Three Wishes (Dreams Come True #3) (3 page)

With a smile, he returned pushing the cart. “Okay, Olivia. Let’s get you on the cart, then I’ll place the bag and tripod around you. Think you can handle it?”

At first, I worried he really did expect her to balance everything for him, but then as I watched, I realized it was a ruse to get her safely and calmly out of the mall. Ollie sat, leaning against the back of the cart. The bag was placed between her legs and the tripod sat on her lap.

“Perfect. You comfortable? The tripod isn’t too heavy is it?” His brow furrowed as he spoke.

Ollie shook her head. “Nope. I’m good.”

Walking to the back of the cart, Ben grabbed the handles and began to push. All of three steps into the journey, Ollie reached up and tugged on his sleeve. Immediately he stopped. “What is it, Olivia?” I recognized the look, one I’d worn on my own face so many times. He worried over this child he didn’t even know.

She gazed up at him and tugged her mask down before speaking. “Thank you. I really learned a lot.” Then after taking a deep breath, she worked the mask back into place and leaned back again.

This kid. She could tug at my heart without even knowing it. Glancing at Ben, I watched as he nodded, but seemed a million miles away.  We walked in comfortable silence out to the parking lot.

“We’re parked right here.” I gestured to my old beat up blazing yellow Ford Escape.

“Well, that’s convenient. I’m this one.” He pointed to the news vehicle I had carefully parked a space away from.

I sighed. “I can take it from here, thank you.”

“Stop being so proud. Let me help.” He shrugged.

I opened my mouth to object, but instead my shoulders simply sank and I nodded. As much as I hated accepting help, I felt too worn out to fight it, to fight him. “Okay.”

With his assistance, I had Ollie hooked into her booster seat and the car warming up in seconds instead of minutes. More importantly, she was calm and happy and I wasn’t nearly as stressed as I normally would be. “I’ll be right back.” I smiled at my sweet girl. “I want to see if Ben needs help now.” Then I backed out of the vehicle and stood. By the time I turned, he was loading his trunk. “Need help with that?” I called out to him.

Shaking his head, Ben smiled. “Nah. I’m good. Enjoy the rest of your day.”

“Okay, you too!” I stuffed my hands in my pockets and paused. It didn’t feel finished. This didn’t feel like goodbye. I’d had tons of brushes with strangers through the years, but this was something different altogether. He gave me a little wave as he pushed the cart back toward the food court entrance. Slowly, I turned and opened the driver side door, then I slid into my seat. 

“He’s nice.” Ollie sighed happily as her eyelids lowered.

“Yeah, he was, wasn’t he?” I started the car and watched as she nestled her head in the corner of her seat.

“I hope we see him again,” she murmured.

As scared as I was to admit it, I hoped so too.

Chapter Three

Ben

Charlie and Olivia drove away while I returned the cart. I knew they would, just like I knew I wouldn’t be making Professor Morceau talk me into granting the wish or even waiting until Monday to hear from me. It took everything in me to focus on editing the video for the news and creating a promo. All I wanted to do was go home and contact my advisor. Unfortunately, that time wouldn’t come for hours.

At four in the afternoon, I finally pulled into the driveway then locked myself in the pool house and drew the blinds. I’d missed Sunday brunch and if I didn’t shut myself off, I could expect any number of unwelcome interruptions from my step-monster and her friends. As soon as I dumped my bag near the desk, I collapsed in the chair and opened the laptop. The message I planned to send was concise, simple, to the point.

Professor Morceau,

I’ll do it.

Ben

Then I hit send. Standing, I stretched and walked into my kitchen, which really amounted to a smaller version of the one in the main house. Opening the doors of my side-by-side stainless steel fridge, I pulled some ham from the deli drawer and decided to make a sandwich of sorts using the Hawaiian Sweet Rolls I had in the pantry. Minutes later, I had a decent snack prepared and sat at the island to eat when a chime alerted me to a new email. Checking my phone, I realized Professor Morceau had already responded.

Thank you, Ben. What changed your mind?

He included an address and told me to be there at ten in the morning on Monday. Since I was working on my final project and didn’t have any real classes or any set schedule, there would be no conflicts. Luckily, I was a morning person. Really, I could be an all day person, although in a perfect world, I’d get to take afternoon naps.

Before responding, I checked the address with my GPS. It was a good thirty minutes away on the other side of Montreal in an older and far less safe neighborhood. Immediately, this knowledge bothered me as I pictured Charlie and Olivia there alone. Then I scowled. Maybe they weren’t alone. Just because I didn’t see a man today, it didn’t mean there wasn’t one in the picture. Somehow this thought didn’t comfort me at all.

Then my phone began to ring. It was my advisor. “Professor Morceau, how can I help you?” I wiped crumbs away from my mouth, even though he couldn’t see them.

“You didn’t respond to my email.” He cleared his throat nervously. “I suppose I wanted to make sure you’d received it and the terms were amenable.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. I was checking the address. I planned to respond later.” I wiped my sweaty palms on my jeans.

“So what made you change your mind?” I heard his chair creak.

For a moment, I contemplated whether or not to share the truth. It wasn’t a simple response. Charlie had been my Crying Girl for years, haunting me. I wanted to know her story. Then there was Olivia, charming in her own rights, and so easy to talk to and work with. It would be an honor to make her wish come true. Instead, I went with a simpler response. “I met them today while shooting the Caring Bunny Event at the mall.” Biting my lip, I hoped my words, though few, would suffice.

“Ah.” He was silent a moment before speaking. “What was she like?” I could barely hear his question; he spoke in such a hushed tone.

“Charlie? Um, scared, sad, exhausted…I guess.” For some reason, I felt uncomfortable responding.

“No, the little girl…”

“Ollie.” I chuckled. “Amazing, intelligent, curious…and worn out.” The final realization weighed heavy on me. Learning to make a movie was the wish of a dying girl. There was a distinct possibility that one day she would no longer be around. My shoulders sank and I leaned heavily on the marble counter. What had I agreed to? What was I thinking?

Again, Professor Morceau was silent on the other end of the line, then when I had decided to speak and end the call, he cleared his throat. “This is a good thing you’re doing, Ben. You’ll never know how important this work is, how much it means to…so many people.” He cleared his throat again, then coughed. “I need to go. Bye.” Then the call ended.

I set the phone on the counter and stared at my plate for a moment before pushing it away. Suddenly, my food had lost all flavor. Opening the map app on my phone, I wondered what Charlie and Olivia were up to on the other side of town. How would I kill time until I’d see them tomorrow? Inhaling deeply, I decided I’d relax, then go to bed.

In less than five minutes, I’d managed to change into my swim trunks, grab a towel, and peek outside. The pool area seemed deserted. The house was once again dark. Feeling safe, I decided to sneak into the hot tub. Nothing like being uncomfortable as fuck in my childhood home.
Thanks, Dad.

Though there were lights all around the pool and hot tub, I didn’t turn any of them on. No need to alert anyone of my intentions. For the past two years, Mandy had seemed determined to hook me up with one of her friends. I’m sure in her mind she imagined we’d all end up vacationing together, enjoying fun weekends eating out and enjoying all the cultural aspects Montreal had to offer. Instead, I’d quickly discovered I had zero interest in Mandy’s high maintenance, low intelligence friends. They were nice to look at and pretty to hold, but as for a future, I’d never be sold. I chuckled at my own cleverness as I sank shoulder deep in the warm water and leaned my head against the edge of the tub. It didn’t take me long to really relax into the bubbles, when the lights flooded the area. “Fuck me,” I mumbled without even opening my eyes.

“If you insist.”

My eyes shot open at the sound of an unfamiliar female voice. She slipped into the water beside me and moved closer, wearing nothing but a seductive look on her face.

“You really should be wearing a suit,” I grumbled, fully aware that most of my friends wouldn’t have reacted this way in their single days.

“Am I wearing too little, or are you wearing too much?” She laughed as her hands gripped the waistband of my swim trunks.

“Please don’t.” I sighed and worked to pry her hands off my swimwear. “I don’t even know your name.”

“Siobahn.” Her voice was all breathy and I could tell this wasn’t the first time she’d played seductress. This was, however, probably the first time a man put up a fight.

“Well, Siobahn. I’m not interested. I really wanted to be alone and think.” I clasped her hands together and moved away from her.

She stared at me for a moment and I thought my words might have actually made an impact. Then she batted her lashes and I rolled my eyes as I anticipated her next attack. “I think being alone is a cry for help. I hate being alone.” This time, she glided across the hot tub and straddled me before I could even grasp what her plan.

“What the ever loving fuck?” I growled low in my throat. Even that didn’t dissuade her. Suddenly she writhed up and down my body.

“Isn’t this better?” She licked a line up my throat to my earlobe, which she then nipped at playfully.

“No. Not even a little bit.” Very unceremoniously, I stood and dumped her in the tub. Without waiting to see if she surfaced from underwater, I stepped out of the tub, and grabbed my towel. As I dried off, she began spluttering and cursing me out.

“Do you have any idea how long it took me to do my makeup?” She shrieked and gestured wildly while wiping at her eyes.

“Well, now you have something to do.” Wrapping the towel around my neck, I walked back into the pool house, then shut and locked the door behind me.

It didn’t take long for my phone to ring. I expected it to be my father, calling to curse me out for being so rude to Mandy’s guest, but instead it was Sebastian. I prayed for an excuse to the leave the property.

“Listen, I know it’s kind of last minute,” Sebastian began.

“I’m in. Tell me where and when.” I rushed to grab clean clothes from my closet while we talked.

“We’re all meeting at the gallery because of the central location. We’ll take Gabriel’s limo from here. Dinner. Drinks. Catch up…”  From the edge to his voice, I could tell it meant a lot to him to have me there.

“Listen, you don’t need to sell me.” I laughed. “I’m dying to get out of here tonight. I’ll be there in half an hour.”

“Well, that was easy. I’m a better negotiator than I thought.” Sebastian chuckled.

“No, you’re not.” Marisa piped up in the background. “Stop giving him such a big head, Ben. Do you have any idea how hard I have to beat him down just to live with him?”

“You love living with me, you naughty little minx.”

Marisa snorted. Obviously, I was on speaker. Knowing them, this could go on for some time. Still, I loved seeing Sebastian so happy and well adjusted. They were perfect for each other.

“What? You don’t like living with me?” Sebastian sounded hurt, or maybe he was just playing.

“Shut up and kiss me, you fool.” It sounded like her lips were already smushed against his. I smirked. “We’ll see you soon, Ben.” Then the call ended. I was pretty sure I knew how they would be spending the next thirty minutes.

Peeling off the swim trunks, I hung them over the tub to dry. For a second, I stared down at my wet, limp cock. It had been too long. My stupid ideals had me waiting for someone special. Given our proclivity to hang out together, I hadn’t met anyone special in a very long time.

As promised, I parked my vehicle and started toward the gallery door when Gabriel’s limo pulled up. I moved to open it when the driver stepped out looking horrified. Smiling, I held my hands up and backed away. Gabriel stepped out first, grinning widely. He held a hand out for his wife. “Easy, my love,” he murmured as he helped her onto the curb.

My eyes narrowed as I studied them. “Isabella…” I scratched my chin. “You’re glowing. Are you and Gabriel?”

She held a finger to her lips. “We’re not allowed to talk about it until dinner, but if I don’t order wine, then I guess you have your answer.” Isabella winked at me.

Without hesitation, I wrapped them both in a hug. My gut reaction was sheer happiness for them, even as the nagging feeling began again, reminding me I’d probably never find someone. Stupid standards.

She must’ve caught my frown because Isabella looped her arm through mine and murmured, “You will. Stop looking. Stop even thinking about it. I promise.”

There was something in the way she said it which made me believe her. Taking a deep breath, I nodded. “Okay.” Then I looked over at Gabriel. He had a different kind of glow. This was a man who was madly in love with his wife. Shaking my head, I sighed. “Congratulations, man.”

“Let’s go inside, shall we? Get Bella out of this cold.” He wrapped a protective arm around her waist and directed her toward the door, which I quickly moved to open.

“You’re ridiculous,” she grumbled under her breath. “It’s at least fifty degrees out and I’m wearing a coat.” Glancing at me, she simply rolled her eyes, but I knew she still treasured the way he adored her.

This was what I wanted.

After following them inside, we found Sebastian and Marisa locked in an embrace standing behind the counter. Gabriel clapped and laughed while getting their attention. Me, I hoped I’d find an appetite by the time we made it to the restaurant.

“Careful with all that kissing,” Gabriel remarked. “Do you have any idea what it leads to?”

Sebastian laid a hand on Marisa’s lower abdomen. “Babies.” He smirked and I swear his chest puffed out a little.

With a giggle, Marisa held up an ultrasound image. “Plural. I can’t make this shit up.”

With a squeal, Isabella rushed to hug her while Gabriel laughed. “Us too.” He shrugged.

“Twins?” Sebastian wondered. There was always a little competition between them.

“No, just one. This time.” Gabriel winked.

Sighing, Isabella shook her head. “Spoken like the one without a uterus.”

This was going to be a long night. Holing up in the pool house might have been the smarter choice. I clapped my hands together and waited for everyone to look at me. “So…dinner?”

***

Charlie

Ollie and I climbed up on the window seat in her room and started reading our current book,
A Little Princess
by Frances Hodgson Burnett. I’m not sure who found our nightly ritual more relaxing, the five year old or me.  Soon enough, the questions began.

“Can I have a monkey?” She smiled up at me with those pleading eyes, hands clasped over her chest.

“No monkeys.” I rolled my eyes.

“How about a kitten? Just one sweet cute little kitten?” She nuzzled against me and pretended to purr.

“You know we can’t do that right now. When you’re better maybe.” I looked away in an effort to hide my fast accumulating tears. Already they threatened to spill over my bottom lid. Blowing out a breath, I stood quickly, jostling Ollie and wiping my eyes in one fluid motion.

“Hey! I could’ve fallen.” She looked at me accusingly.

“I’d never let you fall.” Turning, I put the book away on the shelf.

Slowly, she lowered herself to the floor. “You could miss. Then the only thing that would make me feel better would be a kitten.” Ollie crossed her arms over her chest and made an exaggerated pouty face.