Unwanted Stars (16 page)

Before I could give it another thought, she sighed and took a deep breath, the color returning to her cheeks just as the sale went through. Thank God. After she spent over an hour with me, I'm sure it was nerve wracking to think that I wouldn't be able to afford any of the products I'd chosen.

"Right," she said, peering at the screen. "It seems as though the lipstick you wanted is out of stock."

"Oh okay, so—"

"Well, you've paid for it, so what we'll do is I'll mail it to ya at no charge as soon as it comes in, which shouldn't be long. I'll just need your address."

"Oh, sure."

"And I'll send you home with a sample of a similar shade so you can still recreate the look."

"Awesome, thanks so much."

After I jotted down my address on the shipping form, we said our goodbyes and I glanced at my watch. Plenty of time to meet Campbell back at my flat. In fact, I could even spend a little time in the shoe department.

And so I did. I tried on several pairs, finally settling on a pair of Mary Jane Doc Martens, just like the ones Nan bought for me when I was twelve. And as I paid for the shoes and held my bag of Clinique, guilt spread through my brain and my heart.

It was time to visit my nan.

"Darling, it's been too long," my nan said as she welcomed me at her front door. It was an especially cold March day, and even though I wanted to be back at my place, spending much needed time in bed with Campbell, I knew it was time to pay her a visit. It was bad enough that I'd been here for six weeks and had yet to drop by.

"Sorry, Nan," I said, pulling her in for a hug. Nan is loving and caring, but she does not like to show it with physical affection. I know hugs make her uncomfortable, so I do it purposely to try to break her shell. Evil granddaughter of the year? Perhaps. But come on, life is too short to restrain yourself all the time. Sometimes you just need to embrace the ones you love and feel them hug you right back.

"Come in, come in. I want to hear all about this new job of yours. Tell me," she said leading me to her sitting room. "Tea, darling?"

"Yes, please."

"Peppermint or lemon herb?" she asked, remembering the flavors I requested most when I was young. Okay, truth be told, the only reason I ever asked my nan to make me lemon herb tea was to hear her pronounce the "h" in herb. Jason would have to give me fifty cents every time I got Nan to do that. Yeah, I know. We were such brats. But, I earned that money. Lemon herb tea was revolting. Try it sometime. I'm not lying to you. If you ask her, Nan will tell you that she speaks "proper English" or "The Queen's English." Pronouncing the "h" was one of the many ways in which she proudly displayed her proper use of the language and loyalty to the royal family. She's always been a little obsessed with the royal family.

If you've never been to London, let me tell you that almost every little souvenir shop will have ridiculous amounts of royal family trinkets. Plates, mugs, stickers, bookmarks. If you can imagine it with an official photo of a royal, it's being sold in London, and my nan has decorated her home with these items. I'm surprised the tea she just offered me isn't "Queen Elizabeth Select" brand of beverages.

"Peppermint, please."

"Honey?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Excellent. Back in a mo."

While Nan brewed the tea, I wandered around the sitting room, taking in all of her new royal family trinkets and looking at pictures of our family spread throughout the room. Baby pictures of Maya, Jase, and me. My parents' wedding photo...God, they were so young. A couple of grinning babies. They looked so happy in that photo it was almost sickening. Although if I was honest with myself, I could, for the first time ever, picture myself looking that happy in a photograph.

Too soon, Auden. Shut up.

Aside from the handful of glass picture frames and trinkets, the room was stark and sterile, as it always was. Simple furniture, hardwood flooring with no area rugs, tiny accent tables on each side of the small sofa, a fire crackling in the hearth.

"Where's Granddad?" I called out to Nan. She hated when I raised my voice like that. "
Terrible manners, darling,"
she'd always say.

She strolled back into the room with two cups of tea and I marveled at her appearance. Nan was easily seventy-six years old but was just as stunning as she was when I was born. Her silver hair was pulled back into a French twist. A powder blue sweater set hung on her petite frame, a gray wool skirt and coordinating stockings on her trim legs. Couldn’t forget the loafers. Nan's signature loafers adorned her feet, still in perfect shape. Either my nan had magical powers, or she had a closet stocked full of the exact same black loafers hidden in a closet somewhere.

"Darling, how many times have I asked you
not
to yell from one room to another? It's terrible manners."

See? Told ya!

"Sorry, Nan." She passed me a steaming cup of peppermint tea. The sharp mint invaded my senses while the warm scent of the honey soothed them.

"He's away with those beastly friends from the lodge. Hunting trip. But he'll be back any minute. When he found out you were coming by, he decided to head back early."

"He's still hunting?" I asked incredulously. As a child, I always tried to convince my granddad not to hunt for sport, but he'd always give me the same reply:
"It's a skill, my love."
And that was it. Basically, it was a polite way of him telling me to mind my own business. Eventually, I stopped trying. I loved my granddad and only saw him once a year if I was lucky. I didn't want to waste that time arguing about our differences.

Sidenote on Granddad: You'll never meet a more caring man. Clive Wells (how much does his name rock? So British, I love it!) is kind, warm, and treats everyone like a member of the family. He's just awesome. Just like Nan, he does not look his age. He's approaching eighty, but still acts as if he's in his prime. It's sweet, actually. Plus, I don't know that I'd ever be ready to lose him, so I'd like to pretend he's still much younger than he is. It works for both of us.

"Enough about him, tell me about the tour company. I want to know all about my granddaughter's exciting career in travel."

"I love it, Nan. Seriously. It's thrilling. I start a new tour in a couple of days and I'm so excited."

"Fantastic," she said with a nod before sipping her tea. "Where will you be going this time, then?"

"My packet should arrive today, but I know we're going to France and Spain. We'll probably be gone for at least two weeks. I don't think Jordan runs any tour for less than that."

"Glamorous," she said. "I spent quite a bit of time in Paris, as you know."

"I do," I said, pursing my lips with a curt nod. As much as I loved and missed my nan, the stories about her modeling days were starting to get tiring. It'd be one thing if she told me new stories I hadn't heard before, but they were the exact same ones she'd always told. Over and over again. I took a deep breath, preparing to be bored for the next several minutes. (Yes, I know. I'm a bitch. We've established this already.)

Nan surprised me though. After that one statement, she placed her cup on its saucer and waited for me to continue. So out of character. She caught me a little off guard.

"Uh, um, so I'm guessing we'll go to Italy, too. That seems to be a standard with Jordan."

"Very touristy. Venice is a disaster now, isn't it? So many vendors. It's such a shame, really."

"It is, yes. Lots of vendors. But c'mon, Nan, a place like Venice could never be a
disaster
. It's this beautiful ancient city with so much history and character. It's one of the most unique places on earth."

"And that, my darling, is why you work for Jordan Tours. Your entire face lights up when you talk about these things. It's in your blood somehow."

"Hardly," I said. "Mom and Dad hardly go anywhere. They're the epitome of homebodies. And don't even get me started on Maya."

"Well then, you must've gotten the travel gene from me. When I was your age, you couldn't keep me in one place for very long. Until your granddad, that is."

"I guess we're more alike than I ever thought," I said, taking Nan's hand in my own.

"Indeed," she said with a knowing smile. "Drink your tea, dear. It's getting cold."

"Yes, Nan."

Just then, I heard the front door deadbolt click open, and I knew my entire face lit up.

Granddad.

Placing my cup on the saucer, I hopped up from the sofa and walked quickly to the tiny foyer.

"Audey!" he bellowed, pulling me in for a strong hug.

He smelled like a campfire...and dirt.

"Granddad!" I said, clutching at his back. "Oh man, I've missed you."

"Oh my darling, give us a kiss!"

I obliged.

"How long has it been then?" he asked.

"Two years, I think," I said. "Maybe a little longer."

"Too long, if you ask me."

"Not that anyone would," my nan said with an acerbic snicker. Sometimes I'm so much like my nan it's scary.

"Nevermind your nan," Granddad said, wrapping an arm around my shoulder and leading me back to the sitting room. "She's just cheesed off."

"As usual," I whispered. Granddad muffled a laugh and gave me a wink.

We understood each other, Granddad and me. One of the many reasons I adored him so much.

"So, Audey, tell me everything. Not working too hard, I hope."

"The job is great. It really is. I've been to nine countries and I've only been working for this company for six weeks."

"Impressive," he said, his brow wrinkling as he nodded. "Met anyone you fancy yet?"

"Clive," Nan said, rolling her eyes. I hadn't even noticed she was seated across from us on the chaise lounge.

"What?"

"That's inappropriate."

"No, it's bloody well not. I want more grandbabies. I'm not going to live forever, you know."

"It's gonna be a while for
that
," I said, but my cheeks gave me away. They turned red and heat radiated from my pores. Nan narrowed her eyes at me, her lips turning up in a curious smile. I simply nodded at her before turning my attention back to Granddad.

"Be choosy, my love," she said.

"I will."

"Besides, I doubt any of the blokes out there are good enough for my Audey," Granddad said, placing a chaste kiss on my forehead.

"Thanks," I said, leaning into the warmth of his arm. It felt different than it did even a couple of years ago. His muscle tone was significantly less than before. He was aging, and there was absolutely nothing I could do to stop it. I just had to enjoy him, both of them, while I had the chance.