva broke into his house. I guess he’s been stringing her along since high school. She snapped, had a gun. Only thing she shot was a wall.”
“Are you serious?”
“Very much so, it was all over the ledger website this morning. Check for yourself.”
“I will. I better get going, I have an appointment.” Shayla suddenly felt the need to get out of her dressing room, away from mother daughter time, away from Addison.
As soon as Alice left, Shayla picked up her phone seeing a missed call from Zach. She tapped his number for it to dial. “Hey, what’s going on?”
“I’m waiting to board a flight back to Newark. Did you hear what Eva tried to do?”
“Yeah, my Mother just told me.”
“Progress?”
“Maybe, doesn’t matter. Is Carter okay?”
“Shaken up, freaked out. Eva is under psychiatric care now, I think.”
“I don’t think he was purposely leading her on. Was he? I always remember him being more annoyed with her, but just put up with her in high school.”
Zach sighed on his end of the conversation, “I don’t think he realized how serious she was about him. He’s actually been pretty damn brutal with her about not wanting to be with her. I guess it just didn’t click.”
“Have you talked to him yet?”
“Yeah, he’s going to take some time off from work. I think maybe he’ll go on a vacation. He kept talking about Europe, needing to find himself.”
“Wow, this is just so, weird.”
“I know, hey I’ll call you when I land. My flight is boarding.”
“Okay, bye. Love you.” Shayla dropped her phone as soon as she realized what she’d said on the phone. How had it just slipped out like that?
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Shayla sat on her couch, the television was on, but she wasn’t paying attention to it. Her script for tomorrow was also unable to capture her. She knew that at any moment her phone would ring, it would be Zach and it would be awkward.
She picked up her wine glass, sipping her white merlot slowly as she gave herself a reason to not answer the phone as soon as it rang.
Why hadn’t it ringed yet? Shouldn’t he have landed by now?
Rap-it-tap-tap.
Shayla looked around as the sound came again and she realized it was the door. She rose, with her wine glass still in her hand as she went to answer. Praying to God that it wasn’t Brad or her mother.
She almost dropped the wine glass when she saw Zach standing there. “Hey…what are you doing here?”
“I thought, maybe we should talk in person.” He shifted his duffle bag on his shoulder.
“What about Carter?”
“He left me a voicemail; he’s on his way to London.” He gripped the strap of his bag. “So can I come in?”
“Oh yeah, sure.” She opened the door wider and let him in, watching as he put his bag down. “Would you like some wine?”
“Yes, please.” He looked around, the television was on, but it sounded like news, a script lay open but abandoned on the couch.
Shayla returned from the kitchen with a glass for Zach. “So, you wanted to talk?”
“Yeah,” He accepted the glass and took a sip, hoping to gain some courage. “I think I must’ve been going crazy, but I could’ve sworn on the phone early you said you love me.”
Shayla brought t
he wine glass to her mouth, taking a quick sip, “I did.” Her eyes stayed focused on his face, searching for a reaction.
He took a sip to hide his smile, “That’s good to know, because I love you.”
Shayla started coughing, “What?”
Zach put his wine glass down and went over to her, “I love you Shayla. A part of me always has.”
Worry filled her face, “I’m not the dream girl you thought I was. I think that’s been proven over the last week and half.”
“I don’t want the dream girl.” He took her wine glass from her, placing it next to his. “I want you. You have this passion for life, yet you hide it. I want to explore that with you Shayla.”
“You do?”
“I do.” He brushed her hair away from her face with his hand as his eyes searched hers. “Let’s explore the passion together.”
“Are you sure? You know how fucked up I am.”
“You’re human, and I love you for that. Not in spite of it.”
She smiled, “I love you Zach.”
He kissed her slowly, their bodies pulling the other into their gravitational force. His hands in her hair, her arms around his neck as he carried her into the bedroom, placing her slowly on the bed. “If this is too fast, tell me.”
“This is the slowest I’ve ever gone.” She confessed, “I don’t want to wait anymore Zach. I want to be with you.”
He kissed her harder this time, the lust and love inside of him, eager for her, hungry, ready to be fulfilled as he undressed her slowly. Feeling her fingers on his skin as she undid the buttons of his shirt, pants, exposing his naked flesh.
Shayla pulled away, moving further into the center of her queen sized bed, watching as Zach’s eyes followed her.
The dull light of the bedroom created a shadowed contrast on Zach’s naked body, revealing his muscles that wouldn’t normally pop the way they did at this moment. He watched as Shayla lay back on the bed, waiting for him.
Zach wanted her more then he’d wanted any other woman in his life. She was the one he’d fantasized about, when he didn’t even know if she could exist. She was the girl he’d dreamed of all his life, and she was here, waiting for him to make love to her, not just fuck her.
Shayla watched as he joined her on the bed, his hands on her body, slowly exploring the curves of her hips, the softness of her breasts, and the hardness of her nipples as his thumbs ran over them soon replaced by his tongue.
Every single touch of his was electric, different, arousing in a way she’d never experienced as she herself reached out to touch him, the hardness of his muscles, the softness of his skin, the heat of his body.
They moved slowly, at first, afraid they would miss something, a sigh, a gasp before they couldn’t take it any longer. Zach entered her slowly as her body welcomed him. Her hips meeting his pace as they looked in each other’s eyes the entire time before he reached down rubbing her nub, bringing her closer to the crescendo as she started panting his name. Urging him to go faster, deeper, until he couldn’t hold back, and the passion escaped them both verbally, emotionally and physically.
Their bodies had sheen of sweat as they lay together, legs tangled, bodies together. Connected.
Other Works by Amber Bourbon
Call Me This Time
Father of the Groom
Spanking Stella
Pool Party
Sunny Afternoon
Roommates
The Naughty Elf
Dorm Matters
Connect with Amber Bourbon
[email protected]
amberbourbon.tumblr.com
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Connections Page 11