Holiday Spice & Everything Nice

by Conn, Claudy

  “You're welcome, apology accepted, and watch out for that bag on the ground before you fall.” With an easy swoop, Kevin lifted the plastic bag in the air. It had something in it which clanked around as it moved.

  “I guess your hero roles are paying off in real life, huh?” she quipped. Sasha was genuinely thankful for him, because her ungraceful self would have fallen flat on her face if she'd tripped over the stupid bag.

  He wiggled his eyebrows as they walked under a street light. “I've got to put my skills to use somehow. I want to be a little more important than a pretty face on a movie screen.”

  Again, she noted a serious tone in his voice. There was more to Kevin and his acting than she realized. From that comment, it sounded like he wanted to make a difference in the world. Sasha would have asked him to elaborate on that comment, but a crash from inside a nearby apartment startled her.

  Not just any apartment. Hers.

  Dad!

  Without another word, Sasha sprinted toward the door, nervous and anxious to get inside and find out what happened. She unlocked the door and pushed it open, afraid of the scene she'd find. Her heart raced. The living room was clear. A lamp by her dad's favorite chair was on, but other than that, the apartment was dark.

  “Archer, come on!” Arlene cried with urgency. “Why in the world would you do that?”

  That didn't sound good at all. Had he fallen? Thrown something? Hit her? Hurt himself?

  “What's going on in here?” Sasha appeared in the doorway of her father's room, taking in the sights. Dad sat on the bed with an angry scowl and a mess of glass on the floor. The biggest thing that caught her attention was the hole in the wall. What the hell did he throw?

  “Oh, you're home!” Arlene gasped, relieved.

  “What's going on in here?” Kevin asked from behind her. Sasha shrieked at the sound of his voice. She didn't even think he'd follow her.

  “Dad, what did you do?” Sasha rushed into the room, examining the mess a little more.

  His eyes were hollow when he stared at her. Confusion filled them. “Someone broke the vase,” he whispered. “My wife and daughter made me that vase in ceramics.” He sounded like a broken child, and tears slid down his wrinkly cheeks.

  He didn't recognize her tonight. All memory of his current life didn't exist. To him, everyone was a stranger. This disease fucking sucked. Sasha choked back a sob and picked up the shards of glass, memories consuming her. The good old days, before her mother lost her battle with an illness and left Sasha with her father. Alone.

  “Hold on,” Kevin said softly, moving to her side. “Don't get any sharp edges embedded in your skin. You're shaking. Let me get this cleaned up for you.”

  Her vision blurred. Sasha nodded, mumbling another thank you. She climbed to her feet, then faced her father. Arlene stood and brushed off her jeans, watching them carefully.

  “What happened to the vase? How did it break?” She finally broke the silence, searching her father's face for any spark of recognition, something that would show her he was still there, even just a little.

  Nothing. Just as she thought, tonight was one of the bad ones.

  “He threw it in the heat of an argument,” Arlene said softly. “Let me get him calmed down and we'll talk. I heard what happened. Are you okay?”

  “Never been better,” Sasha retorted, immediately regretting it. This night sucked, and it only worsened as time went on.

  Chapter Six

  Before the clock struck eight the next morning, at least five people came by the apartment to find out for sure if Sasha was okay. They'd heard several different versions of what really went down last night- one including her being in the midst of a big knife fight with the robber because she wanted to make sure Marly Jean got her cake.

  She'd snorted out her coffee at that one. Damn, did that burn! Each time, Sasha told them the truth, and it obviously disappointed everyone. They all liked the fabricated stories better. Well all righty then. Someone even asked if Kevin had been kissing her before he saved the day. Yeah right!

  Just as she had a free moment to enjoy breakfast, her phone rang. Before she answered it, Arlene shouted something at her father from the other room. The number was an out of state one.

  “I'm looking for Sasha Moretti?” The man on the other end hesitated.

  “This is she.” Who the hell was this guy?

  “I'm Kevin Wright's publicist, and I've got a proposition for you.”

  She nearly dropped the phone. Say what?

  “Hello? Are you there?”

  “Look, I'm sorry your fabulous actor nearly got killed last night, but-”

  “Whoa. Slow down there, miss. No one's blaming you. I'm looking to get your help.”

  She shot up from her seat. “My help? What could you possibly want from me?” Sasha paced the dining room, pinching herself. Just a dream. No, a nightmare. She'd wake up, and the last twenty-four hours wouldn't be real.

  “I don't know if you've seen the stories about Kevin recently-”

  “The comments of him being a Scrooge just before Christmas?” Not like she'd actually read the whole thing, but with the big black letters all over the place, it was hard to not notice at all.

  “Yes. That.” The man's voice dripped with anger. “He needs a boost in a good way for his reputation. This is where you can help. He saved you last night-”

  Again, she cut him off. “Excuse me? He saved me? Okay, so he happened to act fast, but this is getting ridiculous!”

  “Boy, you're a feisty one.” The man actually had the nerve to laugh. What the hell was his name, anyway? Had he ever said? “Let me get a word in. I just need some photos of you and Kevin together doing some good things. Spread a little Christmas cheer. Bring food to the homeless. Don't go overboard, but I think you could be a really good help.”

  Her jaw slacked. Sasha stopped pacing. “You want me to help boost his reputation. You've got to be kidding.”

  “Totally serious. I looked you up before making this call. I see you need some help with your father, plus you want to go to design school.”

  “Okay dude, this is more than a little creepy-” She did not like the idea of this guy looking her up and knowing these details.

  This time, he cut her off. “You do this while Kevin's in town for his sister's wedding plans, and I'll get your father in the best care facility I can. Plus, I'll pay your first two years tuition at the design school of your choosing.”

  “You know both of those costs a ridiculous amount of money,” Sasha stated, the words ringing in her ears.

  “I'm well aware, but once Kevin's reputation is out of the gutter, he's going to go places. I know, this is the strangest proposition you'll ever get.”

  “You think? How do I even know you are who you say you are? All I know is you're supposedly Kevin's publicist, one without a name.”

  “I'm Jack Rogers. Want proof? I'll email you all you need to know. Just tell me your email address.”

  “Hold up. You can find out what my dreams are, find out about my dad and why he needs a care facility, but a small thing like an email address you have to ask me for?”

  Now Arlene stood in the doorway, looking tired and frustrated. Sasha guessed another bad morning with Dad.

  If this guy was legit, what was the harm? Sasha couldn't believe she was actually thinking about agreeing to this!

  He chuckled. “Touché. I'm serious. I'll email you more information. If you agree to this, I'll start finding a place for your father. You can do a tour of the place. When I get the first photo, we'll begin the process. One more thing- you can't tell Kevin about this. I need it to be natural. Make it seem like you're a natural do-gooder.”

  She bristled. “You might want to watch your wording there, mister! You make it sound like a do-gooder is a bad thing, and it sounds like you're saying I'm not a good person!” Sasha wasn't sure why, but she gave him her email address. After a few more minutes of chatter from Jack, they hung up.

&
nbsp; He had her all riled up.

  “What was that all about?” Arlene asked, stepping closer.

  “Umm... someone in Kevin's world, inquiring about what happened last night,” she lied. No way did Sasha plan to tell her about this right now, but if Jack's deal was legit, she'd have to. It wasn't like she could pass off getting Dad in a place like he'd described without some sort of explanation. “Did you need something?”

  Arlene's expression was grave. “This isn't going to work out much longer. We've got to find a way to get your father the help he needs.”

  “I knew it was coming sooner rather than later,” Sasha replied, bowing her head. “I know. I'm trying to figure out what to do.”

  So, that email. Sasha hoped like hell Jack sent it. And again, she couldn't believe she was even considering it. Desperate times called for desperate measures.

  *****

  “On the bright side, maybe the incident will boost your image.”

  Kevin gaped at his sister. “Marly Jean! That's so insensitive!” How were they even related? Ugh. If only he could climb back under the covers. Today already proved to be obnoxious. Everyone wanted to know about his 'hero moment', when he swooped in and saved Sasha's life. They were completely twisting the story. Hell, he'd even had questions directed to him on Twitter, asking if he'd used his movie role moves to take down the guy.

  Okay, so catching a robber in the act was scary, no denying it, but there was no heroic move. There was no big take down finale. He'd acted fast and kept anything from escalating to serious trouble. That was it.

  She crossed her arms over her chest and raised a perfectly shaped brow at him. “How is it insensitive? No one was hurt, and no one died. Nothing was taken. It's not like you set it up to happen and played the hero. Sheesh. Next time, I won't look out for your image.” Marly Jean pivoted and stomped away.

  Kevin held back an eye roll. Wow. The only reason she worried about his image was because it affected her, and Marly Jean wanted no negative press around her unless she was the one creating it. If the attempted robbery hadn't happened, Kevin would bet his sister would have had Casey's catering company in the dumps for a simple screw up. Well, mixing up the cake wasn't a simple screw up, but considering the pressure Marly Jean put on everyone, it could be. Everything else had been flawless and ran smoothly.

  Time to get out of here. Flashbacks of last night in Sasha's apartment filled his mind. She'd mentioned on the way to the catering place about her father, but when he saw how bad off the man was firsthand, it really made him think. No wonder she'd been in a rotten mood. Look how much she'd been dealing with. He'd be in that bad of a mood, too.

  Kevin wondered how much questioning Sasha got today. If his name was splashed all over the papers, then he had no doubt Sasha's would be, as well. If not now, then soon. Grabbing a bagel from the plate his mother set out, he said a quick goodbye, then headed out the door.

  “Where are you off to?” His father cornered him.

  “Checking on Sasha,” he replied.

  Dad's brows drew up in a V. “Who?”

  “You know. Sasha Moretti. The woman I was with last night at the catering place.”

  “Ahh. Yes, that's right. Her father is a criminal.”

  Kevin exploded. “He's no criminal! He's just a confused man with an illness. This stuff happened years ago! Leave him alone, will ya?” He didn't give his father a chance to respond. Without looking back, Kevin left the house.

  No wonder Sasha wanted as far out of this town as possible. No wonder she didn't want to be there last night, either.

  Kevin arrived at her apartment ten minutes later. Before knocking on the door, he adjusted his sunglasses. The sun was bright in the sky today, melting away all the ice and snow.

  A minute later, the door opened. Out stepped a flustered Sasha. “Kevin! What are you doing here?”

  “Checking up on my favorite rescuee,” he joked.

  “Is that even a word?” Ha! He got a laugh out of her.

  “It is now. How are you today?”

  “I've been better. You really came all the way over here to check on me?”

  “Why does that surprise you?” Oh, that's right. She must still be associating him with his family. How long would it take to show her he was nothing like them?

  She shrugged. “Figured you'd have family obligations or something.”

  “Nope. I looked at my family itinerary. They've actually left me some free time. I was hoping to spend some of it with you. If you can't get out because you need to be with your father, then maybe we can pop in a movie or something. I won't even beg you to watch any of mine.” He slid her his best grin.

  Sasha hesitated. “What do you have in mind that isn't cooped up in an apartment? Dad actually goes to an adult care center three days a week. Arlene just took him. I don't have to work until this evening.”

  “I didn't really think that far ahead. Coming to see you was on a whim,” he admitted, loving the flustered and shocked look on her face. She'd finally warmed up to him. The memory of her body flush up against him filled his mind again. He used that thought as a replacement when the real fearful ones hit. Kevin had a nightmare last night about the way things could have gone. If he'd reacted even a second later, or if he never came in, things could have been worse.

  Kevin liked the memory of Sasha pressed up against him much better. Wonder what it would take to get her to do it again under better circumstances. He went hard just thinking about it.

  “Well, if you have no ideas, I do. I want to get out of town. If one more person asks me if your moves are just like the ones in your movies, I'm going to scream.”

  He barked out a laugh. “I've had the very same questions.”

  “Come on in while I finish up.” She stepped back, gesturing for him to enter.

  He'd take spending a day with Sasha. She intrigued him. She also had one hell of an effect on his body. What the hell he going to do about that one, he wasn't sure. Awareness shot through to his groin every time he saw her.

  Remember Marianne. You don't need to get involved, physically or emotionally, even with a girl from your hometown.

  Hmm. Might be a little too late for that mental pep talk.

  Chapter Seven

  Sasha couldn't believe she was doing this. Getting a few photos of Kevin while genuinely doing something good should be a cinch. If she was lucky, Kevin would never know she'd been the one to take and turn in the pictures. On the way out of town, she contemplated. Was this right or wrong? It wasn't blackmailing. There weren't any strings attached, other than getting help for her father. Plus, if Jack was being honest, this would help Kevin as well. But if that were the case, why didn't his publicist want Kevin to know about this? Why go about it in a quiet, sneaky way?

  Why did she feel so damn guilty about it? What were a few harmless pictures? As a celebrity, Kevin got this all the time.

  Doesn't make invading his privacy right.

  It wasn't like she'd be photographing him in his underwear or boxers. She imagined his toned muscles on his legs. Did he have a six pack? Or were they only for show in the movies and it was all a camera trick?

  Heat brewed within her, spreading downward. Why the hell was she thinking about Kevin in boxers or briefs, and how much of a toned body he had?

  Because I've completely lost my mind!

  Sweat formed on her brow and the back of her neck. Holy crap, she needed to change her thinking and quick. Sasha reached for the heater knob and turned it down.

  “You're hot? How can you be sweating up a storm?” Kevin asked once she put her hand back on the wheel.

  “I do this sometimes when I get anxious,” she replied, most of it being true.

  “Are you having some kind of anxiety? Do you want to pull over and let me drive?” Kevin's genuine concern touched a place in her heart. He wasn't mocking her, being sarcastic, or rude. No, he honestly wanted to do something. It had been a long time since someone other than her close knit circle o
f people cared. Longer than she cared to admit.

  That only added to her stress of this whole thing.

  Thinking of her father this morning, Sasha knew she had to do something.

  “No, I can drive. That's why I turned the heat off. It was suffocating me.”

  “You could roll your window down a crack and let some fresh, cool air hit you,” he suggested.

  “Good idea.” Why hadn't she thought of that? Oh yeah, because Kevin Wright sat beside her in her vehicle, and it got to her for some reason. She lowered the window a crack. The blast of air hit her immediately.

  “So, where are we going?”

  Her breath hitched at his innocent question. Sasha had no plan whatsoever, which meant she'd come up with no explanation. She hesitated, focusing hard on the road while she tried to piece her thoughts together. “I guess I should have asked before just going there, but after the last few days, I needed to do something I haven't in a long time.” Vague, but hey, it gave her a few more minutes to gather her wits.

  “What's that? Do you take movie stars out often?” His tone was light and teasing.

  “Ha ha. Do you need to get an ego boost every day?” she shot back, more playful than she'd been with him.

  He feigned hurt. “Ouch. You wound me. How am I supposed to go back to my role of happy in love if you broke my heart in two?”

  Sasha burst into laughter. “You're so full of it!”

  “This might be.” Kevin chuckled. “Still doesn't tell me where we're off to.”

  “Umm...” This would mean telling him part of her past, the one she wasn't fond of. “There was a time in high school I lived in my car for a year.” Wow, that came out all wrong.

  “You what? Why?” Kevin's voice filled with alarm.