He smiled, remembering; that was the thing Beth hated most about their life.
“What time is it?”
“Just after ten,” he replied.
“Oh my, I haven’t slept past 7:30 in years!”
“Maybe you weren’t as crazy as you were last night in years,” he laughed.
“Stop,” she laughed. “I wasn’t crazy.”
“Not in public,” he laughed again.
“Stop it!”
“Do ya think it’s too early to call Matt and Carlee to wish them Happy New Year?”
“Probably, but let’s do it anyway!” she said with a mischievous laugh.
“I’m gonna have to fill you up with champagne again soon,” he laughed. She scrambled over top of him and off the bed to go to the bathroom instead of walking around the bed.
“Geni,” he called out. She turned and looked over her shoulder. “You’re naked.”
“I know.”
“I like it.”
“I know,” she said and rounded the corner.
~ ~ ~
When Matthew woke, Carlee was on her side, her naked body curled against him. He was still a moment thinking… remembering their evening, and a smile crept across his face. She’d been totally carefree, happy… and sexy as hell, he thought.
“Happy New Year,” he said leaning to whisper the words in her ear, nibbling on her earlobe.
“I hope so,” she whispered back in a sleepy voice.
Matthew sat up and looked around the room - clothes were strewn everywhere. The middle-of-the-night cake plate was on the floor, and wine glasses sat empty on the bedside table on Carlee’s side.
“Oh my!” Carlee laughed sitting up. “We had fun last night!”
“I’ll wake up every morning of the rest of my life praying that sexy seductive Carlee returns.
She giggled and slithered her body up his, pressing a kiss to his lips. “She will, but she thinks it’s better that you don’t know beforehand; she’s kinda fond of the element of surprise!”
At that moment the phone rang. “Hello Papa!” she said when she answered.
“You sound good!” he replied.
“It was a good evening,” she said and flashed Matthew a grin. “We had a lovely meal and the most scrumptious dessert…”
When she looked at Matthew again he knew she wasn’t talking about the cake.
“Got coffee?”
“Not just yet, we’re just waking up.”
“Well get it going; Geni has a cheese Danish, and we’d like to come up.”
“Sure, come on – give me fifteen minutes or so; you know I’m still moving a little slow.”
Matthew covered his mouth to keep from laughing. The only ‘slow’ he’d experienced the night before was the lingering seduction. He darted from the bed, running to the living room, grabbing up clothes and shoes. He then ran to the kitchen, quickly putting dishes in the dishwasher and started the coffee.
Carlee was laughing as he came back to their room. He pulled on jeans and a t-shirt, grabbed sweats for her, and flopped on the bed beside her. She started to get up, and he moved to hover over her body. “I need five minutes with you before they get here.”
“I don’t know what you think you can do in five minutes,” she laughed.
“Don’t challenge me,” he grinned. He rolled to his left and opened the drawer in the table. He handed her an envelope, and when she looked at him, she saw joy on his face.
She ripped the envelope open and scanned the contents. “Oh my goodness! Matthew!” She threw her arms around his neck. “Oh my goodness!”
“I know. It’s not the final deal, I have to see the Esquire, but it’ll be close one way or the other.”
“I’m so proud of you!” she said and started crying.
“Us, Carlee, not me. I don’t know that any of this photography stuff would have happened without you – the Butterfly Camp book, Tuscany and the field of poppies… It’s kind of surreal.”
“Six digits!” she laughed through the tears.
“Oh, but you gotta read the fine print. They want more. Not sure exactly what that means, but I get first shot at future ads; that’s part of the deal.”
“Are you gonna tell them?” she asked wiping her eyes, just as the knock came at the door.
“I’ll have to now, with you and them big ole tears in your eyes,” he smiled. “Come on.” He took her hand, and together they walked to the door, Carlee still clutching the paper in her hand.
“Good morning!” Andy said wrapping her in a hug. “You look tired, dark circles under your eyes…”
“Oh! I didn’t wash my face!” she laughed and turned to go to back to their room. “When I fell in bed last night it wasn’t even a thought in my mind.” She looked at Matthew and winked.
“I’ll be right back.”
“No, stay,” Geni said. “I think I just wiped my make up off with one of those wipes. We got in so late…”
“But I didn’t brush my teeth either! I got up too quickly. I’ll be right back.”
She walked back to the bedroom, still holding the paper in her hand. As she departed, Andy turned to Matthew, “Has she been crying? Is everything OK?”
“Everything is good – very good, actually. We’ll tell you when she gets back.” He went to the kitchen and poured coffee while Andy took a seat at the table. Geni watched Matthew and thought she saw a special kind of glow on his face and wondered what was going on.
Carlee returned a few minutes later and joined them at the table. “Is this OK, or would you rather sit in the living room?”
“This is wonderful!” Andy noticed the paper she still held in her hand and waited.
Geni was in the kitchen to help Matthew and opened the fridge to get the coffee creamer. “Oh my! Is that a Charlotte Russe?”
“It is!” Carlee said. “Matthew had the most wonderful dinner for us last night and, oh my goodness, the best dessert ever!”
Matthew watched Carlee and stifled a grin, but felt his cheeks redden. “We’ll take that over too, Mom,” he said.
She grabbed plates and forks and went to the table. As she put the cake down, she noticed that there were finger swipes in the filling. She looked at Matthew. He, in turn, looked at Carlee.
“Busted. I saw it in the fridge and had to have a taste. I’ll cut my piece from that spot. It was soooo good,” she said and her eyes rolled back in her head.
Andy watched; the two of them had that look – that ‘cat that ate the canary’ look he’d seen before from them. A closer look showed a glow on Carlee’s face like he’d never seen before, and he remembered the night that he’d shared with Geni and knew.
“Matthew,” Carlee said as she finished a bite of the cake. “Tell them.” She pushed the paper in her hand toward him.
He pushed it back and said, “It was your New Year’s surprise – you tell them.”
She had a sip of coffee, wiped her mouth, and unfolded the paper. Andy and Geni watched and waited, anxiously. She thought a moment and decided just to push the paper toward Geni.
She wiped her hands, picked up the paper, and first saw the letterhead. Carlo Romano, Esquire. She looked at Matthew before she continued reading the letter. As she read, she saw Diego Aceveda’s name. Reading further she saw the dollar amount and gasped.
“I know!” Carlee shouted.
“Oh, for shit sake! Will someone please tell me what the hell is going on?” Andy barked and Carlee laughed.
Instead of handing him the paper to read, Matthew told him. “The letter is from the attorney for Diego Aceveda’s product line. It’s a contract for the use of the photo. They want to buy the rights to the picture I gave Carlee for Christmas – to the tune of $200,000.00 U.S. and royalties going forward – along with the option for first crack at any future ads with the company!”
“Awesome!” Andy shouted and rose from his seat to hug Matthew. He was proud. He was excited. But mostly, he hoped that this would mean that they w
ould return to the U.S. once Carlee had clearance to travel. This was big.
Geni watched him and knew his thoughts.
“So proud of you! What’s next?” he asked Matthew.
“An appointment with the Esquire I guess. I don’t know yet, I just got the letter yesterday and surprised Carlee with it this morning.”
“I can help you, remember that. I know people!” Andy said.
“We can talk about all that later!” Carlee said. “I want to know about your date!”
“It was wonderful!” Geni said. “That place is a great venue for an evening such as last night! I wish we had something like that in Jacksonville. It was classy, the music was good, good food….”
“And the champagne?” Andy teased.
“Was a little too good,” Geni laughed. “Oh, and I’ve already been labeled ‘Andy Stevens’ Mystery Woman’ on People.com,” she laughed.
“What?” Carlee shrieked.
Matthew went and got his tablet from the kitchen counter and pulled up the website. “Wow, Mom!” he laughed and took the tablet for Carlee to see.
“Mama Davis, you look beautiful!”
Geni thought a moment; this was the first time Carlee had ever used that endearment, she’d always been ‘Geni’ and for some reason – maybe it was the champagne from the night before – she started to cry.
“Mom,” what is it?” Matthew asked. Andy watched, concerned over her reaction.
“Just this, just all of this,” she blubbered. “This awesome opportunity, this wonderful woman you call your ‘wife,’ this wonderful man who has come to mean the world to me… and the last month of fear, worry and dread, she thought but didn’t say so. I’m just joy-filled and it’s coming out in tears…”
“Happy New Year to my favorite people in the whole world,” Carlee said.
Chapter Twelve
In January, with her treatment schedule in place, the journey of Carlee’s radiotherapy began. On Wednesday January 2, they left the house at six, and Matthew took her to the first treatment. His classes began for the new term on the 7th, so he would be able to take her to the first three treatments.
Tamara met them in the radiotherapy department. “Good morning,” she said cheerfully, noting their unease. “It’s gonna be fine. Matthew, have a seat; we’ll be an hour or so. We did an initial CT scan at the hospital, before you left. We’ll do one this morning and see if there’s any change in the last two weeks, so if you’re ready, Carlee, let’s go.”
~ ~ ~
While she was gone, Matthew tried to work on lesson plans, but his mind wandered. He was worried. He was scared. But more than anything, he just felt sad – hasn’t she already had enough? Bethy... her dad… He just felt like she was over her limit for the trials.
An hour and a half later, Tamara was with Carlee when they returned to meet Matthew. “She should feel OK today; the real fatigue will hit in the next few days. She’ll probably want to get home to rest. Carlee, go ahead and start using that lotion I gave you on your face now. I won’t be here tomorrow. Seth, my tech, will be with you; I’ll see you Friday,” Tamara told Carlee.
~ ~ ~
She felt pretty good. Tired from not sleeping the night before because she was scared, she rested on the sofa most of the day. Geni and Andy were out running errands, continuing to set up their place, so Carlee and Matthew were alone.
“I don’t want to say this, but I’m gonna,” she smiled at Matthew. “Today, I’m glad to be here alone with you.”
He sat beside her, and they cuddled, and she added. “I love them being here, but alone with you is where I want to be.”
“You feeling OK?” he asked.
“Mmm hmm,” she murmured and turned to lay her head on his lap. His hands lightly caressed her back, and she fell asleep.
An hour later, Matthew’s phone indicated a text. Carlee stirred as he pulled it from his pocket. It was from Geni, and there was a picture:
Sofa shopping - had an idea. What do you think of these?
There were two pictures of styles. One was a sofa and loveseat that reclined on both ends; the other was a sectional with reclining ends and the middle and the corner section, as well.
“They look nice and comfy,” she said, and Matthew replied.
The next text had a picture of color samples:
Which do you like best?
Carlee examined and told Matthew to reply the medium tone leather. Then the phone rang. “Hello,” Matthew laughed.
“Need for privacy,” Andy said. “I want to talk to you.”
Matthew rose and went to the kitchen for a drink. He motioned to Carlee to see if she wanted anything, and she nodded.
“What’s up?”
Andy replied, “We have an idea, but don’t want to offend or overstep our boundaries.”
Geni took the phone; “We were thinking - since our place will be part-time, if you thought it would be more comfortable for Carlee, we would get these for you and take your sofa and recliner. If you’re agreeable, we’d like to surprise her. They’ve agreed to deliver Friday morning while you’re at treatment, and they will move your stuff down to our place.”
Matthew walked back to the sofa, where Carlee was lying, to take her drink, and she sat up. He thought about how to go forward, decided how he would play it, and spoke, “Mom is asking me all these decorating questions, way too much for my brain,” he said so that Geni could hear him. “Do you feel up to listening to me relay what she’s asking?”
“I can talk to her,” Carlee said.
“I won’t keep you long,” Geni said.
“It’s OK,” Carlee said. “Just lying here anyway. That stuff zapped me – literally,” she said with a little laugh. “But mostly tired from dreading it, I guess – didn’t sleep good last night, anxious nerves. What’s up?”
Geni thought she sounded exhausted.
“So, if it was you, which of the two sets do you like best? I’m torn between them. I really like the medium leather that you said, but I’m having a hard time making up my mind between the two styles. Our living rooms are the same, of course.”
“Well, if I was choosing, I like the first one you sent; the sectional one, not the two sofas. I like it a lot. How fun for you, setting up housekeeping!” Carlee smiled as she said it, thinking about them.
~ ~ ~
Friday morning, day three of her treatment, they left the flat at seven. She wasn’t having any tests, only the radiotherapy. As they waited in the waiting area, Carlee saw Kyliejo and Johanna Smithson enter.
“Good morning, beautiful!” Carlee said.
“I’m glad I’m finally here when you are,” the little girl said throwing her arms around Carlee’s neck. “Mum had to work it out with school to come for the early appointments because the later ones make it way too hard to wake up the morning after treatment.”
Johanna smiled as Kyliejo explained.
“You’re going to school while you’re in treatment?” Carlee asked.
“As long as she feels good, then tutors,” Johanna said. “As normal as possible, and school is important to her,” she added.
“Matthew goes back to school Monday,” Carlee told her.
“School?”
“I’m a teacher,” he replied.
“Who’s gonna bring you for treatment?” the child asked sidling up to sit beside Carlee.
“Either my papa or Matthew’s mom, Geni.”
“Another day getting my head zapped,” Kyliejo said with a big sigh.
Matthew watched Carlee as she spoke to the girl. “I was scared the first time I went back, but it hasn’t been so bad.”
Kyliejo reached out to touch Carlee’s hair. It’s so pretty, and curly!”
“I’m still getting used to it. When it was long it wasn’t so curly, but it’s easier now. I just kinda scrunch it up and leave it a curly mess.” Carlee smiled at the little girl as Seth came, indicating that it was her time to come back.
“I hope I’ll s
ee you Monday,” Carlee said.
“Me too,” the girl said.
Carlee turned to kiss Matthew. “See you after my zapping,” she said and smiled back at Kyliejo.
~ ~ ~
After they came and got Kyliejo, the mother remained. Matthew looked at her and smiled. He put the notebook he was working in aside. “How’s she doing?” he asked.
“She’s good,” Johanna smiled, “I’m the one who’s about to fall apart. She went through so much the first time.”
“I think I know how scared you are. Carlee and I have only been married nine months, only about seven months when all of this started.”
“She’s so young,” the woman said and started to cry. “I’m sorry.”
“No need to say so. I know how I feel. Carlee was supposed to start at Westminster on Monday, but then this happened. We’ll see how it goes,” Matthew said. At that moment Seth walked Carlee out to meet Matthew.
“See you Monday morning,” she said as she slipped on her coat.
“Johanna, it was nice talking to you,” Matthew said.
~ ~ ~
When they were on their way back, Matthew asked Carlee if she felt OK enough for him to stop and grab some milk.
“I’m pretty good right now. Can I go in with you? I wouldn’t mind stretching my legs a minute. I can push the cart; there are a couple things I’d like to grab anyway,” she told him.
“Well I’m not leaving you in the car,” he laughed. “If you’re sure.”
She nodded, and he looked her way and smiled. She was wearing one of the scarves Geni had gotten her. Today she wore a bright yellow one with dark pink polka dots. The shorter hair was cute – he liked it.
“You look so pretty,” Matthew said, taking her hand to kiss it as he helped her from the car. “I’m having visions of polka dots,” he said. They both laughed thinking of the first time he’d seen her in a bathing suit in Barcelona, and then their honeymoon.
“Thank you,” she said and leaned into him.
Feel Like Makin' Love (Rock and Roll Trilogy #3) Page 17