Maid for Martin

by Samantha Lovern

  He wondered if it would last, or if it was just something to get his mind off his troubles. Things had been going downhill with Celia for a couple of months, and her attitude about his career had been frustrating for even longer.

  Down deep he knew he couldn’t focus if the woman in his life wasn’t supporting him. Once again his mind went to Randi. What will she think about my acting career? Will she even want to speak to me once she knows everything there is to know?

  He could just kick himself for letting this go on so long, but every time he was with her, he just couldn’t bring himself to tell her the truth. He wanted to be with her. He wanted to be Mike and forget all of the problems that went with living in the public eye.

  It still amazed him that she had no idea who he was, or that she’d never seen any of his movies. It wasn’t like he was terribly famous, but some of his movies were good, and well-advertised. It felt strange and strangely good to know there were still people out there who had no idea who he was.

  Martin reached down to touch the small present in his pocket. He pulled it out, looking it over. The set would suit Randy perfectly. He tilted the box to the light, watching the jewels sparkle. Now that Randi was sneaking around his house, taking care of Bandit, the gift would fit her even more.

  He could imagine giving it to her and pulling the gold chain around her neck, fastening the clip just before he kissed her on the neck. A smile crept across his face and he snapped the lid closed, pushing the box deep into his pocket.

  Another image flashed before his eyes. It was of Randi ripping the necklace off and throwing it at him. That one didn’t make him smile, and he sure hoped it wasn’t a premonition of things to come. Tonight he would know for sure. He could only hope, and even dare to pray, that he hadn’t messed things up too much.

  He wished he was getting ready to have dinner with Randi and his sister and mother instead of Celia. He knew down deep it wasn’t completely fair to Celia to blame so much of this on her. It was just as much his fault for not paying attention to what he was doing.

  They’d both been moving along, not noticing that things were progressing in the wrong direction. One of them should have been willing to step up to the plate and say this isn’t working. One of them should have wanted more out of the relationship, but instead they both had been willing to settle.

  Celia might not be ready to give up but he was. Celia might not want to admit that they were on two different paths now but he was. He would give her this time with her family. She deserved that. Then, after the dust settled, he’d tell her it was over.

  Martin looked up quickly, coming out of this thoughts as the front door opened. He actually tensed as if he’d been caught in the act, again. This secrecy was going to have to come to an end. He was becoming jumpy and it was going to show if he wasn’t careful. When he saw it wasn’t his family he relaxed and took a drink of water.

  Martin hated the situation he’d put himself in. He couldn’t even go to his own home without worrying who he might find around the next corner. Now, things were even worse. Addison knew about his little indiscretion, and he couldn’t help but wonder if she might accidentally say the wrong thing.

  As he pictured his family with Celia, he couldn’t help but smile at the three of them in a cab on their way to meet him. His mother, of course, would be polite. Addison would be quiet and Celia? Well, he wasn’t sure what she would be. Sometimes her manner was soft and caring, and others she could be a real . . . the door opened again and Martin glanced up.

  This time it was his cue to rise and greet his family. They walked in, Addison, his mother, and Celia. Martin wanted to sink into the floor when he saw what Celia was wearing. His mother had to be appalled. Most LA residents wouldn’t think twice about what Celia wore, but his mother would think it too revealing.

  His mother gave him a weak smile, Addison gave him a "What now?" look and Celia tried to kiss him. He recalled his promise to Randi that he wouldn’t kiss Celia, so he turned his cheek and whispered. “What were you thinking with that dress?”

  This comment won him a scowl, but it disappeared quickly. There was small talk around the table, a few comments about how nice the place was, that it looked like rain, and that they were all hungry.

  Next, his mother spoke. She reached out, taking his hand, and smiled. “I’ve heard from your dad. He’s going to be here tomorrow if all goes well.”

  “Great. We’ll get some time alone, before the rest show up.” He glanced around the table and then felt Celia place her hand on his arm.

  “Yes, it will be good for everyone. I hope you can tear yourself away from whatever has kept you so busy these last few days. We need to sign the cards we had made, if I can ever find them.”

  “We’re not sending out the cards.”

  “But you said you liked them,” Celia pouted.

  “I did, but it’s too late to send out cards.”

  “It’s not too late. We went to all of the trouble to get them made. Why not send them out?”

  Martin hated to argue in front of his family, but he might as well start telling the truth. He leaned over, looking at Celia as his mother and sister looked at the menu. He kept his tone low but persuasive. “We’re not sending out the cards, Celia, and I’m in not in the mood to debate about this.”

  Thankfully, she didn’t say anything but as she picked up her menu he could tell she was holding back what she really wanted to say. He wasted no time in trying to smooth things over.

  “I apologize, to all of you, for my absence. I hope to have things wrapped up by tomorrow.” And he did. He wanted to explain things. He wanted more time, but that wasn’t an option.

  His sister had already caught him in the act. I can't take the chance of that happening again. Heaven only knew what would happen if Celia were to catch him with Randi in his arms.

  He looked around the table and inwardly cringed at what his mother would think of him, or say. No, I have to get a handle on things and it has to be tonight.

  Chapter 37

  Surprise Guest

  Dinner was not going well. Addison kept looking at Martin, who looked sick at heart. This girl, who ever she was, had really messed with his mind to get him into a situation where he was sneaking around, all but cheating.

  Her mother could sense something, but she was trying to hide her concern. Celia seemed angry and for a few tense moments it seemed as if Martin and Celia were about to have an argument over Christmas cards.

  After a quick discussion and a few more words about the cards, that Addison tried to ignore, Celia had little to say. She nodded now and then and at one point when she was talking about her friend Sue, she actually seemed likable.

  About halfway through the meal Addison felt her phone vibrate. She hated when people took calls during dinner. It was why she had turned her phone to vibrate. Now she wished she’d just left the stupid thing off. It was driving her nuts wondering who was calling.

  Ten minutes after it vibrated the second time, she’d had all she could take and politely excused herself to the ladies' room. She didn’t give anyone time to speak but smiled, rose from the table, and walked in the direction of the restrooms. When she was out of sight of the table, she started taking her phone from her purse.

  She’d not heard from Raffaello, her boyfriend, all day. She glanced at the caller id. Yes. Rafa’s smiling face looked back at her. She hit the dial button and waited.

  When she heard him answer, she smiled. He was born in America but had spent the better part of his youth in Italy, and therefore he had a wonderful Italian accent, when it was to his advantage. It could make any woman putty in his hands when he laid it on thick, which he was doing now, since he’d not bothered to call her all day.

  “I’m so sorry for the delay, bella. I should have called earlier, but I’ve been in meetings all day. I have good news though … sorry, just a minute. I have to take this call.”

  Addison didn’t bother to respond. She was used to Rafa�
�s interruptions. His position as a junior partner in a huge law firm was very important, so she never complained. Work was work, and she didn’t have a problem with that.

  Addison turned from the mirror, waiting. Rafa would know soon whether he would be working in New York or Los Angles. She could only guess that his news had something to do with his new position.

  “So sorry, bella.” Rafa’s silky tone brought her out of her thoughts. His way of making conversation always made her think of roses and a warm fireplace. She smiled. She did need to stop watching all of those romantic movies. They were making her lose a bit of reality.

  “You were about to say something about a surprise.”

  “Yes. I do have a bit of a surprise. I managed to get some time off. I can come to your brother's Christmas party, that is, if you’ll still have me.”

  "You can? Really? Oh, Rafa that’s wonderful. When will you be here? I can’t wait for you to meet my family and see my brother’s house. It’s beautiful. The decorations are amazing.”

  “I can be there by tomorrow night. Is that too soon?”

  “No, no. Of course not. I can’t wait to see you.” Addison wished she could reach through the phone and hug him.

  “I can’t wait to hold you, bella, but I must go. I’ll call you tomorrow, and let you know what time my flight will be in. Can you come pick me up at the airport?”

  “Yes, of course. See you soon.”

  “Ciao.”

  Addison turned the phone off, put it away, and sighed. She wanted to sneak out and go to Martin's, rather than go back to the table, but that wasn’t an option. It should have brought her some solace that her problems were nothing compared to what her brother was facing, but it didn’t.

  She took a deep breath, readied herself for whatever was coming, and went back to the table. Celia and Martin were about to break up, she and Rafa could possibly be moving in with each other. Neither was something her parents would be expecting to learn come Christmas morning.

  Chapter 38

  Bandit & Lady

  Randi sat in the grass in the palatal back yard, watching Bandit and Lady lounge in the evening sun. Under Emma’s advisement she’d given Lady a bath. The plan was to take lady indoors tonight because of her persistent barking.

  When Randi informed Emma of how heartbroken Lady was, sitting outside the garage door barking, Emma suggested she get her cleaned up and move her indoors for one night.

  Lady was all but dry from lying in the sunshine. Bandit had gotten his bath the day before, and for now, they were both flea-free. She’d placed collars on both dogs and given them those magical pills that killed fleas within a short period of time.

  Ann, her roommate, loved Bandit, and would agree to both dogs staying in the room for one night. Tomorrow Bandit and Lady would go home with Emma for a few days.

  Randi didn’t want to think about leaving this place. It was beautiful, and she hoped that she would be called back. If not here, maybe another fine mansion would need her services. It did pay better than most jobs, and with two more mouths to feed, she’d need more money.

  Lady ambled over, right on cue, and nudged Randi. “I see you, and yes, I know you’re cute.” A couple of rubs behind the ear and Lady went back to her friend, who was trying to nap.

  Bandit wagged his tail, but didn’t bother to rise, until Lady kept after him to the point where he tired of her and rose. They padded around, moving out of the shade of the trees, staying in the sun. Randi laughed. Instead of lying down like Lady, Bandit would just flop down. It looked painful, but it didn’t seem to affect him.

  Randi couldn’t wait to take them home, and was thinking about turning the old room above the garage into a one-room apartment.

  Having Bandit in the house was nice, and he and Lady would love being housedogs. She hoped no one would come to claim them, now that she’d fallen in love with those shiny black noses and playful dark eyes.

  She wondered if she was falling in love with more than the dogs. A smile came and she started daydreaming about what might happen between her and Mike. She was determined to learn more about him on their next meeting, and she hoped that chance would come later tonight.

  She rose and called the pups, taking them with her on a walk around the grounds. Keeping an eye on the clock, she started back to the house before dark. She wanted to be sure to have both dogs inside and sleeping, if possible, before the family returned.

  Her room was far enough away from the kitchen that if the door was shut and the dogs did bark, likely no one would hear them.

  For now the house was empty, so she just allowed the pups to walk with her as she entered the garage. The men had gone home for the day. Maria and Juanita had left around four, and Emma had left shortly thereafter.

  She walked into the house, passing up the old junky truck and the bike. If those two things were here, then where was Mike? Maybe someone had taken him somewhere, or maybe he had another vehicle of his own. It was strange, now that she thought about it, that he seemed to have the run of the garage.

  He took the bike out when he wanted, came and went, seemingly as he chose. Maybe he was still seeing Celia and had just been stringing Randi along. That thought had been playing in the back of her mind, over and over.

  She felt like she was on one of those favorite childhood rides, the teeter-totter. One minute she was up in the air, thinking how wonderful everything was. How Mike and she had seemed to hit it off. How handsome he was, and how good and right it felt to let him kiss her.

  Then, as it happened at times with teeter-totters, you fell down, fast and hard, feeling the wind rush by and the air leave your body. Randi paused at the garage door, looking at the Harley. She didn’t want to fall hard again. She wanted to stay high, up in the air, where she could feel the breeze of love surround her.

  Bandit bumped her leg, bringing her out of her thoughts. She turned her mind and her eyes from the bike, and Mike, and opened the door. Bandit, who had been in and out a few times, led the way. He didn’t go exploring. He went right to the room where he’d been staying.

  Lady wasn’t quite so polite. She started to head off toward the stairs and entryway. Randi scooped her up, taking both pets to her temporary room.

  Emma had approved her taking the dogs into the house. She never would have done it on her own. She went to her room, set Lady down, and smiled as she found Bandit already on his bed. He was lying down, chewing on a peanut butter rawhide bone she’d bought him. He loved it. Lady checked out the toys and the bone, but then began to look over every inch of the room.

  Lady was nosey and had to look at every corner. She went under the bed, into the bathroom, and then back, sniffing everything she passed. Randi closed the door and sat down on the bed, keeping an eye out, to make sure Lady didn’t try to tinkle on anything.

  After a while Lady felt at home and lay down by Bandit. The two dogs were at home with each other, and lay sleeping and chewing on the rawhide bones Randi had bought. Some reading would be Randi’s entertainment for the night, and then she would turn in. She’d have to rise around three a.m. and take everyone for a walk.

  Hopefully the house would all be sleeping by then, and if she ran into anyone maybe, if Lady Luck was on her side, it would be the handsome, mysterious limo driver named Mike.

  Chapter 39

  Funny Business

  Dinner was excruciating. Lillian tried time and time again to get the conversation going, but neither of her children was cooperating, and Celia didn’t seem to care.

  Martin was off in his own world. Addison too was elsewhere, and Celia kept glancing at her watch. It was if Lillian was the only one at the table, and she was so thankful when they were finished eating.

  Lillian excused herself for a restroom break, and when she returned to the table she asked if anyone minded if they called it a night. No one seemed to care at all, and each of them prepared to leave.

  Martin paid for the meal. Addison gathered her purse and finished her drink
. Celia took out her phone, stepping away from the table, to take an incoming call.

  It was easy to see something dire was going wrong between Celia and Martin. They would barely look at each other, and they sure didn’t have anything to say.

  When she got home Lillian was going to try and have a talk with her son. Normally, he was open about his life. If something were going on she would be there for him.

  “I have to run.” Celia came back to the table. “Sue, my friend, was in a small traffic accident, and she wants me to pick her up at the hospital.”

  “Oh, goodness, I hope it’s nothing serious.” Lillian glanced at Martin to see if he might offer to go with Celia, but he didn’t. From the way they’d been acting, she wasn’t surprised.

  “The air bag deployed. Somehow it caught her arm. She sounds fine, just shaken up. I’ll take a cab, pick her up, and make sure she gets home okay. Martin can come get me from her apartment later.”

  Lillian noticed that Martin didn’t seem to like this bit of news, but he recovered nicely. “Sure, I can do that. Just call me and let me know when you’re ready.”

  “Don’t worry. I will.” There was a coolness to Celia’s tone. She didn’t bother to kiss Martin on the cheek or give him a smile. Instead, she turned and walked out, pushing her phone into her pocket as she went. Martin watched her go and then turned his attention back to his family.

  “Should you go with her?” Lillian asked.

  “No, she’ll be fine. It’s hard to tell how long it will take for Sue to be released and for the two of them to get back to the apartment.”

  “Maybe you should just bring them both back to the house, where Celia can keep an eye on her friend.”

  “That’s not a good idea.” Martin rose from the table.

  “Why?”

  Martin looked around. Lillian knew her son was forever worrying about what others would think, overhear, or report to some columnist. She waited, and after a brief moment, he spoke. “We’ll talk about it in the car.” She nodded, following him as Addison brought up the rear.