Girlfriend Butterflies
It was a lengthy drive to his grandmother’s house, which made it early evening by the time they arrived. She wondered about the cost of the private taxi but didn’t want to ask. Straining to see the endless overgrown countryside and rolling hills through the drizzling fog, she finally gave up. When she leaned her head back, she fell asleep, lulled by the rocking of the vehicle.
The sound of pavement changing to gravel shook her awake a half hour later. She wiped the sleep from her eyes and looked out ahead of her to a small, old cottage, complete with lush green property, surrounded by large trees and bushes, with roses lining the driveway, their colours fading fast from autumn’s wrath.
She swallowed. She knew James was of a grander upbringing, but this house, though small, exuded intimidating wealth.
“I will stay in town, Sir.” The driver said in passing as he parked.
Kara unclipped her belt, she had no idea where they were but everyone else seemed to.
She clambered out after James as a cool wind hit her and she snuggled herself in her sweater, cursing the biting wind.
James joined her side and they walked up to the front door as the car pulled out behind them.
He knocked and they waited in silence until the door opened with a reticent creak.
“Oh, Jamie!” A short, greying woman embraced her grandson, wrapping her arms around him and hugging him.
Kara smiled to herself. Jamie? That’s cute.
His grandmother was small and frail, but still with an edge, dressed in a clean-pressed burgundy blouse and black pants.
Kara hesitated to come any closer than she was. The old woman parted from him, put her hands to his clean-shaven face and smiled. “I missed you, dear.”
James smiled, stepping back from her respectfully. “I wasn’t gone that long.”
“Long enough.” The woman waved a hand, dismissing him as she saw Kara.
She swallowed. Being noticed made her adrenaline rush.
“Hello.” His grandmother smiled, only a little, and Kara saw her hesitation.
Oh, great, she hates me.
James cleared his throat. “Nan, this is Kara.” He paused his introduction as Kara gave him a glance. “Right, Kara, this is my grandmother, Rose.”
“Oh, this is Kara?” Rose almost jumped at her.
“Nice to meet you…” Kara’s voice shook.
“I’d rather say finally nice to meet you.” The woman smiled and looked at her grandson again. “Well, come in out of this cold.”
The entryway was small but lovely in a vintage cottage kind of way. It had a set of stairs that lead to its second level and to the right was a large, open kitchen. The mouth-watering scent of pot roast and cooked vegetables filled Kara’s nose and the overwhelming urge to shove as much food in her face as possible took over.
James stripped his jacket as Kara slipped her heels off, the phone in the house rang.
“Excuse me a moment.” The old woman left them to get the call.
Kara looked at him as he hung his jacket. “Does she know who I am?”
“I’ve only mentioned you a few times to her.”
“Really?” she breathed.
“Yes, well, you tend to consume my thoughts.”
Kara caught his affectionate stare.
“It’s fine, love. She’s excited to meet you.” He kissed her temple in reassurance but it didn’t settle her much.
Rose returned as James took off his shoes.
“Andrew and Becky can’t come,” Rose announced. “Drew says he’s ill.”
James smiled. “Well, that’s probably true, based on the amount of alcohol he consumed last night.”
Rose clasped her hands. “So, we’re just waiting on Sophie and Robbie.”
James paused. “What are they coming for?”
“To visit!” Rose brushed him off and looked to Kara. “Come with me, dear.”
Kara followed her, leaving James to himself. The small house showed off its wealth with ease as Kara followed her to the dining room, where the woman began to take a few pieces of perfect china from a cabinet.
“Are you here long?”
Kara paused. “Oh, I’m not sure.”
“Are you living with my grandson?”
Kara swallowed. “Kinda.”
Rose smiled. “You know, you are the only one that he truly loves. I am sure of it.”
Kara looked to her, blinking, struggling to form words. She handed Kara the dishes with a secretive smile. “Or else he wouldn’t have waited so long for you, my dear. Now I see why, you’re beautiful.”
Kara didn’t know what to say but it made her heart beat faster. It made her anxiety lessen and it settled her knowing he had always wanted her.
“Can you bring those to the table for me?”
She took the opportunity to scurry away to the kitchen from the dining room. She put them to the table as James looked up from the newspaper in front of him. She smiled. “You like newspapers, don’t you?”
He shrugged and looked back to it. She slipped the plates apart and placed them in front of all five chairs, leaving his for last. “Such a grandpa,” she teased.
He reached out for her as she dropped his plate beside him, and he caught her waist, pulling her till she tripped and landed in his lap.
He brushed his thumb against her cheek before frowning. “Do you feel out of place?”
Her eyes wavered before she answered. “Only a lot…”
His other hand ran up her shirt and caressed her back. She went to scoot away from him, before his grandmother found them like that.
James held onto her though. “You can’t leave.”
She heard Rose shuffling in the other room. “I have to help your grandma,” she begged.
James loosened his grip and she leaned in to kiss him quickly. As she did, she saw his surprise yet interest and he took her cheek gently.
“I love you.”
His whisper made her smile.
“And I’m going to show you how much I love you tonight.”
She felt her cheeks flush. Her mind flashed back to the hotel with him, being with him had changed her and she’d become anxious for more. Since then though it had only been a few stolen kisses and touches.
“Hello?” came a softened British accent and the front door shut just after it. James’ hand dropped away from Kara as a leggy blonde with hair and features of a model stepped into the kitchen. She shook her coat off. Graceful and fashionable in a pair of blue skinny jeans and white blouse, her leather boots only added to her model-like appearance.
The young woman looked to James. “Oh, good I was hoping you’d be here. Where have you been the past week? Millie rang me a billion times asking me where you were or where you could be or why you weren’t answering your bloody phone?”
Kara shifted uncomfortably in his lap, knowing who it was. There was no introduction necessary. It’s only his sister. Only … Sophie Dray. Why is she so pretty in real life!
“Right, I’m allowed to not answer my phone but how are you?” James asked as Kara freed herself from him, standing back, comfortably excluded from the conversation.
“Good.” Sophie lifted a black paper wrapped box in his direction as he stood to take it. “Happy Birthday.”
James weighed the gift in his hand. “Clothing?”
Sophie smiled. “It will go with all your white dress shirts, I promise.”
James’ uninterested nod accompanied his thank you.
She gave Kara a flash of a smile. “Just trying to help my brother mix it up.”
James put the box to the table and grunted. “Sophie, this is Kara, my girlfriend.” His lucrative tone didn’t pass by his sister.
Sophie snatched Kara’s hand and held it in hers. “An actual girlfriend?”
James nodded. “Kara, this is Sophie, my enigmatic older sister.”
She shook Kara’s hand through the introduction, giving her brother an odd glare. “Thank you, James.”
“Nice to meet you,” Kara breathed.
Sophie’s eyes found hers. “Yes, it’s a pleasure. You are American?”
“She’s American, yes.”
Sophie dropped Kara’s hand. “Is that where you were? America?” Her voice deadpanned and looked to James like he’d gone insane.
“Yes, I was.” He grabbed the newspaper and folded it up, leaving Kara awkward and standing. Though she was sure he didn’t see it that way.
Sophie continued to glare at them but she never questioned the situation further.
“Oh, good, Sophie, you made it!” Rose returned to the kitchen.
Sophie spun away from them. “Robbie will be here soon, I’ve just spoken to him.” His sister and Rose began to chat as Kara watched him put the paper away in the basket on the counter. He glanced at her and their eyes met, she saw his deep breath, the way his eyes went over her and she felt it all affect her in a way she’d never before.
“So, did you have a good birthday?” Sophie turned to James after Rose had busied herself, taking some food from the oven. Kara felt compelled to offer to help with something but she couldn’t bring herself to speak up in front of them all.
“Best ever.” James gave her some sarcasm but Kara couldn’t tell how serious he was or wasn’t.
“What could be better than turning twenty-three?” Sophie smiled.
James’ side glance caught Kara. “There are a few things, I’m sure.” But it was how his voice had subtly changed that really got to her, right down to her core. She was slapped back into the now from the clanking of silverware.
“Elite football perhaps,” Rose announced.
Sophie nodded. “Is that final then?”
“Today,” James nodded. “They own me.”
“Fairly bought, I’m sure,” Sophie commented.
Kara’s stomach clenched. “They bought you?”
James looked at her. “As in pay me a salary, yes.”
“Among other incentives,” Sophie chirped. “It’s about how much my brother is worth to them and he’s worth a fair bit. Are you not?”
James shrugged. “Not too much.”
“For your first season, it’s more than fair,” Sophie said.
“Fair, yes.” James gave her as there came a knock at the front door.
“Must be Robbie.” Sophie turned and walked out of the kitchen.
Kara went to his side as Rose prepared dinner to be served and he turned to her, putting his hand on her lower back.
“What’s better than soccer and your birthday?”
He chuckled and kissed her forehead, whispering, “you.”
She blushed, letting him lay a soft kiss on her lips.
Their attention turned to Sophie as she walked in with a well-dressed man trailing her, handsome with his square cut jaw and broad shoulders. There was a sense of impudent command to him, Kara just couldn’t quite figure out why.
“Evening,” the man greeted, his accent different from the rest.
Sophie had become attached to him, grabbing onto his suit jacket. “How was the traffic?” she asked.
“Living hell to make it out of London.” He shifted his focus to James, who seemed uncomfortable under the scrutiny. “So I hear we get to watch you on the tele now?”
“Yes.” James’ voice was curt suddenly and Kara noticed the way he’d tensed up.
“Congratulations.” Robbie set his squinted dark blue eyes on Kara next. “I don’t think I’ve met you before.”
“This is Kara.” James grabbed the back of her shirt before she could inch away to shake Robbie’s hand in greeting. Instead, she stayed fixed at his side, feeling his displeasure with the man even more.
“Robert Buratti. Nice to meet you.”
“This is Kara. They’re together, in a relationship,” Sophie explained as she tried to hide her laugh. “My brother has a girlfriend finally.”
Robbie smiled. “Isn’t that interesting.”
“Is it?” James looked bored among other annoyances.
Rose brought over the pot roast. “Dinner then. Everyone sit.” She ushered them all to their seats.
James pulled out a chair for Kara and sat beside her once she was sitting.
She kept her mouth shut, a mix of fear and awe making her stomach churn.
Kara was last to dish up, the soft conversation continuing. James heaped massive amounts of food onto his plate and then proceeded to eat it, but kept his manners, chewing one bite at a time.
He hadn’t quite finished half his meal before Sophie interrupted the general conversation. “So.” Her fiery eyes went to Kara.
Uh-oh.
“Are you staying long in the country?”
Kara couldn’t help but feel the goosebumps creep her spine. “I guess as long as James wants.”
His eyes caught hers but he didn’t speak, because his bud of a smile said it all.
“Really?” His grandmother beamed and Kara’s face burned from it as she sipped some water in vain.
Sophie stared at her through it all. “What do you do? For work?”
“Um.” Kara swallowed.
“What do you do for work?” James snapped back at his sister and Kara held her want to smile. He’d been quick and it had caught his sister off guard.
“I was just curious, James,” Sophie hissed. “It would be quite boring to sit around while you’re off playing football every week.”
Kara swallowed from that statement and looked down to her barely touched food. His hand found her thigh under the table, though, and it reassured her enough that the picture Sophie had painted for her wouldn’t be so bad.