Page 7 of Fake Lemons Love and Luxury

WREN

I hum the melody to I Heard It Through The Grapevine by Marvin Gaye, drumming my fingers on the kitchen counter, waiting for the coffee to brew.

Eric's in the living room, sprawled on his stomach with crayons scattered around him as he colors in his dinosaur book.

Sean's place feels different in the morning light.

More lived-in somehow with lots of natural warm light, despite its sleek design.

“Do you want more cereal, honey?” I call out.

“No thank you, Mom. I'm coloring a T-Rex.”

The coffee machine sputters its final drops, and I pour myself a cup, inhaling the rich aroma.

Our first weekend at Sean's place has been comfortable so far. Eric adjusted faster than I expected, arranging his dinosaur collection on every available surface in the other guest bedroom. He’s bonding well with Sean too. Perhaps a little too well.

The front door clicks open. The smell of eucalyptus hits me before he even walks into the room. I glance up from the kitchen counter and—God.

I freeze mid-sip.

Sean walks in, gym bag slung over his shoulder. And he's... shirtless. My brain short-circuits.

His torso is sculpted with the kind of definition that belongs in fitness magazines. A light sheen of sweat makes his tan skin glow in the morning light. Ink peeking from under his collarbone. A trail of dark hair disappears beneath the waistband of his shorts.

I forget how to function as a human being, wanting to tear my eyes away before he catches me ogling. But I stay rooted to the spot.

Sean wipes sweat from his neck with a towel like he hasn’t just walked in looking like every woman’s gym fantasy. The man has the audacity to look like that before coffee.

I drop a spoon.

“Morning,” he says casually, dropping his bag by the door. “Didn't expect you guys to be up so early on a Saturday.”

“We, um—” My voice comes out squeaky.

How embarrassing, Wren.

I clear my throat, managing to tear my gaze from him. “Eric's an early riser. Always has been."

“Hi!” Eric abandons his coloring and runs over. “Look what I drew, Uncle Sean.”

Sean crouches down to examine the paper Eric thrusts at him, and I'm grateful for the distraction. I need to get myself together. It's just a chest. A very nice broad chest, but still.

“That's some dinosaur, buddy. Is that a volcano behind it?”

“Yeah! T-Rex lived when there were volcanoes everywhere!”

“Is that right?” Sean ruffles Eric's hair.

I take another sip of coffee, willing my face to cool down. When I look up, Sean's watching me with his brows pulled together.

“Everything okay? You look a little flushed.”

“Oh, I’m fine! Very fine and cool. The coffee’s just hot.” I wave my mug without thinking and some coffee sloshes over the rim. “Oh, shoot!”

“Here.” He grabs a paper towel and hands it to me. He's standing so close now I can smell his post-workout scent. An intoxicating mix of clean sweat and something woodsy. There’s a tiny scar near his shoulder I never noticed before.

I dab at the spill with devoted attention.

“Thanks.”

“Did it spill on you?”

“Oh, not at all. It’s cool. Chill.”

“Um. So, I wanted to let you know I'll be out today.” He leans against the counter, combing his fingers through his messy hair. “My company's handling an exclusive event, and I need to supervise.”

“Right. Of course. Secure all the things.”

I look around for something to busy my hands with now that I’ve finished dabbing. I can’t bear to look at him for long, else he’ll be able to tell just how attractive I find him.

My eyes latch on a lemon. Perfect. Because my life revolves around them. I grab it, studying the lemon with interest.

“You'll be alright here with Eric?”

“Of course.” I nod too fast. “We'll be fine. Great. I might make cookies with Eric. Or watch a movie. Or both. Whatever. We're good. You go do you!”

Why am I rambling? Get it together, Wren.

Sean takes a step closer, and my mouth goes dry. Four feet between us. Three. Two. I feel the shift in the air like a magnet pulling me in. He towers over me, his presence filling every inch of space between us. His eyes dip. Lips. My lips.

My breath catches as his gaze lingers there. My lungs forget their job. The moment stretches, elastic and charged.

Is he going to...?

My heart hammers against my ribs. One step closer and I’d be done for. One step and I’m sure I’d do something stupid like kiss him first.

My eyes flutter shut.

“Mind if I have some?”

I blink my eyes to see him reaching past me for the coffee pot instead.

Heat creeps up my neck in an instant.

“Go ahead,” I squeak.

He pours himself a cup, takes a long drink, then sets the mug down. “I'm going to shower. I’ll see you later tonight.”

And just like that, he walks away, leaving me gripping the counter for support.

When I hear the bathroom door close, I let out an exhale. A deep long exhale like I’ve been underwater.

I slap a hand to my forehead. How embarrassing. What was that? Did I imagine the tension between us, the way his eyes held mine?

Somehow, it reminds me of that night many years ago. The almost-kiss moment that haunts me on certain nights. I sometimes imagine how that would’ve changed my life.

Ugh!

I press my palms to my cheeks, feeling the heat there. Get a grip, Wren. He's your best friend's father. Your temporary landlord. Your protector from the online chaos swirling around you. Nothing more. Focus.

But my thundering heart doesn't seem convinced.

Jen shows up at noon with a tote bag and a bottle of wine. I texted her after being unable to stop thinking of my embarrassing moment and lucky for me, she was in town.

Eric jumps her with a full hug and she spins him until they’re both laughing on the living room rug.

“What’re we doing today, Aunt Jen?”

“Today, we’re baking Lemon cookies.”

“Yay!” Eric squirms, running around the living room.

We both shake our heads at him, smiling.

“I thought you’d still be on the Iridescent set.”

“I finished as soon as possible to avoid the mess on that set.”

“Wait, what?”

Jen clicks her tongue, tossing wine on the counter. “It’s a whole mess. You know Rida Collins is now the chief editor?”

I reach for a bag of flour, pouring some into a bowl.

“Yeah, I saw the news. Great woman. We’ve worked a couple of times together.”

“News is that Adrienne has been seeing Liam Collins.”

My eyes widen. “What?”

“The set was so tense yesterday. I think Rida found out awhile and has been trying to work through it in private but fuckass TMZ broke the news that morning with pictures.”

“ TMZ is going to hell.”

We start mixing ingredients. For once, I can't be more relieved to be lost in other people’s gossip and not think about my own life for a moment.

“You can say that again. Adrienne’s shots were retaken like twenty times and Rida was there through it all.”

“There’s no way. What a mess.”

“Mess is right.” Jen shakes her head. “I was stunned. Not surprised but still very much surprised all the same. I can’t explain it.”

“Geez. I understand what you mean perfectly.” I shake my head. “That’s so disappointing.”

“You could see Rida was trying her best to be professional through it all. Liam never deserved her. I just don’t know why anyone would do that to someone they claim to love.”

“It baffles me too.”

“I even think this is taking some attention away from your scandal.”

I raise an eyebrow. “Really? I haven't been online much.”

“Well, Rida and Liam are very beloved in the fashion industry and Adrienne’s a top model so this is like the scandal of the year.”

“Gosh. I feel bad for Rida.”

Jen grabs a lemon and starts zesting it. “I do too but I think she’ll take him back though.”

“Why would she do that? He cheated and disrespected her.”

“They’re a brand. A very powerful one too, and Rida’s pregnant. I think they’ll prefer to work through their issues.”

“Damn. Men like that will end up cheating again. But in the end, it’s her choice to make.”

“Right. I wish her the best. Liam and Adrienne can go to hell. Very dark-spirited individuals.”

I chuckle. “I agree.”

“Anyway, how’re you adjusting here?”

“Eric’s loving it here. I think this is like a vacation for him.”

“And what about you? Adjusting okay to living with my dad?” Jen wiggles her eyebrows.

I flick flour at her. “Stop that. It's been normal. Sean’s being a fortress and so kind to us.”

Jen snorts. “You know, in all seriousness, I'm glad you're here. With everything happening online…”

I grimace, thinking about the threats and nasty comments still flooding my business pages despite my attempts to lock everything down. “Yeah. I'm trying not to think about it.”

“Don’t worry. The public will soon get bored and the vitriol will pass soon. Have you tried reaching out to the woman?”

“Who? Camille Ross?”

Jen nods. “Maybe you should try talking to her?”

“Legal advised against this. We’re considering a lawsuit against her.”

“As you should. This is such reputational damage.” Jen's expression darkens. “Those photos, the messages... they’re disgusting and serious.”

“I know. And I'm so grateful to your dad for letting us stay here.” I stir the batter with more force than necessary. “I don't know what we would've done otherwise.”

“He’s always had a soft spot for you.”

I let out a nervous laugh. “Yeah, because I'm best friends with his beloved daughter.”

She smiles, saying nothing else about that. I’m glad she doesn't.

We focus on making the cookies, the conversation shifting to simple topics. Eli helps too, stealing cookie dough when he thinks we aren't looking.

An hour later, the kitchen smells like sugar, zest, and yumminess. Jen perches on a stool, licking frosting off her finger.

“How are things with Derek? Better now?” I ask through a mouthful of soft buttery lemon cookies.

Jen groans. “I don’t know. He’s still being the way the new Derek is. I don’t get it. I haven’t seen him in a week even though we live in the same city. Imagine that? He’s the busiest man in the world now, and I’m the jobless one who’s seeking his attention.”

“He isn’t around this weekend?”

“Out of the country on some vague business travel. I just don’t get it. He doesn’t talk to me anymore. He makes me feel like I'm doing too much of late.” She pours herself a cup of tea, her eyes turning sad.

“Like I’m always complaining of something he isn't doing right. Mind you, this is all because he keeps me at arm’s length. It’s like there’s a chasm between us now that I can’t get past. And I do want to get past it.”

I listen as she continues listing all the issues in her relationship, nodding at the right moments.

When she pauses for breath, I offer, “Maybe you two need to sit down and figure out what's important to both of you. Talk about what’s wrong and what you need from each other without it feeling like an accusation or a demand. Sometimes these little fights are about bigger things.”

Even as I say it, I feel like a fraud. What do I know about making relationships work? I haven’t given dating a chance since Eric’s father and I got divorced a year after he was born. Since then, it's been all work and motherhood, with no time for romance.

“That's... good advice,” Jen says, looking surprised.

“Don't sound so shocked.” I laugh. “Though I don't know why you're asking me. I haven't been in a relationship in years.”

“Maybe that’s why. You have perspective.” She points her cookie at me. “But it's ridiculous that you're single. You're gorgeous, smart, and make the best lemon cookies in the state.”

“You know why. I don’t have much time or interest in dating. Between Eric and the business…”

“Excuses, excuses.” Jen waves, feigning a yawn. “You say this every time.”

I roll my eyes with a smile. “Well, because it’s true?”

“Wren, be serious. Listen,” she leans closer and I know she’s about to try for the umpteenth time to interest me in some man. “I know this guy, real sweet, works in finance?—”

“Pass.”

“You didn't even let me finish.”

“Because I know you, Jen and you’ve tried this a billion times. How do you always know some guy anyway?”

“Welcome to Hollywood, duh.”

I laugh. “Please.”

“But Wren, you’re too stunning to be alone. I know a lot of guys that are interested in you.”

“They’re always interested until it's time to put effort in when it matters. Don’t share my contact with them.”

“Of course. But you have to find a man before I take matters into my hands.”

“You wouldn't dare.”

“Oh, keep trying me.”

I chuckle.

“On a serious note though, I can’t imagine jumping into the chaos of dating with all I have going on right now.”

“Fine, but the offer stands.” She grins mischievously. “Unless there's someone else you've got your eye on?”

An image of Sean, shirtless in the kitchen this morning, flashes through my mind. I turn away to hide my expression, busying myself with pouring another cup of tea.

“No one,” I lie. “I think we made too many cookies.”

“One day,” Jen says, stuffing a cookie into her mouth, “you’re gonna fall so hard you won’t even see it coming.”

I roll my eyes again. “If I fall for anyone again, I might just end up breaking my limbs.”