The Ladybug Jinx (18 page)
Today he stopped by the farmer’s market before he went home. The flowers called him and one-by-one he touched them. He picked up the entire bucket of white tulips.
“Ah, tulips. Beautiful aren’t they?” The gentleman took the flowers out and wrapped them in brown paper bags.
Sam wasn’t in the mood for chitchat or seeing his conversation with this man on the Huffington Post in the morning. Sometimes it’s best not to say anything, but nod.
“Forgiveness,” he said. He caught Sam off guard.
Sam didn’t budge. He could never trust anyone in this town and with the slew of paparazzi outside, Sam certainly wasn’t going to comment.
Carefully the tulips lay in his passenger seat of his Benz. Bart had long gotten rid of the Chevy and replaced it with the new Mercedes that Celia would scoff at. The paparazzi was so thick at his gate, it took him ten minutes to get them to clear. Once inside, he carefully arranged the tulips in Bianca’s favorite glass vase with Celia in mind. If he closed his eyes, The Ladybug became real. The smell of flowers, the refrigerator seal breaking, Charlie brushing up against his legs, Celia’s long auburn curly hair with the loose stems sticking out of it. And her smile. It made Sam’s heart melt every time.
He took his Blackberry out of his pocket. He had to know if Celia accepted the wrap party job he hired his publicist to set up.
“Eli, it’s Sam.” He felt close to Celia when he talked with Eli. Eli had Celia best interest at heart which made Sam comfortable.
“Hi, Sam. How’s the movie business?” Sam could tell Eli was trying to avoid the unavoidable.
“It’s the same as it always has been.” Sam wasn’t going to play around. He wanted to cut to the chase. “How’s Celia?”
“Sam, please don’t do this to yourself.” Eli’s voice trembled. “You know the answer to your question.”
Sam was responsible for her heartache. It was an unbearable weight on his shoulders.
“I could come and talk to her. I could fly in for the day.”
Eli sighed loudly. “It’s better to leave it well enough alone.”
“I could…” Sam was desperate. He paced back and forth looking for another answer to his problem.
“Sam, stop. She is trying to get over you. It’s going to take a while, but getting her to Los Angeles probably isn’t the healthiest thing for Cee.” That was Eli’s way of letting Sam know he didn’t approve of the wrap party idea.
“I think if she saw how crazy my world was, I would be able to talk to her. She won’t return any of my phone calls.”
“She hasn’t mentioned you and the wrap party together in a sentence. If she knows it’s you, she’s keeping quiet about it.”
“So she is coming?” Sam anticipated his answer. He stared out the fifteen-foot windows watching the grounds keeper clean the pool.
“She is.” Those were the sweetest words to Sam’s ears. He had to put his plan in motion before she got there. “I don’t know what you have up your sleeve, but you better be careful. I like you Sam. I love my granddaughter.”
Sam took Eli’s idle threat as that. He wasn’t worried about anyone other than Celia. He needed her to understand why he did what he did no matter the outcome.
“It is often hard to distinguish between the hard knocks in life and those of opportunity.”
Frederick Phillips
18
Celia had spent all week on the phone with the florist in Los Angeles She wanted to make sure she had everything she needed. They have assured her all she needs to bring is herself and clothes.
Clothes were another issue. Celia had gone to the malls in Lexington to find the right outfits for Los Angeles. Unfortunately, she didn’t see anything she liked.
She pulled into The Figure 8, hoping Beth Harrison would have something unique.
“Hey, Celia.” Beth Harrison was hunkered under the beginning of a shelving unit. “These things are so darn tricky when you first put them together.”
Beth’s five-foot, eight inch frame stood tall in her cork-wedged espadrilles. The body hugging grey strapless dress, belted at the waist was exactly what Celia was looking for. Only Beth’s crimson hair was straight, hanging down her back, and the blunt bangs made the perfect frame for her slender face.
“I want that.” Celia pointed to the dress.
“I’ve got plenty.” Beth swayed to the back of the store. “Is this for the big trip you have coming up?”
The question hammered her. Had it already gotten all over Grandberry Falls that she was heading to Los Angeles? Of course it had.
“You know, town gossip.” Beth stated pulling out a few sizes for Celia to try on. “Actually, I have a few really fun pieces that will go great in California.”
Celia tried on piece after piece. They put together some really great outfits and paired them up with some accessories and big scarves.
“I love them.” Celia was happy to be doing business within her small town.
She should’ve know, Beth Harrison was her go-to-gal for fashion. Who would’ve thought the lanky little girl, full of mischief would grow up to be a fashion diva.
*
“Are you taking all of these things?” Marty wasn’t sure if it was all going to fit in the truck.
“Yes, dad. I don’t need any lip from you.” Celia winked. She was going to be gone for two weeks. The first week visiting the venue and the second week making the arrangements. Then back just in time for Christmas.
With the money they promised her, she was going to use most of it to pay back Sam. She didn’t want the debt to him lingering over her head. She didn’t want them to pay her for her heart ache. It wasn’t acceptable to take money for letting him stomp on her heart all in the name of research.
She wondered if she would run into Sam. Celia fantasized he would see her and she was strong enough to tell him no. The tabloids made it clear Sam was hiding out and what were the odds she’d see him?
“Okay. The shop will run fine.” Marty wanted Celia to feel good about going. “Kerri Ann and I will make most of the deliveries. The florist you hired from Lexington is going to be here every day.”
“Make sure you give her the check on her last day.” Celia had saved enough money to pay a nearby florist to come and fill her orders.
Thanks to Christmas and tight money in Grandberry Falls, not many orders are being placed. It was the perfect time and opportunity for her.
She tried to be positive about her heart ache. If it wasn’t for Sam, she would’ve never gotten a guest spot on the radio show, which turned into a full time spot, in which the people from Los Angeles would’ve never heard of her. She did have a lot to thank Sam for, but her heart refused to let her.
19
It was hard for Sam to disguise himself. The paparazzi surrounded his house regardless of Celia. All his life he has been followed by them. He had made all the arrangements for Celia to come to Los Angeles. All the way down to the seat she sat in on the plane.
Obviously, he didn’t want her to know it was his company that hired her because she wouldn’t have come no matter how much they offered her. She made it quite clear she didn’t love him and had no interest in seeing him.
“Sam, her plane has taken off.” Eli called just as Sam asked him to.
“Thanks, Eli.” It was time for Sam to plan his get-a-way to the airport. It would be a few hours before she made it to Los Angeles International Airport and it would take every bit of that time to prepare.
First he called the Four Seasons and made sure her Presidential Suite was ready. If he put white tulips in the room, she would know. If he put red roses in the room, she would be put off. He had to get the perfect flowers. He wanted orchids for her delicate beauty, larkspur for her beautiful spirit, forget-me-not for remembering him, yellow chrysanthemum to tell of her secret admirer, and daisies because of her love of them.
He was assured all the flowers would be arranged throughout the suite exactly the way he wanted. Every where she turned, he was sure they would remind her of him.
“Bart!” Sam yelled out of his office. “You need to get me a disguise.”
Bart walked in and asked, “Why?”
He didn’t look happy with Sam’s request.
“Celia is flying into LAX and I want to watch her get off the plane.” Sam paced around the room.
Sam didn’t want to talk to her. He knew she wouldn’t hear of it. But he had to see her. See her eyes. Her bright red hair. He longed for her scent. If he closed his eyes long enough, he could almost smell it.
“You know what?” Bart pointed his finger. “I’m going to help you with this. You have got to get her out of your head once and for all. If we’re going to make it into Los Angeles then we have to leave now.”
The traffic was horrendous for anyone to get to the city and the airport traffic was almost unbearable.
They took one of the servant vehicles not giving any attention to the paparazzi. Sam had many disguises. The paparazzi didn’t look twice at Sam driving while Bart sat in the passenger seat.
At the airport, Sam waited patiently in the car. The limousine he had ordered for her was next to them.
Instantly he saw Celia come through the glass doors. Her face was slimmer and not as vibrant as when they first met. He saw in her eyes the aching in her heart. Sam reached for the door.
“No Sam.” Bart put his hand on Sam’s arm bringing him back to reality. “This isn’t the place to do this.”
Sam knew he was right, but seeing her made him jump and he wanted to beg her to forgive him. He wanted to see the sparkle in her eye and the love on her face. She was even paler, almost fragile. Her red hair was still beautiful in color and the grey scarf enhanced her much thinner features.
“She is beautiful. Sam.” Bart’s eye fixed on her. Sam didn’t like those words coming out of his mouth. “I can see why you’d be attracted to her.”
“Stop looking at her like she’s some piece of meat.” Sam had an urgency to protect her in this big city. He made it clear he was going to get to her somehow. “She’s innocent. She’s mine.”
“This isn’t healthy, Sam. You need to step back and see the look on your face.”
Bart was trying to get Sam to see this was a bad idea. “We need to get back.”
Sam looked over at the sound of clicking cameras.
“Celia, here!” People began to scream.
“Is Sam here?” One of the members of the paparazzi asked.
Sam saw her green eyes become paralyzed with fear. There was no way he was going to let this continue to her. He jumped out of the car as fast as he could.
“Sam, stop!” Bart screamed leaping out of the passenger window.
Sam didn’t care if Celia would resist him. He wasn’t going to let her become a victim of his lifestyle. He grabbed Celia before she could protest and got her into the limousine.
“Step on it.” Sam yelled up to the driver who did as he was told.
“Sam!” Celia’s mouth propped open. “What are you doing here? Driver stop let this man out.”