Chapter 2
Old Times
While Jasper drives down the busy streets of London, he steals a few glances at Lottie. Her head is bowed. She's looking at her hands, which are rested together in her lap and she's fiddling her thumbs.
She's been quiet ever since we pulled out the airport parking lot, Jasper thinks while glancing back at the road. He decided to try and start up a conversation.
"So. How's your dad?" he says while stealing another glance at her to see if she looked up. She didn't.
"He's fine. He still misses mum. Hell I still miss her." Lottie replies in a soft voice. "Yeah I miss her too. She was a good person Lottie." He says while reaching for her hand, like he used to when she would always get upset. She gladly took it. He let her place their hands in her lap.
"I know she was. She was mum." Her voice sounded like it had cracked a little. Jasper felt something wet hit his hand. He heard a small sniffle come from Lottie. He slowly pulls the car off to the side to the road and it comes to a stop.
He looks at her and slowly pulls her chin up, with his free hand, so she is looking at him. He sees her newly shed tears. "I know what you mean. She was the closest thing to mum I ever had." He pulls her in his arms. And caress her back, like when he did when he first saw her cry. Lottie just cries in his shoulder and doesn't say anything.
After a while her tears and her sobbing subsides, but they still hold onto each other. "I better start driving my house is only a block away. Do you want me to stop by the store to pick up your favorite ice cream and movie?" Jasper asks remembering when her mom died that that is what he brought over to her house; they spent the whole day together.
Lottie just let a small laugh escape her lips. "You still remember my favorite ice cream and movie?" "Of course I do. You're my best friend. I'm suppose to remember everything about you." Jasper says while moving a piece of hair from her eyes. "Oh really?" Lottie asks and he just nods his head. "Okay then, what's my favorite color?" "Purple." He says without a pause. "Animal?" "White tiger."
"Okay so maybe you do remember everything about me, but tell me what my favorite movie is again." Jasper just chuckles. "Your girl. One and two." "Very good." Lottie smiles at him. "So shall I get them?" Jasper asks looking at her sincerely. "Yes you shall. Or do you want me to drive?" "Ha-ha. No one is allowed to drive this baby. This is MY baby." Jasper rubs the top of his dashboard. "Your point is exactly?" Lottie asks being sarcastic and not giving up.
"No you are not pulling that on me. You are not driving this car Lottie. I'm telling you no one is allowed to drive this." "Oh come on Jasper please!" she gives him her sad face. "Oh come on that's not fair! You know I can't give into that look!" Jasper says trying to look away. "I know that's why I always use it on you." She says still giving him the look.
"Fine, but just this once." He says sounding defeated. "YES!" Lottie squeals and the two of them change sides.
"We're going to Tommy's, dad's store right?" Lottie asks while pulling away form the curb. "yeah but now it's just Tommy's store. His dad past away a while back." "Oh." "But he'll be happy to see you again. He always did have a thing for you. He still talks about you, you know?"
Jasper says while watching her drive he precious car. "He does?" "Yeah, all the time." "Hmm. Do you think that after we leave Tommy's store we can go visit my mum?" Lottie asks looking intently at the road and tightening her hands around the steering wheel. "Sure." Jasper knew how much she missed her mom.
Lottie pulls the car into the parking lot of Tommy's store. She parks the car and they both climb out. They went in the store and went their separate ways. Jasper to get the movies and Lottie to get the ice cream.
Lottie is looking through the different kinds of ice cream, when a voice behind her, startles her. "My, my Little Lottie look how you have grown. Well you aren't really Little anymore." She turns around to see no other than Tommy Henderson. "Tommy, it's nice to see you again." "Likewise. Last time I saw you, you were packing your things and saying good-bye. What are you doing back in London?"
"Is it really any of your business to know what I'm doing back here?" Lottie asks crossing her arms. "No, but I am wondering what you're doing tomorrow." Tommy states while looking her up and down. He examined every inch of her body, and every amount of clothing she was wearing.
She was wearing a pair of blue jeans with a long white sweater that came down past her bottom and it hugged her top curves very well.
"Actually-" just as she was about to complete her sentence another voice comes into the conversation and an arm was placed on her waist. "She's with me Tom." Lottie knew that voice. It was Jasper. Lottie slowly let her body sink into his grasp and she moved her body closer to his to make it seem like they were really together.
"And she's staying with me too." "Boy, Jasper, you sure do always get the pretty ones don't you? Why do you like him, Lottie? Is it because he's famous?" Tommy said with his voice full of jealousy. "No, I've always loved him." "Yeah right. Come on now all three of us grew up together. You two were more like brother and sister than lovers." "Well back then we were kids." Jasper said while giving Lottie's waist a little squeeze, as if telling her to make a romantic move so Tommy would drop the subject.
Lottie got the hint. She raised her hand that wasn't draped behind Jasper's back, and brought it up to his neck. She brought her soft rose red lips up to his jaw line and gently started to place kisses along it and moved a little down his neck. She slowly started to whisper, but loudly enough for Tommy to hear. "Babe, we have to get going or this ice cream is going to melt." Jasper looks at her giving her his 'oh you are good look.' "oh yeah I forgot about that. I got your movies."
"Great now it can just be the two of us. Unless Tommy wants to join us." They both look at Tommy who had watched the whole scene with disgust. He quietly said that he something to do and that it would take all day, and quickly left.
Once they both knew that he was completely gone, they started laughing. "That was great girl. Who knew you could pull that off so great?" Jasper says trying to control his laughter "Hey when I act, I act good." "That you do. Come on let's go pay for this stuff and get going." They walked to the paying counter neither pulling away their well fit together bodies.
Chapter 3
Mistakes Made
The whole time that Lottie and Jasper are watching the movies, Jasper can't help, but take glances at Lottie. He watches he dig her spoon lightly into the small tub of ice cream and raise the spoon to her lips. He couldn't help but watch her lips part slightly enough for the tip of the spoon touch her bottom lip. He couldn't help but want to kiss those lips.
Jasper lightly shook his head and looked back at the television screen. Lottie laughed to herself quietly enough only so she could hear. She had been watching Jasper, watch her out of the corner of her eye. She let a small yawn escape her mouth and she looked at the clock that was on the table next to her. It read eleven o'clock.
Her yawn did not go unseen by Jasper. "Tired?" "Just a little." Lottie says while trying to keep her eyes open. "Since I know how much you want to watch this movie, come here." Jasper motions for her to get close to him so he could hold her. Lottie doesn't complain. She casually scoots closer to Jasper and leans into his chest. He encircles his arms around her, holding her close. He takes the ice cream from her hand and sets it on the floor. Lottie looks up at him and smiles. He smiles back and lightly places a kiss on her forehead. Lottie closes her eyes at his the touch of his lips.
This time Jasper does what he has be longing for since they were reunited at the airport. He slowly leans down and lightly kisses her lips. Lottie is a little shocked, but she kisses back.
After several minutes the kiss ends and so does the movie. The two friends look at each other in surprise and try to search for the answer, as to what just happened, in each other. Nothing. Jasper quickly stands up and runs a hand through his hair.
Lottie just watches him. She knows exactly what he is thinking. "Go ahead. Say it." She says in a quiet voice. "Says what Lottie? I just kissed my best friend!" Lottie is kind of taken back by his emotion. "So." "So? So?! That's it? That's all you have to say?!" "Why are you acting like this?" "Lottie that wasn't suppose to happen. I mean, I wanted to kiss you, but I wasn't suppose to. It was a mistake." He stops as he realized what he just said. "A mistake?" Lottie looks at her hands. "I didn't mean it like that." "No, that's the thing…you did." She looks up at him with swollen, red, puffy eyes.
Lottie slowly rises from the couch. "I guess that's all I ever am to you." She rushes off to the room that she was to sleep in.
Jasper just stands there wondering what she meant. He hears Lottie slam her door and he cringes as he hears her loads frustrated and sad sighs and things being slammed on the floor and breaking against the walls. After a while everything is quiet. He sees a flash outside his window and notices that it's raining.
An hour later Lottie comes down that stairs and goes out the front door. Jasper 's first instinct is to go after her, but decides against it.
Lottie stands out in the driveway looking up at the sky, letting the rain hit her face. After a while she starts to walk to the graveyard.
A few minutes later she reaches the spot she where he mother is berried. Lottie falls to her knees and begins to cry. Her whole body begins to shake. "what did I do to deserve all of this? Why did you have to die? You promised that you would be here forever mum! I need you so bad right now. I'm starting to think that maybe I should have never came back to London and that I should have just married Michael. There's only one problem with marrying Michael. I still love Jasper mum. I'm also hiding a lot of stuff from him. There's no way that I can tell him that I'm one of the hottest singers in America. He has enough of the media following, but I guess he's going to find out in the morning, right?"
"There's no need for me to find out in the morning. I already know." Jasper's voice sounds behind her. "what are you doing here, Thompson?" "Last name usage. Okay Winston. I saw you take off. It's not safe for you to be out here." "I don't care." "But I do."
"Why do you care? I thought I was nothing but a mistake." Lottie says coldly. "Lottie you know exactly that I didn't mean that. I just didn't want to end up hurting you." "Yeah? Well what do you think you did two hours ago?"
"That's not what I meant Lottie." Jasper says in protest. "Well maybe you should explain to what you meant." Lottie says finally turning away from her mothers grave and looking up at him. The rain stops. "What I meant was…" he was cut off by a woman's voice. "Jasper! There you are. I went to your house looking for you, but you weren't there." The woman runs up to him and hugs him. She pulls back a little so she can see his face. She leans in and kisses him passionately. Lottie looks away.
Once Jasper and the woman pull away, the woman looks down at Lottie. " Jasper who is this?" her voice is pleasant and gentle. "This is an old friend that I grew up with. Alice meet Lottie. Alice is my girlfriend." He notices Lottie's face grow sad. "I'm not just his girlfriend, I'm his fiancé."
Lottie suddenly feels like a hole has just been dug into her stomach. She smiles, but not the smile that always reached her eyes. "Congratulations." is all she manages to get out. Alice smiles at her. She looks around and notices where they are. "Why are we in a graveyard?" "I'm paying a visit to my mother." Lottie says in a small voice. "oh I'm so sorry I didn't know." Alice says in a regretful voice. "It's fine. Well I can see that you two have some catching up to do. So Jasper I'll stop by your house and get my things." Lottie rises to her feet, dusts her pants off, and looks at the happy couple. "Lottie, I told you that you could stay at my house." Jasper says feeling like someone just hit repeatedly in the face. "No, Jasper, if I stay then I'll just be in the way of you and Alice." "No you wont. I already told you, you won't be in the way." "Jasper I'm not going to fight with you about this. I'm checking into a hotel." Lottie turns her back on them and starts to walk away before Jasper even opens his mouth.
"She seems like a nice girl." Alice says while watching Lottie walk away. "She's the best." Jaspers replies. "She looks so familiar. What did you say her name was again?" "Lottie Winston." Alice thinks about where she might know her from somewhere then it finally dongs on her. "Isn't she that really famous American singer?" "Yep, that's her." "Then what is doing here in London? She doesn't have a tour this year." "She grew up here. We grew up together. Right next door to each other in fact. I guess you could say that were inseparable growing up…that is until her mother passed away." "Do you think she'll mind singing at the wedding. I've always loved her music." "I don't know…I'll ask her." during the whole conversation Jasper barrel paid attention to what Alice said. He was to busy thinking about the kiss that he and Lottie shared no more than two hours ago.
Across town Lottie is walking through the streets looking for a good place to stay until she can find a home of her own. A few people stop her in the streets because they recognized her as being 'Lottie Winston the worlds greatest singer.' And they wanted to take a few pictures with her and get a couple of autographs. No matter how much she tried to turn the people down by saying "I would love to, but I look a mess. I'm all wet from being out in the rain." But her true fans didn't mind, they just told her that she is still just a pretty wet as when she is dry.
After a while the fans and pictures die down. Lottie stops in front of a small café. London was always known for it's little shops. She steps foot inside and steps up to the register. "Hello, what can I get you?" the man behind the counter asks giving her his best smile. She returns the smile. "Hi, can I get…" she looks up at the menu. "a vanilla bean frappuchino?" "What size?" "Just a regular." "Okay your total is 4.25." Lottie hands the man the money. He goes off to make her drink. She looks around the café and sees a few seats. She goes over and sits in one of them. She also notices a few couples acting as if no one was around. Lottie looks at her lap and avoids looking at the couples. "Vanilla bean frappé?" she looks up and sees the man holding up her drink. She gets up and takes the drink from him. "Thank you."
As Lottie is walking down the sidewalk, she looks down at her feet while walking and occasionally taking a sip of her coffee. After a while she ends up in front of a hotel that she had once stayed at when she was touring. She goes through the gliding door and up to the front desk. "Excuse me?" Lottie asks the receptionist sitting in her chair. The woman looks up at her and smiles. "Yes ma'am?" "I would like to check in." Lottie looks at the woman contently.
"Do you have a room reserved?" the woman opens a book full of names and room numbers. "No, I do not. When I got here I didn't know I was going to be staying at a hotel. I was suppose to with a friend, but he had some things going on." "Ah, I see." She looks down at the book. "Well we have a few nice rooms available. Of course the room size depends on the amount you pay." "How much is the nicest room?"
The woman looks at Lottie like she was crazy. "the nicest and most expensive room is 2,000." "I'll take it." Lottie prepares to get out her card. "Miss I don't think you can afford it." The woman begins to stand up. This time it was Lottie's turn to look at her like she was crazy. "can you just get me the room please?" "But ma'am I'm telling you. That room hasn't been rented for-" "I know when the room was last rented. If this is the room I am thinking about. Then it has been a year since it was rented because Lottie Watson was the last one to rent it. And I am she." By this point Lottie's voice begins to rise, which causes the manager to come over. "Is there a problem Loraine?" "No sir, this woman is claiming that she is Lottie Watson. How can she be her when Lottie has not been to London in nearly over a year?"
The manager looks at Lottie and smiles. "I'm so sorry Lottie she's the new receptionist." "Yes, I can tell. Walter, how have you been?" "I am a lot better now that you are a back in London." Lottie smiles at Walter. "Do you think I could have my usual room please?" "Why of course you can. That room is always yours." She laughs slightly.
"Then I guess I will paying the same time I always do." "And when is that Lottie?" "When I get ready to leave." "Of course how could I forget. Right this way." Walter ushers her towards the elevator