The One That Matters

by Elle Linder

  At dinner after the ceremony, Parker leaned into her and whispered, “Wanna be next?”

  She just stared at him.

  “Don’t worry, that wasn’t the proposal. I’m just fishing for an idea when you’ll be ready. I’m ready…but no pressure.” He kissed her, and she loved him for it. He had never hidden his feelings or intentions. But marriage, would that mean family too? Did he want a baby of his own? Wasn’t she too old to have a baby? After all, her kids were already grown. It would be like starting over, except her do-over would be with the most amazing and loving man she had ever known.

  Chapter 20

  Reassurances

  Listen to me—the time will go by fast. I know you don’t want to go, but it’s just ten days this time, and it’s your job,” Marie reassured Parker.

  “You sound like you’re trying to get rid of me. What do you have planned while I’m gone? Baths?”

  “Maybe. But I promise you’re better than baths.” She kissed him softly.

  “Glad you think so, baby. The whole time I’m gone I’ll be thinking about our trip to Idaho and having you in my bed.” He held her tightly. “Remember, you mean everything to me. I love you.” He kissed her deeply, then reluctantly pulled away. He needed to go. On this trip he traveled with the cast and crew, so he wasn’t on his own time.

  “Be safe and let me know when you arrive. I’ll be expecting a call tomorrow afternoon.”

  “Absolutely.” He sighed heavily.

  “I love you.”

  “I love you so much, baby.” He gave her one more fierce hug, and then he was gone.

  Marie breezed through her workday uneventfully and had plans to cook lasagna for dinner as a special treat for Jackson. On her way home, she listened to the radio and enjoyed the beautiful November day. The countdown to Parker’s return was on. She would do everything possible to keep herself busy and she hoped the next ten days would fly by uneventfully. In the meantime, she wanted to plan a wonderful Thanksgiving for her family, friends, and for Parker. She sighed contentedly at the thought of him. She loved him more than anything, unlike the feelings she had had for Craig, which were borne out of circumstances. The love she felt for Parker was far beyond what she had experienced with Craig, and there was no comparison. Did she ever really love Craig? It didn’t matter. She knew she really loved Parker and that was all that mattered.

  Marie arrived home and went straight to work preparing dinner. It did her heart good to hear Jackson raving over how good it smelled in the house. It had been way too long since she’d made lasagna.

  They were seated at the small dining table and Marie laughed as Jackson devoured half the pan. She relished seeing him happy, and their relationship was the strongest it had been since before the divorce.

  “Mom, that was the best lasagna ever.” Jackson smacked his lips loudly, and then in an exaggerated motion wiped his mouth with a napkin. “Mmm, that was delicious!”

  She laughed out loud. “Thank you. I think you say that every time I make it.” She tousled his hair playfully as she removed his plate.

  “Ha-ha, maybe you’re right. Are you going to watch Pierce with me?”

  “I’ll join you after I clean up these dishes, okay?”

  He nodded and was off to watch his favorite superhero.

  While Marie cleaned up, she hummed a little tune, daydreaming about marrying Parker. Life would be very different as his wife and she’d had a small taste of it staying with him on his estate. When he mentioned getting married during Brooke’s reception, she thought it was spurred by being at someone else’s wedding. But then he brought it up several days later and presented her with having the option to work or not work. He preferred she didn’t work so she could go on location with him. Not having to work appealed to her, as it would allow her to volunteer at Jackson’s school. But then his school would be forty-five minutes away, and that’s not counting traffic. The commute back and forth, twice a day sounded awful. Parker also suggested a private school or getting Jackson a tutor so he could go with them. There was no question Jackson would jump at the chance to travel with them, but what about socialization? She wasn’t convinced getting him a tutor was the best option for him, since he was already antisocial. And there was Craig. Then again, she had sole custody so why did it matter what he thought?

  Marie also resented missing so much of the kids’ childhood because she worked. Early on in her marriage, she needed to work to make ends meet. She went to school full time and worked part-time…spending little time with Lexi. When Craig’s family business started to grow, his salary increased, and Marie hoped she could quit her job to be home for the kids. To her disappointment, Craig never supported her in being a stay-at-home mom. He wanted her working for the extra money. He was always about the money.

  The ache in her heart after taking Jackson to daycare still haunted her. She had learned he cried for hours after she left him and he never adjusted. Every day she felt like the worst mother in the world and Craig didn’t seem to care. All she wanted was to take care of her baby and cuddle him all day long. But, what she wanted didn’t matter to Craig, and begging and crying were futile, as his word was final.

  “Mooom,” Jackson hollered. “Mom…come here!!!”

  She walked into the living room with her hands on her hips. “What’s the emergency? I told you I’d join you after I cleaned the kitchen.”

  “There’s a new person on the show…she’s Professor Pierce’s new girlfriend.”

  Marie furrowed her brow, walking closer to view ‘the new girlfriend.’ “What makes you think she’s his girlfriend?”

  “Because he introduced her to the team as his girlfriend and they just made out on his sofa.”

  “Did you record it so I can see?”

  “No, but I might be able to find it online. Let me get my iPad.” Jackson ran upstairs to his bedroom and Marie stared at the TV. Why didn’t he mention a love interest on the show? Jackson returned in a flash while she was thinking of the possible explanations. “Okay, I got it. Watch.” He handed the iPad to her.

  The blonde love interest was young and beautiful with a fit, curvy body…great. Marie was fighting hard not to let her imagination get the best of her.

  “I’ll ask Parker about her when I talk to him. It’s just acting, you know. It’s not real.”

  “I guess. It sure looks real to me. It’s like when I see you guys kissing. Bleh! I can’t tell what’s real and what’s not,” Jackson admitted, taking the iPad back.

  “Yeah, me either. But there’s nothing to worry about. Parker and I are together. It’s just acting,” she reassured him, although she needed some reassurance too. “I need to finish cleaning the kitchen. You watch your show.”

  Marie wiped down the table in slow motion, then the counters, and finally the stove, while she ran hot water on the dishes in the sink. No way did she want to watch Pierce now, so, she took her time cleaning the kitchen.

  At nine o’clock, Jackson was in bed and Marie had turned off all the lights downstairs. Marie was glad to call it a night after viewing the cute blonde Parker, er, Professor Pierce, had kissed. It was earlier than usual but what else was she to do. She was alone. Climbing into bed, she fell back on her pillow and let out a deep, slow breath. A buzz came from her phone on her bedside table—a text from Parker.

  Parker: Hi beautiful, my body is shot. Jetlag is always hard for me. I’ll call you @ 4:00 your time. Gotta get to work. Luv you.

  Marie: I’m glad you made it in one piece. I’ll talk to you later. I love you.

  The morning unfolded as it did most days at Malcolm-Bower, slow and steady. Most of Marie’s busy hours were after lunch. The relaxed nature of her bosses made the working conditions ideal for everyone. They had been surfers in their youth, hence all the black and white photos of waves throughout the office. The attitude they upheld was, “Hang loose,” which they chanted daily. It was a great place to work as a single parent, and they had been more than gracious and mercif
ul during the year of her divorce. If she was late to work, or had to leave early or called in sick, she heard, “Hey no prob, just hang loose.”

  This past May was her tenth anniversary working for MalBow, a nickname the bosses came up with during their college days at UCLA. The dynamic duo was a riot most days and never serious any day. Today was definitely a hang loose day.

  Mentally, Marie was stable considering her worrisome news, which was a massive improvement over her previous freak-outs. She had made it to lunch, and over a bowl of Thai noodles, she casually chatted with Natalie. She only needed to listen because Natalie was talking her ear off about a guy she had started dating. It was nice to get lost in someone else’s life while a young, curvy blonde bombshell had rattled your own.

  After lunch, she was anxious as she watched the clock. Four o’clock couldn’t come soon enough and her nervous energy was proof as she paced in her office. Her gait slowly began to slump as 4:15 neared, and by 4:30 she was in her chair, deflated. Did Parker forget to call her? Were they working late into the night? Was he with his female co-star? No, stop Marie. You’re working yourself up again.

  During her mental scolding, her office phone rang and she picked it up on the first ring.

  “Natalie?”

  “Wow, that was fast. Mr. Nichols on line two.”

  “Thanks!” She quickly clicked over. “Parker!” she said with relief.

  “Hi, beautiful,” he said in a quiet voice. “Sorry, I’m late calling.”

  “It’s okay, but I was worried you weren’t going to call. You’ve spoiled me by always being punctual. You sound tired. Are you okay?”

  “Just tired. The crew went out for a late dinner and we just got back. I’m not going with them anymore. They’re crazy. How are you, baby?”

  “Well, I don’t want to keep you. You need your rest.”

  “Why are you trying to get off the phone with me? How are you?”

  Marie took a deep breath.

  “What’s wrong? Talk to me.”

  “Okay… Jackson was watching your show last night. He was concerned about your blonde love interest. It looked like you had good chemistry together.” She sighed.

  “Marie, I’m not cheating on you. That was filmed last spring before I met you. It’s just acting.”

  “You’re saying you didn’t enjoy kissing her and touching her? As Jackson said, it looked real. I even thought it looked real. Is she still your love interest on the show? Did you kiss her today?”

  “Marie, you have nothing to worry about. I promise. You’re the only person I want and I love you more than anything.”

  “So, you did kiss her today.”

  “Marie…”

  “Will you be kissing her every day?”

  “Yes. But I’ve spoken to the writers and the scenes are short. By the end of filming, she’ll meet her demise, so it’s not going to be a long-term situation. Please don’t worry.”

  She was silent.

  “Marie, I don’t want you to feel insecure. This is why I want you with me, so I can hold you during these moments and go to bed with you in my arms every night. Instead, I’m alone, and I hate it.” She remained silent. “Marie please…”

  “I’m here.” Her voice was soft. “I don’t like it. I can let go of what I saw because we weren’t together, but now, how would you feel if I kissed another guy?”

  “Well, you have, and I hated it. Don’t go looking to get even baby. This is work with twenty people around me. There is nothing romantic or private about it. It’s more like turn this way, put your hand there, your eyes were open, tilt your head more—it’s work. I’m not attracted to her at all. She has the worst body odor. I’m not sure what it is, but it’s gross.”

  She laughed a little.

  “She’s nice enough and a pretty woman, but there isn’t an ounce of real chemistry. Now if we’re talking about you, I love everything about you, from the feel of you to the taste of you…mmm, I love all of you. Now I’m getting turned on just thinking about tasting you.” So was Marie. “The smell of your skin and your hair…you do things to me no other woman has ever done. You’re IT for me,” he said as a yawn took hold of him.

  “I should let you go. You need your rest. Don’t worry about me. I’m okay.”

  “Are you sure? I’ll call you at the end of my day…every day. I love you, so much. Please trust me.” He sounded exhausted but the sincerity in his voice was strong.

  “I do trust you. I’m still trying to get a handle on having a boyfriend who’s an actor. I love you, now get some rest.”

  “Okay. Bye, beautiful.”

  Marie ended the call, relieved by Parker’s quiet assurance. The way he wiped away her fears and reassured her in a brief call was incredible. He was incredible and she missed him terribly. It would be the longest nine days of her life waiting for him to return to her.

  Friday arrived and Parker had called her every day at four like he said he would. She loved how he sounded like he was feeling worse than she was when he’d call. It gave her satisfaction, but Marie also felt sorry for him. The connection they had was intense, she loved that he needed her, and he wasn’t the same when he wasn’t with her. It did wonders for her ego.

  She took a deep breath before she entered her house, anticipating Jackson’s unsavory mood. This was his weekend at Craig’s, and she would have some coaxing to do to get him out the door, like every other time he’d go to his dad’s. As if that wasn’t enough, she was on edge seeing Craig. She hadn’t been alone with him in a long time, and she worried it wouldn’t go so well with Parker not present.

  “Jackson, I’m home.”

  “I’m in the living room,” he hollered back. Marie entered the room and he was sprawled out on the sofa. It was already starting.

  “Are you ready to go? Your dad will be here in less than an hour.”

  “I guess. You’re going to make me go, so I don’t really have a choice,” he grumbled.

  She took a deep breath. “He’s your dad and loves you. I’m sure you’ll have a great time.”

  “He doesn’t even talk to me. He does nothing with me. It’s all Sasha. She plays games with me, but then Dad calls her away every time.”

  Marie frowned. She knew it was true. Craig was the same way when they were married. “Well, at least Sasha’s there. Maybe she’ll help bridge the gap between you and your dad.”

  He scrunched his face at her. “I’d rather be with you.”

  “I know, and you will. You’ll be with Parker and me when we go to Idaho for a week. Let’s get this visit out of the way with your dad and then we’ll focus on our trip.” She tousled his hair. “But Jackson, don’t talk about Parker to your dad, okay? Men don’t like to hear about other men. He’ll always be your dad no matter what, so be respectful to him. You can have both men in your life and you can care about Parker, even love him if that’s how you feel. But you have only one dad. Got it?”

  “Yeah…I got it.”

  “Okay, let’s get your bag ready. He’ll be here soon.”

  “Are you and Parker going to get married someday?” His question stopped her in her tracks. He looked at her expectantly.

  “Um, I don’t know. How would you feel if I married Parker?”

  “Well, do you love him? I heard him tell you he loves you.”

  “Yes, I do love him.” She smiled at him.

  “Well, if you love him, you should marry him. He’s the greatest guy ever and not just because he’s an actor,” Jackson said. “I think he’s good for you and you should marry him.”

  It turned out to be quite the interesting conversation with Jackson while packing his weekend bag to take to Craig’s. If she felt she needed approval from him to marry Parker, she had it. The doorbell rang and Jackson looked at Marie, so she gestured to answer the door. His shoulders slumped, and she cleared her throat. He knew that sound, so he straightened up and answered the door.

  “Hi, Dad.”

  “Hey Jackson, are you
ready?” Craig peered around Jackson and saw Marie. He did a double take. In the last couple of months, there had been gradual changes in her from the way she dressed, to her hair, to the amount of makeup she wore. She had always been an attractive woman who turned heads wherever she went. But now, she had a confidence about her that showed in the way she carried herself and it made her alluring. He made eye contact with her. “Marie.”

  “Craig,” she returned. “Give me a hug, buddy.” Jackson wrapped his arms around her tightly.

  “I don’t see the black SUV. Did Mr. Hollywood finally come to his senses and dump you?” He smirked.

  “No!” Jackson shot back. “Parker’s in Budapest and he’d never dump Mom! He loves her.” Craig’s gaze on Marie hardened. “Bye, Mom.” Jackson threw his hand up and waved.

  “Bye, buddy” She waved back, then went to close the door but Craig just stood there, looking her up and down. Her heart raced at his overt delight in looking at her. “Goodbye Craig.” She tried to move him along, but he didn’t budge.

  “Now that Mr. Hollywood is out of the country you’re all alone.” He laughed. “My lawyer is putting together a petition for shared custody. We want Jackson half the time, starting with Thanksgiving. You’ve had him the last two years, and I want him this year.”

  Marie’s mouth fell open. “No. I’m the custodial parent. You gave up your rights on your own. I’ve already made plans for this year. You can have him next year for Thanksgiving” Her voice cracked there at the end, and she was shaking inside. Standing up to Craig wasn’t something she often did, but things needed to change. Parker couldn’t always be around to keep Craig in check. She needed to be able to stand up to him.

  “You bitch!” Marie flinched when he lunged toward her. “How dare you talk to me that way.” He sneered as his black eyes narrowed. “He’s my son goddammit, and you won’t tell me when I can see him!”