Snowbound Kisses

by Julia Imari

  He took pictures of himself with his parents and sister, along with a dog named Barkley, and sent them to Thea and her grandmother. Although he didn’t normally share his personal life with anyone outside his inner circle, he felt compelled to do it, as he had promised Thea’s grandma that he would send a picture of himself with his mom, dad and sister.

  After the snowstorm, he had been out in the driveway to shovel a path. His ankle was healed, amazingly, and his shoulders and arms felt good for having scooped the fluffy snow out of the way. After a few minutes, he felt his muscles burn, and it was wonderful.

  When Thea’s grandma came, they shoveled the snow together all the way to the barn in the backyard. Then they had a nice conversation. She told him a lot about her only granddaughter and how she wanted nothing but happiness for her. He felt the emotion deep in his heart, and an attachment formed unexpectedly toward both women. He’d never thought something like this would happen. He wanted to live freely and not settle down anytime soon. And yet, her grandma's profound words made him think how short lives were, and that if he wanted something, he should go for it.

  Right at that moment, he was clueless about his own needs or wants. In his mind's eye, though, Thea was thinking about him, and he wanted to see her again. Maybe it was pure fantasy or speculation, because usually what he couldn’t have was exactly what he wanted. And for reasons he couldn’t explain, Thea had triggered that dormant need in him. She was a challenge he must conquer. The less communicative she was, the more he wanted to know about her, what she was doing and if she had completed her script.

  His phone buzzed with a new message. Thea!

  Merry Christmas, Max! Grandma and I had a quiet one. She was so happy to see the picture of you, your parents and sister. Thanks. Happy you arrived home safely.

  THE DAY AFTER the holiday, Jensen stopped by his apartment to discuss next year's schedule. When Jensen looked at him, he tossed his hands up in the air.

  “What?” Max asked, widening his arms. “Can’t I have a break?”

  Jensen shook his head. “You’re deep into the shit, Matthiews. Did you know that?”

  “I’m not.” He stared at his personal assistant. “What do you mean?”

  “You dig that Theodora chick, don’t you? Just admit it, boss.”

  He ran his fingers through his hair. “I don't, Jensen.”

  “Yes, you do. You look restless. Like something is missing and you’re looking around for it.”

  “Well, I’m just wondering. There’s nothing wrong with that.”

  Jensen opened his mouth and then closed it. Then he said, “I received several texts from Chris. She's mad at you for having changed your number.”

  Christina. He’d completely forgotten about her. “What does she want?”

  “She wants to see you tonight.”

  The holiday party was held at the pub, and he was required to attend to drum up early publicity for his band's upcoming album. He had to fulfill the obligation, as they had paid a large sum of money for his appearance. The thought of how free he was while staying with Thea beckoned him. How he felt his true self in that moment. And he craved more of it.

  “Invite Chris, then,” he said. “I just hope she doesn't make a scene.”

  “She’s determined to get you back. That’s what she said in her text, Max.” Jensen thumbed his phone vigorously. “Oh yeah, here's another thing.”

  Max looked at Jensen with exasperation. “What now?”

  “You’re invited to perform at the New Year's Eve celebration in Times Square.”

  “Without the band?”

  “Without the band. I already informed them. You’d wanted to go solo. Now is the time.”

  Suddenly an idea hit him. He didn’t think twice. “Confirm it.”

  With that, the stress and pressure flew away. His mind felt light, and he couldn’t wait to perform at the iconic setting in Times Square. By going back east again, he could get away from Christina. He was done having a relationship with someone whose only goal was manipulation and gaining power over him. He couldn’t take it anymore.

  Meanwhile, Thea’s text didn’t show any enthusiasm about his fame—even after she learned who he was. Having no pressure from her only increased his desire to be with her. Her grandmother's place seemed like a much-needed sanctuary. The peacefulness and silence cleansed his mind and allowed him to focus on what truly mattered. He couldn’t believe a place like it existed in a suburb of Boston.

  AS THE LEAD singer of the band, Max had to arrive at the meeting place earlier than the fans. And women and fangirls hounded him before the event started. Being as friendly as he was, he took the time to make numerous jokes and take tons of pictures with them. Some of the aggressive women even pinched his butt, and he was annoyed with it, but tried not to appear too selfish. After all, this was what he had learned to endure—the price of the success he’d earned. Of course he wanted to have a calm and fun night with his fans, but being single and available made it impossible, and he had no choice but to follow what the sponsors requested him to do.

  Then Christina arrived and all hell broke loose.

  "Max!" She wrapped her arms tightly around him. "Are you trying to hide from me?"

  "Chris." He pulled away from her and put an arm’s distance between them. "Please don't do this."

  Christina's eyes pleaded. "Oh, Max. I told you I apologize. I won't do it again."

  "It's over for me. I'm sorry." He signaled to the bodyguards to remove her from his personal space.

  "Damn you, Matthiews!" She cursed and yelled while he tried to smile as if nothing happened. And yet, he felt responsible and guilty at the same time. Of course, part of what had happened was his fault. He admitted that, but he’d had enough with what came easily to him. He wanted something difficult to obtain. It helped him to feel like he earned it.

  That person was Dorothea. He fought back a grin just thinking about her name. He felt giddy all over. Her name was associated with fun, happiness, freedom and freshness of the morning sun. And he longed for it.

  When the event ended, he returned to his apartment. Thumbing his phone, he wanted to text Thea, but the three-hour difference between the coasts made it past midnight in her town. But the longer he waited, the more miserable he felt. So, he texted her. She could always read it in the morning. How’s your grandma? After he sent the text, he went to the bathroom to brush his teeth and remove his smoke and perfume-laden shirt and jeans. He returned to the bed wearing nothing but boxers.

  His phone blinked with a new text. Thea? He tapped the phone screen. I’m able to move the plot! Yay!

  He typed his answer. It’s 3:00 in the morning, Thea.

  I can’t sleep. So I tried to write a scene and I finished it. BTW, Grandma’s fine. She's agreed to move to assisted living. A little sad, but the nurses will be able to look out for her while I’m at work.

  He typed his answer immediately. That’s good news. But what about you? Who’s going to take care of you?

  He waited for more than two minutes and Thea still hadn't answered. Did she fall asleep? Thea?

  Still here …

  … Well, go to bed. We can talk tomorrow.

  Max, I can take care of myself. You don’t have to worry.

  I’m worried.

  Please don’t.

  He sighed. Okay. If you say so. I’m going to bed now.

  Goodnight.

  Nite.

  He slid his phone on its charger before turning off the night lamp. Evidently, Thea didn’t feel the same way he did, so he couldn’t do anything. His heart felt heavy, but he ignored it and closed his eyes.

  Chapter Six

  THEA AND HER grandma had celebrated Christmas quietly, just like any other year. But for Christmas this year, Thea sensed her grandma missed Max and wished he could return to visit. She saw the pictures of Max with his parents and sister. And Grandma kept repeating what a nice young man he was. Although Grandma invited her friends, Anna and Betty
over for the holiday, she remained unusually quiet.

  The day after Christmas, she was preparing to go to work when Grandma came into her room. “I’m going to the Fellsmere House today with Anna. She’ll drive me.”

  Her heart stopped beating. The news gave her the hope to get Grandma the best care. At the same time, the hole in her heart increased in size. Thinking about how all this would end petrified her. She grabbed Grandma and hugged her tight while her eyes brimmed with tears. “We’ll make sure this transition is as painless as possible, Gram. I promise.”

  “Easy for you to say. I want you to settle down, Dorothea. So I don’t have to worry about you.”

  “Gram, I’ve got tons of friends. What are you talking about?”

  “Sienna is your only friend, Dorothea. You can’t fool me. You need someone who can take care of you. Someone you love and will have a life with.”

  She sighed. “I’ll bring him to visit you at the Fellsmere when I find him.”

  Grandma smiled. “Max is a nice young man, Dorothea.”

  “He’s a singer.” She looked at her grandma with a loud sigh. “He’s not the type who'd stay in one place, Gram.”

  “That’s not what I saw,” she said and then glanced at her watch. “You’re late.”

  Thea nodded and walked to the orange line station. Relieved was the word that came to her mind when Grandma finally agreed to move to the apartment complex where she could receive the best of care. Now, her next task would be to prepare for Grandma's estate to be sold. Gah. She didn’t want to change anything. She was sure Grandma felt the same way, too.

  Change is a bitch.

  Arriving at the café where she worked, the crowd had piled inside. The counter was filled with patrons having their breakfast of bacon, hash browns and cheese omelets. The top-selling favorites, and hers as well, were the waffles and strawberry and blueberry medley pancakes.

  Sienna waved at her from the kitchen window. Thea put on her apron and proceeded to the kitchen. “Merry Christmas!” she yelled at everyone.

  Amid the clanking pots and cutlery, the cooks and chef said, “Merry Christmas!” in chorus.

  Thea returned her attention to Sienna. “Where were you during the holiday?” she asked. “You didn’t come to visit me and Grandma.”

  Sienna rolled her eyes. “I didn't want to interrupt you and your man. So, how was Christmas with him?”

  “He returned to Cali before the Christmas holiday.”

  “He did?” Sienna's eyes widened. “What a bummer. So, did Grandma agree to move out?”

  “Thank God, yeah. She finally said yes.”

  “I know why she agreed,” Sienna said, choosing some potatoes to be cut into crinkle fries for the luncheon crowd in a couple of hours. “Because she thinks Max is the right one.”

  “Apparently you weren't nosey enough to check the internet to find out more about him,” Thea said, moving to the next order of pancakes.

  “Actually, I did.” Sienna smiled.

  “And?’ Thea eyed her, waiting for her answer.

  “And nothing. He looks normal. Nothing strange. Just a typical rock star surrounded by his female fans. Ton of gossips about him.”

  “There. He has tons of women waiting for him at every concert. What made you think he picked me?”

  “Because you probably took wonderful care of him, Thea. You don’t realize how amazing you are. I know that because when I was sick, you made me chicken soup, everything. You came all the way from Summerfield to take care of me.”

  Thea didn’t see anything special about what she did for Sienna. “Because we’re friends. Friends do that to each other.”

  “And that makes you even more desirable in his eyes.”

  Thea huffed. “I’m not buying any of your analysis. Now, where's my ten bucks?”

  “What if he returns?” Sienna asked.

  Their stupid conversation was picked up by one of the servers. “Are you guys gambling on something?”

  “Then, I'll give you your ten,” Thea whispered. “No, we’re not, Randy.”

  Randy gave her a look as if he knew better. Thea ended the topic and went out to start her round with a filled pitcher in her hand.

  The long hours of her shift took a toll on her ankle. She was flat on her back, trying to rest her feet after standing all day at work. After the holidays were over, the winter season was less chaotic at the café. Not at the shopping malls. Customers crowded the malls to buy more or return the gifts they had received. She wanted to do some shopping, but with her type of job, all she could do was wish.

  Grandma had long gone to bed when she padded into the kitchen at 9:00 p.m. She could talk to her tomorrow morning about her meeting with the social worker at the Fellsmere House. She knew the visit to the complex was no more than a tour, a way to get her grandma comfortable with the facility. And she didn’t want to rush her to pack. Instead, she would let her take as much time as possible.

  After an unceremonious dinner with Tommy, she returned to her home office to resume her writing. Unfortunately, she had never progressed to the next scene. Maybe the scene was wrong. She flipped her notebook shut when the phone made a whistling sound.

  Max? Her heart beat faster when his name floated on the screen.

  Hey, Dorothea. What are you doing?

  Working on my scene. How are you?

  Not well.

  Her heart lurched. What happened? Did you have your dinner?

  I fell. Falling, actually.

  She shook her head. Are you drunk? Where are you?

  In Times Square. Doing a rehearsal for the New Year’s Eve celebration tomorrow.

  He was in New York City?! And what do you mean you’re falling? Are you hanging from a building to make a stunt before you fly to the stage? Like Superman?

  You’re so cute. But I’m coming for you. So, be prepared.

  Max, you’re not making any sense.

  Come to NYC, Thea. I want to see you.

  I’m working, Max.

  Ask someone to cover your shift.

  She wanted to see him and yet she didn’t. Her head throbbed in confusion. But she didn’t want to miss this opportunity to see him perform in front of the huge audience in Times Square. I could leave after work.

  Sweet. Jensen will take care of everything. Just go straight to the airport.

  If you do this to every woman listed in your black book, you’ll be broke by the age of thirty.

  He replied not with words but with lemon-yellow heads with their tears flying all over the place.

  I’m going back to the front stage now. Time for another rehearsal.

  Don’t forget to eat, Max.

  He didn’t respond to her last text. May as well. She was annoyed with herself sometimes because she couldn’t stop caring.

  ***

  MAX WAS FALLING for Thea. There was no way around it. He couldn’t stop his feelings for her no matter how hard he tried. Thea had everything he wanted and needed in a woman. She wasn’t interested in his fame at all. In fact, she had treated him like an ordinary person since they met. Her attitude was refreshing. She didn’t care who he was and never tried to ask him more than he offered to tell. He couldn’t explain it. Not even Jensen could understand how fast he fell for her.

  She’d caught him in his most vulnerable state. He expected judgment, and yet she readily accepted him for who he was. She didn’t flinch at all with his crassness and crabbiness.

  And the most important thing was to fulfill her grandma’s wish, to assure her that Thea would never be alone even after Grandma no longer lived with her. He’d promised her that he would take care of Thea—because she deserved to pursue her dream of being a writer. And he would support her with all his heart, to make sure she could reach the success she wanted.

  After the rehearsal wrapped up, he went backstage. Jensen was waiting. “Max! So, what’s her decision?” he asked.

  “She said yes!” He beamed at Jensen. “Get her a flight ticke
t. And everything else she needs.”

  “Yes, boss.”

  “And Jensen?”

  “What?”

  “We need to eat. She made sure of it.”

  Jensen's facial expression softened. “She meant you, Max. You haven't eaten yet.”

  Yeah. She was that special to him. “Let’s go anyway.”

  After retiring to his hotel room for the night, Max searched for Thea on social media. He couldn’t find a page in her name. Afterward, he scoured the internet, and she didn't exist anywhere else online either. Perhaps she used a different name or a pen name. Maybe that was the reason he couldn’t find her.

  The desire to pen some lyrics came to him like rain. He strummed his guitar to get a nice melody about how he felt at that moment. Happiness, worry, hope and hesitation all mixed into one. His feeling was exposed by her sincere care, and he couldn’t hide from it. Should he continue to keep it as his secret, or should he reveal it to her? He had hinted it to her, and yet she was so obtuse. She sounded so adorable. How could he get away from this feeling for her? If it was up to him to decide, he didn't want to lose the feeling. And now he was at the crossroad of making a decision that would change everything.

  For years, he was so focused on his career as a singer and musician, success came as projected. He enjoyed all the perks this brought: fast cars, lots of women, wads of cash. He could have or get anything he wanted. And yet, after he’d tasted what it felt like to be enveloped in peace and happiness, although briefly, he already craved it. All the material things he’d gained from hard work meant nothing without peace and a deep sense of attachment to someone who needed him. Not needing him for material things, but for a meaningful relationship.

  That was it. He made up his mind. Thea would come to see him tomorrow night, for New Year's Eve. And he would like to have a long night and to celebrate the New Year with her.

  Chapter Seven

  THEA KEPT GLANCING at her watch. When she told Grandma that morning about her plan to celebrate New Year's Eve in Times Square, she had no intention of letting her on to Max's invitation. But there was no need to hide anything, because Grandma had smiled at her when hearing of her plan.