I managed to get out of his grip and backed away from him. I walked over to where the hot tub was and slowly slipped out of my tank top and shorts. He watched me as I removed my bra and panties and slipped underneath the water.
"You can't love me from over there. Now, get your ass in here and make this thirty-three-year-old scream," I instructed, leaning back against the rim with my arms spread out across the back, making sure my breasts bobbed just above the surface.
He was in the tub in thirty-seven seconds.
And that was the night I found out Jack Hamilton could hold his breath underwater for an obscenely long time.
***
We slept deeply that night, exhausted, but pleasantly so. Curled up with his hands on my breasts, I slept the sleep of the solidly fucked. And that can be taken several ways.
The next morning dawned clear and sunny; classic California for my last full day in L.A. And I would be spending it mostly alone. Jack was up early and I watched from the bed as he changed. He had interviews all day and was taking a lunch meeting with Holly and a new director for a movie he was hoping to do in the spring. He had essentially quit working once Time was finished shooting, devoting his time to the upcoming media blitz that would take him half way around the world and back again.
I stayed in bed as he got dressed and sighed happily at the sight of my Jack, walking around sleepily dressed only in his jeans and no shirt. His hair was extra curly this morning, and he looked adorable. He smiled when he caught me staring and asked what I had planned for today.
"Well, I'm finishing up some last minute packing and then I'm having lunch with Nick to say goodbye to him. I've gotta go over to my house late this afternoon to sign the last few work orders and then I'm officially moved in, just to move back out," I answered, tossing him his shirt that was on the floor next to my bed. I couldn't resist giving it a quick sniff.
Mmm, S'mores and Sex.
"Grace, did you just sniff my shirt?" he asked, incredulous.
"Yep, I did. What of it? And after you leave, I'll probably lay on your side for a while because the pillow smells like you. I'm ridiculous when I'm in love. We're talking Hallmark over here." I giggled, now hugging his pillow to my chest and taking deep breaths in, flaring my nostrils and widening my eyes.
"Wow, that's not attractive." He laughed, taking in my display. I curled up on his side anyway and continued to watch him putter about.
"What time are you heading over to your house?" he asked. "Maybe I'll meet you there. I need to take a look at that master bathroom before I start sledge hammering to make way for the steam shower!" he shouted, suddenly, landing like a pro wrestler on the bed next to me, wrapping my neck in a choke hold.
"Like you know how to install a steam shower, pretty boy," I teased, enduring an old school noogie smack down.
"Well, I would supervise, obviously. I can't allow these hands to get too dirty," he said seriously, admiring his hands. I rolled my eyes and he went back to scrubbing the top of my head with his knuckles.
"I'm meeting Chad there at five."
"Perfect timing. I should be finishing up with my last interview about then. I'll swing by," he said, finally releasing me and rising from the bed.
He finished getting ready and purposefully avoided my eyes when I saw him sneak the ball cap into his back pocket. But, he didn't put it on, so he was still honoring the agreement. Downstairs in the kitchen, I made him toast quickly, slightly burned with lots of marmalade (he really was like my own Paddington Bear…he was Hamilton Bear) and wrapped it in paper towels so he could eat it in the car. I put a travel mug of coffee next to his bag while he gathered up the rest of his things. He wasn't exactly packing up, but I did notice that there were things on their way out, like his cell charger that had been plugged in next to mine for the last few weeks.
Grace…you don't have time to panic.
He smiled when he saw the coffee ready to go for him. "Love you, Nuts Girl."
"Love you more, Sweet Nuts," I answered back, shaking my boobies at him. He raised an eyebrow and then left, blowing a kiss over his shoulder.
"See you at five!" he shouted, and then moments later I heard a squeal and the sounds of his car pulling away.
Then I was alone. I went up to my room to finish packing. I looked around, starting to feel blue again.
There was a note on my pillow…I didn't even see him leave it. I smiled and opened it.
Quit pouting and get your packing done…
and you look damn good for 48 years old. Tee hee?
My laughter broke through the stillness of the house.
Chapter Twenty-Four
So that was it. I packed my last box, packed my last suitcase. FedEx picked up the things that I was shipping to New York. They would be delivered to the hotel, which had agreed to hold them until my new sublet was ready. Holly's friend had found me a great one bedroom on the Upper West Side in the 60's, and it was relatively close to the theater district. Not knowing how long I would be in New York, it seemed easier to pick a nice central location, in a good neighborhood, and then I was close to everything I needed.
I had briefly considered moving to New York right after college, but since Holly and I knew more people in L.A. and thought it would be a better career move, we both ended up on the West Coast. But secretly, I always regretted not having lived in Manhattan and I was grateful for the opportunity to live there, even if just for a few months, to experience the city as resident and not merely a visitor. I had traveled to the city frequently for work and I always loved spending time there.
Now that I was less than twenty-four hours from actually being there…I was losing some of the nerves.
My semi-argument with Jack yesterday had cleared the air a bit, given voice to some of my concerns. While I still felt that things would probably not be easy, as he seemed to think it would be, I felt better. When he told me he loved me, there was a feeling inside of me that was hard to describe. It was like a tugging in my stomach and a rush through my skin, hot and cold at the same time. I felt giddy and silly and thrilled when I heard him say those words. And to watch his eyes light up when I said it to him, it was enthralling.
The day passed by quickly, and before I knew it, I was headed over to my house on Laurel Canyon, the late afternoon sun through Italian Cypress trees casting dappled light across the winding road. The top was down, as always, music loud and my smile big as I enjoyed the ending of this day. I would miss my friends desperately, but Holly had already made plans to fly out for a weekend at the end of the month. Jack's schedule was getting increasingly tight, but I knew he would come as soon as he could. There would be plenty of movie related visits in the upcoming months.
I pulled into my driveway just after five, but didn't see Chad's truck. I was hoping that I hadn't missed him; maybe I had beaten him here. I unlocked the front door, pausing to take in the smell of new construction mixing with the potted lemon trees that were placed just outside the front door. It was strange that a house I had never spent a night in already felt more like a home than I had ever had before. I loved staying with Holly, but when I got back from New York, I would be glad to have my own home.
I set my keys down on the table that I'd placed in the entryway, and I listened to my feet click clack on the smooth tile as I walked towards the living room.