"Poor Emma," Nathan said, shaking his head. "You'll be wiling away, hard at work, while I'm frolicking on the beach."
Mia rolled her eyes. "The last thing anyone wants to see is you frolicking, Nathan."
"That's too bad," Claire said sympathetically. "It must be pretty important if you have to work over a holiday weekend."
"It is. We're trying to make sure our biggest client doesn't go to another agency, and hopefully our presentation will ensure that. Our creative department just made some changes last minute so that's why I have to do some work over the weekend."
I squeezed Jackson's hand, hoping he wasn't disappointed that I had to spend part of the weekend working. "Sorry. Hopefully it won't take too long."
"It's okay," Jackson said with a smile. "It'll be worth it when you're a hotshot executive and I can spend my days popping bonbons while watching The Price is Right."
I laughed, appreciative of the fact that Jackson was so understanding.
The traffic to the Hamptons was worse than expected and the drive ended up taking a little under three hours. When we finally pulled up to the house, I was relieved to be able to get out and stretch my legs.
"It's beautiful," I said, gazing up at the house. There were plenty of lights on the exterior of the house so I could appreciate it even though it was dark. It was a large house with white shingles and black shutters, complete with a wrap-around porch. The house was right on the beach, and with the ocean as a backdrop, it looked picturesque and charming.
"I'm glad you like it," Jackson said, grabbing my hand and pulling me into the circle of his arms, my back against his chest. He gave me a soft kiss on my neck and then brushed my ear with his lips. "This is going to be an amazing weekend. Plus I have great news."
"What is it?" I asked, turning around to look at him. He just winked at me and nodded in the direction of the others who were busy pulling their luggage from the SUV.
"I'll tell you later. I want it to be private."
I was curious about Jackson's news, but I let him lead me into the house after he had grabbed our bags. The inside was as lovely as the outside, decorated comfortably in a shabby chic style.
"How are we going to decide who takes which rooms?" I asked the group.
"You and Jackson can take the biggest room since you'll be sharing one," Mia volunteered generously. "All the bedrooms are actually pretty big, so it's no big deal."
"Are you sure?" I asked uncertainly, not wanting to hog the biggest room just because we were a couple.
"We won't be spending much time in the bedrooms anyway," Nathan said. "It's no problem."
Jackson grinned at me wickedly, clearly trying to communicate that he was planning on spending plenty of time in the bedroom. I just shook my head, hoping that the others hadn't noticed his look.
Jackson carried our suitcases up the stairs and I followed behind him as the others shuffled to their rooms as well. I immediately fell in love with our bedroom the moment Jackson opened the door. It was spacious with large windows that looked right out onto the beach and a four-poster bed that looked inviting with a soft white comforter and gigantic pillows. We had our own bathroom connected to the bedroom with a large claw-foot tub that was big enough for two people.
"I'm not going to want to leave here," I said, plopping down on the bed and leaning against the pillows. "Let's just move here and spend our days lazing about on the beach."
Jackson sat down next to me, pulling me close and smiling at me tenderly. "Sounds like a plan to me. I'd be happy anywhere as long as we're together."
"You sure know how to woo a girl," I said half-jokingly. "Those sweet nothings just roll off your tongue."
"Only for you, Emma," he said, his face serious. "I love you so much that it's sometimes hard to breathe when you're not around."
Instead of Jackson's words scaring me, they reassured me. It was sometimes difficult to come to terms with how strongly and intensely I loved Jackson. It didn't seem right to fixate so much on one person, to feel as though life was shades of grey until he entered the room, making everything Technicolor. Although it unsettled me on some level, I was relieved that Jackson felt the same way.
"You're not the only one," I confessed, running my hand against the stubble of his cheek. I smiled, shaking off the serious mood. "What's this good news you have?"
"Remember the audition I went on for that role in the John Warner movie?" I nodded, remembering how excited Jackson had been to audition for the part. A casting director had seen Jackson in Choosing Matthew and had recommended that he audition for a role in the new John Warner film, an action movie that centered on government corruption. It would be a huge breakthrough for Jackson to get a role in such a high profile movie. He was especially excited about the prospect of working with John Warner, who had the reputation of making intelligent action movies that went beyond car chases and fight scenes.
Jackson had gone to an audition held in New York about a month ago and had been disappointed when he hadn't heard anything back. He had assumed they had lost interest.
"Mark called me today. They're flying me out to L.A. on Tuesday to meet with John Warner and audition for him. They're considering me for a supporting role. Apparently, they want some new faces."
"That's amazing!" I squealed, hugging him tightly. Mark Steelburg was Jackson's agent and I was happy that Jackson was finally getting a chance at a big break. At the same time, I felt a hard ball of anxiety form in the pit of my stomach. If Jackson got this part, that meant he would be in California for months since the movie would be filming there. I had my job here in New York, so I didn't know how often we would get to see each other. I wondered how this would affect our relationship, but there was no way I was going to bring that up. This was Jackson's chance and I wasn't going to complain about what it would do to us. Besides, I was jumping the gun. Jackson hadn't even gotten the part yet.
Jackson looked excited and happy. "It's not a done deal yet. It's just way more progress than I've ever had. Even if I don't get the part, it's nice to be on the radar."
"If they're smart, you'll definitely get the part. Do you know who else is going to be in it?"
Jackson shook his head. "Mark said they're considering a few actors for the lead role, but it hasn't been confirmed yet."
We were both leaning against the headboard of the bed, facing each other, and he pulled me closer, wrapping one leg around mine. "Can you come with me to California?"