Chasing Rainbows - Part Ten

Chapter Ten

                “You did what? Are you out of your tiny fucking mind?”

Jacob leaned back against the headrest, and closed his eyes. It was so unlike his best mate Andy to be so derogatory, so angry, but he appreciated the stress he was under and how he’d only increased that by announcing his news as soon as he’d sat in his car. It wouldn’t go down as one of the greatest things he’d ever done, but done it was. Emma’s smile burst into his brain like an explosion of light and for that split second he couldn’t believe it was wrong. But she had disappeared, and he had NO idea where she was.  And with her went any opportunity to control that, he’d never felt so confused, and so out to sea.

Finally opening his eyes, he rolled his head to take in the angry face of his best friend Andy, the scowl so evident despite his eyes being fixed intently on the road. He was angry, and trying his best to keep it under control.

Jacob sighed, “Ok, it’s not ideal; I mean it was hardly planned!”

Andy shook his head, “we...you are on the verge of something massive, and you go and tie yourself to some stranger?

Jacob sighed, his head still pounded and he found it hard to believe he’d made it back to San Francisco feeling as he did. And he was doubly glad that Andy was able to collect him from the airport. Of course Andy was right, the whole situation was ridiculous, but there was nothing he could do to change the last twenty four hours. And he wasn’t sure that he wanted to change anything. Until she’d run away, Emma had been a breath of fresh air, refreshingly different. It had stunned him when she’d run away.

                “How ironic that it was the night that you pocketed a cool half a million!” Andy was still ranting. “Gold digger much? I cannot believe you didn’t see it coming!” Frustrated at the lack of answers his friends starting snapping questions at Jacob, “so where does she live? What does she do? Have you arranged to see her again? Can you annul this shit?”

Jacob groaned, “she’s English...beautiful, and funny. That’s all I know! I have no idea how or where to find her, because she ran out on me this morning, ok?” He gulped at the sudden wave of emotion that hit him at the thought of ending the marriage. He had to talk to her, had to work out what they were going to do. Because she was all he described and more, and he was more than a little gutted that they hadn’t had the chance to speak this morning, make plans. But she’d run out on him, leaving him to nurse the hangover from hell.

                “At least you won the competition, but that was meant to be payment to your father NOT alimony to wife who’s miraculously appeared in the world! I mean come on Coren, you need to focus here. The next six months are make it or break it!”

Jacob groaned, it was alright for Andy, he’d done all that was expected of him, at thirty three he’d just become partner in a corporate law company. He’d excelled in all he did, achieving everything at a record young age; he even had the beautiful actress girlfriend and the house in the best postal district in the city. He was everything that Jacob’s parents wanted in a son, but didn’t have. In fact he was the epitome of the success the whole of the world seemed to want to instil in him.

But Andy wasn’t like the rest, he didn’t presume, he didn’t judge, and he didn’t think that the hotshot lawyer was too good to hang out with the skateboarding drop out. He was the only person from his Ivy League School that he still saw and spoke to. And he was never usually this judgemental or angry, no matter what happened in their lives.

Jacob pulled his baseball cap down over his still aching eyes and sighed, “Andrew French, you are being a complete bastard kicking me when I’m down. Can you get me home already?”

Andy groaned, and hit the gas. What a mess.

Jacob loved his grandmother’s house; it was more of a home than his childhood home ever had been. A brightly painted and well weathered clap board house overlooking a beach several miles outside town, across the road was a beach cafe, and flanking the beach was a promenade perfect for skateboarding - which was still his first love. Growing up near San Francisco in the nineties had been like a dream for Jacob, people from all over the world came to the city to skateboard, and he’d met SO many heroes doing just that. It was different now, it was frowned upon, blocked in most places, but in his quiet suburb, it was different.

As he climbed out of Andy’s sports car, pulling his back out of the back seat, some kids called to him from the walkway that skirted the beach.  “Jacob, you coming to teach us that tail slide like you promised?”      

He groaned, he was fit for nothing. “Benny, I’m bushed mate, can I do it tomorrow? After school maybe?” He’d involuntarily got himself into this months ago. The kids he’d watched trying their best to skate board along the prom, had one day spotted him busting the moves they were desperate to emulate. And very soon he was teaching them tricks, initially a couple of them, but the numbers were growing.

Benny looked sad, but nodded, “thanks Jacob.” With solemn faces and heads hung with disappointment, they strolled off down the road.

                “Come on loser!”  Andy was already at the front door waiting patiently to get inside and continue the debrief that had started in the car.

                “Andy, I wasn’t lying! I can’t so this today. Not now.”

Andy kicked the door closed behind them, “you don’t want to talk about your wedding, on your wedding day? Why the hell not?”

Jacob shook his head, “I won the money, I can appease my father. What more do you want from me?”

Andy walked straight to the kitchen and pulled a beer from the fridge, “what do I want? All I’m seeing is a series of screw ups that is making this huge LIFE CHANGING deal fly out the window! I mean what if this woman stakes a claim on the half a mill...then your father does as he’s threatened...losing this house will seriously fuck up your plans Coren, don’t you forget that!”

Jacob’s head was throbbing beyond belief, he needed sleep, a shower, some ice cold water...all of the above, what he didn’t need was a lecture, or to have to defend himself when he could barely fathom the last twenty four hours himself. “Can we please discuss this tomorrow?”

His friend shrugged, “It isn’t going anywhere! And I’m flying to Seattle in the morning, staying the night. So no, we can’t talk tomorrow.”

Groaning again Jacob offered all he had, “look when you get back I’ll shout dinner, steak, beer, the works...and by then I’ll at least have an idea of what happened, and what I’m going to do about it, ok?”

Andy studied him for a moment, then sighed, “I only get angry cos you seem so intent on blowing everything. All the time. This deal...”

To Jacob selling his concept, his game, was more than a deal, it was his life’s work, he had NO intention of screwing that up. “It’s more than that to me; nothing that happened in Vegas will threaten it. Ok?”

Nodding Andy drained his beer then left, leaving Jacob to rue the dangers of having a best mate represent you legally!

Exhaustion took over him not long later, and he was more than relieved to find some silence in sleep.

Jacob slowly came around from the deepest dream filled sleep he could ever remember. Though the dreams were strange, nothing was as strange as opening his eyes to see a wedding ring on the bedside table next to his phone and loose change. Suddenly with a ‘whoosh’ of emotion it all came flying back to his conscience. He was married.

To Emma White. Emma White who was an underachieving daughter like himself, temping somewhere in London. Like that made finding her any easier. As if to prove how ridiculous a challenge that was, he typed her name into Google. Over a billion hits...how could you narrow that down? Social networks threw up similar numbers. Who’d have thought it was so popular a name?

Guzzling strong black coffee, he paced the house and tried to plan what to do, he had to see her again, that was obvious. But finding her was looking a little daunting a task. There were more details on the marriage certificate, but he remembered putting that in her bag for safe keeping, at no point did he presume that she’d run away at the first chance, taking it with her.

Married! It still seemed unfathomable, but as his thumb ran over the gold band that was now in his pocket, he knew he couldn’t pretend it hadn’t happened. Because it had. Legally they were married. He couldn’t decipher what that meant to him, all he knew was that he was getting increasingly angry at the fact she’d run away. They were adults! Putting the Atlantic Ocean between them was hardly the right way to deal with this topic. He wasn’t the best at confronting his demons, but he knew that he wouldn’t have abandoned her like this. And as the day progressed he was getting more angry than anything else.

If he was going to find her, he knew that Andy was the most likely to help him do that. And that meant more humble pie! Would he ever be the person giving out that delight? He’d sure as hell spent a lot of time eating it!

The final prototype of his game system was up and running, so he headed to the office of another friend who was seeing it rigorously tested. He wanted to be on hand to problem solve and the best way was sitting it out...even if his heart wasn’t really in it today.

Four hours later and he was slightly more enthused. The serious game testers had found no issue with the format, if anything they were raving about it. It all meant that they could move to stage two of the launch ASAP. Rumour was Sony and Nintendo were willing to fight it out for the rights, if this became everything he hoped, the Vegas money would be pocket change, and he could throw everything back at all his doubters and knockers.

But as he cycled home on the customised BMX bike he’d ridden since his teens, back across the city it wasn’t his parents or anyone’s negativity that haunted him, it was the smiling face on a woman saying ‘I do.’

Eight boys were patiently waiting outside his house when he returned; he smiled at their earnest faces. The last thing he wanted was to do this now, but those kids hero worshipped him, and they were SO enthusiastic!

                “Give me five minutes; I just need to get my board, ok?”

They all grinned then moved across to the boardwalk to wait for him...and practice.

Two hours flew by and for Jacob it was the greatest two hours since he’d woken since he’d woken after his big win. It was a parent looking for one of the boys that alerted them all to how late it suddenly was. And once they’d left all desperately swearing that they would practice the tail slide and it left him to contact Andy to see if he’d managed to find Emma.

                “Emma White!” Andy’s voice was sarcastic as he spoke down the telephone. “How hard did you try? She wasn’t the most difficult to locate you know!”

Emma had officially three days left in work, and then she was heading on a whistle stop trip to LA for a screen test. It was an unnecessary trip in that she had already screen tested in the London audition, but it was really a chance for her to meet the team. She may only be in five of the twelve episodes, but her costumes were the most difficult to cast apparently. So she’d be measured, make up tests, and of course read-throughs with the cast. Then she was home for two weeks before the filming started.

Not that the two weeks would be quiet...anything but! Isobel’s wedding was all set to be quiet, understated, in a way that the sister of a catwalk model could keep it!

Shutting down her computer, she started to close her reception desk as she did at the end of every day, when the phone rang.

                “Hello, Carter Stationary, Emma speaking. How can I help?”

                “Well you can start by telling me why the hell you ran away before I woke up wife dearest!”

Chasing Rainbows - Part Nine

Chapter Nine

 

Thanking the air stewardess, a typically glamorous woman with rather a lot of immaculate makeup, for her third gin and tonic since boarding the flight three hours ago, Emma ignored the accompanying look of distaste and sipped the drink gratefully. She felt like she needed a drink...even after the amount she’d consumed the night before, even after the hellish disaster that night had become.

No, Emma needed something to calm her nerves, desperately. Her hands had been shaking since she’d read the words, “Certificate of Marriage” earlier that morning as she escaped Jacob’s bedroom. She gulped, even his name made her feel sick. As she’d staggered down the corridor to the lifts, she couldn’t comprehend the gold band that adorned her finger, or those printed words.

She’d crossed the strip to their Bellagio suite in a complete daze, legs quaking. Fortunately the whole of the suite was in disarray. Apparently Angelina had failed to come home too, so whilst the questions and enquiries had flown around erratically from the hung over twins, Emma, who was sure she superseded how bad the two sisters felt, managed to deflect all the attention onto the fourth woman.

Emma sighed, despite her attempts; nothing seemed to calm her anxiety. As she gulped at the bitter gin, grimacing slightly, the voice from her right startled her out of her reverie.  

                “Are you going to expand on things then Ms Evasive?” Isobel was looking at her intently.

Emma closed her eyes, savouring the bitterness of the drink as it scorched her dry throat. Fortunately with the chaos of packing, the checking out, and everyone’s sore head, she’d had little time to dwell on the realisation that she’d actually married Jacob the night before.

Married Jacob! A complete stranger.

She shuddered, what a disaster. And she couldn’t hide from that fact anymore. The quiet hushed environment on the aeroplane, the close proximity of her curious and very perceptive friend were all making her come out in a cold sweat. She had nowhere to hide. A little earlier she’d tried to absorb herself in an in-flight movie, but the irony was the choices were ‘Mr and Mrs Smith’, ‘Bridesmaids’, and probably the most ironic ‘What happens in Vegas’, a film where strangers Cameron Diaz and Ashton Kutcher wake up one morning in Vegas married. As if that could happen! She rued with irony before turning it off.

Emma had no idea what it all meant, not really, but she knew that she was desperate to leave Vegas. But now as their plane zoomed miles above America, nothing was feeling any better. She’d imagined that she’d relax, feel calmer, but she didn’t. She felt sick. Was the marriage legal? Was it consummated? The fact that she couldn’t remember anything spoke volumes, and embarrassed her.

But she realised by lunchtime that she was fighting any memories. If anything she was trying to pretend it hadn’t happen. And now as she sat with only her drink for company she’d hated the memories, vague recollections that invaded her consciousness. The kiss in the back of the limo, bare foot splashing in a fountain...then she could picture the Elvis, what she presumed was the wedding, her and Jacob laughing, kissing...he’d hardly coerced her. But the alcohol had lowered her defences and she was now well and truly in a mess.

And she couldn’t share this with her friend, not yet. She had to decipher what this meant to her first - and how she got out of it! She was ashamed, too ashamed to even tell Isobel, and there was nothing she couldn’t tell her. That was how low she’s sunk.

Attempting a smile at her friend she brushed off her concern, “tired, a little stressed. Nothing else.”

Isobel was never one to be easily appeased, “and last night?” She waggled her eyebrows questioningly.

With a groan Emma replied, “ok, so I spent the night with Jacob, the poker player. Then snuck out of his room for the walk of shame this morning, and that’s it!”

                “Just walked away? You hussy you!” Isobel smiled, she was unconvinced, Emma could tell that. “Seriously, that’s not like you. You ok about it all?”

Emma nodded, “of course! I’m hardly a naive virgin!”

Isobel shrugged, her friend was anything but, but she was also a long, long way from being someone who had meaningless one night stands with strangers.  Emma wasn’t ready to take, and Isobel wasn’t about to push her, instead she watched her friend out of the corner of her eye for the rest of the journey.

                “So how was the trip?” Matthew from the post room peeped over her desk a devilish grin on his face. Then he froze as he saw the pale face looking up at him.  “OH! That good, hey? You should have given it another day to get the impurities out of your system girlfriend.”

Emma groaned, she hadn’t slept the previous night. The nausea, the panic, the anxiety were all overwhelming, and finally being alone made everything a million times worse. She was scared, she didn’t know which bit of tying herself to stranger fuelled that fear, but it had taken over her life since the moment she’d escaped from his room. The previous night she’d finally plucked up the courage to unfold the certificate she’d only glanced at after finding in her bag. Reading it she groaned, and then began searching the internet - the reliability of Google when all else failed, and it told her that The Little Chapel was a bonafide wedding venue, and the marriage was official and legally binding.

Despite a desire to bury her head in the sand - Emma was barely able to function, she knew she had to act, do something. But what? She knew so little about the man she married, Jacob Coren. Google had been a little less forthcoming with any details on her h...she couldn’t even bring herself to think of him as her husband, that was plain ridiculous.

Shaking her head, she smiled at Matthew, and retrieved the lighter she’d bought him from her bag, purposely ignoring the wedding ring that still sat in her purse blinking at her in a ‘look what YOU did’ kind of way.

Unaware of her turmoil, Matthew grinned at the gift, and she managed to palm him off with a few stories of drinking and gambling escapades. He left the office a few moments later satisfied. If only everything was that easy. Emma knew that she had to speak to him, Jacob, try and annul the marriage. There was no way they could stay married, they barely knew each other, and they lived on different continents. There was absolutely NO way that there was any option other than ending it, as soon as possible. And before anyone else found out about it.

But finding a missing person didn’t come cheap. Within ten minutes of looking she realised that a private investigator could cost thousands, and there were no recognisable profiles on facebook, twitter or MySpace.

Sighing Emma logged off her computer, never more relieved at making it to the end of the day than this day. As she walked to the bus stop to get a lift home to her quiet and lonely home, her phone rang. When she looked down she saw the office number of Clarence Wellington, the eccentric middle aged man that was her agent. She’d signed with him because he promised her a lot, but also because she loved his flamboyant ways, the first time she’d met him he was wearing an ice blue crushed velvet suit , complete with purple frilly shirt, black patent winkle picker shoes and a hat complete with huge plume, that was worthy of a theatre. And it was a glorious summer’s day, at least thirty degrees. He was a real theatre lovie, and knew everyone and everything to do with the London theatre scene, and he had a lot of contacts in Hollywood too.

The only downside was that every conversation with him ended in disappointment, so she gilded herself for yet more rejection as she connected the call.

                “Emmmmmma! Darrrling!” The greeting was always the same.

                “Clarence! How are you?”

She smiled as his voice rose an octave in excitement, “well, it’s always a grrreeat pleasure to talk to you! I had a phone call just ten minutes ago from the...” he hesitated and she could almost visualise him rifling through the clipboard he always carried. He avoided technology as much as he possibly could. “West Coast Company!” He announced as though she should instantly know what he was referring to. When there was no response from her he laughed, “silly girl, ‘Dieter’s Luck’, the rather gorgeous director Mr Samuel wants you, YOU to play the part of Marian Anderson. This darrrling might just be the break you are searching for!”

Emma rapped excitedly on the door in front of her, by the time the door opened she was about to explode. Isobel smiled at her friend, then spotted the bottle of champagne that she was waving wildly around. “Hey chick! Are we celebrating?”

Emma nodded for a moment she was rendered speechless and couldn’t quite vocalise her news, it was so exciting. Isobel chuckled as she led her silent yet animated friend through to the kitchen. Nathan was in the adjoining dining room some sort of plan or map laid out on the table in front of him.

He looked up and smiled, “Hey Ems, glad to see you’re in one piece too. I hear Vegas was wild...for some more than others!!” With that he gave a theatrical wink, before he too spotted the champagne. “Wow! Celebrating?”

She nodded, smiling at him then spun around to face Isobel. “You know I did an audition, a few weeks back,” when Isobel’s eyes widened in humour - she was always auditioning, Emma groaned, “No, the HOLLYWOOD one!”

Isobel looked at her through eyes half closed, almost in dread, “the Theo Samuel one?”

Emma nodded, “just before we went to Vegas I got the call back?”

                “I knew you’d had the audition...the one when you told him how to kiss? You never said it was a call back! That’s amazing!”

Too happy to explain anything in any greater detail at that moment, Emma offered, “it was a busy time...then there was the holiday...anyway...I’ve only got the bloody part!”

Isobel’s mouth dropped open in amazement. She’d been so worried about her friend since coming home from Vegas; this could be the news that re elevated her friend’s spirits. She admired Emma, for her dedication. She had so many knock backs, both from directors and her own family and friends, but she’d followed her dream with a dogged determination. And this was the moment she’d waited years for.

No words explained that, and none were needed between the two girls, instead they pulled each other into a close embrace then danced and squealed spinning each other around. It was dizziness that caused them to separate, and when they did, a laughing Nathan was opening the champagne.

Sitting a few minutes later, Isobel was still stunned, “so tell me all about this role then! Who are you?”

Emma was sat across the dining table, the remnants of a take away scattered between the three of them. “Well Theo plays a man whose daughter travels back in time to warn him about his future. I play his childhood sweetheart.” She explained the plot as she knew it to the couple.

                “It sounds amazing! Theo Samuel hey? I bet Clarence is in a swirl of hormones at the thought of dealing with his team!” Her agent’s sensibilities were legendary.

                “You should have heard him on the phone. He was almost apoplectic! He’d gone through every emotion in one phone call. I thought he’d have a coronary! ‘Darrling! It’s JUST amazing! Mr Samuel himself requested you...in person. He called me himself!”

Isobel laughed, “the old pouf! I bet he made that a face to face meet so he could drool! He really is so un-PC!”

                “Says the woman calling him a pouf! But you’re right; it was on the short list of his greatest moment’s ever!”

                “SO when do you start?” Nathan asked, his hands linked over his full stomach, leaning back against the chair and watching the women gas.

                “That’s the mad thing. It’s kind of perfect timing. I go out for a few screen tests in a couple of weeks, then the filming starts the week after your wedding! Imagine if the six weeks I’m needed meant I missed that!”

Isobel shook her head, “I cannot even begin to imagine that. I’d kill Theo bloody Samuel myself if he suggested it!”

Later that night, Emma headed home with thoughts on a trip to LA buzzing in her head, but at the back of her mind was the knowledge that when she was in California she HAD to find Jacob...she couldn’t use the ‘H’ word, after all they weren’t really married. Were they?

Chasing Rainbows - Part Eight

Chapter Eight

                “So THIS is what you call the Vegas Experience?”

Jacob looked up at Emma who was stood in front of his reclining seat in the back of the limo he’d hired, her head and shoulders out of the sunroof, the wind blowing her hair dramatically, whipping it around her face.

                “Nope this is merely one of many parts!” he called back, his voice fighting over the music and the loud sounds of the road. Every car was honking the blonde hottie who was dancing out of the top of the car. And she was waving enthusiastically back to everyone, even the gangs of leering men who were squeezed into cabs, who really weren’t deserving of her attention. But he’d found out that she did everything enthusiastically and without restriction. And they’d fitted in SO much since leaving the poker game.

Riding the strip at night was on his list of essential things to do in Vegas, a hastily constructed group of things that was created as soon as he realised it was her first time in the city. Earlier the list had seen them visit the Mandalay Bay Shark Reef Aquarium, an amazing place. It was one of Jacob’s favourite places, and he had taken her hand to drag her through the building until they were on the walkways that passed under the huge deep and sparsely illuminated aquariums.

He gave a running commentary, almost by memory of all the major fish.  They’d been there for a good while before he realised that Emma was shaking with fear. She admitted then to an almost phobia of deep water, and even the sting rays terrified her - after Steve Irwin of course! But as they left, she’d admitted this was close to becoming one of the most exciting days of her life.  Despite that blip!

Next Jacob dragged her on a visit to see an Elvis Impersonator on Fremont, with his Asian appearance he really didn’t look like Elvis, but he had the hair, the rhinestone jumpsuit, and an amazing voice. The whole place was kitsch, full of people looking for a break from the chaos of the strip, and it replaced the previous places as her favourite part of the evening.  As ‘Elvis’ sang, the whole place danced and sang, Jacob had joined in with the excitement, and whizzed her around in a dance to Burning Love before they’d disappeared to yet another item on their whistle stop agenda! The trip up the strip!

Once this car ride ended he was trying to decide whether to take her to paddle in the Bellagio fountain, and evading  the security guards, something he’d never managed to do in all his rebellious years, but was desperate to. Or, and this was his particular favourite - a shot in everyone of the eight bars in New York New York. He’d intended to take her on the open top bus that travelled up and down this ultimate street, but the timing was wrong, and they were in a bit of a rush, and with half a million dollars in his pocket, and for the first time in ages, money was no object, so they had plush, though slightly tacky limousine, complete with strobe light and bubble machine in the back, and enough champagne to serve ten!

Jacob watched her dance intently, the limo driver was booming nineties tunes and Emma had been dancing since the car had started. Now as she swung her arms and wriggled her hips to Living La Vida Loca, all the while belting out the lyrics, he couldn’t help but smile! Where had she been all his life?

Could they fit the paddle AND the tequila bar crawl in? He looked at his watch, it was after three am! Vegas was still coming alive. So throwing caution to the wind, he stood beside her and bumped his hips against hers as he slid through the sunroof with her. Singing and swaying together, Emma called out, “more, more, more!” And the driver obliged, turning around and cruising back along that strip of road.

Finally the car stopped outside New York New York, and the sudden stop sent Emma catapulting across the back seat, and right into Jacob’s arms. They’d come in from the sunroof a few minutes earlier, and were talking, in a “getting drunker by the moment” manner. They liked the same films, comedies of course, the darker the better, and both instantly named Arrested Development as their favourite TV show, though Emma caused Jacob to collapse into bursts of hysterical laughter as she did a monologue of debate between it and her favourite daytime TV show of Judge Judy before finally deciding on the comedy as her number one.

 Jacob had just looked at her and said, “I take it ALL back! We have nothing in common!” Before she was catapulted into him.

                “Wasn’t this where we were earlier?” He asked, pulling her close, his nose touching hers. He could barely think for the fuzz of alcohol, the adrenaline of the evening, and the sensation of Emma sat in his lap.

When she smiled everything turned even fuzzier, and he pulled her back against him in the seat. And then his lips met hers.

Emma felt as though there was a ten ton weight settled on the centre of her head. The bed was luxurious, and she was glad to feel that she had at least made it back. Her last memory...the pain was too great to think clearly, but she remembered the limo...and then tequila... She never had hangovers, not like this, but then she couldn’t even remember what time they’d stopped drinking. And they’d started early evening.  Groaning she rolled onto her side, unable to lift an eyelash, let alone anything else.

On her side her head hurt less. She didn’t want to think about what today would bring, it was their final day in Vegas, their flight home was later that evening. She had to pack...and there was shopping on Eve’s schedule.

She groaned again, this was definitely the wrong thing to have done, and she acknowledged that she was completely to blame. She could only hope that the others felt as rough as she did. Maybe if they didn’t they’d go and leave her? To die!

Emma felt Isobel move next to her, this was the forth night they’d shared the huge double bed, and it had meant the worst sleep she’d had in ages, she was hardly used to sharing a bed with someone. It was the copious, almost drugging level of alcohol that had made her sleep today. Saying that she had no idea what time it was...or what time she had gone to bed. But it was light, tears trickled out of her lids every time her closed eyes moved to her right - the window, light equalled head shattering pain, so she rolled her head so she was almost face down in the pillows. It was quiet, maybe she’d try to sleep again. She needed energy, zest...anything.

But it was no good. She needed medication. She’d packed a smorgasbord of pain killers in anticipation of a killer hangover, though she always imagined it would be the bride to be suffering, not her.

It took five attempts to part her eye lashes, but the flash of pain that accompanied the blinding light was like a red hot poker piercing her eyeball. She had groaned more times since ‘waking’ than she had in the rest of her adult life, but it was automatic. She had no control over it.

Taking a deep and steadying breath, she dragged open an eye then froze. Their suite, her and Isobel’s was huge, and decorated in a sage green colour. This bedroom was different...the layout, the colour, everything.  Suddenly panic took over and pushed her headache to the back burner. Rolling in bed, she had the stark realisation that she was completely naked. Turning onto her other side, she pulled the duvet back from the mound of a person lying beside her, and rather than Isobel’s long, dark hair, she encountered a mop of unruly blonde hair, a tanned face and light stubble covering a strong jaw.

Jacob.

Emma gasped; she had NO memory of coming here with him. Lifting the duvet a little more she was rewarded with even more tanned flesh, naked flesh, they were both naked!

Emma had never had a one night stand, not like this with a complete stranger. It wasn’t her way. And despite spending SO much time together over the last thirty six hours, they were strangers. But it seemed that the wine, champagne and far too many random shots had all contributed to her amnesiac liaison.  She’d got on with Jacob, they had had SO much fun the previous evening, but she was flying home, she’d not see him again. Suddenly she needed to be out of there, away from the shame of him waking and her needing to discuss what she was mortified to admit she couldn’t remember.

Her dress and bra were near the bed, so she pulled them on, moving into the lounge - this suite was HUGE, she found the Louboutin shoes...still divine, and her bag. Rooting inside she found a hairbrush, and a hair tie, she was able to make herself a little more respectable. She was glad of the distraction to stop her thinking, dwelling and analysing all that she’d discovered in the last ten minutes.

Emma gave up on the search for her knickers, she was only hoping that they had made it to the bin, rather than being attached to a lampshade in one of the rooms, and made for the door. It was then that she realised that it was ten fifteen. The girls must be going crazy with worry. Opening the door, she searched for her purse, but instead found a piece of pristinely folded paper, with her name printed neatly on it. Stopping mid step, she opened it was a weird sense of foreboding.

Then the hangover came back with a vengeance as the words on the form in her hand all blended into one. Her head throbbed and she fought for air, desperately trying not to wake the man behind her. She looked down in dismay, she could ignore the words printed neatly on the form in her right hand, that was witnessed by Elvis, but her left hand bore the true souvenir of the last step of Jacob’s guided tour of Vegas, ‘The Little Chapel’. A gold ring.

She was married.

To Jacob!

Chasing Rainbows - Part Seven

Chapter Seven

Within an hour they were down to just four players, Jacob had a healthy pile of chips in front of him, and Emma was feeling a little more comfortable. Which was bizarre considering this man had been a complete stranger just a day earlier. She felt anxiety, concern, even fear for him. Ideally she wanted to walk away, come back at the end and see what had happened rather than experience every tense moment, but life wasn’t like that. Jacob needed her; she owed him this, if no other reason than the stunning shoes on her feet. She looked down and smiled, they were like wearing a glove, a perfect and comfortable fit, and they were the greatest thing she’d ever worn. She still couldn’t believe that he’d managed to ascertain the right shoe size. When did a man ever observe shit like that?

Glancing up her eyes met Jacob’s it was the first time his concentration had left the table, and she hoped it wasn’t a sign that he’d lost his focus. Then she realised he was laughing, with his eyes, had he seen her admiring her shoes? The shoes HE’D bought her? And then as quickly as it had arisen, the moment passed, and he was 110 percent focussed on the game. And he only went and won the hand! A HUGE hand!

They all took a break then as another one bit the dust, everyone refilled drinks and visited the bathroom. Emma was emerging from the bathroom when two arms encircled her from behind and she was pulled back into a large imposing body.

Turning she met Jacob’s eyes and smiled, “you’re doing good!” She couldn’t chastise him for his over familiarity this time, there was so much tension, so much pressure, and it did feel right to share a conspiratorial hug before he returned to the warzone.

                “You are my lucky star Emma, I know you don’t believe it, but I’ve never played this well!”

She shook her head placed her hands on his shoulders, “I can barely follow what you’re doing. But whatever it is, keep it up!”

He grinned, “I want a kiss if I win! THAT’S what I’m playing for! So be prepared!”

And with that he marched back to the table. As she knew so little about him, she didn’t know if this man was a hustler of if he really hadn’t played much poker, but she did know that he was doing well. Most of the other players looked nervous, and that was a sign of how confident he seemed.

A few small hands saw little change, but then Jacob was after a large hand, the bets were being raised, and the loser would really struggle. Everyone was on the edge of their seat, she’d never been so anxious in her life before. The pile of chips kept growing, the tension kept mounting, and Jacob actually looked up at her and smiled!  The man had nerves of steel!

And it was that smile, that lazy confident expression that undid his rivals.   

Down to two men, and Jacob lost the next hand, the remaining two men were equally matched scoring small points against each other for another two hands. But when they started to raise the stakes once again, everyone in the room collectively held their breath. This was it. The big one. Winner takes all!

Emma was still unsure of the order of winning hands, but as Jacob flipped over a pair of kings, that combined with the two kings face up on the table, the whole room gasped. Then the other player, a middle aged man from Texas, groaned. Four Kings beat his two pairs. Jacob had won!

But he didn’t celebrate, he just sat there, stunned as he was clapped on the back by everyone who could reach him. It was minutes before he looked up and found Emma’s eyes; she was sat across the room, tears of relief in her eyes. But that was replaced with wonder as she watched him storm single-mindedly across the room towards her.

And then came the theatrical kiss of her dreams. Jacob grabbed her, pulled her into his arms, then tipped her backwards before mashing his lips enthusiastically to hers. It was greeted with a few whoops and catcalls, but as he finished the kiss, and moved back into the hubbub of the room, as quickly and dramatically as he’d approached her, it left Emma in a state of acute confusion. He’d said he wanted a kiss, but she had NO idea he meant a kiss like that!

From the side of the room, she stood with her fingers still touching her bruised and tingling lips, watching Jacob court the media, the casino managers, and the sponsors of the game. He was definitely at home being the centre of it all and he was milking all the attention. And there was some attention. This was a commercial competition, according to the man who sat next to her, there were a lot of more discreet games, where large sums of money crossed hands and the last thing the patrons of those events wanted was publicity. But this competition had a huge publicity package, and Jacob was embroiled in a huge media circus.

Emma was glad for a few moments to herself. One of the casino hosts was only too pleased to refill her glass with white wine. But she’d barely taken a sip when that warm voice sounded from her left, “leave the chardonnay Emma, we have champagne!”

And with that he produced what could only be described as a Jeroboam of a rather distinguished champagne. “Drinks are on me darling, all on me!”

As they moved into the main casino, it didn’t take long for Eve and Angelina to sense the party and arrive in their ultra glamorous way. Jacob was glued to her side, and was greeting everyone who came to congratulate them as though they were a couple, or at least more than two people who’d only known each other for thirty hours.

                “He’s a real hunk!” eve whispered once the girls had managed to prise Emma away from the ever attentive Jacob.

Emma grinned, “he’s just won half a million, do you think that helps?”

Angelina smiled, “works for me! Pity though, he’s only got eyes for you lucky Emma!!!”

Blushing she shook her head, “not at all. I just brought him luck! That’s purely it!”

Both of the girls looked at her knowingly, she was SOOOO wrong!

                “Had enough of the party!”

The voice distracted her from hearing yet more about Michael Parsons, a solitary man who’d somehow deposited himself in front of her, and was more than happy to talk...a lot! He’d been a losing semi finalist the previous evening. She’d heard all about his mother, his cats, and the thirteen goldfish that lived in a four foot by two foot tank in his kitchen...he was THAT exact, and he was just about to start telling her about his work as a geology professor in a Pennsylvanian University when like a knight in shining armour, Jacob appeared beside her.

                “Let’s get out of here!”

She gave a barely apologetic smile to the middle aged man and spun around to face Jacob, “What did you have in mind?”

He shrugged, “I know this bar that may be a little bit quieter than here...and away from the melee...what  do you say?”

She grinned, “as tempting and enlightening as Mr Parsons here is, that sounds like the best idea anyone’s had in the last ten minutes!”

Taking her hand, he broke into a jog, dragging her at a stumble in her new heels out of the casino and across the reception.

The bar they were in was quieter than most she’d seen in town, and was only a short taxi ride from her hotel. As soon as they say at the bar, a tentative barman approached and Jacob smiled at him, “two mojitos please!”

Emma groaned, she’d drank a fair amount already, not that she felt drunk, the thought of mixing even more drinks made her stomach a little uneasy. That was until she tasted one.

                “Wow!”

He laughed, “I’ve stayed in this hotel at least a dozen times, and I have to say, I think these are the greatest mojito’s I have ever tasted.” He leaned across to her, “and definitely deserved after the evening we’ve had.”

                “You were amazing earlier. Have you really never played?”

He sighed, the tension was really starting to leave his body, “Not to this level, but I am a math freak...and it’s all about numbers...though it’s illegal to count cards in a casino, well not so much illegal as frowned upon. So of course I wouldn’t consider doing that!” His smile was infectious, “ but anyway, I always clean up when I play my friends...and I needed this money...”

                “Why?” It was a cheeky question that she’d not have imagined asking if it hadn’t been for the spirits, the wine, the champagne and now the cocktails. She was SO glad that she’d barely drank when Isobel was getting drunk hours earlier, otherwise now she’d be curled up in a corner snoring.

Jacob looked at her, “I don’t live the life my parents want for me...this helps me level the playing field. Settle money that I suddenly owe them, and allow me to keep living.”

Emma nodded in acknowledgement, “welcome to my world!”

                “Have yours slapped a ‘living’ bill on you too? I mean rent? I live in my grandmother’s house! Before she died she asked me to look after it...if it was in her will, that I’d keep it safe, instead Daddy dearest has control of it, and is now charging me six years back rent!” He gestured for another cocktail, then drained his glass. “This win clears that...but it’s not making me feel as good as I could be. You know?”

She nodded, more than a little shocked, she’d thought her parents’ desire for her to marry, have kids was controlling and demanding, it seemed that Mr and Mrs Coren took the biscuit in the domineering parent category, and whilst she felt pity for him, she also appreciated her own life and family a little bit more. “Aren’t we all disappointments to our parents in one way or another? I dread having kids, that responsibility, that anticipation of expecting the best for them.”

Jacob sighed and paid for the completed cocktails then grinned as he saw hers still half full, “I know that if I ever have children - though my mother assures me I have NOTHING to offer a woman, and so will never have the opportunity, that I’ll let them grow, develop. I’m not into spoiling them, letting them take advantage, but I don’t think I’ll measure their success in money, or Ivy League ways.”

                “You didn’t go to college?”

He laughed, “I aced my classes at Princeton, you’d think that would make them proud, but it wasn’t enough, in fact that probably makes them rue things even more.”

Emma had realised he was an intelligent man when she first met him, more than his secure ways or his poker prowess, he spoke well, he had a casual confidence that belied his clothing and demeanour. She knew that Princeton was a great school, and that it wouldn’t have been easy to do well there.  “Suppose your class mates have done great things!”

He laughed, “you’ve got it! Senators and lawyers, and they’re the under achievers!”

Emma placed a hand dramatically on her hand, “try being an actor...a not exceptionally successful actor who has to temp in a variety of shit jobs to pay bills!”

Jacob widened his eyes equally dramatically, “Ahh! I can only imagine that...”

\they both sipped at their drinks for a moment, before Jacob spoke again, “so have you done any big roles?”

Emma groaned, “this is not the way conversations should be going! I mean...” She snarled her mouth in a non aggressive way to bare her teeth, then mimicked a toothbrush in her right hand, then singing she added, “Keep your mouth Minty Fresh with FreshMinty toothpaste!”

When Jacob burst out laughing she grinned, “other than a bit of extra work, that’s about as good as it gets!” She went on to tell him about her theatre appearances, her three episodes of a well known British soap, and her regular Christmas festivals, where she played anything from a reindeer to Mother Christmas. He tried to stifle his laughter, but her helplessness and her comedic explanations of it all that when she finished he could do nothing more than pull her into a supportive hug!

                “For every Theo Samuel or George Clooney there’s a few hundred like you I imagine!”

She felt her jaw drop open for a moment at the mention of that man’s name, then grinned, “More like a few hundred thousand. But you have now highlighted my REAL low!” his ears pricked up at that, and she surmised her audition a few days earlier.

                “Let me get this straight...you have the audition for the greatest role of your life, with a Hollywood star...and you accuse him of molesting you?”

Emma couldn’t help but laugh, it was so easy to share her stories with this man who was a stranger until just over twenty four hours ago. “He full on kissed me! What teenage boy kisses like a Hollywood star?”

Jacob waggled his eyebrows, enjoying teasing her, “who says that was his NORMAL kiss...he might have been playing it down for you. That may have truly been his memories of teenage kisses.”

Emma wasn’t buying it, “Nope, I think he was trying to unbalance me!”

                “And it worked!”

Emma thought for a moment, she hadn’t heard anything since the audition, so that spoke volumes. If she’d smiled and walked away graciously would she now be heading to Hollywood for her breakthrough part?

Nodding she smiled at him, “I think that part would have got me a page on IMDb!”

                “But then you’d be too up your own ass to support me, a stranger, in my hour of need!”

It was a good point. Since meeting Jacob the previous day she’d barely thought about her life back home, he’d given her something exciting, something to look forward to, and definitely been a distraction. If she’d been in Vegas with the role in the proverbial bag, then she’d never have dropped her defences and had fun, she’d be so busy trying to plan her future, to work out the intricacies of the part. Nope, this man had her number, most clearly. He understood her more than her own family and friends ironically!