by Emily Bruce
“What’s wrong with having sex?” Sophie asked, furrowing her brow.
Violet sighed.
She might as well spit this out too.
“I’m not very… experienced at sex.”
Sophie swung her gaze from the ice cream to Violet. “What are you talking about? You’ve had sex.”
“Only twice, and both times were awkward as hell. After the last time, I just stopped doing it.”
Not to mention the ridiculous notion of saving yourself for a celebrity!
Nuthouse crazy!
“Violet! You’re shitting me!” Sophie said jumping off the couch, her spoon falling to the floor.
She started to pace the tiny lounge. “This is crazy! What do you mean you’ve only had sex twice? You’ve been with guys for months. This is insanity! You’re 30 years old, and you’re hot!”
Violet felt her cheeks redden even more.
If that was even possible.
Her life was so sad and pathetic.
“Well, you remember what happened with Miles Michael don’t you?”
Sophie shot Violet a look, rolling her eyes. “So, he ended up in the emergency room with a broken nose. It’s not that bad.”
“Not that bad! The first time you do it with a guy and you put him in the hospital with a broken nose. Trust me, it was bad. Every time I see him I feel so guilty about his crooked nose. Because he works at the grocery store, I have to see him at least once a week and he always gives me a weird look too!”
Sophie shook her head.
“I have no idea how you get yourself into these situations.”
“Because I’m a shit magnet.”
“Oh Violet, you are not! Now, what was wrong with the second time?” Sophie resumed her seat next to Violet and nudged her playfully.
Oh jeez! Now she was going to have to tell Sophie about this? “I’d rather not say,” Violet said, crossing her arms over her chest. “Oh, spit it out, it’s not going to be worse than the bag of Blake Wilson DVDs I just found you with,” Sophie said, exasperated.
Just once, she wished that it was Sophie telling all these embarrassing stories. Why was it always her?
“I may have broken his penis,” Violet said as she stuffed her face back into the sofa. Sophie started to laugh. “Wait? What! How did you not tell me this!” Sophie wondered as she started to giggle. “It was a long time ago. After seeing all the pain I caused, I just decided to not date anyone.”
“You don’t get off that easy. Now tell me what happened.”
Violet groaned. “Is it really necessary?”
“Yes!! It's not every day you break a dick.”
“I was like 25, I was dating David Donaldson. Remember? He was cute, didn’t say much. We went on a date to the fair?”
“Oh, I remember! Always wore the black stetson.” Sophie slapped the sofa, startling Violet.
“Well he wanted to get it on at the fair, so we went to the stables. Long story short, a horse snorted and scared me, I moved, and he banged his… member into the stable door. It made a huge popping sound, then went all soft and turned purple. He screamed bloody murder. It was an accident.”
Sophie laughed.
“What happened to him?”
“He moved away after that…”
“So that’s why you won’t date anyone?” Sophie laughed.
“Maybe,” Violet replied, cringing. It was also because she was totally and utterly 100 percent in love with Blake Wilson, but she wasn’t telling Sophie that. Ever.
“Oh Violet, you can’t let a couple of bad experiences turn you away from men and love forever. You deserve to be happy.”
“Now we just have to get you and Blake together!!” she said, rubbing her hands together with a huge grin appearing on her face.
Violet shook her head. Her with Blake, like together as a couple, well that sounded like the best slash craziest thing ever.
Chapter 14
Blake
Blake looked across at the woman he had just devoured with his mouth and blinked. Was she seriously rejecting him? Blake Wilson, Hollywood heartthrob, voted Sexiest Man Alive more than once. Not that he really cared about those stupid magazine accolades. But after winning for the first time years ago, he never had to put in any effort to attract women.
Did Violet really think he missed the moment when she stopped pushing him away and started to pull him closer? She wanted him. He knew she did. Her hot kisses told him just that.
She glared back at him, daring him to say something. She wanted him to leave, so that’s what he did. He didn’t want to upset her anymore then she was already. He was trying to win her over, which was taking much longer and turning out to be a lot harder than he thought it would be. Blake turned and left, moving quickly through the Cape Cod house. She needed space, so that’s what he would give her. He bounced down the steps and got in his car and slumped against the seat. He let Violet’s words sink in, she kind of had a point, he had spent the last 13 years sleeping with the hottest chicks he could find. Hell, it was like a sport to him for years. Until he realized that no matter how hot a woman might be, it didn’t mean her personality was hot. It seemed to be the opposite actually and, no matter how many women he fucked, none of them ever measured up to Violet in personality.
Blake started his car and drove back to his parents’ house and wandered through the front doors of their French style home that looked like a château. His parents had gone on their honeymoon to France and fallen in love with the houses. It was probably the only French château in the whole state of Texas, not that his mother would care. Blake made his way through the large lounge into the country-style kitchen. His Mom would be either in the kitchen or outside tending to her roses. He found her at the stove. Blake took a seat on the stool at the counter as he watched his mother cook. It looked like she was whipping up a cake.
Just what he needed.
“How did the house hunting go?” she asked, looking up and smiling at him. She looked put together as always, with a pink frilly apron protecting her clothes. Blake smiled. Some things never changed.
“I’m going to buy the Cape Cod place, I’ll call Mr Jameson tomorrow and set up a time to sign the paperwork.”
“That will be nice, then you can have your own space and decide what you want to do.” His mother handed him a spatula with cake batter on it.
“Here, eat this, you look like you need it, shouldn’t you be more excited about buying a house?” she added, taking in his forlorn expression.
“I am, it’s great, it will work well with the furniture I already have, there are just other things on my mind,” Blake replied as he licked the chocolate mixture off the spatula. There was nothing better than his mother’s cakes.
Well, maybe kissing a hot woman prone to violence.
“What else is bothering you, hon?” his mother probed, pouring the mixture into the cake tin with a different spatula. “Nothing I can’t handle, I think I’ll go have a nap,” Blake said, throwing the cleaned spatula into the sink and getting off the stool.
“Blake, please give Violet some time to adjust to you being home and being back in her life. It’s not easy for a girl to watch the man she loves with other women. Pushing her too far too fast, well, it’s only going to end in disaster. You need to show her that you’re serious.”
“You are serious aren’t you, Violet is like a daughter to me and I will not have you breaking her heart!” his mother added, shutting the oven door with a bang to drive home her point.
Blake swung back around at his mother and gave her an incredulous stare.
How in the hell did she know?
“Mom?” Blake managed to say.
He watched as his mother wiped her hands on her apron and leant with one hip against the countertop.
“I’m not stupid Blake, I see the way you two look at each other. I just wish you had come to your senses sooner, I could be a grandmother by now. You be nice to that girl! You’ve put her through hell.”
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Blake stared at his mother, he guessed he wasn’t as good at hiding his feelings as he thought. He opened his mouth to speak, but his mother cut him off.
“Imagine if she spent the last 13 years being with everyone but you. How would you feel?” she said, raising an eyebrow.
Well shit, what was he meant to say to that? Blake turned on his heel and hightailed it out of his mother’s kitchen. He took the back stairs two at a time up to his old room.
He didn’t want his mother all up in his business and there was no way he was ever going to tell her she was right, but she had a point. If the tables were turned and Violet was out there sleeping with everyone but him, he would be livid. He could also see why she was so apprehensive about being with him.
He needed to show Violet that he was here to stay.
After roaming around the house all day, thinking about what Violet and then his mother had said, Blake was still at a loss about how to show her what his true feelings were. It was late afternoon and he was loitering by the pool. He needed a distraction, something to take his mind off Violet. Picking up his phone he texted his buddies Jake and Adam in a group chat and asked if they wanted to catch up and grab a beer. They both agreed to meet him at the Shoreline.
He wasn’t too keen on going out, you know being a famous celebrity and all, but his friends insisted on it and it was about time he got out of the house.
It was a Monday night and they assured him it would be quiet and that no one would take any notice of him. Blake got off the sun lounge and went inside to get ready, he could do with a night out and maybe he could pump the guys for a little info about what Violet had been up to lately.
◆◆◆
Donning a baseball hat, Blake took a deep fortifying breath and stepped from his SUV to make his way across the parking lot and into the Shoreline.
Please don’t let there be groupies in there.
Blake looked up at the dilapidated beach shack sitting opposite the bay in an alley behind the small strip of shops. The front of the bar was weathered wood and it opened out into a fabulous view of Encounter Bay. There was a deck out the back people could sit on and looking at the joint from the outside, nothing much had changed in 13 years.
Blake smiled as he opened the door and scanned the interior, because some things never changed, it was the same old bar, jeez even the dancefloor looked exactly the same, with its 70s black and white lino and a tacky disco ball above. The wooden bar was in need of an oiling and it was decorated in a sort of dilapidated beach shack theme.
The pale-yellow paint was still there. In his youth, Blake had always wondered if it was originally yellow or if it was stained that color by all the cigarettes the owner, Willy, smoked. He noted that the yellow paint was now starting to chip off. The old pool tables were still off to the side, with the restrooms past them. The place hadn’t changed one bit. Wiping the bar down and getting drinks was Brenda, she had been there for the last 20 years at least. Apparently, Willy had retired now, according to his mother.
His buddies Jack and Adam waved at him from a table off to the side in a darkened corner which had a view onto the bay. At least the idiots had the foresight to get a table where no one would notice him.
“There he is, MISTER FUCKIN HOLLYWOOD!” Jack yelled. He hit the rickety table with his fist, making the whole thing shake, as Blake walked towards them.
Great, just announce it to the entire bar, dickhead, Blake thought as he made his way over to them, keeping his head down. He hadn’t seen the guys in a good 6 years, apart from the other week at his party, but they had stayed in touch over the years via Facebook and group text. Blake found himself smiling. It was nice to be with people who weren’t out to get something from him, these guys were genuine friends.
Sliding into a chair at their table, Blake smiled. Being home was good.
◆◆◆
After a couple of rounds of beers bought by Blake, he was all caught up on what they had been doing.
Adam owned a local surf shop where he sold surfboards and gave lessons to tourists. It was doing pretty good. He was also married to a girl he met on the internet and they had two girls. He seemed happy as shit. Jack was a carpenter who worked for his father’s construction company, he had five kids and had been with his wife Alison since high school. He also seemed happy as shit.
“What’s been happening with Violet while I’ve been away?” Blake asked, slipping in his question but hoping they wouldn’t pick up too much from it.
He watched Adam and Jack both look at each other, then back to him.
“Why do you want to know what’s been going on with Violet?” Adam asked, a grin spreading across his face. Jake chimed in with, “Are you still hung up on her?” and both of them snickered.
Blake tried to look natural and not give anything away. He needed some info on her, not a ribbing about still being hung up on Violet. “Nothing, I ran into her the other day and I was just wondering,” he replied and shrugged his shoulders, keeping all emotion from his face as he took a large gulp of his beer.
They didn’t call him Mr. Hollywood for nothing.
The boys looked at each other and then back to him. Both of them had shit-eating grins on their faces.
“You still like her!” Jack snorted.
“Blake’s still in love with a younger girl!” Adam laughed as he hit the table with his fist.
Maybe he wasn’t as good of an actor as he was led to believe…
After the laughter died down, Jake straightened up and said, “From what my sister tells me, she buys a lot of ice cream.” His twin sister Jill worked at the grocery store.
“Don’t mention your sister man, her name always makes me crack up” Adam said, trying to hold back his laughter, which caused Blake to crack up laughing.
“Shut the fuck up! I didn’t name us Jack and Jill, you can thank my fucking parents!” Jack raged, instantly getting angry.
That only made Blake and Adam laugh harder.
As the laughter died down, Blake looked at the old wooden table. It was covered in scratches and divots, it had been here forever, just like his feelings for Violet. As long as he could remember, he always thought he would marry her. Blake looked up, he could feel Jack and Adam’s eyes on him.
“So, why are you asking after Violet?” Adam asked, breaking the silence.
“I just want to know what she’s been up to,” Blake sighed. Adam and Jack looked at him then at each other, they had known him since kindergarten and they also knew how he’d felt about her all those years ago.
“Not much bro, she doesn’t date very much, she has girls’ nights out with Sophie a bit, works for Mr Jameson at the realty office, but other than that I can’t tell you much.” Adam shrugged. “All I know is she buys shitloads of ice cream and my sister said that the cashiers speculate about what she does with it all,” Jack added with a snort.
Blake nodded, not too sure what to say. He didn’t want to tell them about what had gone on between him and Violet over the past couple of weeks, or today, so he took another sip of his drink. The conversation lulled for a couple of minutes and he watched as Adam and Jack looked at each other and then back to him. “It’s time for you to tell us some stories of all that pussy you got out there in LA.” Blake leaned back in his seat and chuckled. “You boys read the tabloids?”
Chapter 15
Violet
Violet sighed as she stared at the clock. It was only 3 pm. She still had two hours to go. Today was dragging by at a snail’s pace. Yesterday had been too full-on, too much had happened. First, nearly dying at the beach, then the kiss from Blake, and then the embarrassing moment with Sophie. Her life was starting to feel like one big awkward rollercoaster ride that she couldn’t get off.
What are you talking about, rollercoasters make you vomit.
Well, the last 24 hours had left her in such a state that a good old vomit is probably what she needed. She was next-level embarrassed about what happened last night with
Sophie. The bag of DVDs, the confession…
Saving yourself for a celebrity is the definition of insanity.
She sighed, rolled her chair over to the printer, and retrieved some flyers she had just printed up. There it was again, a weird digging sensation she had been feeling all day. What in the hell was that? Violet stacked the flyers in the folder for the house, as that sensation pinched again, right under her arm.
What the hell was up with this bra?
Violet was having so many underwear malfunctions this week that it was like her wardrobe had suddenly turned vindictive. Maybe it was trying to tell her something, that she needed to go buy all new underwear.
Sexy ones, for Blake.
She shook her head at her own deranged thought and leaned back in her chair to see what Mr Jameson was doing. From her position, she could tell that his door was closed, so she looked at the phone display and saw that his line was blinking. He was most likely on the phone with his wife, who liked to call him and ask him questions about dicks as research for her latest erotic novel. She only knew that because she had listened in on one too many of their conversations. She looked out the front door, there was no one walking by. It was 3 pm on a Tuesday and they never had customers coming in at this time. Knowing that she should just get off her lazy ass and go to the bathroom to figure out what was going on with her bra, Violet sighed. She so did not have the energy to get up.
Fuck it.
She looked again out the front door and then sat up and pushed her chair back from her desk, opening the first three buttons of her work blouse and grunting as the sharp pain in her side hit again. Trying to turn and look under her arm, Violet put a hand down the side of the cup of her bra and felt around.
What the hell was going on in there?
Goddamn it, the underwire of her bra had broken and poked through the fabric and was now digging into her rib cage.
Wrestling with the bra, she pulled on the wire and tried to remove it. There was no way she was sitting here for the next two hours with it poking into her rib cage. The tiny bit of wire poking out kept retracting into the fabric when she moved and she was one second away from taking her bra off, when she finally got a good grip on the offending wire and pulled it out.