fever dream
4
"Thank you for coming, sweetheart."
Fiorella covers a yawn with her hand, smiling shyly as Jasper gently tugs her plait. "Thanks, Uncle Jas. It was really fun."
"I'm glad you enjoyed it! You were awesome with the little ones."
She laughs and points at Jameson snoring in Riley's arms as he says goodbye to his parents with Edward. "I have lots of practice."
Jasper grins and nods. "I guess you're right." Turning to me, he drapes an arm around my shoulders for a one-armed hug; the sleeping baby in his arms prevents a proper hug. "Thanks for all your help, too. Ali said you grabbed the cake."
"It was nothing. You can't beat Momma Betty's frosting, so…"
"True, true. All right, I'd better go say 'bye' to the 'rents. See you soon, Bells."
I've already had my squeezes from Esme and a fatherly hug from Carlisle, so while Fiorella follows Jasper over to her grandparents, I head over to Rose loading Vera into the car.
"Need a hand?" I offer quietly, watching Rose juggle a giant diaper bag and her sleeping newborn.
"Yes, please," she groans, both arms free once I disentangle the bag strap from where it's gotten wrapped around her wrist. "Thanks, B. You're a star."
There are those who'd argue otherwise, I'm sure.
My eyes drift over to Edward, who hasn't spoken a word to me since he walked away earlier, and Victoria. She's standing beside him as he hugs his mom, swaying her side-to-side. I can hear Esme's laugh even from here; it makes me smile. She loves her sons so fiercely. She's always been such a great role model, especially since I had Fi and Jameson. My own mom was...less than stellar, so having Esme around to lean on and pepper with questions has been an absolute godsend.
Victoria couldn't look less impressed.
As I'm watching, she slips her arm around Edward's, almost yanking him away from his own mom. I can't hear what she says, but I'm sure it's something along the lines of wanting to leave.
I can't withhold a snort of laughter when Edward shrugs her off and starts dancing his mom around the lawn instead. It must be louder than I thought, because not only does Rose pop her head out of the car to ask if she's flashing her ass or something, but Victoria's snake-like gaze snaps right to me.
My two-finger wave does little to cool her murderous glare, not that I care. I can't stand the woman.
"Ugh, ignore her. Thank God he's dumping her soon."
Say what?
"He is?"
Finally done buckling Vera in, Rose closes the car door with one hand, fingers of the other crossed. When her daughter doesn't stir, she sighs happily and faces me, glancing over at Victoria. "He told Em that he's over her shit. About time, too. She drives me mad with all her little digs at Esme. Honestly, I'm surprised she's here tonight. He told Em he was binning her off last week."
Even though Edward isn't mine, and we don't have the sort of talks I'm sure he does with his brother, I'm woman enough to admit, even just to myself, that I'm hurt and a little surprised he hasn't told me he's breaking up with Victoria. Since we've been hooking up, I've been the first to know whenever he's broken up with a girl he was seeing.
"Well…" I trail off, searching for something, anything, to say that would sound sister-in-law...ish.
Thankfully, I'm saved by Fi skipping over, mouth stretched wide in another yawn.
"Bed time, huh?" I smile, brushing a wayward strand of hair out of her face.
"I think so."
"All right, c'mon then."
"Actually, I was just coming over to grab my pillow. Dad said I can ride home with him."
"Oh, of course. Yeah, okay."
Riley strides over then, passing me our drooling, snoring son gently enough that he doesn't stir. "I thought it'd be nice to spend some time with my girl since I barely got to see her at the party," he laughs quietly, tugging Fi into his side. Part of me wants to point out her sleepy smile and the fact that she'll probably be fast asleep before they hit the freeway, but he's right. She was so busy with her cousins that she didn't get to spend a lot of time with him, and it hasn't escaped my memory that he's away with work from the coming Monday; he'll be home Friday, in time for Edward's thirtieth, but the kids will miss him in the meantime.
"That sounds really nice," I finally say.
~ fd ~
"Bye, Mama!" Fi stretches to pop her head through the window, pressing a smacking kiss on Jameson's outstretched palm. "See you later, JJ. Be good for Mama, si?"
"Bye!" Jameson shouts, almost smacking his sister in the face as he waves.
Laughing, I blow my girl a kiss and remind her that Nana Es will be picking her up later, not me. She frowns, but we both hear one of her friends calling her name before I get a chance to ask what put that look on her face.
"I'll see you later, then. Addio."
"Aspetti, Fi!" I call out for her to wait, but she's gone with a swish of long chocolate hair and pre-teen spirit.
Someone in the drop-off line honks behind me, so with a muttered curse I pray Jameson doesn't decide to copy, I pull out and head across town, winding through the traffic like a woman on a mission with Jameson mumbling to today's chosen toys in the back. I have no idea what he's saying the majority of the time, but his teddy bear and Elmo seem to be a captive audience.
When we pull onto the street, Esme is waiting out on the steps of the home where she and Carlisle raised their boys. She stands and starts making her way toward the car as I pull in and engage the handbrake. His toys are forgotten instantly, dumped into the footwell. Grunting and straining against his straps, he whines "Mama" until I jog around the car to release him.
"There you go," I sigh, watching him run up the sidewalk to his beloved Nana Es.
"I've got him, you go," Esme laughs, Jameson already tugging her toward the house; toward Papa Lisle and the cupboard full of arts and crafts they keep here for days when Carmen is out of town and I have to work.
It's inconvenient that Riley and Carmen are both on their way out of state at the same time, but it is what it is. Riley has to work, and I'd never ask Carmen to miss a family occasion; her mother turning ninety is definitely not something to be missed.
Still, it's going to be a little hectic around here until she returns from New York and Riley comes home from California.
"Say 'bye' to Mama," Esme prompts him through her laughter. He barely turns his head to look back at me, but I can't help but smile at the way he frustratedly growls "addio".
Hopping back in the car, it only takes a few minutes to get to the studio.
As I scoop my purse from the passenger seat, rings taking their well-used spot in the glovebox before I climb out into the sun, the glint of gold catches my eye through the windshield.
Notte Oscura.
It doesn't matter how many times I come here, how many times I lay eyes on my third baby, I still get a little thrill each and every one.
This is my thing, my project. My business.
Tucked in the outskirts of town, only a few other commercial buildings scattered around the estate, I couldn't believe my luck when I found this place. Secluded and big enough for everything we'd need were my two most important criteria.
After all, we don't need people on the outside hearing what's going on within these walls.
My receptionist, Kylie, offers me a distracted wave on my way past, holding up a finger to ask me to wait a sec. Phone propped between her ear and shoulder, she reaches for some manila folders and holds them out in my direction.
"Fresh meat," she mouths, gray eyes gleaming like the stud in her nose as the overhead light catches it.
"Perfect, thank you." Tucking the folders under my arm, I head down the hall to my office, dumping everything on my desk. First thing's first, messages. I'm expecting to have a ton to catch up on since I took the whole weekend off for family time, and I'm right. The stack of post-its and notes sitting on my closed laptop makes me wince as I sit heavily and glance at the clock, wondering how much of it I'll have time to get through before the first shoot.
~ fd ~
Not a lot, as it happens.
I've barely made a dent in it when my studio manager knocks on the door wanting my help with some set design issues.
Following him to studio three, I see the issue straight away.
"Get rid of the curtains."
Curtis glances at me, confused; they were my idea.
"They're too distracting." Looking around at the rest of the set, I picture it without the drapes blocking out the forest through the glass. My heels click on the hardwood as I cross the room to throw them open. Taking a big step back, I feel the grin spreading across my face.
Perfect.
"Get rid of the curtains," I repeat. "Are the guys here yet?"
Curtis checks his watch. "They will be soon. Another hour or so. We had them go through all their paperwork and stuff yesterday; they're both clean and ready to go."
"Just what I like to hear." Leading him back out into the hall, I check, "you kept them separate?"
"We did. They didn't even get a glimpse of each other."
A little over an hour later, breathless wails filling studio three confirm that we're onto a winner with the Stranger Saturday sessions. Leaning back against the wall with a smirk, I cross my arms over my chest, nipples hardening under my blouse. It's been a long time since I was on the other side of the camera, but there's nothing like it. The energy in the room right now...it's electric.
Both the stars are unfamiliar to me, new signings to the studio. Jack is a British import in the US for a gap-year between his second and third year of uni. Britney is your stereotypical beach girl; bottle-blonde with legs for days and a megawatt smile.
Separately, they're both gorgeous.
Together?
I lean to the side a little, watching through the camera as she arches her back, hands splayed over the glass window as Jack takes her from behind, and do a little mental happy dance.
Together, they're fire.
Their chemistry is incredible, and I already know the viewers will get a kick out of their initial reaction to one another. They started out sitting on the bed, blindfolded but face-to-face. When we finally gave them the go ahead to remove the silk ties around their eyes, Jack's jaw almost hit the floor and Britney looked like the cat that got the cream.
Satisfied, like I'm sure those two will be after their session today, I aim a thumbs up at Curtis and silently slip out, my business head already spinning, already making mental notes of promo shots and clips we can use to tease Jack and Britney's video.
That initial reaction, I think with a grin. Jack's adorably, almost awestruck, expression. Too cute.
It'll make a great promo clip.
~ fd ~
By the time I leave to pick up the kids, I'm exhausted but happy.
Work was productive; I managed to blitz through my to-do list, I signed in a new shipment of toys from a company we're still trying out, and Curtis caught me on the way to my car to say that he's got next week's Stranger Saturday session booked in.
Everything is perfectly in order at the studio, just how I like it.
And for once, it seems like things at home are going to line up just so, too.
When the screen on the dash lights up just as I brake for a stoplight, I use hands-free to answer. Right away, I'm smiling, listening to Jameson's giggles fill the car.
"Mama, Nana, Papa!"
"Hi, baby," I laugh. "Are you having fun with Nana and Papa?"
"Snacks, Mama. Snacks!"
Of course, that would be the highlight of his day. The light turns green, so off I go.
"I hope you're being a good boy, Jameson. You, too, Fi!"
Fiorella sighs with all the attitude of probably every pre-teen in the world. "Of course, Mama."
"The reason we're actually calling," Esme interjects, amusement thick in her voice, "is to ask if we could possibly keep the children overnight? We have plenty of spare things for them. We're heading nextdoor for a cookout, and they've got their grandchildren over, so we thought—"
I knew where this call was going as soon as I picked it up, so I cut her off to let her know that of course they can stay, if they want to. Considering that Carmen is in New York and their dad is away, I'm not surprised Fi and Jameson opt to stay with Nana and Papa—they get away with far more over there, and have way more toys and games to play with, than they do at home with me.
"I'll pick you both up after school tomorrow." My promise is chased by a flurry of "I love yous" and then I'm left alone in the quiet of the car, wondering how I'll fill my evening.
can't be said enough—I am loving your theories and reactions to this little tale. I think I mentioned that it's The Fic Lab's fault these two exist, but boy, am I glad they do.
if you aren't already in my reader group on Facebook, feel free to come join. I'm all done writing this now so I'll probably post teasers and stuff over there. It's CiaraShayee's Subconscious and everyone is welcome!
huge hugs and much gratitude to the lovely ladies prereading for me. their commentary has helped this take shape and inspired numerous plot twists I didn't think of myself, so mwah. y'all know who you are and you're the bee's knees xo