Hollywood Harlot

Chapter 6

She must have dozed off again, and when she awoke, she was first aware of the sounds of the crackling fire next to her, and the next thing she noticed was Jake’s mom sitting next to her.

Bella swallowed nervously. She hadn’t even been formally introduced to this woman yet. What an impression she had made.

“Oh, good, you’re awake,” his mom said, standing up. “Can I get you anything to drink? Or eat?”

Bella sat all the way up. She felt warm and cozy, and suddenly was gripped by hunger.

“I am a little hungry. I hadn’t had breakfast yet when I got lost,” she answered.

The older woman nodded and typed something into her phone. She smiled again as she looked up.

“I just ordered a warm grilled cheese and soup. It will be here soon.”

Bella smiled. “Thank you so much. I am so sorry to be causing all of this trouble. And I haven’t even officially introduced myself. My name is Isabella Brown, but everyone calls me Bella.”

Bella stood up to shake the woman’s hand. She smiled kindly at Bella and said, “I’m Carolyn McGreen. It’s nice to have you here. I can see you mean a lot to my son.”

Bella blushed and folded the blanket that had been covering her, placing it on one end of the chaise.

“Your resort is absolutely gorgeous.”

Carolyn stared at Bella for a moment before answering her. “Thank you. We are very proud of it. One day, Jake will return home to take over.”

“Oh. I didn’t realize that,” Bella said, but then immediately wondered if she’d said too much. Jake wanted his mother to believe they were a couple, and taking over the family business was probably a subject they would have discussed if they’d been dating for awhile. She looked around the room, wondering where he had gone and when he’d be back.

“Jake will be here soon, dear,” Carolyn said. “He was helping Gage move some tables in the Main Hall for tonight’s Welcome Dinner.”

“Of course,” Bella said, and then glanced at the door when it opened, hoping to see Jake.

A man carrying a tray stepped inside.

“Right here is fine, thank you, Alex,” Carolyn said, motioning toward a side table next to Bella.

He smiled and set the tray down.

“Anything else I can get you, Ms. McGreen?”

“That will be all, but I’ve told you to call me Carolyn,” she said.

“Of course.” Alex bowed slightly at the two women and then left the way he’d come.

Bella lifted the shiny silver lid and breathed in the delicious scent of melted buttery cheese and sweet tomato soup. She glanced at Carolyn who nodded, and grabbed the spoon and lifted a big spoonful up into her mouth.

The warm soup felt heavenly in her mouth. It tasted slightly sweet and was just the right texture. Fresh grated Parmesan was sprinkled on top and added a touch of zest to it.

“Oh, this is unbelievable,” Bella murmured as she took another slow slurp.

“Alex is actually our head chef. I told him he shouldn’t be delivering orders himself, but he always insists on personal delivery when it’s me that has ordered.”

Bella smiled. “That seems really sweet. And his soup is phenomenal. Please give my compliments to him when you see him next.”

Carolyn smiled back. “I could, but you can as well. You will be seeing him a lot this week at all of the events we have planned for Jordyn.”

Bella put down her spoon to grab a triangle of the grilled cheese sandwich. She dipped it into the soup, let it drip off, and took a delicate bite. It melted in her mouth.

“I’m so sorry again for disrupting everything.”

“Please don’t give it another thought. It could have happened to anyone. Now, let’s talk about the week. We have the welcome dinner tonight, which I believe you’re coming to, as long as you feel up to it, if course, and tomorrow is a day for people to enjoy different activities around the resort. Then the real chaos will begin.”

Bella finished her meal and carefully placed the lid back on the tray. She stood up, lifting the tray, and looked around the room.

“Just leave it,” Carolyn said, “I can mark on the app that it’s ready for pick up.”

“Wow, that’s so efficient! The resort has its own app?”

Carolyn nodded. “Ask Jake about it. It was all his idea. But I must say, our clients really seem to appreciate the convenience it offers.”

“That’s very cool, but I want to bring the tray back myself. It will give me a chance to explore the lodge a little bit. And I was raised to clean up after myself and take care of myself,” Bella said.

Carolyn stood up and followed her to the door. “I can certainly respect that. And I’m sure Jake will tell you, if he hasn’t already, but please know while you’re our guest here, you are welcome to absolutely anything and everything. Make sure you download the app. It has a map, complete with location services.” Carolyn paused here to clear her throat and the meaning was not lost on Bella. “And of course you can reserve ski times or order room service, which we do offer 24/7.”

“It sounds wonderful. Everything really is perfect here,” Bella answered.

They reached the door and Carolyn lightly touched her shoulder. “The kitchen is on the first floor in the back of the building. I’ll see you later tonight. It was nice spending a little time with you this afternoon.”

Bella smiled back at her and set off to find the kitchen.

*****

Bella heard sounds ringing from the kitchen as she approached. She could hear water running, pots and pans clashing, and glass plates tinkling. She approached the double swinging doors and cautiously pushed one open, staring inside from the threshold.

The scent of the tomato soup she’d just devoured filled her nostrils. Four chefs rushed about the kitchen, grabbing bowls, chopping vegetables, and flipping meat on the griddle. Every surface was sparkling stainless steel.

Along the back wall, there was a huge, industrial dishwasher. Next to it there were several sinks. Bella stepped fully into the kitchen and headed to the sink. She turned the faucet on to rinse her dishes, but somebody reached around her and turned the faucet off.

Bella spun around to face him. “Chef!” she said. “Your food was exquisite. Best grilled cheese and soup I’ve ever had. I wanted to return the dish and tell you myself.”

Chef Alex’s eyes twinkled as he grabbed the plates from her and put them on the left side of the sink. “If you enjoyed a simple grilled cheese, just wait until tonight. But I’m glad you liked it. I always like to hear when people enjoy my food.”

Bella smiled. “Well, I did, very much. Thank you again.”

He placed his hand on the small of her back and led her away from the sink. “Please call me Alex,” he said, guiding her to the door.

Once there, he held the door open for her and they stepped together into the hallway.

“I understand you’re a guest of the family for the week. Please let me know if you ever need anything, day or night. The kitchen is staffed 24/7 so we can make you whatever you desire, at any time.”

“That feels so extravagant,” Bella laughed, “and also very tempting. I wonder what requests I can come up with.”

Alex leaned down toward her. “Challenge accepted,” he grinned.

“Bella!” Jake called from the down the hall. “My mom said you’d be here.”

His eyes quickly darted to Alex’s hand still on her back and then met her gaze. “I’m glad to see you up.”

“I wish everyone would just forget about the whole thing,” she said. “It’s really so embarrassing.”

“Yes. I heard about it and I’m glad you’re alright,” Alex said. “I need to get back to the kitchen, but I’ll see you tonight at dinner.” He nodded at Jake, who opened the door for him, and he walked away.

Jake grabbed her hand and rubbed it between his own. “You sure you’re okay?”

“Oh, I’m sure. I must have slept awhile. It seems like the day is nearly done,” she lamented.

Jake lifted her hand to his mouth and kissed it softly. “You needed the sleep. And the storm has completely passed now and they’ve been cleaning up the paths. Do you want to go back to the cabin to clean up a bit before dinner?”

Bella grimaced. “Yes. But I honestly don’t have anything to wear to a fancy dinner. Maybe I should sit this one out.”

“My sister already thought of that. She had a few of her dresses sent to our cabin, so you should have plenty of choices. But if you don’t feel well enough to go, that’s a different situation.”

They started walking down the hall to a side exit from the lodge.

“No, I feel great, actually. Just embarrassed.”

Jake squeezed her hand gently as he opened the door. “You really need to stop feeling that way,” he said. “It’s a fairly regular occurrence around here. And I take full responsibility for not preparing you better. You have nothing to be embarrassed at all.

They walked along the cleared path for just a few minutes before reaching their cabin.

“That’s it?!” Bella cried incredulously. “How did I get so lost?”

“It was storming and you got turned around, went up the slope behind the cabins. There’s nothing but preserve back there, so you wouldn’t have found shelter for a long time if you’d kept going. It was very wise of you to stop when you did.”

Bella’s heart tingled at his affirming words. “I can thank my years of Scouting for that,” she said.

“You were a Scout? I don’t know much about you,” Jake said casually as they walked back into the cabin. He led her to the couch by the fire and tucked her under a blanket yet again.

“Because you said we don’t need a story. Your mom will just be happy you’re here with someone,” Bella reminded him. “Speaking of, I may have blown our cover just a bit. She knows I didn’t know about your involvement with the app or that you are intended to take over one day.”

Jake sighed. “All of that is very complicated. She was probably baiting you on purpose.”

She could sense he didn’t want to talk about it, so she moved on. “I don’t think I ever actually thanked you for finding me.”

“I wouldn’t have had to search for you if I’d just waited for you to begin with,” he growled.

Bella smiled and punched him playfully. “We’re letting it go, remember? But there is one thing I don’t really want to let go.”

Jake sat down on the edge of the couch next to her and scooped her up onto his lap. “Oh yeah? What’s that?” He asked, gently tucking a loose strand of her hair behind her ear. “Why don’t you tell me?”

“That kiss,” she whispered, wiggling her bottom and leaning right up against his face. “I’d like to remember that kiss.”

He used one arm to hold her back and flipped them down onto the couch, so he was on top of her. He grabbed her face with both hands and kissed her hard and fast. He groaned and switched one hand to her butt, cupping it in his hands. The other hand he used to gently caress her cheek as his tongue darted in and out of her mouth.

“Bella,” he moaned. “I’ve been thinking about this all day.”

Bella grabbed his face with both hands and met him, lick for lick, caress for caress.

“Me too,” she breathed, moving her hands slowly down his back. He switched to her neck and began sucking gently just below her ear. Every fiber of her body was on fire. She arched her back and grabbed hard onto his shoulder blade. She used her other hand to reach under his shirt and trace her finger up and down his torso. He groaned again and flipped them over so suddenly she was on the top. He nuzzled into her neck and began covering every square inch of it with kisses.

“So soft,” he whispered.

“Yes!” every ounce of her being cried, but deep inside, she felt a warning sign. She tried to push the uncomfortable sensation back down, but it kept growing. Finally, she pulled back.

“What’s wrong? Are you okay?” He demanded.

She needed a second to catch her breath.

“I’m good. I’m really good. But you made it very clear that this was strictly a business deal, and I’m your employee for the week. And your number one rule is I’m not allowed to develop feelings for you. So I think, we have to stop.”

Jake exhaled deeply and sat up. He ran his fingers through his hair again, an action that she was recognizing as a sign of frustration for him.

“You’re right, of course,” he said tersely.

He stood up and headed to the opposite side of the cabin from her room. “The dresses are in your room. Be ready by five,” he said, and went down the hall without another word.

Bella stared after him, blinking slowly. He seemed so angry. Maybe he had changed his mind about what he wanted out of their arrangement. His mood had shifted so suddenly when she pulled the brakes on their make out session. She sighed and stood up, determined to look the part of his girlfriend, exactly as she’d been hired to do, even if she couldn’t figure the man out herself.