An Autumn to Remember: A Novel (Elmtown Series Book 1) (13 page)

17

  
Chelsea woke up at 7:00 a.m. and smiled when she saw Jamie’s good morning text. The way everything escalated since her birthday party was quite a surprise but Jamie was everything any girl could ever ask for and maybe even more. She never thought of him in a romantic way like that, at least not until he made that speech at her party where she thought she felt something move inside her. She thought maybe she was simply unaware of the attraction she had for him because all of her focus had been on John. But wait, I think I noticed an attraction that day he was helping Tyler with basketball and schoolwork, she thought. She brushed it off as a feeling of appreciation. She wasn’t sure and really couldn’t tell, but one thing was clear to her now, she wanted to be with him all the time and she liked how she felt when she was with him.

   She also had so many questions.

   When did he start liking her? Where was this going? Were they dating now? Everything they did together in the past two weeks looked like dating except that the kissing part started later.

   She bit her lower lip as she replied to his text and asked if he would be able to go out in the afternoon. She had to do some studying and finish up a paper because she had a Monday morning deadline. “Yes, can’t wait to see you,” he replied.

   Her heart had been doing this funny skip anytime she received a message on her phone from him. He made her feel like a teenager again, as though she were having her first engaging, heavy crush. Searching her heart, she could not even find the pain of all the hurt she felt from her breakup with John anymore. It was ridiculous, shattering even, but it didn’t affect her anymore; the happiness that emanated from her heart numbed her from all emotional pain. Plus, she thought Jamie was ten times the man John could ever be. The breakup was a blessing in disguise.

   Yawning, she dragged herself out from under the covers and went downstairs. She made herself some tea and brought out everything she needed to make a breakfast of pancakes and eggs.

   When she was halfway through making the pancake batter, she turned on the griddle so that it would be hot by the time the batter was ready.

   As soon as she was done with the pancakes, she kept them in the oven to keep warm then started with the scrambled eggs.

   “Look at you. Bright and early,” Teresa said as she entered the kitchen. “Ooooh, that looks and smells really good. What's the occasion?”

   “Nothing, just making breakfast for my mother and brother on a beautiful morning.”

   “Really? Someone looks happy. What’s going on?”

   “Nothing Mom,” Chelsea said smiling, her face flushed into rosy pink.

   “I haven’t seen you cook in a while. Anyway, thank you darling. Are you coming with me for mass?”

   “Umm.” She forgot it was Sunday. “Not this Sunday Mom. I have a lot of work to catch up on. Next week, I promise.”

   After Teresa and Tyler left for mass, Chelsea put the dishes in the dishwasher then spent the rest of the morning on schoolwork. It took her five hours to be done so she didn’t get into the shower until 1:05. She quickly searched her closet to put together an outfit. She wore blue skinny jeans, brown leather boots, a light-brown knit hat and a sweater to match. She wanted to look sexy but casual.

   She just finished packing some snacks when she heard the doorbell ring. She didn’t know how they would spend the day or how long they would be gone for but taking some snacks along would be handy.

   She opened the door and stepped out to meet Jamie.

   “Hey,” Jamie said as he came closer and planted a kiss on her cheek.

   “Hey.” She closed the door behind her, smiling. “I brought some snacks,” she said, for want of something to say.

   “Oh cool. Thanks for being so thoughtful.”

   “Uh huh.”

   “Where are we going exactly?” Jamie asked as he followed her towards her car.

   “I dunno. Thought you had something planned.” She wore her seatbelt, started the engine and waited.

   “Ha ha ha. I thought you were the one who came up with the idea to go out.”

   “So?” She winked at him.

   “Alright, alright. It’s OK. I’ve known you long enough so I already planned what we are doing for the day.”

   “See? I knew you had my back.”

   They went for a hayride at a farm in Cattaraugus County, picked pumpkins and ended up at the farm’s corn maze. They held hands as they walked through the maze. Now exhausted and hungry, Chelsea produced the fruits and cake she packed for lunch and then they settled on the chairs provided for visitors at the front side of the farm. She followed her instincts and fed him from her hand which he liked as it was very romantic.

   “Soooo, we have to talk don’t we?” Jamie asked, wiping his mouth with a napkin.

   Chelsea covered her face shyly and asked, “Do we have to? I suddenly feel so shy.” It was still awkward having all these feelings about someone who had been your best friend for years.

   Jamie took her hands off her face, smiled at her and said, “No pressure, you don’t have to say anything right now.” He touched her cheek with tender affection. “But I need to say something.” She watched his face morph into an expression of focus and seriousness. “I’ve always been attracted to you Chelsea, and I don’t just mean a physical attraction. I love everything about you. There were times I told myself I wanted someone like you but I realized it wasn’t true.” His eyes pierced into hers. “I don’t want someone like you. It’s you I wanna be with Chelsea.” He kissed the back of her hand.

   She turned away from him and saw a couple of kids playing near the pumpkins with their parents. She wanted to hide the tears forming in her eyes but she couldn’t, they were rolling down her cheeks now.

   Jamie cleaned off her tears and held her face tenderly between his hands. “Did I say something wrong?”

   She shook her head as tears trickled unto his fingers, then managed to form words. “I...I...Umm. It’s just that I’ve never experienced anything that comes close to how you are making me feel right now. The way you look into my eyes makes my heart smile so much, I feel it’s going to explode. It’s almost unreal.”

   “Your heart smiles? This can’t work. I don’t do aliens.”

   She hit his chest with the back of her hand.

   “Silly.”

   They both laughed and she was still smiling when he met her lips with his.

18

   The twenty-fifth of November was Thanksgiving and it had come so swiftly. It was going to be their first holiday together as a couple. Jamie told Helen about his budding romance with Chelsea. Helen really liked her and told him she always thought they were really compatible. Hearing the way Jamie spoke about Chelsea reminded Helen of when she was head over heels for Benny. She had never seen her son so happy. A part of her wondered what Teresa thought about the relationship. The woman was a bit of a snub so it wouldn’t be a surprise at all if she didn’t approve of it.

   “She doesn’t know yet,” Jamie said to her.

   He was leaving it to Chelsea to know when and how to tell her own mother. Certainly they weren’t going to hide it from anyone for long but Chelsea just wanted a few weeks to enjoy what they started before letting Teresa know about it. With her mother, Chelsea was not too sure how she would react.

   Jamie had been thinking about what to do for Thanksgiving. He wanted to be able to spend time with Chelsea because it was his favorite holiday after Christmas. Fortunately, Teresa agreed to Chelsea’s request to have Jamie and his mother over for their small dinner party. She asked him to come up an hour earlier because she enjoyed doing everything with Jamie and also wanted him to make that exotic hibiscus tea drink he always made for her when she was visiting him in the basement. She thought that the guests would love it like she did.

***

   Teresa replaced the fabric on the dining table, then decorated it with pumpkin candle holders and ornamental centerpieces. The turkey was ready from the night before so she put it in the oven to keep warm. There was ham, mac and cheese, corn casserole, corn bread, vegetables, mashed potatoes and two different pies. The only things left were the drinks but with Jamie’s help, Chelsea took that responsibility. As usual, Teresa didn’t like doing things small so it was going to be a real feast.

   Apart from Jamie and his mother, Teresa invited one of her friends who didn’t have any plans and her cousin from Williamsville who just went through a divorce. The third guest was her cousin’s business partner and they all attended St. Joseph’s.

   The women were in the living room while Jamie and Chelsea prepared the drinks in the kitchen and Tyler played video games upstairs with Rush Caine.

   The cream lush sofa was surrounded by other single chairs and on the left side of the living room a brown leather rocking chair was tucked away, close to the fireplace. The dim lights and the smell of fresh flowers created a calm, welcoming ambiance that made them all feel very relaxed.

   Rush’s mother, Caroline Caine, a local talk show host, was married to the president of the network she worked for. Although they married two weeks after his divorce, Caroline maintained, against media speculation, that she was not responsible for his divorce. Her husband was away in Sydney for business so she was happy to accept Teresa’s invitation since she didn’t have family in Elmtown. Helen quickly recognized her face.

Teresa's cousin, Rachel and her business partner Hilary Mayer were the youngest, still in their mid-thirties. They both ran a fashion boutique downtown which had grown into the most patronized fashion store on Cornwall Street. Rachel was married to a former football player who played for the Buffalo Bills while Hillary was still unmarried and had no plans to ever get married. She dated younger men by preference and that, non-discreetly.

   “It’s so wonderful to be back in Elmtown. If there was one thing I missed while living in London, it’s Thanksgiving,” Teresa said with an overwhelming smile. “That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy England though.” Then she gave them a brief summary of her four years of living in London.

   “I think I just go to Europe for the food, that’s it. I love eating at The Tamarind of Mayfair. Has anyone been there?” Hilary asked.

   “Isn’t that the Indian restaurant on Queen Street?” Teresa asked.

   “Yes it is. Awesome food. Absolutely out of this world.”

   “My husband, I mean ex-husband also loved the Indian food when we visited Teresa in London. But why go to Europe and eat Asian food? Aren’t you supposed to experience the culture of where you are? I usually prefer bangers and mash or any other traditional British food,” Rachael said.

   “So you didn’t try any Asian food with Raymond?”

   “I did try it with him but he wanted to keep going there every day. I just think it’s bad tourism etiquette. It’s like going to Italy and ignoring the homemade pasta for sushi. You’re in Italy, not Japan. Duh! ”

   They all laughed.

   “I think we ate at The Tamarind twice but there's so much more to enjoy in places like Mayfair and Kensington that it’s criminal to stick to only Indian food in London,” Teresa said.

   “I agree. London is like a behemoth of international cuisine. French, Italian, Turkish, West African. You name it. You'll find them all there. Choosing where to eat was pure hard work,” Rachel said.

   As they all gave their two cents about London dining, Helen's non-existent participation in the discussion began to feel a little awkward. It wasn’t her fault she wasn’t as well travelled or sophisticated like the rest of them.

   “Excuse me ladies. I should go check on those two in the kitchen." Since no one responded, she excused herself and went into the kitchen.

   “I thought you guys were here to mix drinks for the dinner," Helen said as she came upon Jamie and Chelsea kissing by the fridge. It had become almost impossible for them to take their hands off each other.

   “Don’t you ever knock?" Jamie asked as Chelsea yanked herself away from his hold.

   She ran her hand through her hair and said, “Oh, hi Helen.”

   “Ah! I didn’t realize this was a bedroom. It looked like a kitchen from the outside. Sorry my mistake," Helen said and winked at Chelsea. Chelsea laughed very hard. Gosh, Helen’s even worse than Jamie, she thought. Were they always this funny? She couldn’t even be angry at Jamie for not telling her he already told his mother about them. Helen made her feel comfortable with this friendly sense of humor.

   “We’ve mixed the punches. I just need the hibiscus to soak a little bit more. We’ll be ready in ten minutes,” Jamie said.

   “OK, I’ll go tell the ladies. I don’t know about them but I’m beginning to hear my stomach growl." She walked back towards the door then looked back, pointing her index finger she said, “You both be careful if you don’t wanna get caught.”

   “Just go." Jamie waved her off.

   “Wow, your mom is the coolest mother I’ve ever met. I’ve never really seen this side of her.”

   “How could you? You never came to see me at my place. I guess Bluewood Village was not up to your standard.”

   “Shut up Jamie, you never invited me.”

   Jamie sat by the kitchen table and skimmed through the pages of a cookbook as they waited for the red hibiscus leaves to brew. Chelsea was bringing out her cookies from the oven when her apron went loose again.

   “Could you help me tie this up?” she asked battling with the strings helplessly.

   “Sure,” Jamie said and walked up to her.

   “I know that look on your face. Another opportunity to touch your girlfriend.” She turned around, backing up to him then he grabbed both strings. “How long do we have to keep those in there?” she asked focusing her gaze on the bowl full of water soaked hibiscus petals.

   “It only takes about an hour so I’d say ten more minutes,” Jamie said as he attempted tying up the strings of the black apron properly. He did it slowly savoring the scent of her hair, sweat and perfume, the Davidoff Cool Water she liked so much. After he tightened it properly, he ran his fingertips on the back of her neck and whispered into her ears, “You’re so beautiful.” He kissed the spot on her neck where his finger had been. Then he wrapped his arms around her waist and held her tight.

   “Romeo we need to finish up the drinks quickly,” she said breathing heavily. He was torturing her with his touches and kisses. He let her go and asked, “Did you just call me Romeo?”

   “Ha ha ha. There wasn’t any more blood in my brain.” She drained the reddened water from the bowl into a jug and asked, “So what’s next boyfriend?”

   “Add the sugar, some pineapple juice or vanilla syrup, whichever flavor you want.”

   As she walked past him to reach the sugar, he pulled her back and said, “Hey come here. I didn’t tie that properly.” He was lying.

   She hit his hand. “Stop it. I can’t think straight when you touch me. We have work to do. Who ever knew mommy’s boys were this naughty. Ugh!”

   “You do realize it’s a cool thing to be a mommy’s boy right? It means I understand the emotions and the deep needs of women,” Jamie said snapping his fingers. “That has to be a plus for the modern man, surely.”

   “Whatever makes you happy honey, could you please pass the ice cubes.”

   “Seems you guys are having a lot of fun in here,” Rachel said after clearing her throat loudly.

   They didn’t hear or see her coming in.

   “Can I please get a glass of water? So thirsty.”

   “Of course,” Chelsea said grabbing a glass. “You could also try one of the drinks if you want. Jamie, this is my mom’s cousin Rachel.”

   “Hi.” Jamie raised his hand.

   “Hello Jamie. Yes I’d love to try that one,” Rachel said pointing to one of the jugs.

   “He’s my boyfriend,” Chelsea said as she filled the glass with raspberry lemonade.

   “I can tell.”

   Rachel took a sip of the drink and said walking out, “This is really good. See you all in a minute.”

   It was time to eat.

   “You just introduced me as your boyfriend to your mom’s cousin even though your mom doesn’t know you have a boyfriend.”

   “It’s fine. I’ll tell her today. It’s really not such a big deal. I just didn’t want her to think I rushed into this after just getting out of one relationship. But she’ll have to understand I know what I’m doing. I’m not sixteen anymore.”

***

   They all sat round the dining table and held hands as Tyler gave thanks to God for the meal they were about to eat. Then as they ate Rachel suggested that they take turns in saying something they were all thankful for.

   Tyler was thankful for Jamie because he helped him with basketball and inspired him to love math. Teresa was thankful for her children and being back in Elmtown. One by one they took turns individually to put down their cutlery and speak while everyone listened. Chelsea happened to be the last to speak.

   “I know this will come as a surprise to some of us, but I’m thankful for my new boyfriend Jamie. He has always been the best person I know. Just thankful I have an opportunity to know him more and grow with him in love.”

   “Jamie’s your boyfriend now?” Tyler asked with glee.

   “Yes Tyler,” Chelsea said, stretching to hold Jamie’s hand.

   Teresa’s eyes traveled from Chelsea’s face to Jamie’s hand. Then she looked away and continued eating like nothing had been said. Her face was as blank as her mind was numb.

   “Oh great so now I’ll see him all the time,” Tyler added.

   Except for the clinking of forks and knives around the room, a hushed silence subdued the dining room.

   Rachel turned towards the new boyfriend. “So Jamie, are you still in college?”

   “Yes I am,” he said. He took a sip from his cup of raspberry punch and continued, “I’m graduating next month though. On the twelfth of December I believe.”

   His mother looked at him proudly as she munched on a mouthful of mashed potatoes.

   “Oh good. So what’s next on the agenda?” Rachel pressed.

   Teresa just ate, pretending like she was oblivious to everything happening around her.

   Jamie didn’t want to look like he had no plan so he said, “Umm...I have an offer from an investment firm, J.B. Investments. I did an internship with them during the summer.” He looked at his mother who stared back at him sternly. “But I don’t think I’ll be accepting the offer.”

   As soon as Jamie let out those words, it was like yanking the pin off of a grenade and then immediately wishing it wouldn’t go off. If only words could be taken back. Helen was now smiling but it was only an outward smile. It was like a raging storm on her inside.

   “Why aren’t you taking the offer? You have something better?” Caroline asked. It was now almost like a conference interview.

   “No, not really. My minor is in jazz music but that’s actually what I wanna do for a living.”

   “I see.” Those were Teresa’s first words since the new boyfriend news was broken and they were her last for the evening.

***

   “I think that went rather well. Did you have fun with the ladies?” Jamie asked Helen as they went down to the basement.

   “Uh huh,” she said hurriedly, walking briskly as if she were in a rush then she said nothing else.