If I Loved You (Hollywood Hearts 1) (15 page)

She nodded and he gave her a small smile, “That’s settled then.”

Meg peeked at the clock. “Oh! It’s eleven. What time is your audition?”

“Eleven thirty. Plenty of time.” He kissed her hair.

“I took tomorrow off. I can make you a nice breakfast.”

“No milk, creates mucus on the vocal chords.” He raised his palm.

“Got it. We should get some sleep.” Meg broke from him and laid down flat on the bed.

“Right.” Chaz slid down next to her, taking her in his arms. She turned on her side so he could spoon her, wrapping one arm around her, resting his hand on her breast. A sense of contentment washed over Meg.
How will I ever sleep again without him beside me?

* * * *

Meg woke with a start Friday morning. She’d turned off the alarm and slept until eight o’clock. Forgetting momentarily that she had the day off, she bolted upright. Chaz cracked an eye open. “Hmm, lovely site, even at this hour.” His gaze traveled to her naked body.

“Go back to sleep,” she tossed off the sheet, grabbing her robe as she headed for the kitchen.

It wasn’t long before the delightful aroma of brewing coffee filled the kitchen. The sound of bacon crackling in the pan alerted Meg to turn down the heat. She poured her first cup of coffee and sat for a moment, sipping the hot liquid while gazing out the window.
My first real love affair.
She smiled.
It’s wonderful. He’s wonderful.

The smell of frying bacon teased her nose, breaking her reverie.
Oh my God! The bacon!
She made a beeline for the stove to turn the bacon and lower the heat. Cooking breakfast occupied her mind, but her heart was singing and she couldn’t stop smiling.

“Smells great in here.” Chaz’s deep voice startled her. She looked up as he lowered his lips to brush her neck.

“Breakfast is almost ready,” she said.

“Don’t remember the last time someone cooked breakfast for me.” He hugged her from behind.

Meg finished cooking the eggs and heaped the food on two plates. Chaz whisked them off the counter and delivered them to the kitchen table while Meg pulled out silverware. They ate in silence for a moment. “This is a big day for you.” She ventured.

“My first Broadway audition.”

“Are you nervous?”

“Terrified,” he admitted before putting a forkful of eggs in his mouth.

“You’ll be great. You’re prepared.” Meg picked up a strip of bacon and chewed off the end.

“Thanks to you, I’m as prepared as I could possibly be.”

“So you shouldn’t be nervous then.”

“Doesn’t work like that,” he chuckled. “Besides, a few nerves are good. Keeps you sharp.”

“I know you’ll be great.” She reached over to squeeze his arm.

After they finished eating and cleaning up, Chaz raised an eyebrow at her, “Shower then warm up the chords?” He raised an eyebrow.

“You’d better shower alone. It’s already nine o’clock.”

He took her hand and led her toward the bathroom. “Do you know the best cure for nerves?” He called over his shoulder.

“Uh…”

“Showering with my girlfriend,” Chaz grinned.

She laughed as he closed the bathroom door behind her.

At ten o’clock, Chaz was standing at her front door getting ready to leave. “I have to change at Quinn’s, then go back there after the audition to pack up.”

“Can you be back here by five? I’m making dinner for a change.” She cupped his cheek.

“I’m curious to try your cooking. See you at five.”

They embraced. Chaz gave her a long kiss.

“Good luck,” Meg called from the door, listening to him doing scales, warming up his voice
until the elevator arrived.

Chapter Nine

She threw her clothes on and headed for the store.
Tonight will be a night to remember.
By four thirty, Meg was frantically putting on make-up. Her hand shook as she tried to apply her mascara, so she stopped to take a deep breath.
Calm down. Everything is done. Relax!
She slipped on a sexy little sundress with nothing but panties on underneath. The small flower pattern on the dress in green and turquoise on a white background emphasized the deep green of her eyes and, of course, Chaz was sure to notice the low cut neckline.

* * * *

Chaz saluted Briny as he waited for the doorman to contact Meg. The weight of his audition off his shoulders made Chaz feel ten pounds lighter. He moved the large bouquet of pink roses he carried from hand to hand.

Our last night together for…months.
A nervous feeling returned.
Can she hack it? Will she stay with me? Is it Dunc or Chaz she’s fallen for? I need her…like air…like food.

“You can go up,” Briny tipped his hat.

Chaz shot him the Grady Spencer salute.

“Aye, aye. As you were.” Briny chuckled as Chaz headed for the elevator.

He might be imagining it, but he thought could smell the aroma of a home-cooked meal even while he was in the elevator.
Is this coming from Meg’s place?

When the apartment door opened, Chaz was met with a beautiful sight, Meg wearing a sexy sundress, at the same time as the aroma of a mouth-watering meal greeted him. He stepped inside before she could speak and took her in his arms. After an amorous kiss, he stepped back.

“So?” She asked.

He raised an eyebrow.

“The audition? How did it go?” She rested her hands on her hips.

“Oh that! It was fine.” He grinned.

“Did they say anything?”

“They never do. I’ll hear in a couple of weeks. I did my best and can only hope. What’s cooking?”

Meg handed him a bottle of
Piper Hiedsieck
champagne.

“To celebrate. You open, I’ll get glasses.”

“Love champagne. What are you cooking?”

“Nothing fancy
—my mother’s meatloaf. It’s Mark’s favorite,” she called from the kitchen.

Chaz stopped twisting the cork on the champagne. He wandered over to the table set for two with good china and real silver. A lump rose in his throat. He put the bottle down and blinked rapidly.
Meatloaf. No one has made meatloaf for me since…Mom.

Megan bounced into the room with two champagne glasses in her hand.

“Why haven’t you…” she started until she saw his face.

“What the?”

He raised his palm to her, still blinking while he inhaled a deep breath.

“Are you okay?” Her brows knitted and she put a hand on his arm.

He swiped the back of his hand across his eyes and turned away from her.

“Did I do something…” her voice trailed off.

His back to her, he shook his head unable to speak. Meg came up behind him and snaked her arms around his middle to hug him.

“Whatever it is…I love you, so don’t…” Meg stopped speaking, her hand flew to her mouth, and she stepped back.

Chaz whipped around to see that her face was pink. She avoided his stare.

“What?” He managed to squeak out.

“Forget that. Erase it from your memory…friends with benefits...”

“Did you say what I thought?”
She did.

Meg led him back to the table. “The champagne,” she prompted, changing the subject.

Chaz grabbed the bottle and popped out the cork while still staring at her.

“Meg…did you just say…?”
She said she loved me.

“Don’t repeat it. We both heard it. Now forget it.” She busied herself straightening forks that didn’t need straightening.

Chaz poured the champagne into the flutes, glancing surreptitiously at Meg.

“I’ll get the meatloaf.”

He took a big swig of the fine champagne when she left the room. Then, he sucked in a big breath before letting it out slowly.
Calm down. Meatloaf and “I love
you.
”
Can’t handle this.

Megan approached the dining table carrying a platter of meatloaf covered in a chunky tomato sauce with roasted potatoes lined up on one side and green beans on the other.

“It’s…it’s beautiful,” Chaz managed, his eyes watering.

Meg set the platter down on the table. As he dabbed a handkerchief to his eyes, she stepped over and hugged him. “What’s wrong? Don’t you like meatloaf? It was the easiest recipe I had. Mark loves it, so I figured you would too.”

“It’s my favorite.” His words were barely audible.

“Then why are you upset?”

Instead of answering, he eased her arms away from him, seized his champagne, and finished it before refilling the glass. He sat down where she indicated.

Megan began to cut the loaf into one-inch thick slices. “So, give.”

His mouth watered as he watched her cut the perfectly browned meat.

“God that looks great. On holidays when my mom was okay…between her bouts with drugs…she’d make a meatloaf. We had nothing, no money, so we ate pasta most of the time. Food stamps supplemented her welfare checks. Meatloaf was the cheapest special food she could make.”

“So it became your favorite.”

He nodded.

“She made a terrific meatloaf. I loved it. Her meatloaf was the only thing that distinguished holidays for me. She always managed to have a small gift for me along with meatloaf at Christmas but on Thanksgiving and Easter, we only had meatloaf. I’d look forward to it for days. After she died, none of my foster families made meatloaf. It was back to pasta. On Thanksgiving we had turkey, stuffing, and mashed potatoes, but there wasn’t a whole lot to go around.”

“Do you love turkey too?”

“I love everything about a normal Thanksgiving Day…watching the parade, football games, eating too much…”

“But you didn’t have a lot, right?” Megan asked, confused.

“When you’re not used to big portions, just a normal portion makes you feel stuffed. But never had much meatloaf after mom.”

“Even at the Gold’s house?”

“The Gold’s house was a palace compared to other foster families. But they were older, watching their weight and cholesterol. We had a ton of chicken…and a beautiful turkey for Thanksgiving. I got sick my first Thanksgiving there from eating too much. There was no limit on food at their house.” Chaz could see Megan blink back tears. He took her hand.

“Don’t cry, little chick. It was a long time ago and only for a couple of years. I had holidays, presents, and great food at the Gold’s house.”

A few tears slipped down her cheeks when he kissed her palm.

“I can’t imagine what that was like. How did you turn out to be so…so…giving, after that?”

Chaz chuckled. “The Golds were very generous people. Those were some of the happiest years of my life. Emily would play piano for me, so I could practice singing…just like you did.”

Megan smiled at him. “So I remind you of Emily Gold?” Megan cocked an eyebrow.

“Hardly!” He burst out laughing. “Are you going to let me taste that? Can’t you see I’m drooling over here…not just for you.”

Meg lifted a healthy slice with the spatula and put it on his plate. She arranged the potatoes and the green beans before adding a little sauce over the meat. To appease his growling stomach, Chaz shoveled in a forkful as soon as she filled her plate. He closed his eyes for a moment while he chewed. Although the taste wasn’t exactly the same, it was close enough. He swore he could see his beautiful mother watching him eat, a worried expression on her face. “So Chaz, how is it?” she’d ask.

“It’s great, Mom, like you always make,” he’d reply, gulping down huge forkfuls of the tasty meal before it vanished.

“Girls you date don’t cook for you?”

“They expect me to take them out.” He speared another piece.

“But sometimes they reciprocate…no?” Meg cut her meatloaf with her fork.

He shook his head. “Some women don’t want to cook until there’s a ring on their finger. A woman who likes to cook is a…treasure.”

“You’ve been dating the wrong kinda girl,” she muttered before tasting a piece of the savory meat.

“This is heaven. How did you do this? It’s…it’s magic. I love it.” He scooped up another forkful and put it in his mouth.

“And I thought the big deal would be dessert.”

“Dessert?”

“I baked an apple pie.”

Chaz choked on his food, coughing and sputtering. Megan ran to the kitchen, returning with a glass of water. He stopped coughing and took a drink before speaking. “You baked me an apple pie?”

“What’s the big deal?” She shrugged.

“I’ve never had homemade apple pie before.”

”Oh my God.” Her eyes glistened with unshed tears. She kissed him. “You’re such a surprise to me.” Leaning back, Meg studied his face.