Hollywood Harlot

Chapter 18

After taking her coat, Alex pulled out a stool for her at the island in the center of the kitchen. As she sat down, she glanced around her. The cabin was very similar to the one she was staying in down at the resort, but not quite as polished and fancy. A single candle sat in the center of the island, and Alex lit it.

“It’s unscented, so just for ambiance,” he said with an apologetic shrug. “A true chef cannot allow manufactured fragrance to interfere with taste.”

Bella smiled and accepted the glass of wine he offered her.

“I’m not sure how familiar you are with wine, but this is a pinot grigio. It should pair nicely with our dinner.”

She took a sip of the crisp wine. “Anything sounds delightful at this point, honestly. But I thank you for your attention to detail.”

He smiled again, and paused, as if considering bringing up the entire incident. Seemingly making up his mind, he turned to the stove and lifted a lid from the pot.

“I came up here awhile ago with the soup I’d made down in my kitchen, to simmer it, so it would be ready when we are.”

“I’m ready,” she laughed, jumping from her stool. “But isn’t there anything I can do to help?”

Alex lifted a towel-wrapped loaf of bread and handed it to her. Once it was in her hands, he delicately unwrapped it, and the delicious scent of newly baked warm yeast and fresh bread filled her nostrils.

She groaned slightly. “I’m hungrier than I thought,” she murmured.

“Or am I just that good?” Alex teased her, leading her to the counter, which was made of solid butcher block. He handed her a bread knife and said, “Cut away, if you will,” and he turned back to the stove.

Bella sliced into the soft bread and the two worked comfortably in silence for a few minutes. Alex brought her two trays, each with a low mug ladled full of steaming soup, a soup spoon, and a napkin. He placed two pieces of bread on each tray, their wine glasses, and handed her one of the trays.

“Follow me,” he instructed, carrying his own tray in front of her, through the cozy living room and to a sliding glass door in the back of the house.

With his foot, he nudged it open, and then stood to the side to allow her to pass him. She stepped back out into the frigid air, and was greeted by a roaring fire in a beautiful stone fire pit on the back porch.

“I don’t do it fancy, all the time, but I like to do it right,” Alex smiled, and the pair sat down in large, cushioned Adirondack chairs.

The cackling fire warmed Bella’s face and she looked down at the simple, but somehow elegant, meal Alex bad prepared for her. She breathed deeply in and relished the scent of the dancing fire, the delicious stew, and even the wine, and opened her eyes again.

“I think it’s perfect. I really do,” she said, placing a napkin on her lap and lifting a spoonful of soup to her lips.

“Mmm,” Bella said after allowing the delicious chowder to slide down her throat. “Every time, you amaze me.”

Alex smiled at her and began eating as well. “That means a lot,” he said simply.

Bella squinted her eyes to stare at the handsome man sitting across from her a little more closely. He wasn’t as tall as Jake, but sitting down, he seemed broader shouldered than she’d noticed before. He had light blonde hair and dark brown, yet warm and sparkly, eyes.

“Penny for your thoughts?“ he questioned her lingering gaze.

“Just wondering about you, I guess,” she shrugged, taking another delicious spoonful of soup.

“Not much to wonder about,” he answered. “I’ve cooked all my life. It’s the one thing I’ve always had a knack for. Went to culinary school in Massachusetts, applied here at the resort when I graduated. I started as a line cook but worked my way up. It’s a boring story, really.”

“I don’t think it’s boring,” she said, and Alex smiled at her. Bella wondered if there wasn’t just a trace of sadness behind that smile and sparkly brown eyes.

He lifted the soup mug off the tray and held it in his hands. Bella’s gaze dropped down to it.

“My mom used to eat soup from a mug. Not many people do that,” she said quietly.

Almost imperceptibly, Alex tilted his head. “Go on.”

Bella paused, considering how much she wanted to tell this man. Finally, she put her spoon down on the tray, picked up her glass, and tucked her feet up under her on the big, cozy chair.

“I don’t remember a lot,” she began. “When I think of her, mostly all I feel is love. I’m not sure how to explain that better. There aren’t a lot of particular memories I have, just an overall sense of being loved and cared for.”

Alex nodded, waiting for more.

“I do remember the mugs, though. Once she got sick, she ate a lot of soup. And she’d say, ‘Soup tastes better in a mug.’ I don’t know why.”

Bella shrugged and Alex smiled at her, encouraging her to talk more.

“Before she got sick. I remember this one time it snowed. I grew up in New York, so snow certainly wasn’t out of the ordinary for us, but this one time, it just snowed and snowed. And just she and I went out and played in the snow all afternoon. We made snow angels and a snow family and we threw snowballs. And we went sledding down the driveway in this little plastic red sled. For hours.”

Alex stood up and went inside wordlessly, returning in just a moment. He offered her a tissue and filled her glass with the bottle of wine he brought out. She hadn’t even realized she’d been crying until she took the tissue and lightly touched her face.

She took another long sip of the delicious wine and continued, “When we finally went inside, she made us tomato soup. Nothing homemade like yours- it was a can of Campbell’s warmed up over the stove, some milk and cheese added in. And she served it to us in mugs, so I could hold the handle and not get burned.” Bella paused to take another sip. “I’m not sure why I remember that so clearly. Or why I’m telling you,” she laughed a little self consciously.

Picking up a wrought iron poker, Alex stoked the fire, seemingly intently. Bella waited, feeling a little nervous in her stomach, unsure why she’d opened up to him like that.

“It seems to me you remember that because it was a perfect afternoon for you. You were just a little kid, and you got to spend the day playing with your mom in the snow, then having an American tradition for dinner? Doesn’t get much better than that.”

Bella nodded, feeling somehow relieved.

“I’m glad you have that memory,” he added slowly.

Taking another long sip, Bella nodded. “So am I.”

The crackle of the fire filled the night air between them, and Bella leaned back in her chair and looked up.

“Oh my!” She said, startled. “I didn’t realize how beautiful it was!”

Alex chuckled softly. “The stars are spectacular out here, but it’s easy to take them for granted. I often don’t even notice them myself, but when it’s so clear and crisp, it really is something else.”

Bella stared at the thousands of sparkly pinpricks of light in the dark sky above. The longer she looked, the more stars appeared to her.

“Beautiful,” she breathed.

“I agree,” Alex said, and when Bella looked at him, she saw he wasn’t looking up at the night sky, but instead, at her.

She blushed and looked down into her wine glass, a signature move she’d developed for when she was embarrassed.

“More wine?” he asked, and she felt her pocket vibrate for the first time since she’d arrived at Alex’s house.

“Please,” she said, reaching out her glass.

As he poured, her phone began vibrating again, and Bella reached into her pocket to dismiss the call.

“You can answer it,” Alex said.

Bella sighed. “I appreciate that, but I don’t want to talk to him right now.”

Alex nodded thoughtfully. “I don’t want to overstep, but just be careful.”

She took another slow sip of the wine, feeling the warmth as it slid down her throat. “I’ve been careful for a really, really long time,” she said quietly.

“Okay,” Alex said as he quietly and efficiently moved their trays to a stone ledge across from the fire pit. He sat back down in the chair next to her, his own wine glass in his hand, staring at her. It struck Bella a little odd to have the full attention of this man, with no distractions at all, and she felt emboldened to continue.

“After my mom passed away, it was hard between my dad and I. He did everything he could , at first, but it just didn’t feel natural without my mom. Still, he supported me, and he was so proud when I went off to college. I dated a bit, and he really liked this one guy I was seeing…my boyfriend my junior year.”

Alex nodded.

She continued, “I liked him too. Thought I loved him.” Bella smiled wistfully as she stared off to the tree line, lit up by the moon and stars. “But it didn’t work out with him,” her voice faltered a little.

“With your boyfriend?” Alex asked.

Bella nodded. “It was messy, and it was bad. And my dad didn’t approve how I handled the situation. So I haven’t heard from him since.”

“And when was that, Bella?” Alex asked, leaning toward her and placing a hand on hers, which was on her lap.

“A thousand years ago? A lifetime? I don’t know. I guess nearly two years?” she mumbled.

Alex let out a low whistle. “Two years is a long time. And what about the boyfriend?”

She laughed, “Oh, I haven’t heard from him either. Not that I would want to. He…wasn’t a good guy,” she ended lamely.

They both took another sip of wine as the settled around them. Her phone vibrated again, and again, she ignored it.

Finally, Alex broke the silence. “I’m really sorry you had to go through all of that. And your dad…and ex, for that matter…don’t know what they are missing, because you seem pretty amazing to me.”

Bella blushed get again.

“Have you seen anyone else, since?”

She shook her head. “I haven’t been interested. It was a hard lesson to learn, but I learned it, and now I’m just trying to focus on my career.”

Alex leaned toward her. “And what was that lesson, if you don’t mind my asking?”

A single tear spilled down her cheek, and she hastily brushed it away. “Don’t trust anyone,” she whispered softly, “nothing lasts.”

He took a deep breath in and stood up, grabbing her by the hand to help her do the same. Once they were both standing, facing one another, he gently took the glass from her hand and set it on the fire pit ledge with his. Turning back to her, he looked down at her with those sparkly chocolate brown eyes and gently swept the hair from her eyes with one hand. She looked up at him, half expecting him to kiss her, but also not completely sure what was going on.

Finally, he pulled her up into a tight embrace, wrapping his strong arms around her and holding her securely. Surprised, she stiffened at first, but as the seconds passed, she loosened up and melted into his strong, warm chest.

After about thirty seconds, he pulled back and looked her in the eyes again.

“I felt like you could use that,” he said simply, handing her the glass back and leading her back into the house, where they sat on the couch together.

“Have you told Jake any of this?” He asked.

She simply shook her head as she refilled her own glass with the now empty bottle.

“It’s not my place, and I don’t want to tell you what to do,” he started. “But I know what it’s like to be hurt, and I know what it’s like to try to move on from that. The best suggestion I can give you is to always be open and honest with him about everything.”

Bella fiddled with the fringe on the edge of a blanket sitting on the couch. She nodded slowly, knowing Alex was right. If she wanted any kind of future with Jake, she’d have to tell him. But he had made it clear that he wasn’t looking for anything serious. So that left Bella right back where she had started- unsure of what they meant to each other, and even else sure what that meant for her.

She sighed and looked back at Alex. “Any chance we could get started on that dessert?” she smiled.

Taking the cue that she was done with the serious talk for the evening, he smiled broadly, ready to move on.

“I thought you’d never ask,” he said lightly, and the two of them walked back to the kitchen to begin cooking dessert together.