Isabella and the Slipper, page 13
“Yep.” Isabella cringed. “That’s what happened. These are Delilah’s paintings.”
“So, that’s . . . ?”
“It is.”
“Huh.” He tried not to laugh but a chuckle came out anyway, and then a full-fledged gut buster, and Isabella burst out laughing, too.
“She’s decided to join the art world?” he asked.
Isabella nodded. “Mmm hmm.”
“How interesting.”
He almost asked if Isabella’s paintings had ever been in the gallery, but stopped himself. Isabella had never mentioned her paintings. Only Five. He had to be careful what he said to her.
They hung and redistributed artwork until he grew hungry. He checked the time on his phone. “Want to go to lunch with me?”
She hesitated. “I don’t know . . .”
“Come on, we’ll be fast. It will be my treat.”
She nodded, although she frowned at the same time.
“We can go somewhere your stepsisters wouldn’t think of going,” he said.
A smile curled her lips up. “They wouldn’t be caught dead at McDonald’s.”
He laughed. “Then a Big Mac it is.”
She told Leilani they were leaving, and they went out the back door. When they were in his car, he put the top down and turned on the engine. He glanced at her. She wore her hair down every day, the strands long and hanging in front of her glasses. He wondered what it would look like if she wore it up.
He drove down the street. “What was your dad like?”
She stiffened, and he backpedaled. “I don’t mean to pry. You don’t have to talk about him if you don’t want to.”
“No, I don’t mind.” She sat, clearly uncomfortable.
He let her sit for a moment in silence.
“My dad was the kindest man I’ve ever known. He would always give to those people ringing the bells at Christmastime. Even when we were dirt poor. He said there were people out there who were worse off than we were.”
“My father’s kind of like that, too. He lost his job last year, but he still insists on giving to his favorite charities.”
Isabella’s hair blew in the breeze, and he had a sudden craving to touch it. Was it as soft as it looked? He clenched the steering wheel with both hands.
She gazed out the windshield, a slight smile on her face. “My father used to read to me every night before bed. Not picture books, but what I thought were grown-up books like A Wrinkle in Time and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. He gave me a healthy imagination and a love for the arts.”
He smiled at her. “That’s a good memory, I’m sure.”
“Yes. He was a good father.”
Chase parked the car and cut the engine. “Ready for a gut bomb?”
“I’m starving.”
They ordered, and Chase picked a seat near the window to the play area. He pulled Isabella’s chair out for her. Chase watched the children playing as he ate. A little dark-haired boy played on the slide. He would climb up the inside of the chute and then squeal with delight coming down. He smiled as the boy proceeded to repeat the process.
“He’s cute,” Isabella said, craning her neck to see.
“He reminds me of my sister, just a couple of years ago. I can’t believe she’s in kindergarten now.”
“You’re close? Even though she’s so young?”
“It’s funny, but yeah. We’re close. She’s always been drawn to me. And I just love the snot out of her.”
“I never would have pegged you as a kid lover.” She smiled at him. “It’s kind of endearing.”
“Kind of? I thought it was totally hot.” He gave her his best camera smile.
She laughed. “I don’t think you need any help in that department,” she said under her breath.
He took a swig of his drink to hide his chuckle.
Isabella picked up a fry and bit the end off. She watched the little boy climb around the play area. “So, you want kids when you grow up?”
“Yeah.”
“How many kids do you want to have?”
No one had ever asked him that before, and he had to think about it. “Honestly? I’ve always pictured myself having a big family.”
“More than three?”
He grinned again, wiggling his eyebrows. “Definitely.”
She whacked him on the arm. “I’m asking you a serious question, and you’re goofing around.”
“No,” he said, chuckling. “Okay, maybe a little.” He sobered. “But seriously, I want four or five kids running around, making the house a mess. When I was a kid I always wanted younger brothers and sisters. By the time Cora came along, I was almost a teenager. But she was so cute, I couldn’t help but love on her.”
“Is there a reason she’s so much younger than you?”
“My parents wanted more kids. It just didn’t happen. They went to all kinds of doctors. No one could find anything wrong. Finally, after years, they had my sister.” He picked up a fry. “I don’t know what I would have done if she hadn’t made it through her illness.”
“That’s so scary,” Isabella said, nodding.
One more thing to prove she was Five.
He had only told Five about the seriousness of his sister’s illness. He changed the subject. “Do you like to cook?”
Isabella made a face. “Not really.”
“Nothing? Not even baking?”
“If I tell you something, will you swear you’ll never breathe a word of it to anyone?” She picked up her soda and took a drink.
Intrigued, he raised an eyebrow. “Sure.”
“Pinky swear?” She held out her little finger.
He chuckled and wrapped his pinky around hers. Sparks tingled across his skin. “Yes. Pinky swear.”
“After my father died, my stepmother tried to make me the household cook. I hated it. But I figured out that if I messed up a meal, Elenore would order a pizza. With a little Googling, I found I could ruin a perfectly good meal with just a few well-placed spices. Cumin was especially good on anything sweet, like cinnamon toast or chocolate pie. After quite a few cooking lessons without much improvement, my stepmother decided it was better for everyone to fend for themselves than to make her daughters suffer through my ‘unfortunate lack of ability.’ Her words, not mine.”
Chase sat back in his chair and laughed. “You’re kidding me.”
Isabella grinned. “Scout’s honor.”
“You were never a Scout.”
“You’re right, but I swear like one.”
He laughed and wondered if it was possible to fall for a girl so quickly. He’d only known her for a little over a week, but her wit and charm were like a magnet. He wanted to pull her into his arms and kiss away all her pain. All the hurt from her stepmother. He sobered.
“I’d better get you back to the gallery before your stepmother notices you’re not there.”
She stood and began picking up the trash. “Good idea.”
Isabella convinced Chase to drop her off and let her finish with the website on her own. She didn’t want to get caught with him there.
After she walked inside, Leilani cornered her. “Ooh, girl, you’ve been holding out on me. Do tell all. Was that the actor Delilah’s been talking about?”
Isabella groaned and put her head in her hands. “Yes,” she mumbled into her fingers.
Leilani shook her shoulder. “He’s smokin’ hot! And he likes you, doesn’t he?”
That was complicated. She told Leilani the whole story. “He likes Five. Not me. He’d be disappointed if he found out I was actually Five.”
A skeptical look crossed Leilani’s face. “Are you sure?”
“He told me to my face that he has a crush on Five. Plus, Five asked him to the fall formal, and he said yes.”
“How are you going to pull that off?”
“It’s a masquerade. I could totally show up and he wouldn’t know, especially if I’m wearing Savannah’s wig. But Elenore’s got me working that night, so there goes that idea.”
Leilani waved that away. “Nonsense. You come here next Saturday. After the gala starts, I’ll cover for you. Elenore is always busy brownnosing the rich folks and drinking too much. She won’t even notice you’re gone.”
Could that work?
Isabella tried not to get her hopes up. “Maybe.”
“Girl, you had better go to the dance with that handsome young man, or someone else will scoop him up.”
Honestly, Isabella wasn’t sure why he wasn’t already involved with someone. He was uber-popular at school. At lunch, he sat at one of the cheerleading tables. He was in movies, for heaven’s sake. She knew he had dated girls at school. She was baffled he wasn’t with anyone right now.
Isabella finished putting all of Delilah’s art on the sales floor. Just as she was pulling out her camera to take photos for the website, a text came through on her phone.
Are you too busy to chat?
She sat down in the office and responded, No, I can take a break. What’s up?
I just miss you.
His words almost made her want to cry. He missed talking to her, and yet he didn’t even realize he’d spent the afternoon with her. She blinked back her emotions.
Man, what was wrong with her? A silly crush and she goes all haywire. Why couldn’t she get her feelings under control?
I miss you, too.
I have an idea. Why don’t you sneak out tonight and see me?
Her heartbeat sped up just thinking about it. Funny.
I’m serious. You can’t go to the dance, so I’ll never get to meet you unless we just do it. Rip the Band-Aid off.
What would he say if she did? If she met him at midnight in Flatwater Park, would he be disappointed? The thought almost gave her a panic attack. Maybe it was best to take Leilani’s offer and sneak out to the dance. At least then she could be with him as Five, and she wouldn’t have to see the disappointment in his eyes. If she went late enough, Elenore would be too tipsy to care.
About that.
What??
Someone’s offered to cover for me at work. I’d have to come late, but I think I can go to the dance after all.
Seriously? I’m so happy I could kiss you.
Her pulse raced as she imagined what it would be like to kiss Chase. She stared at the office wall for a second, indulging in the fantasy.
Five? Are you still there?
Oh, yeah, that was embarrassing.
Yes. I’m here.
Can I call you?
Worry that he would recognize her voice raced through her. The more time he spent with her in person, the more likely that would be. She wasn’t great at disguising her voice. Plus, she really needed to go take photos of the new art and get them up on the website. At least that’s what she told herself.
Sorry, I really should get back to work.
Okay. Chat later.
Bye.
She finished up at work, never fully letting go of the thought of Chase pulling her close and exploring her lips.
She was so dead.
Chapter 19
Chase shuffled into the kitchen, his long pajama pants almost covering his socks. His mother sat at the table drinking coffee and reading the paper, her hair in curlers.
When he entered, she smiled and put the paper down. “Good morning.”
He didn’t like the way she smiled at him. He knew what that meant. “Mmm,” he said in a noncommittal way.
“There’s a new casting call that I think would be perfect for you.”
He rolled his eyes. “Mom. I haven’t even started filming the one I got yet.”
She waved her hand. “That’s going to only take a few weekends. This one is a much bigger deal.”She patted her curlers.
He pulled a box of Corn Flakes from the cupboard and groaned. “Mom, I don’t want to do anything bigger.”
“But it’s going to be great for your career.”
The bowl clunked as he set it down on the counter a little too forcefully. He cringed. “What if I don’t want to be an actor?” he said under his breath.
His mother turned wide eyes on him. “What did you say?”
Great. Now he’d done it. Opened up the can of worms.
But he knew he had to do it sometime before he ended up stuck in an acting school he hated. He probably should tell her he was thinking of applying to UNH Manchester.
“I don’t want to be an actor.”
There. He’d said it.
His mother’s shocked face stared at him, her mouth hanging open. “Why would you say that?”
“Because it’s true.”
She shook her head. “You don’t know what you’re saying.”
“I hate standing around, waiting all day for my part. I hate shooting the same scene over and over.” He poured the cereal into the bowl and pulled out the milk.
“You’ll like the bigger roles better. Less waiting.”
“Mom! Stop trying to push me into something I don’t want.”
His mother’s mouth snapped shut and she blinked, placing her hands on the newspaper. “I . . . I didn’t think that’s what I was doing. I thought you liked this.”
“No, Mom. You like it.” He sat down on the chair opposite her, finally feeling like a weight was lifting off his chest. “At first it was kind of fun, but it grew old for me really fast. I don’t want to do it anymore.” He peered at her, waiting to judge her reaction.
She opened and closed her mouth without any sound coming out at first. Finally, she frowned. “But you’re so good at it. You have natural talent.”
“I have talent for other things, too. I like science. And I’m good at it. I want to go to college.” He dug into his breakfast.
His mother blinked and wiped at her face.
Was she crying? Oh no.
He didn’t mean to make her cry. “Mom . . .” he said, feeling terrible. “Don’t cry.”
She waved his concern away. “I just didn’t realize . . .” Her voice trailed off. “The first role you got, you were so excited.”
“I was, like, six.”
“You said you wanted to be an actor.”
“I also said I wanted to be an astronaut.” He stabbed his spoon into his bowl of cereal.
She looked down at the newspaper. “You’re right. I’ve been pushing you.”
“It’s okay, Mom. Don’t be upset about it.”
She smiled, her eyes still watery. “I thought I was your manager. I guess I’ve been so wrapped up in doing the job that I never realized it wasn’t the one I was supposed to be doing.”
He cocked his head to the side.
“My most important job is being your mother.” She stood and rounded the table, bending down to kiss the top of his head, her hands on his shoulders. “I’m proud of you, no matter what you want to do.”
His throat tightened. “Thanks.”
“I’ll support you in your decision.” She stood beside him and patted her curlers, sighing. “What schools are you looking at?”
“I’ve been looking at a few. I’m thinking about applying to UNH Manchester.”
Her face blanched. “Manchester, New Hampshire? Why so far away?”
His ears grew hot. Did he really want to admit it was because Isabella wanted to go to school in Manchester?
His mother got a funny look on her face. “Ah, I see.”
“What?”
“You’re cute when you’re embarrassed.” She whacked him playfully on the arm. “What’s her name?”
“Isabella.”
Whoa, had he just said that out loud?
“Is she the girl who you’ve been studying with?”
He scooped a spoonful of cereal and stuffed it into his mouth. “Mmm hmm.”
“Maybe you should have her over for dinner.”
He nodded and swallowed. “Okay. I’ll ask her.”
She smiled. “I’ll have a talk with your father about all this.”
“Okay.” Chase took another bite. His father didn’t care about his acting as much as he cared about him not disrespecting his mother. But the conversation had gone smoother than he’d thought. His mom seemed to be taking it well.
She squeezed his shoulder. “Love you, honey.”
“Love you too, Mom.”
His mother went into the bathroom to fix her hair. He finished his cereal and hopped into the shower. In thirty minutes, he was out the door feeling better than he had in a long time. His mother was going to back off the auditions. He’d get to spend his senior year doing the things every other senior did. He did a little fist pump before getting in his car. He was free.
The school day seemed to speed by, and soon he was standing in line in the busy lunchroom. He glanced around and saw Isabella sitting alone at the end of a table.
What would she do if he sat by her?
He picked up a sub sandwich and a carton of milk and punched in his account number. Gripping his tray, he turned.
Yep, he was going to do it.
He started toward the table when another girl sat next to Isabella, taking the empty seat.
Chase frowned, grumbling under his breath and walking past them to the table where he usually sat. He wasn’t sure who that girl was, but he didn’t like her much at the moment. Setting his tray down, he took a seat.
“Hey, Chase,” one of the girls at the table said.
“Hey.” He pulled out his phone and messaged Five.
Are you having a good day?
He watched Isabella take her phone out of her pocket, look at the screen, then glance his way. He lowered his gaze so she didn’t catch him staring at her.
Yes. Even though it’s Monday.
Something big happened this morning.
What??
I told my mom I didn’t want to audition anymore.
You did? Holy schmoly, what did she say?
He chuckled and felt her gaze on him once more, so he kept his eyes on his phone.
She was shocked at first. But then she was all right with it.
So that’s it? Dang, you should have done that a long time ago.
I guess so.
When no more texts came, he glanced at her. She was talking to her friend, her fork in her hand. He slipped his phone back in his pocket and tried to concentrate on eating his lunch. But it was difficult. His gaze kept sliding over to Isabella. He watched her laughing with her friend and wondered what they were talking about. Then a guy stopped by their table and spoke to her.
